Strawberry Point

 

 NONFICTION

 

Nonfiction is strongly emphasized in the new Common Core Standards; “to be ready for college, workforce training, and life in a technological society, students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and report on information and ideas…” With this in mind and because nonfiction interests are so personal, I recommend your children choose from a variety of nonfiction topics and explore a wide range of texts. Picture book biographies are a great source of information on many, many interesting people. Here is a short sampling of some great ones:

 

Picture Book Biographies

 

Barnum’s Bones by Fern     

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Nobleman

Electric Ben by Byrd

Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Asim

Helen’s Big Words by Rappaport

Life in the Ocean by Nivola

Noah Webster and His Words by Ferris

Rachel Carson and Her Book that Changed the World by Lawlor

Seed by Seed by Codell

Tillie the Terrible by Stauffacher

You Never Heard of Willie Mays by Winter

 

Here are some websites with notable nonfiction books:

 

http://www.reading.org/Libraries/choices/ira-cbc-childrens-choices-reading-list-2013.pdf

 

http://www.hbook.com/2013/05/choosing-books/recommended-books/summer-reading-2013/

 

http://www.ncte.org/awards/orbispictus

 

http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/ostb2013.aspx

 

FICTION

There are so many wonderful books published each and every year. Browse! Ask your Public Librarian for suggestions.

 

Picture books

Bear Has a Story to Tell by Stead

Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas! By Coudray

Building Our House by Bean

Creepy Carrots by Reynolds

Flora and the Flamingo by Idle

Goldilocks Variations by Ahlberg

Home for Bird by Stead

Lucky Ducklings by Moore

Nighttime Ninja by Dacosta

That is Not a Good Idea by Willems

This Moose Belongs to Me by Jeffers

Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Teague

 

 

Early Reader Popular Characters

Andy Shane by Jacobson

Annie and Snowball by Rylant

Biscuit by Capucilli

Cork and Fuzz by  Chaconas

Dixie by  Gilman

Elephant and Piggie by Willems (newest one is Big Guy Took My Ball)

Fancy Nancy by O’Connor

Fly Guy by Arnold

Frog and Friends by Bunting

Henry and Mudge by Rylant

High-Rise Private Eyes by Rylant

Houndsley and Catina by Howe

Iris and Walter by Guest

Minnie and Moo by Cazet

Mr. and Mrs. Green by Baker

Mr. Putter and Tabby by Rylant

Mouse and Mole by Yee

Nate the Great by Sharmat

Penny by Henkes

Pinkalicious by  Kann

Splat the Cat by Scotton

 

Chapter Book Series (including some graphic novels)

Entering grades 2 and up

Alvin Ho by Look

Babymouse by Holm

Ballpark Mysteries by Kelly

Bink and Gollie by DiCamillo

Buddy Files  by Butler

Calendar Mysteries by Roy

Clementine by Pennypacker

Captain Underpants by Pilkey

Dragonbreath by Vernon

Emma by Warner

Familiars by Epstein

Frankie Pickle by Wight

Hiro’s Quest by West

I Survived by Tarshis

Lulu by McKay

Lulu by Viorst

Ivy and Bean by Barrows

J.J. Tully Mysteries by Cronin

Judy Moody by McDonald

Magic Tree House by Osborne

Mallory by Freidman

My Weird School by Gutman

Nancy Clancy by O’Connor

Squish by Holm

Stink by McDonald

Zita the Spacegirl by Hatke

 

Popular Fiction Series

For grades 4 and up

Big Nate by Peirce

Beyonders and Fablehaven by Mull

Books of Elsewhere by West

Brixton Brothers by Barnett

43 Old Cemetery Road by Klise

Gregor the Overlander by Collins

Guys Read edited by Scieszka

Mother-Daughter Book Club by Frederick

My Life as a Book by Tashjian

N.E.R.D.S. by Buckley

Peter and the Starcatchers by Barry

Popularity Papers by Ignatow

Ruby Redfort by Child

Secret Zoo by Chick

Sisters Grimm by Buckley

Tapestry by Neff

Theodore Boone by Grisham

 

Fiction

For entering grades 5 and up

Cardboard by Pennapel

Cats of Tanglewood Forest by DeLint

Destiny Rewritten by Fitzmaurice

Dog Called Homeless by Lean

False Prince by Nielsen

Jinx by Blackwood

Key and the Flame by Caterer

Ghost Hawk by Cooper (this comes out in August—WOW)

Giants Beware! By Aguirre

Glory Be by Scattergood

Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Krishnaswami

Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle by Healy (and sequel)

Hold Fast by Balliett

Liar and Spy by Stead

On the Road to Mr. Mineo’s by O’Connor

One and Only Ivan by Applegate

One White Dolphin by Lewis

Rump by Shortliff

Spindlers by Oliver

Splendors and Glooms by Schlitz

Spy School and Spy Camp by Gibbs

Starry River of the Sky by Lin

Stick Dog by Watson

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Pennypacker

Tangle of Knots by Graff

Ten Good and Bad Things About my Life (So Far) by Martin

Three Times Lucky by Turage

Two Crafty Criminals by Pullman

Unfortunate Son by Leeds

Unwanteds by McMann (and sequel)

Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Saunders

Who Could that be at this Hour? by Snicket

Wonder by Palacio

 

 

This list could go on forever! If you need more ideas, here are some websites you might want to peruse:

http://www.kidsreads.com

http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html

http://www.guysread.com

http://www.readkiddoread.com

http://www.haisln.org/recommendedreadinglists.html

 

Perhaps your child would like to review books: http://www.dogobooks.com

 

Jane Ritter