compiled and read by Marilyn Carpenter
Teachers who use children's literature as an integral part of their curriculum are challenged to keep abreast of newly published titles. Librarians who are supporting the classroom curriculum also have the same challenge. Part of my role as a consultant is to support teachers and librarians in their discovery of new titles. I have compiled a list of excellent choices of trade books for kindergarten through ninth grade.
I have read all the books on the list with an eye toward classroom use. I receive thousands of review copies from the major children's trade publishers each year. This access allows me to select from a variety of choices. I may read from ten to fifteen titles to find one that will be on the list. The list that follows is offered to teachers and librarians to save them time, and money.
Thousands of new books roll off the presses of the major children's publishers each year. To discover the best of these new books takes many hours. Too often, limited funds are spent on titles that may sound attractive in a catalogue but prove otherwise when ordered. Getting access to new titles, reading the books, setting criteria for selection and matching the titles to the needs of the targeted students are a lengthy process.
There is a wealth of fine literature to use in the classroom, the following list will assist teachers and librarians in discovering the best choices for their classes. Teachers and librarians should take the list to their public library or local children's book store and browse and read before purchases are made. When teachers and librarians have made their own choices they will be enthusiastic about the books and that excitement will transfer to their students.
| Ahlberg, Janet & Allan | It Was A Dark And Stormy Night |
| Arrington, Frances | Stella's Bull |
| Babbitt, Natalie | Bub |
| Baillie, Allan | Rebel |
| Bender, Robert | A Most Unusual Lunch |
| Cameron, Alice | The Cat Sat On The Mat |
| Chmielarz, Sharon | Down At Angel's |
| Cowen-Fletcher | It Takes A Village |
| Dunphy, Madeleine | Here Is The Tropical Rain Forest |
| Echewa, T. Obinkaram | The Ancestor Tree |
| Gardner, Sally | The Little Nut Tree |
| Hadithi, M & Kennaway, A | Hungry Hyena |
| Hall, Donald | The Farm Summer 1942 |
| I Am The Dog/ I Am The Cat | |
| Harshman, Marc | Moving Days |
| Hartmann, Wendy | All The Magic In The World |
| Heide, Florence P. | The Bigness Contest |
| Hollinshead, Marilyn | The Nine Days Wonder |
| Issacs, Anne | Swamp Angel |
| James, Betsy | Mary Ann |
| Johnson, Jane | The Princess And The Painter |
| Johnston, Tony | Amber On The Mountain |
| Joseph, Lynn | Jasmine's Parlour Day |
| Keller, Holly | Grandfather's Dream |
| Kleven, Elisa | The Paper Princess |
| Koontz, Robin | The Halloween Party |
| Kopper, Lisa | Daisy Thinks She Is A Baby |
| Krakkauer, Hoong Yee Lee | Rabbit Mooncakes |
| Lember, Barbara | A Book Of Fruit |
| Lessac, Frane | Caribbean Alphabet |
| Leventhal, Debra | What Is Your Language? |
| Lionni, Leo | An Extraordinary Egg |
| Lobel, Anita | Away From Home |
| Locker, Thomas | Miranda's Smile |
| London, Jonathan | Let's Go Froggy! |
| McNulty, Faith | A Snake In The House |
| Melmed, Laura | Prince Nautilus |
| Mennen, Ingrid | One Round Moon And A Star For Me |
| Peters, Lisa | When The Fly Flew In... |
| Reiser, Lynn | The Surprise Family |
| Riggo, Anita | Beware The Brindlebeast |
| Remkiewicz, Frank | The Bone Stranger |
| Sheldon, Dyan | Under The Moon |
| Stevens, Kathleen | Aunt Skilly And The Stranger |
| Stickland, P. & H. | Dinosau Roar! |
| Stroud, Virginia | Doesn't Fall Off His Horse |
| Sun, Chyng Feng | Mama Bear |
| Tafuri, Nancy | This Is The Farmer |
| Wadsworth, Ginger | Tomorrow Is Daddy's Birthday |
| Wild, Margaret | Our Granny Toby |
| Yolen, Jane | Grandad Bill's Song |
| Zelver, Patricia | The Wonderful Towers Of Watts |
FOLK TALES, FAIRY TALES AND MYTHS
| Bruchac, Joseph | The Great Ball Game |
| Compton, Ken & Joanne | Ashpet: An Appalachian Tale |
| Gates, Frieda | Owl Eyes |
| Gauch, Patricia | Noah |
| Grauer, Rita | Vasalisa And Her Magic Doll |
| Johnston, Tony | The Tale Of Rabbit And Coyote |
| Kimmel, Eric | The Witch's Face: A Mexican Tale |
| Anansi And The Talking Melon | |
| The Three Princes | |
| Lewis, J. Patrick | The Frog Princess |
| Lichtveld, Noni | I Lost My Arrow In A Kankan Tree |
| McCaughrean,Geraldine | Greek Myths |
| Mayer, Marianna | Baba Yaga And Vasalisa The Brave |
| Mayo, Margaret | Magical Tales From Many Lands |
| Moser, Barry | Tucker Pfeffercorn |
| Onyefulu, Obi | Chinye A West African Folk Tale |
| Orgel, Doris | Ariadne, Awake! |
| Roddy, Patricia | Api Andthe Boy Stranger |
| San Souci, Robert | Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story |
| Tripp, Nathaniel | Thunderstorm! |
| Yep, Laurence | The Shell Woman & The King |
| Hoberman, Mary Ann | My Song Is Beautiful |
| Prelutsky, Jack (Selector) | A. Nonny Mouse Writes Again! |
| Ackerman, Karen | The Night Crossing |
| Disher, Garry | The Bamboo Flute |
| Hickman, Janet | Jericho |
| Hobbs, Will | Beardance |
| Levine, Betty | Adam's War |
| McKinley, Robin | A Knot In The Grain And Other Stories |
| Paterson, Katherine | Flip-Flop Girl |
| Paulsen, Gary | Nightjohn |
| Bial, Raymond | Shaker Home |
| Foreman, Michael | War Game |
| Gibbons, Gail | Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests |
| Gillette, J. Lynette | The Search For Seismosaurus |
| Kendall, Russ | Russian Girl |
| Raimondo, Lois | The Little Lama Of Tibet |