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. To do so I have compiled this 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. The list is not intended to limit but to be a beginning for those who need to have some guidance.
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. Gaining access to new titles, reading the books, setting criteria for selection and matching the titles to the needs of the targeted students is a lengthy process.
I suggest a visit your local library or children's book store to browse and read before purchases are made. When teachers and librarians make their own choices they will be enthusiastic about the books and that excitement will transfer to their students.
| Adler, David | One Yellow Daffodil |
| Alexander, Lloyd | The House Gobbaleen |
| Aliki | Best Freinds Together Again |
| Anaya, Rudolfo | The Farolitos Of Christmas |
| Anno, Mitsumasa | Anno's Magic Seeds |
| Appelt, Kathi | Bayou Lullaby |
| Arnold, Marsha | Heart Of A Tiger |
| Auch, Mary Jane | Hen Lake |
| Aylesworth, Jim | Mcgraw's Emporium |
| Baker, Jeannie | The Story Of Rosy Dock |
| Banyai, Istvan | Zoom |
| Re-Zoom | |
| Barber, Antonia | The Monkey And The Panda |
| Bates, Artie | Ragsale |
| Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn | Off To School |
| Begay, Shonto | Navajo: Visions And Voices Across The Mesa |
| Best, Cari | Red Light, Green Light, Mama And Me |
| Boelts, Maribeth | Summer's End |
| Bornstein, Ruth | Rabbit's Good News |
| Bouchard, David | If You're Not From The Prairie... |
| Bowen, Betsy | Gathering: A Northwoods Counting Book |
| Brown, Marc | Arthur’s Tv Trouble |
| Bradby, Marie | More Than Anything Else |
| Browne, Philippa-Alys | African Animals Abc |
| Bunting, Eve | Cheyenne Again |
| Dandelions | |
| Carrick, Carol | Valentine |
| Catalanotto, Peter | The Painter |
| Ciavonne, Jean | Carlos, Light The Farolito |
| Cole, Henry | Jack's Garden |
| Cole, Joanna & Calmenson, Stephanie | Read ... Set... Read - And Laugh! |
| Cole, Joanna | My New Kitten |
| Coles, Robert | The Story Of Ruby Bridges |
| Cowley, Joy | The Mouse Bride |
| Crews, Donald | Sail Away |
| Crimi, Carolyn | Outside, Inside |
| Dodson, Peter | An Alphabet Of Dinosaurs |
| Doherty, Berlie | The Magic Bicycle |
| Dorros, Arthur | Isla |
| Driscoll, Debbie | Jenny Come Along |
| Edwards, Pamela | Four Famished Foxes And Fosdyke |
| Emberley, Rebecca | Three Cool Kids |
| Enderle, Judith | What Would Mama Do? |
| Eversole, Robyn | Flood Fish |
| Ford, Miela | Sunflower |
| French, Vivian | Lazy Jack |
| Friedrich, Elizabeth | Leah’s Pony |
| Froehlich, Margaret | That Kookoory! |
| Garland, Sherry | The Summer Sands |
| Gauch, Patricia | Tanya And Emily In A Dance For Two |
| George, Jean C. | To Climb A Waterfall |
| Everglades | |
| George, Lindsay | In The Woods: Who's Been Here? |
| Gibbons, Faye | Night In The Barn |
| Gilliland, Judith | Not In The House, Newton! |
| Gray, Libba Moore | My Mama Had A Dancing Heart |
| Griffith, Helen | Grandaddy's Stars |
| Haas, Jessie | No Foal Yet |
| Hall, Donald | Lucy's Summer |
| Harper, Isabelle & Moser, Barry | My Cats Nick & Nora |
| Heller, Nicholas | Goblins In Green |
| Henkes, Kevin | The Biggest Boy |
| Good-Bye Curtis | |
| Herold, Maggie | A Very Important Day |
| Hickox, Rebecca | Per And The Dala Horse |
| Hindley, Judy | The Big Red Bus |
| Hines, Anna Grossnickle | When The Goblins Came Knocking |
| Hoban, Tana | Colors Everywhere |
| Howard, Elizabeth | Papa Tells Chita A Story |
| Hudson, Wade & Cheryl | How Sweet The Sound |
| Hunt, Jonathan & Lisa | One Is A Mouse |
| Jenkins, Steve | Biggest, Strongest, Fastest |
| Johnson, Stephen | Alphabet City |
| Johnston, Tony | The Iguana Brothers |
| Alice Nizzy Nazzy: The Witch Of | |
| Santa Fe | |
| Very Scary | |
| Jonas, Ann | Splash |
| Jones, Rebecca | Great Aunt Martha |
| Josse, Barbara | The Morning Chair |
| Keller, Holly | Rosata |
| Kessler, Cristina | One Night |
| Krensky, Stephen | The Three Blind Mice Mystery |
| Krupinski, Loretta | Bluewater Journal |
| Kuskin, Karla | James And The Rain |
| Lasky, Kathryn | Pond Year |
| She’s Wearing A Dead Bird On Her Head! | |
| Leavy, Una | Harry's Stormy Night |
| Levine. Ellen | The Tree That Would Not Die |
| Lewin, Ted | Sacred River |
| Lewis, Kim | My Friend Harry |
| London, Jonathan | The Sugaring-Off Party |
| Honey Paw And Lightfoot | |
| Master Elk And The Mountain Lion | |
| Loomis, Christine | The Hippo Hop |
| Macaulay, David | Shortcut |
| Maclachlan, Patricia | What You Know First |
| Mallett, David | Inch By Inch |
| Marshall, Janet | Look Once Look Twice |
| Marzollo, Jean | Sun Song |
| Mathers, Petra | Kisses From Rosa |
| Mayer, Marianna | Turandot |
| Maxwell, William | Mrs. Donald’s Dog Bun And His Home Away ... |
| McBratney, Sam | Guess How Much I Love You |
| McCutcheon, Marc | Grandfather’s Camp |
| McDonald, Megan | Insects Are My Life |
| McNaughton, Colin | Suddenly! |
| Meddaugh, Susan | Hog-Eye |
| Milstein, Linda | Coconut Mon |
| Moore, Elaine | Grandma’s Smile |
| Moss, Lloyd | Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin |
| Murphy, Jill | The Last Noo-Noo |
| Myers, Walter Dean | The Story Of Three Kingdoms |
| Glorious Angels | |
| Namioka, Lensey | The Loyal Cat |
| Neitzel, Shirley | The Bag I"M Taking To Grandma's |
| Novak, Matt | Gertie And Gumbo |
| Numes, Susan | The Last Dragon |
| Oppenheim, Shulamith | The Hundredth Name |
| Oram, Hiawyn | Badger's Bring Something Party |
| Palatini, Margie | Piggie Pie! |
| Paulsen, Gary | The Torilla Factory |
| Perkins, Lynne | Home Lovely |
| Polacco, Patricia | My Ol' Man |
| My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother | |
| Priceman, Marjorie | Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin! |
| Ransom, Candice | When The Wihippoorwill Calls |
| Rathman, Peggy | Officer Buckle And Gloria |
| Reiser, Lynn | Two Mice In Three Fables |
| Roberts, Bethany | Halloween Mice! |
| Rosenberg, Liz | The Carousel |
| Rylant, Cynthia | Mr. Putter And Tabby Pick The Pears |
| Henry And Mudge And The Best Day Of All | |
| Dog Heaven | |
| Sanders, Scott | The Floating House |
| Sanfield, Steve | Bit By Bit |
| Sayre, April | If You Should Hear A Honey Guide |
| Schachner, Judith | Willy And May |
| Schertle, Alice | Maisie |
| Down The Road | |
| Schneider, R.M. | Add It Dip It Fix It |
| Schuett, Stacey | Somewhere In The World Right Now |
| Shannon, George | April Showers |
| Shelby, Anne | Homeplace |
| Sierra, Judy | The House That Drac Built |
| Sloat, Teri | The Thing That Bothered Farmer Brown |
| Singer, Marilyn | In The Palace Of The Ocean King |
| Scieszka, Jon & Smith, Lane | Math Curse |
| Sorensen, Henri | New Hope |
| Soto, Gary | Chato's Kitchen |
| Stevenson, James | I Had A Lot Of Wishes |
| Sturges, Philemon | Ten Flashing Fireflies |
| Teague, Mark | How I Spent My Summer Vacation |
| Thomas, Frances | The Bear & Mr. Bear |
| Thomas, Shelley | Putting The World To Sleep |
| Thomassie, Tynia | Feliciana Feydra Le Roux |
| Torres, Leyla | Saturday Sancocho |
| Van Laan, Nancy | Sleep, Sleep, Sleep: A Lullaby For Little Ones |
| Around The World | |
| Van Leeuwen, Jean | Acr Oss The Wide Dark Sea |
| Oliver & Amanda And The Big Snow | |
| Vaughan, Marcia | Whistling Dixie |
| Waber, Bernard | Gina |
| Waddell, Martin | John Joe And The Big Hen |
| Once There Were Giants | |
| Walsh, Jill Paton | Pepi And The Secret Names |
| Watson, Mary | The Butterfly Seeds |
| Wells, Rosemary | Edward In Deep Water |
| Edward’s Overwhelming Overnight | |
| Edward Unready For School | |
| Weston, Martha | Tuck In The Pool |
| Wilson, Nancy | Helen And The Hudson Hornet |
| Wilson, Sarah | Good Zap, Little Grog |
| Wojciechowski, Susan | The Christmas Miracle Of Jonathan Toomey |
| Wood, Audrey | The Rainbow Bridge |
| Wright, Courtni | Wagon Train |
| Yamaka, Sara | The Gift Of Driscoll Lipscomb |
| Yep, Laurence | The City Of Dragons |
FOLK TALES, FAIRY TALES AND MYTHS
| Aardema, Verna | How The Ostrich Got Its Long Neck |
| Ada, Alma Flor | Mediopollito/Half-Chicken |
| Bruchac, Joseph | Gluskabe And The Four Wishes |
| The Boy Who Lived With The Bears: And Other | |
| Iroquois Stories | |
| Climo, Shirley | Atalanta's Race |
| The Little Red Ant And The Great Big Crumb | |
| Compton, Joanne | Sody Sallyratus |
| Crespo, George | How Iwariwa The Cayman Leaned To Share |
| Day, Nancy | The Lion's Whiskers |
| De Felice, C & De Marsh, M. | Three Perfect Peaches |
| Faulkner, William J. | Brer Tiger And The Big Wind |
| Gerson, Mary-Joan | People Of Corn |
| Hamilton, Virginia | Herstories |
| Han, Suzanne | The Rabbit's Escape |
| Harrell, Beatrice | How Thunder And Lightning Came To Be |
| Hausman, Gerald | Coyote Walks On Two Legs |
| Heyer, Marilee | The Girl The Fish & The Crown |
| Ho, M. & Saphan, R. | The Two Brothers |
| Jaffe, Nina | Older Brother, Younger Brother |
| Kellogg, Steven | Sally Ann Thunder An Whirlwind Crockett |
| Kimmel, Eric | The Valiant Red Rooster |
| The Goose Girl | |
| Lattimore, Deborah | Arabian Nights: Three Tales |
| MacGill-Callahan, Sheila | The Seal Prince |
| Medearis, Angela | Too Much Talk |
| Pitre, Felix | Paco And The Witch |
| Rockwell, Anne | The Acorn Tree And Other Folktales |
| Rosen, Michael | Crow And Hawk |
| Ross, Gayle | How Turtle's Back Was Cracked |
| Rubalcaba, Jill | Uncegila’s Seventh Spot |
| San Souci, Robert | The Faithful Friend |
| Sanderson, Ruth | Papa Gatto |
| The Gift Of Wali Dad | |
| Shepard, Aaron | The Enchanted Storks |
| Shute, Linda | Rabbit Wishes |
| Stanley, Diane | Petrosinella |
| Stevens, Janet | Tops & Bottoms |
| Stevenson, Sucie | The Twelve Dancing Princesses |
| Talbott, Hudson | King Arthur And The Round Table |
| Taylor, Harriet | Coyote & The Laughing Butterflies |
| Yolen, Jane | Merlin And The Dragons |
| Esbensen, Barbara | Dance With Me |
| Hale, Sarah | Mary Had A Little Lamb (Illus. S. Mavor) |
| Highwater, Jamake | Songs For The Seasons |
| Hopkins, Lee Bennett | Small Talk |
| Been To Yesterdays | |
| Hughes, Shirley | Rhymes For Annie Rose |
| Jaques, Florence | There Once Was A Puffin |
| Merriam, Eve | Bam Bam Bam |
| Nash, Ogden | The Tale Of Custard The Dragon |
| Robb, Laura | Snuffles And Snouts |
| Ryder, Joanne | Without Words |
| Philip, Neil | Singing America |
| Schertle, Alice | Advice For A Frog |
| Shaw, Alison | Until I Saw The Sea |
| Shields, Carol | Lunch Money And Other Poems About School |
| Simon, Seymour | Star Walk |
| Soto, Gary | Canto Familiar |
| Stevenson, James | Sweet Corn |
| Sturges, Philemon | Rainson/Snowsong |
| Tashjian, Virginia | Juba This And Juba That |
| Updike, John | A Helpful Alphabet Of Friendly Objects |
| Viorst, Judith | Sad Underwear |
| Whitman, Candace | The Night Is Like An Animal |
| Yolen, Jane | Mother Earth Father Sky |
| Alexander, Lloyd | The Arkadians |
| Crutcher, Chris | Ironman |
| Curtis, Christopher Paul | The Watson Go To Birmingham - 1963 |
| Cushman, Karen | The Midwife's Apprentice |
| Greenwood, Barbara | A Pioneer Sampler |
| Hill, Anthony | The Burnt Stick |
| Howe, James | Pinky And Rex And The Double-Dad Weekend |
| Kalman, Esther | Tchaikovsky Discovers America |
| Klass, David | California Blue |
| Napoli, Donna Jo | Jimmy The Pickpocket Of The Palace |
| Naylor, Phyllis | The Fear Place |
| Paulsen, Gary | The Rifle |
| Harris And Me | |
| Call Me Francis Tucket | |
| Peck, Richard | The Last Safe Place On Earth |
| Rosen, Michael | A School For Pompey Walker |
| Rylant, Cynthia | Gooseberry Park |
| Williams-Garcia, Rita | Like Sisters On The Homefront |
| Ancona, George | Cutters, Carvers & The Cathedral |
| Fiesta U.S.A. | |
| Bial, Raymond | The Underground Railroad |
| Christelow, Eileen | What Do Authors Do? |
| Cleary, Beverly | My Own Two Feet |
| Cole, Joanna | The Magic School Bus Inside A Hurricane |
| Downs, Belinda | Silent Night: A Christmas Carol Sampler |
| Fleischman, Paul | A Fate Totally Worse Than Death |
| Gibbons, Gail | Sea Turtles |
| Planet Earth/Inside Out | |
| Knight In Shining Armour | |
| Hirschi, Ron | When The Wolves Return |
| Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane | Apache Rodeo |
| Intrater, Roberta | Two Eyes A Nose And A Mouth |
| Irvine, Georgeanne | Bianca And Arusha: Tales Of Two Cats |
| Johnson, Sylvia | Raptor Rescue! |
| Kenna, Kathleen | A People Apart |
| King, Elizabeth | Chile Fever |
| Kuklin, Susan | Kodomo |
| Lankford, Mary | Christmas Around The World |
| Lawlor, Veronica | I Was Dreamming To Come To America |
| Leedy, Loreen | 2 X 2 = Boo!: A Set Of Sppoky Multiplication Stories |
| Le Tord, Bijou | A Blue Butterfly: A Story About Claude Monet |
| Lewin, Betsy | Booby Hatch |
| Major, John | The Silk Route |
| Lincoln, Abraham | THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS (Illus. By Michael Mccurdy) |
| McMillan, Bruce | Nights Of The Pufflings |
| Miller, C. & Falla, D. | Woodlore |
| Morris, Ann | Shoes Shoes Shoes |
| Weddings | |
| Murphy, Jim | The Great Fire |
| Pandell, Karen | Learning From The Dalai Lama |
| Poncet, Sally | Antarctic Encounter |
| Riley, Linda | Elephants Swim |
| Rotner, Shelley | Wheels Around |
| Rounds, Glen | Sod Houses On The Great Plains |
| Sanders, Eve | What’s Your Name? |
| Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk | The Hopis |
| Stanley, Diane | The True Adventure Of Daniel Hall |
| Thomas, Peggy | Katie Henio Navajo Sheepherder |
| Wallner, Alexandra | Beatrix Potter |
| Wechsler, Doug | Bizarre Bugs |
| Winter, Jeanette | Cowboy Charlie |
| Zoehfeld, Kathleen | What’s Alive? |