EXCELLENT 1999 CHOICES OF TRADE BOOKS FOR GRADES K-9

compiled and read by Marilyn Carpenter Ph.D.

Eastern Washington University

MarilynCaz@aol.com

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 to 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.

PICTURE BOOKS

Addy, Sharon

RIGHT HERE ON THIS SPOT

Adler, David

THE BABE & I

Allen, Debbie

BROTHERS OF THE KNIGHT

Anaya, Rudolfo

FAROLITOS FOR ABUELO

Anderson, Hans Christian

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL (illus. by Jerry Pinkney)

Appelt, Kathi

BATS ON PARADE

Apple, Margot

BRAVE MARTHA

Arkin, Alan

ONE PRESENT FROM FLEKMAN’S

Asch, Frank

BABY BIRD’S FIRST NEST

Atkins, Jeannine

MARY ANNING AND THE SEA DRAGON

Atwell, Debby

RIVER

Aylesworth, Jim

AUNT PITTY PATTY’S PIGGY

Ballard, Robin

WHEN WE GET HOME

Bang, Molly

WHEN SOPHIE GETS ANGRY …

Banks, Kate

THE BIRD, THE MONKEY, AND THE SNAKE IN THE JUNGLE

Baker, Keith

 

QUACK AND COUNT

 

Beard, Darleen

TWISTER

Best, Cari

THREE CHEERS FOR CATHERINE THE GREAT!

Bliss, Corinne

THE LITTLEST MATRYOSHKA

Bloom, Becky

WOLF!

Bodkin, Odds

GHOST OF THE SOUTHERN BELLE

Borden, Louise

A. LINCOLN AND ME

Bridges, Margaret

IF I WERE YOUR MOTHER

 

IF I WERE YOUR FATHER

Brown, Margaret Wise

ANOTHER IMPORTANT BOOK

Buckley, Helen

WHERE DID JOSIE GO?

Bunting, Eve

BUTTERFLY HOUSE

 

I HAVE AN OLIVE TREE

Burleigh, Robert

IT’S FUNNY WHERE BEN’S TRAIN TAKES HIM

Calhoun, Mary

BLUE-RIBBON HENRY

Carle, Eric

THE VERY CLUMSY CLICK BEETLE

Carter, Dorothy

WILHE’MINA MILES

Carlson, Lori

HURRAY FOR THREE KINGS’ DAY!

Chandra, Deborah

A IS FOR AMOS

Choi, Yangsook

NEW CAT

Clements, Andrew

WORKSHOP

Cohen, Miriam

MIMMY & SOPHIE

Cooper, Helen

PUMPKIN SOUP

Cowley, Joy

THE RUSTY, TRUSTY TRACTOR

Cox, Judy

RABBIT PIRATES: A TALE OF THE SPINACH MAIN

Crews, Nina

WHEN WILL SARAH COME?

Crimi, Carolyn

DON’T NEED FRIENDS

Cutler, Jane

THE CELLO OF MR. O

Cuyler, Margery

FROM HERE TO THERE

Daly, Niki

JAMELA’S DRESS

DeGroat, Diane

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, YOU BELONG IN A ZOO

DeGross, Monalisa

GRAND DADDY’S STREET SONGS

Demarest, Chris

THE COWBOY ABC

DePaola, Tomie

THE NIGHT OF LAS POSADAS

DiSalvo-Ryan, Dyanne

A DOG LIKE JACK

Doyle, Malachy

JODY’S BEANS

Dunphy, Madeleine

HERE IS THE AFRICAN SAVANNA

Edwards, Pamela

THE WACKY WEDDING

 

THE WORRYWARTS

Edwards, Richard

COPY ME, COPYCUB

Engel, Diana

CIRCLE SONG

English, Karen

NADIA’S HANDS

Farmer, Nancy

CASEY JONES’S FIREMAN

Feiffer, Jules

BARK, GEORGE

Fleischman, Paul

WESLANDIA

Fleming, Candace

A BIG CHEESE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE

Ford, Miela

MY DAY IN THE GARDEN

Franklin, Kristine

THE GIFT

Frazee, Marla

HUSH, LITTLE BABY

Frost, Johathan

GOWANUS DOGS

Garland, Michael

AN ELF FOR CHRISTMAS

Geisert, Bonnie & Arthur

RIVER TOWN

Garne, S.T.

BY A BLAZING BLUE SEA

George, Jean Craighead

MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT

George, Lindsay

AROUND THE WORLD

Gershator, Phillis

TINY AND BIGMAN

Gerstein, Mordicai

THE ABSOLUTELY AWFUL ALPHABET

Gibbons, Faye

MAMA AND ME AND THE MODEL T

Gliori, Debi

MR. BEAR’S NEW BABY

Goodman, Joan

BERNARD’S NAP

Graham, Bob

BENNY AN ADVENTURE STORY

Goode, Diane

THE DINOSAUR’S NEW CLOTHES

Goodman, Joan

BERNARD’S NAP

Gralley, Jean

HOGULA

Gregory, Valiska

A VALENTINE FOR NORMAN NOGGS

Grifalconi, Ann

TINY’S HAT

Griffith, Helen

HOW MANY CANDLES?

Hamanaka, Sheila

I LOOK LIKE A GIRL

Harshman, Marc

ALL THE WAY TO MORNING

Hausman, Bonnie & Fellman, Sandi

A TO Z: DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE ME?

Havill, Juanita

JAMAICA AND THE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER

Heide, Florence Parry & Gilliland, Judith

THE HOUSE OF WISDOM

Helldorfer, M.C.

SILVER RAIN BROWN

 

NIGHT OF THE WHITE STAG

Heller, Nicholas

OGRES! OGRES OGRES!

Henderson, Kathy

THE BABY DANCES

Hesse, Karen

COME ON, RAIN!

High, Linda

BARN SAVERS

Hill, Eric

SPOT CAN COUNT

Hillenbrand, Will

DOWN BY THE STATION

Hoban, Tana

LET’S COUNT

Hoffman, Mary

THREE WISE WOMEN

Heide, Florence Parry & Gilliland, Judith

THE HOUSE OF WISDOM

 

MARIA’S COMET

High, Linda

BARN SAVERS

Hoberman, Mary Ann

AND TO THINK THAT WE THOUGHT THAT WE’D NEVER BE

 

FRIENDS

Howard, Authur

COSMO ZOOMS

Hughes, Shirley

LET’S JOIN IN

 

The lion and the unicorn

 

ABEL’S MOON

Hutchins, Pat

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!

Inkpen, Mick

THE GREAT PET SALE

Isadora, Rachel

SOPHIE SKATES

Jackson, Jean

MRS. PICCOLO’S EASY CHAIR

James, J. Alison

THE DRUMS OF NOTO HANTO

Johnson, Angela

THE WEDDING

Johnson, Dinah

SUNDAY WEEK

Johnson, Dolores

MY MOM IS MY SHOW-AND-TELL

Johnson, Jane

MY DEAR NOEL

Jonell, Lynne

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY, TOO!

Kalman, Maira

NEXT STOP GRAND CENTRAL

Karim, Roberta

KINDLE ME A RIDDLE

Katz, Karen

THE COLORS OF US

Keller, Holly

JACOB’S TREE

Ketcham, Sallie

BACH’S BIG ADVENTURE

Kirk, Daniel

HUSH, LITTLE ALIEN

Kirkpatrick, Katherine

REDCOATS AND PETTICOATS

Koller, Jackie

ONE MONKEY TOO MANY

 

BOUNCING ON THE BED

Kvasnosky, Laura

ZELDA AND IVY

Larkspur, Penelope

THE SECRET LIFE OF FAIRIES

Lasky, Kathryn

THE EMPEROR’S OLD CLOTHES

Lester, Helen

HOOWAY FOR WODNEY WAT

Le Tord, Bijou

NOAH’S TREES

Lewin, Ted

NILO AND THE TORTOISE

Lewis, Kevin

CHUGGA-CHUGGA CHOO-CHOO

Lewis, J. Patrick

NIGHT OF THE GOAT CHILDREN

Leopold, Niki

ONCE I WAS…

Levitin, Sonia

TAKING CHARGE

Littlesugar, Amy

TREE OF HOPE

London, Jonathan

FROGGY PLAYS SOCCER

 

THE WATERFALL

 

FROGGY’S HALLOWEEN

Lum, Kate

WHAT! CRIED GRANNY

Lum,. Jillian

TWO COOL COYOTES

Lyon, George Ella

BOOK

Madrigal, Antonio

ERANDI’S BRAIDS

Marshall, James

SWINE LAKE

Mayer, Mercer

SHIBUMI AND THE KITEMAKER

Mayhew, James

KATIE MEETS THE IMPRESSIONISTS

McCully, Emily

MOUSE PRACTICE

McDonald, Megan

THE NIGHT IGUANA LEFT HOME

McDonnell, Flora

SPLASH!

McGill, Alice

MOLLY BANNAKY

McPhail, David

MOLE MUSIC

Melmed, Laura

JUMBO’S LULLABY

Michelson, Richard

GRANDPA’S GAMBLE

Mills, Lauren

THE GOBLIN BABY

Mollel, Tololwa

MY ROWS AND PILES OF COINS

Monk,. Lydia

THE CAT BARKED?

Mora, Pat

THE RAINBOW TULIP

Most, Bernard

Z-Z-ZOINK!

Murphy, Shirley

WIND CHILD

Murphy, Stuart

THE PENNY POT

 

HENRY THE FOURTH

Nethery, Mary

MARY VERONICA’S EGG

Nolen, Jerdine

IN MY MOMMA’S KITCHEN

O’Flatharta, Antonine

THE PRAIRIE TRAIN

Otto, Carolyn

PIONEER CHURCH

Pak, Soyung

DEAR JUNO

Paul, Ann

EVERTYTHING TO SPEND THE NIGHT

Paxton, Tom

THE JUNGLE BASEBALL GAME

Pearson, Tracey Campbell

WHERE DOES JOE GO?

Piers, Helen

WHO’S IN MY BED?

Pinkwater, Daniel

ICE CREAM LARRY

Pohrt, Tom

HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME

Polacco, Patricia

WELCOME COMFORT

Price, Hope Lynne

THESE HANDS

Prigger, Mary

AUNT MINNIE MCGRANAHAN

Pulver, Robin

AXLE ANNIE

Rand, Gloria

FIGHTING FOR THE FOREST

Raschka, Chris

LIKE LIKES LIKE

Reid, Barbara

THE PARTY

Rockwell, Anne

BUMBLEBEE, BUMBLEBEE, DO YOU KNOW ME?

Rosales, Melodye

LEOLA AND THE HONEYBEARS

Root, Phyllis

GRANDMOTHER WINTER

Rosen, Michael

THANKSGIVING WISH

Rosenberg, Liz

THE SILENCE IN THE MOUNTAINS

Rosenberry, Vera

VERA’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Ross, Alice & Kent

JEZEBEL’S SPOOKY SPOT

Rossiter, Nan

THE WAY HOME

Rotner, Shelley & Garcia, Cheo

PICK A PET

Ryan, Pam Munoz

AMELIA AND ELEANOR GO FOR A RIDE

Rylant, Cynthia

BUNNY BUNGALOW

Sanders, Scott

CRAWDAD CREEK

Santoro, Scott

ISSAC THE ICE CREAM TRUCK

Say, Allen

TEA WITH MILK

Schachner, Judith

THEGRANNYMAN

Schick, Eleanor

NAVAJO WEDDING DAY

Schuch, Steve

A SYMPHONY OF WHALES

Schur, Maxine

THE PEDDLER’S GIFT

Schwartz, Amy

OLD MACDONALD

 

HOW TO CATCH AN ELEPHAN

Seymour, Tres

JAKE JOHNSON: THE STORY OF A MULE

Shannon, David

DAVID GOES TO SCHOOL

Shannon, George

LIZARD’S HOME

Shannon, mark

THE ACROBAT & THE ANGEL

Simon, Francesca

CALL ALL TODDLERS

Simmons, Jane

DAISY AND THE EGG

Sis, Peter

TRUCKS TRUCKS TRUCKS

 

SHIP AHOY!

Shannon, David

DAVID GOES TO SCHOOL

Skorpen, Liesel

WE WERE TIRED OF LIVING IN A HOUSE

Sloat, Teri

PATTY’S PUMPKIN PATCH

Smucker, Barbara

SELINA AND THE SHOO-FLY PIE

Stenmark, Victoria

THE SINGING CHICK

Stevens, Janet

COOK-A-DOODLE-DO!

Stevenson, James

MUD FLAT SPRING

Stewart, Paul

A LITTLE BIT OF WINTER

Stock, Catherine

ISLAND SUMMER

Sturges, Philemon

THE LITTLE RED HEN (MAKES A PIZZA)

Taback, Simms

JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT

Taulbert, Clifton

LITTLE CLIFF AND THE PORCH PEOPLE

Taylor, Harriet

TWO DAYS IN MAY

Trottier, Maxine

THE WALKING STICK

 

FLAGS

Tunnell, Michael

HALLOWEEN PIE

Turner, Ann

RED FLOWER GOES WEST

Waddell, Martin

ROSIE’S BABIES

 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE?

Wallace, Ian

BOY OF THE DEEPS

Walters, Virginia

ARE WE THERE YET, DADDY?

Wells, Rosemary

MORRIS’S DISAPPEARING BAG

Wiesner, David

7 SECTOR 7

Wilson, April

MAGPIE MAGIC

Williams, Laura

TORCH FISHING WITH THE SUN

Wood, Douglas

GRANDA’S PRAYERS OF THE EARTH

Woodruff, Elvira

THE MEMORY COAT

Wynne-Jones, Tim

ON TUMBLEDOWN HILL

Yee, Brenda

SAND CASTLE

Ziefert, Harriet

FIRST NIGHT

Zimmerman, Andrea

TRASHY TOWN

Zolotow, Charlotte

SOME THINGS GO TOGETHER

FOLK TALES, FAIRY TALES AND MYTHS

Anderson, Hans Christian

THE UGLY DUCKLING (illus. By J. Pinkney)

Beneduce, Ann

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Brett, Jan

GINGERBREAD BABY

Byrd, Robert

FINN MACCOUL AND HIS FEARLESS WIFE

Climo, Shirley

THE PERSIAN CINDERELLA

Craft, Charlotte

KING MIDAS AND THE GOLDEN TOUCH

Demi

THE DONKEY AND THE ROCK

Diakite, Baba Wague

THE HATSELLER AND THE MONKEYS

Echewa, T. Obinkaram

THE MAGIC TREE

Goldin, Barbara

JOURNEYS WITH ELIJAH

Han, Suzanne

THE RABBIT’S TAIL

Kellogg, Steven

THE THREE SILLIES

Kimmel, Eric

THE BIRDS’ GIFT

Lunge-Larsen, Lise & Preus, Margi

THE LEGEND OF THE LADY SLIPPER

Lurie, Alison

THE BLACK GEESE

Mark, Jan

THE MIDAS TOUCH

Norman, Howard

TRICKSTER AND THE FAINTING BIRDS

Orgel, Doris

WE GODDESSES: ATHENA~APHRODITE~HERA

Poole, Amy

HOW THE ROOSTER GOT HIS CROWN

San Souci, Daniel

IN THE MOONLIGHT MIST

Schroeder, Alan

THE TALE OF WILLIE MONROE

Shepard, Aaron

FORTY FORTUNES

Siegelson, Kim

IN THE TIME OF THE DRUMS

Silverman, Erica

RAISEL’S RIDDLE

Sogabe, Aki

AESOP’S FOX

Talbott, Hudson

LANCELOT

Tseng, Grace

WHITE TIGER, BLUE SERPENT

Wolkstein, Diane

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

POETRY

Charlip, Remy

SLEEPYTIME RHYME

Dunn, Opal

HIPPETY-HOP HIPPETY-HAY

Fletcher, Ralph

RELATIVELY SPEAKING

Florian, Douglas

WINTER EYES

George, Kristine

LITTLE DOG POEMS

Graham, Joan

FLICKER FLASH

Grimes, Nikki

HOPSCOTCH LOVE

Horton, Joan

HOLLOWEEN HOOTS AND HOWLS

Lewis, J. Patrick

THE BOOKWORM’S FEAST

Kennedy, X.J. & Kennedy, Dorothy

KNOCK AT A STAR: REVISED EDITION

Medina, Jane

MY NAME IS JORGE

Michelson, Richard

A BOOK OF FLIES REAL OR OTHERWISE

Newsome, Effie Lee

WONDERS

Nye, Naomi Shihab

WHAT HAVE YOU LOST?

Okutoro, Lydia

QUIET STORM

Opie, Iona

HER COMES MOTHER GOOSE

Prelutsky, Jack

THE GARGOYLE ON THE ROOF

Schertle, Alice

A LUCKY THING

Schnur, Steven

SPRING: AN ALPHABET A

 

CROSTIC

Smith, Charles

RIMSHOTS

Stevenson, James

CANDY CORN

Stevenson, Robert Louis

MY SHADOW

BEGINNING READERS

Daniel, Claire

THE CHICK THAT WOULDN’T HATCH

Keller, Holly

A BED FULL OF CATS

London, Jonathan

SHAWN AND KEEPER

Low, Alice

THE WITCH WHO WAS AFRAID OF WITCHES

McDermott, Gerald

THE FOX AND THE STORK

Meister, Cari

TINY’S BATH

 

WHEN TINY WAS TINY

Most, Bernard

THE VERY BOASTFUL KANGAROO

Rylant, Cynthia

POPPLETON IN SPRING

Sathre, Vivian

SLENDER ELLA AND HER FAIRY HOGFATHER

Van Laan, Nancy

MOOSE TALES

Weston, Martha

CATS ARE LIKE THAT

FICTION

Almond, David

SKELLIG

Barrett, Tracy

ANNA OF BYZANTIUM

Bat-Ami, Miriam

TWO SUNS IN THE SKY

Bjork, Christina & Eriksson, Inga-Karin

VENDELA IN VENICE

Bunting, Eve

BLACKWATER

Burke, Brian

WRANGO

Couloumbis, Audrey

GETTING NEAR TO BABY

Curtis, Christopher Paul

BUD, NOT BUDDY

DePaola, Tomi

26 FAIRMOUNT AVENUE

Dessen, Sarah

KEEPING THE MOON

Garden, Nancy

THE YEAR THEY BURNED THE BOOKS

Henkes, Kevin

THE BIRTHDAY ROOM

Hertenstein, Jane

BEYOND PARADISE

Holt, Kimberly

WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWN

Horvath, Polly

THE TROLLS

Jukes, Mavis

CINDERELLA 2000

Lally, Soinbhe

A HIVE FOR THE HONEYBEE

Lemieux, Michele

STORMY NIGHT

Levine, Anna

RUNNING ON EGGS

Levine, Gail

THE FAIRY’S MISTAKE

 

THE PRINCESS TEST

Mazer, Norma Fox

GOOD NIGHT MAMAN

Myers, Walter Dean

MONSTER

Park, Linda Sue

SEESAW GIRL

Paterson, Katherine

PREACHER’S BOY

Paulsen, Gary

ALIDA’S SONG

Perkins, Lynne Rae

ALL ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE

Pullman, Philip

THE FIREWORK-MAKER’S DAUGHTER

Randle, Kristen

BREAKING RANK

Recorvits, Helen

GOODBYE, WALTER MALINSKI

Rowling, J.K.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

 

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

Sanvoisin, Eric

A STRAW FOR TWO

Spires, Elizabeth

THE MOUSE OF AMHERST

Stanley, Diane

A TIME APART

Woodson, Jacqueline

LENA

INFORMATION BOOKS

Aliki

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE & THE GLOBE

Ancona, George

CHARRO: THE MEXICAN COWBOY

Anholt, Laurence

STONE GIRL, BONE GIRL

Arnosky, Jim

ARNOSKY’S ARK

Bail, Raymond

ONE-ROOM SCHOOL

Braun, Trudi

MY GOOSE BETSY

Brenner, Barbara

THE BOY WHO LOVED TO DRAW

Bridges, Ruby

THROUGH MY EYES

   

Calabro, Marian

THE PERILOUS JOURNEY OF THE DONNER PARTY

Christelow, Eileen

WHAT DO ILLUSTRATORS DO?

Collard, Sneed

1,000 YEARS AGO ON PLANET EARTH

Cooper, Michael

INDIAN SCHOOL: TEACHING THE WHITE MAN’S WAY

Cowley, Joy

RED-EYED TREE FROG

Cummings, Pat

TALKING WITH ARTISTS: VOLUME THREE

Ehrlich, Amy

WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE: VOLUME TWO

Fisher, Leonard

GODS AND GODDESSES OF THE ANCIENT MAYA

Fraser, Mary

NIGHT ANIMALS

Gibbons, Gail

BEHOLD THE DRAGONS!

 

SANTA WHO?

Goldin, Augusta

DUCKS DON’T GET WET

Graham, Paula

SPEAKING OF JOURNALS

Grupper, Jonathan

DESTINATION POLAR REGIONS

Harris, Robie

IT’S SO AMAZING

Hollyer, Beatrice

WAKEUP, WORLD!

Jaskol, Julie & Lewis, Brian

CITY OF ANGELS: IN AND AROUND LOS ANGELES

Jenkins, Martin

THE EMPEROR’S EGG

Jimenez, Francisco

THE CIRCUITa

Johnstone, Michael

THE HISTORY NEWS IN SPACE

Lesser, Carolyn

SPOTS: COUNTING CREATURES FROM SKY TO SEA

Lauber, Patricia

THE TIGER HAS A TOOTHACHE

Lewin, Ted

TOUCH AND GO

Micklethwait, Lucy

DISCOVER GREAT PAINTINGS

Morris, Ann

TEAMWORK

Murphy, Claire & Haigh, Jane

CHILDREN OF THE GOLD RUSH

Paladino, Catherine

ONE GOOD APPLE

Pandell, Karen

JOURNEY THROUGH THE NORTHERN RAINFOREST

Patterson, Francine

KOKO-LOVE: CONVERSATIONS WITH A SIGNING GORILLA

Peterson, Cris

CENTURY FARM

Rounds, Glen

BEAVER

Schmandt-Besserat, Denise

THE HISTORY OF COUNTING

Stanley, Diane

PETER THE GREAT

Swinburne, Stephen

ONCE A WOLF

Tallchief, Maria

TALLCHIEF: AMERICA’S PRIMA BALLERINA

Varriale, Jim

KIDS DANCE

Winter, Jeanette

SEBASTIAN

Yorinks, Arthur

THE ALPHABET ATLAS

 

SPECIAL FOR TEACHERS

Burke, Jim

I HEAR AMERICA READING

Codell, Esme

EDUCATING ESME