Below is my own personal list of recommended books for kids in different grade levels. All are books we have in our library, and I have read every one of them!
To the RIGHT are links to some of my favorite book-related Web sites.
Tawnya's List of Recommended Library Books
K/1/2 Books For Beginning Readers
- Dr. Seuss books for Beginning Readers
- The Cat in the Hat
- The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
- Green Eggs and Ham
- Hop on Pop
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
- Eastman, P.D.
- Are You My Mother?
- Pull Ahead books (non-fiction) by various authors
- Stock Cars
- Big Rigs
- Garbage Trucks
2nd/3rd Grade Books
- Cameron, Ann
- The Stories Julian Tells
- The Stories Huey Tells
- More Stories Huey Tells
- Cosby, Bill (I like all the Little Bill books, but here are some of my favorites.)
- The Best Way to Play
- The Day I Saw My Father Cry
- The Day I Was Rich
- The Meanest Thing to Say
- Super-Fine Valentine
- Marshall, James (I enjoy all the George and Martha books, including these.)
- George and Martha
- George and Martha, One Fine Day
- George and Martha, Encore
- Parks, Barbara (We have over 25 Junie B. books, and I've read and enjoyed every single one! Here are a few titles.)
- Junie B. Jones has a Peep in her Pocket
- Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren
- Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny
4th/5th Grade Chapter Books
- Curtis, Christopher Paul
- The Watsons Go to Birmingham-- 1963
- I love the way this book blends humor with serious historical content. Instead of making the past seem like a distant, foreign time, Curtis makes it seem totally normal and full of vivid, quirky details.
- The Watsons Go to Birmingham-- 1963
- DuPrau, Jeanne
- The City of Ember
- The People of Sparks
- These two books are about a girl and boy struggling to save their people in a post-disaster future. City of Ember is much stronger than Sparks, but they both make enjoyable reads.
- Farmer, Nancy
- The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
- What a great book! Three siblings struggle to escape evil kidnappers in a futuristic Zimbabwe. How's that for a plot? You'll like this well-written book even if you don't think you like science fiction.
- The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
- Hiaasen, Carl
- Hoot
- This book, now also a movie, has a great protagonist and some memorable characters who work to solve a mystery that has environmental undertones. A quick read.
- Hoot
- Lowry, Lois
- The Giver
- Gathering Blue
- Messenger
- A fabulous trilogy! The first two books explore different dystopian alternatives in a post-disaster future world, and the third book ties them together. I thought Messenger was much weaker than the other two, but still worth the read. And The Giver is a classic Must Read.
- Martin, Ann
- A Corner of the Universe
- This book is a gem. A girl spends the summer she turns twelve getting to know her mysterious young uncle, a man with special needs. She also makes a friend from the carnival that comes to town. Middle schoolers would also enjoy this book.
- A Corner of the Universe
- Peck, Richard
- A Long Way from Chicago
- A Year Down Yonder
- These two books are great examples of historical fiction that really gives you a feel for another time without being boring or dry. Peck's writing is excellent and parts of these books are hilarious. They are both about Hattie and her brother, who stay at their rural grandmother's house for periods of time during the Depression. Both books are a lot of fun.
6th/7th/8th Grade Novels
- Flake, Sharon
- The Skin I'm In
- Money Hungry
- Begging for Change
- I love everything by Sharon Flake-- she's one of my favorite Young Adult authors right now. Her main characters are likable and believable African-American girls struggling with issues of teen-dom, and then some. Money Hungry and Begging for Change are about a girl named Raspberry who has been homeless before and will go to great lengths to ensure that she and her mother never have to experience that again.
- Jacques, Brian
- Redwall
- I never really thought I could get interested in a book about a sword-fighting mouse, but, well... I did! Not the most literary of books, but fun nevertheless. And if you like it you're in for a treat because there are dozens of them in this series.
- Redwall
- Myers, Walter Dean
- Monster
- A sixteen-year-old accused of being an accomplice to murder turns his trial, and his story, into a screenplay which helps him make sense of what his life has become. Very powerful without being preachy or fake.
- Monster
- Pullman, Philip
- The Golden Compass
- The Subtle Knife
- The Amber Spyglass
- Before reading this trilogy I would have told you I didn't care for fantasy fiction, but these books made me a convert. They are three of my favorite books, period. I keep trying to find other fantasy tales I like half as much, but I haven't yet.
- Van Draanan, Wendelin
- Flipped
- This story is cleverly told by a 7th grade boy and girl in alernating chapters. They have known each other for years, and she's always had a huge crush on him, while he can't stand her. But suddenly, things begin to shift. Who's the real pain, and who is the better person? The ending of this funny-yet-poignant book may cause you to laugh and cry at the same time, and it really makes you think about what it takes to be a good person.
- Flipped
- Whelan, Gloria
- Homeless Bird
- Beautifully written tale of a thirteen-year-old girl who suffers through an arranged marriage in India. When things go horribly wrong and her life takes one tragic turn after another, she must rely on her own resources to take charge of her life.
- Homeless Bird
