Book Title,
and Author
Publisher, Date of Publication
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Brief Summary/
Highlights |
Shared Reading Questions |
Amazon |
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A Pair of Socks, by Stuart J. Murphy
HarperTrophy, 1996
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Does a polka-dotted sock match a striped sock? Young children will learn about matching, an important early math skill, as a lonely striped sock searches the house for its mate. They may even be inspired to practice this skill in their own sock drawers! (Fiction)
Best Children's Science Books 1997 (Science Books and Films)
Award-winning illustrator
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Whoever You Are, by Mem Fox
Harcourt Brace, 1997
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Beautiful, moving text and lovely bold-hued folk art paintings help young children understand that we are all one world, one people, one heart, because of, as well as despite, our physical differences.
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Tell Me What It’s Like to Be Big, by Joyce Dunbar and Debi Gliori
Harcourt Children’s Books, 200
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When she wakes up early one morning, Willa the rabbit questions her big brother about what it means to grow up. (Fiction)
Award-winning author
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Bunny Cakes, by Rosemary Wells
Viking Juvenile, 1999
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Max makes an earthworm cake and Ruby whips up her special angel surprise cake. Grandma Bunny is in for a real birthday treat! (Fiction)
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Mouse Paint, by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Voyager Books, 1995
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Three white mice discover jars of red, blue, and yellow paint. They dip their toes in the colors, mixing them and creating whole new colors. (Fiction)
Award-winning author/illustrator
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School Bus, by Donald Crews
HarperTrophy, 1993
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Where are those big buses heading? Follow the progress of school buses as they take children to school and bring them home again. (Fiction)
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The Bus for Us, by Suzanne Bloom
Boyds Mills Press, 2001
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It's the first day of school and a brother and his little sister wait at the bus stop. On each spread of the book, the nose of a different vehicle comes around the corner, prompting Tess to ask, "Is that bus for us, Gus?" (Fiction)
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Be My Neighbor, by Maya Ajmera and John Ivanko
Charlesbridge Publishing, 2004
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A rich source of photographs showing the functions of a community and the variety of neighborhoods throughout the world. (Nonfiction)
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Some Dogs Do, by Jez Alborough
Candlewick Press, 2003
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One day, when Sid the pup is walking to school, he suddenly gets a happy feeling. In fact, he feels so happy that his paws lift off the ground, and he floats right up to the sky! He can’t wait to tell his friends, but of course they don’t believe him. How can he prove to them he can fly? (Fiction)
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How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight? by Varsha Bajaj
Little, Brown, 2004
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When bedtime comes, animal parents ask their children how many kisses they want. At the end of the tale a little boy and girl are asked the same question by their mom and dad. (Fiction)
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Oh Yeah! by Tom Birdseye
Holiday House, 2003
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Two boys camp out in the backyard and compete to show their courage while describing a parade of imagined scary creatures. (Fiction)
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That’s What Friends Do, by Kathryn Cave
Hyperion, 2004
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Two friends celebrate their friendship by recounting the ways in which they help each other. (Fiction)
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I Am Too Absolutely Small for School, by Lauren Child
Candlewick, 2004
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When Lola is worries about not being old enough to go to school, her older brother Charlie reassures her with humor and love. (Fiction)
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Time for Ballet, by Adèle Geras
Dial, 2004
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Tilly, who loves ballet, plays the role of a cat in her dance recital. When it’s time for the big performance, though, Tilly realizes that ballet can also mean feeling a bit nervous! (Fiction)
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I Am Not Going to School Today! by Robie H. Harris
McElderry, 2003
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A little boy decides to skip his very first day of school because he wouldn’t know anything anyway. Once at school, his fears are laid to rest. (Fiction)
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The Hello, Goodbye Window, by Norton Juster
Michael Di Capua Books, 2005
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For one little girl, everything important happens through, near, or beyond the kitchen window at Nanna and Poppy’s house. The little girl’s story is both a celebration of the wonders of childhood as well as a love story about her relationship with her grandparents. (Fiction)
Caldecott Medal Winner
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Maisy’s Rainbow Dream, by Lucy Cousins
Candlewick, 2003
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A little mouse takes a nighttime journey through a vivid dream world called Rainbowland where she encounters brightly colored animals such as a red ladybug and an orange fish. (Fiction)
Available in Spanish: Suenos de colores, suena con Maisy
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Scaredy Cats, by Audrey Wood
Child's Play (International) Ltd, 2005
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Two little kittens go to a nearby town for the first time. They are going to buy a stamp and mail a letter. On the way they worry about bad things that might happen to them. This book helps children to realize much of what they fear is a product of their imagination. (Fiction)
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The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant
Aladdin, 1993
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Over the bumpy roads in Virginia, came a car load of relatives. They stayed the summer, picking berries, strumming their banjos, laughing and talking. It was a fun summer and it was sad when they left. But the aunts, uncles, cousins, and other kinfolk will be back! (Fiction)
Caldecott Honor Book
Award-winning author
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Pumpkin Soup, by Helen Cooper
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999
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True friendship can weather most any storm, but this friendship is put to the test when Cat, Squirrel and Duck switch duties while making their famous pumpkin soup. (Fiction)
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That’s What a Friend Is, by P.K. Hallinan
Ideals Publications, 2002
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A celebration of the joys of childhood friendships told in lighthearted verse. (Fiction)
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Abuela, by Arthur Dorros
Dutton Juvenile, 1991
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While riding in a bus, a little girl imagines that she and her abuela (grandmother) are rising up into the sky. From the clouds, they see Manhattan streets, docks, an airport, the Statue of LIberty, and Rosalba's father's office. (Fiction)
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Mothers Are Like That, by Carol Carrick
Clarion Books, 2000
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A sweet, reassuring story about the gentle things mothers do, from a hen guarding an egg-filled nest to a woman tucking her baby into bed at night. (Fiction)
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Shared Reading Questions
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Listen Buddy, by Helen Lester
Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books, 1997
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Buddy gets his parents’ permission to go for a long hop, but when he gets to the crossroads he can’t remember which way they told him to turn. Buddy chooses the wrong path and is nearly made into rabbit soup by a Scruffy Varmint. Will the mishap teach Buddy a lesson about listening and following directions? (Fiction)
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Shared Reading Questions
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Let’s Clean Up! by Peggy Perry Anderson
Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books, 2002
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When Joe messes up his room immediately after Mother Frog cleaned it, his unorthodox methods of straightening it up again bring humorous results. (Fiction)
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