Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind

Do you have a child that struggles to find the right book? Well, here is a read aloud to a youngster that doesn't want to read who can maybe relate to a boy who hates to read. But, Miss Malarkey is determined to find just the right book for him to participate in the school reading goal. Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind (AR 3.3) is written by Judy Finchler & Kevin O'Malley targeting elementary age readers.

Pia Toya: a Goshute Indian Legend

Pia Toya: a Goshute Indian Legend is a book retold and illustrated by the children and teachers of Ibapah Elementary School of the Coffederated Tribes of the Goshute. The Goshute tribe is native to the Utah and Nevada region and Ibapah is 60 miles south of Wendover, NV. This title captures the traditional story and illustrates the beauty of the desert. The book is found on the shelf with other classic legends (398 of the Dewey Decimal system).

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective?

Let's have 

 with words!

Learning about words can be a fun part of every day experiences. Check out this book, Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective? to expand our ways of describing the world we live in. This title written by Brian P. Cleary and illustrated by Jenya Prosmitsky will be found on the non-fiction shelf of the library and is great for all elementary ages.

Captain Jack's Tale

Have you been a "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie fan? If your upper elementary reader enjoys the pirate stories, check out Captain Jack's Tale (AR 3.4) with photos from the Disney movies. This is a short easier chapter book by Tennant Redbank allowing the reader to enjoy the adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Here Lies the Librarian

Newberry winning author Richard Peck writes Here Lies the Librarian (AR 5.1) with his unique comical style. This chapter book targeting upper elementary age is about PeeWee, who we soon learn is really named Eleanor. PeeWee, who loves working on early American cars with her brother, realizes she will have to make some changes and doesn't think she needs to go to the jr/sr high if she can't take Auto Mechanics and has to take Home Ec instead. Join PeeWee in her adventures as she develops a friendship with the new librarian in town.

Tales of Beedle the Bard

What would summer reading be without something from J.K. Rowling? The Tales of Beedle the Bard are the wizard tales the characters in the Harry Potter series learn. While the book is targeting upper elementary, the AR level is 8.3. So this book, while shorter and not as intense as the others from the wizarding world, is a good read for any fans of Hogwarts.

The Turtle and the Hippopotamus

This is a great "read with me" story for young children. The Turtle and the Hippopotamus is about the problem a turtle has crossing the river. The creators of the book, Kate Banks and Tomek Bogacki, tell this story in a rebus format. That means, the story has pictures in place of some of the words which is great to get pre-schoolers and early readers to join in the reading process. 

The Great Kapok Tree

We learn to appreciate nature at a young age. The Great Kapok Tree, a Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest (AR 3.8) by Lynne Cherry is a great reminder of the importance of the rain forests. In a simple to understand tale, we learn about all who lives and needs the trees.

Changes for Felicity

Changes for Felicity is part of the American Girl series. This historical fiction chapter book has a setting in the late 1700's and the main character Felicity experiences many challenges for a young girl of the time. The author Valerie Tripp creates a historical experience for the upper elementary grade reader (AR 4.1).

The Grumpy Owl

So, what do you do when an owl has your journal? Well, Peter Rabbit and his friends do some problem solving in this cute book The Grumpy Owl. Pre-schoolers and younger elementary age children can think about how friends help each other in this cute story.

The Toughest Cowboy

Enjoy the life of the "old west" with this tall tale story called The Toughest Cowboy, or How the Wild West Was Tamed (AR 4.6) written by John Frank. Discover how he rounded up the cows with his side kicks and have fun with the illustrations by Zachary Pullen. Northern Nevada is known as "Cowboy Country" so a tall tale is pretty common!

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse

Meet Chet the Gecko. Chet is a sleuth who loves a good mystery to solve at his school at Emerson Hicky Elementary. The author Bruce Hale (click here for more author info) writes with a sense of humor with his character Chet in a variety of kids mystery stories such as The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (AR 3.5). The target age group is 3rd gr. and up with Chet in fourth grade in this title.

Are You A Grasshopper?

An easy to understand information book called Are You A Grasshopper (AR 3.2) tells about the characteristics of this common creature. Children can discover a bit more about their life cycles in this colorful book in the Backyard Book series by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries. This book is made even more engaging as it is part of the WWD Library Literacy Kit collection with a magnifying glass and plastic insects.

The United States ABCs

We live in a diverse and expansive country. Enjoy this non-fiction alphabet book for all ages on the United States written by Holly Schoreder. This book reminds us of the different people and unique places that creates our country. Many patriotic books exist and so if you can't find this one, look for others similar to share with our children the country we want to respect and care for.

Bats at the Beach

So, what is it like at the beach at night? Check out Bats at the Beach (AR 3.4) by Brian Lies who tells about the adventure of the bats visiting the beach. Written with rhyme and humorous illustrations elementary age children will enjoy learning about the beach from a bat at night! This author has other fun "bat" titles as well. Click this sentence for the link for more about the author.

Worm Loves Worm

Summer is time when many attend weddings. So, how do you explain a wedding to a young person? Well, Worm Loves Worm (AR 2.0) by J.J. Austrian can give a bit of help in that area. Two worms get together and decide they need to have a wedding and the reader discovers how Worm and Worm go about putting a wedding together in a simple and sweet manner.

I Love Cats

Everyone who loves cats will enjoy this easy to read children's book. I Love Cats by Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer provide cute and simple illustrations and language to describe the uniqueness of cats. This book is a good read aloud for pre-schoolers and beginning reader for the lower elementary age child.