Books for Independent Reading
VERY EASY
- Where's the Fish?
- by Taro Gomi
Morrow 1986 (32p)
Children search for a fish hiding in the
pictures.
- Yellow Ball
- by Molly Bang
(Multicultural)
Morrow 1991 (32p); Puffin 1993 paper
A boy's ball drifts out to the open sea.
- By the Sea
- by Michelle Koch
Greenwillow 1991 (22p)
Words and pictures present pairs of
opposites found near the shore.
- Sea Shapes
- by Suse MacDonald
Harcourt 1994 (32p)
Geometric shapes metamorphose into
different sea creatures.
EASY
- Fish Fish Fish
- by Georgie Adams
Dial 1993 (26p)
Freshwater and ocean fish are
described in rhyming text.
- Ocean Parade
- by Patricia MacCarthy
(Math)
Dial 1990 (32p)
An array of colorful fish introduces the
concepts of counting and shapes.
- Punky Goes Fishing
- by Sally G. Ward
Dutton 1991 (32p)
Punky and her Grampy have fun
fishing together.
- Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On
- by Lois Ehlert
(Math)
Harcourt 1990 (32p)
Children count fish from one to ten in
this concept book.
- Manatees
- by The Cousteau Society
(Science/Health)
Simon 1993 (20p)
Readers are introduced to the friendly
but endangered marine mammal.
See others in the series.
AVERAGE
- The Biggest Animal Ever
- by Allan Fowler
Childrens 1992 (32p); also paper
Photographs and minimal text
introduce children to the whale.
Available in Spanish asEl animal
más grande del mundo.
- Ocean Day
- by Shelley Rotner and Ken Kreisler
Macmillan 1993 (32p)
From seashells to tide pools, Emily
explores the natural treasures found at
the beach.
- Tracks in the Sand
- by Loreen Leedy
(Science/Health)
Bantam 1994 (32p)
A look at the life cycle of the
loggerhead sea turtle.
- Going on a Whale Watch
- by Bruce Macmillan
(Multicultural)
Scholastic 1992 (40p)
A young boy and girl observe dolphins
and whales during a whale watch.
- Fish Faces
- by Norbert Wu
(Science/Health)
Holt 1993 (32p)
Underwater photographs present a wide
variety of fish faces.
- Turtle's Day
- by Dwight Kuhn
(Science/Health)
Cobblehill 1994 (32p)
In this photo essay, readers follow a
box turtle through its day.
- It Could Still Be a Fish
- by Allan Fowler
(Science/Health)
Childrens 1991 (32p)
Facts about fish. Available in
Spanish asPodría ser un pez.
- Sail Away
- by Donald Crews
Greenwillow 1995 (32p)
A family spends the day sailing and
weathers a storm.
- Crinkleroot's Twenty-Five Fish Every
Child Should Know
- by Jim Arnosky
(Science/Health)
Macmillan 1993 (32p)
Crinkleroot the nature guide describes
common species of fish.
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
- by Dr. Seuss
Random 1960 (63p)
A boy and girl watch a parade of
imaginary creatures.
- Fishy Riddles
- by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg
Dial 1983 (48p); Puffin paper
A collection of easy riddles about
underwater creatures.
- Nadarín (Swimmy)
- by Leo Lionni
Text in Spanish.
- A House by the Sea
- by Joanne Ryder
Morrow 1994 (32p)
A young boy's special place is a house
by the sea.
CHALLENGING
- Tom's Fish
- by Nancy Coffelt
Gulliver 1994 (32p)
Tom learns to appreciate the
individuality of a goldfish that swims
upside down.
- A Fisher
- by Doug Florian
(Social Studies)
Greenwillow 1994
A day in the life of a man who earns
his living by fishing.
- Henry the Sailor Cat
- by Mary Calhoun
Morrow 1994 (40p)
The Siamese cat Henry sneaks on board
when his family goes sailing.
- The Sea and I
- by Harutaka Nakawatari
(Social Studies)
Farrar 1992 (32p); also paper
A boy waits by the sea for his father to
come back from a day of fishing.
- Nathan's Fishing Trip
- by Lulu Delacre
Scholastic 1988 (32p)
A mouse and an elephant go on a
fishing trip full of mishaps.
- Going Lobstering
- by Jerry Pallotta
(Social Studies)
Charlesbridge 1990; also paper
A brother and sister go on their first
lobstering expedition.
- Fishing at Long Pond
- by William T. George
Greenwillow 1991 (32p)
When Katie and her grandfather go
fishing, she catches her first bass.
- Down in the Sea: The Jellyfish
- by Patricia Kite
(Science/Health)
Whitman 1993 (24p)
A simple introduction to a familiar sea
creature.
- Don't Tease the Guppies
- by Pat Lowry Collins
Putnam 1994 (32p)
Tim's inability to read signs gets him
into trouble on a trip to the aquarium.
- Ducklings and Pollywogs
- by Anne Rockwell
Macmillan 1994 (32p)
A girl and her father watch the seasonal
changes that take place by a pond.
- How to Hide an Octopus and Other
Sea Creatures
- by Ruth Heller
(Science/Health)
Grosset 1985 (32p); 1992 paper
All about the ways fish use
camouflage.
BOOKS FOR TEACHERS TO READ ALOUD
- Rainbow Fish
- by Marcus Pfister
North-South 1992 (32p)
A beautiful, glittering fish learns about
sharing and friendship.
Available in Spanish asEl pez arco
iris.
- Nessa's Fish
- by Nancy Luenn
(Multicultural)
Atheneum 1990 (32p); Simon 1994
paper
When Nessa and her grandmother go
fishing, Nessa must keep their
catch safe from wild animals.
Available in Spanish asLa pesca de
Nessa.
- My Visit to the Aquarium
- by Aliki
Harper 1993 (32p)
On a tour of an aquarium, a boy shares
information about marine life.
- Fishing
- by Diana Engel
(Multicultural)
Macmillan 1993 (32p)
Loretta's memories of fishing with her
grandpa help her make a new friend.
- The Great Adventure of Wo Ti
- by Nathan Zimmelman
(Multicultural)
Macmillan 1992 (32p)
After plundering the palace pond for
goldfish, the alley cat Kitti Ho is
outsmarted by Wo Ti the carp.
- A House for Hermit Crab
- by Eric Carle
Picture Book Studio 1987 (32p); also
paper
Hermit Crab outgrows his shell and
looks for a new home.
- Anansi Goes Fishing
- by Eric Kimmel
(Multicultural)
Holiday 1992 (32p); also paper
Anansi the spider tries to trick Turtle
into fishing for his dinner.
- Burt Dow, Deep Water Man
- by Robert McCloskey
Viking 1962 (64p); Puffin paper
When an old fisherman gets his hook
caught in a whale's tail, surprising
things happen.
BOOKS FOR SHARED READING
- Baby Beluga
- by Raffi
(Music)
Crown 1990 (32p); also paper
A baby beluga whale splashes and
dives through the waves.
- Swim the Silver Sea, Joshie Otter
- by Nancy White Carlstrom
Philomel 1993 (32p)
When Joshie Otter gets lost, his
mother's song leads him home.
- Gone Fishing
- by Earlene Long
Houghton 1984 (32p); also paper
A boy and his father spend the day
happily fishing together.
- I Love Fishing
- by Bonnie Dobkin
Childrens 1993 (32p); also paper
For a young boy, going fishing means
seeing and doing lots of other things
too.
- Down by the Bay
- by Raffi
(Music)
Crown 1988 (32p); also paper
Two friends try to outdo each other
imagining sights down by the bay.