Books for Independent Reading

VERY EASY

Yo! Yes!
by Chris Raschka
(Multicultural)
Orchard 1993 (32p)
Two boys meet on the street and decide to be friends.
Do You Want to Be My Friend?
by Eric Carle
Harper 1971 (32p); also paper
A mouse goes searching for a friend.
Overnight at Mary Bloom's
by Aliki
Greenwillow 1987 (32p)
A young girl enjoys an overnight stay with her grown-up friend Mary Bloom.
Margaret and Margarita/Margarita y Margaret
by Lynn Reiser
(Multicultural)
Greenwillow 1993 (28p)
Despite their language barriers, Margaret and Margarita meet in the park and play together.

EASY

How I Found a Friend
by Irina Hale
(Multicultural)
Viking 1992 (32p)
Two young boys become friends by trading hats and teddy bears.
Together!
by George Ella Lyon
(Multicultural)
Orchard 1989 (32p)
Two friends dream about doing almost anything together in this poem.
My Best Friend
by Pat Hutchins
(Multicultural)
Greenwillow 1993 (32p)
Two best friends appreciate each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Amigo Means Friend
by Louise Everett
(Multicultural)
Troll 1988 (32p) paper
As Jose and George become friends, they learn to speak each other's language.
Jamaica and Brianna
by Juanita Havill
(Multicultural)
Houghton 1993 (32p)
Neither Jamaica nor her friend Brianna wants to wear hand-me-down boots.

AVERAGE

How to Lose All Your Friends
by Nancy Carlson
Viking 1994 (32p)
A girl explains how to behave if you don't want to have any friends.
Arthur's First Sleepover
by Marc Brown
Little 1994 (32p)
Arthur and his friends think alien spaceships are after them on their first sleepover.
Mitchell Is Moving
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Macmillan 1978 (46p)
When Mitchell the dinosaur moves, he's lonely until his friend Margo moves next door.
Little Bear's Friend
by Else Holmelund Minarik
Harper 1960 (64p); also paper
Little Bear meets and becomes friends with Emily, a human girl. Available in Spanish asLos amigos de Osito.
Three at Sea
by Timothy Bush
(Multicultural)
Crown 1994 (32p)
After three friends accidentally float out to sea, they get help from animals of several endangered species.
What's So Great About Cindy Snappleby?
by Barbara Samuels
Orchard 1992 (32p)
Faye often criticizes her little sister but gets angry when her friend does the same.
Everett Anderson's Friend
by Lucille Clifton
(Multicultural)
Holt 1992 (24p)
Everett Anderson makes friends with the new girl in his apartment building.
Anna Banana and Me
by Lenore Blegvad
McElderry 1985 (32p); also paper
Anna's fearless play helps her friend overcome his fears. Available in Spanish asAna Banana y yo.
George and Martha
by James Marshall
Houghton 1972 (48p); also paper
Five stories about two hippos who are best friends. See others in the series.
A Letter to Amy
by Ezra Jack Keats
(Multicultural)
Harper 1968 (32p); also paper
Peter invites Amy to his birthday party but is afraid she won't come.
May I Bring a Friend?
by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
Macmillan 1964 (32p); also paper
A young boy invited to visit the King and Queen brings along some animal friends.
Anna's Secret Friend
by Yoriko Tsutsui
(Multicultural)
Viking 1986 (32p); Puffin paper
Anna wonders who is leaving gifts and notes at her door.
Chester's Way
by Kevin Henkes
Greenwillow 1988 (32p); Puffin paper
Friends Chester and Wilson are set in their ways until Lilly moves into the neighborhood.
Arnie and the New Kid
by Nancy Carlson
Viking 1990 (32p)
After Arnie stops teasing Philip, a new kid in a wheelchair, they become fast friends.
Best Friends for Frances
by Lillian Hoban
Harper 1969 (32p); also paper
Frances teaches Albert, the badger next door, about friendship.
Friends
by Helme Heine
Macmillan 1983 (32p); Aladdin paper
A mouse, a rooster, and a pig spend an adventurous day together.

CHALLENGING

Ira Sleeps Over
by Bernard Waber
Houghton 1973 (48p); also paper
Ira is afraid his friend will laugh if he brings his teddy bear on a sleepover. Available in Spanish asQuique duerme fuera de casa.
Matthew and Tilly
by Rebecca C. Jones
(Multicultural)
Dutton 1991 (32p)
Matthew and Tilly remain close friends even when they have arguments.
Keeping Up with Cheetah
by Lindsay Camp
Lothrop 1993 (32p)
Cheetah learns the true meaning of friendship in a story about appreciating differences in others. Available in dual language editions in Eng/Chinese, Eng/Vietnamese, and Eng/Arabic.
Three Smart Pals
by Joanne Rocklin
Scholastic 1994 (48p) paper
Three friends spend a day solving problems for people around town.
Your Best Friend, Kate
by Pat Brisson
Bradbury 1989 (40p); Aladdin paper
During a family vacation, Kate sends letters home to her best friend Lucy.
Fast Friends: A Tail and Tongue Tale
by Lisa Horstman
Knopf 1994 (32p)
A cow and a chameleon become friends despite their many differences.
Pajama Party
by Amy Hest
Morrow 1992 (40p); also paper
Three eight-year-old girls have their first sleepover.
Fox and His Friends
by Edward Marshall
Dial 1982 (56p); Puffin paper
Three stories tell about the antics of Fox, his friends, and his sister Louise. Available in Spanish asZorro y sus amigos.
Three by the Sea
by Edward Marshall
Dial 1981 (48p); Puffin paper
Three friends at the beach tell each other stories. Available in Spanish asTres junto al mar.
Amos and Boris
by William Steig
Farrar 1971 (32p); also paper
Amos, a mouse, and Boris, a whale, form an unusual friendship. Available in Spanish asAmos y Boris.
Frog and Toad Are Friends
by Arnold Lobel
Harper 1970 (64p); also paper
Five stories of two best friends, Frog and Toad. Available in Spanish asSapo y sepo son amigos. See others in the series.
Seeds
by George Shannon
(Multicultural)
Houghton 1994 (32p)
Warren moves away and misses his neighbor Bill in an intergenerational friendship story.

Books for Teachers to Read Aloud

Make a Wish Molly
by Barbara Cohen
Doubleday 1994 (40p)
Molly, a Russian immigrant, makes new friends and learns about life in America.
Best Friends
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Harper 1986 (48p)
Poems by Langston Hughes, Jack Prelutsky, Myra Cohn Livingston, and others celebrate friendship.
Meet Danitra Brown
by Nikki Grimes
(Multicultural)
Lothrup 1994 (32p)
The friendship of two girls who live in the city is chronicled in thirteen poems.
Bein' with You This Way
by W. Nikola-Lisa
(Multicultural)
Lee & Low 1994 (32p)
Catchy verse describes the similarities of a group of friends in a park.

Books for Shared Reading

Annie Bananie
by Leah Komaiko
Harper 1987 (32p); also paper
When Annie Bananie moves, her best friend sadly remembers the fun they shared.
Earl's Too Cool for Me
by Leah Komaiko
Harper 1988 (32p); also paper
A boy becomes friends with someone who he thought would never want to play with him.
Treasure Hunt
by Lorinda Bryan Cauley
Putnam 1994 (32p)
Mr. Bear leads his friends on a treasure hunt.