Books for Independent Reading
VERY EASY
- Pie's in the Oven
- by Betty G. Birney
Houghton 1996 (32p)
The delicious smell of Grandma's baking lures family members to the kitchen for a piece of apple pie.
- Weddings
- by Ann Morris
(Multicultural)
Lothrop 1995 (32p)
Color photographs reveal the many kinds of weddings ceremonies that take place around the world.
EASY
Ant Plays Bear- by Betsy Byars
Viking 1997 (32p)
Four easy-to-read chapters capture the affection and exasperation in the relationship shared by a boy and his younger brother Ant.
- Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression
- by Kate Lied
(Social Studies)
National Geographic 1997 (32p)
Written by a young girl when she was eight years old, this story relates how, during the Great Depression, her aunt's family picked potatoes in Idaho.
- My Brother, Ant
- by Betsy Byars
Viking 1996 (32p)
A boy tells four stories about his younger brother Ant -- how he helps Ant get rid of a monster under his bed, how Ant draws on his homework, how Ant changes the stories he reads to him, and how he helps Ant write a letter to Santa.
- The Iguana Brothers
- by Tony Johnston
(Multicultural)
Scholastic 1995 (32p)
Two fun-loving iguana brothers in Mexico decide that they are best friends.
- Saturday Sancocho
- by Leyla Torres
(Multicultural)
Farrar 1995 (32p)
Maria Lili and her grandmother go to market and barter for the ingredients to make their traditional Saturday stew. Available in Spanish asEl sancocho del sábado
AVERAGE
- Let's Eat!
- Ana Zamorano
(Multicultural)
Scholastic 1996 (32p)
Each day Antonio's mamá tries to get her extended family to sit down and eat together, but someone is always busy elsewhere.
- Henry and Mudge in the Family Trees
- by Cynthia Rylant
Simon 1997 (48p)
When Henry and his dog Mudge attend a family reunion at his cousin Annie's house, he finds that his relatives like Mudge almost as much as he does.
- Jamaica Louise James
- by Amy Hest
(Multicultural)
Candlewick 1996 (32p)
As a surprise for her grandmother's birthday, an African American girl tapes pictures she has painted to the walls of the subway where her grandmother works.
- The Talking Cloth
- by Rhonda Mitchell
Orchard 1997 (32p)
(Multicultural)
During a visit to her Aunt Phoebe, Amber learns about the significance of the patterned adinkra cloth from Ghana.
- The Best Older Sister
- by Sook Nyul Choi
(Multicultural)
Bantam paper 1997 (48p)
Sunhi is tired of the constant fuss that's made over her baby brother, but with help from her grandmother, she learns to appreciate the role of big sister.
- Mountain Wedding
- by Faye Gibbons
Morrow 1996 (32p)
A runaway wagon brings together the Searcy kids and the Long kids, who don't like each other even though their parents are getting married.
- Red Bird
- by Barbara Mitchell
(Multicultural)
Lothrop 1996 (32p)
Katie, also known as Red Bird, joins her family and other Native Americans at the Nanticoke's annual powwow in Delaware.
- Isla
- by Arthur Dorros
(Multicultural)
Dutton 1995 (32p)
Rosalba and her abuela take an imaginary trip to the Caribbean island where her abuela grew up. Available in Spanish asIsla.
- The Baby Sister
- by Tomie dePaola
Putnam 1996 (32p)
Tommy eagerly awaits his baby sister's arrival, but he doesn't anticipate the arrival of his stern nana to care for him while his mother's in the hospital.
CHALLENGING
- Animal Dads
- by Sneed Collard III
(Science)
Houghton 1997 (32p)
Paragraphs of text and collage pictures reveal the many different jobs animal dads have in the wild, from building houses to providing food for their young.
- A String of Beads
- by Margarette S. Reid
(Social Studies)
Dutton 1997 (32p)
As a girl and her grandmother string beads into necklaces, she learns how people all over the world make different kinds of beads and use them for many things.
- Homeplace
- by Anne Shelby
(Social Studies)
Orchard 1995 (32p)
A grandmother and her grandchild trace their family's house and history back through almost two hundred years of changes.
- What's in Aunt Mary's Room?
- by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
(Multicultural)
Clarion 1996 (32p)
During a visit to Aunt Flossie's house, Susan and Sarah discover a family bible and record their names in its pages.
- Poppa's New Pants
- by Angela Shelf Medearis
(Multicultural)
Holiday 1995 (32p)
Grandma Tiny, Big Mama, and Aunt Viney all hem Poppa's new pants, with unexpectedly funny results.
- Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move
- by Judith Viorst
Atheneum 1995 (32p)
Alexander finds his own funny way to cope with his family's move.
Available in Spanish asAlexander, que de ninguna manera -- ¿ le oyen ? -- ¡lo dice en serio! -- se va a mudar.
Shared Reading
- La Boda: A Mexican Wedding Celebration
- by Nancy Van Laan
(Multicultural)
Little 1996 (32p)
In Oaxaca, Mexico, Maria, her grandmother, and an entire village prepare for and participate in the wedding of Alfonso and Luisa.
- Gifts
- by JoEllen Bogart
Scholastic 1996 (44p)
A grandmother travels around the world and brings her granddaughter many gifts, including her enthusiasm for other cultures.
- Cousin Ruth's Tooth
- by Amy MacDonald
Houghton 1996 (32p)
When Cousin Ruth loses her tooth, the whole Fister family joins in the search to find it.
Books for Teachers to Read Aloud
- The Two Brothers: A Legend of Jerusalem
- by Neil Waldman
Atheneum 1997 (40p)
After observing a miracle that marks the selflessness and love of two brothers, King Solomon decides to build a great temple on the site.
- Moon Festival
- by Chin Yeung Russell
(Multicultural)
Boyds Mills 1997 (32p)
Along with her grandmother and cousins, a Chinese girl named Ying celebrates the traditional autumn Moon Festival by singing, feasting, and dancing.
- Saving Sweetness
- by Diane Stanley
Putnam 1996 (32p)
A kindhearted sheriff who sets out to find a resourceful, runaway orphan named Sweetness ends up saving her from mean Mrs. Sump's orphanage by adopting her.
- Grandaddy's Stars
- by Helen V. Griffith
Greenwillow 1995 (32p)
When Grandaddy comes to visit Janetta in Baltimore, she makes a list of all the important things to show him.
- The Stories Huey Tells
- by Ann Cameron
(Multicultural)
Knopf 1995 (102p)
Five engaging, humorous stories about Julian's little brother Huey.
Now Available in Paperback
- A Birthday Basket for Tia
- by Pat Mora
Aladdin
- Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend
- by Cynthia Rylant
Simon
- My Great-Aunt Arizona
- by Gloria Houston
Harper
- Taxi! Taxi!
- by Cari Best
Orchard
- Saturday Night at the New You
- by Barbara E. Barber
Lee & Low
- Mama Zooms
- by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Scholastic
- Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)
- by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
Clarion
- Climbing Kansas Mountains
- by George Shannon
Bradbury
- Titch
- by Pat Hutchins
Simon
- Dear Annie
- by Judith Caseley
Morrow
Now Available in Spanish
- A Birthday Basket for Tía
(Una canasta de cumpleaños para Tía)
- by Pat Mora
Now Available as a Big Book
- Families Are Different
- by Nina Pellegrini
Scholastic
- Mama, Do You Love Me?
- by Barbara Joosse
Scholastic