The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.

Independent Reading

EASY
A Country Far Away
by Nigel Gray. Orchard, 1991
Pictures show different settings (in Africa and the West) but the same text, spoken by both boys, describes the pictured activities.
Anno's Journey
by Mitsumasa Anno. Putnam, 1992
A traveler on horseback moves through farm and village settings, past and present -- A journey without words.
Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet
by Betsy Bowen. Little, Brown & Co, 1991
This book celebrates the beauty and mystery of America's Northwoods, with woodcut illustrations introducing letters of the alphabet and a brief text that describes the changing seasons.
The House on Maple Street
by Bonnie Pryor. Morrow, 1992
A family with two young girls lives on Maple Street. The author traces the history of the location through many years. The girls find traces of the past.
The Night Ones
by Patricia Grossman. Harcourt Brace, 1991
5 Workers -- an office cleaner, a doorman, a baker, an air-traffic controller, and a dock worker -- perform their tasks at night.
Where Does the Trail Lead?
by Burton Albert. Simon & Schuster, 1993
An African American boy spends a summer day vigorously exploring the seashore, rejoining his family at day's end.
AVERAGE
Chicken Sunday
by Patricia Polacco. Philomel Books, 1992
Children conspire with a neighborhood merchant to make and sell pysanky eggs, and they get Miss Eula the Easter bonnet she longs for.
Furry News: How to Make a Newspaper
by Loreen Leedy. Holiday, 1990
Students can learn to make their own newspaper by following the steps that the animals outline as they put together The Furry News.
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say. Houghton Mifflin, 1993
Narrator's grandfather comes to U.S. as a young man, settling in California. Eventually he returns to Japan with his family. Narrator returns to U.S. as a young man, but often longs for and visits Japan.
Mirette on the High Wire
by Emily Arnold McCully. Putnam, 1992
Mirette learns to walk the highwire from the master Bellini and in turn helps him to regain his courage.
My Place in Space
by Robin & Sally Hirst. Orchard, 1992
Noy explains to an astonished bus driver exactly where he and his sister live in the solar system.
Our People
by Angela Shelf Medearis. Atheneum, 1994
An African American father and daughter explore the heritage of black cultures throughout history.
Under the Moon
by Dyan Sheldon. Dial, 1994
After finding an arrowhead in her garden, Jenny sleeps in her tent out of doors and dreams of the Native Americans who once lived there.
CHALLENGING
A Clearing in the Forest
by Joanne Henry. MacMillan Publishing, 1992
Elijah Fletcher's growing up includes lively adventures in school, at home, at the county fair, and on a steamboat ride to Cincinnati.
The Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgiesh. MacMillan Publishing, 1991
In 1707, Sarah helps her father build a home in the Connecticut wilderness and is befriended by a Native American family.
George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz. Putnam, 1984
George Washington Allen tries to find out what George Washington ate for breakfast.
Maps and Mazes: A First Guide to Mapmaking
by G. Chapman/P. Robson. The Millbrook Press, 1993
Provides a visual introduction to principles of maps and mazes, with projects children can create.
Mom Can't See Me
by Sally Hobart Alexander. MacMillan Publishing, 1990
A daughter tells the story of her lively family life with a blind mother.
The President's Cabinet and How It Grew
by N.W. Parker. Harper Collins, 1992
Gives account of a dozen President's cabinets, from Washington onward, and explains the function of each post.

Read Aloud and Reference Books

READ ALOUD BOOKS
Dinner at Aunt Connie's House
by Faith Ringgold. Hyperion, 1993
Portraits of famous African American women come alive at Aunt Connie's house.
Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Harper Collins, 1975
Several chapters tell how Pa builds a log cabin and what goes in it.
REFERENCE BOOKS
How Proudly They Wave: Flags of the Fifty States
by Rita D. Haban. Lerner Publications, 1989
History, design, and significance of the state flag is presented.
US Kids History Book of the New American Nation
by Marlene Smith-Baranzini/Howard Egger-Bovet. Little, Brown & Co, 1995
This collection of stories, games, maps, and songs documents rapid changes in our country's early history.