Welcome to Lower School
SOME SUGGESTIONS.....
WEB SITES
American Library Association ala.org/alsc/children_links
Children’s Literature Web Guide acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown
Kids Hub (learning games) kidshub.org/
Reading is Fundamental rif.org
Scholastic Scholastic.com
Summer Book Links ed.gov/pubs/compactforreading
The Reading Room readroom.com
Time For Kids timeforkids.com
If you are planning to travel.......
check out some books pertaining to your visit.
tour a few web sites to gather information.
map out your journey.
construct a time table.
keep a journal, with illustrations.
write to a friend or relative.
make a poster to advertise the location.
If you are not traveling.....
pretend that you are.
plan for a future trip.
**Journals are a very good way to keep writing under any circumstance.
**For those parents who would like a more formal program, you can
order "Summer Skills" books in Language Arts or Math from
the following:
Summer Skills
www.summerskills.com
800-411-8186
READ-A-LOUDS FOR YOU AND YOUR LITTLE SCHOOLER or KINDERGARTENER
Durango, Julia. Cha-Cha Chimps. Julia Durango's delightful, rhyming romp through the jungle with dancing chimps!
Stiles, Norman. On My Very First School Day I Met…
Lewis, Kevin. My Truck is Stuck. "Rotten Luck! My truck is stuck!"
Colorful & rhyming. Two dogs driving a loaded truck on a desert
road, get driven into a hole! They ask travelers traveling in a car,
Movers in a van & a school bus for help! but the truck wont go!
Until the tow truck arrives to rescue the day.
Payne, Tony and Jan. Hippo-Not-A-Mus. Portly didn't ask to be a hippo; he was just born that way. And frankly, he's starting to find being a hippo kind of boring - standing in the water all day up to his eyeballs, eating grass - no fun at all! Repetitive, silly text and bright illustrations make HIPPO-NOT-AMUS an infectiously fun read
Cyrus, Kurt. Tadpole Rex. Rex is a tiny tadpole who can't wait to grow up and be big like everybody else. Unfortunately for Rex, he lives in a prehistoric swamp . . . and everybody else is a gigantic dinosaur.
Donaldson, Julia. Charlie Cooks Favorite Book. Charlie Cook has a favorite book. It’s about a pirate, who also has a favorite book . . . about Goldilocks, who also has a favorite book . . . about a knight, who also has a favorite book. . . . This hilarious pattern continues throughout the story, right to the surprising conclusion. Told in rollicking rhyme, this tale is sure to please the read-aloud crowd.
Mayhew, James. Who Wants a Dragon? Who wants a dragon, all fiery and bright? A lost baby dragon, alone in the night? This little dragon does not mean to give the knight a fright or tip the witch off her broom. Even though he is a little clumsy, all he really wants is someone to love him ...but who will? An utterly delightful tale, filled with fairytale characters and the all important happy ending!
Hayes, Sarah. This is the Bear; This is the Bear and the Scary Night. A delightful misadventure. Its strong rhyming narrative and bold type make it fun for sharing or reading alone. A stuffed bear is accidentally pushed into a bin and winds up at the dump.
Alborough, Jez. It’s the Bear; Where’s My
Teddy. Eddy doesn't want to go to the woods for a picnic with Mum.
He's scared that the huge hungry bear who lives there will make a
picnic out of him!
Sendak, Maurice. Nutshell Kids Collection: Chicken Soup with Rice; Pierre; One Was Johnny; Alligators All Around. What more could anyone ask? These books are truly for all ages.
Thomas, Jan. Rhyming Dust Bunnies. Three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, rhyme all the time. They say that far, jar, and tar rhyme with car, but a fourth dust bunny, Bob, just does not seem to get it; he says, “Look!”
Seuss, Dr. Dr. Seuss A-B-C. A fun way to learn your ABC’s.
Ashman, Linda. Starry Safari. Beep! Beep! Beep! A daring girl and her trusty orange jeep are off on an exciting safari. There are giraffes to watch, rhinos to race, and wily crocodiles to avoid. And when a roaring lion crosses her path, she knows exactly what to do: roar back! But will she be as courageous when it's time for bed and there are lots of scary night noises?
Donaldson, Julia. The Gruffalo; The Gruffalo’s Child. A mouse
is taking a stroll through the deep, dark wood when along comes a
hungry fox, then an owl, and then a snake. The mouse is good enough
to eat but smart enough to know this, so he invents . . . the gruffalo!
As Mouse explains, the gruffalo is a creature with terrible claws,
and terrible tusks in its terrible jaws, and knobbly knees and turned-out
toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of its nose. But Mouse has no
worry to show. After all, there’s no such thing as a gruffalo.
. . .
Harris, Robie. Maybe a Bear Ate It. What happens when your favorite
book goes missing?
Henkes, Kevin. My Garden The girl in this book grows chocolate rabbits,
tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color, and seashells
in her garden.
Kitten’s First Full Moon. The Kitten saw the moon and thought
it was a big bowl of milk.
Martin, Jr., Bill. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. A read-aloud favorite
for twenty years.
Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3. One hundred and one numbers climb the apple
tree in this bright, rollicking, joyous book for young children. As
the numerals pile up and bumblebees threaten, what's the number that
saves the day? (Hint: It rhymes with "hero.") Read and count
and play and laugh to learn the surprising answer.
Boom Chicka Rock. At night, mice wearing numbers emerge one by one
from the kitchen clock. Ready to play, they prepare for a rollicking
party with birthday cake served on the good china, but they have to
be wary of Max the cat.
Aronold, Ted. Parts. First, his hair started falling out. Then skin
started peeling from his toes. Some stuffing came out of his belly
button, and a piece of something gray and wet-his brain?-fell out
of his nose. Is this normal? Or is this boy coming unglued? With a
perfect combination of humor and grossness, this look at one boy's
farfetched fears will have readers laughing their heads off!
More Parts. Give me a hand . . . hold your tongue . . . scream your
lungs out . . . what's a kid to do if he wants to keep all his body
parts in place? Well, one thing is for sure, he'll have to be creative.
Like, if you want to keep your heart from breaking, just make sure
it's well padded and protected by tying a pillow around your chest.
Want to keep your hands attached? Simple-stick them on with gloves
and lots of glue. Just be careful not to laugh your head off!
O’Connor, Jane. Fancy Nancy Series. Meet Nancy, who believes that more is ALWAYS better when it comes to being fancy. From the top of her tiara down to her sparkly studded shoes, Nancy is determined to teach her family a thing or two about being fancy.
Cooper, Helen. Pumpkin Soup. Deep in the woods in an old white cabin, three friends make their pumpkin soup the same way every day. The Cat slices up the pumpkin, the Squirrel stirs in the water, and the Duck tips in just enough salt. But one day the Duck wants to stir instead, and then there is a horrible squabble, and he leaves the cabin in a huff. It isn't long before the Cat and the Squirrel start to worry about him and begin a search for their friend. Rendered in pictures richly evoking autumn, Helen Cooper's delightful story will resonate for an child who has known the difficulties that come with friendship. Included at the end is a recipe for delicious pumpkin soup.
A Pipkin of Pepper.
A companion to the best-selling Pumpkin Soup
Duck, Cat, and Squirrel, the three animal friends from Pumpkin Soup,
are out of salt, a key ingredient of their special recipe. Duck insists
upon coming along with Cat and Squirrel on the shopping trip to the
city. It’s his first visit, and he’s a little scared,
but he forgets everything when he spots a pepper store. What if they
bought a pipkin of pepper to add to the soup? When he turns around
to tell Cat and Squirrel about his great idea, he realizes they’re
gone!
Delicious! Cat, Squirrel, and Duck have a very serious problem: there
are no ripe pumpkins in the garden for their favorite soup! They’ll
have to make something else, but while Cat and Squirrel are willing
to experiment, all Duck wants is pumpkin soup. He won’t even
try a taste of the fish soup or mushroom soup, and the beet soup his
friends make is the last straw— “I’m not eating
that,” he says. “It’s pink!” Can Cat and Squirrel
find a way to please their fussy friend?
This follow-up to the popular Pumpkin Soup and A Pipkin of Pepper
is a perfect story about a picky eater, illustrated with rich, expressive
paintings in which children will find much to discover—and it
includes a recipe for pink soup!
**Reviews are from Amazon.com
2010 Suggested Summer Reading for Lower School
Entire Lower School- ALL books by Kevin O’Malley
He will be our 2010 Kudner/Leyon Visiting Writer.
First Grade and Second Grade
Yolen, Jane. My Father Knows the Names of Things. A young boy relates in rhyme all the things his dad knows the names of; e.g., “He knows which mosses are the fuzziest, / He knows which insects are the buzziest, / And when we’re sailing on the sea / He tells the names of fish to me.”
Long, Loreen. Otis. Otis is a fun-loving tractor who roams the fields after a hard day's work and plays in the haystacks. In the barn one night, his engine provides a gentle purr that helps a frightened young calf fall into a peaceful sleep. The two become inseparable. That is, until the farmer decides to upgrade and brings home a brand-new, shiny yellow tractor and relegates Otis to the weeds behind the building.
Mull, Brandon. Pingo. What happens when your imaginary friend becomes your imaginary enemy? Like many kids his age, Chad has an imaginary friend. His friend was Pingo. The two would fight ninjas, brew magical potions, and float in zero gravity. Each day was a fun-filled adventure, until Chad decided he was too old to have an imaginary friend.
Harley, Bill. Dirty Joe Pirate: A True Story. The dreaded Dirty Joe
and his piratical crew sail in search of the smelliest treasure ever:
dirty socks! The rogues cheerfully pillage their way across the seven
seas, until the day they run across another band of pirates-one led
by the notorious Stinky Annie. Has Dirty Joe finally met his match?
Wood, Audrey and Don. Flying Dragon Room, Sweet Dream Pie, Elbert’s Bad Word, Little Penguin’s Tale. AUDREY WOOD is the much-loved author of more than thirty books for children, including the bestselling The Napping House, Piggies, Heckedy Peg, and most recently, Piggy Pie Po, which she collaborated on with her husband, Don Wood. She lives in Hawaii.
Riddell, Chris. The Emperor of Absurdia. In this dreamy, sumptuous, highly charged fantasy, the Emperor, a blond-haired, blue-eyed, chubby toddler, starts his day by tumbling out of bed among the umbrella trees and landing in the arms of the cuddly Wardrobe Monster.
McPhail, David. Edward and the Pirates; Edward in the Jungle. Reading everything he can after learning how to read, young Edward finds his imagination soaring and particularly enjoys adventure stories, and one day he wakes up to find himself surrounded by pirates.
Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Series. Bright watercolor pictures accompany a silly story about Helen's dog Martha, who suddenly begins to speak after she is fed alphabet soup, but Helen soon starts to have second thoughts about her talking dog.
Teague, Mark. The Field Beyond the Outfield; Lost and Found, Funny Farm, Firehouse. Mischievous dinosaurs, witty dogs, nightmare haircuts, messy rooms, closet monsters - all find their way into Teague’s wildly inventive books.
VanAllsburg, Chris. ALL. Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature.
Beginning Readers
Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Speaks. New beginner readers based on the beloved picture books.
Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Series. Good friends like Frog and Toad enjoy spending their days together. They fly kites, celebrate Toad's birthday, and share the shivers when one of them tells a scary story.
Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge Series. Henry doesn't have any brothers or sisters or friends. What he does have is Mudge, a 180-pound dog who is Henry's best friend and protector. The pair share several adventures in this lighthearted and easy-to-read book.
Pilkey, Dav. Dragon Series. A series on a chubby blue wingless dragon who needs to make friends and learn cat care.
Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic Tree House Series. Ten years ago, Jack and Annie found a Magic Tree House in the woods and the world of reading was changed forever.
Some Fun Ones to Read Aloud
Bond, Michael. A Bear Called Paddington. In 1958, the story of a little bear found in London’s Paddington Station wearing the sign “Please look after this bear” was first published and has been beloved by children around the world ever since. At the time of its publication, one reviewer said, “It should be compulsory reading for all children from six to sixty.” This deluxe anniversary edition includes full-color art throughout by the original artist, Peggy Fortnum.
Brooks, Walter. Freddy the Pig Series. Freddy is simply one of the greatest characters in children's literature!
White, EB. Charlotte’s Web. An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.
Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The gates of Willy
Wonka’s chocolate factory are opening at last . . . and only
five children will be allowed inside.
James and the Giant Peach. When James drops magic crystals by the
peach tree, the toy peach starts growing, and before long, it’s
as big as a house, with a secret entranceway.
Henry, Marguerite. Misty of Chincoteague. Nobody could capture the
Phantom. She was the wildest mare on Assateague Island. They said
she was like the wind, that the white "map" on her shoulders
was her mark of freedom.
Paul and Maureen Beebe had their hearts set on owning her. They were
itching to buy and tame her, and worked hard to earn the money that
she would cost. But the roundup men had tried to capture her and for
two years she had escaped them....
Pony Penning Day holds a surprise for everyone, for Paul not only
brings in the Phantom, but her newborn colt as well. Can Paul and
Maureen possibly earn enough to buy them both?
Milne, AA. The House at Pooh Corner. Here are Pooh and Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and of course Christopher Robin, doing what they've done for generations--enchanting young readers.
Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi Longstockings. Tommy and his sister Annika
have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy
red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives
on her porch, and a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to
one adventure after another!
Selden, George. The Cricket in Time Square. Tucker is a streetwise
city mouse. He thought he’d seen it all. But he’s never
met a cricket before, which really isn’t surprising, because,
along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of
New York City—the Times Square subway station. Chester Cricket
never intended to leave his Connecticut meadow. He’d be there
still if he hadn’t followed the entrancing aroma of liverwurst
right into someone’s picnic basket. Now, like any tourist in
the city, he wants to look around. And he could not have found two
better guides—and friends—than Tucker and Harry. The trio
have many adventures—from taking in the sights and sounds of
Broadway to escaping a smoky fire.
Chester makes a third friend, too. It is a boy, Mario, who rescues
Chester from a dusty corner of the subway station and brings him to
live in the safety of his parents’ newsstand. He hopes at first
to keep Chester as a pet, but Mario soon understands that the cricket
is more than that. Because Chester has a hidden talent and no one—not
even Chester himself—realizes that the little country cricket
may just be able to teach even the toughest New Yorkers a thing or
two.
**Reviews from Amazon.com
2010 Suggested New Titles for Summer Reading
Lower School- Third Grade and Fourth Grade
Entire Lower School- ALL books by Kevin O’Malley
He will be our 2010 Kudner/Leyon Visiting Writer.
Osborne, Mary Pope. Tales from the Odyssey Series. Osborne turns her considerable skill in retelling myths to Homer's Odyssey in these slim, charming opening volumes in her Tales from the Odyssey series.
DiTerlizzi, Tony and Black, Holly. Spiderwick Series. With their evocative gothic-style pencil drawings and color illustrations, rhyming riddles, supernatural lore, and well-drawn characters, these books read like old-fashioned ripping yarns.
DiCamillo, Kate. The Magician’s Elephant; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane; Because of Winn-Dixie; The Tale of Despereaux. These expanded fairy tales are entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun. Unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. Some of the best children’s literature out there.
Lupica, Mike. The Comeback Kids Series. Mike Lupica is the author of many novels for sports fans.
Various Authors. 39 Clues Series. What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden around the world in the form of 39 clues? What if you were given a choice - take a million dollars and walk away ...or get the first clue and begin the search? At the reading of their grandmother's will, Dan and Amy are given this choice - and they take the clue. Immediately, they are caught in a dangerous race against their own family members. The hunt is on. Think you've gone everywhere books can take you? Think again. Books are going to a new place, but you have to follow the clues to get there. Join Amy and Dan as they begin the hunt for the 39 Clues in "Book One: The Maze of Bones". The high-octane adventures will continue for a total of ten exhilarating books written by well-known authors over two years. The 39 Clues also encompasses hundreds of game cards and an online world that allows you to play a part in the story and compete for 100s of prizes, totaling over GBP50,000.
Levine, Gail Carson. Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg; Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Wand. Unbeknownst to many, the fairies of Never Land have an intricate community in which everyone is useful to society. And, sadly, the newest arrival, Prilla, just doesn't fit in, for she appears without knowing what her particular talent is.
Baggott, Julianna. Everbreath. In a world where locust fairies flutter
and firebreathers burst from snowbanks, two children are having the
adventure of their lives. Truman and his twin sister, Camille, have
just met their grandmother . . . and she’s a little strange.
She whispers a tale about something called the Ever Breath, an amber
orb that maintains the balance between our world and a dreamy one
of imagination—and evil.
The Prince of Fenway Park. It's been eighty-six years since the Red
Sox won a World Series. Eighty-six years cursed. Twelve-year-old Oscar
Egg be-lieves he is cursed, just like the Red Sox. His real parents
didn't want him, and now his adopted mom has dumped him off to live
with his strange, sickly dad. But there's something Oscar doesn't
know. The Boston Red Sox really are cursed, and not just because they
sold Babe Ruth in 1919. Someone deliberately jinxed the team, and
the secret to breaking the Curse lies deep below Fenway Park, with
Oscar's dad and the Cursed Creatures, a group that has been doomed
to live out their miserable lives below Fenway until the Curse is
broken.
Mull, Brandon. Fablehaven Series. For centuries mystical creatures
of all description were gathered into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven
to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of
the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting?
You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite. Kendra and her
brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current
caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep
relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches,
spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken
-- Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own good -- powerful
forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the
greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven,
and perhaps even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage
to do what they fear most.
Riordan, Rick. The Red Pyramid. Since their mother’s death,
Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived
with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world
with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One
night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research
experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things
right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set,
who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their
lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are
waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To
stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a
quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family,
and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time
of the pharaohs.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Percy Jackson is about to be kicked
out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles.
Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to
be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook
and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master
lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Hoffman, Alice. Horsefly; Fireflies: A Winter’s Tale. Alice Hoffman reveals the magic in everyday life in her books for children.
Horvath, Polly. Everything on a Waffle. Primrose Squarp simply knows
her parents did not perish at sea during a terrible storm, despite
what the other residents of Coal Harbour believe. For all practical
purposes, Primrose is an orphan, and there's no great clamoring of
prospective adopters. After realizing the impracticality of continuing
to pay Miss Perfidy (a mothball-scented elderly lady) an hourly wage
to baby-sit her, the town council places her with Uncle Jack, who
reluctantly takes her in. Primrose does warm up to him, but her true
sanctuary is a local restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing,
where everything--including lasagna--is served on a waffle, and where
the proprietor Miss Bowzer offers a willing ear.
My One-Hundred Adventures. Jane is 12 years old, and she is ready
for adventures, to move beyond the world of her siblings and single
mother and their house by the sea, and step into the “know-not
what.” And, over the summer, adventures do seem to find Jane,
whether it’s a thrilling ride in a hot-air balloon, the appearances
of a slew of possible fathers, or a weird new friendship with a preacher
and psychic wannabe. Most important, there’s Jane’s discovery
of what lies at the heart of all great adventures: that it’s
not what happens to you that matters, but what you learn about yourself.
Northward to the Moon. Jane and her family have moved to Canada .
. . but not for long. When her stepfather, Ned, is fired from his
job as a high school French teacher (seems he doesn’t speak
French), the family packs up and Jane embarks on a series of new adventures.
At first, she imagines her family as a gang of outlaws, riding on
horseback in masks, robbing trains, and traveling all the way to Mexico.
But the reality is different: Setting off by car, they visit the tribe
of Native Americans with whom Ned once lived, head to Las Vegas in
search of Ned’s magician brother, and wind up spending the summer
with his eccentric mother on her ranch out west. As Jane lives through
it all—developing a crush on a ranch hand, reevaluating her
relationship with Ned, watching her sister Maya’s painful growing
up—she sees her world, which used to be so safe and secure,
shift in strange and inconvenient ways.
Cowell, Cressida. How to Train Your Dragon Series. Chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as he tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan, the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans, by catching and training a dragon.
Tooke, Wes. Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever. Louis May doesn't like his new home in White Plains, New York. He doesn't get along with his new stepbrother, who is the best athlete in the neighborhood; he misses his mother, who lives among poets and artists in the East Village; and he just doesn't fit in at his new school. But one thing hasn't changed: Louis still loves the game of baseball and, more than anything, the New York Yankees. So when he gets a chance to be a batboy for the team, to be in the dugout with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, he thinks that life can't get any better. But then Mickey and Roger make that summer of 1961 one of the biggest anyone has ever seen, and Louis gets a front-row seat to their record-setting home-run race. Louis's worst summer ever becomes his best summer ever, and he finds himself learning about much more than just baseball from the two greatest players in the game.
Schlitz, Laura Amy. The Night Fairy. What would happen to a fairy if she lost her wings and could no longer fly? Flory, a young night fairy no taller than an acorn and still becoming accustomed to her wings — wings as beautiful as those of a luna moth — is about to find out. What she discovers is that the world is very big and very dangerous. But Flory is fierce and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. If that means telling others what to do — like Skuggle, a squirrel ruled by his stomach — so be it. Not every creature, however, is as willing to bend to Flory’s demands.
**Reviews from Amazon.com
