Picture Books
Moose Tracks
by Karma Wilson
When moose tracks suddenly show up all over his house one morning, the terribly confused narrator attempts to remember how they got there. He recalls inviting all kinds of animals over for a day of friendly play, but he doesn't remember inviting a moose. And yet, there are moose tracks EVERYWHERE! This is a hilarious rhyming book about hospitality sure to bring a smile to every reader's face.
The Three Little Javelinas
by Susan Lowell
In this southwestern version of the European-American classic The Three Little Pigs, readers are introduced to the wildlife, language, and native peoples of the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona and northern Mexico.
Finding Winnie
by Lindsay Matlick
This is the true story behind the world's most famous bear, Winnie the Pooh. The author is the great-granddaughter of Captain Harry Colebourn, a Canadian soldier sent off to fight in WWI. While en route to his station, Colebourn rescues a bear cub from a trapper and names her Winnie. As the war rages on, Colebourn can no longer care for the growing bear and must relocate her to the London Zoo. While she's there a young boy named Christopher Robin, the son of a budding English writer A.A. Milne comes to know and love her.
The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver
by Gene Barretta
Before he became a celebrated botanist and inventor, George Washington Carver was a young boy who nurtured a secret garden on the plantation of his former owners turned adoptive parents. He took what he learned in those early days and went on to promote healthy crop rotation, develop methods for preventing soil erosion, and find 300 uses for the peanut. This is a true story of humility, ingenuity, and grit.
Leveled Readers
Big Egg
by Molly Coxe
With an emphasis on the short vowel sounds, this Level 1 reader follows the misadventures of a hen who finds a gigantic egg in her nest one morning. After searching all over the farm for its real owner, the hen meets a fox. Can she protect the egg? Can she protect herself? This story contains action-packed illustrations to help young readers decode context clues in order to build confidence and fluency. Each sentence is 3-4 words or less, some containing special phonograms.
Eat My Dust: Henry Ford's Big Race
by Monica Kulling
Henry Ford is passionate about mechanics and dreams of building a "horseless carriage" that everyday people can afford, rather than just the wealthy. Henry lacks the money needed to mass-produce his prototype. To secure funding and prove his car's capability, he decides to enter a high-stakes car race against experienced drivers. But will he win the $1000 grand prize, or will he go home empty-handed?
This true story is a Level 3 reader with illustrations that will captivate any emergent reader.
Illustrated Chapter Books
Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us
by Lauren Castillo
When a storm separates Hedgehog from her lifelong friend, she sets off to find him and in the process makes many new friends along the way. This is a classic tale of love for kids who grew up on Frog and Toad adventures and who are ready for a lengthier, meatier story. It contains full-color illustrations on all 111 pages.
My Father's Dragon
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
A young Elmer heads to Wild Island to rescue a dragon that is being held captive by the jungle animals who are forcing him to shuttle them across a raging river each day. Elmer must use his brain and only what is in his backpack to outwit tigers, gorillas, crocodiles, and more. This is the first in a three-part series about Elmer and his beloved dragon.
Parents, Be Aware
Franklin Endicott and the Third Key
by Kate DiCamillo
Franklin is afraid. He's afraid of everything. It's not until his elderly neighbor, Eugenia Lincoln, takes him to a curiously strange Used Goods store and he discovers an unusual key that he learns to be brave.
Fans who grew up reading the Mercy Watson series will appreciate Mercy's cameo appearance in this book.
Things to know: This illustrated chapter book has recently been included in several homeschool curriculum reading packages for early readers below 3rd grade. While the story is quite humorous and has the potential to captivate even reluctant readers, parents should be aware that the illustrations can be somewhat scary for the intended reader's age range. One picture shows a jar of fake animal eyeballs. Another depicts a headless man running. (Turns out, the man is actually a mannequin, but the image may be frightening to little ones.) In addition, one line reads that Franklin finds entries about "night witches and demons and goblins and trolls" in a set of encyclopedias.