Flemington Raritan Regional Schools
Summer Reading List 2009
Grades K-2
Fiction
PIC = Picture Book E = read alone CH = chapter book GN = graphic novel
Adler, David A. Young Cam Jansen and the Molly Shoe Mystery. NY: Viking, 2008. E
When Cam, her father, and friend Eric go to the airport to meet Cam's Aunt Molly, they help her find her missing shoes. (There are many other Young Cam Jansen mysteries.)
Appelt, Kathi. Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives. NY: Harcourt, 2004. PIC
While preparing for a visit from some relatives--and even after they arrive--Bubba and Beau want nothing more than to sink their paws into the squishy, squashy mud hole. (There are several other titles about these characters.)
Arnold, Tedd. Fly High, Fly Guy! NY: Scholastic, 2008. E
When Buzz, his parents, and his pet fly go on a road trip and get lost, Fly Guy comes to the rescue to help them find their way home. (There are many other Fly Guy titles.)
Buehner, Caralyn. Superdog: the Heart of a Hero. NY: Harper Collins, 2004. PIC
Tired of being overlooked because he is so small, a big-hearted dog named Dexter transforms himself into a superhero.
Byars, Betsy. The Golly Sisters Go West. NY: Harper Collins, 1985. E
May-May and Rose, the singing, dancing Golly sisters, travel west by covered wagon, entertaining people along the way. (There are several other Golly Sisters titles.)
Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. Biscuit’s Day at the Farm. NY: Harper Collins, 2007. E
Biscuit the puppy meets hens, pigs, geese, and goats--and makes a new friend--while visiting a farm. (There are many other Biscuit titles aimed at the beginning reader)
Cazet, Denys. Minnie and Moo and the Musk of Zorro. NY: Dorling Kindersley, 2000. E
Cows Minnie and Moo masquerade as the hero Zorro in order to protect the barnyard, but the results are not quite what they intended.
Colfer, Eoin. Eoin Colfer's legend of-- Spud Murphy. NY: Hyperion Books for Children, 2004. CH
When their mother starts dropping them off at the library several afternoons a week, nine-year-old William and his brother dread boredom and the overbearing librarian, but they are surprised at how things turn out.
Cronin, Doreen. Giggle, Giggle, Quack. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2006. PIC
When Farmer Brown goes on vacation, leaving his brother Bob in charge, Duck makes trouble by changing all his instructions to notes the animals like much better.
Egan, Tim. Burnt Toast on Davenport Street. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. PIC
Arthur and Stella Crandall, two dogs, are for the most part content with their lives until a fly gets mixed up while granting Arthur three wishes.
Henkes, Kevin. Lily’s Big Day. Greenwillow Books, 2006. PIC
When her teacher announces that he is getting married, Lilly the mouse sets her heart on being the flower girl at his wedding.
Holm, Jennifer L. BabyMouse: Beach Babe. New York : Random House, 2006. GN
A graphic novel about the summertime adventures of Babymouse, who tries surfing and snorkeling for the first time and learns a lesson when she wishes for someone "cooler" than her little brother, Squeak, to play with. (There are many books in this graphic novel series.)
King-Smith, Dick. Smasher. NY: Random House, 1996. CH
When Mrs. Buzzard wants to get rid of the big, ugly dog that creates a lot of trouble, Farmer Buzzard decides on a plan to save this lovable monster from banishment.
Laurence, Daniel. Captain and Matey Set Sail. NY: Harper Collins, 2001. E
Despite their frequent disagreements, two pirates share many adventures.
Lee, Suzy. Wave. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008. PIC
A wordless book in which a young girl experiences the power of ocean waves.
Martin, Bill. Chicka Chicka, 1, 2, 3. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2004. PIC
Numbers from one to one hundred climb to the top of an apple tree in this rhyming chant.
McCarthy, Michael. Steal Back the Mona Lisa! Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2006. PIC
When crooked crooks steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, Special Agent Jack is sent on a dangerous mission to steal it back, and includes facts about the painting.
McMullan, Kate. I‘m Mighty! NY: Joanna Cotler Books, 2003. PIC
A little tugboat shows how he can bring big ships into the harbor even though he is small.
Muntean, Michaela. Do Not Open This Book. Scholastic Press, 2006. PIC
As Pig tries to write a book, he chastises the reader who keeps interrupting him by turning the pages.
Palantini, Margie. Bad Boys Get Cookie! NY: Katherine Tegan Books, 2006. PIC
Wolves Willy and Wally try to satisfy a sweet-tooth craving by dressing up as private detectives and chasing down a runaway cookie.
Pilkey, Dav. Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Stupid Stinkbugs from Saturn: the Sixth Robot Adventure Novel. NY: Blue Sky Press, 2003. CH
Ricky Ricotta, his Mighty Robot, Cousin Lucy, and some friends set out to save mouse kind from Stupid Stinkbugs from Saturn, with a little help from some special gum and taffy. (There are many other books in this series)
Rodriguez, Edel. Sergio Makes a Splash. New York: Little, Brown, 2008. PIC
Even though he loves water, Sergio the penguin is afraid to swim in the deep water until he learns how.
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Duck! Rabbit! San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009. PIC
Two unseen characters argue about whether the creature they are looking at is a rabbit or a duck.
Rueda, Claudia. Let’s Play in the Forest While the Wolf is not Around. New York: Scholastic Press, 2006. PIC
In this adaptation of the traditional French and Latin American song, animals play in the forest while a scary wolf slowly dresses and becomes hungrier and hungrier.
Runton, Andy. Owly. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf, 2004. GN
A kind, lonely little owl tries to earn an earthworm's trust and struggles with the knowledge that his new friends, a group of hummingbirds, must depart for the winter. (There are other Owly books in this series.)
Slater, Dashka. The Sea Serpent and Me. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. PIC
A small sea serpent falls from the faucet into a bathtub and becomes a little girl's best friend, but as he grows, they both realize that he needs to go back to the sea where he belongs.
Swanson, Susan Marie. The House in the Night. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. PIC
Illustrations and easy-to-read text explore the light that makes a house in the night a home filled with light. (2009 Caldecott winner)
Watt, Melanie. Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 2008. PIC
Scaredy Squirrel has a wild adventure when he ventures to the beach to get a seashell.
Willems, Mo. The Pigeon wants a Puppy. Hyperion, 2008. PIC
A pigeon really, really wants a puppy but when a puppy arrives the pigeon changes his mind. (There are several other books about this character)
Willems, Mo. There is a Bird on my Head! New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. E
Opposite best friends Gerald, who is careful and worrisome, and Piggie, who is clumsy and carefree, run into a problem when two birds land on Gerald's head. (There are many other books in the “Elephant and Piggie” series.)
Non-Fiction
NF = Non-fiction B = Biography Poetry
Aston, Dianna, Hutts. A Seed is Sleepy. Chronicle Books, 2007. NF
An introduction to seeds; explaining their varying shapes and sizes, where they are found, and their life cycles.
Bayrock, Fiona. Bubble Homes and Fish Farts. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2009. NF
Presents humorous scientific information about the use of bubbles by various animals, such as whales, otters, dolphins, herring, and water shrews, for various recreational or functional purposes, such as hunting, warmth, communication, survival, or as a game.
Bergwerf, Barbara. Carolina's Story: Sea Turtles Get Sick Too! Sylvan Dell, 2005. NF
Presents a photographic journal of Carolina, a loggerhead sea turtle that was rescued and brought back to health at a South Carolina Aquarium.
Bingham, Caroline. DK First Dinosaur Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley, 2007. NF
An illustrated encyclopedia that examines what dinosaurs looked like, how they lived, and why they became extinct; and describes how scientists learn about dinosaurs from fossil evidence.
Bishop, Nic. Butterflies and Moths. NY: Scholastic, 2009. NF
Full-color photographs and illustrations describe the physical characteristics, behaviors, habits, and life cycle of butterflies and moths.
Brighton, Catherine. Keep Your Eye on the Kid: the Early Years of Buster Keaton. Roaring Brook Press, 2008. B
An illustrated childhood biography of comedian Buster Keaton, following his early experiences in his parents' Vaudeville act, and his fascination with the emerging film industry.
Burleigh, Robert. One Giant Leap. Philomel Books, 2009. NF
An illustrated retelling of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's lunar landing in 1969.
Dillon, Leo. Jazz on a Saturday Night. Blue Sky Press, 2007. NF
A crowd gathers on a Saturday night to groove to an evening of jazz played by a "Dream Team" of musicians including Miles Davis on trumpet, Max Roach on drums, Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, John Coltrain on his sax, Thelonius Monk on piano, Stanley Parker on bass, and Ella Fitzgerald at the microphone.
Ehrlich, Amy. Rachel: the Story of Rachel Carson. NY: Harcourt, 2003. B
A biography of Rachel Carson, author of "Silent Spring," which sparked the beginnings of the modern environmental movement.
Floca, Brian. Lightships. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. NF
Illustrations and simple text tell the story of lightships that were used in place of lighthouses in order to safely guide ships into port.
Gibbons, Gail. Dinosaur Discoveries! NY: Scholastic, 2005. NF
Presents full-color illustrations that describe a number of prehistoric dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.
Kallman, Maria. Fireboat: the Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002. NF
A fireboat, launched in 1931, is retired after many years of fighting fires along the Hudson River, but is saved from being scrapped and then called into service again on September 11, 2001.
Matthews, Elizabeth. Different Like Coco. Candlewick Press, 2007. B
An illustrated look at the life of fashion designer Coco Chanel, discussing her youth in France, and the development of her own particular style which caught on around the world.
McCarthy, Meghan. City Hawk: the Story of Pale Male. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2007. NF
Pale Male and his mate Lola, a pair of red-tailed hawks, build a nest on the ledge of an apartment building and raise their chicks in downtown New York City.
McCarthy, Meghan. Seabiscuit: the Wonder Horse. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008. NF
Seabiscuit, a funny looking horse with a losing streak, is bought and given a second chance by Charles Howard, and after new training and a loving jockey, Seabiscuit starts winning more races, but must prepare to run against War Admiral, the top racehorse in the country.
McCarthy, Meghan. The Story of Charles Atlas, Strong Man. New York: Knopf, 2007. B
An illustrated account of the life of Angelo Siciliano, an Italian immigrant who, tired of being pushed around, developed a program of physical fitness that transformed his life and earned him the name Charles Atlas.
McLimans, David. Gone Wild! An Endangered Animal Alphabet. Walker, 2006. NF
Presents the alphabet in capital letters designed to look like endangered animals, and lists facts on each species, covering their habitats, geographic ranges, threats to survival, and statuses. (Caldecott Honor book)
Paolilli, Paul. Silver Seeds: a Book of Nature Poems. NY: Viking, 2001. Poetry
A collection of simple poems having to do with nature.
Rex, Adam. Frankenstein Takes the Cake. Harcourt, 2008. Poetry
Contains poems about the bad habits, anxieties, and other fears and foibles of monsters, including selections about Frankenstein's wedding.
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. First the Egg. Roaring Brook Press, 2007. NF
Die-cut pages show the transformations of various animals and objects, such as a seed to a flower, paint to a picture, and a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Stauffacher, Sue. Nothing but Trouble: the Story of Althea Gibson. Knopf, 2007. B
Explores the life and achievements of Althea Gibson, the first African-American woman to win the Wimbledon Cup.
Tang, Greg. Math Fables too: Making Science Count. NY: Scholastic, 2007. NF
Fables about ocean, jungle, desert, and lake animals teach about number groupings and counting, laying the groundwork for addition.
Yaccarino, Dan. The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau. Knopf, 2009. B
A pictorial biography of Jacques Cousteau, covering his adventures aboard "Calypso" with his team of scientists, diving equipment, and waterproof cameras, and work to protect the oceans from pollution.
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