The Story of Ferdinand

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf E LEA—This classic tale, first published in 1936 tells the tale of Ferdinand the bull, who would rather sit peacefully under a tree and sniff flowers than butt horns with the other bulls. It’s a wonderful story about staying true to yourself.

Stuck in the Mud

Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke E CLA—When little chick gets stuck in the mud, it will take many animals to get her out.

Walter, the Farting Dog

Walter, the Farting Dog by William Katzwinkle E KAT—If passing gas is funny in your house, this book is for you! Walter the dog creates problems with his farts but becomes a hero when burglars enter the house.

The Wide Awake Princess

The Wide Awake Princess by E.D. Baker J BAK—Princess Gwen is sleeping beauty and as a result of the curse put on her at birth, when her parents have a second daughter, Annie, they decide to give her the gift of no one being able to do magic around her.  Annie is plain, has no real talents, and is not like most princesses, but when Gwen pricks her finger on the spindle, it is up to her to go out into the world to try to break the curse. 

You Are My Little Bird

You Are My Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell  J CD MITC YAM—Enjoy these sweet, simple melodies that you’ll hum along to even when the kids aren’t around. This is the perfect album for relaxing to or soothing your little one (and yourself) on a long car ride. Includes covers from Velvet Underground's "What Goes On" and Neil Young's "Little Wing."

Yellow Bus

Yellow Bus by Justin Roberts J CD ROBE YB —The songs on this CD explore many different fun topics including emotions, friendships, shoe-tying, mischief-making, adventure and general silliness through a musical mixture of peppy-pop, folk and down-home country. My favorite tracks are “Tickle My Toes,” “Hey, Hippopotamus” and “All Eyes on You.” This one isn’t just for the kiddos!

Yankee Girl

Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman J ROD—When her FBI agent father is transferred to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1964, eleven- year-old Alice wants to be popular but also wants to reach out to the one black girl in her class in a newly- integrated school. Can Alice move from being a bystander to standing up for what she believes? 

The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep

The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep by John Hulme J HUL—When twelve-year-old Becker Drane is recruited by The Seems, a parallel universe that runs everything in The World, he must fix a disastrous glitch in the Department of Sleep that threatens everyone's ability to ever fall asleep again.  For the reader who likes fantasy and humor, gadgets and excitement with a little bit of robot action thrown in for good measure!

Traction Man Meets TurboDog

Traction Man Meets TurboDog by Mini Grey E GRE—This neat story follows the adventures of Traction Man and TurboDog as they search for their faithful pet Scrubbing Brush.

Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing

Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing by April Jones Prince E PRI—After 14 years, the Brooklyn Bridge was finished and people wondered if it would be safe for passage.  The story tells how P.T. Barnum led a procession of 21 elephants across the bridge!  Great read aloud!

Where to Little Wombat?

Where to Little Wombat? by Charles Fuge E FUG—When Little Wombat decides he doesn't want to live at home anymore, he sets off in search of somewhere else to call home.

Adventure Stories For Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

Here are some good reads with lots of action and adventure perfect for younger readers.

Once Upon a Banana by Jennifer Armstrong    E ARM

When a monkey drops a banana peel on a busy city street, chaos ensues!

Swift by Robert J. Blake                           E BLA

                                       

Johnnie couldn’t wait until he was old enough to go hunting with his Pa.  The adventure starts when a grizzly bear attacks his father and Johnnie and Swift must get help.

Harvey Moon, Museum Boy by Pat Cummings                        E CUM 

Harvey decides to take his pet lizard Zippy on a class field trip to the museum… not a good idea. When Harvey, tired from chasing Zippy, dozes off, he discovers that the museum gets a little lively at night!

Carl’s Summer Vacation by Alexandra Day             E DAY

Carl and Madeleine are supposed to be napping while Mom and Dad get the summer cabin cleaned up so that they can watch the fireworks that evening, but do they? 

The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller    E FAL  

No words, but plenty of pictures will take the youngest reader around the world, to space and back, with a playful dog named Polo.

Follow that Bear If You Dare                               

by Claire Freedman                              E FRE

Hare loves bears!  Hare talks Rabbit into venturing off on a bear hunt together.  They carefully follow the instructions in Hare’s “Best Book of Bear Hunting.”            

 

Traction Man is Here

by Mini Grey               E GRE

Here is the epic tale of the action figure Traction Man, his faithful companion Scrubbing Brush, and their exciting adventures.

Sally’s Snow Adventure

by Stephen Huneck                E HUN

Sally the Labrador goes on vacation to a ski lodge, but when she tries to take a shortcut through the woods, she loses her way! Can the rescue dogs find her before dinner?

Pirate Pete’s Giant Adventure

by Kim Kennedy                                     E KEN

Pirate Pete and his parrot sidekick have to find the missing Sea-Fairy Sapphire if they want to get a new ship. But their trip to Thunder Island to find the gem may not be as easy as they think!

Magical Marty’s Deep Dive

by G.M. Kopec                               E KOP

Magical Marty takes readers on a trip under the sea in his space ship, showing wonders like sharks, rays and schools of fish.

Simon’s Escape: a Story of the Holocaust

Simon’s Escape: a Story of the Holocaust by Bonnie Pryor  J PRY—Simon and his family are forced by Nazis to leave their home for the filth and hunger of the Warsaw ghetto.  When all his family is taken away, he escapes to fight for survival in the countryside.  This book includes facts about the Holocaust.

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book?

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child E CHI—Young Herb wakes up one day to find himself trapped inside a book of fairy tales that he’d previously defaced. As if being trapped in the book isn’t bad enough, he’s got a whole cast of fairy tale characters (from Goldilocks to Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters) hot on his trail, angry that he’s tampered with them and their stories. Can Herb right his wrongs and safely find his way out?

Leon & the Spitting Image

Leon & the Spitting Image by Allen Kurzweil J KUR—Leon, a fourth grader at The Classical School, tries to outwit the school bully and learn to sew for the tyrannical teacher Miss Hagmeyer, with unexpected help from his final project—a doll with magical powers.  This is for readers who enjoy a bit of magic and a bit of laughter in their stories.

The Shackleton Expedition

The Shackleton Expedition by Jil Fine J 919.8904 FIN—Another in the “Survivor” series, tells the story of the Shackleton Expedition to Antarctica.  For more than two years, Shackleton and his crew were trapped in the harshest climate on Earth.  Their story and their rescue is unlike any other.

No, David!

No, David! by David Shannon E SHA—Do you remember back when you were five? Author David Shannon sure does, and the word “No” plays out often!

Sweet Miss Honeywell’s Revenge: a Ghost Story

Sweet Miss Honeywell’s Revenge: a Ghost Story by Kathryn Reiss J REI—12 year old Zibby is compelled to purchase an antique dollhouse with all her money that she has been saving for in-line skates.  Shortly after she brings the dollhouse home,  Zibby starts to hear strange voices and mysterious things begin to happen.  Could her dollhouse be haunted by ghosts?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Read-Alikes

If you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, check out these great read-alike stories!

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
by Tom Angleberger      J ANG  

Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends share their interactions with a paper Yoda finger puppet, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet really can predict the future. (Gr 3-6)

Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School

by Ruth M. Barshaw       J BAR

Ellie writes and doodles in a journal that she keeps about her family’s move to a new home and her struggle to make friends, which gets a lot easier as she leads a non-violent protest about long lunch lines at school. (Gr 3-5)

The Rat Brain Fiasco

by Julie Gardner       JP BER

Cody Mack’s misdeeds land him in a reformatory school, where he soon discovers that the principal and teachers are actual monsters with a sinister plan to alter the boys’ brains. (Gr 3-6)

The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter     
by John Gosselink     J GOS             
                             

Twelve-year-old Thaddeus considers it his duty to share his knowledge and talent with others, and he refutes each of the charges that have sent him to in-school suspension for the remainder of seventh grade. (Gr 5-8)

Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf
 by Jennifer Holm               J HOL

  

The first year of middle school can be exciting or scary…just ask Ginny, who tells the story of her seventh-grade year through notes, grocery receipts, report cards, newspaper clippings and other important pieces of her life. (Gr 5-8)

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang
by Amy Ignatow                  J IGN

Two best friends set off on a project to study the behaviors and tastes of the popular girls at their elementary school so that by the time they get to middle school, they, too, will be in the popular crowd. (Gr 4-6)

Letters from Camp
by Kate Klise                       J KLI     

                                    

Sent to Camp Happy Harmony to learn to get along with each other, pairs of brothers and sisters chronicle in letters home how they come to suspect the intentions of the singing family running the camp. (Gr 4-7)

Super Chicken Nugget Boy and the Furious Fry
by Josh Lewis                   J LEW

Fern Goldberg is just an average kid

when he arrives at Bert Lahr Elementary School. But after he fall

a pool of green liquid behind Bogie’s Burger Barn, he becomes

a superhero whenever his skin touches condiments. As a deep-

fried superhero, Fern isn’t afraid to take on villains large and small.

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes: All That Glitters Isn’t Gold
by Anne Mazer                     JP MAZ

Brianna has a brand-new cell phone, the MePhone, and suddenly, Abby, who has never cared much about having the latest thing, is green with envy. When Brianna loses her phone, Abby’s the one who finds it. Does she really have to give it back? (Gr 4-6)

School!
by Kate McMullan                 J MCM                     

Each morning, student Ron Faster hurries to Harvey N. Trouble School, where he encounters such staff members as science teacher Ms. Roxanne Pebbles, music instructor Miss Doremi Fasollatido and the resigning janitor Mr. Iquit. (Gr 1-4)

Amelia’s Itchy-Twitchy, Lovey-Dovey Summer at Camp Mosquito
by Marissa Moss            J MOS

Despite the hard mattresses, biting bugs and exhausting hikes, Amelia finally begins to enjoy her time at camp with the help of her new friends, but when she gets her first serious crush on a boy named Luke, Amelia is stunned to find out that Carly likes him too, so she must find a way to win his heart without losing her newest best friend. (Gr 4-7)

Big Nate: In a Class by Himsel
by Lincoln Peirce                J PEI

Supremely-confident middle school student Nate Wright manages to make getting detention from every one of his teachers in the same day seem like an achievement. (Gr 3-6).

 

Spaceheadz
by Jon Scieszka                        J SCI

On his first day at Brooklyn’s P.S. 858, fifth-grader Michael K. is teamed up with two very strange students, and while he gradually comes to believe they are aliens who need his help, he has trouble convincing anyone else of the truth. (Gr 3-6)

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze
by Alan Silberberg                 J SIL

In love with the girl he sneezed on during the first day of school and best friends with Marshall, the “One-Eyed Jack” of friends, seventh-grader Milo Cruikshank misses his mother, whose death has changed everything at home. (Gr 5-8)

My Life as a Book
by Janet Tashjian                 J TAS

Dubbed a “reluctant reader” by his teacher, twelve-year-old Derek spends summer vacation learning important lessons even though he does not complete his summer reading list. (Gr 4-7)

Justin Case
by Rachel Vail                J VAI

It’s the start of the school year, and nothing feels right to Justin, who is very nervous about starting third grade. He didn’t get the teacher he wanted, he’s not in the same class as his best friend, and his little sister Elizabeth is starting kindergarten at his school, but she doesn’t seem nervous at all! And to top it off, he’s lost his favorite stuffed animal, but he can’t tell anyone because, technically, he’s too old to still have stuffed animals. Right? (Gr 2-4)

Shredderman: Secret Identity (bk. 1)
by Wendelin Van Draanen           J VAN & JP VAN

Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd has been bullied by Alvin Bixby, aka Bubba, for five long years. Tired of the name-calling, Nolan decides he’ll write about Bubba, exposing him for what he is – a bully. But Nolan wants to remain anonymous, so he creates a secret identity for himself – Shredderman! He launches the website shredderman.com as a place where truth and justice prevail and bullies get what’s coming to them. This hilariously-triumphant story is for any kid who’s ever dreamed of unleashing their own inner-superhero! (Gr 2-6)

Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Wiener (bk. 3)
by Ursula Vernon                          J VER

Danny Dragonbreath and his best friend Wendell the iguana think the hot dog from the school cafeteria looks a little…off. Then it bites Wendell. Things get weirder when Wendell starts to sprout back hair. Could he be morphing into a were-wiener? (Gr 2-5)

Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom
by Eric Wight                           J WIG

Like most kids, fourth-grader Frankie Piccolini hates cleaning his disastroustly-messy room. But what happens when his Mom says he never has to clean it again? Frankie and his unstoppable imagination mean fun, but eventually even he decides that his room is just too dirty. (Gr 2-4)

Doodlebug
by Karen Romano Young            J YOU

Moving is tough, but the hardest thing of all about the move that Doreen “Dodo” Bussey’s family is making is that she suspects it might be because of her. Dodo uses the blank notebook her mother gives her to chronicle the move and her first days in a new city. (Gr 4-6)

Babymouse: Queen of the World! (bk. 1)
by Jennifer Holm                  J GN HOL

Babymouse is a plucky, resilient mouse who negotiates the issues of friendship, popularity and a sense of self. A good graphic novel for girls just venturing into the genre, this one proves that comics aren’t just for boys! (Gr 2-5)

Knucklehead
by Jon Scieszka          

J B SCI (Bluestem/Caudill)

AUDIO CD J F SCI (Caudill)

How did Jon Scieszka become so funny? He grew up with five brothers, a Catholic school education, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to spare, babysitting misadventures, TV shows and jokes told at the family dinner table. (Gr 3-7)