Author

Title

* Indicates Out of Print

Summary

Curriculum
Connection

Character
Trait

Allen, Jeffrey

Nosey Mrs. Rat

Mrs. Rat uses all kinds of tactics to get the "scoop" on all of her neighbors.

Social Studies

Self-discipline

Andrews, Jan

Very First, Last Time

A young Inuit girl walks alone on the sea floor for the very first last time. 

Social Studies
Cultural Group:
Native American, Inuit

Responsibility

Bang, Molly

The Paper Crane

A mysterious man goes into a restaurant and pays for his dinner with a paper crane that comes to life and dances.

Social Studies
Multicultural

Perseverance

Buehner, Carolyn

Fanny’s Dream

"Cinderella" story:a hard-working farm girl dreams of a better life and finds it for real.

Social Studies

Honesty

Cherry, Lynn

The Armadillo from Amarillo

A wandering armadillo explores Texas.

Social Studies

Respect

Cooney, Barbara

Miss Rumphius

A little girl grows up and makes the world a better place.

Social Studies

Responsibility

DePaola, Tomie

Strega Nona

When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her big pasta pot, Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

Cultural group: Italian

Responsibility

Fox, Mem

Wilfred Gordan McDonald Partridge

A small boy tries to discover the meaning of "memory" so he can restore that of an elderly friend.

Health

Compassion

Hoberman, Mary Ann

One of Each

A dog with one each of everything in his house thinks his life is perfection but finds that no one else can enjoy its oneness. He solves the problem by getting doubles and sharing.

Health

Fairness

Hoff, Syd

Arturo’s Baton

Famous conductor and his baton make beautiful music. He looses the baton, his manager, servants, dog search. Problem: how to lead the orchestra without the baton.

Social Studies

Hoff, Syd

Oliver

Oliver the elephant is the eleventh elephant and the circus needs only ten. Oliver tries a variety of ways to find a job and home, but ends up with the circus because of his talent.

Health

Perseverance

Hooks, William

The Three Little Pigs and the Fox

Three grown pigs leave home with 3 pieces of advice from mom. Appalachian version of classic tale where Hamlet, the youngest pig, rescues 2 greedy brothers from a mean, tricky fox.

Social Studies

Responsibility

Houston, Gloria

But No Candy*

While her uncle is off in WW II, Lee watches candy gradually disappear from the family store and realizes her entire world has changed.

Social Studies

Patriotism

Hutchins, H. J.

Believing Sophie

A little girl is accused of shoplifting and tries to prove herself innocent.

Social Studies

Honesty

Isaacs, Anne

Swamp Angel

Tall tale, female counterpart of Paul Bunyan, an Appalachian tale.

Social Studies

.

James, Simon

Dear Mr. Blueberry

A young girl and her teacher correspond about the whale she has discovered in her pond. 

Science

Loyalty

Keller, Wallace

The Wrong Side of the Bed*

A little boy gets up from the wrong of bed and everything goes topsy-turvy.

Math: Spatial orientation

Lester, Helen

Hooway for Wodney Wat

All his classmates make fun of Rodney because he can't pronounce his name, but it is Rodney's speech impediment that drives away the class bully.

Health

Courage

Lord, John

The Giant Jam Sandwich

A village plagued by 4 million wasps makes a giant jam sandwich and traps the hungry insects inside.

Math: Big numbers

Perseverance

Munsch, Robert

Moira’s Birthday

Without her parent’s consent Moira invites the whole school to her birthday party.

Math: Computation

Fairness

Nixon, Joan

If You Were a Writer

Advice from a mother who is a writer to her child who wants to be a writer too.

Self-discipline

Pittman, Helena

A Grain of Rice

A farmer outwits an Emperor and gets to marry the princess.

Math: Factorial numbers
Cultural Group: Asian

Perseverance

Simms, Laura

Rotten Teeth

Melissa becomes a first-grade celebrity when she brings a bottle of teeth for show and tell.

Slawson, Michele

Apple Picking Time

Neighbors spend a fall day picking apples on a small farm.

Social Studies

Small, David

Ruby Mae Has Something to Say

Tongue-tied Ruby Mae fulfills her dream of speaking for world peace at the U. N. when her nephew invents a device to solve her speech problem.

Courage

Stevens, Janet

From Pictures to Words: A Book About Making a Book

Animals in an illustration try to help the author write a book.

Tompert, Ann

Grandfather Tang’s Story

Grandfather tells stories using tanagrams.

Math: Shape
Cultural Group; Asian/Chinese

Turner, Patricia

The War Between  the Vowels and the Consonants

Funny book about letters and which are most important.

Courage

Wilhelm, Hans

I’ll Always Love You

Friendship between a boy and his dog.

Health

Responsibility

Williams, Vera

A Chair for My Mother

A mother, daughter, and grandmother save money for a comfortable chair after their furniture is lost in a fire.

Social Studies
Multicultural

Self-discipline

Yolen, Jane

All Those Secrets of the World

When four-year-old Janie’s father goes off to war, the rest of the family moves to the grandparents’ home on the Chesapeake Bay where Janie learns a secret of the world that helps her understand her father’s long absence. 

Social Studies

Patriotism

Zalben, Jane

Beni’s First Wedding

Beni participates in a Jewish wedding

Social Studies
Multicultural

Compassion