THE NIGHTINGALE-BAMFORD SCHOOL Year-Round Reading List

Incoming Class I 2015

Dear Parents,

This suggested reading list should help you find quality literature for you and your child to read together throughout the year. Please note that we do not have the space to include all books by one author; be sure to look at other books by every author. Some of these books will be available at the Book Fair, but all of them are available in the Lower School Library. If you would like to see the reading lists for other grades, they are posted on the Library page of the Nightingale website. This list is only a starting point. Enjoy! Lois Strell, Lower School Librarian

Classics & Old Favorites

Madeline Bemelmans, Ludwig Story About Ping Flack, Marjorie A Story, A Story Haley, Gail Bread and Jam for Frances Hoban, Russell Story of Ferdinand Leaf, Munro Make Way for Ducklings McCloskey, Robert Mirette on the Highwire McCully, Emily Amelia Bedelia Parish, Peggy

Big Bad Bruce Peet, Bill The Tale of Peter Rabbit Potter, Beatrix The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins Seuss, Dr. Amos and Boris/Brave Irene Steig, William

Folk & Fairy Tales

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears Aardema, Verna

Honey--Honey--Lion! : a story from Africa Brett, Jan

Princess and the Pea : In Miniature Childs, Lauren

Ananse and the Lizard: a West African Tale Cummings, Pat Big Anthony and the Magic Ring De Paola, Tomie Princess Furball Huck, Charlotte Legend of Sleepy Hollow Irving, Washington Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Jarrell, Randall Zigazak! : A Magical Hanukkah Night Kimmel, Eric The Twelve Dancing Princesses Le Cain, Errol Uncle Remus: the Complete Tales Lester, Julius Old Woman and her pig MacDonald, Margaret Tikki Tikki Tembo Mosel, Arlene Funny Little Woman Mosel, Arlene Cloud Tea Monkeys Peet, Mal Fool of the World and the Flying Ship Ransome, Arthur Peter and the Blue Witch Baby San Souci, Robert D The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Scieszka, Jon Tasty Baby Belly Buttons Sierra, Judy Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale Steptoe, John

Tops & Bottoms Stevens, Janet Lon Po Po : Red Riding story from China Young, Ed Rapunzel / Rumpelstiltskin Zelinsky, Paul

Picture Books

Sarah and Simon and No Red Paint Ardizzone, Edward Sarah and Simon do all they can to help their parents, but when their father, a poor artist, needs red paint to complete his masterpiece, they do not know where to turn.

When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry

Bang, Molly

A young girl is upset and doesn't know how to manage her anger, but takes the time to cool off and Regain her composure.

Ron’s Big Mission Blue, Rose Nine-year-old Ron, a frequent visitor to a public library in South Carolina in the 1950s, pores over books on airplanes and flight, then makes his own quiet stand against segregation when he applies for his own library card. Based on the life of astronaut Ron McNair.

Stellaluna Cannon, Janell After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother.

Molly's Pilgrim Cohen, Barbara Told to make a doll like a pilgrim for a Thanksgiving display at school, Molly's Jewish mother dresses the doll as she herself dressed before leaving Russia to seek religious freedom-- to Molly's embarrassment.

Cinco de Mouse-o Cox, Judy Mouse enjoys the sights and smells of Cinco de Mayo despite being trailed by a determined cat.

Diary of a Worm (series) Cronin, Doreen A young worm discovers, day by day, that there are some good and some not so good things about being a worm in this great big world.

A Mile From Ellington Station Egan, Tim

Jealous of the highly talented dog Marley, Preston the bear spreads a rumor that the dog is a wizard.

Whoever You Are Fox, Mem Despite the differences between people around the world, there are similarities that join us together, such as pain, joy, and love.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers Gerstein, Mordecai A lyrical story of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers.

Amazing Grace Hoffman, Mary Although a classmate says that she cannot play Peter Pan in the school play because she is black, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.

Odious Ogre Juster, Norton A really rotten, ugly, angry, constantly hungry Ogre who goes around terrorizing the countryside meets his match in a kind and friendly young lady.

Pink Paper Swans Kroll, Virginia Janetta, intrigued by the paper animals her neighbor Mrs. Tsujimoto makes, learns the art of origami and becomes Mrs. Tsujimoto's hands when her arthritis makes it difficult for her to continue.

Cindy-Ellen Lowell, Susan Cindy Ellen loses her diamond spur at the square dance in this wild west retelling of Cinderella.

Mirette (series) McCully, Emily Arnold Mirette learns to tightrope from Monsieur Bellini, a guest in her mother's boarding house, not knowing that he is a famous tightrope artist who has stopped performing because of fear.

Goin’ Someplace Special McKissack, Patricia C. In segregated 1950’s Nashville, a young African American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated places in town: the public library.

Zara’s Hat Miesel, Paul Zara's imagination comes to the rescue when her father, a milliner, runs out of feathers for making his marvelous hats.

Chasing Degas Montanari, Eva A young ballet dancer races around Paris searching for Monsieur Degas, who accidentally took her bag--and the tutu she needs for her recital. Includes reproductions of paintings by French Impressionist artists.

A young Korean girl, eager for a favorite meal, helps her mother with shopping, food preparation and table setting.

Babushka’s Doll Polacco, Patricia A funny story about a little girl that gets a doll that is twice as rambunctious as she is.

Officer Buckle and Gloria Rathman, Peggy The children at Napville Elementary School always ignores Officer Buckle's safety tips, until a police dog named Gloria accompanies him when he gives his safety speeches.

My Name is Yoon Recorvits, Helen Disliking her name as written in English, Korean-born Yoon, or "shining wisdom," refers to herself as "cat," "bird," and "cupcake," as a way to feel more comfortable in her new school and new country.

Testing the Ice Robinson, Sharon A true story showing Jackie Robinson’s courage on and off the field, told by his daughter.

Blackout Rocco, John Neighbors gather on the roof after the power goes out on a hot night in the city and start having so much fun that not everyone is happy when the lights go back on.

Food Fight! Shields, Carol Diggory Late at night, after everyone in the house has gone to bed, all the food in the refrigerator, cupboards, and cabinets emerge from the shelves and have their own party.

The Gardener Stewart, Sarah A series of letters warmly relating what happens when, Lydia Grace’s father loses his job, and she goes to live with her Uncle Jim in the city taking her love for gardening with her.

Garden of Abdul Gasazi Van Allsburg, Chris When the dog he is caring for runs away from Alan into the forbidden garden of a retired dog-hating magician, a spell seems to be cast over the naughty dog.Another great story by this author.

Grandma’s Gift Velasquez, Eric The author describes Christmas at his grandmother's apartment in Spanish Harlem the year she introduced him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Diego Velazquez's portrait of Juan de Pareja, which has a lasting effect on him.

Opera Cat Weaver, Tess When the opera diva Madame SoSo gets laryngitis, her singing cat Alma fills in for her.

Odd Velvet Whitcomb, Mary Although she dresses differently from the other girls and does things which are unusual, Velvet eventually teaches her classmates that even an outsider has something to offer.

Books for Independent Readers

Young Cam Jansen (series) Adler, David Young Cam Jansen is an ace detective, thanks to her photographic memory.

Anna Hibiscus (series) Atinuke

Anna Hibiscus loves her life in Africa, where she lives in a wonderful house with her entire family, but longs to see snow.

Frog and Friends (series) Bunting, Eve

Frog and Friends are alarmed by a strange object that appears on his pond.

Mercy Watson DiCamillo, Kate

After Mercy Watson snuggles to sleep with the Watson’sall three awaken with the bed teetering on the

edge of a big hole in the floor.

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream Guest, Elissa Korean American fourth-grader Clara Lee longs to be Little Miss Apple Pie, and when her luck seems to change for the better, she overcomes her fear of public speaking and enters the competition.

Pinky and Rex (series) Howe, James Rex and her best friend Pinky, each the proud owner of twenty-seven stuffed animals or dinosaurs, find their visit to the museum and its gift shop complicated by Pinky's little sister Amanda.

Bravest Dog Ever: True Story of Balto Standiford, Natalie Balto the sled dog saved Nome, Alaska from an epidemic in 1925, carrying medicine through a raging storm.

Case of the Poisoned Pig Montgomery, Lewis When Jazz's pet piglet gets sick and the veterinarian suspects it was poison, she and Milo use their detective skills to try to figure out who did it.

Magic Tree House (series) Osborne, Mary Pope Using their magic tree house, Jack and Annie go on adventures throughout time, meeting friends and learning new things.

Amelia Bedelia Treasury Parish, Peggy That wacky and unusual young maid does many funny things on her first day of work.

The Littles (series) Peterson, John When the Bigs go on a three month vacation, the Littles (no bigger than a match), must contend with a family from the city who move in and are not very good housekeepers.

M and M (series) Hafner, Marilyn Best friends Mandy and Mimi do everything together - until they have a falling out. Poppleton (series) Rylant, Cynthia Kindly Poppleton the pig makes a friend, reads a library book, and helps a sick friend get better. In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories

Schwartz, Alvin

Seven slightly scary stories to tell at night in front of a fire or in the dark, based on traditional stories and folktales from various countries.

The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid (series) Stilton, Geronimo Geronimo Stilton, famous mouse detective, travels to Egypt to interview Professor Alrat Spitfur and learns the secret of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Mouse World.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus (series) Viorst, Judith Lulu's parents refuse to give in when she demands a brontosaurus for her birthday, so she sets out to find her own, but while the brontosaurus she finally meets approves of pets, he does not intend to be Lulu's.

Chapter Books to Read Aloud

Mr. Popper’s Penguin’s Atwater, Robert The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter who dreams of Penguins and the Polar regions.

Ivy and Bean (series) Barrows, Annie When seven-year-old Bean plays a mean trick on her sister, she finds unexpected support for her antics from Ivy, the new neighbor, who is less boring than Bean first suspected.

Tum Tum and Nutmeg (series) Bearn, Emily Wealthy, married mice Tumtum and Nutmeg find adventure when they secretly try to help two human children who live in a tumbledown cottage with their absent-minded inventor father.

Double Fudge Blume, Judy Peter describes the highs and lows of life with his younger brother Fudge in a funny and appealing way.

Flat Stanley Brown, Jeff The humorous adventures of Stanley, a little boy who wakes up flat (four feet tall, about a foot wide, and half an inch thick) after a bulletin board falls on him during the night.

The Chocolate Touch Catling, Patrick What would you do if everything you touched changed to chocolate?

Mostly Magic Chew, Ruth From the day Pete comes to fix a leak in the house and his miniature ladder opens into a full-size one, a brother and sister experience a series of magical adventures.

Ramona the Pest (series) Cleary, Beverly Ramona starts Kindergarten and her good intentions and uncontrollable curiosity lead her to become a "Kindergarten dropout."

Fantastic Mr. Fox Dahl, Roald Three farmers, each one meaner than the others, try all-out warfare to get rid of the fox and his family.

Franny K. Stein (series) Benton, Jim When her embarrassing middle name is revealed at school, mad scientist Franny K. Stein experiments with time in order to return to the past and give herself a more dignified name.

George’s Marvelous Medicine / BFG Dahl, Roald George decides that his grumpy, selfish old grandmother must be a witch and concocts some marvelous medicine to take care of her.

Liberty Porter, First Daughter DeVillers, Julia On her first day at the White House, nine-year-old Liberty exuberantly explores her new home while making new friends and giving unique tours of her own.

Birthday Storm Draper, Sharon Sassy and her family go to Florida during summer vacation to visit Grammy for her birthday. When the weather takes a turn for the worse, Sassy learns that love is more important than decorations and caterers.

Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles Edwards, Julie Andrews With help from an eccentric professor in giving their imaginations special training, three children succeed in locating the last of the great Whangdoodles and granting his heart's desire.

Nikki and Deja England, Karen When an arrogant new girl comes to school, third-graders and best friends Nikki and Deja decide to form a club that would exclude her but find the results not what they expected.

Ginger Pye Estes, Eleanor The disappearance of a new puppy named Ginger and the appearance of a mysterious man in a mustard yellow hat bring excitement into the lives of the Pye children.

The Reluctant Dragon Grahame, Kenneth The boy who finds the dragon in the cave knows it is a kindly, harmless one, but how can he convince the frightened villagers and, especially, St. George the dragon killer, that there is no cause for concern?

Anna on the Farm Hahn, Mary Downing Nine-year-old Anna is happy to spend a week at her aunt and uncle's farm until she meets Theodore, who calls her a "city slicker" and spurs her to prove that she's just as clever and brave as he is.

"B" Is for Betsy (series)

Haywood, Carolyn

Betsy experiences an interesting first year in school and looks forward to summer vacation at her grandfather's farm.

Misty of Chincoteague (series) Henry, Marguerite Two youngsters' determination to own a Chincoteague pony is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the yearly auction.

Pee Wee’s Tale (series) Hurwitz, Johanna When his owner's parents let him go in Central Park, a young guinea pig learns to survive in the natural world with the help of a "park-wise" squirrel, while trying to find his way back home.

Catwings (series) Leguin, Ursula Four young cats with wings leave the city in search of a safe place to live, finally meeting two kind children.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True Look, Leonore Almost-eight-year-old Ruby Lu spends time with her baby brother, goes to Chinese school, performs magic tricks and learns to drive, and has adventures with both old and new friends.

Betsy-Tacy (series) Lovelace, Maud Hart Follow the adventures of Betsy and Tacy in this classic tale of friendship.

Akimbo and the Elephants McCall Smith, Alexander On the African game preserve where his father works, Akimbo devises a plan to capture a ring of elephant thieves.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (series) MacDonald, Betty Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is still around as she helps parents with her marvelous cures for such common children's diseases as Won't-Put-Away-Toys-itis, Answerbackism, and Fighter-Quarrelitis.

Dollhouse Magic McDonough, Yona Zeld During the Depression, intrigued by the beautiful dollhouse they see in a house window, sisters Lila and Jane befriend its elderly owner and end up having a very different Christmas.

Winnie-the-Pooh Milne, A.A. Winnie the Pooh is still fun as you go on the adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meets a Heffalump, and Eeyore has a birthday.

Book of Beasts Nesbit, E. As young King Lionel turns the pages of his magical book, a hungry red dragon and other creatures in the illustrations come to life.

Seesaw Girl Park, Linda Sue Impatient with the rules put on her as an aristocratic girl living in Korea during the seventeenth century, twelve-year-old Jade Blossom determines to see beyond her small world.

The Storm (series) Rylant, Cynthia Pandora the cat becomes a lighthouse keeper and saves the life of Seabold the dog. Together the two of them create a family with three young mice rescued from the sea.

Encyclopedia Brown (series) Sobol, Donald A boy detective solves all the mysteries in town, but leaves you the chance to solve them yourselves

Private Lily (series) Warner, Sally After a series of unsuccessful attempts, six-year-old Lily succeeds in making a private space for herself in her small apartment.

Charlotte's Web White, E.B. Wilbur the pig is desolate when he discovers that he is going to be the farmer's Christmas dinner, until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

Boxcar Children Warner, Gertrude Four orphans, two boys and two girls, set up housekeeping in an old boxcar.

Little House in the Big Woods (series) Wilder, Laura Ingalls A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier in the late 1800’s, as they help their mother with daily chores, enjoy their father's stories and singing, and share special occasions with relatives or neighbors.

Story Collections

Usborne Stories From Around the World Amery, Heather Read Aloud Treasury Cole, Joanna The Random House Book of Fairy Tales Ehrlich, Amy, ed. Michael Hague’s Favorite Hans Christian Anderson Tales

Aesop’s fable’s Naidoo, Beverley McElderry Book of Fairy Tales Saviour, Pirotta James Herriot’s Treasury for Children Herriot, James American Tall Tales Osborne, Mary Pope Random House Book of Easy to Read Stories Schulman, Janet Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories Yip, Mingmei

Poetry

In the Wild Elliot, David Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs Florian, Douglas A Pocketful of Poems Grimes, Nikki Forget Me Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart Hoberman, Mary Ann Sharing the Seasons: A Book of Poems Hopkins, Lee Bennett Pass It On: African-American Poetry for Children

Hudson, Wade, ed.

Pocket Poems Katz, Bobbi A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poems for Children

Kennedy, Caroline

Bill Martin’s Big Book of Poetry Martin, Bill, ed. When We Were Very Young Milne, A.A. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children Prelutsky, Jack, ed.

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders Prelutsky, Jack, ed. The Light in the Attic/Runny Babbit : A Billy Sook

Silverstein, Shel

Crowning Glory Thomas, Joyce Carol, ed. Here’s a Little Poem Yolen, Jane

Non-Fiction

Don’t ignore non-fiction at this age! Children are curious and have many questions. Seek out their interests and encourage reading a variety of topics. Books with excellent photography and quality drawings will lure them in.

100 Science Experiments Andrews, Georgina

An Egg is Quiet Aston, Dianna

Backyard Detective: Critters Up Close Bishop, Nic Nic Bishop’s Frogs Bishop, Nic Life Under Ice Cerullo, Mary The Magic School Bus (series) Cole, Joanna Story of Ruby Bridges Coles, Robert How to Talk to Your Dog / Cat George, Jean Panda : A Guide Horse for Ann Hansen, Rosanna Bon Appetit! Delicious life of Julia Child Hartland, Jessie My New York Jacobsen, Kathy Actual Size Jenkins, Steve Henry’s Freedom Box Levine, Ellen John Henry Lester, Julius Here Come the Girl Scouts! Corey, Shana Pop-up New York Maizels, Jennie Outside and Inside Snakes Markle, Sandra Incredible Life of Balto McCarthy, Meghan Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse McCully, Emily

If You Decide to Go to the Moon McNulty, Faith Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp stride Pinkney, Andrea The Buck Stops Here: Presidents of the U.S. Provensen, Alice How Much Is a Million? Schwartz, David If you jumped like a frog Math Curse Scieszka, Jon Riding to Washington Swain, Gwynneth She Loved Baseball: Effa Manley Story Vernick, Audrey My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart Watkins, Angela The Tale of Pale Male Winter, Jeanette

…ask your Librarian and visit the New York Public Library