26) Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
My absolute favorite picture book about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The illustrations are stunning and Rappaport weaves Dr. King's words throughout the text to make it a very pleasant and informative read.
27) Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
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| Somebody Love You Mr. Hatch |
28) Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
Mr. Hatch is lonely and feels as though no one loves him. Until one day he gets a note that says, "Somebody loves you." Mr. Hatch is so excited to find out that he has not been forgotten he begins treating others with love. It's amazing how far a little good cheer can go.
29) Napping House by Audrey Wood
All is quiet and sleepy in the napping house, everyone is in the bed with Granny until the wakeful flea bites the mouse, who wakes the cat and so on and so on until everyone in the house is awake!
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| It Couldn't Be Worse |
30) It Couldn't Be Worse by Vlasta van Kampen
This classic folktale is about a fish monger who gives advice to a poor farmer's wife on how to make her life with 6 children and their grandparents better. Each time she visits him his advice shocks her, but in the end life does get better.
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| Click, Clack, Peep! |
31) Click, Clack Peep! by Doreen Cronin
A little duckling is born on Farmer Brown's farm. At first everyone is so excited, until baby duck won't sleep and just peep, peep, peeps all night. The
animals try everything from blankets, to
singing but nothing can get this baby
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| Earrings! |
32) Earrings! by Judith Viorst
This book is the epitome of begging for something you want and in this case a young girl wants, "beautiful, glorious earnings for pierced ears," and all her parents ever say is no.
33) The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
School-aged children have no idea what 9/11 is or what the Twin Towers were. Gerstein approaches the delicate topic by telling the story Philippe Petit the tightrope walker who walked between the towers. The story of his determination is a beautiful tribute to the towers, the
lives lost that day and the brave first responders who rescued so many.
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| The Other Side |
34) The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Two girls, from two different sides of town become friends, despite what their parents think. Clover lives on the African-American side of the fence and Anna lives on the white side of the fence but together they sit on top of the fence and become best friends.
35) My Momma Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray
A beautiful tribute to a mother from a daughter. In a rhythmic "song-singing" way a daughter tells of what her mother shared with her and taught her through out all the seasons.
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| Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge |
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge lives near an old person's home. He always goes to visit the residents. One day he asks them what a memory is and learns that a memory is in fact, many different things.
37) The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
A family loads into their car for a road trip to visit family. When they get there every moment if filled with family fun, even night time where everyone sleeps in a pile. When it is time to go everyone is sad, until they remember that next year they get to do it all again!
38) Somewhere Today by Shelley Moore Thomas
This book is very appropriate for today's world where we cannot turn on the television without seeing yet another act of violence and hatred. This book uses photographs and easy to understand text to teach children what peace is and how they can lead a peaceful life.
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| Ira Sleeps Over |
39) Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
The classic story of a boy's first sleepover and his fretting over whether or not to take his teddy bear. A story many children will relate to.
40) Mr. George Baker by Amy Hest
Harry and George Baker are two unlikely friends. George Baker is 92 and Harry is just a child but, they have something in common. They both go to school to learn to read. A sweet story about how, not matter how young or how old, we always have something to learn.
41) The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfizer
Rainbow Fish was one of the most beautiful fish in the see with his shiny, shimmery scales. All of the other fish envied them and would ask him for one. Rainbow Fish would never share with them, until he learned a valuable lesson about friendship and sharing what you have.
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| Baloney (Henry P.) |
Henry P. Baloney is always late for school and his teacher has had enough of it, until Henry P. tells her why he is late. She is so impressed with his tall tale she forgives him and tells him to get writing.
43) Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
When a little girl looks out her window and sees nothing but despair she goes on a quest to find something beautiful. She asks all of her neighbors what is beautiful to them. Then she learns that it's not the outside, but the inside that makes something beautiful. The Author's Note is worth a read as well.
44) Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth
Three monks go on a journey to find out what makes one happy. They come to a village that had seen very hard times and therefore the villagers were selfish. The monks realized these people did not know happiness and decided to make stone soup. Slowly villagers emerged to contribute to the stone soup and a banquet is had with all the villagers where it is learned that happiness "is as simple as making stone soup."
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| Kitten's First Full Moon |
45) Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
A sweet baby kitten sees his first full moon and thinks it is a giant bowl of milk. He tries licking the milk, jumping into the bowl of milk and climbing up to get the bowl of milk, but nothing works. A tired hungry kitten heads home to find... a bowl of milk waiting for him.
46) Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
Horton is possibly the most famous elephant of all time (beside Dumbo). Horton sticks to his beliefs that, "a person's a person no matter how small," and does everything he can to save Whoville and all of the who's.
47) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day by Judith Viorst
Everyone can relate to Alexander and all the bad things going on. Sometimes we all have a bad day and the only way to make it better is by moving to Australia.
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| The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs |
Every story has two versions and in this book you hear the wolf's side of the story. I'll just say it has to do with a cup of sugar and a very bad cold.
49) Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Little Blue is the most likable pick-up truck in stories today. He is always beeping along, helping out his friends. In this first book about Little Blue he gets stuck in the muck and his farm animal friends come and help him out. Blue's story is told in rhyming verse.
50) 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
There are so many different illustrated versions of this classic poem about Santa's visit on Christmas Eve. Find one that you like to add to your collection.
Happy Reading!
Laura
