2014 Summer Reading List - Elementary Picture Books

Fulton County Schools 2014 Summer Reading List Elementary Picture Books

A committee of media and educational technology instructors from all levels, elementary, middle and high school worked to com-

pile the summer reading list. The summer reading committee selected titles based on their appeal to students. The goal of the

summer reading list is to provide students with a wide variety of books to enjoy during the summer months. Students may wish

to read works from other level lists as appropriate. It is our hope that the summer reading list will encourage students to make

reading an essential part of summer vacation.

E-I-E-I-O : How Old MacDonald Got His Farm (with a little help from hen) By Judy Sierre Publisher: Candlewick Press Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-7636-6043-7 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.0

From the Publisher: Once upon a time, Old MacDonald didn't have a farm. He just had a yard -- a yard he didn't want to mow. But under the direction of the wise (and ecologically sensitive) Little Red Hen, Mac learns to look at the environment in a very different way, and whole new worlds start to bloom with the help of some mud, garbage, horse poop, and worms!

When Mama Goes To Work

By Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Illustrated By Jessica Phillips

Publisher: Fitzhenry & Whiteside Year: 2014

ISBN# 978-1-55455-314-3

Interest Level: 3 - 6 Reading Level: 3.6

From the Publisher: Both children and parents will relate to the routine of work and play in When Mama Goes to Work. Secure in the knowledge that their mothers will return at the end of the day, confident children enjoy themselves and concentrate on learning and play while looking forward to being reunited with their mothers, when they will discuss their day, help with dinner, and other evening routines.

Big Rig

By Jamie A. Swenson

Illustrated By Ned Young

Publisher:Disney/Hyperion Books Year: 2014

ISBN# 978-1-42316-330-5

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 1.7

From the Publisher: Come along for the ride as Frankie the big rig truck takes us on the job, driving past kiddie cars (school buses) and land yachts (RVs). Hear the horn blow and the wipers schwat the windshield clean. But, BANG! SHHUUU! Uh-oh: a blow-out! Don't worry, a service truck saves the day so we can get the job done and make a very special delivery.

A Catfish Tale : A Bayou Story Of The Fisherman And His Wife By Whitney Stewart Illustrated By Gerald Guerlais Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co. Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-8075-1098-8 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.5

From the Publisher: Deep in the bayou, a Cajun fisherman named Jack catches a magic fish that offers to grant wishes in exchange for being set free. Jack doesn't have a lot of wishes, but his wife Jolie sure does--for a mansion, a paddleboat, fame and fortune! With each wish, all the fish says is "Ah, tooloulou--if that ain't the easiest thing to do." But when Jolie wants to be crowned Mardi Gras queen, have things gone too far?

There Once Was A COWPOKE Who Swallowed An Ant By Helen Ketteman Illustrated By Will Terry Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-8037-3671-9 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.9

From the Publisher: "There once was a cowpoke who swallowed an ant A fiery thing with a Texas-sized sting. The cowpoke panted, and his voice got higher. 'Yippie-ti-yay! My stomach's on fire!!'" In this Texas-styled reworking of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," a cowboy downs a variety of native Southwest creatures--a spider, a roadrunner, a lizard, an armadillo, a snake, a boar, and more--all to catch that ant!

Sugar Hill : Harlem's Historic Neighborhood By Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated By R. Gregory Christie Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co. Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-8075-7650-2 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.0

From the Publisher: Take a walk through Harlem's Sugar Hill and meet all the amazing people who made this neighborhood legendary. With up-beat rhyming, read-aloud text, Sugar Hill celebrates the Harlem neighborhood that successful African Americans first called home during the 1920s. Children raised in Sugar Hill not only looked up to these achievers but also experienced art and culture at home, at church, and in the community. Books, music lessons, and art classes expanded their horizons beyond the narrow limits of segregation. Includes brief biographies of jazz greats Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, and Miles Davis; artists Aaron Douglas and Faith Ringgold; entertainers Lena Horne and the Nicholas Brothers; writer Zora Neale Hurston; civil rights leader W. E. B. DuBois and lawyer Thurgood Marshall.

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch By Anne Isaacs Illustrated By Kevin Hawkes Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-375-96745-0 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.4

From the Publisher: When Widow Tulip Jones of Bore, England, inherits a ranch in By-Golly Gully, Texas, and moves in with two trunks of tea, twelve pet tortoises, and three servants, hilarity ensues. The peaceful life suits the wealthy widow fine until word gets out and every unmarried man in Texas lines up to marry her. Widow Tulip and her small staff of three can't possibly run the farm and manage all the suitors, so she devises a plan--and it just might work.

Baby Bear

By Kadir Nelson Publisher: Yearling Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-06-224172-6 Interest Level: 4 - 6 Reading Level: 5

From the Publisher: This simple story works on so many levels: as the tale of a bear who finds his way home with the help of his animal friends; as a reassuring way to show children how to comfort themselves and find their way in everyday life; and on a more philosophical level, as a method of teaching readers that by listening to your heart and trusting yourself, you will always find a true home within yourself—and that even when it feels like you are alone, you never really are.

Bravo, Chico Canta! Bravo!

By Pat Mora & Libby Martinez Illustrated by Amelia Lau Carling Publisher: Groundwood Books Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-1-55498-343-8 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 4.2

From the Publisher: Chico Canta, the youngest of 12, is a tiny, mischievous, fearless mouse who lives with his family in an old theater. They love to go upstairs to see the plays and echo the audience shouting, “Bravo, bravo!" as the curtain falls. Mrs. Canta speaks many languages — not only English, Spanish, and Italian, but Spider, Cricket, and Moth as well. And she encourages her children to develop their own language skills. “Bilingual, bravo!" she is always telling them. One evening, after a wonderful performance of The Three Little Pigs, the mouse family narrowly escapes Little Gato-Gato. But, undaunted and inspired by the production, they decide to mount their own version of the play. On opening night, however, it is tiny Chico who is the star of the show when he spots Little Gato-Gato in the shadows and uses his own special gift for languages to avert disaster.

Time For Bed, Fred

By Yasmeen Ismail Publisher: Walker Books For Young Readers Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-8027-3598-0 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 0.7

From the Publisher: Meet Fred—a mischievous, playful, loving dog. It's time for Fred to go to bed . . . but Fred really, really doesn't want to! From hiding up in trees, to splashing in muddy puddles, to hiding behind bookshelves, Fred will do anything to avoid bedtime. He would even rather have a bath than go to bed . . . but all of this running couldn't possibly have possibly made Fred sleepy—could it?.

Motordog By Kurt Cyrus Illustrated by David Gordon Publisher: Disney/Hyperion Books Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-1-42316-822-5 Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.0

From the Publisher: This one's a tale of a boy and his robotic best (canine) friend. When Scoot the Cat comes on the scene, Motor Dog does what any normal dog would do: gives chase! Our boy Flip does everything he can to call him off, but no commands-verbal or electronic-can stop his new dog. When Flip runs after his malfunctioning pet, things go haywire! Will Motor Dog come through when Flip's in danger?

Penguin In Peril By Helen Hancocks Publisher: Templar Books Year: 2014 ISBN# 978-0-7636-7159-4 Interest Level: 3 - 6 Reading Level: 4.1

From the Publisher: Three hungry cats. One little penguin. The odds don't look good. With bare cupboards and hungry bellies, three cats steal a penguin to catch them fish. A hilarious sequence of events unfolds as the penguin makes his escape, gets mistaken for a nun and a waiter, then finds his way safely home. Meanwhile, the cats are caught for their crime and sent to jail — for a lifetime of gruel.