Recommended Reading Lists

We currently maintain the following lists for avid young readers:

*Recommended Picture Books for Children*
	Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse.
	The Mitten by Jan Brett Several animals sleep snugly in Nicki's lost mitten until the bear sneezes.
	Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown Goodnight to each of the objects in the great green room: goodnight chairs, goodnight comb, goodnight air.
	The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau When a generous quiltmaker finally agrees to make a quilt for a greedy king but only under certain conditions, she causes him to undergo a change of heart.
	The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton A country house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic, grows up around her.
	Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton Mike Mulligan proves that, although dated, his steam shovel is still useful.
	Stellaluna by Janell Cannon After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother.
	The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days.
	Freight Train by Donald Crews Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.
	Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands, and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want.
	Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin A young worm discovers, day by day, that there are some very good and some not so good things about being a worm in this great big world.
	The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola Having learned to be creative in drawing pictures at home, young Tommy is dismayed when he goes to school and finds the art lesson there much more regimented.
	Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.
	Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss A Dr. Seuss classic entailing the young Sam I Am trying to feed green eggs and ham to the narrator.
	Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss Advice in rhyme for proceeding in life; weathering fear, loneliness, and confusion; and being in charge of your actions.
	Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman When a baby bird hatches while his mother is out searching for food, he leaves the nest for a series of adventures to try to determine his mother's identity.
	Olivia by Ian Falconer Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.
	Bark, George by Jules Feiffer A mother dog tries to teach her pup how to bark, and is surprised at why he wasn't learning.
	Corduroy by Don Freeman A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him he finds what he has always wanted most of all.
	Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino A young llama asks his friends if their mamas are llamas and finds out, in rhyme, that their mothers are other types of animals.
	Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.
	Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson Harold goes for an adventurous walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon.
	The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.
	Swimmy by Leo Lionni A little black fish in a school of red fish figures out a way of protecting them all from their natural enemies.
	Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other, just as best friends should be. Two new friends for the independent reader. Three sequels are: Frog and Toad Together (1972); Frog and Toad All Year (1976); Days with Frog and Toad (1979).
	How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long Jeremy Jacob joins Braid Beard and his pirate crew and finds out about pirate language, pirate manners, and other aspects of their life.
	Miss Nelson Is Missing by James Marshall The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.
	Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? by Bill Martin Jr. Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking at them.
	Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.
	Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky Story about a mallard family who make their home near a pond in the Public Garden in Boston
	The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne Includes the text of both "Winnie-the-Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner."
	Love You Forever by Robert Munsch A story about how a little boy goes through the stages of childhood and becomes a man, and about the enduring nature of parent's love and how it crosses generations.
	If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff Relating the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give him a cookie takes the reader through a young child's day.
	The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.
	Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patrica Polacco At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem.
	The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka The wolf gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs.
	Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Max sails to the land of the wild things, where he becomes their king.
	No David! by David Shannon A young boy is depicted doing a variety of naughty things for which he is repeatedly admonished, but finally he gets a hug.
	The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein A young boy grows to manhood and old age experiencing the love and generosity of a tree which gives to him without thought of return.
	Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein A boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale are only two of the characters in a collection of humorous poetry illustrated with the author's own drawings.
	The Library by Sarah Stewart Elizabeth Brown loves to read more than anything else, but when her collection of books grows and grows, she must make a change in her life.
	Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg Left on their own for an afternoon, two bored and restless children find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical jungle adventure board game.
	The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.
	Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too.
	Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems No matter how hard he pleads and begs, the pigeon is not supposed to drive the bus while the driver is away, but pigeon tries every persuasive trick a young child knows to get you to say, "Yes."
	There's a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems Gerald the elephant discovers that there is something worse than a bird on your head-- two birds on your head! Piggie will try to help her best friend.
	The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams By the time the Velveteen Rabbit is dirty, worn out, and about to be burned, he has almost given up hope of ever finding the magic called Real.
	Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleeping bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun.
	The Napping House by Audrey Wood In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.
	Owl Moon by Jane Yolen On a winter's night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl.
	20th Century Book Treasury selected by Janet Schulman Fifteen read-aloud picture books are compiled in this colorfully illustrated collection, featuring work from an array of celebrated authors and illustrators, including Caldecott Medal Winner Kevin Henkes.
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*Recommended Series for Middle School Readers*
	Alex Rider Adventures - Storm Breaker by Anthony Horowitz After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6.
	Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.
	The Chronicles of Narnia Series — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe bk. 1 by C. S. Lewis Four English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
	Books of Ember Series - The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.
	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.
	The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.
	Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.
	Dear America Series - When Will This Cruel War be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson by Barry Denenberg The diary of a fictional fourteen-year-old girl living in Virginia, in which she describes the hardships endured by her family and friends during one year of the Civil War.
	Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal by Jeff Kinney Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.
	The 39 Clues Series — The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan At the reading of their grandmother's will, Dan and Amy Cahill are given the choice of receiving a million dollars or uncovering the 39 clues hidden around the world that will lead to the source of the family's power, but by taking on the clues, they end up in a dangerous race against their own family members.
	How I Survived Middle School Series by Nancy Krulik When best friends Jenny and Addie start sixth grade, Jenny quickly discovers that Addie is interested in joining the Pops, the coolest seventh grade clique in school.
	Secret Series - The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch Two eleven-year-old misfits try to solve the mystery of a dead magician and stop the evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais, who are searching for the secret of immortality.
	The Missing Series — Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix When thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time.
	Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.
	Redwall by Brian Jacques When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.
	Royal Diaries Series — Elizabeth I, Red Rose of the House of Tudor by Kathryn Lasky In a series of diary entries, Princess Elizabeth, the eleven-year-old daughter of King Henry VIII, celebrates holidays and birthdays, relives her mother's execution, revels in her studies, and agonizes over her father's health.
	Septimus Heap Series — Magyk by Angie Sage After learning that she is the Princess, Jenna is whisked from her home and carried toward safety by the Extraordinary Wizard, those she always believed were her father and brother, and a young guard known only as Boy 412--pursued by agents of those who killed her mother ten years earlier.
	The Heroes of Olympus - The Lost Hero by Rick RiordanJason, Piper, and Leo, three students from a school for "bad kids," find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, where they learn that they are demigods and begin a quest to free Hera, who has been imprisoned by Mother Earth herself.
	A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup Ethan Cheeseman and his children, ages eight, twelve, and fourteen, hope to settle in a nice small town, at least long enough to complete work on a time machine, but spies and government agents have been pursuing them for two years and are about to catch up.
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*Recommended Middle School Mysteries*
	Down the Rabbit Hole by Abraham, Peter Like her idol Sherlock Holmes, eighth grader Ingrid Levin-Hill uses her intellect to solve a murder case in her home town of Echo Falls. Welcome to Echo Falls. Home of a thousand secrets, where Ingrid Levin-Hill, super sleuth, never knows what will happen next.
	Murder at Midnight by Avi Falsely accused of plotting to overthrow King Claudio, scholarly Mangus the magician, along with his street-smart servant boy, Fabrizio, face deadly consequences unless they can track down the real traitor by the stroke of midnight.
	The Calder Game by Baillett, Blue When seventh-grader Calder Pillay disappears from a remote English village--along with an Alexander Calder sculpture to which he has felt strangely drawn--his friends Petra and Tommy fly from Chicago to help his father find him.
	Shakespeare's Secret by Broach, Elise Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.
	Herculeah Jones Series: Dead Letter by Byars, Betsy Herculeah Jones and her best friend Meat set out to crack the case of the mysterious note which she finds in the lining of a second-hand coat.
	Room One: a Mystery or Two by Clements, Andrew Ted Hammond, the only sixth grader in his small Nebraska town's one-room schoolhouse, searches for clues to the disappearance of a homeless family.
	12 Again by Corbett, Sue Twelve year old Patrick's mother is missing and unless he can get her back, he faces a life of waiting on his brother.
	Kidnap at the Catfish Café by Giff, Patricia Reilly Assisted by her cat Max, sixth grader Minnie starts up her new detective agency by investigating a kidnapping and a thief who will steal anything, even a hot stove.
	Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by Grisham, John With two attorneys for parents, thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone knows more about the law than most lawyers do. But when a high profile murder trial comes to his small town and Theo gets pulled into it, it's up to this amateur attorney to save the day.
	Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Miller, Kirsten Life becomes more interesting for Ananka Fishbein when, at the age of twelve, she discovers an underground room in the park across from her New York City apartment and meets a mysterious girl called Kiki Strike who claims that she, too, wants to explore the subterranean world.
	The Book of Story Beginnings by Kladstrup, Kristen After moving with her parents to Iowa, twelve-year-old Lucy discovers a mysterious notebook that can bring stories to life and which has a link to the 1914 disappearance of her great uncle.
	The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World by Konisburg, E.L. Amedo moves to a new town with a dream. He wants to discover something and he wants a friend to share his search.
	Sly the Sleuth and the Sports Mysteries by Napoli, Donna Jo Sly uses her detective skills to help her friends solve the case of the soccer switch, the kick craze and the basketball blues.
	The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Selznick, Brian When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.
	Wolf Stalker by Skurzynski, Gloria Twelve-year-old Jack, his younger sister, and the family's teenage foster child Troy go to Yellowstone National Park, where Jack's mother, a wildlife veterinarian, is investigating the report that wolves reintroduced to the park have killed a dog there.
	The Case of the Gasping Garbage by Torrey, Michell Fourth-graders Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey combine their detective and scientific investigation skills to solve a variety of cases, involving a noisy garbage can, endangered frogs, a stuck truck, and a mysterious love letter. Includes a section of scientific experiments and activities.
	Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Van Draanen, Wendelin Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother.
	The Boxcar Children by Warner, Gertrude Chandler Because they do not want to be separated, four orphaned children run away and live in an old abandoned boxcar.
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*Recommended Books for Children Ages 9-12*
	Charlotte's Web by E. B. White Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.
	Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.
	Hatchet by Gary Paulson After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
	The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
	Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.
	A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.
	Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.
	Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder A family travels from the big woods of Wisconsin to a new home on the prairie, where they build a house, meet neighboring Indians, build a well, and fight a prairie fire.
	The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.
	The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner Four orphans take shelter in an old boxcar during a storm, and, determined to make it their own, they turn it into a safe, cozy home.
	Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.
	The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks A nine-year-old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a little key for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life in the cupboard and befriends him.
	Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell Records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind.
	Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
	The Giver by Lois Lowry Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
	Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor A black family living in the South during the 1930's are faced with prejudice and discrimination which their children don't understand.
	Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.
	Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a laboratory made them wise and long lived.
	The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson The six mean Herdman kids lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.
	Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Peter finds his demanding two-year-old brother an ever increasing problem.
	Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
	The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom.
	Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older.
	Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery by mistake, Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a farm on Prince Edward Island and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone.
	Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each story.
	Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh The story about eleven-year-old Harriet, who is a spy, plans to be a writer, and keeps a secret notebook filled with thoughts and notes on her schoolmates and people she observes on her after-school "spy route". However, when her classmates find and read her notebook, their anger and retaliation and Harriet's unexpected responses explode in a hilarious and often touching way.
	A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein A collection of humorous poems and drawings.
	Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.
	Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.
	The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare In 1687, Kit Tyler moves from the Caribbean to Connecticut Colony. Her friendship for a strange, old woman leads to her trial for witchcraft.
	The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
	Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanan In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.
	From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konisburg Having run away with her younger brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, twelve-year-old Claudia strives to keep things in order in their new home and to become a changed person and a heroine to herself.
	Frindle by Andrew Clements When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.
	Inkheart by Cornelia Funke Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.
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Sunday	Closed
Monday	10 - 6
Tuesday	10 - 6
Wednesday	10 - 6
Thursday	10 - 6
Friday	Closed
Saturday	9 - 1