Books! Books! Books!

A Hole Is to Dig Maurice Sendak’s whimsical art aptly illustrates such truisms as “A dream is to look at the night and see things” and “Arms are to hug with.”
Ruth Krauss
3–5 years

1 Hunter Children will delight in recognizing the “hidden” animals, which the crotchety old hunter doesn’t see until the very end of this colorful counting book.
Pat Hutchins
3–5 years

Deep in the Forest This wordless, turnabout tale of Goldilocks ends with the cuddly-looking bear cub reunited with his mother and frolicking older brothers.
Brinton Turkle
3–7 years

Noah’s Ark Peter Spier’s clever, busy illustrations make this Bible story come alive for everyone, regardless of age.
3 years and up

Ty’s One-man Band Ty meets Andro, a man with a peg leg, who promises to make music for Ty and his friends. As everyone is clapping and dancing, only Ty sees Andro slip away.
Mildred Pitts Walker
4–7 years

Stop That Ball! A dump truck, a fire, a baseball game, and a band are just a few of the places where the ball lands after being hit by a little boy. An easy-to-read book in verse.
Mike McClintock
4–8 years

Nobody Plays with a Cabbage Only one cabbage survived in Jim Jordan’s garden. And a wonderful thing that cabbage was for Jim—and for a snail, a toad, a rabbit, and some baby wrens.
Meindert DeJong
5–9 years

Cats “Cats … don’t have masters, they have friends.” In this book about our feline friends are many good photographs.
Nina Leen
5 years and up

Kick, Pass, and Run Rabbit, Duck, Owl, and other animals learn how to play football. An easy-to-read book.
Leonard Kessler
6–8 years

The Happy Prince If the prince is happy, why is he crying? A little bird helps him, and both are rewarded by God in this classic folktale.
Oscar Wilde
6–9 years

How to Make Snop Snappers and Other Fine Things This easy-to-read book shows you how to make over twenty items such as wrestling dolls, racing cups, and, of course, Snop Snappers.
Robert Lopshire6–10 years

Miss Nelson Is Missing! When Miss Nelson is missing, the children are convinced that the substitute teacher is a witch! (Would you like a witch for a teacher? Better read this book!) Just a little more difficult than an easy-to-read book.
Harry Allard
6–10 years

Dick Whittington This English orphan became rich—thanks to a cat!—and was elected mayor of London three times. While no one knows for sure about his childhood, Dick Whittington was a real person, and the legend of his life is beloved in Great Britain.
Kathleen Lines
7–10 years

It’s a Gingerbread House: Bake It! Build It! Eat It! The easy-to-follow instructions have illustrations for each step. Patterns are included. Irresistable!
Vera B. Williams
7–10 years

The Fallen Spaceman If you like E.T., you’ll want to read this thrilling story of a little spaceman who risks his life to save Erik.
Lee Harding
7–10 years

The Black Stallion The marvelous thing about this classic story is that it has no “hypes”—no high-speed chases or kidnappings or killings. It’s exciting because it seems like it could be happening to you.
Walter Farley
7–12 years

Introducing Shirley Braverman Shirley wants to be the best speller in New York City. She also wants to help her little brother stop being a coward. And her best friend likes knock-knock jokes.
Hilma Wolitzer
8–11 years

Sun Through Small Leaves: Poems of Spring Enchanting pictures by Satomi Ichikawa accompany short poems like this excellent one by Emily Dickinson: “To make a prairie it takes clover and one bee,/One clover, and a bee,/And revery./The revery alone will do,/If bees are few.”
8–12 years

Einstein Anderson Shocks His Friends You are given the chance to match wits with science sleuth Einstein Anderson as he solves ten mysteries.
Seymour Simon
8–12 years

The Bully of Barkham Street and A Dog on Barkham Street Ever want to see an argument from both sides? These two books let you do just that! Don’t feel too sorry for Edward until you see what the bully is up against.
Mary (M. S.) Stolz
8–12 years

Marco Polo Long before Columbus sailed to America, Marco Polo had traveled to exotic lands. He met and lived with the legendary Kublai Khan. Yet when people didn’t believe that his recorded adventures were true, he told them, “I have not written down half of those things which I saw.”
Gian Paolo Ceserani
9–12 years

How to Wreck a Building It is fascinating to watch a building being torn down. When it is the school where you’ve made many memories, it’s rather sad too. …
Elinor Lander Horwitz
9–12 years

City Neighbor A true story about a little girl, Jane Addams, who grew up and used her money to help others in the ways they needed—and wanted.
Clara Ingram Judson
9–12 years

Holidays on Stage These ten plays—some humorous, some serious, all different from the usual fare for their respective holidays—are as much fun to read as they are to perform. The settings and costumes are simple, and the stories they tell are worth knowing.
Virginia Bradley
10 years and up

Across from Indian Shore Luke, a young white boy, needed the help of the ancient Princess Weetonawammet, the last survivor of the Wampanoag nation. In return, he earned a gift for the princess and her people, and in so doing he also earned the name she bestowed upon him, Chasatonga—Little Big Man.
Barbara Robinson
10–15 years