Recommended Summer Reading K-1

  • Elephant and Piggie Series

    by Mo Willems Year Published:

    WE ARE IN A BOOK! AN ELEPHANT & PIGGIE BOOK by Mo Willems has been awarded a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award, which is given annually to the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English.

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  • Emma Kate

    by Patricia Polacco Year Published:

    That adorable Emma Kate has an imaginary friend. They walk to school together every morning and sit together in class. They sleep over at each other’s houses and do their homework side by side. They even have their tonsils out and eat gallons of pink ice cream together. But a hilarious twist will have readers realizing there’s more to this imaginary friend than meets the eye!

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  • Fly Guy series

    by Tedd Arnold Year Published:

    In the latest installment of Tedd Arnold's New York Times bestselling Fly Guy series, Fly Guy puts on a show with all the new tricks that Buzz taught him. But when Fly Guy shows off The Backstroke, The Dizzy Doozie, and The Big Booger at dinnertime, Buzz tells Fly Guy only to do the tricks on command. Will the tricks come in handy when an annoying kid starts picking on Buzz and Fly Guy?

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  • I Want my Hat Back

    by John Klassen Year Published:

    The bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear's memory and renews his search with a vengeance. Told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor-- and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.

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  • Katie Woo series

    by Fran Manushkin Year Published:

    Katie Woo is smart and funny--and good at getting into trouble! Her stories are the first easy-to-read series about a Chinese-American girl.

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  • Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

    by Peter Brownn Year Published:

    Are you bored with being so proper?

    Do you want to have more fun?

    Mr. Tiger knows exactly how you feel. So he decides to go wild.

    But does he go too far?

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  • The Day the Crayons Quit

    by Drew Daywalt Year Published:

    Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.

    What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

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  • The Gardener

    by Sarah Stewart Year Published:

    Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece -- an ambitious rooftop garden -- which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile. Sarah Stewart introduces readers to an engaging and determined young heroine, whose story is told through letters written home, while David Small's illustrations beautifully evoke the Depression-era setting.

    The Gardener is a 1997 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and a 1998 Caldecott Honor Book.

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  • The Relatives Came

    by Cynthia Rylant Year Published:

    In a rainbow-colored station wagon that smelled like a real car, the relatives came. When they arrived, they hugged and hugged from the kitchen to the front room. All summer they tended the garden and ate up all the strawberries and melons. They plucked banjos and strummed guitars. When they finally had to leave, they were sad, but not for long. They all knew they would be together next summer.

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  • Those Shoes

    by Maribeth Bopelts Year Published:

    All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for "want," just "need," when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

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  • Time for Naps

    by Jane Yolen Year Published:

    This sweet story follows a child tucking stuffed animals in for a nap. Written by Caldecott Honor and best-selling author Jane Yolen, the whimsical, rhyming text will delight youngsters who can't wait to lie down -- and also those who need some encouragement for a midday rest.

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  • What Can You Do with a Paleta?

    by Carmen Tafolla Year Published:

    As she strolls through her barrio, a young girl introduces readers to the frozen, fruit-flavored treat that thrills Mexican and Mexican-American children.

    In this bilingual paperback edition, discover the joys of a paleta—the traditional Mexican popsicle treat sold from the wagon with the tinkly bell that brings children running from every direction. Create a masterpiece, make tough choices (strawberry or coconut?), or cool off on a warm summer’s day—there’s so much to do with a paleta.

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