Books and Activities:


Whether you're a parent, teacher, the mystery reader
at your child's school, or just looking for an enriching and fun activity for kids or printable worksheets, these children's books are some of my favorites for elementary school!

Novels for students ages 9 and up, Click here.

Title  Grade Level


Where's My Teddy?PK
by Jez Alborough

Activity:  Have children bring their teddy bears for a special picnic.
Compare, sort, and contrast the bears by size, shape, color, and clothes.

Jacob and the Magic Polar BearsPK-2
By Janet Graber

Activity: This is a great pajama day story!  Have children bring a special bedtime buddy.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus                                                                                 PK-2
Pigeon Wants a Puppy
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog
By Mo Willems

Who Will I Be, Lord?                                                                                                            PK-2
By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Gregory, the Terrible Eater     K
By Mitchell Sharmat

Diary of a Fly                                                                                                                            K-3
Diary of a Worm
Diary of a Spider
By Doreen Cronin

Hopalong Jack and the Blue BunniesK-1
By Jeri Landers

Snack:  Blueberry muffins.  Activity:  Wad up a sheet of blue paper.  Children sit in a circle and pass the “blueberry” while counting to 100.  Bring various musical instruments and have a musical bunny parade.

Bus-a-saurus Bop                                                                                                                   K-2
How to Drive Your Sister Crazy    
By Diane Z. Shore

The Paper Bag Princess      K-2
By Robert Munsch

Mr. Putter and Tabby chapter book series      K-3
By Cynthia Rylant

Dinner at Magritte’s      K-3
By Michael Garland

Activity:  Teach children about surreal art (art from objects that wouldn’t normally be seen together) as illustrated in the book which describes artists Salvador Dali and Renee Magritte.  Take in small paper plates, napkins, toothpicks and an odd assortment of treats (ex:  marshmallows, fish crackers, pretzels, licorice, squirt cheese)  Have children create surreal art with their treats.

Superdog: the Heart of a Hero   (PRINTABLE WORKSHEET)    K-3
By Caralyn Buehner

Activity:  Take in apples pre-cut width-wise to make stars in the center.  Tell the children that they are each a special star, just like Superdog.  Place a spoon of peanut butter on small plates.  Make a graph on the chalk board showing how many children like apples with peanut butter and how many do not.

Dylan:  The Eagle Hearted Chicken     K-3
By David L. Harrison

Activity:  Teachers, have children work in groups or as a class to write and illustrate their own superhero books about brave things they can do.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs    (PRINTABLE WORKSHEET)                  K-3
By Judi Barrett

Tumble Tower   K-3
By Anne Tyler

Snack: Take in peanut butter and jelly triangle sandwiches and orange wedges.  Teachers, have students draw a map of their rooms.  Use this book to introduce your weekly Star Student program.  Use as a fictional story starter for children writing about how they have helped their families from disaster.

Princess and the Pizza   (PRINTABLE WORKSHEET)    K-3
By Mary Jane and Herm Auch

Arnie the Doughnut     (PRINTABLE WORKSHEET)                 K-3
By Laurie Keller

The Scrambled States of America(PRINTABLE WORKSHEET)  K-3
By Laurie Keller

The Backyard   1-3
By John Collier

Activity: Teachers, use this book to introduce history and encourage respect for our earth.  A great Earth Day book!

Traction Man is Here!                                                                                                          1-3
Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog
By Mini Grey

George Washington and the General’s Dog            1-3
By Frank Murphy

How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World1-3
By Faith McNulty

Activity:  Bring in different rocks, sands, gravels and build layers of earth in a clear glass vase as you read the book.

Art Dog                                                                                                                                         1-4
By Thacher Hurd

Activity:  This book has wonderful opportunities for children to practice their prediction skills through discussion, drawing or writing. At one of several turning points in the book, stop and have students make their predictions. Art Dog also provides a wonderful introduction to classical artists and their work. Have books or print outs of the real artwork for students to compare and find throughout the book.

How the Sphinx Got to the Museum      1-4
By Jessie Hartland

Hamlet and the Enormous Chinese Dragon Kite                         1-4
Hamlet and the Magnificent Sandcastle 
By Brian Lies

Activity: Teachers, the Hamlet books are a great way to encourage discussions about friendship and conflict resolution with your students.

Weslandia   1-4
By Paul Fleischman

Activities:  Teachers, after reading this book, have students write directions to a game they've invented, write out their plans for the summer, or write what they did on vacation.  As a social studies connection, have students plan a town (including specifics elements such as roads, a fire station, school, neighborhoods, library, grocery store, etc.)  Parents, using poles from a hardware or garden store, create a teepee and grow ivy to cover the poles for a shady summer hideout!

Captain Underpants and the...                                                                                          2-4
By Dav Pilkey

Super Chicken Nugget Boy        2-4
By Josh Lewis

Escape North!  The Story of Harriet Tubman3-5
By Monica Kulling

Activity: Teachers, use for map study and introduction of the Underground Railroad.

Miss Alaineus:  A Vocabulary Disaster      3-5
By Debra Frasier

Activity: Teachers, plan a spelling bee using the vocabulary words in the book.  Have students draw a picture of their own vocabulary parade costumes.  Then hang these pictures for a classroom parade around the room.

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang                                  4-5
By Amy Ignatow

Lawn Boy                                                                                                                                     4-5
By Gary Paulsen


Books for Students ages 9 & up

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series
by Rick Riordan

Hoot
Flush
by Carl Hiaasen

Holes
by Louis Sachar

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

Bruce Coville's Alien Adventures:
Aliens Ate My Homework
I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X
The Search for Snout
Aliens Stole My Body

The Chessmen of Doom
The House With a Clock in it's Walls
by John Bellairs

Bobby Baseball
by Robert Kimmel Smith

The Boy Who Saved Baseball
By John H. Ritter

A Long Way from Chicago
A Year Down Yonder
by Richard Peck

Danger Zone
by David Klass

My Name is Brain Brian
by Jeanne Betancourt

Surviving the Applewhites
by Stephanie S. Tolan

Send Me Down a Miracle
Dancing on the Edge
by Han Nolan

Resistance
The White Witch
by Janet Graber

The Breadwinner
Parvana's Journey
by Deborah Ellis

Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz Ryan

Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time
by Lisa Yee

Each Little Bird that  Sings
Love, Ruby Lavender
by Deborah Wiles

The View from Saturday
E.L. Konigsburg

Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko

No More Dead Dogs
Swindle
by Gordon Korman

Because of Winn-Dixie
by DiCamillo

Olive's Ocean
by Kevin Henkes

Lily's Ghosts
by Laura Ruby

Lily B. on the Brink of Cool
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

The Power of Un
by Nancy Etchemendy

Sam I Am
by Ilene Cooper

Seaman:  The Dog Who Explored the West With Lewis and Clark
by Gail Langer Karwoski

The Ugly Princess and the Wise Fool
The Lovesick Salesman
by Margaret Gray

Every Soul a Star
by Wendy Mass

Feathers
by Jacqueline Woodson

Savvy
by Ingrid Law

Leaving the Bellweathers
by Kristin Clark Venuti

Danger Boy series
by Mark London Williams

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