Title

Annotation

Mouse went Out to Get  Snack

(McFarland, Lyn Rossiter)

A peckish mouse on the hunt for a light snack - something like a piece of cheese - climbs up the table and finds a feast fit for a king.

Knuffle Bunny

 (Willems, Mo)

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind...

The Alphabet Mystery

 (Wood, Audrey)

In this engaging alphabet book, the lower-case letters come to life in a fun adventure, where Little x saves the day.

Silly Sally

Wood, Audrey)

Come along with Silly Sally and her silly companions as they parade toward town in a most unusual way. Dance a jig with a pig, play leapfrog with a dog, and even sing a tune with a loon. Playful pictures and rollicking rhymes sweep listeners and readers along on Sally's journey.

First the Egg

(Seeger, Laura Vaccaro)

Simple die-cuts that magically present how things grow - change from seed to flower, tadpole to frog, caterpillar to butterfly, and word to story. (Caldecott Award Honor book)

My Colors, My World = Mis Colores, Mis Mundo

(Gonzales, Maya Christina

Maya, who lives in the desert, finds the colors in her world. Bi-lingual.

Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story

(Wheeler, Lisa)

After a series of rejections, a lonely porcupine finds true love with a prickly hedgehog.

Parts

(Arnold, Ted)

With a combination of humor and grossness, a little boy learns about his parts of the human body and where "stuff" comes from.

Once Upon A Time, The End: Asleep in 60 Seconds

(Kloske, Geoffrey & Blitt, Barry)

Traditional tales with a twist. A tired dad shortens classic stories in order to get his child to go to sleep.

Big Red Barn 
(Brown, Margaret Wise)

Rhymed text and illustrations introduce the many different animals that live in the big red barn. 

From Head to Toe 
(Carle, Eric)

Encourages the reader to exercise by following the movements of various animals; presented in a question and answer format.

Little Cloud 
(Carle, Eric)

A little cloud becomes all sorts of things--sheep, an airplane, trees, a hat--before joining other clouds and raining.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 
(Carle, Eric)

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. 

Freight Train 
(Crews, Donald)

Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles. 

School Bus 
(Crews, Donald)

Takes readers through the morning hours, when the buses roll to collect children from their parents and deposit them at different schools. 

Color Zoo 
(Ehlert, Lois)

Introduces colors and shapes with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that form animal faces when placed on top of one another. 

Eating the Alphabet 
(Ehlert, Lois)

An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini. 

Corduroy 
(Freeman, Don)

One day Corduroy, a toy bear, who lives in a department store discovers he has lost a button.  That night when he goes to look for it sees many strange and wonderful things.

Great Big Guinea Pigs

Roth, Susan

During a bedtime story, one little guinea pig learns all about his very big ancestors, and how guinea pigs evolved into the lovable pets we have today.

Best Best Friends

Chodos-Irvine, Margaret

Clare and Mary are best friends, but on Mary's birthday, the best friends get into a big, big fight.

The Doorbell Rang 
(Hutchins, Pat)

Each time the doorbell rings, there are more people who have come to share Ma's wonderful cookies.

At the Edge of the Woods: A Counting Book

(Cotton, Cynthia)

A variety of animals, insects and birds enjoy the flowers and the trees one early morning.

Click Clack Splish Splash

(Cronin, Doreen)

Duck's already taught thousands of children the ABCs. Now there's an opportunity to outsmart Farmer Brown again as he and his friends teach their very youngest readers how to count.

Whistle For Willie 
(Keats, Ezra Jack)

A little boy wishes so much he could whistle.

Fish Is Fish 
(Lionni, Leo)

When his friend, the tadpole, becomes a frog and leaves to explore the world, the little fish decides that maybe he doesn't need to remain in the pond either.

The Little Red Hen

(Pinkney, Jerry)

The traditional tale of the Little Red Hen. Illustrated by Caldecott award winner Jerry Pinkney.

Random House Book of Mother Goose

More than 550 poems by American, English, and anonymous authors. 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom 
(Martin, Bill)

An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.

Baby Bear Baby Bear What Do You See? 
(Martin, Bill

Children learn about 10 animals native to America. This is the fourth in a series of much loved books by Bill Martin and Eric Carle.

Hop On Pop 
(Seuss, Dr.)

Dr. Seuss takes us on a sing song adventure with rhyming words. 

One Fish, Two Fish 
(Seuss, Dr.)

Dr. Seuss introduces children to color words and number words using playful rhymes.

No, David!

(Shannon, David)

When author and artist David Shannon was five years old, he wrote a semi-autobiographical story of a little kid who broke all his mother's rules. He chewed with his mouth open, jumped on the furniture, and he broke his mother's vase. As a result, all David ever heard his mother say was "No, David!"

Any Leo Lioni title

Bold graphics

Any Dr. Seuss title

 A classic for everyone.

Any Mo Willems title

Spare text with funny illustrations.

Any Lois Ehlert title

Bright colors, spare bold text.

Any Eric Carle title

Bright colors, spare bold text.

Title

Annotation

Move Over, Rover

(Beaumont, Karen)

When a storm comes, Rover expects to have his doghouse all to himself but finds that various other animals, including a skunk, come to join him.

Cork and Fuzz

(Chaconas, Dori)

The friendship between Cork, a muskrat, and Fuzz, a possum, is in trouble when Cork decides that since he is older, he has to be taller than Fuzz.

Don’t let the Pigeon Stay Up Late

(Willems, Mo)

A pigeon fights yawns while coming up with many reasons why it should be allowed to stay up late.

Good Boy, Fergus

(Shannon, David)

Except for his bath, Fergus experiences the perfect doggy day, from chasing cats and motorcycles to being scratched on his favorite tickle spot.

The Watering Hole

(Base, Graeme)

As ever growing numbers of animals visit a watering hole, introducing the numbers from one to ten, the water dwindles.

Hunter’s Best Friend at School

(Elliott, Laura)

Hunter the raccoon ties to be a good friend when his best friend Stripe starts acting up at school.

Little Bear (any)

Minarik, Else Holmelund

Little Bear's four adventures.

Chester

(Hoff, Syd)

A wild horse searches for someone to love and care for him.

Sammy the Seal

(Hoff, Syd)

Anxious to see what life is like outside the zoo, Sammy the seal explores the city, goes to school, and plays with the children but decides that there really is no place like home.

Fancy Nancy (any)

(O’Connor, Jane)

Read about the adventures of Fancy Nancy, a girl who loves fancy things and fancy words.

Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth

(McGhee, Alison)

A first grader is worried that her new teacher is an alien who collects baby teeth from her students.

Mouse Soup

(Lobel, Arnold)

A mouse convinces a weasel he needs the ingredients from several stories to make a tasty mouse soup.

Franklin Goes To School 
(Bourgeois)

Although on the first day of school Franklin is a little nervous, his teacher knows just what to do so that he has a wonderful day.

He Came With the Couch

(Slonim, David)

A family buys a couch that comes with an unusual attachment.

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity

(Willems, Mo)

Trixie’s first day of school gets off to a bad start when she discovers another student has a Knuffle Bunny just like hers. (Caldecott Award Honor book)

Arthur's Computer Disaster or any Arthur books
(Brown, Marc)

Arthur disobeys his mother by playing his favorite game on her computer which leads to a lesson in taking responsibility for ones actions.

But Excuse Me That is My Book

(Child, Lauren)

When Lola's favorite book is not on the library's shelf, her older brother, Charlie, tries to find another book she will enjoy.

Mixed Up Chameleon 
(Carle, Eric)

A bored chameleon wishes it could be more like all the other animals it sees, but soon decides it would rather just be itself.

Ten Black Dots  or any Donald Crews books
(Crews, Donald)

A counting book which shows what can be done with ten black dots--one can make a sun, two a fox's eyes, or eight the wheels of a train.

Clip Clop

(Smee, Nicola)

Cat, Dog, Pig, and Duck all take Mr. Horse up on his offer of a ride and encourage him to run faster and faster until they are in danger of falling off.

The Little Red Hen 
(Galdone, Paul)

A retelling of the traditional tale about the little red hen whose lazy friends are unwilling to help her plant, harvest, or grind the wheat into flour, but all are willing to help her eat the bread that she makes from it.

Russell the Sheep

Scotton, Scott

Enjoy the adventures of Russell the sheep in Russell the Sheep and Russell and the Lost Treasure

Conejito: A  Folktale from Panama

(MacDonald, Margaret Read)

A repetitive trickster tale where a rabbit outwits the characters who want to eat him.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse 
(Henkes, Kevin)

Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher.  But when he asks her to wait awhile before showing the class her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry.

A Letter to Amy 
(Keats, Ezra Jack)

Peter wants to invite Amy to his birthday party but he wants it to be a surprise.

Little Critter Books 
(Mayer, Mercer)

A series of family stories and adventures with Little Critter as the main character.

The Napping House

(Wood, Audrey)

 

In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.

Curious George 
(Rey, H. A.)

The curiosity of a newly captured monkey gets him into continual trouble.

Cat In The Hat 
(Seuss, Dr.)

A nonsense story in verse about an unusual cat and his tricks which he displayed for children on a rainy day.

Green Eggs and Ham 
(Seuss, Dr.)

In verse Sam-I-Am tells of the virtues of green eggs and ham.

Where The Sidewalk Ends 
(Silverstein, Shel)

A boy 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.

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile 
Waber, Bernard)

This is a story of the adventures and misadventures of a crocodile living with a family in the city.

Seven Blind Mice 
(Young, Ed)

Retells in verse the Indian fable of the blind men discovering parts of an elephant and arguing about is appearance.  The illustrations depict the blind arguers as mice.

I Like To Be Little 
(Zolotow, Charlotte)

A little girl answering her mother's question about why she likes to be little describes some of the special pleasures of being a child.

Any Mo Willems title

Mr. Putter and Tabby series

(Rylant, Cynthia)

The adventures of Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby.

Junie B. Jones series

(Park, Barbara)

The life of Junie B. Jones, Kindergarten through first grade.

Horrible Harry series

(Kline, Suzy)

The school adventures of Horrible Harry and his friends.

Frog and Toad series

(Lobel, Arnold)

Stories of friendship between a frog and a toad.

Henry and Mudge series

(Rylant, Cynthia)

The adventures of Henry and his big dog Mudge.

Young Cam Jansen Series

(Adler, David)

A young Cam Jansen solves mysteries.

Title

Annotation

The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon

(Grey, Mini)

Having run away together, the Dish and the Spoon from the nursery rhyme "The Cat and the Fiddle" become vaudeville stars before turning to a life of crime.

Mercy Watson (any)

(DiCamillo, Kate)

The adventures of the pig Mercy Watson.

Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare

(Polacco, Patricia)

Richie and his younger sister Trisha face off in a contest to see whose hobby is more challenging, hockey or ballet.

 This Is The Way We Go To School: A Book About Children Around the World 
(Baer, Edith)

This book is written in rhyme, showing the ways the world's children travel to school.  It ends with a world map identifying where children live. 

The Umbrella 
(Brett, Jan)

Carlos goes into the cloud forest to look for animals, but he manages to miss seeing them even though they have an adventure with his umbrella.

Flat Stanley 
(Brown, Jeff)

Stanley is a perfectly normal boy until his bulletin board falls on top of him.  Stanley has many adventures while he's 14mm thick, but he eventually wants to be normal.  Wait until you see how his brother Arthur helps Stanley. 

Fancy Nancy or any Fancy Nancy books

(O’Connor, Jane)

A young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for one special night.

Terrific

(Agee, Jon)

Eugene wins a trip to Bermuda, but when his ship sinks, and he ends up stranded on a tiny island with only a parrot, he wonders how he will ever get back home.

Duck and Goose

(Hills, Tad)

Duck and Goose learn to work together to take care of a ball that they think is an oversized egg.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: a Cuban Folktale

(Deedy, Carmen Agra)

A funny story about a cockroach who interviews her suitors in order to decide whom to marry.

Stone soup 
(Brown, Marcia)

When the people in a French village hear that three soldiers are coming they hide all their food.  But, when the soldiers make soup with water and stones gradually the pot is filled with all the vegetables which were hidden away.

Josephine's Quilt Story 
(Coerr, Eleanor)

While traveling west with her family in 1850, a young girl makes a patchwork quilt that tells of the experiences of her journey. 

Manana Iguana

(Paul, Ann Whitford)

Iguana, Conejo, Tortuga, and Culebra are excited about having a spring party, but only Iguana is willing to do any of the work. Includes a glossary of Spanish words used.

Everybody Cooks Rice 
(Dooley, Norah)

Carrie must find her brother Anthony before she can eat dinner.  She goes from house to house and samples rice from Vietnam, Puerto Rico, India, China, Haiti, and Italy. 

Ant Cities 
(Dorros, Arthur)

Children will learn all about ants and the way they live.  The book provides facts through text, illustrations, and labels. The children are provided with directions for constructing their own ant farms. 

Be Good To Eddie Lee 
(Fleming, Virginia)

Jim, Bud and Christy go into the woods to hunt for frog eggs. Eddie Lee, a Downs Syndrome child, follows. Eddie Lee and Christy develop a friendship through their discovery of nature. 

The Monkey And The Crocodile 
(Galdone, Paul)

In this folktale from India, a monkey tricks a crocodile.

Grandpa's Face 
Greenfield, Eloise)

Tamika enjoys a wonderful friendship with her grandfather. They go for walks with each other just to talk. Tamika's grandfather calls it talk-walk. She loves her grandfather's facial expressions when he is telling stories or when he is just talking.

Amazing Grace 
(Hoffman, Mary)

Grace wants to play Peter Pan in her class play.  Her classmates naively say she cannot be Peter.  When she shares her feelings at home, Grace's grandmother encourages her to believe in herself and to reach for her dreams. The sequel is Boundless Grace.

Aunt Flossie's Hats (And Crab Cakes Later) 
Howard Elizabeth

Sarah and Susan visit their great-great aunt Flossie every Sunday afternoon. They are enchanted by her stories sparked by hats that the girls take out to play and wear.

Nature All Year Long 
(Leslie, Clare Walker)

Trees, flowers, animals, marine creatures, countryside, local park, climate, weather and hibernation are all examined.   The format is designed around the uniqueness of each month and includes monthly studies, weather, and seasons.

Eating Fractions 
(McMillan, Bruce)

A math concept book uses food to explain fractions from whole to halves, thirds, and fourths. 

The Rag Coat 
(Mills, Lauren)

Minna is going to school and needs a winter coat.  This Appalachian tale shows how the ladies of her community come together to quilt a coat of fabric that Minna has selected.  Minna proudly wears her coat to school but becomes the brunt of her classmate's teasing.  This sensitive tale shows how a young girl solves her problem by drawing her home and school community together.

Grandma's House 
(Moore, Elaine)

In this first book in a series, Kim spends the summers with her grandmother.  She compares her summer to her grandmother's garden: "It begins with strawberries and ends with plums."

Loving 
(Morris, Ann)

Color photos from nearly a dozen different countries show loving families.  People may look different, but we all share the same love for our families.  A variety of cultures reminds us that our similarities are more important than our differences. 

Pallotta, Jerry

 Non-fiction alphabet books.

Dumpling Soup 
(Rattigan, Jama Kim)

Marisa is an Asian American girl who lives in Hawaii.  Every New Year's the family goes to grandma's house to make mandoo (dumplings); Marisa's aren't perfect, but they are delicious.

The Monster In The Third Dresser Drawer 
(Smith, Janice)

Adam Joshua copes with changes such as moving to a new town, a new baby sister, a new tooth, a baby-sitter, and Great Aunt Emily.  The story is told in short chapters and is one in a series of books about Adam Joshua.  These books will prepare students for reading longer books.

Nate The Great Books 
(Sharmat, Marjorie)

These are early reader chapter books.

Arthur Books 
(Brown, Marc)

Any title about the adventures of an aardvark named Arthur.

Henry and Mudge (Any title) 
(Rylant, Cynthia)

Early reader chapter books

Frog and Toad - Any Title) 
(Lobel, Arnold)

Early reader chapter books.

Magic School Bus Series 
(Cole, Joanna)

A series of science books with information presented by Miss Frizzle to her class.

Junie B. Jones Series

(Park, Barbara)

The life of Junie B. Jones, Kindergarten through first grade.

Magic Tree House series

(Osborne, Mary Pope)

Jack and his sister Annie go on adventures back through time with the help of a magic treehouse.

(Gibbons, Gail) any

A wide range of non-fiction topics.

Title

Annotation

7 x 9 = Trouble

(Mills, Claudia)

Third-grader Wilson struggles with his times-tables in order to beat the class deadline.

Might Jackie : The Strikeout Queen

(Moss, Marissa)

In 1931, seventeen-year-old Jackie Mitchell pitches against Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game, becoming the first professional female pitcher in baseball history.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

(Truss, Lynne)

Why commas really do make a difference!

Now & Ben

(Barretta, Gene)

Looks at the modern inventions that can be attributed to Ben Franklin.

Traction Man is Here

(Grey, Mini)

Traction Man, a boy's action figure, has a variety of adventures with Scrubbing Brush and other objects in the house.

Who's in Rabbit's House
(Aardema, Verna)

An African folktale about Rabbit attempting to regain possession of her house after it is taken over by "the long one".

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

An African folktale that relates how a mosquito's silly like to an iguana sets in motion a cumulative series of events that causes Mother Owl not to call up the sun.

Tonight on the Titanic

(Osborne, Mary Pope)

The magic tree house transports Jack and Annie to the deck of the Titanic to find a mysterious gift that will free a small dog from a magic spell.

Titanic: a nonfiction companion to Tonight on the Titanic

(Osborne, Will)

The non-fiction companion to Magic Tree House’s Tonight on the Titanic.

Charlotte’s Web

(White, E.B.)

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.

Freckle Juice 
(Blume, Judy)

This is a very funny story about a boy who wanted freckles.

Beauty and the Beast 
(Brett, Jan)

Through her great capacity to love, a kind and beautiful maid releases a handsome prince from the spell which has made him an ugly beast.

Town Mouse and the Country Mouse 
(Brett, Jan)

After trading places, the country mice and the town mice discover there’s no place like home.

Red Racer

(Wood, Audrey)

Nona tries desperately to get rid of her junky old bike so that she can get the Deluxe Rocket Racer which she sees in the store window.

The Principal's New Clothes 
(Calmenson, Stephanie)

This is a bunny book about a principal who is a very sharp dresser.

Judy Moody (any)

(McDonald, Megan)

Third grader Judy Moody comes to school on the first day in a bad mood, but that all changes when she gets an assignment to create a collage about herself.

Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from the Andes Mountains

(Knutson, Barbara)

In this folktale from the Andes, a clever guinea pig repeatedly outsmarts the fox that wants to eat him for dinner.

Molly's Pilgrim 
(Cohne, Barbara)

Told to make a doll like a Pilgrim for the Thanksgiving display at school, Molly's Jewish mother dresses the doll as she herself dressed before leaving Russia to seek religious freedom--much to Molly's embarrassment.

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery 
(Howe, Deborah)

The Monroe family finds a baby bunny when they go to see the movie Dracula.  When Harold, the dog, finds a white carrot in the refrigerator, he is convinced Bunnicula is a vampire bunny.  How can a dog convince the humans that their pet is dangerous? 

Porch Lies

(McKissack, Patricia C.)

After dinner people gather on the porch for tales of slicksters, tricksters and wily characters.

Strega Nona 
(DePaola, Tomi) 

When Strega Nona leaves Big Anthony alone with her magic pasta pot he is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

The Patchwork Quilt 
(Valerie Flournoy)

A girl helps her grandmother make a quilt but her grandmother gets sick and there is a surprise ending.

Aldo Applesauce Books 
(Hurwitz, Joanna)

Three different titles about a nine-year old boy name Aldo and his adventures.

Jack and the Beanstalk 
(Kellogg, Steven)

A boy climbs to the top of a giant beanstalk where he uses his quick wits to outsmart a giant and make his and his mother's fortune.

Mike Fink  or 
Paul Bunyan or 
Pecos Bill 
(Kellogg, Steven)

Retells the adventures of these American frontiersmen and heroes.

The Great White Man-Eating Shark 
(Mahy, Margaret)

Norman wants the beach to himself so he makes a fin, swims around and scares the other swimmers.

Flotsam

(Wiesner, David)

A camera helps a boy see the world.

Where the Sidewalk Ends or A Light In The Attic 
(Silverstein, Shel)

Humorous poetry for children

Max’s Words

(Banks, Kate)

When Max cuts out words from magazines and newspapers, collecting them the way his brothers collect stamps and coins, they all learn about words, sentences, and storytelling.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kinds and sweet, go before the king who is choosing a wife.

Cam Jansen Mysteries 
(Adler, David)

Cam Jansen solves many mysteries.

Amelia Bedelia Series 
(Parish, Peggy)

Amelia Bedelia is a maid who does everything wrong.

Amber Brown stories

Realistic stories and adventures about third grader Amber Brown.

Julian stories 
(Cameron, Ann)

The adventures of seven year old Julian and his family.

Miss Nelson Books 
(Allard, Harry)

The kids in Miss Nelson's class learn a lesson from their substitute teacher, Miss Viola Swamp.

Magic Tree House Series

(Osborne, Mary Pope)

The adventures of Jack and Annie

Encyclopedia Brown series

(Sobol, Donald)

Encyclopedia Brown, boy detective extraordinaire, solves mystery cases.

Boxcar Children Series

(Warner, Gertrude Chandler)

Mystery

A-Z Mysteries

Preller, James)

Mysteries from A-Z

Title

Annotation

Ella Enchanted

(Levine, Gail Carson)

Ella is blessed by a fairy at birth with the gift of obedience. But the blessing is a horror for Ella, who must literally do what everyone tells her. Ella sets out, determined to find a way to break the curse.

Because of Winn Dixie

DiCamillo, Kate)

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.

Lily’s Crossing

(Giff, Patricia Reilly)

During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.

Celery Stalks at Midnight

(Howe, James)

Hare today, Gone Tomorrow Bunnicula is missing! Chester is convinced all the world's vegetables are in danger of being drained of their life juices and turned into zombies.

Loser

(Spinelli, Jerry)

Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Donald Zinkoff doesn’t feel that way about himself.

How Tia Lola Came to Visit

(Alvarez, Julia)

Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! Tia Lola, his quirky, unusual and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mom.

Stone Fox

(Gardiner, John Reynolds)

Little Willy's Grandfather is sick, and it's up to Willy to save their farm from tax collectors. Their only hope is the prize money from the National Dogsled Race. But a lot of other people want to win the race, too, including Stone Fox, who has never lost a race in his life. Do Willy and his dog Searchlight stand a chance against the toughest racers around?

Becoming Naomi Leon

(Ryan, Pam Munoz)

When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.

Frindle (or any Andrew Clements books)

(Clements, Andrew)

Of all Nick's ideas, the frindle is his most successful. It's a pen, or what used to be called a pen. Soon, much of the nation is crazy about frindles--except for Mrs. Granger, Nick's teacher, who, although she doesn't realize it, was the inspiration for the idea.

The Sign of the Beaver

(Speare, Elizabeth George

Until the day his father returns to their cabin in the Maine wilderness, 12-year-old Matt must try to survive on his own. During an attack by swarming bees, Matt is astonished when he's rescued by an Indian chief and his grandson, Attean.

Titanic Crossing