Recommended Books for National Reading Month!
Most recently we talked about tips to celebrate reading in your home, and if you were not able to settle on a book, well your family is in luck, because the District has provided recommended reading lists by grade. Without further ado, here’s the K-12 list!
Kindergarten – Because of an Acorn by Adam Schaefer & Lola M Schaefer – 37 pages - 2016
This book brings the reader on a journey through a forest on how all plants, animals, trees and of course, an acorn are all connected. Classic illustrations!
1st Grade – The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons – 32 pp. - 1997.
This highly regarded book is ideal for introducing the moon to your child with it visually stimulating and easy to understand photographs.
2nd - Our School Garden! by Rick Swann – 32 pp. - 2012.
Michael is in a new town, a new school and soon realizes how much fun the school garden can be. If your child likes to play in the garden this may be just the right read.
3rd - Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – 192 pp. – 1952.
A legendary book in every sense of the word. Much longer than the previous options, so this gem should be spread out which is wonderful, as it will leave the readers incredibly excited to come back for more.
4th - Poems in the Attic by Nikki Grimes - 48 pp. – 2015.
A young girl discovers her mom’s poems in the attic, which inspires her to create her own poems of which she adds to her mom’s in hopes that another generation will read their poems.
5th - One Day in the Tropical Rainforest by Jean Craighead George – 80 pp. - 1995.
It is up to a young Venezuelan boy and a visiting naturalist to save the beloved rainforest before it meets its untimely demise.
6th - The Land of the Golden Mountain by C.Y. Lee – 249 pp. – 1967.
Year is 1850. Main character is a 17-year-old Chinese girl disguised as a boy and the premise is, the girl joins her countrymen to ship out to the gold fields of California. Sold!
7th - A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park – 128 pp. – 2011.
A New York Times bestseller, this story tells the lives of a boy and girl from Sudan. Working within an alternating timeline, the boy is an 11-year-old in 1985 and the girl, same age, in 2008, will ultimately cross paths in the most moveable of ways.
8th - Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai – 288 pp. – 2013.
Also a NYT bestseller, this coming-of-age tale, tells the story of a young girl fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama. A year in the life of a refugee.
9th - Romeo & What’s Her Name by Shani Petroff - 226 pp. - 2017.
A laugh-out-loud fast-moving romance that has high school student Emily becoming an understudy for the role of Juliet all the while her main pursuit is to win the attention of Wes, whom yes, is most certainly Romeo.
10th - A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer – 336 pp. - 2012.
A Newberry Honor winning read and the longest on our list that tells the story of a young teen who runs away from her village to avoid marrying a cruel man and after a short boat trip gone bad, finds herself forced to survive for what could be up to a years’ time.
11th - What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell – 288 pp. - 2008.
A National Book Award winner tells the tale of Evie’s father returning home from WWII and one of his comrades joining the family that Evie falls head over heels in love with. Only problem of course, is that this comrade, while stunningly handsome, has a fair share of secrets that linger with him.
12th - Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche – 320 pp. - 2015.
Michelle is African American and Leah is Caucasian, both reside in vastly different parts of Maryland but the one thing they have in common...a biological father that left them both when they were little. Now in hospice care in California, these two along with their siblings head across country in a beat up station wagon to visit this man for what likely will be the final time.
A variety of reading joy is now at your fingertips! Visit DetroitPublicLibrary.org to access ebooks at no cost, or login to your MyOn account, visit detroitk12.org/onlinelearning.
Enjoy your reading time and be sure to check back next week for our concluding National Reading Month topic.