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Home | Who We Are | Opportunities for Educators | Advice for Parents | Support for Kids Summer Reading for Kids 2002These books have been selected by Vermont public school librarians, and are recommended for summer reading for children and young adults. For more recommendations, see your school or public librarian. For a complete listing of American Library Association Awards, go to: www.ala.org/alsc 2002 Caldecott Award: 2002 Newbery Award: 2002 Coretta Scott King Author Award: 2002 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award: 2002 Michael L. Printz Award: 2002 Robert F. Sibert Award: Grades K-4. Compiled by Vermont-NEA member Shannon Walters, librarian at C.P. Smith and Lawrence Barnes Elementary Schools, Burlington. z Browne, Anthony. MY
DAD. FSG, 2001. “He’s all right, my dad.” Among the traits
praised in this endearing homage to dads everywhere: Dad’s
near-professional wrestling skills; his extreme bravery in the face of danger
(he’s not even afraid of the Big Bad Wolf!); and his ability to eat like a
horse, literally! z Creech, Sharon. A FINE,
FINE SCHOOL. HarperCollins, 2001. One day, Principal Keene calls everyone
together and says, “This is a fine, fine school! From now on, let’s
have school on Saturdays too!” Then school all weekend, school on the
holidays, even school in the summer! A hilarious read about what happens when
the love of learning goes a bit too far. z Cronin, Doreen. GIGGLE,
GIGGLE, QUACK. S&S, 2002. When Farmer Brown goes on vacation, leaving
his brother Bob in charge, Duck makes trouble by changing all the instructions
to notes the animals like better. A rousing romp with our farmyard friends from
the team that gave us the Red Clover Winner Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type.
z Graham, Bob. LET’S
GET A PUP! SAID KATE. Candlewick, 2001. Kate and her parents get a new
puppy but they can’t stop thinking about the older dog they left behind.
z Harper, Dan. SIT,
TRUMAN! Harcourt , 2001. No day is ever dull with Truman around. Big,
slobbery and endearing, Truman will make dog lovers everywhere sit up and beg
for more. z Horowitz, Ruth. BREAKOUT AT THE BUG LAB. Dial, 2001. When a giant cockroach named Max escapes from their mother’s bug laboratory, Leo and his brother receive help from a mysterious stranger. z Ibbotson, Eva. DIAL-A-GHOST. Penguin Putnam, 2001. Laughs and frights abound in this delightful, not-so-spooky tale of magic, mystery and attempted murder. The scheming Snodde-Brittles hire some terrifying ghosts from the Dial-A Ghost Agency to scare sweet Oliver to death (and out of the family fortune). z Kalman, Maira. WHAT PETE ATE FROM A-Z. Penguin, 2001. Is there anything Pete won’t eat? This engaging pup starts with an accordion and works his way through the alphabet, leaving nothing untouched, not even glue sticks or Uncle Norman’s underpants. z Prelutsky, Jack. AWFUL OGRE’S AWFUL DAY. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2001. Awful Ogre is huge, hungry, horrible—and totally lovable. Larger than life, Awful Ogre packs in one day enough grotesque excitement (weasel grease, gargoyle bile and more) to last most of us a lifetime in this book of quirky poetry. z Rappaport, Doreen. MARTIN’S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Hyperion, 2001. This moving picture book biography of one of the world’s greatest civil rights leaders uses King’s own “big words” to explain his life and his legacy. z Scieszka, Jon. KNIGHTS OF THE KITCHEN TABLE. Penguin, 1993. How did Joe, Fred and Sam end up in King Arthur’s court? One minute they’re looking at pictures of knights in The Book—and the next minute they are knights, battling fire-breathing dragons and gross-smelling giants. Can the Time Warp Trio escape death and destruction—and make it back to the twentieth century in time for lunch? z Wiesner, David. THE THREE PIGS. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. The three pigs of nursery story fame are back again, but this time the wolf’s huffing and puffing blow the first pig right out of the story- to hilarious effect. z Willey, Margaret. CLEVER BEATRICE: AN UPPER PENINSULA CONTE. Atheneum, 2001. A small but clever young girl outwits a rich giant and wins all his gold. z Yolen, Jane. HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOODNIGHT? Scholastic, 2000. How does a dinosaur say goodnight? Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor and shout: “I want to hear one book more!”? Does a dinosaur roar? Certainly, if the book is as good as this one. A delightful bedtime romp. z Zaunders, Bo. FEATHERS, FLAPS, AND FLOPS: FABULOUS EARLY FLIERS. Penguin Putnam, 2001. A history of human attempts to defy gravity—tales of imagination, dedication and derring-do. Amaze yourself with this outstanding book of aviation achievements. GRADES 4-8. Compiled by Vermont-NEA member Angelica Harris, school librarian at Alburg Education Center, and Leda Schubert, School Library Consultant, Vermont Department of Education. z Crossley-Holland, Kevin. ARTHUR: THE SEEING STONE. Levine/Scholastic, 2001. In late twelfth-century England, a thirteen-year-old boy named Arthur recounts how Merlin gives him a magical seeing stone which shows him images of the legendary King Arthur, the events of whose life seem to have many parallels to his own. z DiCamillo, Kate. BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE. Candlewick, 2000. Opal knows how it is to be friendless in a new town with no mother for comfort. Enter the solution: a mangy stray dog with a big smile. The winner of this year’s Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award. z Eager, Edward. HALF
MAGIC. Harcourt, 1954. Four children looking forward to an ordinary summer
enjoy a series of fantastic adventures by double-wishing on an ancient coin.
z Hamilton, Virginia. THE PEOPLE COULD FLY. Knopf, 1985. A distinguished collection of folktales exploring themes of freedom. z Jacobson, Jennifer Richard. WINNIE DANCING ON HER OWN. HMCO, 2001. Vanessa and Zoe, Winnie’s best friends since kindergarten, sign up for ballet. As their interest in dance grows, they don’t seem to need Winnie anymore. A well-told tale about the value of being yourself. z Krensky, Stephen. SHOOTING FOR THE MOON. FSG, 2001. Annie Oakley could snuff the flame of a candle or knock an apple off her poodle’s head with a single shot of her rifle. Her guts and determination shine through in this wonderfully illustrated picture biography. z Kurlansky, Mark. THE COD’S TALE. Putnam, 2001. A fascinating look at the history of cod — the once-abundant fish that changed the world. z Lawson, Robert. RABBIT HILL. Viking, 1944. A classic fantasy about the arrival of ‘new’ folks, who are sympathetic to their animal neighbors. z Paulsen, Gary. TUCKET’S GOLD. Delacorte, 1999. Francis Tucket and his two young friends brave the worst—outlaws, rattlesnakes, and thunderstorms— to reach the Oregon Trail to be reunited with family. But can they mark the cave of hidden gold carefully enough to find it again before anyone else? Fourth of a series. z Polacco Patricia. MR. LINCOLN’S WAY. Philomel, 2001. Mr. Lincoln is the coolest principal in the world. Every student enjoys being at his school, except Mean Gene, who’s known for bullying, fighting and using racial slurs—even about Mr. Lincoln. How can Mr. Lincoln reach Gene? z Rupp, Rebecca. THE DRAGON OF LONELY ISLAND. Candlewick, 1998. Three children spend the summer with their mother on a secluded island, where they discover a three-headed dragon living in a cave and learn what it means to be a Dragon Friend. z Schmidt, Gary D. STRAW INTO GOLD. Clarion, 2001. Pursued by greedy villains, two boys on a quest to save innocent lives meet the banished queen whose son was stolen by Rumpelstiltskin eleven years earlier, and she provides much more than the answer they seek. z Solheim, James. IT’S DISGUSTING AND WE ATE IT. Simon & Schuster, 1998. A fascinating study of food from many cultures and historic periods. From barbecued elephant trunk to acorn bread, calf brain custard to roasted giant spiders, humans have learned to eat and enjoy whatever is available. Gross! z Wyss, Thelma Hatch. TEN MILES FROM WINNEMUCCA. HarperCollins, 2002. Martin can’t stay in Seattle—not after his new stepbrother throws all of his belongings out the window. He may as well head home. Martin’s a survivor. He stops in Idaho, lives in his Jeep, enrolls in school, and gets a job. Things are fine, except he’s hungry and lonely. GRADES 9-12. Compiled by Vermont-NEA members Dan Greene and Vicki Palmer, school librarians at U32 High School in East Montpelier. z Aebe, Tania. MAIDEN VOYAGE. Ballantine Books, 1996. Tania Aebe dropped out of school and found that her favorite places were bars. Her father offered her a challenge. He would pay for a college education for her, or buy her a twenty-six-foot sloop, in which she had to sail around the world alone. She chooses the sloop, and this is her story. z Brashares, Ann. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS. Delacorte, 2001. What happens when one pair of ordinary jeans fits four different girls perfectly? What happens when these magic pants are shared over a summer? The lives of four best friends are changed in ways they could not have predicted. The book is humorous, funny and sad, and these are girls we wish we knew. z Chabon, Michael. THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY. Random, 2000. Joseph Kavalier and Sammy Clay are cousins. Joseph, a talented artist, grew up in Prague and escaped the Nazis. Sammy is a talented writer in NY. They write and illustrate a comic that becomes a great success. Recommended for mature readers, this book won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. z Crutcher, Chris. WHALE TALK. Greenwillow Books, 2001. T. J. Jones is black, Japanese, and white. He is everyman and no-man. He is also tired of the school jocks making fun of everyone and anyone who is not like them. So he forms a swim team, even though his school doesn’t have a pool. This is a great book about dealing with differences. z Griffin, Adele. AMANDINE. Hyperion, 2001. Being the new girl in school isn’t easy, so when dramatic, theatrical Amandine befriends Delia, Delia is thrilled. At first Amandine’s world of acting and fantasy is fun and exciting, but Delia soon finds herself pulled into a world that she does not want to be part of. Peer pressure, family, and danger, all wrap themselves around Delia in this exciting, chilling story. z Haruf, Kent. PLAINSONG. Knopf, 1999. Holt, Colorado is much like some small towns in Vermont. Everyone knows everyone else, what they are doing, or what they are likely to do. Into Holt comes Maggie Jones, who shakes up the lives of all that live there. With an uncanny sense of dialogue and deep compassion, Haruf lets us into a rich yet isolated world. z Howe, James, editor. THE COLOR OF ABSENCE. Atheneum, 2001. This collection of 12 original stories chronicles the intersection of loss and hope. The short stories are by leading young adult authors such as Walter Dean Myers, Annette Curtis Klause, Norma Fox Mazer, and Virginia Euwer Wolff. While the subject of loss is not a happy one, there are surprises as well. z Maguire, Gregory. LOST. Regan Books, 2001. In this classic ghost story, Maguire spins a tale with references to Jack the Ripper, A Christmas Carol, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and even Dracula. Winifred Rudge is in London to research a novel linking Jack the Ripper to the home of a distant relative. She experiences many bizarre occurrences— all ingredients that are sure to hook the reader in this great new book from the author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. z Nasar, Syvia, A BEAUTIFUL MIND: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN FORBES NASH, JR. S&S, 1998. At Princeton, many students had seen the “Phantom of Fine Hall,” a figure shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building. This was John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who had schizophrenia. Forty-five years later he won the Nobel Prize in economics. This is a remarkable and moving story and the basis for the Oscar winning movie of the same name. z Pratchett, Terry. THIEF OF TIME. Harper Collins, 2001. The Monks of History have the job of seeing that tomorrow happens at all. Protecting history is not easy, since they have to deal with the mysterious Lady, who wants an accurate clock built that will trap time and eliminate humanity’s unpredictability. Filled with satire and parody, this book joins Pratchett’s list of wonderful humorous stories. z Santiago, Esmerelda. ALMOST A WOMAN. Perseus Books, 1998. Arriving in New York City at age 13, Esmerelda Santiago struggles to break free from the suffocating love of her mother and from racial stereotypes. As part of a family of 10, she navigates school, welfare offices, and her ever-changing neighborhoods with unusual humor and clarity. z Schlosser, Eric. FAST FOOD NATION. Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Should you be so happy about that Happy Meal? Schlosser doesn’t think so, as he goes behind the fast food Industry’s advertising and promotion to investigate the world of fast food. You will never think of your fast food meal in the same way again— if you even dare to buy one. z Smith, Dodie. I CAPTURE THE CASTLE. St. Martin’s, 1999. The Mortmain family live in a drafty old castle in England. Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain bemoans the horrible meals and bitter cold that they all must endure. She is a romantic at heart, and tells the tale of her outrageous family and their strange world. A wonderful story written in 1948 and recently reissued as a paperback. z Tashijian, Janet. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LARRY. Henry Holt and Co, 2001. Seventeen-year-old Josh, a loner-philosopher who wants to make a difference in the world, tries to maintain his secret identity as the author of a web site that is receiving national attention. Things get quickly out-of-hand, and Josh has to make some serious decisions. Funny, poignant and relevant, this is a terrific read. z Watson, Larry. MONTANA,1948. Milkweed Editions, 1993. David Hayden, now in his fifties, tells of the event that changed his life forever. When he was twelve years old, David watched his father arrest his uncle, a doctor accused of rape and possibly murder. The complex Hayden family is forever changed by these events. A literary page-turner. This list is edited by Leda Schubert, School Library Media Consultant, Vermont Department of Education. She is the author of two beginning readers, WINNIE PLAYS BALL and WINNIE ALL DAY LONG, Candlewick, 2000. Return to list of reading lists. Home | Who We Are | Opportunities for Educators | Advice for Parents | Support for Kids |