You are not logged in. Please click here to sign in to your account.

Reading Circle Program

Free Resources

Reading Circle Program

PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN

Preschool/Kindergarten

Listings courtesy of Perma-Bound Books. Listings with asterisks came from grandparents.com.

All of Baby, Nose to Toes, by Victoria Adler, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. Penguin, ©2009. Parents love one lucky baby from the top of her head to the tips of her toes in this fun, rhyming book. (Publisher's Weekly starred)

All the World, by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee. Simon and Schuster, ©2009. Family and friends experience a day at the beach that involves wind and rain and other unplanned events. A beach shell serves as a souvenir of the special day when all are safe at home. (SLJ starred, Publisher's Weekly starred, Horn Book starred)

Big, Bigger, Biggest! written and illustrated by Nancy Coffelt. Macmillan, ©2009. Colorful animals introduce synonyms and antonyms as superlatives. Words like colossal, hypersonic and lackadaisical will delight listeners and encourage vocabulary development.

Billy and Milly Short and Silly, by Eve B. Feldman, illustrated by Tuesday Mourning. Penguin, ©2009. Thirteen short stories, with only a few words each, stretch the imagination of the youngest readers. Billy and Milly are cool kids who stir up a lot of action as they skip across the pages. (SLJ starred)

Birds, by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek. HarperCollins, ©2009. A young girl observes birds of different colors, shapes and sizes, and discovers that she has something in common with them in this nice blend of concept book and picture storybook. (Booklist starred, SLJ starred)

The Busy Tree, by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern. Marshall Cavendish, ©2009. Double-page spreads and rhyming text describe the many activities in an old oak tree as it provides food and shelter for wild animals, from its roots to its branches.

Chicken Little, by Rebecca Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley. Holtzbrinck, ©2009. This classic repetitive folktale is brought to new life with bold colors and shapes. Chicken Little believes the sky is falling and creates confusion among his feathered friends.

The Circus Ship, by Chris Van Dusen. Candlewick Press, ©2009. Circus animals take up island life after their ship crashes and sinks near Maine. Townspeople hide the animals when the mean circus boss comes looking for them. Children will enjoy finding the hidden animals at the end of this adventure story.

Dinotrux, by Chris Gall. Little, Brown Book Group, ©2009. Millions of years ago, the prehistoric ancestors of today's trucks, such as garbageadon, dozeratops, and craneosaurus, roamed the Earth until they rusted into extinction.

Duck! Rabbit!, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. Chronicle Books, ©2009. Is it a duck? Is it a rabbit? What do you think? Readers will be amused by their own indecision as the playful drawings become a guessing game.

The Grumpy Dump Truck, by Brie Spangler. Random House, ©2009. A red-and-blue truck has a snarly, nasty day, until a friendly porcupine accidentally sticks him with her quills. A modern take on the fable of the lion and the mouse, Spangler's story is brightly illustrated and teaches a simple and important lesson: Feeling good is better than feeling bad.*

Grumpy Grandpa, by Heather Henson, illustrated by Ross MacDonald. Simon and Schuster, ©2009. A young boy worries that a terrible time awaits him as he goes to Grandpa's house for a two-week vacation. Little does he realize that Grandpa was once a boy himself!*

Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli. Candlewick Press, ©2009. A little girl wonders how high her dad is pushing her on the swing. Has she gone higher than a mountain? Or is she shooting straight into space? (Booklist starred, SLJ starred)

How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle, illustrated by Randy Cecil. Candlewick Press, ©2009. A young boy who likes to "wokka-wokka, shimmy-shake, and shocka-shocka" gathers his neighbors together for a surprise celebration. (SLJ starred)

How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids, by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer, illustrated by Maurie J. Manning. Gallup Press, ©2009. You start your day with a full bucket. When bad things happen you lose drips, but when good things happen you gain drops. Ultimately, the story's main character learns that when he is nice to others he also gains drops.*

Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCarty. Macmillan, ©2009. A young boy who spends most of his time alone in his bedroom makes new friends after the monster in his drawing becomes a nuisance. (SLJ starred)

Let's Do Nothing, written and illustrated by Tony Fucile. Candlewick Press, ©2009. Believing they have done all there is to do, two bored boys come up with a strange new activity to keep themselves occupied and discover a new way to pass the time by doing…nothing. (SLJ starred)

Meeow and the Little Chairs, by Sebastien Braun. Boxer Books, ©2009. Simple, large, colorful illustrations with simple vocabulary will delight young listeners and beginning readers in this story about a cat who makes something wonderful with his little chairs and his friends.

Me With You, by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Christopher Denise. Penguin, ©2009. A young bear spends vacation with her grandparents in a book that teems with affection and appreciation. This is a celebration of love between a grandparent and a grandchild, with sumptuous illustrations, lyrical writing, and subtle, loving sentiment that come together brilliantly.*

Milo's Special Words, by Charise Mericle Harper. Random House, ©2009. This cute book uses wheels and flaps to get across the letters "p" and "q." Milo wants milk, but his mother seems not to hear him, until his baby sister tells him to use his special words. Simple but fun, with charming illustrations.*

Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli, by Barbara Jean Hicks, illustrated by Sue Hendra. Random House, ©2009. This book is about monsters who avoid green food until they realize the trees they are eating are really broccoli.*

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Disney-Hyperion, ©2009. Wilbur is different than other Naked Mole Rats in his colony, because he wears clothes. What will happen when Grandpah, the oldest, wisest, and most naked Naked Mole Rat discovers Wilbur's secret?

Night Lights, by Susan Gal. Random House, ©2009. It's a special night at home for one little girl and her beloved dog. Fireflies, candles, lightning, and most importantly, the light of love make their night bright. (SLJ starred)

Only a Witch Can Fly, by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. Macmillan, ©2009. A young girl wants to fly like a witch on a broom. On one special night, through enormous effort and with the help of her brother, her black cat, and an owl, she fulfills her dream. (SLJ starred)

Otis, written and illustrated by Loren Long. Penguin, ©2009. This story of unlikely friendship between an outdated tractor and a scrawny calf is also a tale of change and progress. The gentle text celebrates love and caring with illustrations bringing action, humor and emotion to this comforting story. (SLJ starred)

Pigs Make Me Sneeze! written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Disney-Hyperion, ©2009. When Gerald the elephant begins sneezing around his friend Piggie, he suspects he might be allergic to pigs and is afraid this could mean the end of their friendship. From the Elephant and Piggie series. (SLJ starred)

Pouch, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein. Penguin, ©2009. A baby kangaroo gains courage to explore outside his mother's pouch, but when he meets unknown animals he quickly hops back. A new friend helps Joey find his independence.

Red Ted and the Lost Things, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Joel Stewart. Candlewick Press, ©2009. Will Red Ted and his new friend Crocodile find their way back home to Stevie? This humorous and poignant story told in comic-book style panels prepares even the youngest reader for popular graphic literature.

A Walk With Grandpa/Un paseo con abuelo, by Sharon K. Solomon, illustrated by Pamela Barcita. Raven Tree Press, ©2009. Daniela and her grandfather express their love for one another playing a word game, during a walk through the woods. Bilingual phrases become a special language to inspire children to explore their own words of comparison and contrast.

Watch Me Throw the Ball, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Disney-Hyperion, ©2009. Gerald the elephant tries to tell Piggie that ball-throwing is serious business, but Piggie just wants to have fun. From the Elephant and Piggie series.