Anna Grossnickle Hines  *  Recommended Books                     Home       Guide
Books about literacy, child development, and favorite read-alouds:
You should be able to find most of these books in your library, or inter-library loan system, even though some are out-of-print. The ones currently in print can be ordered through your local or favorite on-line bookstore.
About literacy and child development:

The Read Aloud Handbook (4th edition), Jim Trelease, 1995

Your Child's Growing Mind: A Guide to Learning and Brain Development from Birth to Adolescence, Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., 1987

Endangered Minds: Why Our Children Don't Think, Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., 1990
It was reading this book that motivated me to start doing what I could to spread the word about the difference reading to young children can make in their lives--in all our lives.
From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books, Kathleen T. Horning, 1997

Favorite Read Alouds:

Some of these are classics that I read to my children years ago, or even remember reading myself as a child. Others I've discovered more recently--some very recently as I--ve shared them with my young grandson.

I find it difficult to restrict a book to a specific age group. My own children enjoyed hearing me read books that would be classified as too old for them, and still enjoyed reading books that might be thought too young for them as well.  I've tried to put the books on the following lists into the most appropriate category, but indicated with ***  when I felt a title is good for other age groups as well.

** Also for older kids
*   Also for younger
*** For older and younger


& FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS

Sandra Boynton BARNYARD DANCE **
MOO, BAA, LA LA LA ** 
THE GOING TO BED BOOK**
BUT NOT THE HIPPOPOTAMUS ** 
Margaret Wise Brown/  Clement Hurd  GOODNIGHT MOON ** 
THE RUNAWAY BUNNY **
Eric Carle THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR** 
  DO YOU WANT TO BE MY FRIEND?** 
Lois Elhert
COLOR ZOO **
COLOR FARM **
EATING THE ALPHABET:FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES FROM A TO Z ** 
Bill Martin, Jr. & Lois Ehlert
CHICKA CHICKA ABC
Bill Martin, Jr. & Eric Carle
BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, 
WHAT DO YOU SEE? **
POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR,
HAT DO YOU HEAR? ** 
 Helen Oxenbury
 4 BABY BOARD BOOKS
(Tickle Tickle, Say Goodnight, 
Clap Hands, All Fall Down)
MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO **
THE SHOPPING TRIP ** 
Martin Wadell
OWL BABIES (Patrick Benson) **
Rosemary Wells
MAX'S FIRST WORD
MAX'S BREAKFAST
MAX'S NEW SUIT
Sue Williams/ Julie Vivas
I WENT WALKING **
Arnold Lobel
THE ARNOLD LOBEL BOOK 
OF MOTHER GOOSE **
Marc Brown 
PLAY RHYMES **
Kay Choroa THE BABY'S LAP BOOK **
Trish cooke & Helen Oxenbury
SO MUCH**



&  FOR PRE-SCHOOL-KINDERGARTEN

Frank Asch
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOON *
Ludwig Bemelman
MADELINE ***
MADELINE’S RESCUE ***
MADELINE AND THE BAD HAT ***
Trish Cooke &  Helen Oxenbury
SO MUCH *
Donald Crews
FREIGHT TRAIN *
TRUCK *
BIG MAMA’S
P.D. Eastman
ARE YOU MY MOTHER? ***
GO DOG GO! ***
Ed and Barbara Emberly
DRUMMER HOFF FIRED IT OFF *** 
Marjorie Flack 
ANGUS AND THE DUCKS ***
ANGUS AND THE CAT ***
ANGUS LOST ***
Wanda Gag
MILLIONS OF CATS *** 
Paul Galdone
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS ***
HENNY PENNY ***
THE LITTLE RED HEN ***
THE THREE BEARS ***
Mirra Ginsburg &  Jose Aruego
WHERE DOES THE SUN GO AT NIGHT *
Mirra Ginsburg & Byron Burton
GOOD MORNING, CHICK
Kevin Henkes
JULIUS THE BABY OF THE WORLD **
CHRYSANTHEMUM **
LILY'S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE **
Pat Hutchins
ROSIE'S WALK ***
Ezra Jack Keats
THE SNOWY DAY ***
PETER'S CHAIR ? ***
WHISTLE FOR WILLIE ***
Robert Kraus &  Jose Aruego
WHOSE MOUSE ARE YOU? ***
Bill Martin, Jr. & Lois Ehlert 
 CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM ***
Bill Martin, Jr. & Eric Carle
POLAR BEAR POLAR BEAR, WHAT DO YOU HEAR?  *** 
BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? *** 
Carole Lexa Schaefer &  Pierr Morgan
THE SQUIGGLE
Paul and Henrietta Strickland
DINOSAUR ROAR
Elfrida Vipont & Raymond Briggs
THE ELEPHANT AND THE BAD BABY *** 
Bernard Waber
IRA SLEEPS OVER
Rosemary Wells
 BUNNY CAKES **
Rosemary Wells &  Susan Jeffers
MCDUFF MOVES IN ***
Martha Weston 
TUCK IN THE POOL ** 
BAD BABY BROTHER ** 
Vera Williams
"MORE, MORE, MORE," SAID THE BABY *** 
Jane Yolen &Jane Dyer
THE THREE BEARS RHYME BOOK **
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
SING A SONG OF POPCORN:  Every Child's Book of Poems *** 
Jack Prelutsky &Arnold Lobel
THE RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF  POETRY FOR CHILDREN *** 



& FOR GRADES 1 TO 3 (PRIMARY)

Harry Allard & James Marshall
MISS NELSON IS MISSING
Stan and Jan Berenstain
BIG HONEY HUNT *
INSIDE OUTSIDE UPSIDE DOWN *
Tom Birdseye & Andrew Glass
SOAP! SOAP! DON’T FORGET THE SOAP!  An Appalachian Folktale
Marcia Brown
ONCE A MOUSE *
STONE SOUP
Eve Bunting & Donald Carrick
GHOST'S HOUR, SPOOK'S HOUR * 
Eve Bunting & Ted Rand 
NIGHT TREE ***
Eve Bunting
FLY AWAY HOME ***
Miriam Cohen & Lillian Hoban
WILL I HAVE A FRIEND? *
BEST FRIENDS *
NO GOOD IN ART
Barbara Cooney
MISS RUMPHIUS ***
OX CART MAN ***
ELEANOR ***
EMILY ***
Tomie dePaola
STREGA NONA *
THE LEGEND OF OLD BEFANA *
Don Freeman
CORDUROY *
DANDELION *
Russell Hoban & Garth Williams
BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES * 
Russell & Lillian Hoban
BEDTIME FOR FRANCIS *
Trina Schart Hyman & Brothers Grimm
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD *
Steven Kellogg
PINKERTON, BEHAVE * 
CAN I KEEP HIM? *
Rudyard Kipling
JUST SO STORIES *** 
Munro Leaf 
THE STORY OF FERDINAND *
Leo Lionni
SWIMMY  *
FREDERICK *
Arnold Lobel
FROG AND TOAD ARE FRIENDS *
FROG AND TOAD TOGETHER *
OWL AT HOME
James Marshall
GEORGE AND MARTHA *
GEORGE AND MARTHA ONE FINE DAY
Robert McCloskey
BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL *
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS *
A.A. Milne
WINNIE-THE-POOH ***
HOUSE AT POOH CORNER ***
WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG ***
NOW WE ARE SIX ***
POOH'S LIBRARY (all 4 books)
Else Holmelund Minarik & Maurice Sendak
LITTLE BEAR *
LITTLE BEAR'S VISIT *
Arlene Mosel
TIKKI TIKKI TEMBO *
Trina Hakes Noble & Stephen Kellogg
THE DAY JIMMY'S BOA ATE THE WASH *** 
Peggy Parish
AMELIA BEDELIA *
TEACH US, AMELIA BEDELIA *
GOOD WORK, AMELIA BEDELIA *
AMELIA BEDELIA AND THE BABY *
PLAY BALL, AMELIA BEDELIA *
Patricia Polacco
MRS. KATZ AND TUSH
PINK AND SAY **
THE KEEPING QUILT **
Beatrix Potter
PETER RABBIT *
Maurice Sendak
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE ? ***
PIERRE *
CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE *
ONE WAS JOHNNY *
ALLIGATOR'S ALL AROUND *
THE NUTSHELL LIBRARY (4 books above)
THE SIGN ON ROSIE'S DOOR *
Dr. Seuss
GREEN EGGS AND HAM *
HORTON HATCHES THE EGG *
AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IT ON 
MULBERRY STREET *
Esphyr Slobodkin
CAPS FOR SALE *
Kay Thompson
ELOISE *
Chris Van Allsburg
POLAR EXPRESS *
Judith Viorst
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE
HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD DAY *
Vera B. Williams
A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER *
SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR ME *
Jane Yolen & John Schoenherr
OWL MOON *
Jane Yolen
SLEEPING UGLY ***
Charlotte Zolotow
MR. RABBIT AND THE 
LOVELY PRESENT **
WILLIAM'S DOLL
A FATHER LIKE THAT *
Martha Weston CATS ARE LIKE THAT
DR. CLOCK AND THE DINOSAURS
JACK AND JILL AND BIG DOG BILL
Lee Bennett Hopkins & Hilary Knight
SIDE BY SIDE: 
POEMS TO READ TOGETHER ***
X.J. and Jane Kennedy & Jane Dyer
TALKING LIKE THE RAIN ***
Helen Ferris
FAVORITE POEMS OLD AND NEW  (over 700 poems) ***



& GRADES  3  TO  6  (INTERMEDIATE)

Joan Aiken
THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE  and sequels
Natalie Babbitt
TUCK EVERLASTING
Tom Birdseye
I'M GOING TO BE FAMOUS
Judy Blume
ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET
  TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING
FUDGE-A-MANIA
Clyde Bulla
THE CHALK BOX KID *
THE SHOE SHINE GIRL*
OPEN THE DOOR AND SEE ALL THE PEOPLE
Betsy Byars
 THE  PINBALLS
MIDNIGHT FOX
SUMMER OF THE SWANS
Beverly Cleary
HENRY HUGGINS
RAMONA THE PEST *
RAMONA QUIMBY, AGE 8 *
RAMONA AND HER FATHER *
Bruce Coville
MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN
MY TEACHER FRIED MY BRAINS
MY TEACHER GLOWS IN THE DARK
MY TEACHER FLUNKED THE PLANET
THE MONSTER’S RING
JEREMY THATCHER DRAGON HATCHER
Paula Danzigger
AMBER BROWN IS NOT A CRAYON*
THE CAT ATE MY GYMSUIT
Meindert DeJong 
THE WHEEL ON THE SCHOOL
Eleanor Estes
THE HUNDRED DRESSES *
Louise Fitzhugh
HARRIET THE SPY
Sid Fleischman
MCBROOM THE RAINMAKER * and other  McBroom books
Jean Fritz
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED, PAUL REVERE? *
SHH! WE’RE WRITING THE CONSTITUTION *
Doris Gates
BLUE WILLOW *
Jean Craighead George
JULIE OF THE WOLVES  **
Kenneth Grahame
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS **
Marguerite Henry
BRIGHTY OF  THE GRAND CANYON *
C.S. Lewis
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE and sequels
Lois Lowry
 NUMBER THE STARS
ANASTASIA KRUPNIK
Patricia McKissack
FLOSSIE AND THE FOX*
David Macaulay
THE WAY THINGS WORK*
Patricia MacLachlan
SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL ***
ARTHUR FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
BABY
JOURNEY
Scott O’Dell
ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS **
Elizabeth Partridge
CLARA AND THE HOODOO MAN
Cynthia Rylant
MISSING MAY **
Lane Smith & Jon Scieszka
THE STINKY CHEESE MAN & OTHER FAIRLY STUPID TALES ***
Shel Silverstein 
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS ***
THE LIGHT IN THE ATTIC ***
William Steig
THE MAGIC PEBBLE *
Mildred Taylor
MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE **
E.B. White
CHARLOTTE'S WEB *
Laura Ingalls Wilder
LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS *
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE *
ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK *
FARMER BOY *



& FOR GRADES 6 TO 8 (OLDER READERS)

Lloyd Alexander
THE CAT WHO WISHED TO BE A MAN
THE BLACK CALDRON
THE BOOK OF THREE
William Armstrong
SOUNDER *
Avi
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE
Bruce Brooks
 WHAT HEARTS?
MIDNIGHT HOUR ENCORES
THE MOVES MAKE THE MAN
Susan Cooper
 THE DARK IS RISING
THE GREY KING
Paul Fleischman
THE BORNING ROOM
Sid Fleischman 
WHIPPING BOY
Virginia Hamilton
M.C. HIGGINS, THE GREAT
Sally M. Keehn
I AM REGINA
Madeleine L’Engle
A WRINKLE IN TIME
A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT
Ursula K. LeGuin
VERY FAR AWAY FROM ANY WHERE ELSE
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
SHILOH *
ICE
Katherine Patterson
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA *
THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS *
Zylpha Keatly Snyder
UNDER THE ROOT 
AND ALL BETWEEN
AFTER THE CELEBRATION
Mildred Taylor 
ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY *
LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN
Cynthia Voigt
DICEY'S SONG
HOMECOMING *
Jane Yolen
THE GIFT OF SARAH BARKER
THE DRAGON'S BOY
THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC
DRAGON'S BLOOD

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