During
fourth grade, please encourage your child to read for enjoyment. The following
books were specially selected as 4th grade favorites. You may want to discuss the contents of the
books to see which ones your child is interested in. These books should be
available at our school library or at our local library.
Abe’s Island by William Steig. Farrar
1976 (119p) During a storm, a gentlemen mouse is accidentally separated from
his wife and must learn to survive on an island.
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bon. Houghton.
(1958) (128p) When Mr. And Mrs. Brown find a bear wearing a sign reading
“please look after this bear,” they welcome him into their family. (See others
in series.)
A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden. Farrar
1960 Chester Cricket, Harry the Cat, and Tucker Mouse join forces to help the
Bellini family save their newsstand in Times Square. (See others in series.)
Dinosaur Bob and His
Adventures With the Family Lazardo by William Joyce.
HarperCollins 1988 (32p) The Lazardo family return from Africa with a dinosaur
named Bob, who learns to play baseball.
Granny, Will Your Dog Bite?
And Other Mountain Rhymes by Gerald Milnes. Knopf 1990 (45p) A collection of riddles, spelling
rhymes, nonsense rhymes, and stories from Appalachia.
Hailstones and Halibut
Gones: Adventures in Color by Mary O’Neill. Doubleday 1961 (64p) A classic collection of twelve
rich and vivid poems that describe colors and how they make one feel.
Heidi by Joanna Spyri. Puffin
1983 (240p) (other editions) In this well-loved classic, a little girl is sent
to live with her grandfather in the Alps.
Her Seven Brothers by Paul Goble. Bradbury
1988 (32p) A Cheyenne legend that explains the creation of the Big Dipper.
Honey, I Love and Other Love
Poems bye
Eloise Greenfield. HarperCollins 1978 (48p) A collection of poems celebrating
the jobs of childhood.
How Many Spots Does a
Leopard Have and Other Tales by Julius Lester. Scholastic 1989 (72p) A
collection of twelve African and Jewish folktales.
Ida Early Comes Over the
Mountain by
Robert Burch. Puffin 1990 (160p) (other editions) Life takes a humorous turn
for the four motherless Sutton children and their father when Ida shows up to
keep house for them.
John
Henry by Julius
Lester. Dial 1994 (40p) The classic American folktale of man against machine
retold by a master storyteller.
Just
So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling. HarperCollins 1991 (128p) Twelve pourqoi tales from
Kipling, including stories about how the camel got his hump and how the
alphabet was invented.
The
King’s Equal
by Katherine Paterson. HaperCollins 1992 (64p) Prince Raphel is order by his
dying father to find a bride who is the prince’s equal in all ways, and the
ensuing search brings surprising results.
The
Little House
books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. HaperCollins 1953 (336p) Beginning with The
Little House on the Prairie, this series chronicles the lives of Laura,
Mary, and Ma and Pa Ingalls during the 1800s (See others in series.)
Lon
Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story From China by Ed Young. Philomel 1989 (32p) This
dramatic version of the European Red Riding Hood story was awarded the
Caldecott Medal for its illustrations.
Mr.
Popper’s Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater. Little, Brown 1938 (139p) Mr. Popper
finds himself raising a family of penguins, which he trains to perform and then
takes them on the road.
Mrs.
Piggle-Wiggle
by Betty MacDonald. HaperCollins 1957 (119p) Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a cure for
every childhood ailment, including her old-fashioned Won’t-Pick-Up-Toys Cure
and her Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure. (See others in series.)
Mufaro’s
Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe. Lothrop 1987 (32p) In this African tale, Mufaro’s
daughters, kind Nyasha and spoiled Manyara, are invited to visit the king when
he decides to take a wife.
My
Grandmother’s Stories: A Collection of Jewish Folk Tales by Adele Geras. Knopf 1990
(96p) Everday situations remind Grandmother of the ten folk tales she retells
in this collection.
Paddle
to the Sea
by Holling Clacy Holling. Houghton 1941 (64p) A young Canadian boy carves a
canoe he calles Padde-to-the-Sea and sets it off through the Great Lakes to the
sea.
Pass
It On: African American Poetry for Children by Wade Hudson. Scholastic 1993 (32p) A
poetry collection representing fourteen African American poets, including
Langston Hughes and Eloise Greenfield.
Pigs
Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail. Dutton 1993 (32p) As the narrator tries to red,
several pigs wreak havoc in his home.
The
Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. Morrow The popular series about Ramona
Quimby begins with four-year-old Ramona in Beezus and Ramona. (See
others in the series.)
Taxicab
Tales by
Barbara Ann Porte. Greenvillow 1992 (56p) Abigail and Sam’s father always has
wonderful tales to tell about his day as a taxicab driver.
The
True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. Viking 1991 (32p) A. Wolf tells his
side of the story, indicating he was framed, in this highly original takeoff of
the traditional tale.
The
Trumpet of the Swam by E. B. White. Harper 1970 (210p) Louis the trumpeter swam lacks a
voice, so he learns to play the trumpet to woo the beautiful Serena.
The
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Scribers 1908 (254p) The story of Toad, Rat, Mole,
and Badger has become one of the best-loved children’s stories of all time.
Yeh-shen:
A Chinese Cinderella Story from China by Ai Ling Louie. Philomel 1982 (32p) A young
Chinese girl marries the prince despite objections and trickery by her
stepmother and stepsisters.
The
Read-Aloud Handbook, Fourth Edition by Jim Trelease. Viking Penguin 1995 (320p) The
latest edition of the now-classic real-aloud treasury.
The
Parent’s Guide to Storytelling by Margaret Read MacDonald. HaperCollins 1995
(128p) Subtitled “How to Make Up New Stories and Retell Old Ones,” this guide
includes hints and techniques in storytelling. Included also are some bedtime
stories, folktales, and storytime activities.