Kindergarten

A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A caterpillar hatches out of his egg and is very hungry. On his first day, he eats through one piece of food; on his second, two; and so on. Little holes cut in the pages allow toddlers to wiggle their fingers through the food, just like the caterpillar. Vivid and colorful illustrations and ingenious layered pages help preschoolers learn the days of the week, how to count, and how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly.

First Grade

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
What happens if you give a mouse a cookie? Why, he'll need a glass of milk to go with it! He'll also need a straw, a napkin, a mirror -- each item prompts the need for another. When the mouse is hanging a picture from a refrigerator (how did he get there?), he's reminded that he's thirsty and needs a glass of milk (uh-oh). With this milk, it's absolutely necessary to have a cookie, of course! Bond's wonderful illustrations enliven this modern-day classic.

Second Grade

Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book Series) by Peggy Parish, Fritz Siebel (illus.)
Meet Amelia Bedelia, the unflappable maid who does everything literally. With her purse on her arm and hat firmly on her head, Amelia Bedelia follows instructions to a T: Change the towels? Nothing a pair of scissors can't do! Dust the furniture? That's when the perfumed dusting powder really comes in handy. Dress the chicken for dinner -- well, do you want a boy chicken or a girl chicken? Amelia Bedelia's well-meaning gaffs cause readers to chuckle but her employer to fume -- it's a good thing she's such a good cook!

Third Grade

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
This is the story of a little girl named Fern who loves a little pig named Wilbur -- and of Wilbur's dear friend, Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful, large, gray spider who lives with Wilbur in the barn. With the help of Templeton, the rat who never does anything for anybody unless there is something in it for him, and by a wonderfully clever plan of their own, Charlotte saves the life of Wilbur, who by this time has grown up to be quite a pig.

Fourth Grade

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, Garth Williams (illus.)
Business has not been good at the Bellini's newspaper stand in the Times Square subway station. Tucker the mouse, who lives in a drainpipe near the newsstand, wishes he could help. One night, Mario Bellini hears a beautiful sound -- it is Chester, a cricket from Connecticut who has been accidentally brought to New York City and plays music with his wings. After Mario convinces his parents to let him keep Chester, Tucker, his friend Harry the cat, and the cricket come up with a plan to help the Bellinis keep their newsstand: Chester can give concerts!

Fifth Grade

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think about life before the war. But it's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching in their town. When the Nazis begin "relocating" the Jews of Denmark, Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. And as Annemarie helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis and embarks on a dangerous mission, she learns how to be brave and courageous -- to save her best friend's life.

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