Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah and James Howe
Bunnicula is the story of the Monroe family and their three pets: a dog named Harold, a cat named Chester, and a bunny named Bunnicula, the family’s newest addition. Chester is convinced that Bunnicula is a vampire, and tries to recruit Harold to prove it to the Monroe family. However, all of Chester’s efforts failed, making him look like the criminal. Harold then makes friends with Bunnicula, and everything returns to normal in the house. Reading Level: 4.2 Interest Level: 3-6 |
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Charlotte’s Web is a true story of friendship between two unlikely characters: Charlotte, a spider, and Wilbur, a pig. Since Wilbur is the runt of his family, he was sent to a farm to be raised and eventually killed for food. However, Charlotte learns that he is a sensitive pig, befriends him, and ends up wanting him to live a long and happy life. She comes up with a plan to spin webs that have words in them to bring attention to the pig, and make him seem too special to kill. This plan works because Wilbur wins a special prize at the fair and gets to live, but Charlotte ends up growing weak and tired and stays behind at the fair where she passes away. However, Wilbur brings her eggs back to the farm, and remains friends with generations of Charlotte’s family. Reading Level: 4.4 Interest Level: 3-6 |
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll
I Need My Monster is the story of a little boy who cannot go to sleep at night unless the monster under his bed, whose name is Gabe, is present. However, Gabe goes on a fishing trip that night, and the little boy is left monster less. Throughout the night monsters come and go, but the little boy is mostly unimpressed by them. Therefore, they end up giving up and sending a new monster to take their place. Finally, Gabe returns to the bedroom and scares the little boy, returning everything back to normal. Reading Level: 3.0 Interest Level: P-2 |
James and the Giant Peach by Ronald Dahl
James and the Giant Peach is the story of a little boy named James who lives with his two aunts due to the fact that both of his parents passed away. However, these aunts are abusive and hardly feed James, beat him for no reason, and force him to sleep on the floor. One day, James comes across an old man who gives him a recipe for happiness and adventure, but on the way home he spills it on an old peach tree. Eventually James finds a secret room inside the peach, and discovers a whole bunch of animals that can talk to him. They end up becoming his friend, and they go on crazy adventures on their way to New York City, where they make a new life for themselves. Reading Level: 4.8 Interest Level: 4-7 |
Moosetache by Margie Palatini
Moosetache is the story of a moose with a moustache that was just too long. It was itchy and annoying and too much to handle, so the moose tried many things to keep it under control. However, his plans all failed, and he almost gave up. But then he met a female moose with beautiful hair, and she helped him groom his moustache into something he could handle. They fell in love, got married, had children, and always kept their hair in place. Reading Level: 2.5 Interest Level: K-3 |
Pirate Pete by Kim Kennedy
Pirate Pete is the story of a journey to find gold on Mermaid Island. Pete and his parrot sing the Queen to sleep to steal her treasure map, and set out for the gold. However, Pete’s motto is “Where there is gold, I’m a-goin’”, and it makes them get side tracked multiple times on different islands. Eventually, Pete makes it to the gold, but not long after that the Queen shows up. She takes the gold and leaves them marooned on Mermaid Island. Reading Level: 3.0 Interest Level: K-3 |
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Borrowers is the story of a little girl named Kate, who is making a quilt with Mrs. May. When a needle goes missing, Mrs. May tells Kate the story of the borrowers. The borrowers are a family of teeny tiny humans, who “borrow” human things to furnish their small house. The youngest borrower, Arrietty, wants to be like her father and do the borrowing herself, but her father is scared she will get caught by the humans. However, they decide to let her go out on her own and explore, and she makes friends with a human. That is all Kate learns of the borrowers though, and Mrs. May explains that sometimes stories go on and on without any ending because sometimes the storyteller gets tired of talking. Reading Level: 5.3 Interest Level: 3-6 |
The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
The Day The Crayons Quit is the story of a little boy named Duncan, who received a stack of letters one day from his crayons. They were all fed up with being used too often or too little, only for certain objects, being stripped of their wrapping, or for being too gender specific. Since Duncan felt bad and still wanted to color, he colored a picture that day using every color equally. He got an A for coloring, and an A+ for creativity. Reading Level: 3.8 Interest Level: P-2 |
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
The Gruffalo is a story of a mouse who is approached by all sorts of creatures who could potentially eat him. However, when those creatures invite the mouse back to their house, he tells them he is waiting for a gruffalo. He then describes the gruffalo to them, and tells them that their favorite meal is the creature he is talking to. This causes the creatures to run away from the mouse as he chuckles and says that gruffalos don’t really exist. However, a gruffalo really does appear, and wants to eat the mouse. But the mouse shows him that he is the scariest creature in the woods, and the gruffalo ends up running away from the mouse as well. Reading Level: 2.3 Interest Level: K-3 |
What I Saw In The Teacher’s Lounge by Jerry Pallotta
What I Saw In The Teacher’s Lounge is the story of a young boy who wants to know what is happening in the teacher’s lounge. When the young boy peeks through the doors, he sees strange things going on. He watches the teachers hike, surf, scuba dive, ski, wrestle, fish, and water ski. However, when he tells his classmates what is happening, no one believes him. He tries to prove that it is true, so he has them peek in the room as well. But they find the teachers doing normal things like drinking coffee and grading papers. Reading Level: 2.0 Interest Level: P-2 |