Lists are compiled by the Columbus Metropolitan Library

Great Books for Ages 5 to 6

PICTURE BOOKS

Super Duck
by Jez Alborough
Duck and his long-suffering friends Frog, Sheep, and Goat take off on their latest unforgettable adventure involving a runaway kite.

In A Blue Room
by Jim Averbeck
Alice wants everything in her bedroom to be blue before she falls asleep.

Jack’s House
by Karen Magnuson Beil
Who really built Jack’s house? Could it be his trusty dog Max?

Rain Stomper
by Addie Boswell
When it begins to rain and storm on the day of her big parade, Jazmin stomps, shouts, and does all she can think of to drive the rain away.

A Family For Old Mill Farm
by Shutta Crum
Animal and humans house hunters find Old Mill Farm and decide that it is just the right place to live.

Beetle Bop
by Denise Fleming
Color-soaked illustrations and rhyming text reveal the great variety of beetles and
their swirling, humming, crashing, activities.

Roller Coaster
by Marla Frazee
The roller coaster car is going up, up, up to the highest spot. And at least one of the people in the car has never ridden on a roller coaster before . . .

A Story for Bear
By Dennis Haseley
A young bear that is fascinated by the mysterious marks he sees on paper finds a friend when a kind woman reads to him.

The Way Back Home
by Oliver Jeffers
Stranded on the moon after his airplane takes him into outer space, a boy meets a marooned young Martian with a broken spacecraft, and the two new friends work together to return home.

Arabella Miller’s Tiny Caterpillar
by Clare Jarrett
A little girl discovers a tiny caterpillar, and after taking care of him and feeding him leaves, she watches as he becomes a new and wonderful creature.

Keisha Ann Can
by Daniel Kirk
Keisha Ann is proud of all the things she can do during her day at school.

Bats at the Library
by Brian Lies
Bored with another normal, inky evening, bats discover an open library window and
fly in to enjoy the photocopier, water fountain, and the books and stories found there.

Giant John
by Arnold Lobel
Hired to perform odd jobs at the royal castle, Giant John's work pleases everyone until the musical fairies arrive and the friendly giant cannot resist the urge to dance.

Blueberries for Sal
by Robert McCloskey
Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost
end up with each other’s mother.

Ducks Don’t Wear Socks
by John Nedwideck
Always so serious in everything she does, Emily gets an important lesson about the joy of laughter and the fun of being silly from her sock-wearing, super-quirky friend Duck.

Posy
by Linda Newbery
Posy the kitten has lots of adventures catching spiders, swiping crayons, tangling yarn, and cuddling.

Amelia Bedelia and the Cat
by Herman Parish
Amelia Bedelia finds a stray kitten she thinks falls from the sky and tries to take good care of it

The Wizard
by Jack Prelutsky
An illustrated, rhyming tale of a wicked wizard and his evil deeds, as he uses "elemental sorcery" to change a bullfrog into a series of objects, from a flea to a flame.

Timothy and the Strong Pajamas: A Superhero Adventure
by Viviane Schwarz
After his mother mends his favorite pajamas, Timothy finds that he has super strength and decides to use it to help others.

Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Max sails to the land of the wild things, where he becomes king. Ladybug Girl
by David Soman
After her brother tells her she is too little to play with him, Lulu, dressed as Ladybug Girl, makes her own fun.

Tickle Monster is Coming
by James Otis Thach
A little monster prepares for bed, all the while waiting anxiously for the Tickle Monster to sneak in and get him.

A Birthday for Cow!
by Jan Thomas
Despite the objections of Pig and Mouse, Duck insists on adding a special ingredient to the cake they are making to celebrate Cow's birthday.

Nobody Here but Me
by Judith Viorst
With everyone in the family so preoccupied with their own activities, a little boy starts feeling ignored and so begins to do some mischievous things around the house.

How Do Dinosaurs Go To School
by Jane Yolen
Dinosaurs ride the bus to school, jump on top of their desks, read their favorite books, and have fun on the playground with all of their friends.
.

NONFICTION

Fire Engines Up Close
by Andra Abramson
Big pictures of your favorite big trucks.

Big Brown Bat
by Rick Chrustowski
Bats are amazing creatures. Follow baby bat from his life with mom to life on his own.

Are You Quite Polite?: Silly Dilly Manners Songs
by Alan Katz
This silly manners book presents humorous lyrics to such familiar children's songs as "Pop Goes the Weasel," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and "Hey Diddle Diddle."

The Squeaky Door
by Margaret Read McDonald
How can a granny keep that spooky, squeaky door from scaring her little boy awake at night?

C is for Cooking: Recipes from the Street
by Susan McQuillan
Presents easy recipes that children can use to create their own drinks, breakfasts, lunches, soups, dinners, and snacks.

Great Books for Ages 7 to 8

PICTURE BOOKS

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
by Judi Barrett
Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse.

When Dinosaurs Came With Everything
by Elise Broach
Although his mother is a little worried, a young boy is delighted to discover that every shop in town is giving away real dinosaurs to their customers.

Snoring Beauty
by Bruce Hale
Everyone knows the story of Sleeping Beauty and, oh yeah, the princess in this book not only snores . . . she's also been turned into a hot-pink and purple dragon!

The Secret Olivia Told Me
by N. Joy
Olivia shares a secret with her best friend who then lets it slip to someone else, and soon everyone knows about Olivia's secret.

Don’t Say That Word!
by Alan Katz
Michael's rhyming description of his day at school has his mother repeatedly interrupting to prevent him from saying impolite words.

Library Mouse
by Daniel Kirk
Sam, a shy but creative mouse who lives in a library, decides to write and illustrate his own stories which he places on the shelves with the other library books.

How to Raise Mom and Dad: Instructions from Someone Who Figured It Out
by Josh Lerman
Here’s some advice on how to manipulate your parents in order to avoid eating vegetables, extend your bedtime, or get a puppy.

A Time of Wonder
by Robert McCloskey
Take a vacation on an island in Maine and discover the rain, fog, sun, darkness, and especially a hurricane.

Zen Shorts
by Jon Muth
When Stillwater the giant panda moves into the neighborhood, the stories he tells to three siblings teach them to look at the world in new ways.

Wabi Sabi
by Mark Reibstein
Wabi Sabi, a cat living in the city of Kyoto, learns about the Japanese concept of beauty through simplicity as she asks various animals she meets about the meaning of her name.

Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover
by Cynthia Rylant
Henry and his dog Mudge are invited to a sleepover in Patrick's attic where they watch monster movies, eat pizza, and determine whose dog is the best popcorn catcher.

Stray Dog
by Marc Simont
While on a picnic, a family befriends a stray dog, names him Willy, and decides to keep him.

A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee
by Chris Van Dusen
Mr. Magee and his dog Dee go camping and have an adventure with a hungry bear.

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach
by Melanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel doesn't like crowds so he doesn't go to the beach. He builds his own beach instead!

FICTION

End of the Beginning
by Avi
Avon the snail and Edward, a take-charge ant, set off together on a journey to an undetermined destination in search of unspecified adventures.

Great Egyptian Grave Robbery
by Jeff Brown
Asked to travel to Egypt to help with an urgent archaeological expedition, Flat Stanley suspects that he might be helping grave robbers and must rely on his quick thinking, unique flatness, and new friends to make things right.

Snake and Lizard
by Joy Cowley
Snake and Lizard find themselves constantly arguing when they first meet. But as they get to know each other, they see that they really do have many things in common.

Donavan’s Double Trouble
by Monalisa DeGross
Fourth-grader Donavan has problems understanding math. Then his favorite uncle, a former basketball star, returns from National Guard duty an amputee. Can he and Donavan help each other with their problems?

Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig
by Kate DiCamillo
When all their beautiful flowers suddenly go missing, Eugenia and Baby Lincoln feel certain their neighbor Mercy, a pig with a craving for sweet-smelling pansies, is to blame! Can Mercy Watson outwit Animal Control?

Toy Dance Party
by Emily Jenkins
When the little girl goes away on vacation and they are left behind, toys Lumphy, StingRay, and Plastic keep the house in order, save the toy mice from the vacuum, and throw themselves a dance party in the washing machine!

Mouse Family Robinson
by Dick King-Smith
After a close call with the cat who stalks the hallways, a family of wild mice, immigrates to a more mouse-friendly house down the block.

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
by Betty MacDonald
The children plan a birthday party for Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle as the loveable problem solver, with her trunk full of magic in tow, offers cures for common conditions such as watching too much television and the fear of trying new things.

How Oliver Olson Changed the World
by Claudia Mills
Afraid he will always be an outsider like ex-planet Pluto, nine-year-old Oliver finally shows his overprotective parents that he is capable of doing great things without their help while his class is studying the solar system.

Dark Day in the Deep Sea
by Mary Pope Osborne
Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, join a group of nineteenth-century explorers aboard the H.M.S. Challenger to learn about the ocean and solve the mystery of its fabled sea monster.

Clementine’s Letter
by Sara Pennypacker
Clementine's beloved teacher, Mr. D'Matz might be leaving for the rest of the year to go on a research trip to Egypt!

Houdini Box
by Brian Selznick
From the creator of the Caldecott Medal-winning bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret comes this magical storybook that combines captivating mystery with mesmerizing historical fiction.

NONFICTION

Babymouse: the Musical
by Jennifer L. Holm
Will Babymouse get the lead in the school musical or will Felicia Furrypaws steal the show? Find out in this fun graphic novel for younger readers.

How Big Is It? A Book all About Bigness
by Ben Hillman
Explore different kinds of very large objects, including the Great Pyramid at Giza, a reticulated python, the Redwoods, the Arecibo radio telescope, and a googol.

How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly?
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Flies are fast! They use their lightning-quick reflexes to escape predators. But rainbow trout, slender lorises, and assassin bugs can catch them. Chimney swifts can, too.

Tuttle’s Red Barn
by Richard Michelson
Woodcut illustrations and inspirational prose follow the Tuttle family, who witnessed many historical events as they passed down their farm from generation to generation.

Children's Miscellany Too: More Useless Information That's Essential to Know

by Matthew Morgan
Collects fascinating facts and bizarre trivia on all subjects, including information on how to talk to foreign animals, what to do if zombies attack, when to eat jellyfish, and much more!

Be Glad Your Nose is On Your Face
by Jack Prelutsky
This treasury of more than 100 of Jack Prelutsky's most celebrated verses, along with fifteen new poems, is a tribute to his gifts to children over the past forty years.

Coretta Scott
By Ntozake Shange
Walking many miles to school in the dusty road, young Coretta knew the unfairness of life in the segregated south. Together with Martin Luther King, Jr., she gave birth to a vision and a journey—with dreams of freedom for all.

Rain Forests
by Richard C. Vogt
Utilizing state-of-the-art CGI and 3-D model illustration, this book is packed with images that reveal surprising new angles about rainforests.

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