Recommended Reading List for Donations of Books to Head Start MD

 The following books are pure fun for little kids and lots of laughs:
 
No David by David Shannon
David Goes To School by David Shannon
Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus by Mo Williems
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Williems
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells
 
Some of the following titles are by classic authors. All are very good, but some favorites are listed:
 
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
A Color of His Own, Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Frog and Toad Book Series by Arnold Lobel
Mice Squeak, We Speak by Tomie DePaola
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.
Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin, Jr.

The following titles are great books for teaching lessons:
 
What The Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
I Like Me by Nancy Carlson
Giraffe’s Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
It’s Okay To Be Different, The Feel Good Book by Todd Parr. See www.Toddparr.com

A Recommended Annotated Reading List For On-Site Reading Programs:

Batille, Marion, ABC3D. Neal Porter/Roaring Brook - This book by a French book designer, does for paper what Claymation did for mud. It’s three-dimensional, interactive, cinematic teat for the littlest fingers right on up to the oldest eyes. It is probably the most innovative alphabet book of the year. Wonderful fun for one and all. (All ages)
 
Cottin, Menena & Faria, Rosana. Greenwood. The Black Book of Colors. - This graphically sophisticated book comes from Venezuela. It is designed for both sighted and visually impaired children, the evocative text translates colors into congruent sensory experiences. “Green tastes like lemon ice cream and smells like grass that’s just been cut...”) The pages invite finger-tip exploration of an individual image. The text appears in Braille across the top of the page and in bold white letters across the bottom. The entire Braille alphabet is included at the end of the book. (Ages 5-10)
 
Dungy, Tony. You Can Do It. Little Simon Inspirations -  This is the first children’s book by the NFL Super Bowl wining head coach. In this inspiring book about loyalty, determination and family, the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts shares his personal testimony:”D o your best and let God do the rest.” (Ages 4-7)
 
Fox, Mern & Oxenbury, Helen. Harcourts. Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes - English author and celebrated illustrator/author team up to look at babyhood. The happy result is a jig-along rhyme sure to delight parents and tots alike. (Ages 3-5)
 
Idle, Molly Schaar. Nighty Night Noah. Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN, 2007. - The Society of Illustrators selected this children’s book for inclusion in it Original Art 2008 exhibition. The book depicts the biblical hero Noah saying good night to each pair of animals on the ark in alphabetical order. Also, because the illustrations are so excellent, a page was displayed at the Museum of American Illustration in New York City during Fall, 2008.

Meadows, Michelle. Pilot Pups. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, NY, 2008. (Ages 3-7 - This is a flying, adventure picture book story about daring dogs who take off on an important research and rescue mission. (Ages 3-7)

Petry, Ann. Harriet Tubman: Conductor On The Under Ground Railroad. Armistad/Harper Colllins Children’s Books, New York, NY,2008. - This book tells about the life story of Harriet Tubman, the “Moses of her people,” written for children by the famed Harlem novelists. It is an American Library association Notable children’s book. (Ages 10 and up)
 
Rinck, Maranke & Martijn van der Linden Lemniscaat. I Feel A Foot. - This book from the Netherlands offers a different approach to a similar topic that is similar to Ed Young’s Seven Blind Mice.  Turtle, Bat, Octopus, Bird and Goat all explore various parts of a patients pachyderm with predictable different results. It has beautiful illustrations. (Ages 2-6)
 

Walker, Alice. Why War Is Never A Good Idea. Harper Collins, NY, 2008. - In this 32- page story for children, poet and activist Allice Walker personifies the power and wanton devastation of war in this evocative and heartfelt poem. (Ages 4–8)  

-Marianne Williamson

For Elementary Age

Ducker, Evan & Donna. Buddy Booby’s Birthmark. (E & D Books) - This book asks an interesting question. Does having a birthmark mean you have a disability? Well, yes, if you are surrounded by people who think it is a disability. .Our story’s hero loves the thing that makes him different from everybody else.

Lundebrek, Amy. Under the Night Sky. (Tilbury House) - This story is about a single working mom and her young son, whom she awakens in the middle of the night to see the northern lights. This experience gives them a beautiful bonding moment that will last for a lifetime. This book celebrates single parenting families. (Grades 4-6)

Thompson, Lauren. Hope Is An Open Heart. (Scholastic Press) -
This book offers children an introduction to the concept of hope. It is paired with wonderful photographs of children from all over the world. You could have the children to photograph what they see as an image of hope or talk about one. (Grades K-6)

Weber, Saul. A Lesson My Cat Taught Me. (http://www.createspace.com/3447169; available through Amazon.com)  - A young girl named Jennifer finds a friendly cat that she bring home even though her family already has a cat named Mr. Tickles. The family learns that the new cat who only has one eye can do things that Mr.Tickles can not do. The book teaches a valuable lesson about disabilities. (Grades K-3)

　

 

last update 8/4/2011