Warmth in the Red Rose Kindergarten and Beyond

By Amy Stocker, teacher at the Red Rose Kindergarten Waldorf School of Mendocino County

’Tis the time of year when we in early childhood are singing songs about King Winter, icy frost and bundling up for some cold weather play. The children are delighted to cut their own snowflakes to hang in the windows. There is a happy hum as some of the children are working at the table while others are creatively playing in the classroom. We move about vigorously in our winter circle, warming our bodies and limbs. Our circle combines elements of warmth and cold, of expansion and contraction, of cross lateral movement, subtle articulation of body parts and engaging speech patterns.

Knowing how important warmth is, especially this time of year, I urge us to carefully consider how to ensure and foster warm within the children’s physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. The following reflections on warmth are of special consideration for caregivers of infants and young children but the same holds true for students all through the grades, as well as for ourselves.

For the developing child, warmth is one the most essential elements needed for healthy growth and development. We know that keeping warm helps us to be more resilient to viruses and illnesses. Rudolf Steiner noticed a direct connection between maintaining warmth in childhood to physical health and emotional warmth in adulthood. Also, a study from Yale university shows that people judge others to be more generous and caring if they held a warm cup of coffee and less so if they held an iced coffee. One could say that outward or physical warmth is essential for children to maintain inner or emotional warmth.

Children, especially under the age of seven are developing at such a rapid rate. So much of a child’s energy or life force is needed in the further growth of internal organs, rhythmical processes and sense integration. When their bodies are warm, children are more able to remain focused and engaged. Warmth encourages our children’s ability to learn. The bodily forces that are used in development and growth are the same forces used when the body is attempting to heat itself. Therefore, if a child is not properly layered and warm, they are using their precious and finite store of energy to heat up their core temperature, taking away from the growth of their physical body and development of cognitive skills.

Young children do not yet know how to regulate and maintain their own body temperature. They need our help determining appropriate clothing for the weather. Sometimes we can get an idea of a child’s internal temperature by feeling their hands and feet. However, children have an accelerated metabolic rate and they may just feel warm to the touch and want to take off a layer, when in fact for optimal development they need to keep their layer on.

There is physical warmth, emotional warmth of love, of generosity, of true morality-all of these ‘warmths’ pour over and merge with each other. Perhaps most importantly, warmth is the essential ingredient in transformative work. Without warmth, we cannot change, and the life of the small child is consumed with processes of growth and adaptation. Warmth helps us be healthy human beings on many different levels. Waldorf education understands that a child is indeed actively striving to integrate: to learn to feel comfortable in her body, to find the means for expressing outwardly what she feels inwardly, to develop a sense of security and understanding about all the new and unusual experiences brought by the world around her. To bring what is in, out; to make what is foreign one’s own. Warmth helps that process. -Dr. Adam Blanning

Inside Our Cozy Warm Room

With the cold and wet weather and with the images of ice and cold that I am bringing the children through story, song and verse, how can I ensure that they are having authentic experiences of warmth? How do I bring warmth into the room with the children? Perhaps its a warm smile, or loving touch. Perhaps it is the warm glow from a candle or the natural light filtering in through the silk curtains or in the pastel colored walls. These elements are not unique to the early childhood spaces at WSMC, but instead extend into the grades classroom as well.

Heading Out Into the Cold

Red Rose Kindergarten friends head out to play in all types of weather. Caregivers have carefully stocked cubbies with water proof mittens, rain pants, rain jackets and hats, now it’s time to head outside! By this time of year, the children of Red Rose Kindergarten know how to diligently dress themselves in their rainy weather gear. The greater challenge is to take it off, turn it right side out and hang it up, but they are getting pretty skilled at that too.

Some of our favorite ways to protect warmth in all WSMC students are:

1. Hats on! We loose so much of our body heat out the top of our heads. Dr. Blanning shares with us that the best way to protect warmth in a child is with a hat.

2. Layers! Cotton, wool and silk under layers are great. Polyester doesn’t breathe, sweat is trapped against their bodies and they eventually become chilled. Wool allows the body to regulate it’s own temperature without getting overheated. In my own family I find that even a wool tank top under a long sleeve does wonders for keeping the core of the body warm.

3. A rubber hot water bottle. Dr. Blanning speaks on the therapeutic benefits of a rubber hot water bottle. The quality of the hot water, the weight and movement of the water is far more potent than the heat from an electric or microwaved heating pad. Dr. Blanning recommends a warm water bottle on the lower abdomen or feet at bedtime.

4. Warm food for breakfast and even in lunches. Insulated thermoses full of warm food and warm tea can help bring elements of warmth throughout the school day.

5. A lighted candle during a meal brings a special warm feeling and spiritual nourishment to time spent together as a family.

6. Indoor slippers or shoes.

7. Warm bath with Epsom salts.

8. Proper rain gear from head to toe for rainy days. Children LOVE to play in the rain. Helping them to stay warm and dry leads to the most joyful discoveries and play!

Children will sometimes resist putting on their jacket or coat. It can be so helpful to begin the habit of wearing layers from an early age adopting the attitude, “It’s just what we do in cold weather.” We can even hold the coat open for the resisting child and help them with the initial movement into the coat. Sometimes they just need help getting started. Some children respond well to the idea that their coat will help them run faster and have more energy for play. Other children need a stronger, more direct statement such as, “I really want to go outside and play with you but we can’t do that until you are wearing your jacket.” You can feel confident in your insistence knowing the gesture behind it is one of love, care and protection.

Warmth just might be the greatest gift we can give the children in our care. Not just the warmth of our heart, but also warmth in their physical bodies. What are some of your most effective and meaningful ways you bring warmth into your family life?

Amy Stocker teaches at the Red Rose Kindergarten Waldorf School of Mendocino County

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The Joys of Summer Reading

When I was growing up, I was a dedicated bookworm and I looked forward to summer, not just for the warm temperatures and outdoor adventures it held, but for the hours and hours of uninterrupted reading time.
 
Stories are powerful – they can transport you to new worlds and take you on escapades you’d never dreamed of. They can stretch your understanding of how the world works and how friends and family might treat each other. They build empathy as you accompany the protagonist on his or her journey. There is something magical about the right story at just the right time -- if you encounter it when you are too young, you cannot grasp the weight and depth of the author’s work, while if you wait too long, the tale seems babyish and not worth your time.
 
Over my many years of teaching, parents and students have come to me, looking for guidance on how to choose a book. To help families, I have created an annotated book list describing what to think about before you head to the library or bookstore and what to look for when you get there. The list contains both “easy readers” for those learning to read to themselves and novels to be read aloud or enjoyed by independent readers. For those of you who have already seen my book list, this is the latest and most updated version so have another look to find some new titles mixed in!
 
I wish everyone a wonderful summer of memorable adventures and good books!

~Submitted by Mary Ellingson, Grades Teacher

Choosing books to support your child’s soul development and love of literature
 
Books to read prior to the nine-year change -- 
what to look for and what to avoid
 
For the first nine years (or so) of childhood, the world is unquestionably good -- though problems arise, they are always resolvable, the bad guys get their just desserts and stories are guaranteed to come with happy endings.  During early childhood, children are learning about their world through the archetypal characters and plot lines of fairy tales.  The predictable is reassuring and young children will ask to hear the same stories over and over again.  
 
What to look for:

• Stories that carry that archetypal nature of fairy tales.

• Innocence

• Shorter stories with a resolution at the end of one sitting are best for younger listeners. As children become more able to live with uncertainty, you can slowly introduce longer tales that might stretch across a few days (usually this comes after the sixth birthday).

 
What to consider and perhaps avoid at this age:
 Have you read this story since you were a child?  Our memories of the stories we read way back when can fade and get fuzzy.  A book may have more violence or mature themes than you first remember (this happened to me with The Secret of NIHM).  It is better to pre-read and make sure you want that story for your child at this point in their development than to get half-way through a read-aloud and realize you don’t want your child exposed to the rest.

• Would this story be better later? There are many fabulous stories in the world and the first hearing is usually the most powerful. You don’t want to rush ahead out of your own adult enthusiasm and bring a story that will better serve your child at a later stage in their development (for example, the first few books in the Harry Potterseries are wonderful, but are best after the nine-year change, likewise The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be most meaningful in adolescence or adulthood).

  • If the story is a novel, is the protagonist my child’s age? If the difference is two years or more, I would lean toward saving it for later.

  • If the story is based on a myth or legend, will this be a part of the curriculum further down the road? Please save any of these so that they may come at school or after we have worked with them in class.

  • Is this a book that will help my child through the nine-year-change? If a book contains some of the characteristics listed below, perhaps consider saving it until it will have the most impact.

  • Is this a coming-of-age story (like Harry Potter, Rascal, My Side of the Mountain, Where the Red Fern Grows, Little Britches, later Little House books, Lassie, The Yearling, Old Yeller, Misty of Chincoteague)? Has hardship befallen some child and they find a way through their hard time? Save these for after the nine-year-change.

• Humor: We all appreciate a good laugh, but consider the sources of humor.

  • Understanding jokes, riddles and plays on words evolves with age and development. Some first graders think knock-knock jokes are hilarious while others are mystified at what everyone is laughing about. Make sure that the humor in the book will be appreciated without having to be explained.

  • These days, many authors will frame interactions that are actually mean or inappropriate as funny. Would you want your child to behave or speak as the protagonist is? If not, perhaps save that book for later.

  • It is also common for modern authors to weave adult or teenage humor into books for much younger audiences. The subtlety of irony and sarcasm is lost on young children and may be misapplied when they try to emulate what they have heard.

• Violence: There is a difference between the archetypal violence of fairy tales and the more personalized, individuated violence in novels like Redwall or The Hobbit. Just because your child isn’t visibly flinching or suffering nightmares doesn’t mean that a story isn’t too much. In general, save novels with violence for a later phase of childhood.

• Facts: Books of facts are often bright, colorful and enticing. If learning were a dessert, facts would be the sprinkles on top. It is easy for children to mistake a collection of facts as a repository of knowledge. They don’t understand that while trivia can be impressive and make you look precocious there is no depth in facts alone. Stories, with their matrix of context around the facts, provide a much rounder, deeper experience of a topic.

 
Books to read during the nine-year change
 
The nine-year change is a transition in the midst of childhood. Children are separating from the magic of early childhood, from the one-ness and connection they felt to parents, family and the world.  During this time they are coming to recognize that they will have to make their way in a world that can seem harsh and heartless.  They begin to question if their parents are really their parents.  They become aware of mortality in a new way and begin to consider what it would be like if they lost one or both parents.  It is an insecure and inward time.  Certain themes addressing this inner soul state appear frequently in books for children of this age.  The examples below are by no means the only ones that fit these categories.  These few are meant as a starting place as you think about books for your child going through the nine-year change.
  

• Children are often orphaned or are in situations removed from loving adult care-givers (examples: Pippi Longstocking, A Little Princess, James and the Giant Peach)

• Children have access to a magical world, but at a certain point, they must choose to return to the mundane world with the understanding that they are leaving the fantasy behind. (examples: The Chronicles of Narnia, The House Above the Trees, The BFG)

• Children make their way, learning how to be competent and independent in the real world (examples: Farmer Boy, Understood Betsy, Swallows and Amazons)

  
Books for after the nine-year change
 
After going through the nine-year change children have spent time in darkness and come out stronger on the other side.  They are able to face the troubles of a world without magic.  After all of the inner work and soul-searching they have been through, they are often ready for fun and adventure. Connection to animals is particularly strong at this point in childhood and many stories feature a child’s special relationship with a pet or wild creature. This is the perfect time for old-fashioned coming-of-age stories (like Rascal, My Side of the Mountain, Where the Red Fern Grows, Little Britches, the later Little House books, Lassie, The Yearling, Old Yeller, Misty of Chincoteague).  
 
Now is the moment that I would allow a child to start the Harry Potter series, but only the first few books -- save Harry’s moody adolescence for your child’s moody adolescence.
 
Books for early adolescence
 
By middle school the voracious readers have devoured most every book worth reading in the children’s section of the library and are ready to move on to a new selection of books. However, the library category of Young Adult readers is decidedly murky.  This designation is applied to books aimed at readers between twelve and twenty-one.  As you can imagine, there is a tremendous range of development in those nine years and the material appropriate for someone at the upper end of that age range could be pretty overwhelming to a young one.  Parents will need to stay aware of what books are popular in the middle school set, do some pre-reading and determine what you find appropriate for your child.
 
For those advanced readers looking for something new, middle school is a good time to delve into science fiction.  This genre brings stories that are imaginative and fantasy-based while adding an intellectual and/or sociological element to consider as well.
 
Middle school is also a good time to broaden the student’s connection to the world through historical fiction and biographies.  
 
Easy Readers
 
Beginning readers find security in books by the same author, particularly those that come in a series.  After the first few pages, they have a handle on the vocabulary they will need and they can move forward with confidence.  When they finish one book, they know what to read next.
 
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss brings a genius to the world of easy readers.  His books are funny, wacky, colorful page turners.  He has a knack for linking predictable text, rhyme, and illustration to give beginning readers confidence.  He has a good assortment of sight words, easily decoded words and altogether invented words that will keep a struggling reader on task.
 

Hop on PopIn a People HouseThe Cat in the HatThe Foot Book

Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

Fox in Socks

Green Eggs and Ham

Horton Hears a Who

Yertle the Turtle

There’s a Wocket in My Pocket

I Can Read With My Eyes Shut

TightHand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb 

 
P.D. Eastman
P.D. Eastman books are published in the same format as Dr. Seuss and it is easy to lump the two authors together.  Like Dr. Seuss, Eastman books are highly illustrated with a few words on each page.  There are many context clues that make it easy for a beginning reader to decode the text.
 

Are You My Mother?

Go Dog Go

Big Dog... Little Dog

The Best Nest

Snow

Flap Your Wings

Sam and the Firefly 

 
 
Elephant and Piggie
These books are recent publications but they have the feel of books like Are You My Mother?.  The simple humor and predictable text allow beginning readers to feel successful.
 

Today I Will Fly!

There is a Bird on Your Head!

Watch Me Throw the Ball!

We Are in a Book

I Love My New Toy!

Can I Play Too?

Happy Pig Day!

I Am Going!

Listen to My Trumpet!

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

I Broke My Trunk!

Elephants Can Not Dance!

Pigs Make Me Sneeze!

I am Invited to a Party!

I Will Surprise My Friend

 
The Sheep Books
These books by Nancy Shaw and Margot Apple make up one of the few modern easy reader series that I love.  Like Dr. Seuss and P.D. Eastman, the illustrations are tied closely to the text and help the emerging readers make good guesses on the harder words.  The stories are silly and endearing.
 

Sheep in a Jeep

Sheep on a Ship

Sheep in a Shop

Sheep Take a Hike

Sheep Out to Eat

Sheep Trick or Treat

Sheep Blast Off 

 
Henry and Mudge
This series by Cynthia Rylant features a boy and his dog.  What is unusual about this set of books is that they span a range of levels.  Beginning readers can start with the easiest books, which have a few words on each page.  As their skills advance they can enjoy the same characters in harder books.
 
Little Bear
This series by Else Holmelund is great to read to preschoolers and very satisfying for beginning readers to return to as they move into easy readers.
 

Little Bear

Little Bear’s Visit

Little Bear’s Friend

A Kiss for Little Bear

Father Bear Comes Home

 
Arnold Lobel
Not enough good words can be written about Arnold Lobel.  He has written wonderful books for beginning readers.  They are sweet, funny and timeless.
Here is a list of titles:
 

Frog and Toad are Friends

Owl at Home

Mouse Tales

Days with Frog and Toad

Small Pig

Mouse Soup

Frog and Toad All Year

Uncle Elephant

Grasshopper on the Road

 
Cork and Fuzz
This is a modern series with the feel of Frog and Toad.  
 

Cork and Fuzz

Cork and Fuzz: Short and Tall

Cork and Fuzz: Good Sports

Cork and Fuzz: The Babysitters

Cork and Fuzz: The Collectors

Cork and Fuzz: Finders Keepers

 
Amelia Bedelia
Children delight in knowing better than poor Amelia Bedelia.  Her absurd mistakes have kept children laughing for generations.

Amelia BedeliaThank you, Amelia Bedevil Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia, Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower

 
Fox Books
by Edward Marshall
 

Fox at School

Fox on Stage

Fox and His Friends

Fox All Week

Fox on Wheels

Fox in Love

Fox on the Job 

 
The Golly Sisters
by Betsy Byars
 

Hooray for the Golly Sisters!

The Golly Sisters Go West

The Golly Sisters Ride Again

 
Little Animal Adventures
Reader’s Digest Series

Beaver Gets Lost

Keep Trying Little Zebra

Little Bear’s New Friend

Go To Sleep, Little Groundhog

Be Patient, Little Chick

The Hungry Duckling

Little Puppy Saves the Day

A Home for Little Turtle

The Curious Little Dolphin

Brave Little Fox

Little Goat’s New Horns

Silly Little Hedgehog

Curious Little Raccoon

Little Llama Tells the Truth

Little Squirrel’s Special Nest

The Hopeful Little Leopard

 
 Harry the Dirty Dog
 

Harry the Dirty DogHarry by the SeaNo Roses for HarryHarry and the Lady Next Door

 
Read-alouds for Grade 1
Many first graders are happy to enjoy the picture books their parents were reading to them in kindergarten. Fairy tales and folk tales from all over the world are perfect for this age and there are longer, more complicated fairy tales that can last over several readings as an in-between step for those wanting more than a picture book, but not quite as much as a long chapter book.
 
For those ready and interested in chapter books, here are some that I would recommend.
 

The Magic Faraway Tree (series) Blyton, Enid

Paddington (series) Bond, Michael

Old Mother West Wind (and others by the same author) Burgess, Thorton

Tales of Tiptoes Lightly (series) Down, Reg

The Moffats (series) Estes, Eleanor

Uncle Wiggly’s Story Book Garis, Howard

Raggedy Ann and Andy (series) Gruelle, Johnny

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Lagerlof, Selma

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook Lankester-Brisley, Joyce

The Children of Noisy Village Lindgren, Astrid

Betsy Tacy Lovelace, Maud Hart

The Sneeches and Other Stories (and others by the same author) Dr. Seuss

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (series) Sidney, Margaret

Little House in the Big Woods Wilder, Laura Ingalls

The Seven-Year-Old Wonder Book Wyatt, Isabel

 
  
Read-alouds for Grades 2-4
 

Mr. Popper’s Penguins Atwater, Richard & Florence

Miss Hickory Bailey, Carolyn Sherwin

Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The (Series) Baum, L. Frank

Paddington (Series) Bond, Michael

Old Mother West Wind (and others by the same author) Burgess, Thorton

Enormous Egg, The Butterworth, Oliver

Katie John (Series) Calhoun, Mary

Mouse and the Motorcycle, The (Series) Cleary,  Beverly

Ramona the Pest (Series) Cleary, Beverly

Matilda (and others by the same author) Dahl, Roald

Courage of Sarah Noble, The Dalgliesh, Alice

The Spiderwick Chronicles DiTerlizzi, Tony and Holly Black

Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles Edwards, Julie Andrews

Wind Boy, The (and others by the same author) Eliot, Ethel Cook

Hundred Dresses, The Estes, Eleanor

Moffats, The (Series) Estes, Eleanor

Elmer and the Dragon (Series) Gannett, Ruth Stiles

Linnets and Valerians Goudge, Elizabeth

Just-so Stories Kipling, Rudyard

Catwings (Series) LeGuin, Ursula

Strawberry Girl (and others by the same author) Lenski, Lois

Chronicles of Narnia, The (Series) Lewis, C. S.

Pippi Longstocking (Series) Lindgren, Astrid

Emil and the Great Escape (Series) Lindgren, Astrid

Betsy-Tacy (Series) Lovelace, Maud Hart

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (Series) MacDonald, Betty

Nancy and Plum MacDonald, Betty

Princess and the Curdie (and others by the same author) MacDonald, George

Sarah Plain and Tall (and others by the same author) MacLachlan, Patricia

Homer Price McCloskey, Robert

Borrowers, The (Series) Norton, Mary

King’s Equal, The Paterson, Katherine

Littles, The (Series) Peterson, John

Hoboken Chicken Emergency, The Pinkwater, D. Manus

Cricket in Times Square Selden, George

Five Little Peppers, The (Series) Sidney, Margaret

101 Dalmatians Smith, Dodie

All of a Kind Family (Series) Taylor, Sydney

Mary Poppins (Series) Travers, P. L.

 
Read-alouds for Grade 3 – 4
 

Indian in the Cupboard, The (Series)Banks, Lynne Reid

Caddie Woodlawn Brink, Carol Ryrie

Baby Island Brink, Carol Ryrie

Little Princess, A Burnett, Frances Hodgson

Secret Garden, The Burnett, Frances Hodgson

Family Under the Bridge, The Carlson, Natalie Savage

Wheel on the School, The (and others by the same author) DeJong, Meindert

Half Magic (and others by the same author) Eager, Edward

Mandy Edwards, Julie Andrews

Neverending Story, TheEnde, Michael

Understood Betsy Fisher, Dorothy Canfield

Our Only May Amelia Holm, Jennifer

Bunnicula (Series) Howe, Deborah and James

Babe (and others by the same author) King-Smith, Dick

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Konigsburg, E. L.

Ella Enchanted (and others by the same author) Levine, Gail Carson

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (and others by the same author) Lin, Grace

Ronia the Robber’s Daughter Lindgren, Astrid

Different Dragons Little, Jean

Story of Doctor Dolittle, The (Series) Lofting, Hugh

Owls in the Family (and others by the same author) Mowat, Farley

Shiloh (Trilogy) Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Five Children and It (and others by the same author)Nesbit, E.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks Norton, Mary

First Farm in the Valley (Series) Pellowski, Anna

Swallows and Amazons (Series) Ransome, Arthur

How to Eat Fried Worms Rockwell, Thomas

Singing Tree, The (and others by the same author) Seredy, Kate

Black Beauty Sewell, Anna

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Series) Snicket, Lemony

Miracles on Maple Hill Sorenson, Virginia

Heidi Spyri, Johanna

The Mysterious Benedict Society (Series) Stewart, Trenton Lee

Charlotte’s Web (and others by the same author) White, E. B.

Little House on the Prairie (Series) Wilder, Laura Ingalls

 

 
Grade 4 – 5
 

Little Women (and others by the same author) Alcott, Louisa May

Chronicles of Prydain, The (Series) Alexander, Lloyd

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes Auxier, Jonathan

National Velvet Bagnold, Enid

Peter Pan Barrie, J. M.

Peter and the Star Catchers Barry, Dave and Pearson, Ridley

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Series) Blume, Judy

The Name of This Book is Secret (Series) Bosch, Pseudonymous

Incredible Journey Bumford, Sheila Every

Gregor the Overlander (Series) Collins, Suzanne

Because of Winn-Dixie (and others by the same author) DiCamillo, Kate

Mandy (and others by the same author) Edwards, Julie Andrews

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm Farmer, Nancy

Harriet the Spy (Series) Fitzhugh, Louise

Whipping Boy, The Fleischmann, Sid

Homesick: My Own Story Fritz, Jean

Secret of Roan Inish, The Fry, Rosalie, K.

Thief Lord, The (and others by the same author) Funke, Cornelia

My Side of the Mountain (and others by the same author) George, Jean Craighead

Old Yeller Gipson, Fred

Wind in the Willows, The Grahame, Kenneth

Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe Greene, Bette

Misty of Chincoteague (Series) Henry, Marguerite

Horse Diaries: Koda (Series) Hermes, Patricia

All Creatures Great and Small Herriot, James

Boston Jane (Series) Holm, Jennifer

Warriors (Series) Hunter, Erin

Redwall (Series) Jacques, Brian

Howl’s Moving Castle Jones, Diana Wynne

Phantom Tollbooth, The Juster, Norton

Karen Killilea, Marie

Big Red Kjelgaard, Jim

Anastasia Krupnik (Series) Lowry, Lois

Box of Delights, The Masefield, John

Homer Price McCloskey

The Moorchild McGraw, Eloise

The Story Girl (and other books by the same author) Montgomery, Lucy Maud

Anne of Green Gables (Series) Montgomery, Lucy Maud

Little Britches (Series) Moody, Ralph

Gentle Ben Morey, Walt

Rascal North, Sterling

Island of the Blue Dolphins O’Dell, Scott

Silverwing (Series) Oppel, Kenneth

Peter and the Starcatchers (Series) Pearson, Ridley

Harry Potter (Books 1, 2 and 3) Rawling, J. K.

Yearling, TheRawlings, Marjorie Kinnan

Where the Red Fern Grows Rawls, Wilson

Girl With the Silver Eyes, The Roberts, Willo Davis

Encyclopedia Brown Sobol, Donald

Sign of the Beaver Speare, Elizabeth George

Hobbit, The Tolkien, J. R. R.

The Fantastic Family Whipple Ward, Matthew

Dealing with Dragons (Series) Wrede, Patricia

Child of the Owl Yep, Lawrence

 
Grade 6 and 7
 

Tuck Everlasting Babbitt, Natalie

Dark is Rising, The (Series) Cooper, Susan

Bud, Not Buddy Curtis, Christopher Paul

Midwife’s Apprentice (and others by the same author) Cushman, Karen

The Door in the Wall De Angeli, Marguerite

Twenty-One Balloons, The DuBois, William Pene

The City of Ember DuPrau, Jeanne

Shadow Spinner Fletcher, Susan

Julie of the Wolves (Series) George, Jean Craighead

Princess Bride, The Goldman, William

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time  Haddon, Mark

Wrinkle in Time, A (Series) L’Engle Madeleine

Wizard of Earthsea, A LeGuin, Ursula

The Lions of Little Rock (and others by the same author) Levine, Kristedn

Dragonsong (Series) McCaffrey, Anne

Wise Child Monica Furlong

Jacob Have I Loved (and others by the same author) Paterson, Katherine

Eragon (Series) Paolinie, Christopher

Hatchet (Series) Paulson, Gary

Alanna: The First Adventure Pierce, Tamora

Disc world series Pratchett, Terry

Amber Spyglass, The (Series) Pullman, Philip

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) Riordan, Rick

Holes (and others by the same author) Sachar, Louis

Bronze Bow, TheSpeare, Elizabeth George

Shabanu (and others by the same author) Staples, Suzanne Fisher

The Bartimaeus Trilogy: Amulet of Samarkand Stroud, Jonathan

Cay, The Taylor, Theodore

I, Juan de PerejaTrevino, Elizabeth  Borton de

Adam of the RoadVining, Elizabeth Gray

Homecoming (and others by the same author) Voigt, Cynthia

Once and Future King, The White, T. H.

Mistress Masham’s Repose White, T. H.

Dragonwings Yep, Lawrence

Children of the Wolf Yolen, Jane

 
Grade 8 and up
 
By eighth grade, students are ready to grapple with some of the more difficult and complex aspects of humanity – particularly times when people have been subjugated or oppressed by others. Young adolescents are also more able to accompany protagonists through times of serious illness or grief, when there will be no happy ending. Issues like these can be brought in the context of biographies, historical fiction, and dystopian literature. Stories of this sort can lead to powerful discussions and are best read when there are peers, older students or adults available to help younger readers process such weighty ideas.
 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Alexie, Sherman

Fever 1793Anderson, Laurie Halse

Ender’s GameCard, Orson Scott

Hunger Games (series) Collins, Suzanne

The Graveyard Book Gaiman, Neil

The Fault in Our Stars (and others by the same author) Green, John

How to Kill a Mockingbird Lee, Harper

The Giver (series) Lowry, Lois

Divergent (series) Roth, Veronica

Let the Circle Be Unbroken (and others by the same author) Taylor, Mildred

Uglies(series)Westerfeld, Scott

The Devil’s Arithmetic Yolen, Jane

2nd Grade Family Book List Created by the Class of 2022
 
Averill, Esther. Jenny and the Cat Club (Series). New York Review Collections.
Bannerman, Helen. The Story of Little Babaji.
Barrows, Annie. Ivy and Bean (Series).
Barry, Dave & Pearson, Ridley. Peter and the Starcatchers.
Baum, L. Frank. Glinda of Oz.
Benchley, Nathaniel. Red Fox and his Canoe (Illustrated by Arnold Lobel)
Berger, Barbara Helen. Gwinna.
Beskow, Elsa. The Children of the Forest.
Black, Holly & de Terlizzi, Tony. The Spiderwick Chronicles (Series).
Blyton, Enid The Secret Seven Series
Blyton, Enid The Famous Five Series
Bolognese, Don. Little Hawk’s New Name.
Brisley, Joyce Lankester. Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories.
Brown, Palmer. Beyond the Paw Paw Trees.
Brumbeau, Jeff The Quiltmaker’s Gift
Bunting, Eve Little Badger, Terror of the Seven Seas
Burgess, Thornton W. Animal Stories.
Cleary, Beverly. The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
Cohn, Diana Mr. Goethe’s Garden
Dadey, Debbie & Jones, Marcia Thornton. The Bailey School Kids (Series).
Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.
Dahl, Roald. Danny, the Champion of the World.
Davidow, Shelley. Ned and Fred.
DiCamillo, Kate. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Despereaux.
Down, Reg. The Magic Knot.
Drescher, Daniela. In the Land of Merfolk.
Eliot, Ethel Cook. The Little House in the Fairy Wood.
Fisher, Dorothy Canfield. Understood Betsy.
Fleming, Ian. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (Illustrated by John Birmingham).
Gibbs, May. The Gumnut Land Adventures.
Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. (Illustrated by Inga Moore).
Hale, Shannon Princess Academy
Holwitz, Peter Stick Kid
Howell, Alice. The Beejum Book.
Hunter, Erin. Warriors into the Wild.
Jansson, Tove. Finn Family Moomintroll.
Jansson, Tove. Moominvalley in November.
Jarrell, Randall. The Bat Poet. (Illustrated by Maurice Sendak).
Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth (Illustrated by Jules Feiffer).
Keene, Carolyn. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. (the original series, beginning with The Secret of the Old Clock in 1929; illustrated by Russell Tandy.) (find now for 4th/5th grade)
Kilborne, Sarah S. Peach and Blue
Konigsburg, E.L. The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Lewis, C.S. The Chronicles of Narnia
Lindgren, Astrid. The Children of Noisy Village. (Illustrated by Ilon Wikland)
Lindgren, Astrid. Emil in the Soup Tureen.
Lindgren, Astrid. Emil’s Clever Pig.
Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi Longstocking(Series).
Lobel, Arnold. Owl at Home.
Lovelace, Maud Hart. Betsy-Tacy.
Minarik, Else Holmelund. Little Bear. Harper and Row. (Illustrated by Maurice Sendak).
Muller, Martina Pico the Gnome
Munsch, Robert The Paper Bag Princess
Nesbit, Edith. Five Children and It.
O’Connor, Jane. Fancy Nancy.
Ongman, Gudrun The Sleep Ponies
Orr, Wendy. Mokie & Bik.
Pépin, Muriel. Little Bear’s New Friend. (Adapted by Deborah Kovacs). Pleasantville, NY: Readers Digest Kids.
Peterson, John. The Littles.
Ransome, Arthur. Swallows and Amazons.
Riordan, Rick. The 39 Bones (Series).
Rylant, Cynthia. Mr. Putter and Tabby (Series).
Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square. (Illustrated by Garth Williams).
Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman & Sharmat, Craig. Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise.
Sidney, Margaret. Five Little Peppers and How They Grew.
Sobel, Donald. Encyclopedia Brown (Series).
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi.
Steig, William. Dominic.
Stilton, Geronimo. The Amazing Voyage (In the Kingdom of Fantasy Series).
Taylor, Sydney. All-of-a-Kind Family.
Travers, P.L. Mary Poppins.
von Olfers, Sibylle. Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale. (Quilted illustrations by Sieglinde Schoen-Smith).
von Olfers, Sibylle. The Princess in the Forest.
Watt, Mélanie. Scaredy Squirrel at Night.
White, E.B. The Trumpet of the Swan.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House in the Big Woods (Series).
Willems, Mo. I Love My New Toy.

Suggested by Fourth Graders of the Class of 2013
 
 

Dear America Series Assorted authors

Royal Diaries Series Assorted authors

Spiderwick (Series) DiTerlizzi, Tony & Holly Black

Magic by the Lake Eager, Edward

Charlotte Sometimes Farmer, Penelope

Once Upon a Marigold Ferris, Jean

Wagon Train 911 Gilson, Jamie

The Little White Horse Goudge, Elizabeth

Winter Camp (Series) Hill, Kirkpatrick

Trolls, The Horvath, Polly

Echoes of the Elders: The Stories and Paintings of Chief LelooskaLelooska

The Railway Children Nesbit, E.

Wet Magic Nesbit, E.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School Sachar, Louis

Captain’s Dog, The Smith, Roland

Ballet Shoes (and others by the same author) Streatfeild, Noel

The Amulet of Samarkand (Series) Stroud, Jonathan

Long Shot (a basketball book) Tocher, Timothy

Journey to the Center of the Earth (and others by the same author) Verne, Jules

8th Grade & Strings

Our talented 8th grade students have strings class with Mr. Baker twice a week. The class is made up of violin, viola, cello and stand up bass players! The admin team has the pleasure of hearing the 8th grade students practice and enjoy the beautiful music throughout the school.