meet the superkids books to read aloud unit 1 (c) · 7/18/11 page 1 of 1 meet the superkids books...

7/18/11 of 1

Meet the Superkids Books to Read Aloud

Unit 1 (C)

Bee-bim Bop! By Linda Sue Park. Clarion Books, 2005. In this rhyming story, a little girl and her mother have fun shopping for ingredients and making bee-bim bop, a traditional Korean rice dish. The book describes steps for making the meal and includes a recipe.

Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! By Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. Voyager Books, 2005. In this humorous twist on the classic nursery tale, Little Red Hen’s great-grandson and three friends, who know little about cooking, work together to make a delicious strawberry shortcake. The book includes sidebar tips for cooking and measuring and a recipe for strawberry shortcake.

The Edible Pyramid: Good Eating Every Day by Loreen Leedy. Holiday House, 2007. This informational book uses animal characters dining at a restaurant to explain the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid. Each spread describes a food group and tells about the recommended daily servings for each group. After reviewing all the choices, the diners select a well-balanced meal.

Eight Animals Bake a Cake by Susan Middleton Elya. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002. Each animal contributes an ingredient for making a cake, but a mistake almost ruins it. This rhyming text combines English and Spanish works and includes a glossary and pronunciation guide.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup by Cynthia Rylant. Harcourt Paperbacks, 2004. After Mr. Putter and Tabby gather their ingredients they need to make soup, they learn their old stove isn’t working. Their neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, lets them use her stove, but their efforts are interrupted by her dog, Zeke, who would much rather play than cook.

Hey Pancakes! by Tamson Weston. Silver Whistle, 2003. The pancakes are flying as three irrepressible youngsters and their dog “sift, stir, whir, and whisk” their way into kitchen pandemonium. It looks as if the kitchen will never be the same, but fortunately the clean-up crew works with the same energy as the cooks.

Fiction Informational Text

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Unit 2 (O)

Chameleon, Chameleon by Joy Cowley. Scholastic, 2005. The chameleons that dwell on the island of Madagascar converse by changing color. That’s one of a multitude of facts about these shy, elusive creatures found in this photo essay.

The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble. Puffin Books, 1992. In this story, a young girl tells her mother a cumulative tale about her class field trip to a farm. A series of humorous events occur when classmate Jimmy brings his pet boa constrictor to meet the farm animals.

Gotta Go! Gotta Go! by Sam Swope. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. A creepy, crawly creature awakens one morning and says, “I don’t know much, but I know what I know. I gotta go! I gotta go! I gotta go to Mexico!” And so begins its transformation from caterpillar to monarch butterfly. The author provides simple explanations of instinctive migratory behaviors of animals.

Mama’s Wild Child, Papa’s Wild Child by Dianna Hutts Aston. Charlesbridge, 2006. This fact-filled book teaches the names of baby animals and explains how their parents care for them in the wild. Information about mothers is shown on one side of a page and, after the book is flipped over, information about the fathers is on the other side.

The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte. Barefoot Books, 2004. Tico Tango is a selfish, greedy parrot who steals fruit from all the creatures of the rainforest. This story, told in rhyme, describes the fruits of the rainforest and many of the animals that live there.


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Unit 3 (G)

Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep by Cat Urbigkit. Boyds Mills Press, 2005. This photo essay explains how puppies are taught to be guardian dogs that protect sheep from predators. It includes some challenging vocabulary, but the text is well-supported by photographs of the puppies bonding with the sheep.

A Day in the Life of Murphy by Alice Provensen. Aladdin Paperbacks, 2006. Murphy, a scruffy terrier whose full name is “Murphy-stop-that,” spends his day barking, sniffing, hunting, begging, and going to the vet. This humorous picture book gives a dog’s eye view of the world.

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague. Scholastic, 2002. After chasing one cat too many, Ike LaRue finds himself enrolled at Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy. Desperate to leave, he writes letter after letter to his owner begging her to let him come home. While Ike’s letters detail his woeful experiences, the illustrations lets readers know that Ike might not being telling the whole story.

Dogs by Seymour Simon. HarperCollins, 2004 . This nonfiction book provides simple facts describing dogs’ senses, behaviors, and growth. Photographs enhance the text and feature a variety of dog breeds.

Martha Walks the Dog by Susan Meddaugh. Walter Lorraine Books, 2003. Martha, a well mannered dog, gains the power of speech by eating alphabet soup. In this story, Martha learns that positive words and kindness can change bad behavior as she helps “Bad Dog Bob” and his owner become good neighbors.

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. Viking Press, 1936: Grosset & Dunlap, 2000. This classic tale tells what happens when a quiet Spanish bull who enjoys smelling flowers is picked to fight in the bullring.

The Stray Dog retold by Marc Simont. HarperTrophy, 2003. This book is based on the true story of a family who rescues a stray dog they found while picnicking in the park.


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Unit 4 (A)

Dogteam by Gary Paulsen. Dragonfly Books, 1995. A man hitches his dogteam to a sled and sets out for a nighttime run through the countryside. This realistic story captures the anticipation and excitement of the dogs and the thrill of racing across a snow-filled landscape.

Hedgie Blasts Off! by Jan Brett. Putnam Juvenile, 2006. Hedgie the hedgehog dreams of becoming an astronaut. He gets his big change when the Big Sparkler, a popular erupting crater on the planet Mikkop, becomes plugged. The Star Lab’s robot malfunctions and only Hedgie fits in the small rocket. Zoom! Off he goes to the rescue!

The Polar Bear Son: An Inuit Tale retold by Lydia Dabcovich. Clarion Books, 1999. An old woman raises a polar bear cub as a son, and he treats her as his mother. But when the men of the village become jealous of the bear’s hunting skills, the woman is forced to send the bear away.

Recess at 20 Below by Cindy Lou Aillaud. Alaska Northwest Brooks, 2005. For Alaskan school children, going outside for recess when it is twenty degrees below zero can be quite an adventure. This nonfiction book shows the challenges these children face getting dressed in mounds of clothing, playing games with frozen eyelashes, and having a moose visit their play ground.

Stargazers by Gail Gibbons. Holiday House, 1992. This informational book teaches basic concepts and vocabulary about the stars scattered across the night sky. It explains how people have observed stars from ancient to modern times.

We’re Going On A Lion Hunt by David Axtell. Henry Holt and Company, 2000. Tracking down a lion takes two brave sisters through the swamps, caves, and jungles of Africa. While on their adventure, they see many different animals in their natural habitat.

Yikes!!! by Robert Florczak. The Blue Sky Press, 2003. A young adventurer and explorer finds more excitement than he expects on his journey through wild and dangerous places. Big, detailed, double-page illustrations take readers to distant surprising lands.


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Unit 5 (D)

Fix-It Duck by Jez Alborough. HarperCollins, 2002. A leaky roof sends Duck into a frenzy of repair tasks. Unfortunately, Duck’s clever solutions don’t work quite the way he intends. This humorous adventure story is told in rhyming couplets.

The House in the Meadow by Shutta Crum. Albert Whitman & Company, 2003. Inspired by Olive A. Wadsworth’s classic poem Over in the Meadow, this counting book highlights the workers needed to build a house from 9 diggers, 8 masons, 7 carpenters, down to the 1 inspector. Colorful illustrations show men and women of various ages and ethnicities working together.

Next Please by Ernst Jandl and Norman Junge. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003. Five hurt and broken toys wait anxiously for a doctor to fix them up. Readers must wait for the last toy to be fixed to find out what the mysterious toy doctor is really like.

Sky Dancers by Connie Ann Kirk. Lee & Low Books, 2004. This historical fiction story, set in the 1930s, is based on the labors of Mohawk steel workers who helped build many of New York City’s landmark skyscrapers. John Cloud’s father had gone to work in the city. John Cloud misses his father, but is filled with pride when he sees Papa working high above the ground on the Empire State Building.

The Wonderful Towers of Watts by Patricia Zelver. Boyds Mill Press, 2005. This biography tells how Simon Rodia, an Italian immigrant, spent thirty years turning broken tiles and other discarded items into towering works of art. Using simple text, it explains how Rodia’s dream of beauty brought wonder and delight to his neighbors in the impoverished Watts community and to people around the world.

Workshop by Andrew Clements. Clarion Books, 1999. Each spread in this book focuses on a hand tool used to construct a carousel. The book’s rhyming text captures the actions and sounds of the tools, including the thud of a swinging hammer, the spin of a drill, and the bite of a saw.


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Unit 6 (S)

Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings by Deborah Hopkinson. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003. This historical fiction story, set in the early 1900s is based on the life of Alta Weiss. Alta loves playing baseball. At 17, she convinces the coach of a men’s semi-professional team to let her pitch and crowds come from all over to watch the “girl wonder.” This book includes a timeline of women in baseball.

Hunter & Stripe and the Soccer Showdown by Laura Malone Elliott. Katherine Tegen Books, 2005. Hunter and Stripe are raccoons and the best of friends but their friendship is tested when they wind up on the opposing soccer teams playing in the championship game. Although only one team can win, both friends learn an important lesson about good sportsmanship.

My Soccer Book by Gail Gibbons. HarperCollins, 2000. This nonfiction book explains how to play one of Sal’s favorite sports—soccer. It includes a diagram of a soccer field and labeled illustrations that identify players’ positions and equipment.

Sing a Song of Piglets: A Calendar in Verse by Eve Bunting. Clarion Books, 2002. This book of simple rhymes features the adventures of two piglets as they enjoy sports and other activities throughout the year. It includes a seasonal rhyme for each month of the year.

Sophie Skates by Rachel Isadora. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1999. Sophie wants to be a professional ice skater when she grows up, so she practices hard each day. This fictional story focuses on Sophie’s preparation for a competition and includes sidebars with facts about ice skating.

Zachary’s Ball by Matt Tavares. Candlewick Press, 2000. In this baseball fantasy, a young boy is transformed from a fan into a star player after his dad hands him a ball caught from a pop fly. Each night Zachary sleeps with the ball under his pillow and dreams of the amazing athletic feats he can do with it.

Fiction Informational Text Poetry

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Unit 7 (L)

Blue Horse by Helen Stephens. Scholastic, 2003. Tilly moves to a new town and is too shy to meet people, so her stuffed toy, Blue Horse, becomes her playmate. Blue Horse helps Tilly reach out to other children and soon Tilly has many friends who also happen to have imaginary playmates.

Dim Sum for Everyone! by Grace Lin. Dragonfly Books, 2003. In this story, a family enjoys eating dim sum, little dishes of food, in a Chinatown restaurant. Information at the back of the book explains the origins of this Chinese tradition. Illustrations with labels show different types of dim sum and the ingredients used to make them.

I Love You, Blue Kangaroo! by Emma Chichester Clark. Dragonfly Books, 2001. When Emily gets too many stuffed animals, her old favorite, Blue Kangaroo, decides to move in with Emily’s little brother. Now Emily must find a clever way to get her beloved Blue Kangaroo to come back to her.

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child. Candlewick Press, 2003. Charlie has to make supper for his little sister, Lola, who is a very picky eater. Although Lola refuses to eat carrots, she can’t resist trying “orange twiglets from Jupiter.” Thanks to Charlie’s imagination, Lola discovers a new world of tasty foods.

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen. Candlewick Press, 2006. Libraries have rules about using quiet voices and not running inside, but the rules don’t say what to do when a lion comes to story time and roars when it is over. Eventually, Lion learns to be quiet and even becomes a helpful fixture at the library. But things get complicated when he has to break the rules to help his librarian friend when she gets hurt.

Lions by Jill Anderson. North Word, 2006. This nonfiction book uses simple facts and close-up photographs to show how lions live in the plains of Africa. It explains the roles males and females play in the pride as they raise their young cubs.

Neil’s Castle by Alissa Imre Geis. Viking, 2004. Neil tries to re-create his dream castle, first with sand, then blocks, and even a blanket over chairs. But nothing seems as wonderful as his dream. With his father’s help, Neil finally finds a way to bring his dream castle to life.


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Unit 8 (I)

Alphabet Adventure by Audrey Wood. The Blue Sky Press, 2001. The lowercase letters are excited about their first day in the classroom. But on the way, lowercase i loses her dot. Now the letters must race to find the missing dot or a good substitute before school begins.

Beverly Billingsly Takes a Bow by Alexander Stadler. Voyager Books, 2007. Beverly loves to act. But when she tries out for the school play, stage fright keeps her from giving her best performance. Beverly is disappointed when she gets cast as a shrub and a wall, until her father helps her see that they are no small parts.

Bugs are Insects by Anne Rockwell. HarperTrophy, 2001. In this nonfiction book, children find out what makes a bug a bug and the differences between insects and spiders. It includes an index that identifies types of insects and activity suggestions for making an insect calendar and planting a butterfly garden.

Building an Igloo by Ulli Steltzer. Henry Holt and Company, 1991. This nonfiction book explains how an Inuit father and son build an igloo for shelter on a hunting trip in northern Canada. Photographs show the sequence of steps the men take, from cutting and stacking blocks of snow to a chimney, door, window, and porch.

Hotdog on TV by Karen T. Taha. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2005. Hotdog, a little brown dachshund, auditions for a TV commercial selling Doggy Yums. Hotdog may not have long legs or run fast like other TV dogs, but he is definitely a good eater.

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. Putnam Juvenile, 1995. Officer Buckle is passionate about teaching safety to children, but they tend to fall asleep whenever he speaks—until they meet Gloria, a police dog. Children love watching as Gloria, behind Officer Buckle’s back, acts out each safety tip. The two become so popular that they are asked to be on TV and then Officer Buckle discovers Gloria’s trick.

Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003. This realistic story gives children a glimpse of what entertainment was like in the days before television. Grandpa opens a trunk full of props from his old vaudeville act and delights his grandchildren with banjo playing, magic tricks, bad jokes, and tap dancing.

Fiction Informational Text Alphabet Book

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Unit 9 (T)

Cat on the Mat by Susan Schade and Jon Buller. Golden Books, 1999. Cat dreams of making the gymnastics team, so she spends the summer flipping and slipping as she learns to tumble. She hopes her hard work and perseverance will pay off.

Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Christopher Raschka. Scholastic, 1997. This imaginative biography of jazz legend Charlie Parker uses rhythm, repetition, and onomatopoeia to convey the toe-tapping energy of Parker’s swinging saxophone.

Click, Clack, Moos: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2000. Tic isn’t the only one who likes to type. In this humorous tale, Farmer Brown’s cows finds a typewriter and use it to ask the farmer to improve conditions on the farm. When Farmer Brown denies their request, the cows stick together and go on strike.

Eight Animals Play Ball by Susan Middleton Elya. Putnam Juvenile, 2003. Friendships get tested when eight animal pals play a game of baseball that turns competitive. This rhyming story seamlessly blends Spanish and English to teach baseball terminology and describe the characters’ emotions as they play the game.

Oliver the Mighty Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2004. Wearing his Mighty Pig cape, Oliver becomes a superhero ready for action. When Oliver gets too busy to clean his room or set the table, his clever mother transforms each chore into a way for Oliver to fight enemies such as the villainous googleheads that live in the trash basket.

Violet’s Music by Angela Johnson. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2004. Ever since Violet was a small baby, she loved making music. As she grows, she plays every chance she gets and searches for others who love music as much as she does. When she finally finds some music-loving friends, they form a band—twang, plink, pluck, whah, woo, yeah!


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Unit 10 (F)

Amazing Whales! By Sarah L. Thomson. HarperCollins, 2005. This nonfiction book provides facts and photographs about the physical characteristics and habits of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Sizes are conveyed through comparisons to familiar objects—for example, “A blue whale is as long as a basketball court.” Scientific terms are defined within the text.

Fishing in the Air by Sharon Creech. Joanna Cotler Books, 2003. A father shares his fanciful thoughts and wistful memories while spending the day fishing with his son. The two bond as they enjoy nature and go on an imaginative journey together.

Frog in a Bog by John Himmelman. Charlesbridge, 2004. This nonfiction book introduces plants and animals that make their home in North American bogs and illustrates how they interact with one another. Includes a field guide with labeled pictures.

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle. Philomel Books, 2004. As Mister Seahorse goes swimming, carefully carrying eggs in his pouch, he meets other fish fathers and learns how they each care for their eggs and young. Hidden images in the illustrations show the importance of camouflage.

Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. This collection of poems focuses on the animal and plant life found in ponds, from small insects like the water boatman and tall cattails. It also includes informational text about each poem’s subject and award-winning illustrations.

Summer Sun Risin’ by W. Nikola-Lisa. Lee & Low Books, 2002. This rhyming text depicts a day on a Texas farm in the 1950’s. From sunrise to sundown, an African American boy helps his family by milking cows, feeding pigs, helping out in the fields, and fishing for supper.

What’s It Like to be a Fish? by Wendy Pfeffer. HarperTrophy, 1996. This informational book explains how a fish uses its body, fins, scales, and gills to live underwater. Includes instructions for setting up a goldfish bowl.

Fiction Informational Text Poetry

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Unit 11 (E)

Alphabet Riddles by Susan Joyce. Peel Productions, 1998. This collection of 26 alphabet riddles gives the first and last letter of a familiar word and a set of rhyming clues. At the end of the book, readers are encouraged to make up their own word riddles.

Big Tracks, Little Tracks: Following Animal Prints by Millicent E. Selsman. HarperTrophy, 1999. This informational book shows how to identify animals by examining their footprints and other clues. Includes suggestions for hands-on activities.

Ellsworth’s Extraordinary Electric Ears and Other Amazing Alphabet Anecdotes by Valorie Fisher. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003. This book features an offbeat diorama and humorous alliteration for each letter of the alphabet. Play “I Spy” using the alphabetical list at the back of the book that names objects to be found in the pictures.

McGraw’s Emporium by Jim Aylesworth. Henry Holt and Company, 1995. Trying to find the perfect gift for a sick friend, a young boy browses through a store chock-full of interesting items. The rhyming text lists items to be found in the illustrator’s collages.

Mystery at the Club Sandwich by Doug Cushman. Clarion Books, 2004. When a club singer loses her lucky marbles, she hires Nick Trunk, an elephant detective, to find them. Working for peanuts, Nick gathers clues to solve the mystery of the missing marbles.

When Riddles Come Rumbling: Poems to Ponder by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Boyds Mills Press, 2001. This collection contains simple and challenging riddles. Illustrations provide visual clues to each riddle’s answer. Answers also appear at the bottom of the copyright page.

Fiction Informational Text Poetry Alphabet Book

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Unit 12 (H)

Cool Cars by Seymour Simon. SeaStar Books, 2003. This nonfiction book includes photographs showing all kinds of automobiles—from one of the first cars ever built to the Thrust SSC, the world’s fastest car. The text provides information about automobile history and other “cool car” facts.

The Great Horse-Less Carriage Race by Michael Dooling. Holiday House, 2002. This picture book describes the first American automobile race, which took place in Chicago in 1895. It took the winning car nearly 11 hours to travel 52 miles through the snow and cold.

Motorcycles by Darlene R. Stille. Compass Point Books, 2004. This informational book describes all different kinds of motorcycles, including three-wheelers, mopeds, and scooters. It explains what makes motorcycles go and safety gear riders wear. It also includes a glossary and index.

My Race Car by Michael Rex. Henry Holt and Company, 2000. In this fiction story, a young boy imagines winning a stock car race. Fun racing facts are woven into the story and readers get a peek at what it is like behind the scenes and behind the wheels during a race.

The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003. This alphabet book uses alliterative rhyming to describe the world of auto racing. As readers progress through the letters of the alphabet, they also see the progression of the sport form early Fords chugging down country roads to sleek Ferraris zooming around the racetrack.

The Wheels on the Race Car by Alexander Zane. Scholastic, 2005. The familiar “The Wheels on the Bus” song takes a rapid turn around the racetrack. New, high-octane lyrics capture the excitement and noise of auto racing from the VROOM-VROOM-VROOM of the motors to the SWISH-SWISH-SWISH of the checkered flags. The book also shows hand gestures to accompany each verse.

Fiction Informational Text Alphabet Book

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Unit 13 (U)

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni. Pantheon, 1969; Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2006. This classic fantasy tale focuses on the relationship between a live mouse and a toy mouse. Alexander envies Willy, a beloved wind-up toy, until Willy is put into a box to be thrown away. When Alexander’s wish that Willy might become real is granted, the two become friends.

Alicia’s Best Friends by Lisa Jahn-Clough. Walter Lorraine Books, 2003. Alicia has four great friends. They all have fun together until her friends ask her to decide which friend is her best friend. Alicia struggles with the answer, but finds a way to show how special each friend is to her.

Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hoban. HarperCollins, 1994. When Frances, a badger, finds out that her friend, Albert, and other boys have organized a “no girls” baseball game, she and her little sister have a “best friends” outing that doesn’t allow any boys. They all discover that playing together is more fun than playing alone and that boys and girls, and even little sisters, can be good friends.

Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow Books, 1997. Chester and Wilson are best friends. The two mice do everything together in their own special way. When they see Lilly, a new girl who does things differently, they boys decide to avoid her. But after Lilly saves them from some bullies, they discover that they have more in common with her than they thought and that friends don’t always have to act alike.

Friends! by Elaine Scott. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000. This nonfiction book explores the pleasures and challenges of friendship. Colorful photographs depict diverse groups of friends while the text describes realistic situations young children often face with their friends. Each section ends with questions that invite readers to share their opinions and experiences.

That’s What Friends Are For by Florence Parry Heide and Sylvia Van Clief. Candlewick Press, 2003. Theodore the elephant hurts his leg and needs to find a way to travel across the forest to meet his cousin. A monkey tells Theodore to swing by his tail. A crab tells him to just grow a new leg! Then Theodore meets an opossum who knows that friends do more than just give advice.


meet the superkids books to read aloud unit 1 (c) · 7/18/11 page 1 of 1 meet the superkids books...

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