Book Lists
If you're anything like us, you've got a pile of books on the nightstand reaching for the rafters, and ready to topple. But if you need some recommendations for some good, gamey reading, check out our favorite titles, for tots, teens, and everyone between.
PICTURE BOOKS
Duck, Duck, Goose
by Tad Hills
E FIC HIL
Duck’s new friend, Thistle, loves competition. Games may start out as good fun, but soon become contests. After a long day of challenges, Duck and Goose are worn out. Together they think of a game that Thistle wants to win, but frees Duck and Goose to
go play.
Batter Up Wombat
by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
E FIC LES
The Champs finished last in the National Wildlife League last year. When Wombat, who the team calls Whambat, joins the team, they know this season will be great. But it soon becomes evident that Whambat’s sports skills do not quite live up to his name.
The Marvelous Toy
by Tom Paxton, illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles
E FIC PAX
This toy is marvelous, but...what is it? Taken from the beloved folks song, the rhyming text, with an abundance of “zips”, “bops” and “whirrs,” is all kinds of fun, whether you sing the tune provided in the front of the book or simply read the words. Do you know what it is?
Not a Box
by Antoinette Portis
E FIC POR
Rabbit uses his tenacious imagination to transform a seemingly ordinary cardboard box, fashioning a robot, a spaceship and a race car. What could you make? Straightforward line drawings and a spare use of color reinforce the story’s simple charm.
Power and Glory
by Emily Rodda, illustrated by Geoff Kelly
E FIC ROD
Power up your imagination with this story about a video game and one player’s attempt to reach level two. Each page builds upon the next, mimicking the progression of a real video game (and its interruptions!) Children of all ages will appreciate the challenges and rewards of winning this game.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
E FIC ROS
A family swishes through tall grass, sploshes through a cold river, and squelches through mud in search of a big brown bear. Oxenbury’s warm, round illustrations are perfectly suited to the buoyant account of a relaxed family outing.
Hog and Dog
by Diane Wright Landolf, illustrated by Jennifer Beck Harris
E1 FIC LAN
Hog is good at soccer (ball hog), while Dog’s game is basketball (tall dog). After trying a number of possibilities, and a little of each others’ patience, they finally arrive at a game they both enjoy.
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping
by Peggy Parish
E1 FIC PAR
Camping and being outdoors is a new experience for housekeeper Amelia Bedelia, who always tries very hard to do exactly as she’s told. Unfortunately, she doesn’t always get things quite right. But her malaprop antics — hitting the road with a stick and pitching the tent into the bushes—always entertain.
Nate the Great and the Stolen Base
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
E1 FIC SHA
The purple plastic octopus that the baseball team uses for second base is missing. What’s a team to do? When two purple arms are found languishing in the dirt, suspicion falls on teammate Annie’s dog Fang. Is he guilty? Follow detective Nate as he investigates the disappearance, and see if you can solve it, too.
