Book Recommendations for my Grandkids

 Pip and Zip by Elana K. Arnold illustrated by Doug Salati The family discovers two abandoned duck eggs and takes them home to wait for them to hatch. They anxiously  hovered around the incubator until one day they heard a "Pip" and  "Zip." The kids fed the ducks and watched them grow. At the end of the book, they release them back to the pond when they found the eggs. A good read for 3 - 6 year olds. 

 Matilda by Roald Dahl illustrated by Quentin Blake Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she's just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It'll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it! "Matilda will surely go straight to children's hearts." — The New York Times Book Review Grade level 3 - 7  My granddaughter loved this book. We read it out loud together. Must read.

 How to Draw Cute Food by Angela Nguyen This is a series of super cute books for your budding artist. This book outlines step by step instructions with plenty of helpful hints on how to dray these food/animal creations. This particular book covers food such as snacks, entrees, desserts, and drinks.  Grade levels 1 - 3. 

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card   This book was the first science fiction book my kids read as young teenagers. They eagerly waited for the movie to come out (years later- 2013.)  Ender Wiggins is a child genius who is battling an alien race in a future earth. This is a an intense and somewhat violent book as it depicts Ender in Battle school and battling enemies.  Other books in this series include: Ender's Game Speaker for the Dead Xenocide Children of the Mind Ender in Exile

 Brownie Groundhog and the Wintery Surprise by Susan Blackaby illustrated by Carmen Segovia Fox and Bunny have a new friend, Brownie Groundhog. Brownie, is about hibernate until spring. Fox and Bunny want to play with their new friend and keep interrupting him as he tries to go to sleep. Brownie tells them to do "wintry things." This is a heartwarming story about friendship. Good for  K- 2.

 We're Going on a Bear Hunt retold by Michael Rosen illustrations by Helen Oxenbury We've got to go through it! Hooo wooo! Hooo wooo! Hooo wooo!   We're going on a bear hunt.   We're going  to catch a big one. You will not soon forget this catchy phrase as you read this classic tale of a family making their  way through obstacles until they really find a bear. This is a good book for ages 3 - 8. 

 Twinkle, Twinkle Little Car by Kate Dopirak illustrated by Mary Peterson The text is set the the song "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", this cute book will be a sure hit with your preschoolers. Simple illustrations of a car driving through the town to make sure everyone is snug in their beds for the night. Perfect bedtime story!

 Don't Eat the Bees (Life lessons from Chip the Dog) by Dev Petty Illustrated by Mike Boldt Chip is a dog and this book is told from his perspective. You can expect many giggles from preschoolers as Chip tells us what is good to eat (socks, important papers, food confiscated from the table) and what not to eat (bees!)

 The Most Magnificent... by Ashley Spires The Most Magnificent Thing The Most Magnificent Idea The first book and its long awaited sequel are about  a girl, with a dog at her side trying to be creative. There will be mistakes, it takes perseverance and time.  It also shows how to regulate emotions to keep persevering through challenging situations. You can use the book with your students to promote: creative thinking self-management/anger management perseverance knowledgeable adaptability determination growth mindset inquirer problem solver resilience My granddaughter, who in in kindergarten, really enjoyed this book. The pictures have a lot of detail and this sparked many discussions for craft projects.

Rosie and the Pre-loved Dress by Leanne Hatch  Rosie finds a yellow dress at the thrift store. She imagines the people who have loved the dress before her. A delightful tale for all of us hander-me-downers!  For ages 4 - 8. 

 Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson This book is a classic. I used to read it to my kids and now my grandkids are loving it. It was written in 1955 and is still popular.   Harold  and his trusty purple  crayon  travel through woods and across seas and past dragons before returning to bed, safe and sound. A perfect bedtime soty.

 Bearenstain Bear Books by Jan and Stan Berenstain Meet the Bear family, Father Bear, Mama Bear, and their  three children : Brother Bear, Sister Bear, and Honey Bear.  Story lines typically follow the Bear family as they deal with topics relevant to both children and parents.  Topics such as bad dreams, moving day, bad habits, stranger danger, lying, and trouble with friends. There is a    moral  or  safety - related lesson in the course of each story. There are over 400 titles. 

 Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel by Virginia Lee Burton My son loved this book as a child and now I share it with his children. This is the story of Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Maryanne. They dug deep canals for the boast, cut mountain passes for trains and basements for the tall city building. Then they are replaced by the the newer gas and diesel powered shovels. What happens to Mike Mulligan and Maryanne? This is a must read classic for 2 - 6 year olds. .

 Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale illustrated by Guy Francis The problem:  Clark loves life, but sometimes his enthusiasm is too much . “He was too loud. He was too wild. He was just too much shark for the other fish to handle.” This book is perfect for new readers. Lots of rhyming words with simple text. The illustrations will bring many giggles. I love to read this dramatically with my grandkids.

  Animals We Can't Live Without by Emma Huddleston Educational books for grades 1 to 4. Informative with colorful pictures, my grandkids loved paging through these even on there own. 

 Eggasaurus by Jennifer Wagh A delightful book that preschoolers will love.  Max wants a dinosaur.  His dad says NO.  Max orders a dinosaur egg online.  His dad says to send it back.  This book is written in letters sent back and forth from Max to the dinosaur egg company. Hilarious!

Manners Matter by Janet Richecky Theses books feature simple text and vivid photographs that will help young children understand that manners always matter-and that if they treat others with respect and care, they will find they have friends everywhere. Preschool to second grade.

Big Rig Rescue by Chris Gail  Look to the big rig helpers to rescue vehicles in cold, remote places. There is a wreck on the highway- Big Orange to the rescue. He needs more help - he calls Big Blue. This book is perfect for 3 - 7 year olds. 

 The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland Bear is cranky. Not just cranky, but very cranky. This book describes the antics his four friends from the Jingle jangle Jungle go through to cheer him up. What did Bear really want? A quiet place to sleep. Preschoolers will love this book. 

 Who Has Feet by Laura Hulbert illustrated by Erik Brooks Make this into a guessing game! Eight sets of feet - whose are they?  Bright, detailed pictures with bold text.  This book was a hit with my preschool grandkids.

Love is You and Me by Anna W. Baraus This board book is perfect to read to your infants. Bold, colorful pages perfect for little fingers to turn. This book highlights many ways to say "I love you."