Pennsylvania Young Readers’
Choice Award
2013-2014
Kindergarten – Grade 3
Chloe and the Lion
by Mac Barnett
illustrated by Adam Rex
Have you ever wondered how
authors and illustrators work
together to create a great picture
book? Mac Barnett and Adam Rex
show us that working together is
not always easy. Mac wants to
write a story about a girl named
Chloe who meets a lion on the way
to the circus. The storytelling
goes hilariously awry when Adam
tries to use his illustrations to
make the story more exciting.
Things get sillier when Mac fires
Adam and learns that good
illustrations are not as easy as
they seem. The story will have you
laughing out loud and searching
for a writing partner of your own!
Island
A Story of the Galapagos
by Jason Chin
They swam, flew and drifted to the
island. After a million years, animals
and plants had arrived at the
Galapagos. Author-illustrator Jason
Chin follows the life and death of
one of a series of volcanic islands in
the Pacific Ocean. Find out how and
why the inhabitants adapted to
their new environment, and who
discovered some of these unusual
creatures?
Olivia and the Fairy Princesses
by Ian Falconer
Olivia is back and having identity
crises. Who should this irrepressible
pig be when she grows up? She
definitely does not want to be a pink
frilly princess. That is what
everybody else (even some boys)
want to be! And why, she plaintively
asks, can’t there be other kinds of
princesses like an African princess
or an Indian princess. With humor
Olivia investigates many options,
perhaps a nurse or a reporter! Her
solution – pure Olivia. Read Olivia
and the Fairy Princesses for a laughout-loud happy ending!
Dinothesaurus
by Douglas Florian
Twenty poems humorously
describe dinosaurs: their
surroundings, their habits, and
their appearances. Douglas
Florian uses collage to
artistically render each poem.
His muted illustrations done on
paper bags prominently include
letters and realistic pictures.
The illustrations and poems work
together to create short funny
pictures of each dinosaur.
Florian includes a Glossarysaurus
and a list of Dinosaur Museums
and Fossil Sites for those
readers wishing additional
information.
Dog in Charge
by K.L. Going
illustrated by Dan Santat
Dog earns a big hug and a
scrumptious treat when he sits,
stays, and dances on his back paws
for his owner. “Good Dog. Smart Dog,
the very best Dog,” says his owner,
as she puts Dog in “charge” of their
five cats, while the family goes out
shopping. Proudly, Dog begins his
training. But….. before she she can
command the cats to sit and stay,
they disappear. Brilliantly, Dog pulls
out the “Good Kitty,” treats to train
the cats, except the treats smell too
good. Can Dog stay in charge?
Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break
if You Want to Survive the School Bus
by John Grandits
illustrated by Michael Allen Austin
Can you remember the first time you had to
ride the school bus? Was it something you
were looking forward to, or dreading? Kyle is
ready to start kindergarten, but riding the
school bus makes him very nervous. His older
brother tries to help by making a list of ten
rules for Kyle to follow. Breaking the rules
could get him laughed at, yelled at, or even
pushed around or pounded! After looking over
the list, though, Kyle gets even more scared
than before. On his first day, he breaks rule
after rule – he sits in the back row, makes
eye contact with another student, and worst
of all he talks to a girl. You’re sure to find
something to connect with in this humorous
story about facing your fears and coming up
with your own ways to survive.
Penny and Her Doll
by Kevin Henkes
Penny, a small girl mouse, receives a
perfect gift from her Grandmother,
but there is a problem. Penny was in
the garden with her Mom when her
gift, a beautiful doll, arrived. Penny
loved the doll right away. She had pink
cheeks, a pink bow and a pink dress
with big buttons but no name! Penny
struggled to find just the right name
for her just right dolly. Everyone else
in her family, after all, has a name.
Read this short chapter book to
discover the name Penny bestows on
her doll.
The Fantastic Flying Books of
Mr. Morris Lessmore
by William Joyce
Morris Lessmore loves words, stories
and books. He is very happy. One day
a terrifying hurricane blows all he
loves away. He is left in a strange
colorless land. Morris aimlessly
wanders until he comes upon a lovely
lady who is being pulled along by flying
books. She gives Morris her favorite
book. This book befriends Morris and
leads him to a library filled with
extraordinary stories. Morris’ world
is filled with color again as he takes
care of the books and they take care
of him. Morris shares his books with
others and even writes his own.
Eventually Morris passes his story
and his love of books to a new young
caretaker. This book began as an
award winning wordless animated film.
There is also an app which creates
Morris’ amazing world.
Captain Awesome to the Rescue
by Stan Kirby
illustrated by George O’Conner
Eugene McGillicudy is an eight-year-old
boy who loves adventure and
superheroes. He even has a superhero
alter ego, Captain Awesome. On the
first day of school, his teacher gives
him the job of taking care of the class
hamster, Turbo. A couple of days later,
when Eugene goes out for recess, he
notices that Turbo is missing. He sees
a trail of bedding and suspects he
knows where Turbo is, but has to leave
for recess anyway. When he returns it
is time to become Captain Awesome and
rescue Turbo. Read to find out if
Captain Awesome can find Turbo, catch
the hamsternapper, and solve the case.
He just might find a sidekick and new
friend in this first exciting adventure
of the hilarious Captain Awesome
series.
The Three Little Aliens and
the Big Bad Robot
by Margaret McNamara
illustrated by Mark Fearing
Three little aliens are all grown
up and ready to head into space
and find their own homes. Each
alien settles onto his own planet,
and soon a big bad robot comes to
call. The three little aliens find
safety together in the third
alien’s home. Does this story
sound familiar? It is a funny twist
on the Three Little Pigs! You will
laugh at the aliens and their silly
antics, and you will love the
illustrations that help you get to
know the planets in our solar
system
Marty McGuire
by Kate Messner
illustrated by Brian Floca
Marty is a third grade girl who prefers blue
jeans to dresses, and outdoor fun things
like frog hunting instead of playing
princess. She loves second grade. Before
heading off for summer vacation, Marty’s
second grade teacher tells the class how
wonderful third grade will be. There will be
lots of special activities, including a school
play. But things don’t start out well for
Marty. She loses her best friend to
another classmate. As if things aren’t bad
enough, when The Frog Prince is announced
as the school play for this year, and all the
roles are assigned, Marty is given the role
of the princess! How can a girl like Marty,
who prefers science, nature and slimy
creatures, find a way to succeed as a
princess in the school play? Will she
eventually find something to like about
third grade? You will enjoy getting to know
Marty McGuire.
11 Experiments that Failed
by Jenny Offill
Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Does your school have a Science
Fair? Do you know how to do a
science experiment? 1) Ask a
question. 2) Make a prediction
(hypothesis). 3) Gather your
supplies. 4) Write down the
directions, 5) Record what
happened. You might not want to do
the 11 experiments in this book, with
experiments like “Can a kid make it
through the winter eating only snow
and ketchup?” or “Do dogs like to be
covered in glitter?” But you will have
to read the book to find out the
experimental results!
Mrs. Noodlekugel
by Daniel Pinkwater
illustrated by Adam Stower
Looking out the window of their new
home in a tall apartment building,
Nick and Maxine see a little old
fashioned house surrounded by huge
buildings. Secretly, with the help of
Mike, the janitor, they find it and
meet the owner, a plump old lady
named Mrs. Noodlekugel. She kindly
invites them in for freshly baked
cookies and tea. Maxine and Nick are
delighted with their visit, especially
when they meet her cat who bakes,
plays the piano, and elegantly serves
the tea. Read to discover the talents
of Mrs. Noodlekugel’s four far
sighted, prize winning mice, who also
join them for tea.
Creepy Carrots
by Aaron Reynolds
illustrated by Peter Brown
Jasper Rabbit loves carrots and
the carrots he finds in
Crackenhopper Field are the best.
He eats them several times a day.
But one day he starts seeing
carrots everywhere. He begins to
suspect the carrots are following
him. No one believes him, but he
knows the carrots are there! Are
the carrots really stalking him? If
so, can they be stopped? Read this
funny and suspenseful book to find
out!
Each Kindness
by Jacqueline Woodson
illustrated by E. B. Lewis
When was the last time you treated
someone kindly? Was there a time when
you could have been kind, but chose to
be mean instead? Do we treat others the
way we would like to be treated? Maya is
a new student. She wears second hand
clothing, broken sandals, and obviously
comes from a poor background. She tries
to make friends, but is rejected by
Chloe and her friends who make fun of
Maya and refuse to include her. When
Maya’s family has to move and she is no
longer there, Chloe begins to feel guilty
and sorry for the way she behaved. How
can she ever make up for her hurtful
behavior toward Maya? This meaningful
and emotional story about a lesson in
kindness will cause you to reflect on how
you behave toward others.
Remember, it is easy to participate. Just read or
listen to at least 3 books from the list by March 1,
2014. Voting will take place during your library
class time. Votes will be sent to the awards
committee by March 15 and the winning titles and
authors will be announced at the annual
Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference.
Keep reading!!!
Annotations adapted from psla.org
.