The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
A country cricket with unique musical talents lands in the middle of New York's Times Square where he and his
new-found friends put his unique musical skills to use (MPL Favoreads).
Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede
Princess Cimorene is a tomboy bored by royal court life. She flees her kingdom and becomes an assistant to the
dragon Kazul. (MPL Favoreads)
Running Out of Time by Margaret Haddix
When a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site
under unseen observation by heartless scientists. It's up to Jessie to escape the village and save the lives of the
dying children. (MPL Favoreads)
Skellig by David Almond
Unhappy about his baby sister's illness and the chaos of moving into a dilapidated old house, Michael retreats to
the garage and finds a mysterious stranger who is something like a bird and something like an angel (MPL
Favoreads).
Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Louis, a voiceless trumpeter swan, becomes a famous jazz trumpet player (MPL Favoreads).
Maniac MaGee by Jerry Spinelli
Maniac Magee is a folk story about a boy, a very excitable boy. One that can outrun dogs, hit a home run off the
best pitcher in the neighborhood, tie a knot no one can undo. "Kid's gotta be a maniac," is what the folks in Two
Mills say. It's also the story of how this boy, Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee, confronts racism in a small town, tries
to find a home where there is none and attempts to soothe tensions between rival factions on the tough side of
town (Amazon.com).
Indigo's Star Hilary McKay
Spurred on by his youngest sister, Rose, twelve-year-old Indigo sticks up for himself and an American boy who has
replaced him as the primary target of the school bullies (Pine Crest School)
.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
In this classical tale of spiritual quest, Salmanca Tree Hidle is thirteen years old, proud of the “Indianness in her
blood” and heading west with her grandparents on a 2,000-mile journey from Ohio to Idaho in search of the mother
who left her. Sal is only part Indian and her parents actually got her name wrong, but she loves the Indian stories
and the tales she hears on the trip. (Lipson)
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
The story of two children and their love and admiration for the wild ponies of Assateague Island.
Other titles in the series include Stormy: Misty’s Foal and Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
The Classic tale of a wild horse and a shipwrecked boy who must be rescued from a deserted island. (MPL
Favoreads)
King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
Traces the heartaches and triumphs of the Arabian stallion that became a founding sire of a thoroughbred breed,
and of the mute Arabian boy who tended him as long as he lived. (MPL Favoreads)
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Billy and his 2 coonhound pups, Old Dan and Little Ann, ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee
country. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Ann had the brains -- and Billy had the will to train them to be the finest
hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. An exciting tale of love
and adventure you'll never forget (Amazon.com).
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Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
"My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of
macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog." With these words, tenyear-old Opal Buloni begins her account of the summer her life changed because of Winn-Dixie, a goofy stray dog
she adopted (About.com).
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think about life before the war. But it's
now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching in their
town. Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save
her best friend's life. There's no turning back now (Multnomah County Library website).
Big Red by Kim Kjelgaard
From the moment Danny sees the beautiful Irish setter, he knows Red is the dog for him. Together Danny and Red
face many dangers in the harsh Wintapi wilderness that they call home (MPL library catalog).
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his
spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him (MPL library catalog).
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella’s fairy godmother gave her the gift of obedience, making her powerless against a direct command. The setting
is a modestly magical long-ago kingdom, where Ella, a spunky heroine, is determined to break the spell and thus
free herself from the possibility of doing something really stupid just because she has been told to (Lipson).
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (series: A Series of Unfortunate Events)
After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits
when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means
necessary to get their fortune (MPL Catalog).
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (series: The Chronicles of Narnia)
Siblings Edmund, Lucy, Susan and Peter find passage through a magical wardrobe and meet the amazing
characters of the enchanted land of Narnia.
Click here for a list of Chronicles of Narnia Read-a-Likes
Can of Worms by Mackel, Kathy
Mike Pillsbury’s strange memories of aliens convince him that he is from another planet. Only his younger
neighbors believe his stories until, humiliated in school one day, he summons help from outer space- and it arrives!
(Odean)
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats (which is Stanley Yelnats spelled backwards) is sent to a cruel correctional camp in the Texas
desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself (and digs lots of holes!). (MPL
library catalog).
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien
The background volume to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this book tells the story of Bilbo Baggins’s adventures as
he sets out to recover a treasure stolen by a dragon long ago. On the journey, Bilbo encounters trolls, goblins, and
elves and engages in a dreadful battle (Odean).
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
This is the first in a quartet of fantasy novels about the Murray family, especially Meg and Charles Wallace. In the
first book they go on a dangerous mission in search of the scientist. The are able to travel through space and time
vai a mystical “wrinkle in time”. Where will this “wrinkle” take them and will they find their father in time? Other titles
in the quartet include A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet and Many Waters (Lipson).
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (series: His Dark Materials)
Lyra climbs on a great bear’s back and sets off into the arctic to save the world. Also in this series: The Subtle
Knife and The Amber Spyglass (Lipson).
Knight’s Castle by Edward Eager
Four cousins have an extraordinary summer when, after an old toy soldier comes to life, they find themselves
transported back to the days of Robin Hood and Ivanhoe. (MPL Favoreads).
The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander (series: The Chronicles of Prydain)
This is the best-known volume of a favorite fantasy quintet about the imaginary land of Prydain, which has some
basis in Welsh legend and traditional mythology. In this volume, a council of warriors face villainy. The first book is
The Book of Three, and the others are The Castle of Llyr, Taran the Wanderer and The High King. (Lipson).
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Jim Hawkins obtains a treasure map from a mysterious stranger and shows it to the local doctor and squire. The
men plan an expedition to Treasure Island and take Jim along as cabin boy, never suspecting that the crew, led by
the one-legged Long John Silver, plans to mutiny (Odean).
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Tuck family drinks from a magical spring and is blessed (or is it cursed?) with eternal life. The try to live
inconspicuously, but one day 10 year old Winnie Foster discovers their secret. (Lipson)
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Synder
April and Melanie are eleven years old and best friends in a small town in California. They are deeply interested in
ancient Egypt, and the game they invent leads them into real-life criminal investigation. (Lipson)
Sources:
About.com <www.about.com>
Amazon.com <www.amazon.com>
Lipson, Eden Ross. The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, c2000
MPL Favoreads <http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/youth/booklists/favoreadawards.html>
MPL Catalog (Syndetic Solutions) <http://www.linkcat.info/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=dial#focus>
Multnomah County Library website Talk it Up! Book Discussion Groups for Kids <http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-number.html>
Odean, Kathleen. Great Books About Things Kids Love. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, c 2001
Pine Crest School <http://www.pinecrest.edu/ftpimages/112/download/download_group1663_id60794.pdf>
L.E. Phillips Memorial Library < http://www.eauclaire.lib.wi.us/>