September 17, 2006

My First and Second Grade Book List

Below are the books we read when my children were in First and Second Grade during the 2004-5 school year (I started this blog the summer after that school year). In case you are just "tuning in", our kiddos were 5 and 7 at the time. Both of the kids could already read. My son (the eldest) began reading chapter books without pictures during this school year (he loves the Star Wars junior novels), and he has always had a taste for encyclopedia-type books (especially about bugs, volcanoes, trains, or Star Wars). Some of the books are a little on the meaty side if you are working with brand-new readers. I read many of them TO the children as well.

Our curriculum dictates that we should have an ongoing "family reader" (usually a chapter book) for each unit study, and then I require most school days that the children read two or three library books a day on their own or to each other. I was amazed once I got this list typed up at just how many books we read (there are 412 books listed here). I did NOT include any PREVIOUSLY read books in this list (and there were MANY). That means that all of my book lists should NOT contain duplicate books (even though the children often re-check books or re-read some at home in our personal library).

Many of these books can be read at a much older age level as well, so don't let the grade level fool you. The grade in the title of this post just happens to be the grade they were in when WE read them. You can read them any time you like (I'm not a kid, and I enjoyed many of them!).

The books that we enjoyed the MOST are bolded. Many of those were so good that we went out and bought our own copy to add to our library at home. The kids love revisiting those books and if we don't have them, they don't hesitate to re-check them at the library. The rest of the books which are NOT bolded are probably great, too (I either didn't remember them very well, the children read them without my help and didn't comment about them, or they just weren't a FAVORITE). Don't think that just because the book is not bolded, it isn't a good book! Our favorites are subjective and you should read these for yourself to find out what your family's favorites are!

If you enjoy using our book lists and ideas here at Sprittibee's Homeschool Blog, please consider dropping some spare change in the tip jar - no donation too small! We could use a few dollars to buy more books with since most of these are LIBRARY books we checked out!

You can also check out my little Amazon book store up at the top of this blog by clicking the bookstore link, or clicking the text in this sentence! Many of our favorites are there and sorted by category. If you purchase them through our referral, my kids might eventually get a free book for their library. It's a win-win situation! You get great books, we get a few pennies for telling you about them.

Third Year Homeschool Book List - Grades 1-2
A Hero of a Horse (Step into Reading 2, Disney's "Home on the Range")
Pony Party ("My Little Pony") by Kate Egan
Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express - Eleanor Coerr (An I Can Read Book, Level 3)
My Very First Winnie the Pooh "Tigger's Moving Day" - Kathleen W. Zoehfeld
Garfield's Picnic Adventure - Jim Davis (A Golden Look-Look Book) story by Jack C. Harris
The Flag We Love - Pam Muñoz Ryan
Flip and the Morning - Wesley Dennis
Horses - Harold Roth
Horses - Monica Kulling
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses - Jan Brett
The Secret of the Lost Kingdom - Michael Bolton
Black Beauty - retold by Rochelle Larkin
Seabiscuit (All Aboard Reading Level 3) - Kathy and Mark Dubowski
Leonardo's Horse - Jean Fritz/Hudson Talbott
Water - Edith Newlin Chase & Ron Broda
A Boy for Flops - Eve Rose
Movie: Crazy Horse (about wild horses in Nevada)
The Riddle Book - Roy McKie (Random House)
God Gives Me Helpers - Scripture Press Publications
Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter
M is for Monster - Disney/Pixar
God Helps Me Grow - Scripture Press Publications
Jonah's Fish Story (The Beginners Bible)
Black Beauty - unabridged by Anna Sewell
What Shall I Make? - Usborn/Chick-fil-A
You Read to Me! I'll Read to You! - SeeSaw Book Club (Scholastic)
Feathers for Lunch - Lois Ehlert
The Three Little Pigs (A Tell-A-Tale Book by Whitman/Western Publishing Co. Inc.)
Movie: Nature: Horses (segment 1) Wild Horses of Mongolia
Movie: Nature: Horses (segment 2) Horse and Rider
Circle of Seasons - Gerda Muller
Star Wars Boba Fett: Crossfire (Clone Wars Novel by Terry Bisson)
The Tickle Stories - Jean Van Leeuwen
Bounce Around Tigger! (Pooh, Golden Books)
Chang's Paper Pony! (An I Can Read Book) - Eleanor Coerr
Going West - Jean Van Leeuwen
Horse Show - Kate Hayden (DK Readers/Stage 2)
Sam's Wild West Show - Nancy Antle (Dial Easy-To-Read)
Love is God - Marie Frost (A First Happy Day Book)
Daniel and the Lions (Tell A Bible Story Books)
Guess How Much I Love You - Sam McBratney
The Sign of the Seahorse - Graeme Base
The Trail of the Jedi - Jude Watson (Jedi Quest Series - Book 2)
Eugene the Brave - Ellen Conford
How Lazy Can You Get? - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Movie: Volcano: Nature's Inferno - National Geographic
Movie: Seabiscuit (not sure if this was a recent movie or older historical one)
I'm Terrific - Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Sacajawea - Her True Story - Joyce Milton (All Aboard Reading Level 2)
I'm Glad for God's House - Bernice T. Cory (Little Glad Books)
Dr. Seuss's ABC - An Amazing Alphabet Book! By Dr. Seuss
Who is God? - Wanda Hayes
Polar Bears - Susan Canizares (Scholastic)
I Can Count to 100… Can You? - Katherine Howard (The Best Book Club Ever/Random House)
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses - Paul Goble (Caldecott Medal)
Friends are for Loving - Mary Alice Jones (A Junior Elf Book)
Between the Lions - Tortoise and the Hare - retold by Mary Weber
Time for Tom - Phil Vischer (Veggie Tales)
Movie: The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens (Finley-Holiday Video Film Corp.)
Critter the Class Cat - Colleen Stanley Bare
Clara and the Bookwagon - Nancy Smiler Levinson (An I Can Read Book Level 3)
A Tiny Family - Norman Bridwell (Scholastic Hello Reader! Level 1)
Pizza Party! - Grace Maccarone (Hello Reader! Level 1)
Seesaw - A Beka Book Reading Program (reader)
The Surprise Party - Annabelle Prager
Panda Cake - Rosalie Seidler
Rabbit's Search for a Little House - Mary DeBall Kwitz
A Book About Your Skeleton - Ruth Belov Gross
Thank You, Logan! - Valarie Tripp
Autumn Days - Ann Schweninger
Horse Breeds Poster Book - Story Kids
Morgan Morning - Stephen Cosgrove (Serendipity Book)
Franklin is Messy - Paulette Bourgeois
A New Dress for Maya - Malorie Blackman
My First Little Mother Goose - Lucinda McQueen
Alvin and the Chipmonks: Alvin's Daydreams - Michael Teitelbaum
Bambi: Friends of the Forest - Disney
Beautiful Zoo Animals to Come and See - Share a Book

Pooh's First Day of Winter - Disney
Winnie the Pooh's Sleepytime Hum - Disney
Winnie the Pooh and His Friends: Night Time Mystery - Disney
Ready for Bed, Pooh? - Disney
Winnie the Pooh and His Friends: A Reel Fishy Story - Disney
Pooh's Perfect Spring Day - Disney
Winnie the Pooh and His Friends: Roo's Big Adventure - Disney
One, Two, Pooh's Looking for You - Disney
Pooh's Early-to-Bed and Early-to-Rise Hum - Disney
Are you Ready for School? - Disney
When Summer is Over - Disney
Tawny Scrawny Lion - Katheryn Jackson (Golden Books)
Little Squirt the Fire Engine - Catherine Kenworthy (A First Little Golden Book)
Sam and the Firefly - P.D. Eastman
DK Insects - George C. McGavin
Flutterby Fly - Stephen Cosgrove (A Serendipity Book)
Noddy's Loose Shoelace - Gill Davies
My First Book of Sounds - Melanie Bellah (A First Little Golden Book)
Jay Jay the Jet Plane - You are Special - Tommy Nelson, Inc.
The Little Golden ABC - Cornelius De Witt
Baby Animals on a Farm - James C. Shooter (A First Little Golden Book)
God Made Kittens - Marian Bennett (A Happy Day Book)
Colors are Nice! - Adelaide Holl (A Little Golden Book)
Precious Moments: Put on a Happy Face! - Debbie Wiersma (A Little Golden Book)
Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
Jack and the Beanstalk - retold by Stella Williams Nathan (A Little Golden Book)
The Fox and the Hound - Disney
The Monster at the End of This Book - Jon Stone (A Little Golden Sesame Street Book)
Movie: The Statue of Liberty (Modern Marvels - A & E)
Movie: Animated Biography "President Lincoln" - Living History Productions, Inc.
Movie: (part, not all) "The Constitution of the United States of America" - LDA Video
Videocassette by Schoolastic Public Performance: "George Washington's Mother" - Jean Fritz
How the U.S. Government Works - Syl Sobel
America Votes - How Our President is Elected - Linda Granfield
Bible Adventures - Jodi McCallum
Giggle, Giggle, Quack - Doreen Cronin
The Missing Wedding Dress featuring Barbie - Karen Krugman (A Little Golden Book)
Little Red Riding Hood - retold by Mabel Watts
Arthur Goes to Camp - Marc Brown (An Arthur Adventure)
Rock*A*Bye Farm - Diane Johnston Hamm
Vote! - Eileen Christelow
Daffy Duck for President - Chuck Jones
Egypt and the Middle East - Tintin's Travel Diaries (Barron's)
The Buried City of Pompeii - Shelley Tanaka (An I Was There Book)
Movie: The American Experience - George Washington, the Man Who Wouldn't Be King
Movie: Video Visits, United States Collection "Washington DC - A Capital Adventure"
Uncle Sam and Old Glory - Symbols of America - Delno C. West and James M. West
Red, White, Blue and Uncle Who? - Teresa Bateman
George Washington and the General's Dog - Frank Murphy
The Knight, the Princess and the Dragon - Helen Craig
Piglet Meets a Heffalump - A. A. Milne
I Think That It is Wonderful and Other Poems from Sesame Street - David Korr
My Little Book of Poems - Rebecca Heller (A First Little Golden Book)
The Statue of Liberty - Lucille Recht Penner (Step Into Reading, Step 2)
Christina Katerina & THE BOX - Patricia Lee Gauch
The Christmas Spirit Strikes (A Rotten Ralph Book) - Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel
Sammy the Seal - Syd Hoff
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin - Disney
The Bill of Rights - Warren Coleman (A New True Book)
Adventures with Peter Panda - Marie H. Frost
My Big Book of Bedtime Stories - Zigzag Publishing
Voting and Elections - Patricia J. Murphy
Don't Eat Too Much Turkey! - Miriam Cohen
The Relatives Came - Cynthia Rylant
Movie: Ocean Wilds "Sperm Whale Oasis" (Warner Home Video)
Book on Video: Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby - narrated by Danny Glover (Rabbit Ears Story Books)
Bert and the Broken Teapot - Tish Sommers
Video: Nature "Sharks" (PBS Series with two parts - "Secret World of Sharks and Rays"/"White Shark-Red Triangle")
George Washington's Breakfast - Jean Fritz
The Butterfly Counting Book - Jerry Pallotta
The Life of a Butterfly (Scholastic - I Can Read About Science Library)
Video "John the Baptist" by Animated Stories of the NT/Family Entertainment Network
An Outlaw Thanksgiving - Emily Arnold McCully
Miss Nelson is Back - Harry Allard
The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room - Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Perfect Thanksgiving - Eileen Spinelli
The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin - Stan and Jan Berenstain
Molly's Lies - Kay Chorao
Movie: "Hop on Pop", "Marvin K. Moony Will You Please Go Now!" and "Oh, Say Can You Say?" (Dr. Seuss narrated classics)
Movie: Narrated books by Beatrix Potter (The Tale of Samuel Whiskers/The Roly-Poly Pudding)
Thanksgiving Mice - Bethany Roberts
Movie: Pocahontas (Animated Hero Classics/Living History Productions, Inc.)
Movie: Thanksgiving (Schlessinger Video Production, Inc.)
The Picnic - Ruth Brown
Doctor DeSoto Goes to Africa - William Steig
Pocahontas - Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
Bluebonnet at the Marshall Train Depot - Mary Brooke Casad
Bluebonnet at Dinosaur Valley State Park - Mary Brooke Casad
Bluebonnet at the Texas State Capital - Mary Brooke Casad
Clifford's Manners - Norman Bridwell
One Crow - A Counting Rhyme - Jim Aylesworth
The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving - Ann McGovern
It's Thanksgiving - Jack Prelutsky
The Pine Tree Parable - Liz Curtis Higgs
The Chicken Salad Club - Marsha Diane Arnold
Tale of a Tail - Judit Z. Bodnar
The Thanksgiving Door - Debby Atwell
This for That - Verna Aardema
The Pumpkin Patch Parable - Liz Curtis Higgs
Movie: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/The Mayflower Voyagers (1973)
George Washington - Soldier, Hero, President - Justine & Ron Fontes (DK Readers Level 3)
Audio: Adventures in Odyssey Classics by Focus on the Family: Bible Eyewitness NT "Back to Bethlehem I, II, & III" (cassette tapes)
Movie: The Toy that Saved Christmas - Veggie Tales
Movie: Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree
Movie: Schoolhouse Rock, Special 30th Anniversary Edition

Iglook's Seal - Bernard Wiseman
The Thornbush - Michael Laughlin
The Nutcracker - adapted by Bethany Snyder (originally told by E.T.A. Hoffmann)
Cat in the Manger - Michael Foreman
Hansel and Gretel - retold by Rochelle Larkin
The Night Before Christmas - Clement C. Moore
Little Fur Family - Margaret Wise Brown
Cars and Trucks - Richard Scarry (A Little Golden Book)
Bright, Shiny Skylar - Valerie Tripp
Hansel and Gretel - The Brother's Grimm (A Little Golden Book)
MGM's Tom and Jerry Meet Little Quack (A Little Golden Book)
Movie: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Star Wars Jedi Quest Series #3 - The Dangerous Games (Jr. Novel) - Jude Watson
Knights in Shining Armor - Gail Gibbons
The Twelve Days of Christmas; A Christmas Carol - Illustrated by Mike Eagle
Movie: Winter Stallion (Questar 1992)
Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss
The Story of Baby Moses (An Alice in Bibleland Storybook) - Alice Joyce Davidson

Bambi Grows Up - Disney
The Fire Cat - Esther Averill
The Wump World - Bill Peet
The Christmas Mouse - Carolyn Quattrocki
The Secret of the Sand - Jon Valeska & Jean Fripp
The Lost Wreck of Isis - Robert D. Ballard
Finding Nemo - Disney/Pixar (A Little Golden Book)
Morgan and Me - Stephen Cosgrove (A Serendipity Book)
George and Martha, One Fine Day - James Marshall
Tootle - Gertrude Crampton (A Little Golden Book)
A Children's Book About Disobeying - Joy Berry
Cats - Laura French (A Little Golden Book)
Peit Potter's First Case - Robert Quackenbush
A Pussycat's First Christmas - Margaret Wise Brown
Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever (A Golden Book)
The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth - JoannaCole and Bruce Degen
The Magic School Bus: Inside Ralphie (A Book About Germs)
There Really Was a DoDo - Esther S. and Bernard L. Gordon
Now You can Read Bible Stories… Daniel and His Friends - retold by Leonard Matthews
Meow - A Day in the Life of Cats - Judy Reinen
Gregory, the Terrible Eater - Mitchell Sharmat
Minnie and Moo Save the Earth - Denys Cazet
Movie: The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
Oil Spill - Melvin Berger
Animals in Jeopardy (Young Discovery Library Series) - Diane Costa de Beauregard
Let's Talk About Being Lazy - Joy Wilt Berry
Letting Swift River Go - Jane Yolen
The Magic School Bus: At The Waterworks - Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Lentil - Roberty McCloskey
Let's Talk About Being Destructive - Joy Wilt Berry
The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit - Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Little House - Virginia Lee Burton
Just a Dream - Chris Van Allsburg
The Smokey Bear Story - Ellen Earnhardt Morrison
Movie: Whirling Winds (Awesome Forces of God's Creation Series) - Moody Institute
Finding the Titanic (Hello Reader! Level 4) - Robert D. Ballard
Titanic: The Disaster That Shocked the World! (DK Readers Level 3)
My First Little House Books: Winter Days in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Man Who Took Seven Baths - Joann Scheck (Arch Books)
What We Can Do About Wasting Water - Donna Bailey
Toxic Waste (Earth Alert) - Susan Dudley Gold
Music CD: Gather Round: Songs for Kids and Other Folks
Movie: The Little Princess (Shirley Temple)

Our Endangered Planet: Oceans - Mary Hoff & Mary M. Rodgers
Rumplestiltskin - Grimm's Fairy Tales (A Little Golden Book)
The Boy of the Three-Year Nap - Dianne Snyder
Leo the Lop: Tail Two - Stephen Cosgrove (Serendipity Book)
Clocks and More Clocks - Pat Hutchins
A House for Hermit Crab - Eric Carie
An I Can Read Book: Silly Tilly's Valentine - Lillian Hoban
A Book of Seasons - Alice and Martin Provensen
Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share - Molly Bang
Nellie: A Cat on Her Own - Natalie Babbitt
All Aboard Reading: The Flying Horse/The Story of Pegasus - Jane B. Mason
The Owl and the Pussycat - Edward Lear (A Little Golden Book)
Anatole - Eve Titus
Time of Wonder - Robert McCloskey
Movie: Veggie Tales - Sumo of the Opera (A Tale of Perseverance)
Movie: Rescue Heroes - The Fire Field 13 (about Anger)
The Dancing Man - Ruth Bornstein
My First Little House Books: Farmer Boy Birthday - Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Story of Noah's Ark - Jane Latourette (Arch Books)
The Christmas Book - Donna Kelly
Franklin has a Sleepover - Paulette Bourgeois
Chicka Chicka ABC - Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Beady Bear - Don Freeman
Days with Frog and Toad (An I Can Read Book) - Arnold Lobel
Spill! The Story of the Exxon Valdez - Terry Carr
Movie: Ben Hur - A Tale of Christ (Animated)
Armadillos Sleep in Dugouts - Pam Munoz Ryan
What is a Cat? - Ron Hirschi
My Town - William Wegman
The Kid's Cat Book - Tomie De Paola
Now You can Read Bible Stories… Wise Solomon - retold by Leonard Matthews
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too - Disney
Dolphin - Robert A. Morris
Mouse, Look Out! - Judy Waite
A Little Bit of Winter - Paul Stewart
The World Jack Built - Ruth Brown
Five Little Ducks - Raffi
Subway Sparrow - Leyla Torres
Little Whistle's Dinner Party - Cynthia Rylant
Trill the Fox Cub - Jane Burton (Baby Animals Growing Up Series)
How the Cat Swallowed Thunder - Lloyd Alexander
Scaredy Cat - Joan Rankin
like, likes, like - Chris Raschka
All About Time (A First Discovery Book) - Scholastic
A New True Book: Seasons - Illa Podendorf
Movie: The Waltons (Season 1) - lots of shows!
Movie: Around the World in 80 Days (Animated 1999) - Digital Versatile
The Little Park - Dale Fife
Stories Jesus Told (Now You Can Read Bible Stories) - retold by Elaine Ife
Huckleberry Finn (Favorite Fairy Tales) - retold by Rochelle Larkin
Mr. Maxwell's Mouse - Frank Asch & Devin Asch
The Tale of Tom Kitten - Beatrix Potter
Raccoons - Allan Fowler (Rookie Read About Science)
Franklin D. Roosevelt - Laura Hamilton Waxman (History Maker Bios)
The Lost Temple - Anna Knight (Lego/DK)
Texas Birds from A to Z - Glenna Grimmer
The Seal and the Slick - Don Freeman
Cut Down at High Noon (A Math Adventure) - Scott Sundby
Watch the Stars Come Out - Diane Goode
Telling Time - Jules Older
Volcanoes - Franklyn M. Branley
My Tour of Europe, By Teddy Roosevelt, Age 10 - Ellen Jackson
It's Justin Time, Amber Brown - Paula Danziger (A is for Amber Series)
Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail - Laurence Anhold
Cats and Kittens - Checkerboard Press NY
Eyewitness Classics (DK): 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
When the Whippoorwill Calls - Candice F. Ransom
Simple Experiments in Time with Every Day Materials - Muriel Mandell
On Time: From Seasons to Split Seconds - Gloria Skurzynski (National Geographic Society)
The Parable of the Lily - Liz Curtis Higgs
Why the Cat Chose Us - John Zeaman
A True Book: Constellations - Paul P. Sipiera
Could You Ever? Build a Time Machine - by Dr. David Darling
Movie: Back the Drawing Board (McGee and Me) - Focus on the Family
Movie: Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (older version)
Hello Kitty Hello World! - Sanrio (Geography Book)
The Making of a Knight - Patrick O'Brien
A Medieval Feast - Aliki Brandenberg (Reading Rainbow Book)
Movie: The Miracle Maker, The Story of Jesus (Everland Entertainment)
Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise - Diane Stanley
Whoosh Went the Wish - Toby Speed
Goldie and the Three Bears - Diane Stanley
Hedgehog for Breakfast - Ann W. Turner
Good Knight - Linda R. Rymill
Wind Says Good Night - Katy Rydell
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Stieg
The Money Tree - Sarah Stewart
Tops & Bottoms - Janet Stevens
All Aboard! - James Stevenson
The Story of Smokey Bear - Robin Bromley
About Time: Measuring Time - Brian Williams
Siegfried - Diane Stanley
How Spider Saved Valentines Day - Robert Kraus
We Hate Rain - James Stevenson
Arctic Spring - Sue Vyner
Train Song - Diane Siebert (poem)
Bless This House - Leslie Staub
World War Won - Dav Pilkey
Mugambi's Journey - John Becker
Patrick's Dinosaurs on the Internet - Carol Carrick
Peter Spier's Rain - Peter Spier
Father May I Come? - Peter Spier
The Stranger - Chris Van Allsburg
Saving Sweetness - Diane Stanley
Blaze and the Lost Quarry - C. W. Anderson
Big Brother, Little Sister - Papa Oyibo
How Much is that Doggie in the Window? - Bob Merrill
A Secret for Grandmother's Birthday - Franz Brandenberg
A Children's Book About Teasing - Joy Berry
A Children's Book About Lying - Joy Berry
A Children's Book About Being Selfish - Joy Berry
The Buffalo Nickel - Taylor Morrison
The Lunch Line - Karen Bergman Nagel (Hello Math Reader Level 3)
How Far Can a Butterfly Fly? - Time Life for Children
It was a Dark Stormy Night - Janet & Allan Ahlberg
Time at the Top - Edward Ormondroyd
Young Wolf and Spirit Horse - Janice Shefelman (Step Into Reading Step 3)
I'll Do It Later - Louise Vitellaro Tidd (Level 2)
Rain Forest Secrets - Arthur Dorros
Jackalope - Janet Stevens & Susan Stevens Crummel
Tightwad Tod - Daphne Skinner (Math Matters - Using Money Grades 1-3)
Deena's Lucky Penny - Barbara deRubertis (Math Matters - Using Money Grades PK-1)
The Lonely Lioness - Verna Aardema
Black Cat - Christopher Myers
Jaguar - Helen Cowcher
The Snow Leopard - Theresa Radcliffe
Mama Don't Allow - Thatcher Hurd
Slop! - Margaret Read MacDonald
Leah's Pony - Michael Garland
Ride'em, Cowboy - Stefan Czernecki
Raccoon at Clear Creek Road - Carolyn B. Otto
Kitten's First Full Moon - Kevin Henkes
What Color is Camouflage? - Carolyn Otto (Let's Find Out Science, Stage 2)
Habitats: Coral Reef - Gary W. David
Movie: The Living Edens: The Lost World: Venezuela's Ancient Tepuis - Nature/PBS
Movie: IMAX Seasons
Little Scraggly Hair: A Dog on Noah's Ark - Lynn Cullen
Jodi's Star - Alma Flor Ada
Little Farm by the Sea - Kay Choras
Zen Shorts - Jon Muth
The Cat's Pajamas - Ida Chittum
Flossie and the Fox - Patricia C. McKissack
A Visit to Kenya - Mary Packard
Leo the Late Bloomer - Robert T. Kraus
The Cats Kids - Kay Chorao
A Kid's Guide to Managing Money - Joy Wilt
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain - Veronica Aardema
The Surprise Family - Lynn Reiser
Movie: Australia the Beautiful
Movie: Creatures that Defy Evolution (Volume 1)
Movie: Australia: The Edge (IMAX)
Movie: Tron
Little Rabbit Foo Foo - Michael Rosen & Arthur Robins
Swan Lake - Anthea Bell/Chihiro Iwasaki
Kitten Red Yellow Blue - Peter Catalonotto
First Graders from Mars: Episode 1: Horus's Horrible Day - Shana Corey
City Chicken - Arthur Dorros
Mozart Finds a Melody - Stephen Costanza
Clever Cat - Peter Collington
McElligot's Pool - Dr. Seuss
The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle - Lynne Cherry
About Fish - Cathryn Sill
The Wimp - Kathy Caple
Raccoon on His Own - Jim Arnosky
Into the Forest - Anthony Browne
Something Might Happen - Helen Lester
Terrible Teresa and Other Very Short Stories - Mittie Cuetara
Movie: Shark Watch (Blue Planet: Discovery Channel)

Quick Links
2003-4 K-1 Book List
2001-2 PK-K Book List
My Homeschooling Series


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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you just jot down the title everytime you read a book? Curious....

I need to do something like this. We read ALOT.

Sprittibee said...

Well, we have a "turn in stack" each day/week. I have them turn in their worksheets, assignments and books in that box/pile (depending on how organized we are) for the day. Even slips of paper with their score on Mavis Beacon Typing goes into this pile. I grade them and record them in my lesson planner so that I have a record of all the assignments they completed each day and what grade they got if they are graded assignments. I keep a running list of all the books they actually read and usually put a smiley face by the ones we especially liked. This way, I can put them on our wish list if grandparents ask us what books the kids might like.

I am so glad that I started doing this when they were in their first year of homeschool... since I now have a record of every book we have read (except the books they read in the summer/at the library).

I am a big list maker... in case you can't tell. ;)

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a wonderful list here! Very comprehensive and full of variety. I'm not homeschooling right now, so I don't have much use for this list myself, but I am definitely going to pass it on to several of my friends that are always asking for book recommendations for their own homeschooling endeavors. Thank you very much!!

MommyLydia said...

Wow. Are your kids still reading 2-3 books a day? I'd have a hard time keeping up that pace and I love to read!

Sprittibee said...

Thanks biz of knowledge. Hopefully your friends can get some use out of it.

My boaz's ruth - The kids don't read 2-3 books EVERY day... only on school days. We do school 3-4 days a week right now since we are always off on Sundays and Daddy gets of during the middle of the week (never know what days) and that takes 3 days up out of our week. It is hard to get a school year crammed in with only 3-4 school days a week... which is why we go longer than most people. We finished school the last day of July and started the 2nd to the last week of August! Not much of a "break" if you ask me.

Of course, the kids will sometimes read by choice on their days off, and they turn in those books as well. They like reading in the car also, and usually ALWAYS take a book every time we leave the house. They earned some money for helping me grade papers and yesterday they both bought a book with it!

Doctor Homeschool - Thanks. I just use that turn-in stack and we write them down each week... there's really no magic to it. Once you get in the habit, it is hard to break. :)

Sprittibee said...

My boaz's Ruth.... also... I think I need to clarify what all reading we do because they don't have to turn in chapter books each day. They are only 7 and 9, mind you.

1. Turn in 2-3 CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS per day (quick books that are easy to read in one sitting, some are longer than others)
2. Read Bible/Internet Research/Devotionals as assigned
3. Read with mom or dad in evening - family chapter book (1-2 chapters daily)
4. Video on unit topic if applicable

That breaks it down into easier to swallow chunks. The school year this was for started in late August and ran until early May. I think I stopped the book list in early June when we returned everything to the library before we moved away.

Anne said...

Wow! What a list! You are WAY more organized than me, LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog. That's cute about how your daughter said "for-a-jen!"

And thanks for letting me know about your contest- that's neat that you get to do it too!

MommyLydia said...

Yes, the picture book thing is what I was curious about. Because it seems otherwise, if it was 2-3 books, it would encourage them to read shorter/easier books rather than more weighty stuff. In a good day, I can sit down and read a Diane Duane book in about 3 hours (In fact I did exactly that on Labor Day) but even at that pace, I would consider 2 books a luxury and 3 books really too much time to spend.

And anything more weighty (like Reasonable Faith by William Craig) takes me multiple days to read. So if I was trying to go through a certain number of books a day I wouldn't even touch it :)

And yes, I know both of these books are too hard for 1st adn 3rd graders. They are thinking of things from an adult's perspective. C.S. Lewis Narnia books, the first time I read them, took me a couple of days each. Now I can read one in about an hour (they are somewhat of a disappointment in fact to discover that as I loved them so much as a child)

MommyLydia said...

PS I am really looking forward to having children of my own to read chapter books with!

Sprittibee said...

Anne - I am excited for you on your decision to homeschool. I visited your blog. I hope you will come back and comment many more times. I am so pressed for time during the school year that I mostly only read blogs that link to mine unless I get lucky and have some down-time on a weekend day. I just love everyone else's blogs and it is so fun reading something I didn't have to write for a change! :)

My Boaz's Ruth - If the books we need to read are longer than just picture books, we split them up and I tell them how far they have to read for their day's reading. The reading assignments they have are fourfold - 1. Read alone for pleasure (off topic books, chapter books they choose - such as Star Wars Novels/Etc.), 2. Read Bible/Devotional and other school-related materials as assigned, 3. Read assigned library books on unit study topic (some are picture books, some are encyclopedia type books - it really varies), and 4. Family Reading (we take turns reading aloud with Dad, Me and kids all participating - these are usually the longer chapter books such as The Hobbit, Black Beauty, etc.). As they get older, according to their abilities, they will be required to read thicker and thicker books. I pre-view most all the material or read through it after they read it. Most of the books we pick are on our unit study for the moment. I read a lot of the encyclopedia type books with them so I am up to date on the material as well. I try and add in classics or favorites that I hear about from other homeschool lists or friends also. I have a ton of books in my wish list on my sidebar. I add them to my wishlist if we particularly like the library books we are reading. I also add books to my wishlist that are recommended to me by other homeschool moms whom I trust. I don't have much time for personal reading with all this reading for the children. I do good to get my Bible and curriculum/homeschool books read each week. I have not minded much, however, since the children's books we read are very rewarding and interesting, and I love homeschooling... so it is not a chore to do research and planning rather than personal reading. Those things can wait until the kids have flown the coop. There will always be time for reading later. Thank the Lord for good books!

Good for you on being excited to have kids and read to them! That is a good start! I think the gift of reading and a Christ-like example are the best gifts you can give your children.

Queen Karana said...

This is an awesome list of books! My oldest is starting 1st grade this year, and she's read a lot of the books on the list. I think I'll reference your list to increase our list. One series I didn't notice on there was the "Magic Treehouse" books - at least half of my daughter's kindergarten class was crazy for that series... though I think it might typically be 'rated' for a higher grade level (we had a lot of kids reading on a 3rd grade level in that class). Anyway, it's a favorite of ours!

Thanks so much for sharing this VERY comprehensive list.

Sprittibee said...

Thanks Karen! :0)

Anonymous said...

I can personally reccommend Malorie Blackman's books - she has such a wide range, with books for every age. Her books for teenagers are amazing. Noughts and Crosses is book one a of a very powerful trilogy that deals with race issues and really pulls no punches. Definitely one to start a race discussion with your teens.

 

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