CHOICE BOOKS
*Remember, these are just suggestions- if you have a book you love that’s not on this list, read away!*
Realistic Fiction
The Mindy Kim Series by Lyla Lee
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Jacqueline Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. This autobiography is actually written as a collection of poems! One of my very favorite reads ever!
Pedro’s Mystery Club Series by Fran Manushkin
With a new clubhouse in his yard, Pedro decides to start a mystery-solving club. Will he and his friends find the clues to crack the case?
The Party Diaries Series by Mitali Banerjee Ruths
Priya is excited to plan her aunty’s birthday party. She will donate the money she makes to help the cutest endangered animal on the planet, the quokka! But the party is this Saturday! With so many items on her to-do list, can she get it all done in time? Priya sends out handmade invitations, makes DIY decorations, and sets an orange-only snacks menu -- including pumpkin samosas! Will Priya’s very first party be a success?
Fantasy
Dragon Masters Series by Tracey West
Dragon Masters has it all! Dragons, a Dragon Stone, a king, a wizard, and magic! In the first book in this series, eight-year-old Drake is snatched up by King Roland's soldier and taken to the castle. He is to be trained as a Dragon Master. At the castle, he is joined by three other young Dragon Masters-in-training. The Dragon Masters must learn how to connect with and train their dragons - and they must also uncover their dragons' special powers. Does Drake have what it takes to be a Dragon Master? What is his dragon's special power?
Owl Diaries Series by Rebecca Elliott
Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled? This book is written as Eva's diary -- with Rebecca Elliott's owl-dorable full-color illustrations throughout!
Geronimo Stilton Series by Peter Brown
After a giant storm on the open ocean. a crate containing a robot washed up on a deserted island. ROZ must figure out how to adapt to life on an island surrounded by animals who are convinced she is a monster.
Press Start Series by Thoman Flintham
Uh-oh, Animal Town is in trouble! King Viking has created a dreaded robot army to spread No Fun across the land. There is only one person who can save the day -- Super Rabbit Boy! Super Rabbit Boy is super fast and super brave, but he's also a video game character living in a video game world. What will happen when Sunny, the boy playing the game, loses each level? Will it be game over for Super Rabbit Boy and all his friends?
Ready for a Challenge
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
When her best friend and neighbor, Margaret, comes to her with a problem, Clementine goes to many lengths to help her friend. This sets off a rollicking adventure-filled week that finds Clementine getting into and out of further trouble, while learning valuable life lessons.
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Welcome to the story of a mouse named Despereaux Tilling, a rat called Roscuro, and a girl named Miggery Sow. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.
Nonfiction Reads
National Geographic Readers: Volcanoes by Anne Schreiber
ANY book in this series is great. This is about the science, a little of the history, and a lot of the action of volcanoes in this book! National Geographic photography fires the imagination on dramatic spreads alive with vivid images of lava, ash, molten rock, weird rocks, and steaming seawater.
Leo Messi: Little People Big Dreams by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Any book in this series is great! This one is about Messi, who I know is a Notre Dame favorite. There are also books about Mother Teresa, Bruce Lee, Amelia Earhart and more!
Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times by Meghan Bausch
Beautiful book told in verse about some of the amazing saints that make up the church.
