2005 Holiday Buying Guide
Books for 6-7 Year Olds
Scroll down to see seven great books for beginner readers in first and second grades. The books are highly engaging and give kids a chance to succeed at reading. You'll also find seven additional recommended books that lend themselves to talking over, reading aloud, and enjoying with a parent, babysitter, or other caring adult
Books to read on their own
A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn’t Make It Good
By: Mark Gonyea
Attractive, bold and crisp visuals, and a limited text in ten short chapters introduce art and how it works. Learn about the effect of lines, color, and contrast on one’s perception of an image in this book that's likely to not only inform, but also to inspire art activities.
Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys
By: Patricia Lee Gauch
Illustrated by: Margot Tomes
This story of the Revolutionary War is based on a real boy who lived in Bennington, Vermont, in 1777. Aaron winds up helping save his town from approaching British troops. Pen and ink sketches illustrate this riveting, easy-to-read fictional history.
Amelia Bedelia, Rocket Scientist?
By: Herman Parish
Illustrated by: Lynn Sweat
Literalist housekeeper Amelia Bedelia is back to help a teacher with the science fair. Snappy dialogue, slapstick humor, and recognizable situations are easy to read and sure to engage.
How to be a Medieval Knight
By: Fiona Macdonald
Illustrated by: Mark Bergin
This introduction to the medieval period and to “expert fighting men” never takes itself too seriously while introducing the time in which knights lived, fought, and played. Text and information are organized around questions, making this an engaging book to dip in and out of.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue
By: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by: Chris Van Dusen
This is the first of the series of entertaining and engaging books about Mercy Watson, a charming pig adopted by a human couple. Here Mercy inadvertently saves the day, or at least her humans, amid a humorous series of events.
Stars Beneath Your Bed: The Surprising Story of Dust
By: April Sayre
Illustrated by: Ann Jonas
Though few have ever considered dust – what it is or where it came from – this informative, evocative book may change that. Consider, for example, that the film on a computer screen may have been the dust on a dinosaur. Poetic language and suggestive illustrations pique interest through their simplicity.
You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Mother Goose Tales to Read Together
By: Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by: Michael Emberley
Take-offs of Mother Goose rhymes are the subject in this third read aloud/read together book. Color-coded text indicates when each of two readers should read alone or together. Comic cartoon-like illustrations romp across and through each double page poetic tale.
Books to read with you
Carolinda Clatter
By: Mordicai Gerstein
Because of his unrequited love for the moon, a giant becomes a sleeping mountain over which the town called Pupickton is formed. Pupickton remains very quiet until a girl who loves noise cannot be stilled. Carolinda brings a joyful loudness back to the too-quiet town while helping to heal the giant’s broken heart.
Food for Thought
By: Saxton Freymann
& Joost Elfers
Fruits and vegetables have distinct personalities – at least in the hands of the team that created How Are You Peeling. Here, expressive foods suggest shapes, colors, numbers, and more (as well as a range of emotions) in crisp, full-color photographs of fascinating food sculptures.
It Is the Wind
By: Ferida Wolff
Illustrated by: James Ransome
As he sits on the edge of his bed and peers out the window, a young boy wonders what is making the noise outside as he tries to sleep. It could be a cow and her calf, or many other things on the farm, but ultimately, the child sleeps; only the reader realizes it is a cat that has created the noise. Poetic text and luminous illustrations present a graceful story.
Jose! Born to Dance: The Story of Jose Limon
By: Susanna Reich
Illustrated by: Raúl Colón
Born in 1908, in a small Mexican village, Jose Limon seemed destined to become an artist. The lyrical language incorporates onomatopoeic and Spanish words. The distinctive illustrations with swirling colors reveal the life of a great modern dancer and choreographer.
Show Way
By: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by: Hudson Talbott
Soonie’s great grandmother was only seven-years-old when sold to the big plantation. A quilt that showed the way to freedom and chronicled the family’s history connects the generations, and continues to do so. Idealized illustrations and the poetic text provide an unusual family story.
The Hello, Goodbye Window
By: Norton Juster
Illustrated by: Chris Raschka
The window at Nanna and Poppy's house looks like a regular window, but it's really a doorway to the child's world and a celebration of the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Celebrate family with this Caldecott Medal-winning book.
The Perfect Wizard: Hans Christian Andersen
By: Jane Yolen
Illustrated by: Dennis Nolan
Life as fiction comes together in this attractive and engaging picture book biography of the man who is known for his fairy tales. Excerpts from these tales are juxtaposed with real events in Andersen’s life to provide a fresh look at the stories and their creator.
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