Annotated Preschool List
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson
Animal friends find different colors in their world. This book invites interaction by asking the reader to help bear find the colors.
Construction by Sally Sutton
This book provides a rhythmic read-aloud with lots of great sound words. The reader watches as a construction crew builds a library. Includes facts about machines.
Druthers by Matt Phelan PA Author
A dad and his daughter use their imaginations on a rainy day spent indoors.
Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray
A mama bird is quiet while all the other birds in the yard are singing. This book helps young children learn the different bird calls. Includes more information about birds and nests in the form of an interview with the bird.
Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli
2015 PA One Book, Every Young Child selection
Sam is used to winning until one day he doesn’t. But his friends let him know he is still number one with them.
Shoe Dog by Megan McDonald
Like most dogs, Shoe Dog loves to chew. But not bones or toys or socks…Shoe Dog loves to chew shoes. Eventually he learns how to control his chewing and in the process finds a new friend.
Some Bugs by Angela Diterlizzi
KEYSTONE TO READING ELEMENTARY BOOK AWARD LISTS
2015-2016
Annotated Primary List A Baby Elephant in the Wild by Caitlin O’Connell (Nonfiction)
Rare, in-the-field photographs accompany the text to tell how a baby elephant survives in the wild. Includes additional information in the back.
A Mom for Umande by Maria Faulconer
A true story about a baby gorilla whose birth mother could not take care of him. Keepers at the zoo where he lived reared him until eventually he was taken to a zoo a thousand miles away where a mom was waiting for him.
Another Day As Emily by Eileen Spinelli (Chapter Book in Verse) PA Author
Suzy’s little brother is declared a hero and her best friend wins a role in the play they both auditioned for, leaving Suzy feeling cast aside. She finds a kindred spirit in Emily Dickinson, the subject of her summer project, and decides to emulate the poet’s life of solitude.
Chippy Chipmunk: Friends in the Garden by Kathy M. Miller
Chippy Chipmunk experiences the loss of his best friend, Pickle, a vole. Chippy’s friends help him learn to accept his loss and express his grief as do owls who appear in dreams as he hibernates. In the spring, Chippy has a renewed sense of hope. Includes additional resources in the back and on the end pages.
Creature Features by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (Nonfiction)
This book explores some unusual features of a variety of animals. Each page asks a question of an animal who answers it. Includes additional information and resources.
Dozer’s Run: The True Story of a Dog and His Run by Debbie Levy and Rosana Panza
sidebars.
Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons by Jon Muth (Poetry)
Twenty-six non-traditional haiku poems depict images across the seasons. Readers are invited to follow an alphabetical path through the book.
Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward (Nonfiction)
This book explores how and where different species of birds build nests. Includes additional nonfiction information.
The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee (Wordless)
This wordless book tells the story of a baby clown who accidently falls off a circus train and is found by a lonely farmer. The two spend the day together and make surprising discoveries about themselves and about life.
KEYSTONE TO READING ELEMENTARY BOOK AWARD LISTS
2015-2016
Annotated Intermediate List
All the Answers by Kate Messner (Chapter Book)
Ava uses a scratched up pencil she found to write a question on her math test, and she hears a clear answer in a voice no one else can hear. Ava grows in confidence when she has the answers, but eventually the pencil reveals a scary truth about her family. She learns that sometimes it’s better to live without all the answers.
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd (Chapter Book)
Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place but long ago a curse took that magic away. Felicity, who tends to see words everywhere, and her mom wander from town to town, never quite finding a place to stay. In Midnight Gulch Felicity sees the word “home,” so she knows this is the place for them. But first she must find a way to bring back the magic.
Fire Birds: Valuing Natural Wildfires and Burned Forests by Sneed B. Collard III (Nonfiction) This is the story of how many species of birds make use of the burn areas from wildfires. It reveals the often delicate relationship among plants, animals, and wildfire.
Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving by John Frank (Poetry)
A collection of poems centered on spontaneous acts of kindness, representing diverse voices and topical themes.
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis (Nonfiction – Biography)
The story of George Ferris and his unlikely invention that would become the world’s most
magical ride. Contains additional information in sidebars.
A stray dog named Rags befriends a soldier in Paris during WWI. Rags traveled with the troops carrying messages from the front line to the back. He stayed by his owner’s side
until Sergeant Donovan died at the base hospital in Chicago.
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant (Nonfiction – Biography) PA Author KSRA One Book, One Conference selection
Biography of Peter Roget, creator of one of the most important reference books of all time, that celebrates the joy of learning and the power of words. Exquisite illustrations by Melissa Sweet.
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm (Chapter Book)
Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade, her old best friend, and her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. Weirdly enough, he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this boy be Ellie’s Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?
Voices From the Oregon Trail by Kay Winters (Poetry) PA Author
A collection of poems in the voices of travelers along the Oregon Trail. This book brings history alive.
