The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.3

Interest Level: 3-6
The story begins with a story. A little girl named Kate asks Ms. May to tell her about the
borrowers when her crochet needle goes missing. Mrs. May told her about the family of
borrowers that lived below the grandfather clock, Arriette, and her parents Homily and Pod. The
family made and furnished their house with the things they borrowed from the big people
upstairs. Ariette longed for an adventure. She wanted to learn how to borrow upstairs with her
father. He parents were not very happy about this, but they finally agree to let her go. Arriette
loves the world upstairs and meets a human boy. Her parents are very upset about her talking to a
human bean but soon learn to like the boy when he brings them gifts. Everything was going
well until the cook discovered the borrowers and threatens to call the exterminator. The boy tries
to warn them but the cook locks him up. The story ends with Kate ands. Mrs May imagining the
rest of the story together. This is a wonderful book to read with elementary kids! It is so creative
an smart. Childrens imaginations will be running wild after reading The Borrowers.

Bunnicula: A Rabbit -Tale of Mystery by Deborah and James Howe

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.2
Interest Level: 3-6
Chester the Cat and Harold the dog live with their family the Monroes. One day after watching
Dracula the Monroes find a rabbit and bring him home. They say he is a mix of bunny and
Dracula and name him Bunnicula. Chester and Harold are suspicious of Bunnicula when they
find that all the color has been sucked out the vegetables. They think that he must really be a
vampire bunny! They come up with some very funny ideas to put an end to Bunnicula. Finally
they realize that Bunnicula is no vampire and leave him alone. Children will love this
imaginative and funny book.

Charlottes Web by E.B White

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.4
Interest Level: 3-6
Charlottes Web is the story of a little pig named Wilber and his friend Charlotte. Wilber was
born the runt of his litter and because of that the farmer, Mr. Arable, was going to kill him.
Wilber is saved by the farmers daughter Fern Arable who feeds and takes care of him until he is
strong enough to be on his own. Wilber gets too big to be a pet and is sent to live with Ferns
uncle, Farmer Zuckerman. In his new home Wilber makes friends with a spider named Charlotte
who lives on her web in the doorway of the barn. Wilber is happy in his new home until he hears
that the farmer plans to kill him when he is big enough. Charlotte comes up with a plan to save
Wilber. She tricks the farmer into thinking that the pig is something very special by weaving
words like Some Pig into her web at night. Wilber becomes famous and his life is saved. He
goes to the fair and wins a prize. While at the fair Charlotte lays eggs and sadly dies. Wilber is
very sad but takes the sack of eggs home to hatch. In spring hundreds of baby spiders fly away in
the wind. Some stay behind though and Wilber has a reminder of Charlotte in her children. This
is a sweet story about what it means to be a true friend. It also teaches children how to deal with
loss.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Grade Level Equivalent: 3.8
Interest Level: P-2
The Day the Crayons quit is a story about an unhappy box of crayons. One day each crayon in
the box decides to write a letter of complaints to their boy. Blue and gray say they are
overworked. Pink complains that she is never used for anything. Yellow and orange argue over
which one should be the color of the sun. Every crayon is unhappy for one reason or another. In
the end the boy solves the problem by using all of his crayons to color a beautiful picture. His
teacher gives him an A plus for coloring. This story helps children take a different perspective.
By telling the story from the crayons point of view readers can use their imaginations to think
about what it would be like to be a crayon. The book also teaches good problem solving and
social skills.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Grade Level Equivalent: 2.3
Interest Level:K-3
A little mouse is walking through the woods when he is approached by a Fox. The fox wants to
eat the mouse and invites him into his house. The mouse is smart and makes up a story about a
Gruffalo, a horrible beast who likes to eat foxes. The fox runs away. An owl and a snake try to
eat the mouse as well and he tells them the same story and they are scared away. The mouse
thinks that the Gruffalo is just his own made up story, but the then he happens upon a real
Gruffalo! They walk through the woods and frighten all the animals. Then the mouse turns to the
Gruffalo and tells him that his favorite food is Gruffalo crumble. The Gruffalo is scared away
and the mouse sits down to eat a nut in peace. The Gruffalo is a funny and sweet story that
teaches children to use their imagination and wit.

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll

Grade Level Equivalent: 3.0
Interest Level: P-2
I Need My Monster is the story of a little boy whose monster has left him to go fishing for the
week. The boy needs his monster to go to sleep. Throughout the night substitute monsters come
to visit. The boy finds something wrong with each of them. Their claws arent scary enough, or
they are girls or they make him laugh. He sends all of them away. In the end the boys monster
Gabe comes back and scares him. The boy goes to sleep. This is a cute and creative story that
puts a fun twist on the traditional idea of monsters under the bed. Instead of monsters being
terrible things the monsters in this book scare for fun and the boy depends on his monster to be
able to sleep. This could teach kids to expand their imagination and perhaps take a different view
on monsters.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.8
Interest Level: 4-7
James and the Giant peach is the story of a little boy named James who takes a magical
adventure to New York. James is an orphan whose parents were eaten by a rhinoceros. He lives
with his evil aunts, Sponge and Spiker. James is made to do terrible chore and sometimes doesn't
get to eat. James is very lonely and sad. One day he meets an old man in the garden. The old man
gives James a bag full of magical green things. He tells James that something very special will
happen. As James runs back to the house he trips and the green things escape. He is disappointed
and goes back to his chores. Soon he hears his aunts shouting and discovers a giant peach has
grown in the yard. The aunts use the peach to make lots of money. James is forbidden from going
near the peach ,but at night he sneaks out. He finds a tunnel into the peach and goes inside where
her meets bugs bigger than himself. They are all very friendly and together they decide to go to
New York city in the peach. The centipede cuts the stem from the tree and the peach rolls down
to the Atlantic ocean killing Aunt Sponge and Spiker on its way. On their way to New York
James and his friends face many dangers, sharks, cloud men. James helps save his friends many
times. At one point he uses sea gulls to lift the peach in the air and fly the rest of the way to New
York. When they reach the city they land on the Empire State Building and are warmly
welcomed by New Yorkers. James and his friends live happily every after in the peach pit in
central park. This story with expand the imaginations of children and teach them the importance
of friendship and that good always triumphs over evil.

Moosetache by Margie Platini

Grade Level Equivalent: 3.0
Interest Level: K-2
Moostache is the story of a moose with a crazy, long mustache. He tries his best to tame it
making it into a moose-scarf, moose-tail, moose braid, but nothing seems to help. It gets in the
way of his dancing and cooking. He tries to tweeze and cut it, but nothing will tame the
moustache. Then one day he runs into a girl moose who has the biggest moose hair he has ever
seen. She helps him curl his moustache and they live happily ever after through good hair days
and bad. This book will make children laugh out loud. The picture and text are funny and sweet.
The tale helps children stretch their imagination.

Pirate Pete by Kim Kennedy

Grade Level Equivalent: 3.8
Interest Level: K-1
The Queen had discovered a treasure map and Pirate Pete has to have it! Pete travels from Island
to Island with his parrot looking for the treasure. Along the way he meets some interesting
characters such as a leprechaun and plunders as much gold as he can. In the end the queen
captures Pete and leaves him on an island. Pirate Pete is a funny story with bright colorful
pictures. Children will love following Peter on his adventures.

What I saw in the Teachers Lounge by Jerry Pallotta

Grade Level Equivalent:2.0
Interest Level:P-2
This is a story of a curious little boy with a big imagination. Every time he peeks in the teachers
lounge he sees something new a strange. He finds one of his teachers surfing and another
climbing a mountain and still another riding camels. He tries to tell everyone what he finds but
no one really believes him. This book is full of colorful pictures and silly scenarios. Kids will
love coming up with their own ideas of what teachers do when they are not in school.