Houston Family Book List - July 2009

Toddlers (Ages 1-3)

Carl’s Summer Vacation by Alexandra Day
Carl and Madeleine are supposed to be napping while Mom and Dad get the summer cabin ready for company, but escape from the hammock to do some exploring on the lake.

It’s Time to Sleep, it’s Time to Dream by David A. Adler
A parent lulls a child to sleep with visions of soft spring breezes, lazy summer days, cool autumn winds and moonlit winter nights.

Bright Stanley by Matt Buckingham
Having overslept on the day his school swims to cooler waters for the summer, a little fish sets off on an adventure as he tries to catch up with his bright, glittery friends.

Picture Books (Pre K-K)

Mary Had a Little Lamp by Jack Lechner
This offbeat interpretation of the classic nursery rhyme features a young Mary who takes her favorite “bendy” lamp with her wherever she goes. When she doesn’t take it with her to summer camp, she finds she has outgrown her need for special companion.

Catching the Sun by Emily Coleen M. Paratore
As Dylan and his mother enjoy being together at the beach early on his fifth birthday, he cannot help but think about the baby his mother will soon have, who will join them in this special time next summer.

Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse
It’s summer in the city and a three-week drought has made the heat nearly unbearable. Little Tessie whispers her prayer, “Come on, Rain!” longing for the shower that will break the heat and bring her mother’s parched garden back to life.

Early Readers (Grades 1-3)

Are We There Yet? by Harriet Ziefert
A brother and sister share a very impatient car trip that will end at the toy store.

Eloise and the Big Parade by Lisa McClatchy
Eloise and Nanny are going to a big Fourth of July parade!

Brave Norman: a True Story by Andrew Clements
Loveable dog Norman, a blind Labrador retriever, overcomes his obstacles and becomes a hero when he saves a girl from drowning in the ocean.

Children's Fiction (Grades 4-6)

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
When a twelve-year-old boy receives an old rider mower as a birthday present from his grandmother, he starts a summer lawn mowing business that soon grows out of his control.

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
Evan and his younger sister, Jesse, react very differently to the news that they will be in the same class for fourth grade and as the end of summer approaches, they battle it out through lemonade stands, each trying to be the first to earn 100 dollars. Includes mathematical calculations and tips for running a successful lemonade stand.

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth
In 1970s Florida, eleven-year-old Violet’s world is upturned by the arrival of a girl from Detroit who seems bent on stealing Violet’s best friends.

Teen Fiction (Ages 12 & Up)

The Big Game of Everything by Chris Lynch
This thoughtful and funny novel follows Jock and his eccentric family as they spend the summer working at Grampus’s golf complex, where they end up learning the rules of “The Big Game of Everything.”

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Fifteen-year-old Scarlett Marvin is stuck in New York City for the summer working in her quirky family’s historic hotel, but a seasonal guest who offers her an intriguing and challenging writing project and her brother’s attractive new friend improve her outlook.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.