Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Maude: The Not-So-Noticeable Shrimpton

Being noticed is what all the members of the Shrimpton family lived for – all except, that is, for Maude. She prefers to blend into the background rather than stand out in a crowd.

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam are two hapless robber dogs who decide the perfect way to rob their neighbors would be to invite them over for a lovely tea party.

See What a Seal Can Do!

A lyrical portrait of seal characteristics and life explains how seals appear to be slow and sleepy creatures on land but are powerful, graceful and dynamic animals under the water who cleverly outmaneuver predators and skillfully catch fishy dinners.

Tug-of-War

Hare, Hippopotamus, and Elephant all live together in the forest. But often, when Hippopotamus and Elephant have nothing better to do, they tease Hare and say horrid things to him. When Hare finally gets fed up with them, he conceives a plan: he will challenge each of the massive creatures to a tug-of-war competition. On either side of the trees, Elephant and Hippopotamus pull and tug all through the night, incredulous that Hare could be so strong!

My Grandmother’s Stories: A Collection of Jewish Folk Tales

These are stories within stories: the narrator remembers herself as a young child hearing them from her grandmother, as they cooked, hung up laundry, prepared for the Sabbath, or cleaned house for Passover. This framing of the stories emphasizes their continuing pleasure across generations; and customs, idioms, traditions, even recipes that the Jews brought with them from Eastern Europe are an unobtrusive part of the telling.

Babushka’s Doll

Natasha isn’t really a bad girl. It’s just that she wants to play on the swing now, not after the wash has been hung up to dry. And she wants her soup now, not after the goats have been fed. Looking after Natasha keeps Babushka, Natasha’s grandmother, very busy.Then, after lunch, Natasha notices a doll sitting on Babushka’s shelf…a doll Babushka tells Natasha she played with just once when she was a little girl. When Natasha plays with the doll while Babushka goes to the store for groceries, she discovers why once is enough with Babushka’s doll…and finds out just how tiring it can be to take care of a child who wants everything now.

Puffin Peter

When his best friend is lost in a terrible storm, an intrepid young puffin teams up with a big blue whale to mount a rescue mission and discovers that while many other birds match his friend’s description, none are quite the same.