Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Franklin in the Dark

In the Franklin Classic Storybook that started it all, poor little Franklin has one of the most common childhood afflictions – he is afraid of the dark. This is particularly distressing for Franklin as he happens to be a turtle, and the darkness he fears is, of course, inside his own shell. Bravely, with shell in tow, he sets forth to seek help and in the course of his travels discovers a bird who is afraid of heights, a polar bear who is afraid of the cold, and even a hydrophobic duck. In the end, Franklin discovers that everybody is afraid of something, even his own mother, and his response to what he has learned is guaranteed to draw a smile.

Where’s Waldo?: The Totally Essential Travel Collection

Waldo seekers on their own voyages will be raring to go with this compact compilation featuring all seven of his renowned excursions:
Where’s Waldo?
Where’s Waldo Now?
Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey
Where’s Waldo? The Wonder Book
Where’s Waldo? In Hollywood
Where’s Waldo? The Great Picture Hunt!
Where’s Waldo? The Incredible Paper Chase

Escape From Silver Street Farm

It’s opening day at Silver Street Farm, and Meera, Gemma, and Karl are very excited. Everything is going to plan until the star attractions — the turkeys — go missing along with Bobo and Bitzi, the Silver Street sheep. It takes a lot of detective work (and the enlistment of a pushy ram named Kenny), but the children finally track down the escapees and find the culprits. What they discover are two very surprising turkey rustlers indeed!

Lion

The story of a lion, from birth to adulthood, photographed on location in the wild by an award-winning American photographer, who specializes in work with newborn animals. The text shows all the aspects of the animal’s life in the wild, accompanied by close-up pictures of the family group in its natural habitat. A spread at the back of the book gives further conservation information, including useful websites.

Cheetah

Cheetah cubs love to play with their mom. She lets them climb all over her! Follow a family of cheetahs from birth to adulthood in this unique wildlife book for young children, photographed close-up in the wild by an award-winning photographer. See how the mother cheetah protects her cubs, washes and feeds them, and teaches them how to hunt for their own food. And watch the cubs play – chasing, tackling and play-fighting. At last, at two years old, the cubs are ready to look after themselves, and one day they will start a family of their own.

Laura Secord

The war between Great Britain and the United States was a bitter one. For two years, from the summer of 1812 to the winter of 1814, fierce and bloody battles were fought. Laura Secord never thought of herself as brave. She was gentle, shy, and soft-spoken. But she was brave. When American officers took over her home, demanding food, she heard them boasting about a plan that would give them an easy victory over the British troops. Laura’s husband, James, would have gladly warned the British, but he had been badly injured. It fell to Laura to make the grueling trip. Janet Lunn, one of the country’s finest writers of historical fiction, recounts the tale of Laura’s dreadful journey with fresh detail and masterly prose. Her writing is perfectly complemented by Maxwell Newhouse’s astounding paintings.

Omer’s Favorite Place

Omer likes playing outside in the garden, in the kitchen, in the sitting room or in his bedroom – in fact he likes playing all around the house. But there are always other things going on in these places and he’s often interrupted by his brothers and sisters, or his mum and dad. However, there’s one special place Omer can go and play – somewhere where no one else goes. And this is Omer’s favorite place of all . . .

Maggie’s Chopsticks

Maggie comes from a family of unique individuals, all with their own opinions and style, each one of them willing to give advice on how the child should hold her new chopsticks. Maggie listens to all of them in turn, weighing her options. Grandmother suggests using chopsticks in a rather forthright way, while Sister suggests a more graceful approach. As Maggie begins to worry that she may never find her own style, her father suggests that she be herself. Because of his encouragement, she is able to find just what works for her. Maggie comes from a traditional Chinese family, and she clearly wants to make them proud. Woo writes in a way that transforms a story about holding utensils into a poetic journey. Not only is Maggie learning the mechanics of chopsticks, but she is also learning to be herself. Language such as “click-clack-clicketing” and, as she circles her chopsticks above her fish tank, “the fish flee/from the wooden fingers/reaching through their sky of blue” makes children want to turn the page and find out what else Maggie will experience. In Malenfant’s vibrant illustrations, deep reds and shimmering oranges leap from the pages. All children are fascinated with holding utensils, whether a fork, a spoon, or chopsticks, and are anxious to please adults while staking out their own individuality, making this a great choice for kids of all ethnic backgrounds.