April daydreams about the seashore and her search for the moonsnail. Gradually her daydreams become a bedtime lullaby as she drifts in and out of sleep. Reading this book is like holding a seashell to your ear; you can almost hear the pounding of the ocean and smell the sea fresh air.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
My Mom Is So Unusual
“My Mom and I live alone. That makes our family different from the families of most of my friends.” A young girl and her unusual mother share affection, humor, sometimes anger, and more humor, and a whole lot of love. And because of her mother’s unusual ways, the youngster is content about their being an unusual family.
Playhouse
Rene asks her father and mother to build her a playhouse, a play barn, a play cow, and more, until finally her parents decide that they’d like to have a play Rene.
Waiting for the Whales
This book tells the simple story of an old man who lives alone in a house overlooking the sea. His life has assumed a cozy regularity to match the seasons: collecting firewood and clams in wintertime; planting his garden in the spring; and, in summer, watching his beloved orca whales swimming by. When his daughter comes to visit one spring with a new infant, the man has someone with whom to share his love of the natural world–especially the whales.
Big Red Lollipop
Having to take her younger sister along the first time she is invited to a birthday party spoils Rubina’s fun, and later when that sister is asked to a party and baby sister wants to come, Rubina must decide whether to help.
Join the discussion of Big Red Lollipop as well as other books centered around relocation on our My Take/Your Take page.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 4
This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
Ducks Don’t Wear Socks
Emily is a serious girl. She enjoys serious things like bird-watching, math, and playing the cello. But one day while she’s taking a walk, Emily runs into Duck, who is anything but serious and wears socks. Ducks dont wear socks, said Emily. Cold feet! yelled Duck, and off he went. Through a series of humorous run-ins, Duck teaches Emily the importance of laughing especially at oneself.
If I Had a Dog
Six-year-old Maxine is dog crazy. She draws dogs, she has dogs on her T-shirts, she even drags home neighbors’ dogs in the hopes that her parents will let them stay. On a walk to the park with her big brother, Hugh, Maxine stops every time she sees a dog, hoping for a kiss or a tail-wag from the four-footed friends she adores. Hugh and some of the pet owners she meets along the way teach Maxine how to know when it is safe to approach, how to greet, and what to do to ensure a happy experience for both child and canine.Whether they’re small or big dogs, working or guard dogs, old or young dogs, even aggressive dogs, Maxine learns how best to deal with each situation. And though she aches to have them all, she is about to find out that the best dog is her own dog — the squiggly surprise her parents have waiting for her.Written so that young children can learn to “read” dog language, the veterinarian-approved information is presented in a charming storyline that is sure to appeal to young children.
The Good Rainbow Road
This is the story of two courageous boys and of how they saved their village, Haapaahnitse, Oak Place, and it lies at the foot of a mountain. Once there was a lake and a stream nearby, but they have dried up. The land has become barren and dry. Two brothers, Tsaiyah-dzehshi, whose name means First One, and Hamahshu-dzehshi, Next One, are chosen for a westward trek to the home of the Shiwana, the Rain and Snow Spirits, to ask them to bring the gift of water to the village again. The brothers cross deserts and mountains on an arduous journey until they are finally stopped short by a treacherous canyon filled with molten lava. “The Good Rainbow Road” tells how the brothers overcome this last challenge and continue on to their destination.
“The Good Rainbow Road” is presented in Keres, the language of Acoma Pueblo and six other Pueblo communities in New Mexico, and in English, with an additional Spanish translation in the back of the book. It is published in cooperation with Oyate, a community-based Native organization dedicated to the continuation of traditional literatures and histories.
Wise At Heart
With wisdom from more than 400 children and adults including Tom Hanks, Walter Cronkite and Jane Goodall, Wise at Heart will spark conversation and encourage discussions around the dinner table and in the classroom about the important things in life.
Amazing Animals
Did you know that the oldest insect lived more than 350 million years ago? That’s more than 100 million years before the dinosaurs! Did you know that a slug has three noses, an octopus has three hearts, and that an earthworm has no eyes, no nose, no ears, and no lungs, but it has five hearts? By compiling facts that astound her and whet her own curiosity, Margriet Ruurs encourages young readers to observe the natural world around them and to share her sense of wonder and respect for it. A perfect introduction to a host of creatures, many of them endangered.