Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Oliver Who Would Not Sleep

Oliver Donnington Rimington-Sneep COULDN’T and DIDN’T and WOULD NOT SLEEP! And why should he? As soon as his parents shut his door, Oliver’s off on all kinds of explorations: painting and reading, drawing and racing — and a little trip to Mars for good measure. But his explorations end where all explorations should: safe at home, in a warm bed . . . asleep. For every parent with an Oliver (or Olivia) in their lives, and every child seeking a little fun before shut-eye, OLIVER WHO WOULD NOT SLEEP is the perfect bedtime adventure.

The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story

The First Tortilla is a moving, bilingual story of courage and discovery. A small Mexican village is near starvation. There is no rain, and the bean and squash plants are dying. Jade, a young village girl, is told by a blue hummingbird to take a gift to the Mountain Spirit. Then it will send the needed rain. Burning lava threatens her, but Jade reaches the top of the volcano. The Mountain Spirit is pleased. It allows the ants in a nearby cave to share their corn with Jade. The corn was sweet and delicious and Jade took some back to save the village. Jade grinds the dry corn, adds water, and makes dough. She pats the masa and places it on hot stones near the fire. She has made the first tortilla. Soon the making of corn tortillas spreads throughout Mexico and beyond.Reading level: grade 3 and up

Paul Needs Specs

This colorful, funny and empathetic story will capture children’s imaginations and make them laugh out loud. The eye-chart endpapers Find Twenty-Two Frogs in this Book will have children searching high and low.

My Mom

Anthony Browne returns to celebrate the every-mom. We first meet Mom over a cup of coffee, clad in a floral robe. The robe is ever present as her child describes her wondrous abilities and traits: from fantastic cook to brilliant juggler to great painter and from being as beautiful as a butterfly to being as comfy as an armchair – this mother will be recognizable to one and all.

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Bake a Cake

Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka were three little girls who lived in Sweden. They had blue eyes and yellow curls, and they looked very much alike.When they decided to bake a surprise cake for their mother’s birthday, their friend Aunt Betty helped them. She told them how to make Mother’s favorite cake, and she watched them put it in the oven.”Remember — your cake should bake just half an hour, ” Aunt Betty told the girls as she went out.What happen after that surprised everyone!

This story was originally published in the United States in 1955, Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Bake a Cake was one of a series of treasured books created by Swedish author-artist Maj Lindman (1886-1972). She also wrote and illustrated stories about three little Swedish boys, Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr.

Let’s Go for a Ride

A whimsical, quirky, and very personal history of cars. In the early days, cars were primarily a source of recreation. They shared unpaved roads with horses and wagons, and when they ran out of gas — which was often because there were few gas stations — horses had to pull them home. Driving mania soon began to shape the landscape. Cars begat gas stations, which sparked the popularity of family camping, going to the drive-in, and fast food. They even spawned bridges so that people could ford rivers in the comfort of their cars.

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. When Wangari returned home from college in America, she found the village gardens dry, the people malnourished, and the trees gone. How could she work to bring back the trees and restore the gardens and the people?

The Long Road

Although life is difficult in José’s Central American village, he enjoys playing football with his friends, sharing the large meals cooked by his aunts, and even going to school. But a civil war breaks out in his country. Outspoken people like his mother are in danger, so José and his mother must flee.The road north to make a new home is arduous and very long, but it is only the beginning of hard times. They face days of paperwork and nights in a hostel for refugees. Even when his mother finds work as an office cleaner, they must rely on a food bank.Slowly, the pieces of this new life begin to come together as José and his mother realize that they have finally arrived at the happy end of a very long road.

John Patrick Norman Mchennessy: The Boy Who Was Always Late

Every day John Patrick Norman McHennessy sets off along the road to learn, and every day strange and improbable happenings make him late. To make things worse, his teacher, Sir, never believes his stories.  One day, John Patrick Norman McHennessy is able to make it on time and finds that an improbable and strange thing has happened to Sir. Just how the tables are turned provides a twist every child will relish.