Read-Alouds A

Dr. Dolittle sails off to save African monkeys from an epidemic and encounters amazing animals.

Lobel, ed. Gorgeous, heavy hardbound collection of 306 classic illustrated nursery rhymes.

From silly to contemplative, a satisfying collection of 100 favorite poems. Young readers of all levels will eat this up, and come back for more. Delightfully illustrated.

A series of stories featuring Huckle, Lowly, Pig Will, Pig Won't, and other characters who demonstrate the good will generated by nice manners. Zany pictures and stories help reinforce manners lessons.

Hilarious, true-life adventures of the Peet family when their eldest son agrees to get a capybara as a pet.

A delightful story about a boy who rescues a sweet young dragon from her enemies through the judicious use of the unlikely items he has stored in his knapsack.

Eighty feet below the ocean's surface, Wayne Grover encounters three dolphins, one with a large fish hook stuck in his back.

Ronnie loves living in the lighthouse, but the days go by, and the keeper doesn't return. A simple but pleasurable Christmas story for all ages.

Newbery Honor. The legend of William Tell as told by his 12-year-old son.

A humble farmer wants to marry the Emperor's daughter . . . and succeeds because of his wisdom.

Two normally sensitive girls repent of "making fun" of the poor girl in their class who says she has a hundred dresses.

Twenty school children hide ten Jewish children from the Nazis occupying France during World War II.

The classic Gertrude Chandler Warner book about four orphans who have to fend for themselves. Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are orphans. Determined to make it on their own, they set out to find a safe place to live. They discover an old, red boxcar that provides shelter from a storm.

Stories of a remarkable grandmother's childhood in midwest North America over 100 years ago. Bring the past alive as only a born storyteller could.

Set in Paris, the story of an old hobo whose heart and life become entangled with a fatherless family in search of a home.

Included in Sonlight A, this story begins with homelessness and ends with coming home.

When children and their mother lose their home, they move under a Paris bridge. The homeless man who lived there finds this annoying: all this time, he's avoided emotional entanglements, and now these children are stirring his affection. Drat!

Set around Christmas time, the end is a realistic and charmingly satisfying Christmas gift.

All of the Yorkshire country vet's beloved books for children collected in one volume.

Sequel to Dolphin Adventure. Wayne is searching for buried treasure that sunk with a Spanish galleon off the Florida coast when a storm arises and his dolphin friend comes to his rescue.

There are no hospitals or doctors in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1920s, so Mary Breckinridge, founds the Frontier Nursing Service to help those in need.

The real Johnny Appleseed was born John Chapman in 1774, in a small Massachusetts village. Discover his story through this wise and witty work. Learn how the apple tree-planting folk hero helped open and tame the American frontier.

The youngest of six children — and the only girl — Raven Hannah is not big enough to help with any of the work on her family's turn-of-the-century Vermont farm. But when the winter comes, she surprises everyone by being able to read — something no one else in her family can do.

Wherever Penny goes, he's sure to find adventure. He loses his overalls in a very sticky situation and searches for his new kittens only to find them dressed up in doll clothes.

Three children and their widowed mother inherit a run-down apartment building in Florida. A sign on the front door says "No Children, No Pets." Adventure awaits as the kids solve lingering mysteries and help fix up the building. No Children, No Pets by Marion Holland is a satisfying childhood tale that keeps you guessing what will happen next.

Winnie-the-Pooh tells the tale of young Christopher Robin and his companions—Piglet, Eeyore, and most of all, a bear called Pooh. Together, they adventure in the Hundred Acre Wood, discovering other creatures, celebrating birthdays, and lending each other a helping paw in times of trouble.

This adventure book is outstanding. A year in the life of two neighbors in Norway and their laugh-out-loud adventures. Cheery, sweet, good family story. Touches on grief, remembering, restoration. What do fathers do other than eat boiled cabbage? When the son has lived through his most sad day, the father comes and sings the son's own song, until the son releases his grief: "suddenly I realized what dads are for." Loved it entirely.