Kate Coombs - For Readers

Kate's Book Picks

Fairy Tale Twists

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett (4th-6th grades; a good book for boys)
Dealing with Dragons (and others in the series) by Patricia Wrede (3rd-6th grades)
Ella Enchanted and the Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine (3rd-5th grades)
Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl (4th-6th grades)
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (5th-6th grades)
No Flying in the House by Betty Brock (2nd-3rd grades, especially girls)
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye (2nd-3rd grades, especially girls)
The Silver Curlew by Eleanor Farjeon (3rd-4th grades)
Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird and The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Van de Velde (5th-6th grades)
Ten in a Bed by Allan Ahlberg and Andre Amstutz (2nd grade)

Good Folktale and Fairy Tale Collections

Tatterhood and Other Tales ed. by Ethel Johnston Phelps
The Maid of the North ed. by Ethel Johnston Phelps
Favorite Folktales from Around the World ed. by Jane Yolen
Not One Damsel in Distress and Mightier Than the Sword ed. by Jane Yolen
East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon ed. by Asbjornsen and Moe (Norwegian)
Sixty Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (German)
Tales from the Arabian Nights (child's version)
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D'Aulaire and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
D'Aulaires Book of Norse Myths by Ingri D'Aulaire and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

Some of My Many Favorite Fantasy Books

Books by Diana Wynne Jones, especially Charmed Life, Archer's Goon, Dogsbody, and Witch Week (3rd grade up)
Books by Eva Ibbotson, especially Which Witch? The Secret of Platform 13, and Dial-a-Ghost (3rd-4th grades)
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud—Bartimaeus Trilogy (5th grade up)
Changeover by Margaret Mahy (Young Adult)
Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith (5th grade up, especially girls)
Dragon's Blood (Young Adult) and Wizard's Hall (4th-6th grades) by Jane Yolen
The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley (4th grade up)
The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle (3rd-5th grades—silly fun!)
The Greenstone Grail and the other two books in the Sangreal Trilogy by Amanda Hemingway (5th grade up)
The Harry Potter books, of course! (3rd grade up)
Books by Terry Pratchett, especially The Wee Free Men and Hat Full of Sky, but also his Johnny Maxwell books and the Bromeliad Trilogy (4th grade up)
Sabriel by Garth Nix; also his Mister Monday, etc. (5th grade up)
Starswarm by Jerry Pournelle—science fiction, actually (5th grade-Young Adult)
Taash and the Jesters by Ellen Kindt McKenzie (library availability only, 3rd-6th grades)
The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (5th grade up; Young Adult, really)
The Wicked Enchantment by Margot Benary-Isbert (library availability only, 3rd-6th grades)

A Few of My Favorite Non-Fantasy Books

Homecoming and A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt (4th grade up)
Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise (3rd-5th grades—funny!)
Rules of the Road and Squashed by Joan Bauer (5th grade up)
Saffy's Angel, Indigo's Star, Permanent Rose, and Caddy Ever After by Hilary McKay (4th grade up)
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (3rd-5th grades)

Kate's Favorite Read-Alouds for First and Second Graders

Note: I've left off really well-known titles such as Where the Wild Things Are, The Napping House, and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, also the many familiar folk and fairy tales. I like Janet Stevens' version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, also Philemon Sturges and Amy Walrod's The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, among others.

Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell
Birdsong by Audrey Wood and Robert Florczak (try birdsongs out)
Bony-Legs by Joanna Cole and Dirk Zimmer
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
An Edward Lear Alphabet by Edward Lear and Vladimir Radunsky
Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like by Jay Williams and Mercer Mayer
The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night by Peter Spier (only if you're willing to sing it)
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Heckedy Peg by Don and Audrey Wood
How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac, James Bruchac, Jose Aruego, and Ariane Dewey
Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Don and Audrey Wood
Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Library Lil by Suzanne Williams and Steven Kellogg
Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Michael Rosen and Arthur Robbins
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
Mr. Semolina-Semolinus by Anthony L. Manna, Christodoula Mitakidou, and Giselle Potter
My Light by Molly Bang
Not This Bear by Bernice Myers (library availability only)
The Old Woman and the Willy-Nilly Man by Jill Wright and Glen Rounds (library availability only)
Quick as a Cricket by Don and Audrey Wood
The Secret in the Matchbox by Val Willis and John Shelley (has wonderful border art)
Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa and Mike Reed (rock out!)
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson and Hudson Talbott
Suddenly by Colin McNaughton (cue kids to come in with the "Suddenly!")
The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci and Jerry Pinkney
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback (sing it together)
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent
Where's Wallace by Hilary Knight (better with just one child, as kids will want to look at the pictures individually—a far superior predecessor to Where's Waldo—with recurring characters and a plot!)