“To introduce children to literature is to install them in a very rich and glorious kingdom, to bring a continual holiday to their doors, to lay before them a feast exquisitely served. But they must learn to know literature by being familiar with it from the very first. A child’s learning must always be with good books, the best that we can find” ~ Charlotte Mason

We hope that you will be spending this summer enjoying the outdoors with your children and also reading to them. Below is a list of possible books to put on your list!

A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert
Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
Dandelion by Don Freeman
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Good Night, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox
How to Get a Gorilla out of Your Bathtub by John Hall
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom
Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew
Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup
Nighty-Night, Cooper by Laura Numeroff
Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Roly Poly by Mem Fox
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E. Shaw
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
The Carrot Seed by Robert Kraus
The Cock, the Mouse, and the Little Red Hen by Lorinda Bryan Cauley
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Time for Bed  by Mem Fox
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Where Does the Butterfly Go When It Rains? by May Garelick
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

Reading is a foundational skill for education. During a child’s first grade year at The Geneva School, he/she will be exposed to many genres of quality literature. Throughout the summer leading up to this year, we recommend that parents spend time reading aloud to their child. We would like to offer the following recommendations to assist you in developing the love of reading in your child.

A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (and others in the series) by Laura Joffe Numeroff
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Magic Fish by Freya Littledale
The Original Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright (illustrator)
The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack/Kurt Weise
Frogs by Gail Gibbons
Butterflies by Nic Bishop
Any books by Eric Carle, Jan Brett, and Leo Lionni
Corduroy series by Don Freeman
Curious George series by H. A. Rey
Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik
Mr. Putter and Tabby series by Cynthia Rylant

We hope you encourage your children to immerse themselves in good books over the summer! We present this list to you as a guide, but please feel free to offer your children other books appropriate to their reading level. Children entering second grade are at different reading levels, and you may find the books on the rising first grade list to be suitable for your children. The books marked with an asterisk (*) are of an easier reading level.

Birthday for Frances (or others in series) by Lillian Hoban
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Barbara Cooney
The Biggest Bear by Lynd Kendall Ward
Blaze and the Lost Quarry (or others in series) by C. W. Anderson
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
Doctor De Soto by William Steig
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne
Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne
Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz
The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
Paddington Bear Treasury by Michael Bond
One Morning in Maine Robert McCloskey
Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
Haggis and Tank by Jessica Young
George and Martha series by James Marshall *
The Mouse and the Motorcycle and other books by Beverly Cleary
The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Cam Jansen Mystery series by David A. Adler
A–Z Mysteries series by Rob Roy
Nate the Great series by Marjorie Sharmat
Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Lovelace
Cobble Street Cousins series by Cynthia Rylant
Mary Pope Osborne series
Usborne Time Traveler series
Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Readers Levels 2 and 3
Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J Sobol
Dead Sea Squirrel series by Mike Nawrocki
Animal Ark series by Lucy Daniels
The Secret of the Hidden Scroll series by MJ Thomas
Owl Diaries series by Rebecca Elliott

Please encourage your children to immerse themselves in good books over the summer. We present this list to you as a guide, but please feel free to offer your children other books appropriate to their reading level. We realize that children entering third grade are at different reading levels. For this reason, some of the books on the rising second grade list might also be appropriate to offer your children. Those books marked here with an asterisk (*) are of an easier reading level.

The Adventures of Laura and Jack by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Schoolmouse; Charlie Muffin’s Miracle Mouse; Funny Frank all by Dick King-Smith
Hannah; Silver; The Indian School; Next Spring an Oriole all by Gloria Whelan
Punished! by David Lubar
Friska, My Friend by Patricia St. John
The Other Kitten by Patricia St. John
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
Stuart Little by E. B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Sea Star—Orphan of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Mandie and the Secret Tunnel by Lois Gladys Leppard
The Wonder Clock by Howard Pyle
The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin
DK Eyewitness Books: Ancient Greece by Anne Pearson
DK Eyewitness Books: Ancient Rome by Simon James
Jigsaw Jones series by James Preller
Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo series by Nancy Krulik
The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The following titles are age-appropriate books from a variety of genres that are considered to be excellent literature. These stories are recommended by our teachers to feed children’s imaginations, fuel their excitement in learning, and nourish their souls during summer vacation. The reading is not required but highly encouraged for young and old alike.

* Advanced Reading Level
+ Pertain to topics that will be studied in history during the upcoming year

Suggested Fiction and Historical Fiction

Beorn the Proud by Madeline Pollard +
The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis
Huguenot Garden by Douglas M. Jones III +
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Aladdin and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights by N. J. Dawood
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Beggar’s Bible (John Wycliffe) by Louise A. Vernon +
The Bible Smuggler (William Tyndale) by Louise A. Vernon +
The Man Who Laid the Egg (Erasmus) by Louise A. Vernon +
Ink on His Fingers (Gutenberg) by Louise A. Vernon +
Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard and Emil Weiss +
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling *
The Shakespeare Stealer series by Gary Blackwood

Suggested Biographies

Augustine the Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste by P. De Zeeuw +
The River of Grace (John Calvin) by Joyce McPherson +
Saint Patrick: Pioneer Missionary to Ireland by Michael J. McHugh
Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet
Who Was Marco Polo? by Joan Holub +
Along Came Galileo by Jeanne Bendick
A Piece of the Mountain (Pascal) by Joyce McPherson *

The following titles are age-appropriate books from a variety of genres that are considered to be excellent literature. These stories are recommended by our teachers to feed children’s imaginations, fuel their excitement in learning, and nourish their souls during summer vacation. The reading is not required but highly encouraged for young and old alike.

* Advanced reading level
+ Pertain to topics that will be studied in history during the upcoming year

Suggested Fiction and Historical Fiction

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Early Thunder by Jean Fritz
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Guns for General Washington: A Story of the American Revolution by Seymour Reit +
Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson +
Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson +
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Fall of Troy by Padraic Colum
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi *
At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald

Suggested Biographies

Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia by Margaret Cousins +
The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz
Pocahontas and the Strangers by Robert Clyde Bulla
John Paul Jones by Sperry Armstrong
Why Not, Lafayette? by Jean Fritz +
Traitor: the Case of Benedict Arnold by Jean Fritz +
Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz +
Pocahontas by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Columbus by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire +
Leif the Lucky by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Benjamin Franklin by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire +
Daniel Boone: His Own Story by Daniel Boone +
Magellan: Ferdinand Magellan and the First Trip around the World (Exploring the World) by Michael Burgan +
John Wesley: The World His Parish by Geoff and Janet Benge +

The following titles are age-appropriate books from a variety of genres that are considered to be excellent literature. These stories are recommended by our teachers to feed children’s imaginations, fuel their excitement in learning, and nourish their souls during summer vacation. The reading is not required but highly encouraged for young and old alike.

* Advanced reading level
+ Pertain to topics that will be studied in history during the upcoming year

Suggested Fiction and Historical Fiction

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry +
The Boy in the Alamo by Margaret Cousins
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Dragon King Trilogy (In the Hall of the Dragon King; The Warlords of Nin; The Sword and the Flame) by Stephen R. Lawhead *
From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan +
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
Outlaws of Time by N. D. Wilson
The Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis +
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Tintin books by Hergé

Suggested Biographies

Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to White House by Sterling North +
Basher Five-Two (US Pilot in Bosnia) by Captain Scott O’Grady
Bruchko (Missionary to South American Indians) by Bruce Olson
Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism of Theodore Roosevelt by George Grant +
Children of the Storm (Christian family in the former Soviet Union) by Natasha Vins
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank +
If I Perish (Christian in Japan during WWII) by Esther Ahn Kim +
Raoul Wallenberg: The Man Who Stopped Death by Sharon Linnea *
The Wright Brothers by Quentin Reynolds +
George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist by Geoff and Janet Benge +
Stonewall by Jean Fritz +
Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks +
The Story of Thomas Alva Edison by Margaret Cousins