Valley View Media Center

 

Welcome to the elementary library site of the Wadsworth City Schools. The purpose of this site is to give you, the parent, ideas regarding book selections for the elementary student. The main purpose of reading with your child is enjoyment. By reading with your child, you help foster a love for reading, which, in turn, will aid your child's success in school. By teaching your child the love of reading, you are handing down a special kind of magic, a gift that will enrich their lives as nothing else can do! There are simple ways to help your child that will be beneficial to their reading experience. As a book is selected to read, ask your child to look at the cover and predict what they think the book will be about. As you read the story, you can stop and ask questions that will get them thinking and involved with the story. Ask questions, such as "What do you think will happen next? How do you think the character feels right now?" When the story is finished, ask questions like, "Did you like the story? Did it end like you thought it would? How do you think the character feels now?" You can also ask your child to retell the story or sequence the events in the story, but keep it simple so it is enjoyable for both of you. Here is a list of titles that may be helpful to you as you begin your search for good books to read with your child.

 

Kindergarten/First Grade

Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse - Kevin Henkes
Corduroy - Don Freeman
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Bill Martin, Jr.
The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats

 

First/Second Grade

Stellaluna - Janeen Cannon
The Mitten - Jan Brett
Skippyjon Jones - Judy Schachner
Click, Clack, Moo:  Cows that Type - Doreen Cronin
Henry and Mudge - Cynthia Rylant
Junie B. Jones - Barbara Park

 

Second/Third Grade
Readers at this stage can handle even longer stories and enjoy "series"
books that are popular with their peers.  They are becoming independent
readers with definite preferences in what they read.  At this stage, their
reading skills are greatly improving.

The Bailey School Kids Mysteries - Debbie Dadey
Cam Jansen Mysteries - David Adler
The Magic Tree House Series - Mary Pope Osborne
Thank You, Mr. Falker - Patricia Polacco
The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams
The Mouse and the Motorcycle - Beverly Cleary

 

Third/Fourth Grade
Readers at this stage are becoming even more independent in their reading
and enjoy chapter books.

Because of Winn Dixie - Kate DiCamillo
Little House Books - Laura Ingalls Wilder
Maniac Magee - Jerry Spinelli
Boxcar Children Series - Gertrude Warner
The Chronicles of Narnia Series - C.S. Lewis
Bunnicula - James Howe

 

While I have just listed fiction titles, at this point, your child may also have an interest in non-fiction materials.  In choosing these, they often prefer photographs of the topic rather than drawings (i.e., cats, tornadoes, or sports figures).  Don't forget to include some biographies in your selections.  Children often learn positive character traits by reading what others have gone through in their lives.  You may also look for other titles by the authors listed above.