Additional February Book Suggestions - Grades 3-6
Loyalty
Cullen, Lynn. The Mightiest Heart.
Illustrated by Laurel Long. Dial Books, 1998. (3-4)
In this touching Welsh legend, Gelert, a loyal wolfhound is both a childhood companion and faithful adult protector to Prince Llywelyn of Snowdonia. Although Llywelyn often fails to make time for Gelert, the hound’s devotion is unwavering through the joys of youth and the overriding responsibilities of kingship. Later on Llywelyn believes that Gelert is responsible for killing his infant son and banishes him. Gelert has in fact saved his son from a wolf and the young king’s search to find his life-long friend to repair the breach is a tale of a dog with “the mightiest heart.” Because the ending is sad (though uplifting in a larger sense), the tale is best reserved for 3rd and 4th grade. Use with Viking or medieval units in those grades.
Ernst, Judith. The Golden Goose King: A Tale of the Buddha.
Parvardigar Press, 1995. (4-6)
The art and design of ancient India illustrate this Jataka tale. This is the story of Buddha incarnated as King of the Golden Geese. Lots of text. Could be used with medieval China unit.
Fang, Linda. “Dog Steals and Rooster Crows,” in The Ch’i-Lin Purse. Square Fish, 1997.
See General Collections. (4-6) Loyalty
Set in the period of the Warring States (time of Confucius), this is the tale of a generous prime minister who gives hospitality and protection to two vagabonds with unusual talents—one barks like a dog and formerly used that talent to steal, the other crows like a rooster, and is able to wake other roosters. When the Prime Minister is captured by a rival lord their loyalty and unusual talents win him release. Use with unit on ancient China.
Myers, Laurie. Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dogs Tale.
Illustrated by Michael Dooling. Holt, 2002 (3-6)
Non-fiction it ain't, but this charming perspective on the journey of Lewis and Clark through the eyes of their dog, Seaman, is too good to miss. In this imaginative tour-de-force Laurie Myers plunks us in Seaman's imagination in the year 1803. Guard dog, retriever, hunter and loyal friend, the canine companion of Merriwether Lewis will help you see the journey in your minds' eye as you never have before.
Osbourne, Mary Pope. The One Eyed Giant.(Tales from the Odyssey, Book 1); The Land of the Dead(Tales from the Odyssey, Book 2);Sirens and Sea Monsters(Tales from the Odyssey, Book 3).Illustrated by Troy Howell. Hyperion, 2002 and 2003. (4-6)
This exciting retelling of famous stories from Homer's Odyssey carries students from Troy (at the end of the Trojan Wars) to Ithaca,(as Odysseus finds his way home). Whether fighting the Cyclops, battling cannibal giants, or escaping a temptress, Odysseus courage and fidelity have the ability to inspire across the millennia. Osbourne has successfully simplified and quickened the pace of the epic, making the classic accessible for younger readers, and whetting their appetite for the real thing.
San Souci, Robert D. The Little Seven-Colored Horse: A Spanish-American Tale.
Illustrated by Jan Thompson Dicks. Chronicle Books, 1995. (3-6)
Juanito rescues a seven-colored horse who is ever-after in his debt. The horse comes to his friend’s assistance time and again—as this youngest of three brothers struggles to overcome his elder brothers’ treachery and win the maiden of his dreams. Detailed watercolors, set in American southwest.
Justice
Early, Margaret. Robin Hood.
Harry N. Abrams, 1996. (4-6)
In a visually stunning volume, Margaret Early captures the pluck, courage, and honor of one of England’s most beloved villains. “We never harm the poor, the old, or any woman or child. We take only from the rich: we invite them to dine with us here in the green wood, but they must pay for their meal. This money we give to the poor.” One page and one illustration per story, but the vocabulary and syntax is for older grade levels. Particularly suitable to reinforce the 4th grade medieval Europe unit.
Fisher, Leonard Everett. Gandhi.
Atheneum Books, 1995. (5-6)
Starkly illustrated, this is the dramatic story of Gandhi’s non-violent fight for India’s freedom from colonial rule. “Non-violence is a weapon for the brave.” For older students.
Fritz, Jean. Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution.
Illustrated by Tomie dePaolo. Puffin, 1997. (4)
Fritz retells with humor and substantial accuracy the story of the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the pursuit of justice in the young American republic. Works well with study of the Constitution in 4th grade.
Fritz, Jean. You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?
Puffin, 1999. (4-6)
With characteristic humor and charm, Jean Fritz recreates the life and times of Elizabeth Cady
Stanton who was undaunted when her father—admiring her many gifts—told her he wished she’d been a boy. She didn’t let that get her down. A woman of intellect and enterprise, Lizzie was determined to make the right to vote a womanly right as well.
Heyer, Carol. Robin Hood.
Hambleton-Hill, 1993. (4)
Stunningly illustrated version of medieval maverick nobleman, defender of the poor.
Jones, Jennifer Berry. Heetunka’s Harvest: A Tale of the Plains Indians.
Illustrated by Shannon Keegan. Roberts Rinehart, 1998. (3-5)
Plains Indian tale of a generous prairie mouse (Heetunka) that shares her carefully harvested
beans and seeds with the Dakota people in exchange for gifts. An ungrateful woman takes all of
Heetunka’s beans, and learns the hard way that greed and ingratitude only bring her grief.
Heetunka “will happily share with those who come to trade with humble, thankful hearts.”
Themes of justice, fair play, and humility. Use with 3rd grade Native American unit.
Kimmel, Eric. The Valiant Red Rooster.
Illustrated by Katya Arnold. Henry Holt and Co., 1995. (2-4)
In this Hungarian folktale, a poor red rooster unearths a diamond button and knows he will be
able to support himself and the old woman he lives with for life. But the greedy evil sultan takes
the button for his own. The clever and persistent rooster, however, outwits the sultan and justice
triumphs over power and greed.
Mayer, Mercer. Shibumi and the Kitemaker.
Marshall Cavendish, 1999. (2-5)
A visual feast, this is the tale of Japanese princess Shibumi, who wishes to know life outside the
walls of her elegant palace “prison.” Like the Buddha who chanced to see reality, she is impressed
with the poverty and suffering of the city. She wants her father, the emperor, to right wrongs.
Shibumi enlists the aid of a kitemaker to fly her over the palace wall, so that her father will listen
to her pleas. A stunning work.
McCully, Emily Arnold. The Bobbin Girl.
Dial Books, 1996. (4-6)
Rebecca Putney, a ten-year-old girl, works thirteen-hour days at the Lowell textile mills in 1830.
She is proud of her job as a “bobbin girl,” proud to be able to help her family earn extra money.
Still, she admires the pluck of her older friend, Judith, who seeks better working conditions and
will not stand by while wages are cut. When Judith leads a walk-out after learning that wages will
be reduced by 15 percent, little Rebecca joins her, as do many other mill girls. The ending is not
happy. The mill owners do not relent, but young readers will learn to see the strength and
courage of those who fought for justice even when it is not at first rewarded. An excellent portrayal
of mill life, of the social life of mill girls, and of the early struggles of industrial workers.
Works well with 4th grade American History unit on antebellum reform.
Vaes, Alain. Reynard the Fox: Adapted from a Classic Folk Tale.
Illustrated by Brian Hill. Turner Publishing, 1994. (5-6)
A young king, disturbed by the greed and evil of his subjects, wishes to rule his realm justly and wisely
and asks advice of an old hermit. The hermit spins a tale about another king in another time. The
question: how to rid the realm of the cunning Reynard? In the story, the king forces the fox to face the
truth about himself and rids the kingdom of evil. Text is deep and substantial. Pictures are stunning.
Honesty
Ada, Alma Flor. The Gold Coin.
Illustrated by Neil Waldman. Athenaum, 1994. (K-4)
A thief follows an old woman whom he has seen hiding a gold coin. He watches her as she goes about her tasks—healing and helping others. In the end she offers him the coin, insisting “I have been trying to give it to someone who might need it.” He is transformed by what he has seen.
Belloc, Hillaire. Matilda Who Told Such Dreadful Lies.
Illustrated by Posy Simmonds. Knopf, 1992. (2-6)
From Edwardian England comes this tongue-in-cheek story of the girl who cried wolf. Matilda calls the fire department once too often and she gets her comeuppance.
Buddha. The Power of a Promise.
Adapted by Dharma Publishing Editorial Staff. Illustrated by Rosalyn White. Dharma Press, 1989. (2-6)
In this beautifully illustrated Jataka tale, a prince armed only with the truth ends up converting Kalamasha, the evil lion-monster, to the ways of compassion and goodness. Unwilling to default on a promise even to his enemy, the prince teaches Kalamasha that “courage and all other virtues rest upon the truth.”
Collodi, Carlo. Pinocchio.
Adapted and Illustrated by Fulvio Testa. NYR Children's Collection, 2012. (1-4)
Pinocchio’s nose grows whenever he tells a lie. This is the classic story of the wooden puppet who through misadventure, misdeed, and untruth learns lessons about life and eventually becomes a real boy. A very substantive picture book adaptation.
Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard.
HMH Books, 2011. (5-6)
Like any excellent work of literature, A Single Shard, is a rich tapestry of human behavior and an exemplar of many virtues. Set in twelfth century Korea, young Tree-ear and his guardian Craneman are poor but industrious, and believe “work gives a man dignity; stealing takes it away.” Tree-ear longs to become a potter and much admires the work of Min, an old master of ceramics who scowls at him. When Tree-ear accidentally breaks one of the artist’s pots, the boy becomes his servant to pay his debt. He stays on as an apprentice and learns from the crotchety perfectionist. Min comes to trust his apprentice, and the boy undertakes a journey to court to show the King the perfection of Min’s work. Ambushed by robbers, he is left with just a single shard to
show for all their efforts. Will it be enough? This is a journey from ambition to selflessness. It teaches lessons of self-sacrifice, courage, honesty and loyalty in a rich panorama of characters. This 160 page chapter book may be read with older students over the course of a week.
Sanderson, Ruth. Pappa Gatto.
Crocodile Books, 2015. (3-5)
In need of someone to care for his young kittens, Pappa Gatto hires Sophia, a beautiful but deceitful and lazy girl. Gatto fires Sophia and hires instead her plain but devoted stepsister, Beatrice. Sophia’s treachery nearly denies Beatrice her just reward, but in the end truth triumphs! Sanderson’s magnificent oil paintings make the book a gem.
Steig, William. The Real Thief.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984. (3-6)
Theft, guilt, friendship, pride, and honesty—all combine in Steig’s witty slender chapter book of a thief who is filled with remorse.
Cullen, Lynn. The Mightiest Heart.
Illustrated by Laurel Long. Dial Books, 1998. (3-4)
In this touching Welsh legend, Gelert, a loyal wolfhound is both a childhood companion and faithful adult protector to Prince Llywelyn of Snowdonia. Although Llywelyn often fails to make time for Gelert, the hound’s devotion is unwavering through the joys of youth and the overriding responsibilities of kingship. Later on Llywelyn believes that Gelert is responsible for killing his infant son and banishes him. Gelert has in fact saved his son from a wolf and the young king’s search to find his life-long friend to repair the breach is a tale of a dog with “the mightiest heart.” Because the ending is sad (though uplifting in a larger sense), the tale is best reserved for 3rd and 4th grade. Use with Viking or medieval units in those grades.
Ernst, Judith. The Golden Goose King: A Tale of the Buddha.
Parvardigar Press, 1995. (4-6)
The art and design of ancient India illustrate this Jataka tale. This is the story of Buddha incarnated as King of the Golden Geese. Lots of text. Could be used with medieval China unit.
Fang, Linda. “Dog Steals and Rooster Crows,” in The Ch’i-Lin Purse. Square Fish, 1997.
See General Collections. (4-6) Loyalty
Set in the period of the Warring States (time of Confucius), this is the tale of a generous prime minister who gives hospitality and protection to two vagabonds with unusual talents—one barks like a dog and formerly used that talent to steal, the other crows like a rooster, and is able to wake other roosters. When the Prime Minister is captured by a rival lord their loyalty and unusual talents win him release. Use with unit on ancient China.
Myers, Laurie. Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dogs Tale.
Illustrated by Michael Dooling. Holt, 2002 (3-6)
Non-fiction it ain't, but this charming perspective on the journey of Lewis and Clark through the eyes of their dog, Seaman, is too good to miss. In this imaginative tour-de-force Laurie Myers plunks us in Seaman's imagination in the year 1803. Guard dog, retriever, hunter and loyal friend, the canine companion of Merriwether Lewis will help you see the journey in your minds' eye as you never have before.
Osbourne, Mary Pope. The One Eyed Giant.(Tales from the Odyssey, Book 1); The Land of the Dead(Tales from the Odyssey, Book 2);Sirens and Sea Monsters(Tales from the Odyssey, Book 3).Illustrated by Troy Howell. Hyperion, 2002 and 2003. (4-6)
This exciting retelling of famous stories from Homer's Odyssey carries students from Troy (at the end of the Trojan Wars) to Ithaca,(as Odysseus finds his way home). Whether fighting the Cyclops, battling cannibal giants, or escaping a temptress, Odysseus courage and fidelity have the ability to inspire across the millennia. Osbourne has successfully simplified and quickened the pace of the epic, making the classic accessible for younger readers, and whetting their appetite for the real thing.
San Souci, Robert D. The Little Seven-Colored Horse: A Spanish-American Tale.
Illustrated by Jan Thompson Dicks. Chronicle Books, 1995. (3-6)
Juanito rescues a seven-colored horse who is ever-after in his debt. The horse comes to his friend’s assistance time and again—as this youngest of three brothers struggles to overcome his elder brothers’ treachery and win the maiden of his dreams. Detailed watercolors, set in American southwest.
Justice
Early, Margaret. Robin Hood.
Harry N. Abrams, 1996. (4-6)
In a visually stunning volume, Margaret Early captures the pluck, courage, and honor of one of England’s most beloved villains. “We never harm the poor, the old, or any woman or child. We take only from the rich: we invite them to dine with us here in the green wood, but they must pay for their meal. This money we give to the poor.” One page and one illustration per story, but the vocabulary and syntax is for older grade levels. Particularly suitable to reinforce the 4th grade medieval Europe unit.
Fisher, Leonard Everett. Gandhi.
Atheneum Books, 1995. (5-6)
Starkly illustrated, this is the dramatic story of Gandhi’s non-violent fight for India’s freedom from colonial rule. “Non-violence is a weapon for the brave.” For older students.
Fritz, Jean. Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution.
Illustrated by Tomie dePaolo. Puffin, 1997. (4)
Fritz retells with humor and substantial accuracy the story of the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the pursuit of justice in the young American republic. Works well with study of the Constitution in 4th grade.
Fritz, Jean. You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?
Puffin, 1999. (4-6)
With characteristic humor and charm, Jean Fritz recreates the life and times of Elizabeth Cady
Stanton who was undaunted when her father—admiring her many gifts—told her he wished she’d been a boy. She didn’t let that get her down. A woman of intellect and enterprise, Lizzie was determined to make the right to vote a womanly right as well.
Heyer, Carol. Robin Hood.
Hambleton-Hill, 1993. (4)
Stunningly illustrated version of medieval maverick nobleman, defender of the poor.
Jones, Jennifer Berry. Heetunka’s Harvest: A Tale of the Plains Indians.
Illustrated by Shannon Keegan. Roberts Rinehart, 1998. (3-5)
Plains Indian tale of a generous prairie mouse (Heetunka) that shares her carefully harvested
beans and seeds with the Dakota people in exchange for gifts. An ungrateful woman takes all of
Heetunka’s beans, and learns the hard way that greed and ingratitude only bring her grief.
Heetunka “will happily share with those who come to trade with humble, thankful hearts.”
Themes of justice, fair play, and humility. Use with 3rd grade Native American unit.
Kimmel, Eric. The Valiant Red Rooster.
Illustrated by Katya Arnold. Henry Holt and Co., 1995. (2-4)
In this Hungarian folktale, a poor red rooster unearths a diamond button and knows he will be
able to support himself and the old woman he lives with for life. But the greedy evil sultan takes
the button for his own. The clever and persistent rooster, however, outwits the sultan and justice
triumphs over power and greed.
Mayer, Mercer. Shibumi and the Kitemaker.
Marshall Cavendish, 1999. (2-5)
A visual feast, this is the tale of Japanese princess Shibumi, who wishes to know life outside the
walls of her elegant palace “prison.” Like the Buddha who chanced to see reality, she is impressed
with the poverty and suffering of the city. She wants her father, the emperor, to right wrongs.
Shibumi enlists the aid of a kitemaker to fly her over the palace wall, so that her father will listen
to her pleas. A stunning work.
McCully, Emily Arnold. The Bobbin Girl.
Dial Books, 1996. (4-6)
Rebecca Putney, a ten-year-old girl, works thirteen-hour days at the Lowell textile mills in 1830.
She is proud of her job as a “bobbin girl,” proud to be able to help her family earn extra money.
Still, she admires the pluck of her older friend, Judith, who seeks better working conditions and
will not stand by while wages are cut. When Judith leads a walk-out after learning that wages will
be reduced by 15 percent, little Rebecca joins her, as do many other mill girls. The ending is not
happy. The mill owners do not relent, but young readers will learn to see the strength and
courage of those who fought for justice even when it is not at first rewarded. An excellent portrayal
of mill life, of the social life of mill girls, and of the early struggles of industrial workers.
Works well with 4th grade American History unit on antebellum reform.
Vaes, Alain. Reynard the Fox: Adapted from a Classic Folk Tale.
Illustrated by Brian Hill. Turner Publishing, 1994. (5-6)
A young king, disturbed by the greed and evil of his subjects, wishes to rule his realm justly and wisely
and asks advice of an old hermit. The hermit spins a tale about another king in another time. The
question: how to rid the realm of the cunning Reynard? In the story, the king forces the fox to face the
truth about himself and rids the kingdom of evil. Text is deep and substantial. Pictures are stunning.
Honesty
Ada, Alma Flor. The Gold Coin.
Illustrated by Neil Waldman. Athenaum, 1994. (K-4)
A thief follows an old woman whom he has seen hiding a gold coin. He watches her as she goes about her tasks—healing and helping others. In the end she offers him the coin, insisting “I have been trying to give it to someone who might need it.” He is transformed by what he has seen.
Belloc, Hillaire. Matilda Who Told Such Dreadful Lies.
Illustrated by Posy Simmonds. Knopf, 1992. (2-6)
From Edwardian England comes this tongue-in-cheek story of the girl who cried wolf. Matilda calls the fire department once too often and she gets her comeuppance.
Buddha. The Power of a Promise.
Adapted by Dharma Publishing Editorial Staff. Illustrated by Rosalyn White. Dharma Press, 1989. (2-6)
In this beautifully illustrated Jataka tale, a prince armed only with the truth ends up converting Kalamasha, the evil lion-monster, to the ways of compassion and goodness. Unwilling to default on a promise even to his enemy, the prince teaches Kalamasha that “courage and all other virtues rest upon the truth.”
Collodi, Carlo. Pinocchio.
Adapted and Illustrated by Fulvio Testa. NYR Children's Collection, 2012. (1-4)
Pinocchio’s nose grows whenever he tells a lie. This is the classic story of the wooden puppet who through misadventure, misdeed, and untruth learns lessons about life and eventually becomes a real boy. A very substantive picture book adaptation.
Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard.
HMH Books, 2011. (5-6)
Like any excellent work of literature, A Single Shard, is a rich tapestry of human behavior and an exemplar of many virtues. Set in twelfth century Korea, young Tree-ear and his guardian Craneman are poor but industrious, and believe “work gives a man dignity; stealing takes it away.” Tree-ear longs to become a potter and much admires the work of Min, an old master of ceramics who scowls at him. When Tree-ear accidentally breaks one of the artist’s pots, the boy becomes his servant to pay his debt. He stays on as an apprentice and learns from the crotchety perfectionist. Min comes to trust his apprentice, and the boy undertakes a journey to court to show the King the perfection of Min’s work. Ambushed by robbers, he is left with just a single shard to
show for all their efforts. Will it be enough? This is a journey from ambition to selflessness. It teaches lessons of self-sacrifice, courage, honesty and loyalty in a rich panorama of characters. This 160 page chapter book may be read with older students over the course of a week.
Sanderson, Ruth. Pappa Gatto.
Crocodile Books, 2015. (3-5)
In need of someone to care for his young kittens, Pappa Gatto hires Sophia, a beautiful but deceitful and lazy girl. Gatto fires Sophia and hires instead her plain but devoted stepsister, Beatrice. Sophia’s treachery nearly denies Beatrice her just reward, but in the end truth triumphs! Sanderson’s magnificent oil paintings make the book a gem.
Steig, William. The Real Thief.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984. (3-6)
Theft, guilt, friendship, pride, and honesty—all combine in Steig’s witty slender chapter book of a thief who is filled with remorse.