Additional May Book Recommendations for Grades 3-6
Hope
Antle, Nancy. Hard Times: A Story of the Great Depression.
Illustrated by James Watling. Once Upon America Series. Viking, 1993. (3-5) Hope
Charlie’s family loses everything during the Depression—job, home, and farm. As they pack their belongings into a dilapidated truck and head further west, Charlie holds on to his harmonica and his hope.
Bible. Exodus. Hope
Israelites, led by Moses, are delivered from bondage in Egypt. Yahweh feeds his people in the desert and leads them to the Promised Land. See Faith for various versions.
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe.
Illustrated by N.C. Wyeth. Scribner, Atheneum Books, 2003. (5-6)Hope
This abridged version for young people (52 pages) is a fine introductory retelling of the weighty classic. In an age like ours that values “survivors,” here is the story of a young man who sets out to find his fortune at sea and is shipwrecked “on this dismal, unfortunate island which I called the Island of Despair.” But in fact, the Englishman does not despair. He calls on the resource of his faith, and uses every ounce of industry and self-reliance to survive and grow excited about what he discovers there. After eighteen years alone, ten years with his friend, Friday, Crusoe finally battles invaders and ultimately makes his way home to England.
Gregory, Valiska. Through the Mickle Woods.
Illustrated by Barry Moser. Little, Brown and Co., 1992. (5-6) Hope
“I will not make this journey. It is not fitting for a King in mourning.” But the grieving king reluctantly follows his deceased wife’s last wish—to journey through the Mickle Woods and seek wisdom from the bear, which tells the king three stories. His moving tales help the king go on living. This is a picture book, but it is profound and powerful — offering hope in the tapestry of life. Speaks to the question of enduring suffering, and making suffering a part of life’s fabric.
Gross, Virginia. The Day it Rained Forever: A Story of the Johnstown Flood.
Illustrated by Ronald Himler. Once Upon America Series. Viking, 1993. (4-6) Hope
In this slender chapter book the Berwind family in Johnstown, Pennsylvania prepares to wait out the big storm, but the rains are torrential and they will not have the luxury of watching from a secure home. When the dam breaks Christina, Teresa, Frederick and their father set out to help as many victims as they can. An exciting and moving story that shows the triumph of the human spirit in time of darkest adversity.
King, Martin Luther. “I Have a Dream” in American Reader
edited by Diane Ravitch. Harper Collins, 1991. (5)Hope
King’s beautiful vision of what American could be—a land in which people are judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Paulus, Trina. Hope for the Flowers.
Paulist Press, 1972. (4-6) Hope
Two caterpillars realize that “getting to the top” of the caterpillar column is not as important as remembering those around them.
Schwartz, Howard. “The Bird of Happiness,” in Next Year in Jerusalem.
See General Collections. (4-6) Hope
Jewish folk tale of a young boy (Aaron) and his family, who escape enslavement and wander through the desert guided by a stone sent from the Bird of Happiness. The family finds their way to Jerusalem and the Bird of Happiness chooses Aaron as their leader. As a ruler Aaron remembers to “put on my old rags to remember where I came from. For only then can I know where I must go.” A tale of hope and humility.
Singer, Isaac Bashevis. “Ole and Trufa,” in Stories for Children.
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1985. (4-5)Hope
The last two living leaves on a tree support each other until one falls. Is all lost or is there life after a leaf dies? This is more than a story about return to the earth.
Wildsmith, Brian. Exodus.
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1998. (2-5)Hope
Dramatic picture book presentation of the classic Old Testament story. Wildsmith’s lush drawings bring new life to the story of God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt.
Willard, Nancy. The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake. Illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990. (3-4) Hope
Mom recalls an mouth-wateringly delicious cake that her grandmother used to make. As a birthday present, daughter decides to make the cake and industriously seeks her great-grandmother’s recipe. But she may have failed to use the secret ingredient! Enterprising angels visit and help produce the perfect result. The heavenly host has never looked lovelier than in this tale of a daughter’s devotion to her mom and miracles at home!
Yep, Laurence. When the Circus Came to Town.
Illustrated by Suling Wang. (Harper Collins, 2004) 3-5
This slender novel is set in early twentieth century Montana, where young Ursula helps with the family stagecoach business, plays at pirate games, and revels in the life around her. When she contracts smallpox, though, she retreats within. Her face deeply pitted and scarred, Ursula considers herself a monster, and cannot be coaxed from her self-hatred and gloom, till the Chinese cook, Ah-Sam invites his cousins to entertain her. They stage a circus and she (who has been dismissive toward the family’s Chinese help) learns that it’s not a how a person looks that matters, but what’s inside them. That would be a good ending, except Ah-Sam’s cousins are stranded in a blizzard that holds them in Montana. Now Ursula is thinking beyond herself. How can she help them celebrate Chinese New Year? This is an often humorous, heart-warming novel, well researched. The artwork is a wonderful complement.
Wonder
Diller, Harriett. The Waiting Day.
Illustrations by Chi Chung. Green Tiger Press, 1994. (4)Wonder
A hard-working Chinese ferryman exhausts himself transporting scholars, poets, government officials, and finally the emperor himself across the river. From an aging beggar he learns a lesson about taking time to smell the roses—to wonder at and appreciate the beauty of nature. Splendid illustrations evoke the color and beauty of ancient China under the T’ang or Sung dynasties.
Gollub, Matthew. Cool Melons—Turn to Frogs! The Life and Poems of Issa.
Illustrated by Kazuko G. Stone. Lee and Low Books, 1998. (2-5) Wonder
Brother Issa, the renowned Japanese master of Haiku (1763-1827), delighted from an early age in the cries of insects and the songs of farmers as they worked. In this beautifully illustrated volume the poet comes to life through his haiku and his wide-open wonder at the world around him. Particularly good for use with Japan unit in 2nd grade or Feudal Japan in 5th grade
Lasky, Kathryn. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth.
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Little, 1994. (4-6)Wonder
Excellent older reader picture book biography of Eratosthenes whose intellectual curiosity prompted unrelenting (and successful) efforts to measure the earth. Works well with 6th grade review of Greece.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Song of Hiawatha.
Illustrated by Susan Jeffers. Dial, 1983. ( 3-6) Wonder
Longfellow’s Hiawatha is not the Iroquois leader of history, but in this mesmerizing epic poem Longfellow’s words and Jeffers’s art recreate the wonder of a young Indian child exploring nature and his world. Works well with 3rd grade Native American unit.
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley.
Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. (K-5) Wonder
Wilson Bentley (1865-1931), the son of a Vermont farmer, has fallen in love with snow. He is caught up in the beauty of each flake and his passion is to reproduce the intricacy and variety of snow crystals. Bentley’s parents save for years and buy him a special camera to photograph each flake. Throughout his adult life, Bentley sketches, photographs, and shares the glory of nature. (His book, Snow Crystals, is still a classic.) This inspiring and deceptively simple biography can be used in all grades K-5. Read it with its simplest text at K-2; at 3-5 add the sidebar commentary.
Osborne, Mary Pope. “Island of the Lost Children” in Favorite Medieval Tales. Illustrated by Troy Howell. Scholastic, 1998. (4) Wonder
In this Dutch tale young Prince Hagen is carried off to a deserted island by an evil griffin. He fights the griffin and though wounded, manages to escape. Awakening the next morning, he finds himself in the company of three other children—maidens who also had been kidnapped by the griffins and managed to escape. The four live for years in a cave, hiding from their attackers, but through Hagen’s bravery and (quite a bit of luck) manage to escape and find their way back home.
Antle, Nancy. Hard Times: A Story of the Great Depression.
Illustrated by James Watling. Once Upon America Series. Viking, 1993. (3-5) Hope
Charlie’s family loses everything during the Depression—job, home, and farm. As they pack their belongings into a dilapidated truck and head further west, Charlie holds on to his harmonica and his hope.
Bible. Exodus. Hope
Israelites, led by Moses, are delivered from bondage in Egypt. Yahweh feeds his people in the desert and leads them to the Promised Land. See Faith for various versions.
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe.
Illustrated by N.C. Wyeth. Scribner, Atheneum Books, 2003. (5-6)Hope
This abridged version for young people (52 pages) is a fine introductory retelling of the weighty classic. In an age like ours that values “survivors,” here is the story of a young man who sets out to find his fortune at sea and is shipwrecked “on this dismal, unfortunate island which I called the Island of Despair.” But in fact, the Englishman does not despair. He calls on the resource of his faith, and uses every ounce of industry and self-reliance to survive and grow excited about what he discovers there. After eighteen years alone, ten years with his friend, Friday, Crusoe finally battles invaders and ultimately makes his way home to England.
Gregory, Valiska. Through the Mickle Woods.
Illustrated by Barry Moser. Little, Brown and Co., 1992. (5-6) Hope
“I will not make this journey. It is not fitting for a King in mourning.” But the grieving king reluctantly follows his deceased wife’s last wish—to journey through the Mickle Woods and seek wisdom from the bear, which tells the king three stories. His moving tales help the king go on living. This is a picture book, but it is profound and powerful — offering hope in the tapestry of life. Speaks to the question of enduring suffering, and making suffering a part of life’s fabric.
Gross, Virginia. The Day it Rained Forever: A Story of the Johnstown Flood.
Illustrated by Ronald Himler. Once Upon America Series. Viking, 1993. (4-6) Hope
In this slender chapter book the Berwind family in Johnstown, Pennsylvania prepares to wait out the big storm, but the rains are torrential and they will not have the luxury of watching from a secure home. When the dam breaks Christina, Teresa, Frederick and their father set out to help as many victims as they can. An exciting and moving story that shows the triumph of the human spirit in time of darkest adversity.
King, Martin Luther. “I Have a Dream” in American Reader
edited by Diane Ravitch. Harper Collins, 1991. (5)Hope
King’s beautiful vision of what American could be—a land in which people are judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Paulus, Trina. Hope for the Flowers.
Paulist Press, 1972. (4-6) Hope
Two caterpillars realize that “getting to the top” of the caterpillar column is not as important as remembering those around them.
Schwartz, Howard. “The Bird of Happiness,” in Next Year in Jerusalem.
See General Collections. (4-6) Hope
Jewish folk tale of a young boy (Aaron) and his family, who escape enslavement and wander through the desert guided by a stone sent from the Bird of Happiness. The family finds their way to Jerusalem and the Bird of Happiness chooses Aaron as their leader. As a ruler Aaron remembers to “put on my old rags to remember where I came from. For only then can I know where I must go.” A tale of hope and humility.
Singer, Isaac Bashevis. “Ole and Trufa,” in Stories for Children.
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1985. (4-5)Hope
The last two living leaves on a tree support each other until one falls. Is all lost or is there life after a leaf dies? This is more than a story about return to the earth.
Wildsmith, Brian. Exodus.
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1998. (2-5)Hope
Dramatic picture book presentation of the classic Old Testament story. Wildsmith’s lush drawings bring new life to the story of God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt.
Willard, Nancy. The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake. Illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990. (3-4) Hope
Mom recalls an mouth-wateringly delicious cake that her grandmother used to make. As a birthday present, daughter decides to make the cake and industriously seeks her great-grandmother’s recipe. But she may have failed to use the secret ingredient! Enterprising angels visit and help produce the perfect result. The heavenly host has never looked lovelier than in this tale of a daughter’s devotion to her mom and miracles at home!
Yep, Laurence. When the Circus Came to Town.
Illustrated by Suling Wang. (Harper Collins, 2004) 3-5
This slender novel is set in early twentieth century Montana, where young Ursula helps with the family stagecoach business, plays at pirate games, and revels in the life around her. When she contracts smallpox, though, she retreats within. Her face deeply pitted and scarred, Ursula considers herself a monster, and cannot be coaxed from her self-hatred and gloom, till the Chinese cook, Ah-Sam invites his cousins to entertain her. They stage a circus and she (who has been dismissive toward the family’s Chinese help) learns that it’s not a how a person looks that matters, but what’s inside them. That would be a good ending, except Ah-Sam’s cousins are stranded in a blizzard that holds them in Montana. Now Ursula is thinking beyond herself. How can she help them celebrate Chinese New Year? This is an often humorous, heart-warming novel, well researched. The artwork is a wonderful complement.
Wonder
Diller, Harriett. The Waiting Day.
Illustrations by Chi Chung. Green Tiger Press, 1994. (4)Wonder
A hard-working Chinese ferryman exhausts himself transporting scholars, poets, government officials, and finally the emperor himself across the river. From an aging beggar he learns a lesson about taking time to smell the roses—to wonder at and appreciate the beauty of nature. Splendid illustrations evoke the color and beauty of ancient China under the T’ang or Sung dynasties.
Gollub, Matthew. Cool Melons—Turn to Frogs! The Life and Poems of Issa.
Illustrated by Kazuko G. Stone. Lee and Low Books, 1998. (2-5) Wonder
Brother Issa, the renowned Japanese master of Haiku (1763-1827), delighted from an early age in the cries of insects and the songs of farmers as they worked. In this beautifully illustrated volume the poet comes to life through his haiku and his wide-open wonder at the world around him. Particularly good for use with Japan unit in 2nd grade or Feudal Japan in 5th grade
Lasky, Kathryn. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth.
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Little, 1994. (4-6)Wonder
Excellent older reader picture book biography of Eratosthenes whose intellectual curiosity prompted unrelenting (and successful) efforts to measure the earth. Works well with 6th grade review of Greece.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Song of Hiawatha.
Illustrated by Susan Jeffers. Dial, 1983. ( 3-6) Wonder
Longfellow’s Hiawatha is not the Iroquois leader of history, but in this mesmerizing epic poem Longfellow’s words and Jeffers’s art recreate the wonder of a young Indian child exploring nature and his world. Works well with 3rd grade Native American unit.
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley.
Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. (K-5) Wonder
Wilson Bentley (1865-1931), the son of a Vermont farmer, has fallen in love with snow. He is caught up in the beauty of each flake and his passion is to reproduce the intricacy and variety of snow crystals. Bentley’s parents save for years and buy him a special camera to photograph each flake. Throughout his adult life, Bentley sketches, photographs, and shares the glory of nature. (His book, Snow Crystals, is still a classic.) This inspiring and deceptively simple biography can be used in all grades K-5. Read it with its simplest text at K-2; at 3-5 add the sidebar commentary.
Osborne, Mary Pope. “Island of the Lost Children” in Favorite Medieval Tales. Illustrated by Troy Howell. Scholastic, 1998. (4) Wonder
In this Dutch tale young Prince Hagen is carried off to a deserted island by an evil griffin. He fights the griffin and though wounded, manages to escape. Awakening the next morning, he finds himself in the company of three other children—maidens who also had been kidnapped by the griffins and managed to escape. The four live for years in a cave, hiding from their attackers, but through Hagen’s bravery and (quite a bit of luck) manage to escape and find their way back home.