Start of Hurricane Season (June 1st)
- Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms, by Patricia Lauber. Grades 4-8.
- Discusses the weather conditions needed to give birth to hurricanes, the technological advancements which allow meteorologists to track storms, and why man's activities abet a hurricane's incredibly destructive nature.
- Radio Rescue, by Lynne Barasch. Grades 3-5.
- In the 1920s, a young boy in New York uses his skills as a ham radio operator to help rescue a family stranded in Florida by a hurricane. Based on the experiences of the author's father, who, when he received his license in 1923 at age 10, was the youngest licensed operator in the U.S.
- The Red Rose Box, by Brenda Woods. Grades 4-6.
- After she receives a traveling case—a "red rose box"—from her mother's wealthy, but estranged sister, Leah and her family head to Los Angeles to visit her. Leah and her younger sister, Ruth, appreciate life outside segregated, rural Louisiana and are reluctant to return home. However, after a devastating hurricane hits their hometown and kills their parents, the girls realize that money can't take the place of a happy home life. Set in the 1950s.
Casey at the Bat (June 3, 1888)
- Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888, by Ernest L. Thayer, illus. by Christopher Bing. Grades 3 up.
- Presented in the format of an aging 1888 scrapbook, the classic poem of the 19th-century baseball legend is illustrated with baseball memorabilia. A book to be shared by baseball fans of all ages.
Anne Frank's Birthday (June 12, 1929)
- Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance, by Ruud Van der Rol and Rian Verhoeven. Ages 8-12.
- Associates of the Anne Frank House have given readers a rich, detailed look at Anne's early happy childhood, her years in hiding, and the fates of those who were hidden and those who aided them. Includes a section on Hitler's rise to power and the events of WWII. Most of the photographs are from the Frank's family albums salvaged from the Secret Annex by family friend Miep Gies.
Margaret Bourke-White's Birthday (June 14,
1906)
- Margaret Bourke-White: Her Pictures Were Her Life, by Susan Goldman Rubin. Grades 6 up.
- Full of beautifully reproduced Bourke-White masterpieces, this visually stunning book captures both her life and her career.
- I Pledge Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance, by Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson, illus. by Chris Raschka. Grades K-2.
- An engaging explanation of the words and phrases that make up the Pledge, as well as their historical significance.
- 10 Minutes Till Bedtime, by Peggy Rathmann. Preschool-Grade 2.
- Just as his father yells "10 minutes till bedtime," a young boy is overwhelmed with a tour bus full of vacationing hamsters. As his oblivious father counts down the minutes, the boy deals with incoming hordes of hamsters and their frantic, frenzied, funny antics in this tribute to bedtime stalling.
- Barn Savers, by Linda Oatman High, illus. by Ted Lewin. Ages 4-8.
- A father and son work companionably together to dismantle an old barn, whose materials will be recycled into other structures.
- Cowboy Baby, by Sue Heap. Toddlers.
- In this father-son reluctant-to-go-to-bed bedtime story, Cowboy Baby has to round up Texas Ted, Denver Dog, and Hank the Horse before he finally gets tucked into bed.
- The Firework-Maker's Daughter, by Philip Pullman, illus. by S. Saelig Gallagher. Grades 3-6.
- An adventurous heroine reaches her goals through hard work, perseverance, and courage, with a little bit of help from her friends. A humorous fantasy with a warm father-daughter relationship.
- Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney, illus. by Anita Jeram. Ages 3-5.
- Little Nutbrown Hare and his father play a loving game of one-upmanship in an "I love you...this much" bedtime picture book. A gentle story with comically endearing pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations.
- I Meant to Tell You, by James Stevenson. Grades 2-4.
- A father remembers all the simple joys and special times he shared with his daughter when she was young. The book presents the opportunity for a parent and child sharing this book to also share their memories of special moments.
- Man of the Family, by Kathleen Karr. Grades 4-8.
- In this warm father-and-son story, István loves his Hungarian father's energy, humor, and optimism. When his father unexpectedly dies from appendicitis, 10-year-old István is forced to draw upon all that his father has taught him in order to be the "man of the family."
- Night Driving, by John Coy, illus. by Peter McCarty. Grades K-3.
- On a long night-time drive to the mountains, a father and son watch the sunset, fix a flat tire, play word games, sing cowboy songs, swap baseball stories, and just enjoy each other's company. The black-and-white drawings suggest the 1950s, but this quiet celebration of a father-son relationship is timeless.
- On a Wintry Morning, by Dori Chaconas, illus. by Stephen T. Johnson. Preschool.
- A father and his toddler enjoy a variety of winter activities before they head for the warmth of home and a nap.
- A Time Apart, by Diane Stanley. Grades 6-9.
- Thirteen-year-old Ginny is forced to spend the summer with her estranged father, who is in England helping to reconstruct an Iron Age settlement, while her divorced mother stays in Houston and battles breast cancer.
- Vroomaloom Zoom, by John Coy, illus. by Joe Cepeda. Preschool-Grade 2.
- An African-American father and daughter enjoy an evening ride in their big yellow car, going through the woods to the sea. A great read-aloud with rhythmic, repetitive text and large, brightly colored pictures.
- Juneteenth Jamboree, by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. by Yvonne Buchanan. Grades 2-4.
- When Cassandra' s family moves back to her parents' hometown in Texas, she doesn't quite feel at home. All that changes when she, her family and the whole town turn out to celebrate "Juneteenth," in honor of June 19, 1865, the day slaves in Texas learned they were free. June 19th became a legal holiday in Texas in 1980.
- Osceola: Memories of a Sharecropper's Daughter, by Alan Govenar, Collector and Editor. Grades 3-7.
- The fascinating recollections of Osceola Mays, whose grandmother was a slave and whose father was a sharecropper. Whether describing her river baptism (which the water snakes watched), the incredible prejudice and injustices faced by African-Americans in her small Texas community, or the fun she had at the annual Juneteenth celebration, Osceola's rich voice shines through in this very personal account of an ordinary woman's extraordinary life. An affecting oral history based on years of taped conversations.
Summer (June 21st through Sept. 23)
- Alice the Brave, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Grades 5-8.
- The summer adventures of Alice and her two best friends continue as the trio await the start of eighth grade. With the help of her older brother, Alice confronts and overcomes her greatest fear--deep water.
- The Amber Cat, by Hilary McKay. Grades 4-6.
- When 11-year-old Robin and his neighbor Dan come down with the chicken pox, his mother entertains them with tales of the summer she was 11 and met a mysterious girl named Harriet. A worthy sequel to Dog Friday.
- Cherokee Summer, by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. Grades 3-6.
- Bridget, a Cherokee in Oklahoma, invites the reader to meet her family and other tribe members and learn about both the traditional skills and current practices of her people.
- Danny's Desert Rats, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Grades 3-6.
- During summer vacation, 10-year-old T.R., his older brother Danny, and their friends rally to Paul's aid when his beloved cat Bonkers runs afoul of the "no pet" rule in rule-ridden Rosemary Acres, the townhouse complex where they live.
- Freedom Summer, by Deborah Wiles, illus. by Lerome Lagarrigue. Grades 2-5.
- Joe and John Henry are best friends. They would like to do everything together, but can't because John Henry is black and isn't allowed into many public places. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ends segregation, Joe looks forward to having John Henry join him in the public swimming pool. When the city fathers fill in the pool rather than allow it to be integrated, they are both sad and angry. A poignant tale of friendship, as well as a lesson in civil rights.
- From the Bellybutton of the Moon: and Other Summer Poems/Del ombligo de la luna y otros poemas de verano, by Francisco X. Alarcón, illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Grades K-4.
- This collection of 22 poems in Spanish and English celebrates summertime in Mexico.
- Harriet's Hare, by Dick King-Smith. Grades 2-4.
- Eight-year-old Harriet and Wiz, a hare who is really a vacationing space alien from the planet Pars, spend a magical summer on the English farm where Harriet lives with her father. Even non-fantasy fans will enjoy the adventures of these unlikely friends.
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Row the Boat, by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by Arthur Howard. Grades K-3.
- On a hot, hot summer day Mr. Putter and Tabby and their neighbors Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke the dog cool off during an outing to the big pond and enjoy the simple pleasures of summer.
- My Horse of the North, by Bruce McMillan. Grades K-3.
- Nine-year-old Margret and her horse Perla practice all summer so they will be ready to take part in the annual rettir (sheep roundup) which occurs every September in the farming communities of northern Iceland. The spectacular full-color photographs will attract any child with an interest in horses.
- The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson, illus. by E. B. Lewis. Grades 1-4.
- During the summer, two young girls, one white, one black, become friends by literally sitting on the fence that serves as the community's racial divide.
- The Raft, by Jim LaMarche. Grades 2-5.
- Forced to spend the summer in the country with his artist grandmother, a city boy learns to love her river, the surrounding woods, and the abundant wildlife and discovers he, too, has a passion for artistic expression.
- Rattletrap Car, by Phyllis Root, illus. by Jill Barton. Ages 3-5.
- A family's successful outing to the lake on a hot summer day hinges on whether or not their old rattletrap car can make the trip. A silly story, full of near-disasters and inventive solutions, that little ones will enjoy listening to during storyhour.
- Summer Reading Is Killing Me!, by Jon Scieszka, illus. by Lane Smith. Grades 3-5.
- When the various villains from different children's books decide to do away with all the books' good characters, the Time Warp Trio find them depending upon a girl from an unread "girl's" book to help them save the day. A zany adventure full of literary references.
- Summer with Elisa, by Johanna Hurwitz, illus. by Heather Harms Maione. Grades K-3.
- On a vacation in the country, Elisa is determined to prove she can do anything her older brother does.
- Weslandia, by Paul Fleischman, illus. by Kevin Hawkes. Grades K-4.
- Young Wesley, an outcast in a world of sameness, proudly marches to the beat of a different drum. With the help of the truly unique plants that flourish in his summer garden, he establishes his own civilization, complete with a new counting system and alphabet. A zany story about the importance of being true to one's self.
- You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman, by Claudia Mills. Grades 4-7.
- Seventh-grader Julius is horrified to discover his mother has taken charge of his summer vacation and signed him up for French lessons and babysitting a 3-year-old that still wears diapers!
Helen Keller's Birthday (June 27,
1880)
- Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit, by Laurie Lawlor. Grades 5-7.
- A well-researched and engrossing biography of Keller and the era in which she lived. Includes black-and-white photos, reproductions, chronology, suggested readings, notes, and Web sites.
Wilma Rudolph's Birthday (June 23,
1940)
- Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, by Kathleen Krull, illus. by David Diaz. Grades K-5.
- The truly inspirational story of Wilma Rudolph, who overcame polio to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics. The picture book format makes it accessible to the very young while the woman herself and the powerful artwork by Caldecott-winner Diaz will attract older audiences.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias' Birthday (June 26,
1914)
- Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion, by Russell Freedman. Grades 5 up.
- In her quest to be "the greatest athlete that ever lived," Babe continually challenged the narrow confines of what was considered proper for the "weaker sex." She was a 1932 Olympic gold medalist in track and field, a championship golfer and an All-American basketball player, as well as being an accomplished tennis player, baseball player, diver, and bowler. The Associated Press voted her "Woman Athlete of the Year" an unprecedented six times. A worthy biography of a woman who lived her all-too-short life to the fullest.
The librarian of each library participating in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program selects the books her library will receive from a booklist provided by the Foundation. The 700-plus fiction and nonfiction titles on the list reflect the very best of children's literature published within the last three years, as well as a selection of classic favorites. Although the complete booklist is for the sole use of libraries participating in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program, the website features an ever-changing selection of books from current and past booklists.
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