SUMMER READING LIST FOR MY SON 1st Grade

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see? by Bill Martin, Eric Carle (illus.)The gentle rhyming and gorgeous, tissue-paper collage illustrations in this classic picture book make it a dog-eared favorite on many children's bookshelves. On each page, we meet a new animal who nudges us onward to discover which creature will show up next: "Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me." This pattern is repeated over and over, until the pre-reader can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme. One thing readers might not predict, however, is just what kinds of funny characters will make an appearance at the denouement! Children on the verge of reading learn best with plenty of identifiable images and rhythmic repetition. Franklin Rides a Bike by Paulette Bourgeois, Brenda Clark (illus.)Franklin feels left out when his friends learn to ride their bikes without training wheels. As he tries to overcome his fear of falling, he realizes that other activities, such as swimming, are easy for him. Finally, he decides to put pads on his knees and elbows, and he learns to ride.

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie! by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Felicia Bond (illus.)Who would ever suspect that a tiny little mouse could wear out an energetic young boy? Well, if you're going to go around giving an exuberantly bossy rodent a cookie, you'd best be prepared to do one or two more favors for it before your day is through. For example, he'll certainly need a glass of milk to wash down that cookie, won't he? And you can't expect him to drink the milk without a straw, can you? By the time our hero is finished granting all the mouse's very urgent requests--and cleaning up after him--it's no wonder his head is becoming a bit heavy. Laura Joffe Numeroff's tale of warped logic is a sure-fire winner in the giggle-generator category. But concerned parents can rest assured, there's even a little education thrown in for good measure: underneath the folly rest valuable lessons about cause and effect. Felicia Bond's hilarious pictures are full of subtle, fun details.

Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish, Wallace Tripp (illus.)Guess who's at bat? The lovable, hilarious amelia Bedelia is back, filling in for a sick player on the Grizzlies baseball team. Watch out! Because nobody plays ball like Amelia Bedelia.

Ten Apples Up on Top! by Theodore LeSieg (Dr. Seuss), Roy McKie (illus.)A lion, a dog, and a tiger are having a contest -- can they get ten apples piled up on top of their heads? You better believe it! This first counting book works as a teaching tool as well as a funny story.

There's an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer MayerMercer tells the tale of a little boy who is sure that there is an alligator under his bed. Getting no sympathy from his parents who ``never saw it,'' he forms a plan of attack. He leaves a trail of food from his bed through the house to the garage door. He then follows behind as the alligator gobbles up the goodies, fresh vegetables, fruit, and even ``the last piece of pie,'' making its way to the garage. The boy then locks the door. The last page shows the note he leaves for his father, telling him that there's an alligator in the garage and to wake him up ``if you need help.'' Children will relate to this young hero's triumph over normal childhood fears, and they'll love his clever solution to his problem. The book gleams with crisp full-color watercolor illustrations, and the alligator has just the right touch of scariness.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith (illus.)"There has obviously been some kind of mistake," writes Alexander T. Wolf from the pig penitentiary where he's doing time for his alleged crimes of 10 years ago. Here is the "real" story of the three little pigs whose houses are huffed and puffed to smithereens... from the wolf's perspective. This poor, much maligned wolf has gotten a bad rap. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, with a sneezy cold, innocently trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make his granny a cake. Is it his fault those ham dinners--rather, pigs--build such flimsy homes? Sheesh.