What’s most important? Reading, reading, reading - the good and the bad, the difficult and the quick read. The middle and later elementary years of ages 9-12 are when the love of reading is established, especially when books have been a constant companion and source of pleasure and knowledge. Older children’s literature often explores the outer limits of fantasy and silliness, and realistic personal and social issues that bring pain and sorrow - sometimes all at the same time. Illustrations may be integral to the story or simply break up the text. The words will reinforce and extend the child’s oral and written vocabulary.


	United Tweets of America: 50 State Birds, Their Stories, Their Glories, written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott

	What the World Eats, written by Faith D'Aluisio, photographs by Peter Menzel

	A Year Down Yonder, written by Richard Peck and Illustrated by Don Freeman

	So You Want to Be President?, written by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small

	Walt Whitman: Words for America, written by Barbara Kerley and Illustrated by Brian Selznick

	The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

	That's Very Canadian: An Exceptionally Interesting Report About All Things Canadian, by Rachel, written by Vivien Bowers, illustrated by Dianne Eastman

	Everything on a Waffle, written and illustrated by Polly Horvath

	Georgie Lee, written by Sharon Phillips Denslow and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins

	The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, written by Kate DiCamillo and Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

	Hill Hawk Hattie, written and illustrated by Clara Gillow Clark

	I, Too, Sing America: Three Centuries of African American Poetry (audio CD), written by Catherine Clinton

	*A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms, written by Paul Janeczko* and illustrated by Chris Raschka

	*The Barefoot Book of Knights, written by John Matthews*

	Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale, written by Mary-Joan Gerson and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez

	Shakespeare's Storybook, written by Patrick Ryan and illustrated by James Mayhew

	Grandmothers' Stories: Wise Woman Tales from Many Cultures, written by Burleigh Mutén and illustrated by Siân Bailey

	Grandad's Tree: Poems About Families, written by Jill Bennett and illustrated by Julia Cairns

	A Calendar of Festivals, written by Cherry Gilchrist and illustrated by Helen Cann