Strategies That Work Book List
Compiled by Morgan Starkweather
Making Connections
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman
The Two of Them by Aliki
The Pain and the Great One by Judy Bloom
The Summer My Dad Was Ten by Brisson
Going Home by Eve Bunting
Sunshine Home by Eve Bunting
Tornado by Byars
Sol a Sol by Lori Marie Carlson
Up North at the Cabin by Marshall Call
Mama Coming and Going by Casely
Getting Through Thursday by Cooper
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie DePaola
The Art Lesson by Tomie de Paola
Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs by Tomie de Paola
Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie de Paola
The Baby Sister by Tomie DePaola
Abuela by Arthur Dorres
Sophie by Mem Fox
Koala Lou by Mem Fox
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Julius, Baby of the World by Keven Henkes
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Pumpkin Jack by Hubbell
In Dad’s Day by Humphrey
“My Favorite Word” by Lucia and James L. Hymes, Jr.
The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston and tomie DePaola
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Near the Window Tree: Poems and Notes by Karla Kuskin
Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester
I Hate English by Ellen Levine
What Are You So Grumpy About? by Tom Lichtenheld
I Want to Be a Police Officer by Liebman
Hey World, Here I Am by Jean Little
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Three Brave Women by C.L.G. Martin
Mirette on a High Wire by Emily A. McCully
The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
It’s Okay to Be Different by Parr
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
A Pocketful of Kisses by Audrey Penn
New Shoes for Silvia by Jerry Pinkney
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
Mrs. Mack by Patricia Polacco
My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
Some Birthday! by Patricia Polacco
Thank You, Mr. Falker! by Patricia Polacco
Thundercake by Patricia Pollacco
Margaret and Margarita by Reiser
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant
The Ticky-Tacky Doll by Cynthia Rylant
Good-bye, Arnold by P.K. Roche
Alice and Greta by Simmons
Amos and Boris by William Steig
Brave Irene by William Steig
I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
A Place for Ben by Titherington
Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest by Judith Viorst
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
Ira Says Goodbye by Bernard Waber
John, Joe, and the Big Hen by Martin Waddell
Hazel’s Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells
Dragon Shirt by Rosemary Wells
Bunny Cake by Rosemary Wells
Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells
Max Cleans Up by Rosemary Wells
The Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells
Grandma’s Hurrying Child by Jane Yolen
I Know a Lady by Charlotte Zolotow
Williams Doll by Charlotte Zolotow
Text to Text Connections
Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini/
Zoom Broom by Margie Palatini
(boys who like “girl” things)
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie de Paola
Max, the Stubborn Little Wolf by Judes
William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow
Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes
Owen by Kevin Henkes
(sibling rivalry)
My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume
Brother by Mary Ann Hoberman
The Two of Them by Aliki
Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie de Paola
(friendship)
Best Friends (poems) by Hopkins
Two Close Friends by Lambert
Why Are You Fighting, Davy? by Weninger
The Gingerbread Man
The Runaway Rice Cake by Ying Chang Compestine
(friend that moves)
My Best Friend Moved Away by Carlson
The Lost and Found House by Cadnum
(illiteracy / learning to read)
The Surprise Wednesday by Eve Bunting
Jeremiah Learns to Read by Bogart
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
(memories)
William Gordon McDonald Partridge
Something to Remember Me By
The Memory Box
(culture)
Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco
Appelmendo's Dreams by Patricia Polacco
Oh, Look! By Patricia Polacco
We’re Going on a Lion Hunt by David Axtell
When Lightning Comes in a Jar by Patricia Polacco
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
Text to World Connections
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Gleam and Glow by Eve Bunting
A Picnic in October by Eve Bunting
Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting
Call Back Mountain
Smoky Night by Eve Bunting
The Wall by Eve Bunting
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
The River Runs Wild by Lynne Cherry
To Every Child, A Better World by Kermit the Frog/United Nations
Baseball Saved Us by Kevin Mochizuki
New York’s Bravest by Mary Pope Osborne
Night in the Country by Cynthia Rylant
The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss
Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Red Fish, Blue Fish Dr. Seuss
What a Wonderful World by George D. Weiss & Bob Thiele
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Asking Questions
(Also use many books for “Making Inferences)
Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie
The Table Where Rich People Sit by Byrd Baylor
Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger
Ruby’s Wish by Shirlin Yim Bridges
Going Home by Eve Bunting
Butterfly House by Eve Bunting
Gleam and Glow by Eve Bunting
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
A Picnic in October by Eve Bunting
How Many Days to America by Eve Bunting
Twister by Darleen Bailey Beard
Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland
A Spoon for Every Bite by Joe Hayes
Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson
My Great Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston
At the Crossroads by Rachel Isadora
A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
Freedom School, Yes! By Amy Littlesugar
Daisy and the Doll by Michael Medearis and Angela Shelf Medearis
The Monster Trap by Dean Morrissey
Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
The Scarlet Stockings by Trinka Hakes Nobel
My Freedom Trip by Frances Park and Ginger Park
Good-bye by Frances Park and Ginger Park
The Fire Keeper’s Son by Linda Sue Oark
The Bird House by Cynthia Rylant
Elizabeth’s Doll by Stephanie Stuve Bodeen
The Bicycle Man by Allen Say
My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits
Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Working Cotton by Sherley Anne Williams
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
Tea With Milk by Allen Say
Wish Come True Cat by Ragnhild Scamell
Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat
Zachary’s Ball by Matt Tavares
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
The Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsburg
Elbert’s Bad Word by Audrey and Don Wood
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen
Encounter by Jane Yolen
Welcome to the Sea of Sand by Jane Yolen
A New Coat For Anna by Harriet Ziefert
Visualizing
Touch the Poem by Arnold Adoff
Painted Words / Spoken Moments by Aliki
Old Black Fly by Aylesworth
Zoom and Re-Zoom by Istvan Banyai
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Barrett
I’m in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor
Tangerine by Bloor
Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise Brown
Voices from the Wild by Bouchard
Smoky Night by Eve Bunting
Up North in the Cabin by Marsha Wilson Chall
See the Ocean by Condra
Miss Rumphius by Cooney
Snow Ponies by Cynthia Cotton
Fishing in the Air by Sharon Creech
Good Dog Carl by Alexandra Day
Carl’s Afternoon in the Park by Alexandra Day
Carl Goes Shopping by Alexandra Day
Carl Goes to Daycare by Alexandra Day
Big Blue Whale by N. Davies
Vejigante, Masquerader by L. Delacre
The Cloud Book by Tomie de Paola
Here We All Are by Tomie de Paola
The Popcorn Book by Tomie de Paola
Everybody Cooks Rice by Dooley
Morning Girl by M. Dorris
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest by Douglass
Arctic Memories by Normee Ekoomiak
Sailboat Lost by Leonard Everett Fisher
Twilight Comes Twice by Ralph Fletcher
Pizza Pat by Gelman
Winter at Long Pond by George
Honey I Love by Eloise Greenfield
Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky by Georgia Heard
Elephant Dance, Memories of India by Theresa Heine
An Octopus is Amazing by Patricia Lauber
My Little Island by Lessac
Where the River Begins by Thomas Locker
Puddles by Johnathan London
Like Butter on Pancakes by Jonathan London
Through Grandpa’s Eyes by MacLachlan
Journey by Patricia MacLaughlin
I Am the Ocean by S. Marshak
The Ghost-Eye Tree by Bill Martin, Jr.
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin, Jr.
City Sounds by Marzollo
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
“On Our Way” by Eve Merriam
Let’s Get the Rhythm by Miranda
“An Appalachian Campsite in Autumn” by Mike Monroe
“Until I Saw the Sea” by Lillian Moore
Hello Ocean by Munoz
The Call of the Wolves by Jim Murphy
Festival of My Heart: Poems by Japanese Children edited by Bruno Navasky
Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
Too Much Noise by Parks
The Girl Who Hated Books by Maniusha Pawagi
How To Make Apple Pie and See the World by Priceman
Basket Moon by Ray
Pumpkins by Ray
Time Flies by Eric Rohmann
Lizard in the Sun by Joanne Ryder
Chipmunk Song by Joanne Ryder
Winter Whale by Joanne Ryder
Night in the Country by Cynthia Rylant
This Year’s Garden by Cynthia Rylant
Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant
Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root
A Lucky Thing by Alice Schertle
Rain Talk by Mary Serfozo
A Bad Case of Stripes by Shannon
Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Sharmat
Follow Your Nose by Showers
The Listening Walk by P. Showers
“Noise Day” by Shel Silverstein
The Changing Maze by Z.K. Snyder
Zeke Peppin by Steig
Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas
I’m Hungry by Tuer
Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Shadow Ball: The History of the Negro Leagues by Ward, Burns, and O’Connor
Night Sounds, Morning Colors by Rosemary Wells
A Chair for My Mother by Williams
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Elbert’s Bad Word by Wood
All the Small Poems and 14 More by Valerie Worth
Something Beautiful by Wyeth
The Trucker by Brenda and Mark Weatherby
Circles of Hope by Karen Lynn Williams
The Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Mother Earth, Father Sky, Poems of our Planet by Jane Yolen
Raising Yoder’s Barn by Jane Yolen
Harvest Hoome by Jane Yolen
If you Listen by Charlotte Zolotow
The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow
Making Inferences
(Also use many of these books for “Asking Questions” and “Synthesizing.”
Amelia’s Road by Linda Jacob Altman
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
December by Eve Bunting
The Memory String by Eve Bunting
So Far From the Sea by Eve Bunting
Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting
Trouble on the T-Ball Team by Eve Bunting
The Wall by Eve Bunting
The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting
Pinduli by Janell Cannon
Verdi by Janell Cannon
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Crickwing by Janell Cannon
See the Ocean by Estelle Condra
The Paper Dragon by Marguerite W. Davol
Buster by Denise Fleming
Dear Rebecca, Winter is Here by Jean Craighead George
Morning, Noon, and Night by Jean Craighead George
Snow Bear by Jean Craighead George
Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen
Just Like Josh Gibson by Angela Johnson
Lost by Paul Johnson and Celeste Lewis
Little Brother Moose by James Kasperson
Floss by Kim Lewis
I Hate English by Ellen Levine
Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Dear Juno by Soyung Pak
Sumi’s First Day of School Every by Soyung Pak
The Royal Bee by Frances Park and Ginger Park
In November by Cynthia Rylant
The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
Summarizing
The Principals New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson
The Frog Principal by Stephanie Calmenson
Blabber Mouse by True Kelley
Armadillo Tattletale by Helen Ketterman
The Magic Fish by Freya Littledale
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack
Synthesizing
A Day’s Work by Eve Bunting
Smokey Night by Eve Bunting
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Hunwick’s Egg by Mem Fox
An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant
Mirette on a High Wire by Emily Arnold
Georgia Music by Helen V. Griffith
She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head by K. Lasky
An Octopus is Amazing by P. Lauber