Trails Up and Down Under

Books for Readers in the Primary Grades

To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!

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Trails Up

Aliens Ate My Homework by Bruce Coville.
RC 40831.
Rod Allbright is building a volcano for a school project when a small spaceship crashes through the window and lands in the papier-mache. The tiny spaceman who emerges is rather hostile, but as Rod helps him and the crew fix their spaceship, they all become friends. The aliens are on Earth to catch a notorious criminal, and Rod is very surprised to find out who it is. For grades 3-6.

Alistair in Outer Space by Marilyn Sadler.
BR 8915.
Alistair is a very sensible and dependable boy. Every day he makes a list of the things he has to do, and then he makes a list of the things he does not have to do. And he takes very, very good care of his library books, and always, always returns them to the library on time. So when the Goots swoop him up in their spaceship and whisk off into space, Alistair's main worry is his library books. Print/Braille. For grades K-3.

Black Holes by Amanda Davis.
LP 602.
Briefly describes the formation and composition of black holes and the forces connected with them. For grades K-3.

Can You Hear a Shout in Space?: Questions and Answers about Space Exploration by Melvin and Gilda Berger.
RC 54626.
Covers such topics as "What did astronauts leave on the moon?" "What do satellites do?" and "Do you get taller or shorter in space?" in a question-and-answer format. For grades 3-6.

Christa McAuliffe: Pioneer Space Teacher by Charlene W. Billings.
BR 7320 or RC 27586.
Christa McAuliffe, a high school social studies teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, was chosen in 1985 to be the first private citizen to go into space. She wanted to encourage schoolchildren to take more interest in the space program, and she wanted to increase respect for all teachers. Tragically, she and her fellow astronauts were killed when the space shuttle Challenger blew up on January 28, 1986. For grades 3-6.

Comets and Asteroids by Amanda Davis.
LP 603.
Briefly discusses the composition and position of comets, asteroids, and meteors. For grades K-3.

Commander Toad and the Big Black Hole by Jane Yolen.
RC 32120.
Commander Toad, brave and bright, commands a tip-top, hip-hop crew aboard the spaceship, "Star Warts," the fastest ship in the star fleet. "Star Warts" encounters a big, black hole in space that threatens the vehicle and crew with doom. For grades K-3 and older readers.

Extraterrestrials: Is There Life in Outer Space? by Amanda Davis.
LP 604.
Briefly discusses the possibility of finding life on other planets. For grades K-3.

Extreme Machines in Space by Patricia Armentrout.
LP 491.
Describes various machines that have been used in outer space, including the space shuttle, Skylab space station, satellites, and unmanned space probes. For grades K-3.

First on the Moon: What It Was Like When Man Landed on the Moon by Barbara Hehner.
RC 50657.
Traces the events of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Describes the Saturn V rocket, the lunar module, and the roles of the astronauts--Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men who walked on the Moon's surface; and Michael Collins, pilot of the command module. For grades 3-6.

Five Alien Elves by Gregory Maguire.
LP 700.
The town of Hamlet has a very unusual Christmas when aliens crash land in their space ship, escalating the competition between rival clubs, the Copycats and the Tattletales. For grades 3-6.

Floating Home by David Getz.
RC 47757.
Maxine's teacher asks her class to look at their homes in a new way and to draw what they see. One classmate surveys his house from a tree and another views hers from the grass. But Maxine boards a space shuttle and experiences the thrills of dressing as an astronaut, lifting off, and viewing Earth from above. For grades K-3.

Footprints on the Moon by Alexandra Siy.
BR 13745.
An overview of mankind's study and exploration of the Moon, from the building of Stonehenge in England to astronauts walking on the Moon's surface. Covers the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. For grades 3-6.

Fruit Blasterz from Outer Space by Brooke Stauffer.
RC 37821.
Gregory, a fan of the television program "Blasterz from Space," believes that his older brother Howard stole the tiny figures from the cartons of drink mix. Then Lazer Lemon, Galactic Grape, and Millennium Marshmallow appear on the kitchen counter in full space warrior attire. They build a transponder in Gregory's backyard to bring others to Earth, and unlike the characters on TV, they are bad guys with an evil mission. For grades 2-4.

I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X by Bruce Coville.
RC 40832.
Rod Allbright is looking forward to summer vacation--until his mother informs him that his cousin Elspeth is coming to stay for two weeks. But having her around is the least of his problems when they are both kidnapped by Smorkus Flinders and held hostage in order to trap Rod's friends from the spaceship Ferkel. Rod makes a surprising discovery before he returns from Dimension X. Sequel to Aliens Ate My Homework. For grades 4-7.

I Want to Be an Astronaut by Byron Barton.
BR 7927.
A young child wants to be an astronaut and go on a mission in outer space. Print/braille book. Easy reading for grades 2-4.

The International Space Station by Franklyn M. Branley.
RC 52334.
Explains how the International Space Station is being built and how it functions. Discusses how astronauts live and work on the station and what research they do to learn more about outer space. Includes a crystal-growing experiment. For grades 2-4.

Jason and the Aliens Down the Street by Gery Greer and Bob Ruddick.
RC 38190.
Jason Harkness, who's become a door-to-door dog trainer for the summer, is hightailing it after his first charge when he runs into his neighbor, Cooper Vor. Vor is an intra-galactic troubleshooter who has a talking cat, Lootna, and is in need of an assistant. Jason signs on, and they are soon jetting to a distant planet in an effort to retrieve a stolen energy crystal. For grades 2-4.

Mission to Mars by Franklin M. Branley.
BR 14825.
Discusses what people might find if they could travel to Mars; whether there might be air, water, or gravity; and what it might be like to live in a space station while exploring the planet. For grades 2-4.

My Life among the Aliens by Gail Gauthier.
BR 11351 or LP 827.
Two brothers begin to wonder if it is their mother's unusual cooking that is attracting the aliens that keep showing up at their house. For grades 3-6.

Our Solar System by Amanda Davis.
LP 605.
Briefly describes the sun, moon, and planets, as well as the force of gravity that connects them. For grades K-3.

Space Brat by Bruce Coville.
RC 44413.
When Blork is hatched from an egg, a piece of the shell sticks behind his ear and makes him cry. He is immediately labeled a brat. Blork learns to live up to his name by throwing the worst tantrums in the galaxy. Then one day, he almost loses his best friend because of his temper. For grades 2-4. If you would like to read other books in this series, contact the library.

Space Stations: Living and Working in Space by Amanda Davis.
LP 606.
Discusses what space stations are, why they are important, what kinds of research are done on them, and the international cooperation they foster. For grades K-3.

Spaceships by Amanda Davis.
LP 607.
Briefly discusses various spacecraft, including rockets, satellites, and space shuttles, and the jobs they perform. For grades K-3.

Stars and Planets by Christopher Lampton.
BR 7902.
Examines in brief chapters the solar system, meteors, black holes, comets, asteroids, and supernovas. Also discusses space exploration, unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and our future in space. Print/Braille. For grades 3-6 and older readers.

To Space & Back by Sally Ride.
RC 26528.
Describes what it is like to travel in space aboard the space shuttle, where eating, sleeping, getting dressed, and other simple routines become complicated because of weightlessness. For grades 2-4 and older readers.

Voyager: An Adventure to the Edge of the Solar System by Sally Ride.
RC 40093.
The first American woman to fly in space describes the Voyager space shuttle missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Although the two spacecraft sent to explore these planets were unmanned, they were equipped to perform scientific experiments and to take pictures. Ride describes what the Voyagers discovered about the planets and their moons. For grades 3-6.

What Is a Shooting Star? by Isaac Asimov.
LP 259.
Explains the nature of meteors or "shooting stars" and how they are different from real stars. For grades K-3.

Why Do Stars Twinkle? by Isaac Asimov.
LP 253.
Explains why stars in the night sky appear to twinkle. Reading level grades 2 and up; interest level ages 6 and up. Ask Isaac Asimov series. For grades 2-4.

Why Does the Moon Change Shape? by Isaac Asimov.
LP 255.
Explains why the moon changes from crescent to full moon every 29 and 1/2 days. For grades K-3.

Why Is the Sky Blue? by Marian B. Jacobs.
LP 539.
Discusses the atmosphere, wavelengths of light, clouds, rainbows, and what causes the sky to be different colors. For grades 2-4.

Zathura: A Space Adventure by Chris Van Allsburg.
RC 55280.
While their parents are out for the evening, Walter and his brother, Danny, find a second board game in the Jumanji box. This one forces the boys to stop quarreling and work together to survive dangers from spaceships and alien life forms. For grades K-3.

Trails Down Under

Blabber Mouth by Morris Gleitzman.
RC 41704.
Rowena Batts's father is the most talked-about apple farmer in Australia because of his outlandish dress and behavior. Now that Rowena is trying to make friends at a new school, she wants to tell her father to change. Rowena was born with some parts missing from her throat, so she uses her hands to speak. But now she finds a more dramatic way to get her father's attention. For grades 3-6.

Dial-a-Croc by Mike Dumbleton.
RC 36642.
With a brilliant idea for making money, Vanessa sets out with a bullwhip and net to find a crocodile. Once he is netted, she gives the reptile the choice of becoming a slew of handbags and shoes or helping her make lots of money. He chooses the latter and becomes Dial-a-Croc. They make money at the House of Horrors, in ice crushing, and at numerous other schemes. But fame and fortune can't keep Dial-a-Croc from becoming homesick. For grades K-3.

Dingoes at Dinnertime by Mary Pope Osborne.
BR 14207 or RC 54430.
When the magic tree house lands Jack and Annie in Australia, they meet dingoes (wild dogs), a koala, and a kangaroo and her joey, and experience the dangers of a wildfire. Magic Tree House; book 20. For grades 2-4.

Farmer Schulz’s Ducks by Colin Thiele.
RC 30860.
In the hills of Australia there is a little river with a big name, the Onkaparinga. A narrow road runs past the front gate of Farmer Schulz's farm, between his house and the river. Every day his more than 50 ducks, the most beautiful in the world, must cross the road to go for a swim. When the narrow road becomes a busy thoroughfare, four-year-old Anna comes up with an idea that will allow the ducks to cross in safety. For grades K-3.

Healing Warrior: A Story about Sister Elizabeth Kenny by Emily Crofford.
RC 34093.
A biography of the Australian nurse renowned for her revolutionary therapy and rehabilitation work with polio patients. At first her techniques were met with scorn and opposition, but Sister Elizabeth Kenny persisted, and after successful work in the United States during the early 1940s, her techniques were finally accepted. For grades 3-6.

Kangaroo by Caroline Arnold.
RC 30285.
A couple adopts an orphaned baby kangaroo and names him Sport. While describing Sport's development, the author includes information about the history, habitats, and life cycle of various species of kangaroos. When Sport is a year old and prepared to live on his own, he is returned to the wild at a nature preserve. For grades 2-4 and older readers.

Koalas by Melanie Lever.
LP 436.
A close look at tree-dwelling koalas, examining the details of their daily lives from eating eucalyptus leaves to parenting with a pouch and from piggyback rides to endangered habitats. For grades K-3.

Sticky Beak by Morris Gleitzman.
RC 41705.
In this sequel to Blabber Mouth, mute Rowena Batts realizes she’s upset that her father and Ms Dunning, her former teacher, are going to have a baby. When a schoolmate gives up a cockatoo named Sticky Beak just because he can’t talk, Rowena adopts it. She knows what it feels like to be replaced by something that talks better. For grades 3-6.

Tasmania, a Wildlife Journey by Joyce Ann Powzyk.
BR 7907.
Come take a wildlife journey through the wilds of Tasmania. This remote island off the coast of Australia has plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Meet little marsupial mice, green rosellas, and a Tasmanian devil. Print/Braille. For grades 2-4 to share with older readers.

Turramili the Giant Quinkin by Percy Trezise.
RC 33553.
Long ago the Yalanju people lived in a beautiful wilderness that is now called Cape York, Australia. Although their lives were peaceful, Quinkins, or spirites, also lived there. Turramulli, whose name means thunder, was the most evil and most dangerous of all the Quinkins. When Moonbi and Leealin are nearly captured by Turramulli, kind Quinkins come to the children's rescue. For grades K-3.

Walkabout by James Vance Marshall.
RC 41555 or LP 50058.
Mary and her young brother Peter are the only survivors of an air crash in the middle of the Australian desert. They are facing death and exhaustion and starvation when they meet an Aboriginal boy who helps them to survive and guides them on their long journey. For grades 3-6.