On Your Mark, Get Set…READ!
For Elementary Readers
This recommended reading list provides a broad list of books related to this summer’s theme of sports, health, and wellness. This list includes audio, braille, and large print titles and is recommended for those reading at a grade 2 to 4 reading level up to a grade 3 to 6 reading level.
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through WolfPAC. Identification numbers for braille books begin with BR, large print books begin with LP, and audiobooks begin with DB or DBC. All audiobooks and available braille books listed are linked to the Braille and Audio Reading Download site (BARD) for downloading.
Grades 2 to 4
Amelia Bedelia Shapes Up by Herman Parish
LP 2617
Picked last for kickball, Amelia Bedelia gets another chance to prove her athleticism when her class holds a mini-Olympics. Pictures by Lynne Avril. Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book, book 5. 2014.
Don't Sit on My Lunch! by Abby Klein
LP 1853
Freddy Thresher knows that Max Sellars is the biggest, meanest bully in the whole first grade. So is Freddy crazy to think he can beat out Max and get the one open spot on the hockey team? Illustrated by John McKinley. Ready, Freddy series. 2005.
The Intrepid Canadian Expedition by Jeff Brown and Sara Pennypacker
LP 2724
While acting as a snowboard, Stanley Lambchop gets carried away by a strong wind, sending him and his new friend Nick on a cross-country Canadian adventure. Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures, book 4. 2010.
Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record by Annie Barrows
Download Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record, DB 65564
Read by Jack Fox. Reading time: 58 minutes.
Everyone in second grade wants to break a world record, and friends Ivy and Bean are no exception. The girls decide to become the youngest people ever to discover a dinosaur skeleton. Ivy + Bean series, book 3. 2007.
Growing Up Pedro by Matt Tavares
Download Growing Up Pedro, DB 83013
Read by Patrick Downer. Reading time: 43 minutes.
Short biography of Pedro Martínez, the baseball pitcher who helped get the Boston Red Sox to a World Series championship. Named to the All-Star team eight times, Pedro grew up in Manoguayabo in the Dominican Republic and played with his talented older brother, Ramón. 2015.
Jobs If You Like...Animals, Art, Building Things, Computers, History, Math, Music, Reading and Writing, Science, Sports by Charlotte Guillain
Download Jobs If You Like...Animals, Art, Building Things, Computers, History, Math, Music, Reading and Writing, Science, Sports , DB 75866
Read by Mark Ashby. Reading time: 2 hours, 37 minutes.
Ten books in a series match personal interests with potential careers. Each title provides a brief overview of numerous professions. Includes job charts, glossaries, and additional resources. 2013.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
BR 15045
Tells of Frenchman Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the unfinished World Trade Center Towers in New York City. Discusses the sentence he received for this illegal act. PRINT/BRAILLE. Caldecott Medal. 2003.
Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne
Download Night of the Ninjas, BR 14108
When Jack and Annie are whisked away by the magic tree house to hundreds-of-years-ago Japan, they meet a ninja master in a hidden cave. They must practice being ninjas themselves to return home. Magic Tree House series, book 5. 1995.
Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell by David A. Adler
Download Parachuting Hamsters and Andy Russell, DB 51938
Read by L. J. Ganser. Reading time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Spending the weekend in the city with his friend Tamika and her aunt and uncle, Andy sees four hamsters wearing "parachutes" drift to the ground. He decides to find out who is mistreating the animals. Sequel to School Trouble for Andy Russell (DB 49524). 2000.
Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robinson by Sharon Robinson
BR 51580
Download Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robinson, DBC05678
LP 2125
Read by Daniel C. Diedriech. Reading time: 14 minutes.
As a testament to his courage, Jackie Robinson's daughter shares memories of him, from his baseball career to the day he tests the ice for her, her brothers, and their friends. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Missouri: Show Me Award Nominees, 2011-2012. 2009.
Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy by Phil Bildner
LP 2308
Shoeless Joe Jackson, said by some to be the greatest baseball player ever, goes into a hitting slump just before he is to start his minor league career, so he asks his friend to make him a special bat to help him hit. Show Me award nominee, 2005. Illustrated by C. F. Payne. 2002.
Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934 by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Download Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934 , DB 74753
Read by Patrick Downer. Reading time: 1 hour, 16 minutes.
A story in rhyme recounts the second Negro League baseball all-star game in Chicago. Recaps each of the nine innings in which legendary players such as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, and Turkey Stearnes brought fans to their feet. 2012.
There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived by Matt Tavares
Download There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived, BR 19746
Biography of Ted Williams, the Boston Red Sox slugger. Recounts his early years as an awkward youth, his rise to All-Star status in 1941, and his military service during World War II and the Korean War. Covers his return to baseball as Player of the Decade. 2012.
Three Strikes for Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos
Download Three Strikes for Rotten Ralph, BR 19339
Rotten Ralph, a cat, and his owner Sarah, a girl, try out for the Fighting Squirrels baseball team. Ralph is more interested in being a superstar than actually playing, while Sarah's weeks of practice pay off. 2011.
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull
Download Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman, DB 43739
Read by Laura Giannarelli. Reading time: 14 minutes.
African American Wilma Rudolph weighed only four pounds when she was born in 1940, and she had nineteen older brothers and sisters. Childhood polio left her leg paralyzed, but Wilma exercised until she not only walked but became an Olympic gold medal runner. 1996.
Grades 3 to 6
Able to Play: Overcoming Physical Challenges by Glenn Stout
Download Able to Play: Overcoming Physical Challenges, DB 74747
Read by Bruce Huntey. Reading time: 2 hours, 7 minutes.
Profiles four professional baseball players: pitcher Mordecai Brown, who lost a finger in a farming accident; third baseman Ron Santo, who dealt with diabetes throughout his career; pitcher Jim Abbott, who was born without his right hand; and outfielder Curtis Pride, who was born deaf. 2012.
Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park
BR 16048
A young girl helps her mother shop for food, cook the meal, and set the table for her favorite Korean dish--bee-bim bop! A story in rhyme. Contains step-by-step instructions for a child and an adult to prepare this rice dish topped with vegetables and meat. PRINT/BRAILLE. 2005.
Boys in Control by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Download Boys in Control, DB 59589
LP 1393
Read by John Polk. Reading time: 3 hours, 9 minutes.
Once again the Hatford brothers and the Malloy sisters find themselves pitted against each other when embarrassing pictures of the boys turn up in the girls' basement, and the boys try to figure out how to get them back. Hatfords and Malloys series, book 9. 2003
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Download Fantastic Mr. Fox, BR 18839
BR 50200
Download Fantastic Mr. Fox, DB 25380
Read by Janis Gray. Reading time: 1 hour, 8 minutes.
Three enraged farmers are determined to catch the wily old fox who helps himself to their chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. 1970.
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Download How to Eat Fried Worms, DB 33534
LP 0117
LP 1226
Read by Andy Chappell. Reading time: 1 hour, 41 minutes.
Alan bets fifty dollars that Billy can't eat a worm a day for fifteen days. Both boys work hard to win the bet using psychological warfare, bizarre pranks, and plain cheating. Mark Twain Award, 1975. 1973.
The Iditarod: The Greatest Win Ever by Monica Devine
BR 50899
LP 1292
While racing her dogs in the Iditarod, Kara proves that the greatest win is something other than having her team come in first. 1997.
Let's Cook! Sesame Street by Susan McQuillan
Download Let’s Cook! Sesame Street, BR 20932
Fifty fun recipes for parents and children, from celebrity chefs Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, and the beloved Sesame Street gang. Simple instructions to make delicious, healthy meals, such as Count von Count's cranberry-apple quinoa and Oscar and Slimey's roasted root veggies. 2015.
Pond Puckster by Mark Fidler
Download Pond Puckster, DBC03718
Read by Rob Hastie. Reading time: 4 hours, 30 minutes.
Uprooted from suburban Boston to rural Maine after his father dies, 10-year-old Jason fears that his dreams of a big time hockey career are over, until he discovers how much can be learned about the game--and about life--by skating on frozen ponds. 2003.
Shivers! The Pirate Who’s Afraid of EVERYTHING by Annabeth Bondor-Stone
LP 2798
Shivers, the pirate who's afraid of everything, battles a giant squid, discovers hidden treasures, and gets pooped on by a pigeon to save his parents from the clutches of evil. Shivers series, book 1. Illustrated by Anthony Holden. 2015.
Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream by Tom Watson
LP 2883
Stick Dog and his feral friends are looking for relief on a very hot day--and this time they have their eyes on an ice cream truck. Stick Dog series, book 4. Illustrations by Ethan Long. 2015.
Teddy Mars: Almost a World Record Breaker by Molly B. Burnham
LP 2669
Ten-year-old Teddy Mars seeks to stand apart from his six siblings, none of whom could be called "normal," by earning a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records. Illustrations by Trevor Spencer. Teddy Mars series, book 1. 2015.
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
Download We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, BR 18223
Download We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, DB 66426
Read by Chuck Young. Reading time: 1 hour, 54 minutes.
Presents the history of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson moved to the major leagues in 1947 and broke the racial barrier. Discusses gifted athletes, discrimination, and the players' passion for the sport. Coretta Scott King Award. 2008.
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Download The Year of the Dog, BR 16624
Download The Year of the Dog, DBC00713
Read by Sandy Shepard. Reading time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.
It's the Chinese Year of the Dog, and as Pacy celebrates with her family, she finds out that this is the year she is supposed to "find herself." Universal themes of friendship, family, and finding one's passion in life make this novel appealing to readers of all backgrounds. 2007.
The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin
Download The Year of the Rat, BR 17688
Download The Year of the Rat, DBC03847
Read by Sandy Shepard. Reading time: 3 hours, 10 minutes.
A new year in the Chinese calendar brings a new set of challenges for Pacy, a Taiwanese-American girl growing up in upstate New York, in this endearing sequel to The Year of the Dog. 2007.