Who's the Hero? Thoughts on the Hunger Games Series

*****SPOILER ALERT*****SPOILER ALERT*****SPOILER ALERT*****SPOILER ALERT*****  

Do not continue reading 

if you plan to read the Hunger Game books or if you have not finished the books!

     I just finished the Hunger Games series last night.  I closed the final book and tried to name the emotion I felt.  Satisfied.  I was satisfied.  
     Suzanne Collins is an incredible writer who created a page-turner with surprises so shocking that I actually gasped out loud once or twice.  However, she is not writing from a Christian point-of-view and that makes working out the tension between good and evil (sin) difficult.  She writes of a society gone terribly wrong with no Redeemer in sight.  That makes swallowing the story line and facing the incredible evil a problem, and although Katniss sparks the revolution, she is NOT the hero.
     Although Katniss is willing to die for her sister, her positive qualities are limited.  She feels compassion towards the Avox she did not save, and Rue, the little girl who reminded her of her sister.  Although she is smart, intuitive, resourceful, brave, and fierce, she is also quick to anger, selfish, distrustful, and suspicious, and she knows it. The girl on fire, fueled by hatred and revenge, becomes a murderer, a survivalist, a manipulator, yet her behavior is completely understandable considering she almost starved to death when 11, watched her mother descend into deep depression, broke the law daily to save her family, and acted as an adult simply to survive the cruel society into which she was born.  The girl's got baggage, but it's important to remember, she is a girl, and she is a survivor.
     Gale is no better.  He starts out angry and then becomes vengeful, creating traps that play on human sympathies in order to kill others.  Even Katniss is uncomfortable with his methods.
     Peeta, on the other hand, is the only one in the series who seems to have a grasp of what the society has done and is capable of doing to ruin all that is good about humanity.  In book one he says, "'I don't want them to change me in there.  Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not.'"  Despite President Snow's "hijacking," it is Peeta who is able to NOT become that monster.  When even Katniss stoops so low as to  call for a Hunger Games for the children of the Capital, Peeta, arguing with Haymitch, is appalled at "the atrocity he could become party to."  (Book 3).  While Gale is the one who brings Katniss the arrow to assassinate Snow, Peeta is the one who takes the nightlock from her.  
     Peeta.  I closed the book, and I was satisfied because of Peeta.  In the end, he redeems her.  He loves her unquestionably, faithfully, and unconditionally.  He never gives up on her.  He cares for her and those around him.  He does what is right, what is good.  He sees beauty in the darkness.  He never kills anyone in the book unless by accident, even when brainwashed.  Peeta.  It sounds like Peter, to me, and if so, it means "rock."  Peeta is a rock -- unchanging, steadfast.  Peeta is hope.  Peeta does not become the monster, never crosses that line, redeems Katniss with his love, and in the end, redeems the humanity that has become reduced to a Darwinian world of the strongest and most deadly survive.  Peeta makes Katniss and the world around him a better place, and that is why I am satisfied.
     


     For a different opinion, see Why the Hunger Games is Flawed to Its Core.  I respect N.D. Wilson very much, and I've read all his books.  However, I don't agree that Peeta is a wimpy, passive guy.  He's a teenager trapped in a hopeless system.  Yes, I would have loved it if, in the first book, Katniss cut out her arm tracker and saved the other tributes from the bad tributes, but then what?  The Gamemakers could have killed her off quickly, and then the books would be over.  Finally, I disagree that revolutions aren't started by small things like berries.  In that moment, she decided it was better to kill herself and Peeta than to let them win, to force her to do the unthinkable -- kill her friend.  That was a huge act of courage that could indeed spark a revolution if such a terrible world existed and that entire world was watching live, but that is just my opinion.  

NOTE:  Considering the darkness of the books, I think parents need to be very wary of allowing children younger than 13 to read them.  By the third book, the author is describing the tributes being used as sex slaves, and we must remember -- the tributes are children.  Alcohol and drug abuse, brutality, murder, evil -- all of this is dark and takes maturity to work through.

BOOKS! Part 2 -- A Reading List for 4th grade and Older

      As promised, here is a book list for 4th grade through middle school.  As we find good books, I will update the list so check back every once in a while! 

• Author - Chris Van Allsburg RL 3.7-4.9 The Polar Express, Jumanji, Zathura: A Space Adventure, etc.  (His beautifully illustrated picture books tend to get made into movies!)
• Wayside School books by Louis Sachar RL 3.3-4.3  Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Wayside School Is Falling Down, Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School  I have never read these.  However, both of my boys have read them multiple times.  I believe the way I would describe them is ridiculously funny.  My youngest, age 12, just reread them all again.  
• Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol RL 4
• Dragonbreath Series by Ursula Vernon RL 3.7-4.3, short reads, lots of pictures Dragonbreath, Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs, Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Weiner ,  Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster, Dragonbreath: No Such Thing as Ghosts , Dragonbreath: Revenge of the Horned Bunnies, Dragonbreath: When Fairies Go Bad, Dragonbreath: Nightmare of the Iguana, Dragonbreath: The Case of the Toxic Mutants, Dragonbreath: Knight-napped! 
• Hank the Cowdog Series  by John R. Erickson RL 3.5-5.4, almost 60 titles, Listen to some of his books on CD first and get the voices in your head -- Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, and his west Texas drawl are hilarious!
• 39 Clues by various authors, RL3.0-5.0  (mystery/adventure stories, first is written by Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series.  My son says that the 2nd series of these books are too violent and not very good.  He did, however, like the first series.)
• McGrowl series by Bob Balaban RL 4.0
• Origami Yoda Series by Tom Angleberger RL 4.0 to 5.0  The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Darth Paper Strikes Back, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee, Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue!, Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus  (My 6th grader is reading these -- and so is his 10th grade brother!)
• Author Beverly Cleary RL 3.5-5.6   Henry Huggins (1950), Henry and Beezus (1952), Henry and Ribsy (1954), Beezus and Ramona (1955), Henry and the Paper Route (1957), Henry and the Clubhouse (1962), Ribsy (1964), Ramona the Pest (1968), Ramona the Brave (1975), Ramona and Her Father (1977), Ramona and Her Mother (1979), Ramona Quimby age 8 (1981), Ramona Forever (1984), Ramona's World (1999), The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Runaway Ralph, Ralph S. Mouse   (Some of her books are for older children:  Dear Mr. Henshaw (deals with divorce), Jean and Johnny, etc.)
• Author E.B. White – Stuart Little 3.9, Charlotte’s Web 4.9, The Trumpet of the Swan 5.1
• Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder RL 4-5
• Illustrated Classics – Adaptations of classical works, a great way to introduce your child to the classics – RL 4.0 and up
• Holes by Louis Sachar RL 4.6, recommended for ages 5th grade and up
• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo RL 4.8, not a series
• Bloodhounds Inc. series by Bill Myers for ages 8-13, Christian author, hilarious
• TJ and the Time Stumblers series by Bill Myers for ages 8 and up, Christian author
• The Cooper Kids Adventure Series by Frank E. Peretti, Christian author, RL 5-6
• The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, RL 4.0
• Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black (RL 4.0)
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, RL 5.1  (Half novel, half illustrations, mysterious with a happy ending.  A dead body is mentioned.  Movie Hugo based on this book.)
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madelein L’Engle RL 5.8 (Also, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters (My oldest said to skip Many Waters – it was not as good as the others).
• The Chronicles of Prydain  by Lloyd Alexander RL 5.5, The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron (Newbery Honor), The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, The High King (Newbery Medal), The Foundling and Other Tales from Prydain
• Cricket in Times Square by George Selden RL 5.9, not a series
• Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon RL 5-6
• The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill RL 5.9, not a series (both of my boys loved this book)
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien RL 5.8, not a series
• Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis RL 5.5-6.1
• Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks RL 6, Also, The Return of the Indian, The Secret of the Indian, The Mystery of the Cupboard, The Key to the Indian  (a few "bad words" in this series)
• Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls RL 6.4, not a series, one of our favorites
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George RL 6.7, Also, On the Far Side of the Mountain, Frightful’s Mountain, Frightful’s Daughter, Frightful’s Daughter Meets the Baron Weasel  (We have not read the last 2 of these.)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl RL 5.9, not a series
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin RL 6.1, The only mystery to win a Newbery, not a series
• The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, Christian authors, The Curse of the Spider King, Venom and Song
• The DragonKeeper Chronicles:  DragonSpell, DragonKnight, DragonQuest, DragonFire, DragonLight by Donita K. Paul, Christian author  (Grades 4 and up)
• Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson, Christian author and singer/songwriter, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, The Warden and the Wolf King   “The evil was a nameless evil, an evil whose name was Gnag the Nameless.” – from the introduction, GREAT, quirky, fun, adventure books!  
• Island Series by Gordon Korman, Shipwreck, Survival, Escape  (a story of kids stranded at sea and then on an island -- death in the stories) (RL 4.0)
• Redwall Series by Brian Jacques (RL 6-8)  23 books so far in this series, for ages 6th grade and up
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, RL 6.3  This book is one of the most recommended by librarians, etc.  However, know your child because there are some more mature themes.  SPOILER ALERT:  At the beginning of the book, the pilot dies of a heart attack which strands the hero, a thirteen-year-old boy, in the wilderness.  Also, he recalls throughout the book seeing his mother with another man while married to his dad and struggles with whether or not to tell his father post-divorce. This book is mostly a great story of survival, but I waited until my son was older because of the above themes.
• Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen, RL 4.3.  This book is hilarious and seems like it should be written by Louis Sachar, not Gary Paulsen!  It's a short read, and I would require it to be read by anyone studying economics!
• The Adventures of Tintin Series by Herge' (RL is 3rd grade.  However, books include lots of whiskey drinking!  Comic books written from 1929 to 1976).
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan RL 3-4  (Reading level is easier, but content is more middle school.  Contains heavy god/goddess worship, misdeeds, etc.  Towards the end of the series, Percy is older, and the book crosses into boy/girl relationship saga but not too heavily.  My oldest read the entire series in 7^th grade in little over a week.  However, Greek myths were never a threat to his faith while I still haven’t studied such myths with my youngest.) 
• The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan  (These books introduce new characters and brings back Percy and many of his friends.  However, the kids are not 16 and 17 years old, and there is kissing and 'I-love-yous', and other teenage romance drama.  In addition, you find out that a character is gay -- and that he had a crush on Percy Jackson.)
• Seven Wonders series by Peter Lerangis -- The Colossus Rises, Lost in Babylon, The Tomb of Shadows, The Curse of the King, The Legend of the Rift  for ages 6th grade and up.  Teens caught up in modern adventure and ancient series -- reminds me a bit of the Percy Jackson series.
• The Chaos Code by Justin Richards (Mystery, adventure, action story.  Note:  parents divorced, uses the *b---h* word once)
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain   RL 5.9 (Tom Sawyer is a wonderful read aloud.  Both books contain plenty of uses of the word n*****r -- especially Huck Finn.  However, it is clear that Mark Twain, unlike Harriet Beecher Stowe, is using humor and inference to show that he believes slavery to be wrong.  I personally would recommend reading Huck Finn in high school.  Also, if not done as a read aloud, discuss with your student that the n-word should never be used!)
• Margaret Peterson Haddix, The Missing Series:  Found, Sent,. Sabotaged, Torn, Caught, Risked, Revealed, Redeemed (mystery, history, and time travel)
• Anything written by N.D. Wilson,   100 Cupboards Trilogy: 100 Cupboards 3.7, Dandelion Fire 3.7,  The Chestnut King 3.5, Leepike Ridge 3.7, Ashtown Burial Series:  The Dragon's Tooth (The 100 Cupboards Trilogy is great!  However, the content is older.  In Leepike Ridge, the boy's father is murdered, and he encounters a dead body.)  Boys of Blur is his newest stand-alone book (lead character's father is abusive, but not descriptive) -- a great read.
• N.D. Wilson, Ashtown Burials series:  The Dragon's Tooth, The Drowned Vault, Empire of Bones  (can't wait until the next one comes out!)
• N.D. Wilson, The Door Before -- This book is a prequel to both the 100 Cupboards and ties in Ashtown Burials.  It's amazing!  I read it in 2 days!
• N.D. Wilson, Outlaws of Time series: The Legend of Sam Miracle, The Song of Glory and Ghost, and The Last of the Lost Boys
• John Flanagan, Ranger's Apprentice series, 12 books,  all awesome!  The Ruins of Gorlan 6.6, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound Land, The Battle for Skandia, The Sorcerer of the North, The Siege of Macindaw, Erak's Ransom, Teh Kings of Clonmel, Halt's Peril, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, The Lost Stories, The Royal Ranger  Prequels: The Tournament at Gorlan and The Battle of Hackman Heath 
• John Flanagan, Brotherband series:  (spin-off from the Ranger's Apprentice series, different country, some of the same characters)  The Outcasts 4.7, The Invaders, The Hunters, Slaves of Socorro (in this one, the Herons work with a famous Ranger from his first series), Scorpian Mountain, The Ghostfaces, The Caldera 
• John Flanagan, Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger series:  A New Beginning,The Red Fox Clan 
• The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen  If you like the Ranger's Apprentice series, you'll like this one, too!  Mystery, suspense, adventure, etc. The False Prince, The Runaway King, and The Shadow Throne   RL 4.4-5.0  The False Prince is one of my all-time favorite books.
• Richard Paul Evans, Michael Vey series:  The Prisoner of Cell 25, The Rise of the Elgen, Battle of the Ampere, Hunt for Jade Dragon, Storm of Lightning, Fall of Hades, The Final Spark  (This is one of the best series I've read in a long time.  My youngest son read the entire series back to back in about 2 weeks at age 15.  He loved it, too.  It's right up there with Harry Potter for me.  Amazing friendships, a terrible, evil villain, brave kids with super powers, sci-fi/fantasy, and more!  Note: In one of the books, someone dies, and it is very sad.  Also, the villain is pure evil -- he may be disturbing for younger or sensitive children.)
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien RL 8- and The Hobbit

****NOTE:  Rick Riordan's new series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard has a "transfluid" character.  In his new series The Trials of Apollo, Apollo gives long monologues discussing why he doesn't care if his kids are gay.  I do not recommend these series.**********

Writing a Book Report -- A Guideline

     A book report is a great way for children to learn the arts of reading, summarizing, analyzing, and writing.  However, when my oldest wrote his first one, I searched and searched for some sort of guideline or outline -- something that he could use to get started.  I finally found an outline on the internet that I liked, and then I changed it to suit our needs.  
     The idea is that you use the questions to help your child write six paragraphs.  If each question in a section is answered, the paragraph will be pretty solid.  However, do not use each question as one sentence. (I've never been a stickler for:  "Each paragraph must have five sentences.")  If you do, you will have a book report that sounds like this:  "I read Blah by John Doe.  I chose it because it had a great cover.  It was written in 2011.  It won the Bad Book Award.  The author is famous for writing Yuck and Boring.  There are 1,000 copies of this book in print."  The sentences will be too short and choppy!  First, print out the outline, then the student can write notes to the side of each question or write out his or her own outline before writing the actual book report.
     I'm including the outline with my changes and additions, followed by a book report my oldest finished today!  I asked his permission to use it because it's a great way to see how a book report should flow, and many students learn by example!  

Book Report Outline

Title of Book:  ________________________  Author:  _______________

Introduction: 

_____Title (underlined), Author

_____If desired, why did you choose the book? 

_____When was it written? 

_____Has it won awards?  (check the back of the book)

_____ Is the author famous for writing another book?

_____ Are there millions of copies in print?  (check the back of the book)

_____ What else would you like to say?

I. Setting

_____ 1. What was the setting for this book?

(example: snow-covered wilderness)

_____ 2. Where did most of the action of the book take place?

(example: northern Alaska)

_____ 3. When did it take place?

(example: the 1880's)

_____ 4. Describe what was this place like.

(example: bitterly cold, desolate, lack of food)

_____ 5. Why do you think the author picked this setting for the story?

(example: to show how hard it was to survive in Alaska)

II. Main Character

_____ 1. Who or what was the main character of this book? (example: a wolf-dog named Butch)

_____ 2. What did this character look like?

(example: large head, thick body, heavy brown and black fur)

_____ 3. What kind of personality did the character have?

(example: fierce, fearless)

_____ 4. Give an example of one of his or her good traits.

(example: loyalty to his master)

_____ 5. Give an example of one of his or her faults.

(example: reckless, easily distracted)

_____ 6.  Are there other important characters?  Discuss them briefly. 

III. Plot

_____ 1. Briefly summarize the book’s plot in one sentence.

(example: a new dog fought for survival on a sled team)

_____ 2. What was the goal of the main character? (example: to become the lead dog on the sled team)

_____ 3. Why was he or she trying to accomplish this goal?

(example: he was tired of being abused)

_____ 4. Who or what was working against the main character?

(example: a large husky named Plato)

_____ 5. What was the climax of the book? How did things resolve or work out?

(example: when Butch fought to defend his master)

     Climax is the turning point in the book, the high point.  Everything in the book builds up to this point, the climax, and the conclusion usually follows soon after.

IV. Message/Theme

_____ 1. What was the message of this book?

(example: kindness will be repaid)

_____ 2. How did the author get his message across to the reader?

(example: he showed that an animal can sense and return love)

_____ 3. Give a specific example of this from the book.

(example: Butch slept near the man who showed him kindness)

_____ 4. Give another specific example of this from the book.

(example: Butch was given his freedom, but he chose to stay)

_____ 5. What do you think the author wanted you to learn or to feel after reading this story? (example: that love can be more powerful than physical strength)

V. Personal Review/Conclusion – Conclude by wrapping it all up.

_____ 1. Did this book hold your interest? 

_____ 2. Why or why not? (interesting, sad, boring, etc.)

_____ 3. What was the author’s writing style? 

_____ 4. Did you enjoy the author’s writing style? Why or why not?

_____ 5.  What were strengths or weaknesses of the book? 

_____ 6.  What was your favorite part?

_____ 7. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

A Book Report of A Single Shard

By Darius Mullin

     A Single Shard was written in 2001 by Linda Sue Park and has won the Newbery Award. Linda Sue Park is also the author of Seesaw Girl, The Kite Fighters, and When My Name Was Keoko. A Single Shard is great historical fiction.

     A Single Shard is staged in a small potter’s village, named Ch’ulp’o, off the west coast of mid-twelfth century Korea. The village is surrounded by forest and mountains and has a good view of the ocean. I think the author picked this setting because this is what a potter’s village was actually like.

     The main character of A Single Shard is a 12-year-old boy named Tree-ear who lives under a bridge with his mentor, foster parent, and friend, Crane-man. Tree-ear is eager, curious, loyal, polite, and enthusiastic; however, he is also sometimes foolish and does things without thinking. He works for Min, the best potter in the village who is often quick-tempered and grumpy.

     This book is the story of how Tree-ear worked for ‘The Honorable Potter,’ Min, and how he took two pots to the royal emissary in Songdo, that Min might become the royal potter. Tree-ear’s goal is to please Min enough that he would teach him to make a pot. Tree-ear admires pottery very much and wants to make a pot himself. The only thing in his way is Min himself, who is unwilling to teach him. The climax of the book is when, even though robbers ambush him on the way to Songdo, he takes one shard to the emissary… and gets his master the job!

     There are many messages in this book, but the most important is that good may come as long as you stay loyal to the end. Tree-ear is loyal even when times are tough, and, eventually, Min adopts him. For example, even when he is told by The Honorable Potter that he will never teach him to make a pot, he is still as loyal as ever. Another example is even when he is ambushed on the way to Songdo by robbers, he looks until he finds the remains of the pots and takes a shard to the emissary.

     When I finished the book I felt shocked, happy, and sad all at the same time. Because it was very well-written and entertaining, I found it hard to put down! My favorite part was Tree-ear’s journey. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Korea or just loves a good story.


(I assigned this book to my son because of his Korean heritage!)


I have searched and searched the internet to find the original source of the outline, but since I found it about two or three years ago, there are multiple copies of it on multiple sites.  In addition, I have changed it some to suit our needs.  Many thanks to the anonymous author.

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind -- Grammar for 1st and 2nd Graders

     In the "How to Use This Book" section of First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind,  Jessie Wise states, "I believe we underestimate what young children are capable of learning."   Wise's method is to cover grammar rules, definitions, and correct usage through memory work, copying and dictation, narration, and  repetition.  Each lesson is short, about 5-10 minutes per day on average and scripted, making preparation time for the teacher minimal.  There are 100 lessons for first grade and 100 for second grade although I believe a child in 3rd or 4th grade with no grammar knowledge would enjoy these lessons as well, making this book perfect for using in a family with children of multiple ages.  The child answers questions or repeats definitions orally. 

     In the book, she covers the definitions of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, verbs, etc.  She also covers types of sentences, seasons, days of the week, months of the year, story narration, abbreviations, letter writing, synonyms, antonyms, poem memorization, and much more.

     I used this book with both of my boys, and they both learned so much.  My only criticism of the book is it's emphasis on copywork and dictation.  For boys, especially, memorization and answering orally comes much easier than writing.  When writing is difficult in a motor-skills-type-of-way, as for many boys and some girls, then copywork and dictation can become boring, painful, and tedious.  So, we just skipped all that.  Also, towards the end, we did not memorize some of the longer poems.

     About 3 days a week, we sat down and read through the lesson, following the script pretty much as it was written.   My youngest was sad when we finished this book.  You can't get a better endorsement than that.

     If you are looking for something that teaches your young children grammar with little teacher prep, then try First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind.

BOOKS! A Reading List for PreK to 3rd Grade Readers

     Once your kids begin reading, sometimes the challenge is finding books for them to read!  Here is a list of the Mullin household's favorites. Although girls will like these books, this list has the Boy Seal of Approval.  In fact, almost all of these books have been read by my oldest, and my youngest is following in his brother's footsteps.  Maybe this list will keep your readers busy for a while!  Most of these we checked out at our local library.

     I have included the title, author, and reading level for most of the books.  Reading levels vary depending on the criteria used to assign the level, so please forgive me if the reading level doesn't match up with something you've seen somewhere else.  Also, most of these books are a series.  Some have 4 books, and some have over 30 in the series.  
     Check back later for a book list for 4th grade to middle school.

• Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems – early readers, (Pigeon, from Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus is hidden on the inside back cover of each Elephant and Piggie book.) I LOVE these books!  Funny for all ages!

• 1 Today I Will Fly! (Mar 2007)
• 2 My Friend is Sad (Mar 2007)
• 3 There is a Bird on Your Head! (Jul 2007)
• 4 I Am Invited to a Party! (Jul 2007)
• 5 I Love My New Toy! (Jun 2008)
• 6 I Will Surprise My Friend! (Jun 2008)
• 7 Are You Ready To Play Outside? (Oct 2008)
• 8 Watch Me Throw The Ball! (Mar 2009)
• 9 Elephants Cannot Dance! (Jun 2009)
• 10 Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (Oct 2009)
• 11 I am Going! (Jan 2010)
• 12 Can I Play Too? (Jun 2010)
• 13 We Are In A Book! (Sept 2010)
• 14 I Broke My Trunk! (Feb 2011)
• 15 Should I Share My Ice Cream? (June 2011)
• 16 Happy Pig Day! (Oct 2011)
• 17 Listen To My Trumpet (Feb 2012)

• Also by Mo Willems:   Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! — Caldecott Honor 2004, Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!, The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!, The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! ,The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale — Caldecott Honor 2005,  Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity — Caldecott Honor 2008 ,   Knuffle Bunny Free: an Unexpected Diversion

• Adventures of Otto by David Milgrim – early readers (See Pip Point -- very funny, Ride Otto Ride!, Swing Otto Swing!, See Otto, See Santa Nap)

•  Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke – a quirky, funny chicken,  RL 1.5  (Minerva Louise on Halloween, A Hat for Minerva Louise, Minerva Louise at School, Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve, Minerva Louise at the Fair, Minerva Louise, Minerva Louise and the Colorful Eggs, Minerva Louise and the Red Truck, and A Friend for Minerva Louise)
•   Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester RL 2  -- (Three Cheers for Tacky, Tacky in Trouble, Tacky and the Emperor, Tackylocks and the Three Bears, Tacky and the Winter Games)
• Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell RL 1.5-2.7
• Absolutely Lucy by Ilene Cooper RL 2.0 (Lucy on the Loose, Look at Lucy!, Lucy on the Ball)
• Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant     RL 2-2.7
• Mr. Putter and Tabby  by Cynthia Rylant RL 2-3  (Very fun!  Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears is a favorite!)
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish and Herman Parish RL 2.0
• Nate the Great  by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, a pancake-loving detective RL 2.1-2.9
• Berenstain Bears  by Stan and Jan Berenstain, RL 1.8-3.5
• Franklin by Paulette Bourgeois RL 2.1-2.9
• Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel RL 2
• Curious George by Margret and H.A. Rey RL 2-2.6
• Magic School Bus by Joanna Cole RL 2.5-3.7
• Jigsaw Jones by James Preller RL 2.0
• Secret Agent Dingledorf by Bill Myers, Christian author, very funny (a few at the library)
• The Box Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner RL 3 (Darius loved the first one.  The others, not so much.)
• Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne RL 2.1-2.3, history and science (We stopped at the Merlin Missions.)
• Horrible Harry by Suzy Kline RL 3
• Cam Jansen Mysteries by David A. Adler RL 2.6 (only read a few of these)
• Magic School Bus: A Science Chapter Book by a variety of authors, RL 3
• Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey RL 3 (My kids love them, but only use if desperate to get your boys to read...full of burping, gas, and boogers).
• The Cul-De-Sac Kids by Beverly Lewis RL 3.0, Christian author, none at library
• Three Cousins Detective Club by Elspeth Campbell Murphy, Christian author, character named Titus, 30 in the series, 64 pages each, first chapter books, a few at library
• Third Grade Detectives by George E. Stanley RL 3.0
• Andrew Lost by J.C. Greenburg  RL 3.0, great science books, skip Andrew Lost in Time #9 (They get sent back to three minutes after the Big Bang.)
• A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy  RL 2.8-3.5
• Katie Kazoo by Nancy Krulik RL 3.4
• Geronimo Stilton by Geronimo Stilton RL 2.0-4.0, Average about RL 3.5
• Chet Gecko by Bruce Hale RL 3.7-4.1
• The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catlin RL 3.0, not a series
• Author  Shel Silverstein –Books of Poetry:   Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, A Light in the Attic RL 3.5-3.9
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell RL 3.5, not a series
•  Flat Stanley and Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures by Jeff Brown RL 3.4-4.4 (For ages 7-10, but  vocabulary is a tad tougher with words like anatomical, simultaneous, application, osteal, and vulnerable)
• The Hardy Boys: Secret Files by Franklin W. Dixon RL 3.7 (Joe and Frank are younger in this series.)

Do you know of others?  Let me know.  I'm sure I've left out a good book or two!