Books in Spanish
For Independent Reading
VERY EASY
- El valor de Sarah Noble (The Courage of Sarah Noble)
- by Alice Dalgliesh
(Social Studies)
In this children's classic, Sarah accompanies her father into the
Connecticut wilderness of 1707 to make a new home.
- Christa McAuliffe: Hacia los astros (Christa McAuliffe: Reaching for the Stars)
- by Patricia Martin
(Social Studies)
Rourke
A biography of the New Hampshire woman who was chosen to
be the first teacher in space.
EASY
- Platero y yo/Platero and I
- by Juan Ramón Jiménez
Clarion
The classic story of the donkey Platero and his poet companion.
Text in English and Spanish.
- El viaje de Juan (Juan's Trip)
- by Bohumil Riha
When Juan, who lives in the city, visits his grandparents in the
country, he has many adventures that cause him to appreciate life in the country.
AVERAGE
- James y el melocotón gigante (James and the Giant Peach)
- by Roald Dahl
After he escapes from his cruel aunts, James travels on a magic voyage
inside a giant peach and meets insects who become his friends.
- Dominico (Dominic)
- by William Steig
On his long journey, Dominic makes many friends and finds a life long companion.
- Miguel Vicente pata caliente (Miguel Vicente the Wanderer)
- by Orlando Araujo
(Social Studies)
Inspired by a book about Marco Polo, Miguel, a poor boy who dreams of
traveling, joins his truck-driver brother to travel around Venezuela.
- Aventuras de Picofino (The Adventures of Picofino)
- by Concha López Narváez
In this sequel to Memorias de una gallina, Picofino flies around the
world, makes new friends, and faces many challenges.
- Caballo de medianoche (The Midnight Horse)
- by Sid Fleischman
On his way to make his home with his great uncle, Touch shares many
adventures with a magician, The Great Chaffalo.
- La perla negra (The Black Pearl)
- by Scott O'Dell
(Multicultural)
While Ramon learns the family art of pearl diving, he finds a magnificent
black pearl in a sea cave.
- Viaje en el tiempo (A Trip Through Time)
- by Dennis Cote
When Maximino and Jo discover some old buttons in a closet, they embark
on an extraordinary adventure through time.
- La barca amarilla (The Yellow Boat)
- by Giuseppi Bufalari
Enrico discovers a new world beneath the waters surrounding Mount Argenario.
- ¡Por la gran cuchara de cuerno! (By the Great Horn Spoon!)
- by Sid Fleischman
To help his aunt, who has numerous debts to pay, Jack, and his aunt's
butler Praiseworthy, head for California to search for gold.
- Esto es coraje (Call It Courage)
- by Armstrong Sperry
(Multicultural)
Mafatu must prove his courage by overcoming his fear of the sea.
- La isla de Abel (Abel's Island)
- by William Steig
Farrar Mirasol
A gentleman mouse, suddenly stranded on a desert island, learns how
to survive in the wild.
CHALLENGING
- Julie y los lobos (Julie of the Wolves)
- by Jean Craighead George
(Multicultural)
Lost in the Arctic wilderness, an Eskimo girl learns how to survive and
is befriended by a pack of wolves.
- El Abrazo del Nilo (Adventure on the Nile)
- by Montserrat del Amo
As a prize in a school contest, two Spanish boys win a trip down the Nile,
during which they experience many unusual adventures.
- El tesoro del capitán Nemo (Captain Nemo's Treasure)
- by Paco Climent
A professor, his student, and the author Jules Verne embark on a deep-sea
adventure to salvage a sunken treasure from looters.
- El maravilloso viaje de Nico Huehuetl a través de México
(Nico Huehuetl's Marvelous Journey Across Mexico)
- by Anna Muriá
(Social Studies)
Eager to learn more about his country, Nico sets out to explore Mexico.
- Los viajes de Gulliver (Gulliver's Travels)
- by Jonathan Swift
In this classic, Gulliver visits Lilliput, the land of the little
people, and Brobdingnag, the land of the giants.
- El Hacha (Hatchet)
- by Gary Paulsen
Fifteen-year-old Brian must fend for himself with only a hatchet to help
him survive after his plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness.
For Teacher Read Aloud
- La vuelta al mundo en 80 días (Around the World in Eighty Days)
- by Jules Verne
Phileas Fogg travels around the world to win a bet in this well-known classic.
- Mi rincón en la montaña (My Side of the Mountain)
- by Jean Craighead George
Penguin Ediciones
Sam chooses to spend a solitary winter on his family's land in the Catskills.
- Estrella negra, brillante amanecer (Black Star, Bright Dawn)
- by Scott O'Dell
(Multicultural)
When her father is injured, Bright Dawn, a seventeen-year-old Eskimo girl,
takes his place in Alaska's toughest dog sled race, aided by Black Star,
a half-wild dog she raised from a puppy.
- El viento en los sauces (The Wind in the Willows)
- by Kenneth Grahame
In this classic fantasy, Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and Toad share many adventures.
Books in English
(English Language Development)
For Shared or Independent Reading
VERY EASY
- Nelly Bly's Monkey: His Remarkable Story in His Own Words
- by Joan W. Blos
(Social Studies)
Morrow
On Nelly Bly's famous trip around the world in 1889, the daredevil reporter
acquired a monkey named McGinty, who tells his version of their trip.
- Aloha, Salty!
- by Gloria Rand
Holt
The adventures of Zack and his dog Salty continue when the two run into a
severe storm while sailing to Hawaii. See also Salty Takes Off.
EASY
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle
- by Beverly Cleary
Ralph the mouse meets adventure on a toy motorcycle.
- In Search of the Grand Canyon: Down the Colorado with John Wesley Powell
- by Mary Ann Fraser
(Social Studies)
Holt
In 1896, Major John Wesley Powell and his nine-man crew set out to explore
the previously uncharted Colorado River, a dangerous journey on which they
encountered rapids, whirlpools, and falls.
AVERAGE/CHALLENGING
- El Güero: A True Adventure Story
- by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño
Farrar
Based on the boyhood adventures in Mexico of the author's father-in-law.
- From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
- by E. L. Konigsburg
Claudia and her brother Jamie decide to go live in New York's
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Iditarod Dream
- by Ted Wood
(Social Studies)
Walker
Fifteen-year-old Dusty Whittemore and his dogs need intense preparation
to race the grueling 158 miles of Alaska's Jr. Iditarod.
- Crazy Weekend
- by Gary Soto
Scholastic
Hector and his friend enjoy an adventurous weekend with Hector's
uncle Julio, a photographer/pilot.
For Teacher Read Aloud
- Ruth Law Thrills a Nation
- by Don Brown
(Social Studies)
Ticknor
Ruth Law attempts to fly solo from Chicago to New York.
- The Incredible Journey
- by Sheila Burnford
Bantam
In this perennial favorite, a cat and two dogs try to find their
way home through the wilderness.
- The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen
- by Lloyd Alexander
(Multicultural)
Dell
On his journey to deliver six gifts to a mystical king, a naive young
prince grows up.