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.