traditional literature books (stories that were initially oral and were written down at a later date)
Apples to Oregon By: Deborah Hopkinson
This book is about Delicious and her family’s journey from
Iowa to Oregon. They bring with them apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, and
cherries to plant in Oregon. On their journey they encounter rivers to cross,
howling winds and hail storms, deserts, and freezing weather. They eventually
make it to Oregon and get rich off of all of their fruits.
Interest Level:
3-5
Grade level
Equivalent: 5.0
Dusty Locks and the Three Bears By: Susan Lowell
Dusty Locks is a dirty girl that has run away from home. She
finds the bear’s home and heads on in. There she finds their beans cooling, so
she decides to eat them. Big grizzly’s are too spicy, Mama bear’s are too
plain, but bear cub’s were just right. She then tries out all the chairs and
finds she likes bear cub’s the best, but she breaks it and gets mad so she goes
to their beds. She doesn’t like big grizzly’s so she breaks the branches into
twigs. She finds bear cub’s to be just right, so she crawls in and takes a nap.
The bears come home and find their beans eaten, chairs a mess, and find Dusty
Locks in bear cub’s bed. Dusty Locks wakes up, and is so scared by the bears
she runs straight home.
Interest Level:
K-2
Grade level
Equivalent: 3.1
The Field Guide By: Tony DiTerlizzi
Mallory, her twin brothers, Jared and Simon, and their
mother move into Great Aunt Lucinda’s house. Jared discovers a book, The Field Guide,
which tells all about the magical creatures that live in our world. Strange
things begin to happen, and the siblings blame Jared. He finds a small creature
to be responsible for the strange things that are happening. Thimbletack tells
the kids that they shouldn’t read the book because it will lead to trouble. The
children don’t listen and read it anyways.
Interest Level:
3-5
Grade level
Equivalent: 4.1
The Gift by: Kristine Franklin
The wise fish woman takes Jimmy Joe with her on her boat.
They go salmon fishing, but when he catches a huge fish, he feels guilty. They
see a group of killer whales and Jimmy Joe throws the fish back to them. At the
start of the trip the fish woman told him that “when the wolves of the sea
choose to show themselves it is a gift.”
Interest Level:
K-2
Grade level
Equivalent: 2.5
The Snow Queen By: Hans Christian Andersen
A demon creates a mirror that will take the reflection of
beautiful things and make them appear ugly. The mirror shatters and all the
pieces fall to Earth. Kay is a boy who is struck by the mirror in his eye and
his heart. He sees ugliness and becomes mean, ridiculing everyone. He meets the
snow queen, who takes him for her own. Gerda goes to look for Kay after he
doesn’t come home. Along the way she gets side tracked a few times, but she
manages to find Kay and bring him back home.
Interest Level:
3-5
Grade level
Equivalent: 3.7
Smokey Mountain Rose by: Alan Schroeder
This story plays off of Cinderella. Rose has recently lost
her father and must live with her step-mother and two step-sisters. They’re
mean to Rose and make her do all the work. One day Seb, a rich man from across
the creek throws a party. Rose is able to go because of a magical talking hog.
She is able to finish all the chores is given a nice dress and slippers to wear
to the party all because of the magical hog. Rose and Seb dance the night away,
but she flees at midnight, losing a slipper while doing so. Seb eventually
finds Rose and the slipper fits, so they live as the happiest twosome in
Tarbelly Creek.
Interest Level:
3-5
Grade level
Equivalent: 4.8
Strega Nona By: Tomie de Paola
Strega Nona is known for her magical touch that can heal
anything. She decides to hire Anthony to help her around the house. One day
while she’s away he breaks her only rule, and touches the magic pasta pot. It
begins to flow pasta and he can’t stop it. It flows all the way into town and,
luckily, Strega Nona comes back just in time to save everyone. To punish
Anthony she makes him eat all of the pasta.
Interest Level:
K-3
Grade level Equivalent: 4.4
The Three Pigs By: David Weisner
The First pig builds a house out of straw. The
wolf comes and blows it down and the pig straight out of the story. The wolf
goes onto the next house, which is built out of sticks, and blows that one down
too. Meanwhile, the first pig tells the second pig to hide with him outside of
the story. They meet up with the third pig and all go exploring outside of the
story. They end up in a nursery rhyme and a dragon story where they rescue the
dragon from being slayed. They decide to go home and put the story back
together. They bring the dragon with them and he scares the wolf away. The pigs and the dragon all live happily ever
after.
Interest Level:
K-2