Book picks similar to
Outside Surprise by Michele Jakubowski


4-star-reads
juvenile-chapter
very-first-chapter-books-1st
2nd-grade

Amelia Bedelia Goes Back to School


Herman Parish - 2004
    But don't give Amelia Bedelia any problems. Or ask her to take her seat. Or tell her to paint anything. Amelia Bedelia is ready to learn, but it's the class that getsa lesson -- in reading, writing, and ridiculousness! Pull back the flaps to peek at Amelia Bedelia's school day.

Fancy Nancy: Hair Dos and Hair Don'ts


Jane O'Connor - 2011
    That leaves only one thing—picking a hairstyle! Nancy considers the options. Pigtails? A bun? Long and loose? Then Nancy gets a brain wave, and she reaches for the scissors. . . .Fancy Nancy: Hair Dos and Hair Don’ts is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. The back matter features a list of the rich vocabulary words that are used throughout the story along with their definition.

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon


Ruth Stiles Gannett - 1987
    A compilation of three tales which relate the fantastic adventures of Elmer Elevator and a baby flying dragon named Boris.

Hailey Twitch Is Not a Snitch


Lauren Barnholdt - 2010
    From acclaimed children’s author Lauren Barnholdt, a laugh-out-loud chapter book series for precocious kids everywhere! Meet Hailey Twitch.She’s just like you. Well, sort of. She loves pink sparkly pencils and ice cream. But Hailey also has a secret: she’s friends with Maybelle, a sprite that only she can see. Hailey and Maybelle are having fun, fun, fun. But they’re also getting into lots of trouble!Can Hailey keep her friend a secret or will she have to tell?

In a Blink


Kiki Thorpe - 2013
    In a blink of an eye, the four friends are whisked out of their ordinary lives to the most wonderful place of all—Never Land, home to fairies, mermaids . . . and now four lost girls. The girls don't want to leave right away, but Queen Clarion and Tinker Bell have figured out a way for them to get home. Will Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby's fantastic adventure end before it's barely begun?

The Locket of Dreams


Belinda Murrell - 2009
    Then disaster strikes and it seems the girls will lose everything they love. Why were the sisters sent to live with strangers? Did their uncle steal their inheritance? And what happened to the priceless sapphire-the Star of Serendib?Sophie shares in the girls' adventures as they outwit greedy relatives, escape murderous bushrangers, and fight storm and fire. But how will her travels in time affect Sophie's own life?

Where's Gary? (SpongeBob SquarePants)


David Lewman - 2007
    While Gary is being pampered by sweet Grandma, SpongeBob is posting lost-snail signs all over town. Soon Gary becomes suspicious that Grandma is after more than just his happiness. Can SpongeBob save Gary before it's too late?

The Trishul Killer: flash reads by Himanshu Goel


Himanshu Goel - 2020
    The victims are found brutalized and branded with a Trishul on their chest, the media has dubbed the murderer as The Trishul Killer. Can Sonia Rana, the star inspector catch the killer before he claims his next victim? A Train Story is a flash read (bite-sized stories) by Himanshu Goel, author of Tulsi and A Rational Boy in Love.

The Chalet School and Rosalie


Elinor M. Brent-Dyer - 1951
    Rosalie wants desperately Tom Gay to be her best friend. Both are Middles, in the Upper Third. Tom was asked to look after her on the train journey to school, but doesn't really know how to have a relationship with another girl ... particularly one who has such an opposite personality from her own. Rosalie wants to do whatever Tom is doing. For example, despite being a fair tennis player and never having played cricket, she signs up for extra cricket lessons because Tom does. When told that she was being switched back to Tennis, she gets in the first of several rows.

Quinn Says Goodbye: Friends May Go Away, but God Is Here to Stay


Christie Thomas - 2019
    When Quinn the Owl makes a new friend, a firefly named Blink, she is filled with joy. But one night, Quinn wakes up to find her friend has disappeared in a flash. “Momma, why didn’t God make Blink stay with me? Didn’t he know how much I loved him?”“God doesn’t always stop bad things from happening, Quinn. But He does promise that He will always be with you, and He will never stop being your friend.” Beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written, Quinn Says Goodbye is designed for children dealing with different kinds of loss, whether it be death of a pet or a family member, or simply the loss of a favorite toy. Remind little ones that although people and things might not be in their life forever, God will never leave them.

Junie B. Jones Super Pack


Barbara Park
    Jones series by Barbara Park. The titles included are: Junie B., First Grader One-Man Band; Junie B., First Grader Boo...and I Mean It!; Junie B. First Grader Shipwrecked; Junie B., First Grader Cheater Pants; Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder; Junie B., First Grader Boss of Lunch; Junie B., First Grader (at last!); Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl; Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day; Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket; Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine; Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl; Junie B. Jones Is a Beauty Shop Guy; Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal; Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook; Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed; Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren; Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth; Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peaky Spying; and Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business.

Bailey's Story


W. Bruce Cameron - 2013
    Bruce Cameron, the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel A Dog's Purpose, which is now a major motion picture!Bailey's Story is a heartwarming illustrated novel adapted for young readers from the beloved and New York Times bestselling A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.Every dog has work to do. Every dog has a purpose.When Bailey meets eight-year-old Ethan, he quickly figures out his purpose: to play with the boy, to explore the Farm during summers with the boy, and to tidy the boy's dishes by licking them clean (only when Mom isn't watching). But Bailey soon learns that life isn't always so simple--that sometimes bad things happen--and that there can be no greater purpose than to protect the boy he loves.Bailey's Story is a moving tale about a dog and his boy for young animal lovers by W. Bruce Cameron, bestselling author of the acclaimed novel A Dog's Purpose. Adorable black-and-white illustrations by Richard Cowdrey bring Bailey and his world to life. A discussion and activity guide at the end of the book will help promote family and classroom discussions about Bailey's Story and the insights it provides about humankind's best friends.

Glitter


Kate Maryon - 2010
    CREDIT CRUNCH THROWS LIBERTY PARFITT’S WORLD UPSIDE DOWNTaken away from the boarding school she loves, Liberty and her angry dad are forced to stay in a friend’s flat in a rough part of London where she finds herself in a school that’s locally known as ‘The Grave.' Without her best friend’s violin to play, Liberty feels as if her life couldn’t get any worse; then there’s the nasty Tyler boy and her dad’s depression and the gang by the canal… If only she had a mum, then things might be better – and what actually did happen to her mum? Well, there are the trunks in Dad’s bedroom and the violin on the bed and, once her curiosity is sparked, Liberty discovers a whole lot more about her past than she ever could have imagined.

Invisible!


Robert Swindells - 1999
    It can also be frightening... and dangerous. Especially when Rosie's dad becomes a suspect in a local crime and the gang go invisible to find the real crooks...

Adventures with Waffles


Maria Parr - 2005
    And there is never an ordinary day when you've got a best friend like Lena. Hardly a day passes without Trille and Lena inventing some kind of adventure that often ends in trouble. Whether it's coaxing a cow onto a boat or sledding down the steepest and iciest hill with a chicken, there is always a thrill--and sometimes an injury--to be had. Trille loves to share everything with Lena, even Auntie Granny's waffles. But when Lena has to move away and Auntie Granny leaves the world, it sometimes seems like nothing will ever be right again. The warmth of friendship and the support of family suffuse this lightly illustrated novel, proving that when times are tough, a little taste of sweetness can make all the difference.