DTA Summer Reading List!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

By Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

• A rhythmic story that follows a series of colorful animals as they each describe what they see next.
• The repetitive pattern helps children build early language and prediction skills.
• Encourages observation, sequencing, and confidence with language.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

By Eric Carle

• A tiny caterpillar eats through a variety of foods before transforming into a butterfly.
• Introduces counting, days of the week, and life cycles in a simple and engaging way.
• Highlights growth, change, and healthy development.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

By Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

• Letters of the alphabet race up a coconut tree until they all tumble down in a lively, rhyming adventure.
• The playful rhythm and repetition support letter recognition and phonological awareness.
• Promotes learning through fun, music, and teamwork.

Dear Zoo

By Rod Campbell

• A child writes to the zoo asking for a pet, but each animal sent is unsuitable for different reasons until the perfect pet arrives.
• The repetitive structure encourages vocabulary development, requesting, describing, and prediction skills.
• Highlights problem-solving and making thoughtful choices.

The ABC’s of Inclusion

By Beth Leipholtz

• Introduces children with a variety of disabilities and differences through an engaging A-to-Z format.
• Encourages empathy, understanding, and acceptance of others.
• Reminds readers that all children deserve to be seen, heard, valued, understood, and loved.

See You Later, Alligator!

By Sally Hopgood

• A tortoise prepares for an adventure but pauses to say goodbye to each of his animal friends.
• Features playful rhymes, repetition, and humorous interactions.
• Supports language development, prediction, and social-emotional learning while celebrating friendship and adventure.

Pete the Cat

By James Dean

• Follows Pete, a cool and easygoing cat who stays positive no matter what challenges come his way.
• Simple, repetitive stories help children build confidence and early literacy skills.
• Promotes resilience, optimism, and a growth mindset.

The Cat in the Hat

By Dr. Seuss

• A mischievous cat brings excitement and chaos to a rainy day indoors.
• Rhyming text and playful adventures support early reading and vocabulary development.
• Encourages imagination, creativity, and responsibility.

Green Eggs and Ham

By Dr. Seuss

• Sam-I-Am persistently encourages another character to try green eggs and ham despite repeated refusals.
• After finally trying them, the character discovers that he likes them after all.
• Encourages open-mindedness, flexibility, and trying new things.

The Day the Crayons Quit

By Drew Daywalt

• A box of crayons writes letters to its owner, sharing frustrations, feelings, and wishes.
• Each crayon has a unique personality and perspective.
• Promotes empathy, creativity, and understanding others’ feelings.

The Mitten

By Jan Brett

• After a boy drops his mitten in the snow, woodland animals squeeze inside one by one to stay warm.
• The mitten stretches larger and larger until a surprising ending sends the animals flying out.
• Highlights sharing, cooperation, and cause-and-effect relationships.

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

By Eric Carle

• A chameleon wishes it could be like other animals and magically takes on their traits.
• It soon realizes that being someone else doesn’t make it happier.
• Encourages self-acceptance, individuality, and appreciating what makes each person unique.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

By Rose Bonne

• An old lady swallows increasingly larger animals in a humorous cumulative story.
• The repetitive structure supports sequencing, memory, prediction, and retell skills.
• Emphasizes humor, storytelling, and cause-and-effect relationships.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

By Laura Numeroff

• A mouse’s simple request leads to a chain of connected events and adventures.
• The predictable sequence helps children understand cause-and-effect, sequencing, and inferencing.
• Demonstrates how one action can lead to many others.

My Magical Choices

By Becky Cummings

• Teaches children that while they cannot always control what happens, they can choose how they respond.
• Introduces positive “I choose” statements that encourage responsibility and self-awareness.
• Promotes confidence, kindness, honesty, resilience, and healthy decision-making.

Grumpy Monkey

By Suzanne Lang

• Jim the chimpanzee is in a bad mood for no apparent reason, and his friends try to cheer him up.
• Through humorous interactions, Jim learns that it’s okay to feel grumpy sometimes.
• Encourages emotional awareness, self-acceptance, and understanding that all feelings are valid.

Charlotte’s Web

By E.B. White

• A pig named Wilbur forms an unlikely friendship with a wise spider named Charlotte, who helps save his life through her clever words.
• The story explores friendship, kindness, and the cycle of life.
• Emphasizes loyalty, compassion, and the lasting impact of true friendship.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

By Jeff Kinney

• Greg Heffley navigates the ups and downs of school, friendships, and family life through humorous journal entries and illustrations.
• Readers follow Greg as he learns from mistakes and everyday challenges.
• Promotes resilience, self-reflection, and personal growth.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

By Roald Dahl

• Charlie Bucket wins a golden ticket to tour the mysterious chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka.
• Along the way, children who make selfish choices face humorous consequences, while Charlie’s kindness shines through.
• Highlights humility, self-control, honesty, and the rewards of good character.

Owl Moon

By Jane Yolen

• A young girl and her father venture into the woods on a quiet winter night in search of owls.
• Rich descriptive language and vivid imagery help build vocabulary and inferencing skills.
• Encourages patience, connection, and appreciation of nature.

The Wild Robot

By Peter Brown

• A robot named Roz finds herself stranded on an island and must learn to survive among the animals.
• Through problem-solving and unexpected friendships, Roz discovers what it means to belong.
• Supports inferencing, perspective-taking, empathy, and community-building.

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures

By Julia Finley Mosca

• This inspiring biography introduces young readers to Temple Grandin and her unique way of thinking.
• The story celebrates neurodiversity and demonstrates how differences can become strengths.
• Encourages perseverance, self-confidence, and embracing individual talents.

The Chocolate Touch

By Patrick Skene Catling

• John Midas loves chocolate so much that he wishes everything he touched could turn into it.
• At first, his wish seems wonderful, but it quickly creates unexpected problems.
• Uses humor to teach moderation, gratitude, and the importance of appreciating what truly matters.