Books of Common Thread

Books of Common Thread Project
By Nicki Underwood

Common Thread I: Animals

Category 1: Reptiles

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Polliwog	Tammy Carter Bronson	Grades 2^nd-4th	2004, Bookaroos Publishing, Inc.	The main characters are a tadpole named Polliwog and her fish friend, Perch. The setting is the small pond where Polliwog and Perch live. Polliwog is discovering that she is changing and Perch helps her to understand and deal with the changes she is going through to become a grown up frog.
	Growing Frogs	Vivian French/ Alison Barlett	Ages 4-8/ Grades K-3^rd	2000, Candlewick Press	The main characters are a little girl and her mother. The main setting is their home, where they have collected frog spawn from a nearby pond and are growing frogs in a bucket at home.
	The Turtle and The Dove	Don Freeman	Grades K-2nd	1964, Viking Press	The main characters are Turtle and Dove. The setting is the ocean and a small island they find. Turtle and Dove become friends at sea and are separated by a storm. Sometime later, they are reunited on the island and their new families become fast friends.
	We’re Off To See The Lizard	Barbara Brenner/ Shelley Dieterichs	Grades 1st-3rd	1977, Raintree Editions	The main characters are Harry, Annie, and Meg. The setting is Harry and Annie’s new neighborhood in Florida. They discover something they have never seen before, a small green lizard. Their new friend Meg shows them her pet lizards, and teaches them everything she knows about lizards.
	Calvin Crocodile and the Terrible Noise	Carla Pickett/ Carroll Dolezal	Grades 1st-3rd	1972, Steck-Vaughn Company	The main characters are Calvin Crocodile and Yellow Lion. The setting of the story is by the river in the jungle. Calvin and the Lion both believe they are king and test each other to see who would be the best king. They soon discover they both have good traits of a king.

Category 2: Birds

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Seven Diving Ducks	Margaret Friskey/ Jean Morey	Grades Pre-K-1st	1940, David Mckay Company	The main characters are a mother and father duck and their seven ducklings. The setting is by the pond where they make their home. The seven ducks must learn to swim and dive for food. The 7^th duckling is nervous to swim and then scared to dive. In the end, he must overcome his fear or go without good food.
	If I Were A Bird	Gladys Conklin/ Arthur Marokvia	Grades K-2nd	1965, Holiday House	This main characters are a boy and a girl who are looking at birds in the forest. The narrator of the book describes what it would be like to be a bird, to fly, sing, and look like a bird.
	Why Do Birds Sing?	Chris Arvetis/ Carole Palmer	Grades K-2nd	1988, Checkerboard Press	The main character is a mouse named Christopher who lives in the woods. Christopher wants to know why the birds sing and asks the help of some of his animal friends to help him find out about many different birds and why they sing.
	A Dog’s Book of Birds	Peter Parnall	Grades Pre-K-2nd	1977,Charles Scribner's Sons	The main character is a scruffy little dog as he goes on an adventure through the woods to explore and discover many different birds and he briefly describes each one.
	The Nest	Constantine Georgiou/ Bethany Tudor	Grades K-2nd	1972, Harvey House, Inc.	The main character is a mother robin in an apple tree who must build a good nest for her eggs. She describes how she gets the help of many things and animals in the forest to make her nest soft and strong.

Category 3: Farm Animals

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	A Colt Named Mischief	Sandy Ravinowitz	Grades 1st-3rd	1979, Doubleday & Company, Inc.	The main characters are a young girl named Sara and her colt Mischief. Sara and Mischief live on a farm and Mischief causes so much trouble in the farmyard that Sara’s father decides he must be sold. However, he changes his mind when Mischief saves the farm from cattle thieves.
	Old Man Whickutt’s Donkey	Mary Calhoun/ Tomie de Paolo	Grades K-2nd	1975, Parents Magazine Press	The main characters are Old Man Whickutt, a small boy, and a donkey. The donkey, the boy, and Old Man Whickutt set out from the farm to town to sell a sack of corn. They have silly adventures and meet many people along the way.
	The Cow Buzzed	Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha/ Paul Meisel	Ages 3-6/ Grades Pre-K-K	1993, Harper Collins Publishers	The main characters are several animals that live on a farm. The cow catches a cold from a bee, and catches his buzz. The cow passes the cold to another animal, along with his moo. Pretty soon, all the animals in the farmyard are sneezing, making the wrong noise, and getting the wrong food.
	Barn Dance!	Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault/ Ted Rand	Ages 5-8/ Grades K-3rd	1986, Henry Holt and Company	The main character is a little boy who lives on a farm. One night he cannot sleep and sneaks out to the barn. He catches all of the animals having a barn dance and joins in. In the morning, he sneaks back into his bed and nobody else knows that the animals have a party every night.
	The Goat Who Learned To Count	Alf Proysen/ Bjorn Berg	Grades Pre-K-1st	Info	The main character is a goat who lives in the pasture of a farm and has learned to count to ten. He wants to practice counting to ten by counting the other animals in the farmyard.

Category 4: Wild Animals

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Lost In The Woods	Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick	Grades K-3^rd	2004, Carl R. Sims II Photography, Inc.	The main character is a small fawn who is alone in the woods, but is he lost? The other animals in the forest try to determine if he is lost and help him. He knows he should wait there for his mama, and one day he’ll be big enough to run through the forest with her.
	The Bear Who Wouldn’t Share	Jonathan Allen	Grades Pre-K-K	2000, Rigby	The main character is Bear, and he is at his house eating a cake his Granny made him for his birthday. She told him to share the cake with his friends, but he finds a way to eat the cake all by himself.
	Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!	Tololwa M. Mollel/ Barbara Spurll	Grades K-3^rd	Info	The main characters are the hare and his jungle friends. The hare returns to his cave and finds a monster living there. The hare gets the help of her jungle friends to get the monster out of her home.
	The Way The Tiger Walked	Doris J. Chaconas/ Grank Bozzo	Grades K-2^nd	1970, Simon and Schuster	The main character is the Tiger, but he is followed by many other jungle animals through the jungle. The other animals are fascinated by the Tiger and the way he walks. They follow him through the jungle and try to walk like him. The soon find out, to their surprise, that the Tiger admires the way they walk, too.
	Red Fox and the Hungry Tiger	Paul Anderson/ Robert Kraus	Grades K-2^nd	1962, Young Scott Books	The main characters are Long Claw, the tiger, and Red Fox. Long Claw comes across Red Fox at lunch time and decides to eat Red Fox for lunch. But, Red Fox outsmarts Long Claw, and tricks him into eating someone else.

Category 5: Swimming Animals

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Sam the Sea Cow	Francine Jacobs/ Laura Kelly	Ages 4-8/ Grades Pre-K-1^st	1979, Walker and Company	The main character is Sam, a baby manatee living in the ocean near South Florida. The story follows Sam as he grows up. One day, Sam gets in trouble and is rescued by humans, so they can care for him until he is well enough to be released.
	Oscar Otter	Nathaniel Benchley/ Arnold Lobel	Ages 4-8/ Grades Pre-K-1^st	1966, Harper & Row, Publishing	The main character is Oscar Otter, who lives at a pond, and likes to slide down the hill into the pond. He goes on an adventure to build his own private slide down a mountain. He soon realizes that safe at home is where he wants to be.
	Fish Eyes	Lois Ehlert	Ages 2-6/ Grades Pre-K-K	1990, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers	This is a counting book with no main character. However, the narrator describes and counts the fish he would meet if he were a fish. This book was awarded the New York Time’s Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year in 1990 and the Parent’s Choice Silver Honor.
	Seal Harbor: The Life Story of a Harbor Seal	John F. Waters/ Robert Quakenbush	Grades 2^nd-4^th	1973, Frederick Warne and Co., Inc.	The main character in this book is the Harbor Seal. The story follows Seal as he lives with his mother as a pup and as he grows they face many dangers. One day he is wounded and washed up on shore, to be found by a small boy. The boy and the Seal become friends, but the boy moves away after Seal is healed. When the boy grows up, he returns to his old home to find the pup of his old friend.
	Nine True Stories About Dolphins	Margaret Davidson/ Roger Wilson	Grades 2^nd-4th	1974, Hastings House, Publishers	The main characters in this book are nine different dolphins. The book contains a collection of nine stories about the nine dolphins, including stories about wild and tame dolphins, dolphins in the sea, and dolphins in captivity. Each story is three to four pages long and there are a few illustrations.

Books of Common Thread Project
By Nicki Underwood

Common Thread II: Family Relationships

Category 1: Parents

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract	Awards
	A Chair For My Mother	Vera B. Williams	Ages 4-8	1983, Harper Trophy	The main characters are a young girl, her mother, and her grandmother. After a terrible fire, the girl's family loses all of their possessions. The mother has a job as a waitress and everynight they each put their money in a coin jar. When the jar is full of coins, they are going to buy a new soft, comfy chair for the girl's mother.	Caldecott Honor 1983
	Weird Parents	Audrey Wood	Ages 4-8	1990, Dial Books for Young Readers	The main character in the story is a little boy, whose parents take him all over town. The little boy's parents act silly in public, and the little boy keeps getting embarassed because he feels like he has weird parents. He comes to realize that he is glad his parents laugh and have fun. He learns how much he loves his parents, and how much they love him.
	Dad and Me in the Morning	Patricia Lakin/ Robert G. Steele	Ages 5-8	1994, Albert Whitman & Company	The main characters are a little boy named Jacob and his Dad, and they live near the beach. Jacob is hearing impaired, and in the morning Jacob and his Dad wake up very early and sneak out of the house. They go to the beach and enjoy their special time by doing special things, like running in the cold water bare-footed and watching the sunrise.
	At Daddy's On Saturday	Linda Walvoord Girard/ Judith Friedman	Ages 4-8	1991, Albert Whitman & Company	The main character is a little girl named Katie, who lives with her Mommy. Katie's Mommy and Daddy have just gotten a divorce and Katie's Daddy has moved into a new apartment. Katie is worried about her parents getting divorced and is scared her Daddy will forget her now that he doesn't live with her anymore. Katie's Daddy helps Katie understand that he did not divorce Katie, and that he will never forget her. She can call him on the telephone anytime, and every Saturday she can spend the whole night at Daddy's new home.
	Ramona and Her Father	Beverly Cleary/ Tracy Dockray	Ages 9-12	1977, Harper Trophy	The main character is Ramona. In this book, Ramona is in second grade and wants everyone to be happy. But when her father comes home to tell the news that he has lost his job, the Quimby household begins to be a little stressful. Mrs. Quimby works, Beezus offers to baby-sit for extra money, and Ramona wants to help, too. She comes up with a few different ways to help, but she only ends up making things worse. Especially when she tries to help her father quit smoking. Through worrying about money and Mr. Quimby finding a job, the family realizes that they can manage any crisis together.	Newbery Honor 1978

Category 2: New Parents ( Adoptive Parents/Step Parents)

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher		Awards
	Like Jake and Me	Mavis Jukes/ Lloyd Bloom	Ages 4-8	1984, Alfred A. Knopf	The main characters are a little boy named Alex and his stepfather Jake, and they live out in the country with Alex's mom, Virginia. One day, Jake is outside working and doing chores, and Alex wants to help him. Jake thinks Alex is too small to help and will only get in the way. However, when Alex helps Jake out of a sticky situation, Jake realizes how much of a help Alex is. Jake and Alex have a special bonding experience and learn how much they mean to each other.	Newbery Honor 1985
	Sarah, Plain and Tall	Patricia MacLachlan	Grades 3rd-6th	1985, Harper Collins	The main characters are Anna, Caleb, their Papa, named Jacob, and Sarah. Anna, Caleb, and Papa live on the prairie, but Anna's mother has been dead for a long time. Papa decides that he needs a wife to help him work and a new Mama for Anna and Caleb. He places an ad in the newspaper and Sarah answers. She soon comes to live with them on the prairie. Anna, Caleb, and Papa must get to know Sarah, and grow accustomed to her. Sarah must get to know her new family and grow accustomed to her new home. Anna and Caleb grow to love Sarah as a Mama and are very happy that Sarah and Papa will get married.	Newbery Honor 1986
	Anne of Green Gables	L.M. Montgomery	Grades 4th-6th	1972, Random House Children's Books	The main character is Anne Shirley, who lives on Prince Edward Island. Anne is an orphan, who dreams of having a family of her own to live with and love. One day, she is sent of Green Gables to live with an older brother and sister who are lonely and need help around their farm. They do not expect Anne to be a girl, or as mischevious as she is. Anne falls instantly in love with Matthew Cuthbert and desperately wants to meet with Marilla Cuthbert's approval. She desires nothing more than to stay at Green Gables and belong to the Cuthberts. Although Marilla is resistent at first, she too soon finds that Anne is a special girl and joy to have in her life. Anne, Matthew, and Marilla create a small, loving family, and Anne never again feels like she is an orphan. She has a family and she belongs to them.
	Horace	Holly Keller	Grades Pre-K-2nd	1991, Greenwillow Books	The main character is Horace, who lives with his new mommy and daddy. Horace is adopted, and he has spots, while his new mommy and daddy have stripes. Although his new mommy and daddy love him, he does not feel like he belongs with them. So, one day he runs away in search of a family that matches him. He finds a family of spotted children and plays with them all day, but at the end of the day he realizes how much he misses his striped mommy and daddy. He returns home with them, and realizes that although they may look different, they are his family and they love each other.
	The Steps	Rachel Cohn	3rd-5th Grade	2004, Simon & Schuster Children’s	The main character is Annabel and the setting is Australia. Annabel lives in New York with her mom, while her dad lives in Australia with his new wife and her children. On her visit to Australia, Annabel hopes to convince her dad to come home to her and her mom. At first everything is strange to her, and she is not very nice to her step-mother and step-siblings for the first part of her trip. However, she comes to realize that her new family is just as special to her as her old family was.

Category 3: Grandparents

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract	Awards
	When I Am Old With You	Angela Johnson/ David Soman	Ages 4-7	1990, Orchard Books	The main character in the story is a little girl who loves her grandaddy very much. The story consists of the girl describing all of the things she enjoys doing now with her grandaddy and will also enjoy when she gets older. The little girl always wants to have her special time with her grandaddy.
	Grandpa's Song	Tony Johnston/ Brad Sneed	Grades Pre-K-2nd	1991, Dial Books for Young Readers	The main characters are a little girl and her Grandpa. The little girl loves to spend time with Grandpa at his house. She likes to hear him sing. Grandpa loves to sing, and he loves to sing loud. He sings to her and all her brothers, sisters, and cousins. However, as Grandpa gets older, he begins to become more and more forgetful. He even forgets his songs, but the grandchildren are always there to remind him.
	With Love From Gran	Dick Gackenbach	Grades Pre-K-2nd	1989, Clarion Books	The main character is a little boy whose Gran travels all around the world. While the little boy stays at home, his Gran sends him wonderful presents from every country she visits. One day, he receives the best present of all; a telegram arrives that says Gran will be coming home,
	Blackberries in the Dark	Mavis Jukes	Grades 2nd-5th	1994, Random House Books for Young Readers	The main characters a nine year-old boy named Austin and his grandmother. Austin is going to visit his Grandma for the summer, but is a bit skeptical because it will be his first visit since Grandpa had died. Austin is sad because he misses his Grandpa and all the things they used to do together and the things he and his Grandpa had not done yet. Austin soon comes to realize that Grandma misses Grandpa as much as he does. Austin and Grandma learn to lean on each other for love and comfort, and they discover a new bond that helps their relationship to blossom, as they remember Grandpa.
	Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs	Tomie dePaola	Grades Pre-K-1^st	1973, Putnam Publishing Group	The main character is a little boy named Tommy. Every Sunday Tommy goes to his grandparent’s house for a visit. Tommy loves his grandparents. When he goes to his Nana downstairs is always busy with housework, but she takes time out for a visit with him. Tommy’s Nana upstairs, his great-grandmother, is very old. Tommy spends time with her in her room, because she has to stay in bed. The story shows how much Tommy loves both of his Nanas and it shows how Tommy copes with the death of his Nanas.

Category 4: Brothers and Sisters

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract	Awards
	One of Three	Angela Johnson/ David Soman	Grades Pre-K-1st	1991, Orchard Books	The main character is a little girl who lives with her Mommy, Daddy, and two older sisters. The three sisters love each other and do a lot of things together. The youngest feels like she is "one of three" when they're together. Sometimes, she is too young to go with the older girls and gets left behind. She feels left out of the "three", but feels better when she becomes part of another "three", with her Mommy and Daddy.
	Jacob Have I Loved	Katherine Paterson	Grades 4th-6th	1980, Harper Trophy	The main character is a girl named Sara Louise Bradshaw, who lives on the island of Rass with her family. Louise, or Wheeze, has a paternal twin sister named Caroline. Louise and Caroline look nothing alike. While Louise has dark hair and complexion, rounder features, and a more masculine air, Caroline has light hair and complexion, is very pretty, and very delicate. Caroline is beautiful, smart, talented, and loved by everyone. Because Louise is not delicate, her parents do not fuss or worry over her the way they do over Caroline. Caroline is also talented. So while Louise is out on her boat, hunting crabs, Caroline is given piano and voice lessons. Louise feels like she has grown up in her sister's shadow. Louise begins to feel like less of an individual when Caroline begins to come along with her and her friends. Louise feels like Caroline invades and takes over everyone and everything in her life. Louise must come to terms with her own strengths and abilities, and learn to focus less on what Caroline has or does. In the end, Louise breaks away and makes her own life and finds out who she is. She learns that she is Louise, not Caroline's twin sister.	Newbery Medal 1981
	Peter's Chair	Ezra Jack Keats	Grades Pre-K-2nd		The main character is a boy named Peter who lives with his mommy and daddy. Peter's mommy is going to have a new baby, and as the time gets closer, his mommy and daddy begin to prepare for his new little sister. Peter must share his parent's attention, he must be quiet, and he soon learns he must share all of his old furniture. When he finds out his father is painting his old things pink, he takes his favorite old chair and wants to run away. However, he recognizes the importance of being a big brother and how special it is to have a baby sister. He decides that his new sister can have his old chair, and his father can paint it pink.
	Andrew’s Bright Blue T-Shirt	Jessica Wollman/Ana Lopez Escriva	Grades Pre K-1st	2002, Random House Children’s Books	The main character is a young fox named Andrew. Andrew loves his big brother, and can’t wait to be big enough to play with his big brother and the rest of the big kids. One day, Andrew’s brother gives him one of his old t-shirts with a soccer ball on it. Andrew grows to love soccer and practices for the day he can play with the big kids. But before he knows it, Andrew grows too big for his t-shirt, and is finally big enough to play with the big kids.
	I’m A Big Sister	Joanna Cole/Maxie Chambliss	Grades	1997, HarperCollins Publishers	The main character is a little girl who gets a new baby in her family. At first, she is apprehensive about having a new baby in the family, because of having to share her parent’s attention. She then comes to realize that she is a big sister, and that carries many privileges. She is the biggest kid in the family and she can do many things the baby cannot do and she gets to help take care of the baby.

Category 5: Pets

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract	Awards
	Lost	Paul Brett Johnson and Celeste Lewis/ Paul Brett Johnson	Grades Pre-K-2nd	1996, Orchard Books	The main characters in the story are a little girl, her father, and the girl's dog, Flag. The little girl's family lives near the desert. One day, Flag wanders off and gets lost in the desert. The girl is very sad that Flag is missing and her father takes her to the desert to look for him everyday. The little girl holds a good luck token in her pocket, until Flag finally turns up. He is scratched up and hungry, but very glad to be home. The little girl and Flag are happy to be together again.
	Because of Winn-Dixie	Kate DiCamillo	Grades 3rd-5th	2001, Candlewick Press	The main character is Opal, a young girl who lives with her father. Opal's father is a preacher, but her mother abandoned them when she was very small. As Opal has grown up, she believes that love left her life with the abandonment of her mother. She questions her father to learn as much about her mother as possible, because as time goes, her mother becomes a stranger to her. One summer, Opal and her father move to Florida and Opal meets Winn-Dixie, a stray dog she finds in the grocery store parking lot. Though Opal is still grieving the abandonment of her mother, Winn-Dixie's high spirits lead her to move on with her life and cope with her emotions and learn lessons about life and herself. Winn-Dixie leads her to meet some of the people in her new town and form relationships with them, but through it all Winn-Dixie is by her side. She forms new, loving relationships with the new people in her life, and Because of Winn-Dixie, she learns to appreciate what she has while she has it.	Newbery Honor 2001
	A Day No Pigs Would Die	Robert Newton Peck	Grades 3rd-5th	1972, Knopf Publishing Group	The main character is a boy named Robert who lives on a farm in Learning, Vermont with his mother and father. One day, Robert comes across a neighbor's cow that is in pain, and he helps her give birth to her calf. The cow, and Robert, have a difficult time and Robert ends up getting injured. As a thank-you gift, the neighbor, Mr. Tanner, gives Robert a pig. Robert falls instantly in love with his pig, Pinky, and she soon becomes his pet. Robert and Pinky become very close, and develop a special bond. They spend time together, and Robert tells Pinky his thoughts and feelings. He raises her, feeds her, and even takes her to the fair. Robert's father is a butcher, and Robert is glad that Pinky will be a brood sow, and not have to be slaughtered. But when Pinky is barren, Robert must help his father slaughter her. Robert hates his father for an instant, but understands that he is a man now. Soon, he must become the man of the house because his father is sick, and will soon die. He knows he wants to be a man just like his father.
	Where The Red Fern Grows	Wilson Rawls	Grades 4th-5th	1981, Random House Children's Books	The main character is a young boy named Billy who lives in the Ozarks during the Great Depression. After saving his money for two years, Billy finally earns enough money to buy the one thing he's ever wanted, two coon hounds. He orders two hound pups, Old Dan and Li'l Ann from a catalog and begins to raise them and train them to hunt coons. Billy and his dogs become avid coon hunters, though they face many challenges and obstacles, they always seem to overcome hardship and get their coons. Billy's grandfather even enters them in a coon hunting championship, and they win. At the end of the book, Old Dan and Li'l Ann are badly wounded while hunting. When both of Billy's dogs die, he must learn to cope with the death of his two best friends.	Great Stone Face Award 1989
	Desser the Best Ever Cat	Maggie Smith	Grades K-2nd	2003, Dragonfly Books	The main characters are a girl and her cat, Desser. Desser was found by her father before the girl was born, but the young girl grew up with Desser as her friend and pet. As the girl grows up, Desser is getting older and older. The story documents the girl growing up and the memories she has had with Desser. As he gets old, he gets sick and eventually passes away. The girl copes with the death of her beloved friend, but finds that life begins new when she gets a new kitten to have as a friend.