One of my favorite past times is reading.  I love to read, especially travel stories, stories about small-town America, funny stories, classics, fantasies, science fiction, to name a few genres.

I have compiled a list, based on my research from Good Reads, and the public library reading lists, and some of the books that I have read, and read to my children throughout their growing years.  I hope you enjoy and maybe discover a favorite book or author.  That鈥檚 always the fun part. 

Elementary School Level: 

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung, author and illustrator, Pre-K – Grade 2:

When a Blue and a Yellow fall in love, they create a whole new color and they name her Green.  Green is bright like Yellow and calm like Blue, but really, she鈥檚 her own color. Soon other colors begin to mix and a colorful new world is created.

Grow up, David! By David Shannon, author and illustrator, Grade 1 鈥� 3:

A new adventure in Shannon’s picture book series about a very mischievous boy! This one focuses on David鈥檚 relationship with his older brother, who generally thinks David is a pain. But when David needs help, his brother comes through and allows for a tender moment.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang, Grade 4 鈥� 6:

Mia and her parents, immigrants from China, are excited to have jobs and a place to live when they start managing a motel. But their new boss won鈥檛 make repairs on his building or pay the family what they have earned. In her efforts to improve her English, Mia learns what a well-written letter can do to help her family.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman, Grade 3 鈥� 8:

Sidman鈥檚 signature poetry and love of nature shine through in this exquisitely researched, highly attractive and entertaining biography of Maria Merian, a revolutionary and groundbreaking 鈥渃itizen-scientist鈥� in the 1600s.

Middle School:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, (The Chronicles of Narnia (Publication Order) #1), by C.S. Lewis

There are a thousand stories in the land of Narnia. In the never-ending war between good and evil, The Chronicles of Narnia set the stage for battles of epic proportions. Some take place in vast fields, where the forces of light and darkness clash. But other battles occur within the small chambers of the heart and are equally decisive.

Journeys to the ends of the world, fantastic creatures, betrayals, heroic deeds and friendships won and lost — all come together in an unforgettable world of magic.  So join the battle to end all battles.

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It’s now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are “relocated,” Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen’s life.

Speak: The Graphic Novel, Anderson, Laurie Halse

Melinda enters her freshman year of high school as an outcast after events that took place at a party during the summer. As she is grappling with what happened that night, she attempts to find solace in her art class. Released on the 20th anniversary of the original publication of Speak, Emily Carroll鈥檚 illustrations give a haunting and powerful new visual perspective to this classic novel.

High School

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

The Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression, a book that galvanized鈥攁nd sometimes outraged鈥攎illions of readers. First published in 1939, Steinbeck鈥檚 Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads鈥攄riven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man鈥檚 fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman鈥檚 stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck鈥檚 powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics. Brave New World.

Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier

With precisely 35 canvases to his credit, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art. The meager facts of his biography have been gleaned from a handful of legal documents. Yet Vermeer’s extraordinary paintings of domestic life, with their subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries – and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier’s second novel of the same title.

The Sun Is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I鈥檓 a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I鈥檓 definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won鈥檛 be my story.

Daniel: I鈥檝e always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents鈥� high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store鈥攆or both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson鈥檚 own fascination with science began with a battered old school book he had when he was about ten or eleven years old. It had an illustration that captivated him鈥揳 diagram showing Earth鈥檚 interior as it would look if you cut into it with a large knife and removed about a quarter of its bulk. The idea of lots of startled cars and people falling off the edge of that sudden cliff (and 4,000 miles is a pretty long way to fall) was what grabbed him in the beginning, but gradually his attention turned to what the picture was trying to teach him: namely that Earth鈥檚 interior is made up of several different layers of materials, and at the very centre is a glowing sphere of iron and nickel, as hot as the Sun鈥檚 surface, according to the caption. And he very clearly remembers thinking: 鈥淗ow do they know that?鈥�

Bill鈥檚 storytelling skill makes the 鈥淗ow?鈥� and, just as importantly, the 鈥淲ho?鈥� of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for all ages. He covers the wonder and mystery of time and space, the frequently bizarre and often obsessive scientists and the methods they used, and the mind-boggling fact that, somehow, the universe exists and against all odds, life came to be on this wondrous planet we call home.

Adults:

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyereson

When Miranda鈥檚 once beloved, then estranged uncle Billy unexpectedly passes away, he leaves her two things: his struggling Los Angeles bookstore and one last scavenger hunt like the ones he would organize for her in her youth. But this time the stakes are high; each clue uncovers family secrets buried far too long.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Keiko Furukura marches to the beat of her own drummer. Or rather, to the music of her own convenience store. She may not have any idea how to function in the outside world, but she is completely in her element at the conbini where she has worked for 18 years. Her friends and family, however, all think there鈥檚 something wrong with her, so she resolves to find her own cure.

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

When Sabrina Nielsen arrives at the restaurant to celebrate her 30th birthday, she is astonished to find the people from her 鈥渄inner list鈥� (any five people, living or dead, you would invite to dinner) seated at the table for an evening none of them will forget. This is a charming, heart-warming and heart-breaking book about how it feels to be young and what we lose, and gain, as we become adults.

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Debbie Abilock (1999), the Co-founder of Educational Vision & Content, identified five facts about gifted readers:

1. Gifted readers are skilled, flexible readers who read often;
2. Gifted readers monitor their reading;
3. Linguistically rich texts are especially suited to gifted readers;
4. Gifted readers use other strengths in response to聽聽 the聽聽 particular demands of the text; and
5. Gifted readers are passionate readers who find books to love.

For gifted readers, finding a book that sparks their interests and contains a character they can relate to is part of the delightful experience of starting a new adventure. However, it鈥檚 often difficult to find books that portray strong, female leads who display gifted traits. So, I’ve compiled a list of books that may be of interest to young, gifted female learners. These stories include rich language, complex plots, and female protagonists who are inquisitive problem-solvers. Due to the variability in gifted children鈥檚 reading skills and interests, the books are not categorized by age or grade level.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne is a poor orphan who lacks social graces and education; despite this, she has a rich and sophisticated fantasy life and an optimistic and generous spirit. Because Anne acts according to her instincts and not according to a code of manners, she unintentionally defies expectations of proper ladylike behavior.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L鈥橢ngle

Meg Murry is a high-school-aged girl who is transported on an adventure through time and space with her younger brother and her friend to rescue her father, a gifted scientist, from evil forces.

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

This is a story of a strong friendship between a farmyard pig named Wilbur and a grey spider named Charlotte. Wilbur is a spring pig, and he is distressed to learn that he is being fattened for slaughter in the fall. Charlotte resolves to save Wilbur.

Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey

Menolly loves music and hopes to live out her musical dreams as an apprentice Harper, but quickly encounters hostility from a number of her male peers and masters. With the help of new friends, teachers, and her nine tiny, colorful dragons, Menolly finds that her musical talents may be stronger than anyone could imagine.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Twelve-year-old Claudia decides to run away from home with the help of her little brother, Jamie. With Jamie’s money and Claudia’s smarts, they bust out of the suburbs end up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Kira is an extraordinarily talented young girl who finds herself suddenly orphaned and taken to live in a mysterious government compound near the center of her village. There she meets other equally talented and creative children, and together they discover the truth about themselves, their parents, and their society.

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Eleven year old Harriet is an aspiring writer who hopes to become a novelist. She keeps a journal filled with her observations about her classmates, friends and the people she sees in her neighborhood every day.

Hild by Nicola Griffith

Hild, the king’s youngest niece, has a glimmering mind, powerful curiosity and a natural, noble authority. She鈥檚 born during a time when Britain is experiencing great change as small kingdoms are merging, frequently and violently. She becomes a captivating woman and a pivotal figure of the Middle Ages: Saint Hilda of Whitby.

A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

Mia has synesthesia, the mingling of perceptions whereby a person can see sounds, smell colors, or taste shapes. Forced to reveal her condition, she must look to herself to develop an understanding and appreciation of her gift.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda is a precocious girl who lives with her mean parents and bratty brother. Ignored at home by her family, she escapes into the wondrous world of reading, exercising her mind so much she develops telekinetic powers.

Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee

Millicent is a certified genius. By age 11, she’s been on TV shows, won the state math bowl, and has been on the Dean’s List every semester in high school. However, she can鈥檛 seem to figure out how to make and keep friends and knows she doesn鈥檛 have much in common with average kids. All of that changes when her mom enrolls her in a girls鈥� volleyball program for the summer.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Rebecca is one of seven fatherless children, but is full of fun and strange ideas. She leaves her family at Sunnybrook Farm and goes to live with her two aunts in Riverboro. There she goes to school for the first time, embarks on a madcap scheme to sell soap, nearly runs away, and befriends a kindly stagecoach driver who helps her repair her family’s fortunes.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl, who up until聽 now has been homeschooled, starts school at Mica High as a tenth grader, where Leo is starting his eleventh grade year. Stargirl’s entrance to school is a big deal for all the students and she immediately causes a commotion with her wacky outfits and even wackier behavior

Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret

Erin and her friend refuse to go on a field trip to the Glitter Tent Circus because of the sad lives of circus animals. Erin is determined to force Mrs. Dawson to change her plans or she’ll stage a sit-in at school. She also discovers that Lilly, a mistreated elephant, is about to be sold to a hunting park. She goes on a quest to save Lilly before it鈥檚 too late!

Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary

The enthusiastic Ramona is having a hard time starting first grade. Her teacher can鈥檛 seem to understand her and she doesn鈥檛 get along with her classmates. She faces quite a few challenges as she tries to make it through the first grade. But, as tough as it is, she is determined to be brave.

Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest by Nancy Springer

Thirteen year old Rosemary is orphaned when her beloved mother dies. She’s grown up among the woodland creatures her mother loved and has never met her father, the outlaw Robin Hood. So she decides to change her name to Rowan, disguise herself as a boy, and undertake a dangerous journey in search of Robin Hood.

Toliver’s Secret by Esther Brady

When her grandfather is injured, 10-year-old Ellen Toliver replaces him on a top-secret patriotic mission. She disguises herself as a boy and manages to smuggle a message to General George Washington.

Yolanda鈥檚 Genius by Carol Fenner

After moving from Chicago to Michigan, fifth grader Yolanda, big and strong for her age, is determined to prove that her younger brother is not a slow learner but a true musical genius.

Books have the magical ability to ignite our imagination. They can transport us into an uncharted world and even transform how we see ourselves and the world around us. If you鈥檇 like to expand your search for books with gifted characters, here are a few websites to get you started:

Also, if you have a book recommendation, feel free to share them in the comments below!

Resources: Abilock, D. (1999). Librarians and gifted readers:聽 Myths and facts. Knowledge Quest 27(5), 30鈥�35.

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