Learn + Live Letter Level 2+ Book List

Australia Unit

• Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy (or listen to this read aloud)
• Over in Australia by Marianne Berkes (or listen to this read aloud)
• Keepers of the Reef by Dr. Sharon Wismer
• Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest by Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler, and Emma Long
• This is Australia by Miroslav Sasek

Optional additional reading:

• Getting to Grips with Grammar by Martin Manser (we will reference this book throughout the year with different language arts lessons, and it is a wonderful resource to have to break down these concepts for young learners!)

Optional chapter book:

• Bindi by Kirli Saunders

Desert Unit

• Here is the Southwestern Desert by Madeleine Dunphy (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Night Flower by Lara Hawthorne (or listen to this read aloud)
• Over and Under the Canyon by (or you can listen to our read aloud here!)
• Soft Child: How Rattlesnake Got Its Fangs by Joe Hayes (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navjo Nation by Alice B. McGinty (or listen to this read aloud)

Reptiles Unit

• Gecko by Raymond Huber (or you can listen to this read aloud)
• Beware of the Crocodile by Martin Jenkins (or listen to this read aloud)
• I Don’t Like Snakes by Nicola Davies (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• (-) Verdi by Jannell Cannon (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary) OR Sea Turtles by Gail Gibbons (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez (or you can listen to this read aloud)

Things That Go Unit

• Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson (or you can listen to this read aloud)
• Fearless: The Story of Racing Legend Louise Smith by Barb Rosenstock (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Boats on the Bay by Jeanne Walker Harvey
• Locomotive by Brian Floca (o read it here on OpenLibrary)
• All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell (or listen to this read aloud)

Optional additional reading:

• Forces: Physical Science for Kids and Energy: Physical Science for Kids by Andi Diehn – We love this series for introducing physics to this age group!
• A Child’s Introduction to Art by Heather Alexander – We reference this resource in many of our units!

Optional chapter book:

• The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

Peru Unit

• Up and Down the Andes by Laurie Krebs (or listen to this read aloud)
• Sharuko: Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello by Monica Brown (or listen to this read aloud)
• The Llama’s Secret by Argentina Palacios (or listen to this read aloud) OR Llama and the Great Flood by Ellen Alexander (this book is difficult to find, so we have linked to the version available on OpenLibrary)
• Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal (or listen to this read aloud)
• Kusikiy: A Child from Taquile, Peru by Mercedes Cecilia (this book is expensive on Amazon, so if you are unable to find it in a library, you may want to purchase the Kindle version to read on a device or listen to this read aloud)

Cooking + Favorite Foods Unit

You may notice that this unit study has more book suggestions than you normally see in our units. That’s because, this week, we want you to take the opportunity to really let your child and their favorites sit in the driver’s seat. We’ll explore a number of popular foods (like peanut butter and jelly, fries and potato chips, pizza, and ice cream!), but we know that your child might have a different favorite food (like doughnuts…or dumplings!). As you collect your books for the week, and even as you prepare which activities you’ll do, look for opportunities to weave their personal interests in by selecting literature that will appeal to them or modifying activities to work those interests in. (We’ve included a few extra suggestions below to get you started!)

Books (find at your local library or order below on Amazon):

• Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes the “French Chef” by Alex Prud’homme
• The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway (or read it here on Open Library)
• (+) From Peanuts to Peanut Butter by Bridget Heos (or listen to this read aloud)
• The French Fry King by Rogé (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament by Anne Renaud (or listen to this read aloud)
• Nobody Knows How to Make Pizza by Julie Borowski (or listen to this read aloud)
• Ice Cream Cones for Sale by Elaine Greenstein (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• (+) Francesco Tirelli’s Ice Cream Shop by Tamar Meir

Optional additional books:

• How the Cookie Crumbled by Gilbert Ford
• The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller (this one is hard to find online so we have linked to the Kindle version, but you can also listen to it here if you can’t find it at the library)
• Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought the Dumpling from Beijing to Cambridge by Carrie Clickard
• Alice Waters Cooks Up a Revolution by Diane Stanley

Optional chapter book:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Finance Unit

• Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money by Emily Jenkins (or listen to this read aloud)
• You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime by Harriet Ziefert (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Money Math by David A. Adler
• The Four Money Bears by Mac Gardner CFP (or listen to this read aloud)
• If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• It’s Not Fair! by Caryn Rivadeneira (or you can listen to this read aloud)

Optional additional books:

• (-) Earn It! by Cinders McLeod – This book take the concept of earning money and puts it into very simple terms for little learns. If you’re learning with a younger sibling, it can be a great addition to your books for this unit!
• (-) The Rainbow Fish by Marcs Pfister (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary) – Similar to above, this lovely classic story is wonderful for teaching the concept of generosity to a younger audience.

Entrepreneur Unit

• What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada (or listen to this read aloud)
• Be a Maker by Katey Howes (or listen to this read aloud)
• Once Upon a Company by Wendy Anderson Halperin (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Little People, Big Dreams: Steve Jobs by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (or listen to this read aloud)

Optional chapter book:

• The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill
• Frindle by Andrew Clements – While this book isn’t exactly about an entrepreneur, it does cleverly illustrate the power of ideas, marketing, and branding! (Plus, it’s just one of our favorite chapter books for elementary students!)

England + Ireland Unit

• The Big Book of the UK: Facts, folklore and fascinations from around the United Kingdom by Imogen Russell Williams
• Dodsworth in London by Tim Egan (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Pop-up Shakespeare by Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor
• This is Ireland by Miroslav Sasek
• Fiona’s Lace by Patricia Polacco (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional books:

All Aboard the London Bus by Patricia Toht

The Usborne Complete Shakespeare by Maria Surdurcan (or read Usborne Stories from Shakespeare here on OpenLibrary)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream adapted by Lesley Sims (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Sing a Song of Seasons edited by Fiona Waters

Germs, Viruses + Fungi Unit

• The Bacteria Book by Steve Mould OR (+) It’s Catching!: The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes by Jennifer Gardy (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Do Not Lick This Book by Idan Ben-Barak (or listen to this read aloud)
• The Vast Wonder of the World by Mélina Mangal (or listen to this read aloud)
• June Almeida, Virus Detective! The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus by Suzanne Slade (or listen to this read aloud)
• Humongous Fungus by Lynne Boddy OR Fungus is Among Us! by Joy Keller (or listen to this read aloud)

Optional additional books:

• A Child’s Introduction to Art by Heather Alexander

Inventions Unit

• So You Want to be an Inventor? by Judith St. George (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Marvelous Mattie by Emily Arnold McCully (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow (or listen to this read aloud)
• Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan’s Life-Changing Invention of the Traffic Signal by Karyn Parsons (or listen to this read aloud)
• Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machines by Sarah Aronson (or listen to this read aloud)

Optional additional reading:

• (-) The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (or listen to this read aloud)
• Mistakes that Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be by Charlotte Foltz Jones – This is a great book for children who struggle with perfectionism to help them see how “mistakes” can create something wonderful.

Optional chapter book:

• Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh

Fashion Unit

Note: This week, we have a lot of book options and alternatives for you! Where we have denoted upgrades or modified choices, choose by your child’s interest and attention span. Otherwise, either option will work if it is easier to find! If fashion is a strong interest of your child’s, you may wish to find several of these books and the additional options we recommend.

• The Fashion Legends Alphabet by Beck Feiner
  • OR (+) Why’d They Wear That by Sarah Albee (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
  • OR (-) Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley (or listen to this read aloud)

• Levi Strauss Gets an Idea by Tony Johnston (or read it here on OpenLibrary or listen to this read aloud)
• Different Like Coco by Elizabeth Matthews (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
  • OR Little People, Big Dreams: Coco Chanel by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
• Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by kate Messner and Margaret E. Powell
  • OR Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal (or listen to this read aloud)
• A Perfect Fit: How Lena “Lane” Bryant Changed the Shape of Fashion by Mara Rockliff (or listen to our read aloud here!)

Additional options:

• Polka Dot Parade: A Book About Bill Cunningham by Deborah Blumenthal
• Who is Ralph Lauren? by Jane O’Connor
• Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparellir by Kyo Maclear
• Vera Wang: Queen of Fashion by Ai-Ling Louie

Optional activity book:

• How to Be a Fashion Designer by Lesley Ware

Russia Unit

• I See the Sun in Russia by Dedie King
• The Littlest Matryoshka by Corinne Demas Bliss (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• I Dreamed I Was a Ballerina by Anna Pavlova (or read it here on OpenLibrary) OR Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder
• The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Sea King’s Daughter by Aaron Shepard (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional reading:

• Annushka’s Voyage by Edith Tarbescu
• (+) The Apartment: A Century of Russian History by Alexandra Litvina

Outer Space Unit

• The Mysteries of the Universe by Will Gater
• A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman (or listen to this read aloud)
• Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian (or read it here on Open Library)
• Look Up!: Henrietta Leavitt, Pioneering Woman Astronomer by Robert Burleigh (or listen to this read aloud)
• You Are the First Kid on Mars by Patrick O’Brien (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Laika the Space Dog: First Hero in Outer Space by (or read it here on OpenLibrary) – Note: This book tells the very true story, which inclues some controversial treatment of the real Laika and her untimely end. If you read it on OpenLibrary and think your child will be too sensitive for this version, you can read (-) Laika: Astronaut Dog by Owen Davey, or read it here on OpenLibrary.

Optional additional books:

• Once Upon a Starry Night: A Book of Constellations by Jacqueline Mitton (or read it here on OpenLibrary) – This is a great book if your child is curious about the stories behind the constellations.
• Postcards from Pluto by Loreen Leedy (or read it here on OpenLibrary) – A charming overview of the planets and some fun facts about them.
• Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts, Ph.D – A great, kid-friendly guide to life as an astronaut!
• The Astronaut With a Song for the Stars: The Story of Dr. Ellen Ochoa by Julia Finley Mosca
• The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean by Dean Robbins

Espionage Unit

• The Secret Life of Spies: Uncover true stories of secrecy and espionage inspired by 20 real-life spies by Michael Noble
• The Usborne Official Spy Handbook (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• A Spy Called James: The True Story of James Lafayette, Revolutionary War Double Agent by Anne Rockwell (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Laurie Wallmark
• Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark (or listen to this read aloud)

Additional options:

• Honest History Issue Six | A Secret Mission (use code LEARNANDLIVE15 for 15% off your purchase!)
• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale
• Code Cracking for Kids: Secret Communications Throughout History by Jean Daigneau

Optional chapter books:

• Spies by David Long
• Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Bears Unit

• A Book of Bears: At Home with Bears Around the World by Katie Viggers (if your library has a similar book about bears around the world, that can work, too!)
• Bears: Polar Bears, Black Bears and Grizzly Bears by Deborah Hodge
• The Polar Bear by Jenni Desmond (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Tracks of a Panda by Nick Dowson (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• How Do Bears Sleep? by E.J. Bird (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Brazil Unit

• From My Window by Otávio Júnior (or you can listen to this read aloud)
• The Best Tailor in Pinbauê by Eymard Toledo
• Along the Tapajós by Fernando Vilela
• Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro (or you can listen to this read aloud)
• Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El Rey del Futbol by Monica Brown (or you can listen to this read aloud)

Toys Unit

• The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Story of Barbie and the Woman Who Invented Her by Cindy Eagan
• Awesome Minds: The Inventors of LEGO Toys by Erin Hagar
• Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton (or read it here on OpenLibrary or listen to this read aloud)
• The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer by Marcie Wessels (or listen to this read aloud)

Optional additional books:

• A Child’s Introduction to Art: The World’s Greatest Paintings and Sculptures by Heather Alexander

Recycling + Conservation Unit

• What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French (or listen to this read aloud)
• The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner (or listen to this read aloud)
• The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner (or any book about bees you can find at your local library)
• The Mess that We Made by Michelle Lord (or listen to this read aloud)
• One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional book:

• Old Enough to Save the Planet by Loll Kirby – If your child ever feels too small or young to make a difference, this book filled with inspiring true stories of kids from around the world who are protecting the planet.

The Body Unit

• From Head to Toe: The Amazing Human Body and How It Works by Barbara Sueling (or you can use any book about the human body you can find at your local library!)
  • (-) Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins
• Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: A Growth Mindset Book for Kids to Stretch and Shape Their Brains by JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.
• What Happens to a Hamburger? by Paul Showers (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Busy Body Book: A Kid’s Guide to Fitness by Lizzy Rockwell (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional books:

• Why I Sneeze, Shiver, Hiccup, and Yawn by Melvin Berger – This book makes a great addition ont he day we learn about the nervous system, and it can also helpful for answering questions kids ask often about their body’s strange habits!
• The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts by Allen Wolf – Looking for a silly (and sometimes gross!) option for Tea + Poetry this week? Check out this book of memorable rhymes.

Norway Unit

• Far North by Jan Reynolds
• If You Were Me and Lived in …Norway: A Child’s Introduction to Cultures Around the World by Carol P. Roman
  • (-) D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet by Kathy-Jo Wargin
• Welcome Back Sun by Michael Emberley (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Viking Explorer!: Voyages You’d Rather Not Make by Andrew Langley (or you can read this older edition on OpenLibrary)
• East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon by Naomi Lewis (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
  • (-) The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney (or you can read this slightly different version on OpenLibrary)

Optional chapter book:

• The Reindeer Girl by Holly Webb

Mountains Unit

• How Mountains Are Made by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Mountains of the World by Dietre Braun OR Mountains: Explore Earth’s Majestic Mountain Habitats by Charlotte Guillaine
• Caves by Nell Cross Becherkman OR Caves: Mysteries Beneath Our Feet by August L. Harrison (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Over on a Mountain: Somewhere in the World by Marianne Berkes
• Snow Leopard: Grey Ghost of the Mountain by Justin Anderson (or any book about snow leopards you can find at your local library)
• Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by Alexandra Stewart OR You Wouldn’t Want to Climb Mount Everest! by Ian Graham (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional books:

• Matter: Physical Science for Kids by Andi Diehn

Optional chapter book:

• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Pirates Unit

• Pirates: True Stories of Seafaring Rogues by Anne Rooney OR DKfindout! Pirates (or any book about pirates you can find at your local library)
• Black Beard the Pirate King by J. Patrick Lewis
• Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao by Helaine Becker
• The Pirate Meets the Queen by Matt Faulkner (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional reading:

• Honest History – Issue Two A Pirate’s Tale (use code LEARNANDLIVE15 for 15% off your purchase!)
• Inside Out Pirate Ship: Explore the Golden Age of Piracy! by Paul Beck

Optional chapter books:

• The Mysterious Voyage of Captain Kidd by A.B.C. Whipple
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Antarctica Unit

• Antarctica: A True Book by Mal Friedman (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Introducing Antarctica by Anita Ganeri (or read it here on OpenLibrary) OR Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester (or listen to this read aloud)
• Trapped by the Ice!: Shackleton’s Amazing Antarctic Adventure by Michael McCurdy (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Penguins! Strange and Wonderful by Laurence Pringle (or read it here on OpenLibrary) OR (-) One Day On Our Blue Planet…In The Antarctic by Ella Bailey (or listen to this read aloud)
• When the Sun Shines on Antarctica: And Other Poems about the Frozen Continent by Irene Latham (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional reading:

• (-) A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse by Frank Viva (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Antarctic Journal by Meredith Hooper (or read it here on OpenLibrary) – This journal-style book is packed with first-person information about what it’s like to visit Antarctica, but it may be too long to read during lessons. Instead, we’d recommend this as a great bedtime read aloud for this week!

Nigeria Unit

• A is for Africa by Ifeoma Onyefulu (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Catch That Goat!: A Market Day in Nigeria by Polly Alakija (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Lake of the Big Snake by Isaac Olaleye (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Why The Sky Is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale retold by Mary-Joan Gerson (or listen to this read aloud)
• Amadi’s Snowman: A Story of Reading by Katia Novet Saint-lot (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional book:

• (-) Ife’s First Haircut by Ifeoma Onyefulu (or read it here on OpenLibrary) – This book shares a a charming right of passage for many children, told from a Nigerian perspective.
• Chicken in the Kitchen by Nnedi Okorafor (or listen to this read aloud)

Optional chapter book:

• Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum by Ashley Bryan (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Too Small Tola by Atinuke

Monkeys + Apes Unit

• A Book of Monkeys (and Other Primates) by Katie Viggers (or you can use any book that higlights a variety of monkeys that you can find at your local library)
• Railway Jack: The True Story of an Amazing Baboon by KT Johnston
• KOKO-LOVE! Conversations With a Signing Gorilla by Francine Patterson (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter (or read it here on OpenLibrary)

Optional additional books:

• Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember by Steve Jenkins

Optional chapter books:

• Buddy: Based on the True Story of Gertrude Lintz by William Joyce
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Parks + Camping Unit

• National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber
• The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock
• Volcano Dreams: A Story of Yellowstone by Janet Fox (or you can listen to this read aloud)
• Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service by Annette Bay Pimentel (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
• How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi (or you can listen to this read aloud)

Optional additional books:

• (-) Hike by Pete Oswald
• Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
• A Voice for the Everglades: Marjory Stoneman Douglas by Vicki Conrad

Decomposers Unit

• Rotten!: Vultures, Beetles, Slime, and Nature’s Other Decomposers by Anita Sanchez – If you can only get one book this week, try to make it thi one. It has chapters about many of the creatures we’ll cover throughout the week!
• I’m a Pill Bug by Yukihisa Tokuda (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer (or you can read it here on OpenLibrary)
• Mushroom Rain by Laura K. Zimmerman
• (+) Death Eaters: Meet Nature’s Scavengers by Kelly Milner Halls OR (-) The Ugly Five by Julia Donaldson

Additional books:

• The Decomposers: The Insects that Run Our World by Sarah Ridley