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Grades K-2
The Lion and The Mouse by Aesop
An unlikely pair
learn that no act
of kindness is ever
wasted. After a
ferocious lion spares
a cowering mouse
that he’d planned to
eat, the mouse later
comes to his rescue,
freeing him from a
poacher’s trap. It is a
great tale of kindness
returned.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
“Once there was a tree
... and she loved a little
boy.” So begins a story of
unforgettable perception,
beautifully written
and illustrated by the
gifted and versatile Shel
Silverstein. Every day the
boy would come to the tree
to eat her apples, swing
from her branches, or slide
down her trunk ... and the
tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to
want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave
and gave.
This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow
with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving
parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting
interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene
acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.
20 | S T. J O H N S parent M A G A Z I N E
Grades 3-5
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by
Washington Irving
“The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow” tells the story
of Ichabod Crane and
his hapless attempt to
win the heart and hand
of Katrina Van Tassel in
the context of a comical
ghost story.
The story is set in 1790 in
the countryside around
the Dutch settlement of
Tarry Town (historical
Tarrytown, New York), in a secluded glen known as
Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is renowned for its
ghosts and the haunting atmosphere that pervades
the imaginations of its inhabitants and visitors. Some
residents say this town was bewitched during the
early days of the Dutch settlement, while others claim
that the mysterious atmosphere was caused by an
old Native American chief, the “wizard of his tribe ...
before the country was discovered by Master Hendrik
Hudson.” The most infamous spectre in the Hollow is
the Headless Horseman.
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by
Roald Dahl
Mr. Willy Wonka, the
eccentric owner of the
greatest chocolate factory
in the world, has decided
to open the doors of
his factory to five lucky
children and their parents.
In order to choose who
will enter the factory, Mr.
Wonka devises a plan to
hide five golden tickets
beneath the wrappers of
his famous chocolate bars.
The search for the five
golden tickets is fast and furious.