Summer Reading 2013 / Preschool Picks

May in the library means my coworkers and I are up to our ears in summer reading prep!  One reason I like this year's theme, Dig Into Reading, is because you can go so many different directions with it (digging & dirt, construction, gardening, caves and archaeology, dinosaurs & prehistoric creatures) depending on the age group you're working with.  We are right in the middle of making school visits to our local elementary & preschool classes so I thought I'd share some of my favorite book picks for sharing with the younger crowd:

1. Underground by Denise Fleming takes readers on a journey to discover all the different kinds of creatures that live under our feet!
2. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld uses rhyming verses and colorful illustrations to put each piece of construction equipment to bed for the night.
3. Who Digs? by Michael Rex uses flaps to help children learn about all different types of digging.
4. Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clark follows a mother hen and her barnyard friends as they try to rescue a baby chick from an especially sticky puddle of mud.

I don't usually use books with the older kids because I see them in large groups (like 75-200 students at once) & sharing picture books doesn't work as well in that setting (at least in my limited experience!).  But if you'd like Dig Into Reading book suggestions for the older crowd, check out my summer reading bookshelf on GoodReads!