By Joyce Melton Pagés, Ed.D.
Mother of two children, President of KidBibs

This week in the U.S. we celebrate National Children's Book Week.   Each year thousands of children's books are published.  Some of these books have story characters who read and write.  Children can learn about different aspects of reading and writing from story characters who read and write.  Children's books on these topics can:

*     introduce children to the various purposes for reading,
*     show children characters who love to read and write,
*     teach children about reading and writing processes,
*     show children the real-world relevance of reading and writing,
*     show children the importance and benefits of reading and writing,
*     help children relate to others who have difficulty reading,
*     introduce children to authors, their writing strategies and techniques, and
*     provide children with historical and social perspectives of literacy.

The following children's books are grouped in categories.  Individual books are linked to the secure web site of Amazon.com.  Books with story characters who read and/or write are written for younger children at the beginning of the list.

Story Characters Who Read and/or Write

Children's Poetry about Books and Reading

Informational Books about Books, Libraries, and Writing

Autobiographies and Biographies of Children's Literature Authors

Books Written by Children

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Story Characters Who Read and/or Write

Jonathan Goes to the Library by Susan Bagette.  This boardbook introduces books and libraries to babies and toddlers.

I Read Signs by Tana Hoban.  This book contains real-world signs that show the young child that s/he is already reading!

Armando Asked "Why?" by Jay Hulbert.  Curious Armando discovers that he can answer his questions with books at the library.

Simon's Book by Henrik Drescher.  Simon fell asleep while he was drawing pictures for a book.   During the night the pens and ink came alive and finished the book for him.

Dear Bear by Joanna Harrison.  Katie is afraid of the bear that lives under the stairs.   Through a series of  letter exchanges, Katie starts to feel better about the bear.

The Jolly Postman and Other People's Letters by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.  The Jolly Postman delivers different forms of mail (postcards, letters, invitations, bills, etc. in book envelopes) to fairy tale characters.

Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.  The Jolly Postman delivers Christmas cards, letters, and gifts to fairy tale characters.

Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada.  This book contains a series of letters exchanged between such fairy tale characters as Peter Rabbit, Goldilocks, the three pigs, the wolves from Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs, etc.

Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Alma Flor Ada.  In this sequel to "Dear Peter Rabbit," a housewarming party is planned through letters between several fairy tale characters.

I Took My Frog to the Library by Eric Kimmel.  Bridget's pets introduce parts of the library through the chaos they cause.

The Girl Who Hated Books by Manjusha Pawagi. Meena's parents love books, but she hates them. When she tries to rescue her cat from the top of a stack of books, the stack falls over and the characters fall out. She reads the books to put the characters back where they belong. In the process she discovers that she can revisit her book friends whenever she wants!

Love, Your Bear Pete by Dyan Sheldon.  Brenda accidentally left her stuffed bear on the bus.  A few days later, Brenda started receiving postcards from Pete as he traveled all over the world.

Just Open a Book by P.K. Hallinan.  This book lists all the places you can go if you just open a book.

Library Lil by Suzanne Williams.  This tall tale is the story of Lil.  She was born with a book in her hand and grew up to become a librarian.  Unfortunately, Lil lives in a town of non-reading TV watchers;  she accepts the challenge of trying to turn her "couch potato" town into a town of readers.

Arthur and the Reading Race by Marc Brown.  Arthur doesn't believe that D.W. can read until she reads ten words to him on the way to the park.  Unfortunately, she reads the wet paint sign on a bench before he does.

Arthur Writes a Story by Marc Brown.  Arthur writes a story about his dog, Pal.  When Arthur incorporates all of his classmates' suggestions, Arthur's story takes on a life of its own.

Arthur Meets the President by Marc Brown  Book and Audio Cassette Edition.  Arthur's essay for the "How I Can Help Make America Great" contest wins him a trip to meet the President.  This means he has to write a speech and deliver it.

Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant.  For Poppleton, the small town pig, Monday is Library Day.  No matter what else is going on, Poppleton goes to the library on Monday to bury his head in an adventure book all day long.

The Book that Jack Wrote by Jon Scieszka.  This cumulative tale with beautiful illustrations is patterned after "The House that Jack Built."

Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka. The narrator is given a magic book that transports them to King Arthur's Britain.

Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea by Jennifer Williams.  Stringbean writes about his trip on a series of beautifully illustrated postcards.

Jeremiah Learns to Read by Jo Ellen Bogart. Jeremiah, an adult, knows how to do many things, but he doesn't know how to read. The teacher and children at the school help him. To pay them back, he finds a way to help them.

Read to Me, Mama by Vashanti Rahaman. Joseph's mother is a wonderful storyteller, but she won't read the "hard book" to him. Then Joseph discovers that his mother can't read; she goes back to school to learn how to read.

The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland.  Ahmed has a secret but we don't know what it is until he has finished his deliveries throughout the city of Cairo, Egypt.  At the end of the book, Ahmed shows that he can write his name.

The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy.  A young girl teaches the library dragon (also known as "book protector") what libraries are really for.

Charlie's Checklist by Rory S. Lerman.  Charlie, a puppy, was born in the country but he's looking for an owner in the city.  He places an ad in the newspaper and develops a checklist to describe the "perfect owner."  Charlie's checklist grows and he discovers that his current owner is perfect for him.

Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier. Sage is sick and home from school for a week. She receives her vocabulary list over the phone from a friend. She doesn't bother to look the words up in a dictionary. The resulting embarrassment at a Vocabulary Bee teaches Sage a lesson. This book presents the meanings of new words in a delightfully entertaining way!

The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants by Priscilla Turner.  The vowels and consonants live in a place where they have been enemies for generations.  Then, one day they face an enemy that causes them to notice that, together, they make words, sentence, and stories.   Together, they could defeat their enemy.

When Will I Read? by Miriam Cohen.  Jim, a first grader, had waited all of his life to read, but he still couldn't.  He could read signs in the classroom, but that wasn't reading.   Then, one day the sign on the hamster cage said something different.

The Extraordinary Gift by Florence Langlois.  A young boy's ordinary gifts turn into extraordinary gifts through the use of unfolding, over-sized pages.  Then his mother presents him with a book, the most extraordinary gift of all.

The Library by Sara Stewart and David Small.  Elizabeth Brown doesn't  like to play with dolls or skate; she only likes to read.  She reads constantly and her bookshelves are collapsing.   Then she finds a solution to her problem.

It Was a Terrible Day by Patricia Reilly Giff  Book and Audio Cassette Edition.  Ronald Morgan has a terrible day at school.  Then a note from his teacher helped him realize that he could read.

BOOK by George Ella Lyon. The wonder of books is described by comparing a book to a house, chest, tree, and farm.

Jack's Tale by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Jack, a frog, is coaxed into participating in the unfolding of a fairy tale.

Word Wizard by Cathryn Falwell. Anna discovers that the cereal in her bowl forms two different words. This book is a great introduction to anagrams.

If You Were a Writer by Joan Lowery Nixon.  When Melia's mother describes what it takes to be a writer, Melia is convinced that she can become a writer too.

The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting  Book and Audio Cassette Edition.  Anna and her grandmother work hard on their surprise for Anna's dad's birthday; Anna is teaching her grandmother how to read.

Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston.  Amber, living with her grandmother on a secluded mountain, befriends Anna who teaches her how to read.  In this beautiful story, Amber must teach herself how to write so that she can write to her friend who moved away when the road construction her father was working on was finished.

Letters from Felix:   A Little Rabbit on a World Tour by Annette Langen and Constanza Droop.   Felix, Sophie's cuddly stuffed rabbit, gets accidentally left at the airport.   Then Sophie starts getting letters from Felix.  (Real letters are included in book envelopes.)

Felix Explores Planet Earth (with six letters from Felix and a fold-out world map) by Annette Langen.   Felix sends back six actual letters (in envelopes) describing his activities on his global adventure.

Felix Travels Back in Time (with six pull-out letters, a fold-out map, and timeline).  Felix uses letters to document his adventures that take him back in time to the stone age, ancient Greece, the time of the Vikings, the Middle Ages, feudal Japan, and the land of American Indians.

Wolf! by Becky Bloom. A wolf is surprised when animals in a farmyard are too busy reading to be afraid of him. He discovers books and works to read as well as the animals.

Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail. One night while reading, Edward finds himself surrounded by pirates who think the book might tell them where the treasure is.

Santa's Book of Names by David McPhail. Edward is having trouble learning how to read, but when Santa loses his glasses he discovers that he can read.

Amelia's Notebook by Marissa Moss.  Feisty nine-year-old Amelia uses her journal to share her feelings about her move, leaving friends, going to a new school, etc.

Amelia Writes Again by Marissa Moss.  Now ten years old, Amelia continues to share her feelings and her adventures in her journal.

Amelia Hits the Road by Marissa Moss.   Amelia records in her journal the activities of her vacation to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite.  She includes verbal jabs at her older sister, Cleo.

My Notebook (with help from Amelia) by Marissa Moss.  This journal with notes, ideas, and quips from Amelia is perfect for the child who loves to write.

Amelia Takes Command by Marissa Moss.  Amelia uses her journal to document her problems with her friends and the character and leadership ability that she develops when she spends the winter break at Space Camp.

Rachel's Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl by Marissa Moss.  Rachel uses her journal to record the challenges she faces in her move from Illinois to California by covered wagon in the mid-1800s.

Kate Heads West by Pat Brisson.  Kate writes home about her travels in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby.  Based on the childhood of Booker T. Washington, all the young slave boy wants to do is learn how to read.  He finds someone to teach him and grows up to teach others how to read.

How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson.  In a library with endless shelves, the book characters come alive at night.  One night a young character finds a library card for a book titled "How to Live Forever" but the book is missing.  He and other characters set you to find the book.

The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco.  When Mary Ellen announces that she's tired of reading, her grandfather plans a bee adventure which reminds her of the value of reading books.

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair by Patricia Polacco.  The people in Triple Creek love TV so much that they've forgotten how to read.  Aunt Chip enlists the help of the children to take care of the situation.

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco  Spanish Edition.   Pink and Say, two 15-year-old Union soldiers during the Civil War, develop a strong interracial friendship.  Pink teaches Say to read.  Together they face the challenges of the Civil War until Pink is hanged.  Say lived to tell the story.

Bookworm Buddies by Judy Delton.  Pee Wee Scouts race to read the most books and earn their library badges.

Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes.  Milo found a book in the library named "Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!"  He did the weird things recommended by Dr. K. Pinkerton Silverfish so that he could be perfect.  By the end of the book, Milo has discovered that nobody's perfect.

Write Up a Storm with the Polk Street School by Patricia Reilly Giff.  Through the kids of the Polk Street School, the author shows how she writes books and gives instructions to help children write their own books.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary.  Fourth grader Leigh Botts has a lot of worries in his life including the impending divorce of his parents, his lost dog, and a recent move to a new school.  He shares his deepest concerns with his favorite author.

Daphne's Book by Mary Downing Hahn. Two girls become unlikely friends as they write a book together for a class assignment.  

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh.  Harriet's desire to become a writer propels her into spying and adventure that causes trouble when her classmates discover her notebook.

Utterly Yours, Booker Jones by Betsy Duffey.  Booker Jones, an aspiring young science-fiction writer, loses his room to his ill grandfather, faces writer's block, and juggles the problems of a middle-schooler when he finds himself in the position of having to write a protest speech for a rally.

The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli.  The library card provides twists and turns within the context of four stories built into this book.  The books read by the characters meet their needs in interesting ways.

Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen.  In this young adult novel, Nightjohn risks being beaten, shackled, and whipped when he sneaks into slave camps at night to teach other slaves how to read. 

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Children's Poetry About Books and Reading

Good Books, Good Times! selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins.

Informational Books about Books, Libraries, and Writing

What Do Authors Do? by Eileen Christelow

What Do Illustrators Do? by Eileen Christelow

How a Book is Made by Aliki

The Young Author's Do-It-Yourself Book:  How to Write, Illustrate, and Produce Your Own Book by Donna Guthrie

From Pictures to Words:  A Book about Making a Book by Janet Stevens

Messages in the Mailbox:  How to Write a Letter by Loreen Leedy

The Furry News:   How to Make a Newspaper by Loreen Leedy

Check it Out:  Book about Libraries by Gail Gibbons

Make Your Own Newspaper (an illustrated 48-page how-to book with five 4-page newspapers) by Chris Harris

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Autobiographies and Biographies of Children's Literature Authors

Author: A True Story by Helen Lester

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

Bill Peet: An Autobiography by Bill Peet

A Girl from Yamhill: A Memoir by Beverly Cleary

When I was Young In the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant, Audio cassette

Avi (Meet the Author Series) by Lois Markham

Best Wishes (Meet the Author Series) by Cynthia Rylant and Carlo Ontal

A Bookworm Who Hatched (Meet the Author Series) by Verna Aardema and Dede Smith

Can You Imagine? (Meet the Author Series) by Pat McKissack, et. al.

A Dream Come True (Meet the Author Series) by Johanna Hurwitz and Michael Craine

Fine Lines (Meet the Author Series) by Ruth Heller and Michael Emery

Firetalking (Meet the Author Series) by Patricia Polacco and Lawrence Migdale

Gary Paulsen (Meet the Author Series) by Stephanie True Peters

Growing Ideas (Meet the Author Series) by Jean Van Leeuwen and David Gavril

Hau Kola: Hello Friend (Meet the Author Series) by Paul Goble and Gerry Perrin

Katherine Paterson (Meet the Author Series) by Alice Cary

Lois Lowry (Meet the Author Series) by Lois Markham

My Writing Day (Meet the Author Series) by David A. Adler and Nina Crews

Once Upon a Time (Meet the Author Series) by Eve Bunting and John Pezaris

One Man Show (Meet the Author Series) by Frank Asch and Jan Asch

Playing with Words (Meet the Author Series) by James Howe and Michael Craine

Surprising Myself (Meet the Author Series) by Jean Fritz and Andrea Fritz Pfleger

Tell Me a Story (Meet the Author Series) by Jonathan London and Sherry Shahan

Thoughts, Pictures and Words (Meet the Author Series) by Karla Kuskin and Nicholas Kuskin

Under My Nose (Meet the Author Series) by Lois Ehlert and Carlo Ontal

A Wordful Child (Meet the Author Series) by George Ella Lyon and Ann W. Olson

The Writing Bug (Meet the Author Series) by Lee Bennett Hopkins and Diane Rubinger

Jean Craighead George (Meet the Author Series) by Alice Car

Little by Little: A Writer's Education by Jean Little

Laura Ingalls Wilder:  An Author's Story (Young Biographies)

Meet the Authors and Illustrators--Volume 1 by Deborah Kovacs and James Preller

Meet the Authors and Illustrators--Volume 2 by Deborah Kovacs and James Preller

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Books Written by Children

The Kids Explore Series written by the Westridge Young Writers Workshop (grades 3-6)

Kids Explore the Gifts of Children with Special Needs

Kids Explore Kids Who Make a Difference

Kids Explore America's African-American Heritage

Kids Explore America's Hispanic Heritage

Kids Explore the Heritage of Western Native Americans

Kids Explore America's Japanese Heritage

Celebrate children's books with children's books about children's books!  What could be more fun? 

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