Treasury · Merit

Halsted - Best Friends

The reading recommended at the back of Judith Wynn Halsted's award-winning guide for gifted readers, Some of My Best Friends Are Books — her own bibliography, marked by age.

239 books in the catalog stand on this list.

A reader aged

57 of these books cover age 8. The 3 that name no age at all are left off rather than guessed at — choose any age to bring them back.

• A Dog on Barkham Street by Mary Stolz, 1960 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 790L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Mensa Kids
  Remember
• Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry, 1979 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 700L · AR 4.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Arthur, for the Very First Time by Patricia MacLachlan, 1980 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 660L · AR 4.2
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• A Time to Fly Free by Stephanie Tolan, 1983 · ages 8–10
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• Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later) by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, 1990 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 510L · AR 2.4
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• A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard, 1982 · ages 8–10 · AR 4.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Newbery Award
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• Ben’s Trumpet by Rachel Isadora, 1979 · ages 4–8 · Lexile 530L · AR 2.2 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
  also on NY Public Library
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• Brothers of the Heart: A Story of the Old Northwest 1837–1838 by Joan W. Bios, 1985 · ages 8–10
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• Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea by Joyce Carol Thomas, 1993 · ages 8–10 · AR 4.2
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• Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl, 1975 · ages 8–10 · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Davidson Gifted
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• Don't Feed the Monster on Tuesdays! by Adolph Moser, 1991 · ages 8–10
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• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, 1997 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 670L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Davidson Gifted
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• Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers, 1972 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 730L · AR 4.4
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• Go Fish by Mary Stolz, 1991 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 770L · AR 4.4
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• Golem by David Wisniewski, 1996 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.3
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• Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say, 1993 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 650L · AR 3.6 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
  also on Beautiful Feet, NY Public Library
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• Half-a-Moon Inn by Paul Fleischman, 1980 · ages 8–10 · AR 5.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Heads, I Win by Patricia Hermes, 1988 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 600L · AR 3.7
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• Hiroshima by Laurence Yep, 1995 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 760L
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• Home Place by Crescent Dragonwagon, 1990 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 840L · AR 4.4
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• Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg, 1967 · ages 8–10 · AR 4.5
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• Later, Gator by Laurence Yep, 1995 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 590L · AR 4.0
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• Maps and Globes by Jack Knowlton, 1985 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 920L
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• Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág, 1928 · ages 4–8 · Lexile 580L · AR 3.5 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
  also on Mensa Kids, NY Public Library
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• Miranda's Last Stand by Gloria Whelan, 1999 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 710L · AR 5.0
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• Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe. by Bette Greene, 1974 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 900L · AR 5.0
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• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, 1950 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 870L · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Mensa Kids, NY Public Library
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• Race on the River by Scott Nickel, 2011 · ages 8–10 · AR 1.7 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren, 1981 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 860L · AR 5.6
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• Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan, 1985 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 660L · AR 3.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Deep Roots Grade, Mensa Kids, Newbery Award, The Good & The Beautiful
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• Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, 1997 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 710L · AR 4.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska, 1965 · ages 8–12 · Lexile 740L · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Newbery Award
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• Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You by Barthe DeClements, 1985 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 700L · AR 4.3
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• Stick Up for Yourself! Every Kid's Guide to Personal Power and Positive Self-Esteem by Gershen Kaufman, Lev Raphael, Pamela Espeland, 1990 · ages 8–10
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• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, 1969 · ages 5–8 · Lexile 780L · AR 4.0 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
  also on Mensa Kids, NY Public Library
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• Talking to the Sun: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems for Young People by Kenneth Koch; Kate Farrell, 1985 · ages 8–10
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• The Best-Loved Poems of James Whitcomb Riley by James Whitcomb Riley, 1920 · ages 8–10
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• The Boy Who Had Wings by Jane Yolen, 1974 · ages 8–10
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• The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha by Lloyd Alexander, 1978 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 760L · AR 5.2
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• The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide for Ages 10 and Under by Judy Galbraith, 1984 · ages 8–10
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• The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson, 1978 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 800L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• The Horse Catcher by Mari Sandoz, 1957 · ages 8–10
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• The Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander, 1997 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 680L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• The Kid Next Door and Other Headaches: Stories about Adam Joshua by Janice Lee Smith, 1984 · ages 8–10 · AR 4.4 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• The Maid of the North: Feminist Folk Tales from Around the World by Ethel Johnston Phelps, 1981 · ages 8–10
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• The Mermaid Summer by Mollie Hunter, 1978 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 1030L · AR 6.1
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• The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton, 1985 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 480L · AR 2.9
  also on NY Public Library
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• The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare, 1983 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 770L · AR 4.9 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Deep Roots Grade, The Good & The Beautiful
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• The Silver Pony by Lynd Ward, 1973 · ages 8–10
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• The Story of Holly and Ivy (a Christmas book) by Rumer Godden, 1958 · ages 5–8 · AR 4.4
  also on The Good & The Beautiful
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• The Whisper of Glocken: A Novel of the Minnipins by Carol Kendall, 1986 · ages 8–10 · AR 6.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey, 1957 · ages 5–8 · Lexile 940L · AR 5.1
  also on Beautiful Feet
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• Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting, 1996 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 610L · AR 2.8
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• Usborne Illustrated Guide to Greek & Norse Legends by Cheryl Evans; Anne Millard, 2007 · ages 8–10
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• Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz, 1980 · ages 8–10 · Lexile 890L · AR 5.8
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• Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, 1926 · ages 5–9 · Lexile 790L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
  also on Deep Roots Grade, Mensa Kids, NY Public Library, TJEd Early Recommended
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• Words by Heart by Ouida Sebestyen, 1996 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 750L · AR 4.6
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