Fall 2023 Reading List

September 22, 2023
It’s beginning to feel like fall outside and one of the things we love most about the changing of the seasons is reading new books! Below you will find a few recommended children’s books. You can find these books in our library if you would like to borrow them to read to your child.

When Fall Comes: Connecting with Nature as the Days Grow Shorter by Aimee M. Bissonette

In autumn, as the air grows crisper and the days grow shorter, the family forages for mushrooms in the woods as chipmunks stash seeds in underground burrows, and red squirrels gather pine cones. As badgers dig new dens and bears look for the perfect spot to sleep away the winter, the family prepares their home for winter.

There is so much to discover and so much to do, as silver-red salmon fight their way up rushing streams, returning to places they were born, and mud flats fill with feeding shorebirds migrating for the winter, and aspen leaves change from green to gold.

This beautifully illustrated book will inspire families to get out and explore during the autumnal season.

Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schaefer

Because of an acorn, a tree grows, a bird nests, a seed becomes a flower. Enchanting die cuts illustrate the vital connections between the layers of an ecosystem in this magical book. Wander down the forest path to learn how every tree, flower, plant, and animal connect to one another in spiraling circles of life. An acorn is just the beginning.

It’s Fall by Renee Kurilla

Colors bursting, shadows tall. There’s lots to celebrate—it’s fall!

Break out your fuzzy socks and cozy scarves! Bring on the doughnuts, cider, and pies! It’s time for corn mazes, trick-or-treating, and all the Thanksgiving food you can eat.… It’s fall! With playful rhymes and lively illustrations, this celebratory book shows the many ways we welcome and enjoy a special season.

Fall Walk by Virginia B. Snow

With beautiful illustrations and a lyrical narrative, Virginia Snow takes children on a fun and educational adventure. Take a stroll through the woods and learn to identify 24 different kinds of leaves by their shapes and autumn colors. At the end of the day, learn how to press the gathered leaves and how to make a leaf rubbing.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, by Kenard Pak

As trees sway in the cool breeze, blue jays head south, and leaves change their colors, everyone knows–autumn is on its way! Join a young girl as she takes a walk through forest and town, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with every flower and creature and gust of wind, she says good-bye to summer and welcomes autumn.

Amara’s Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood

Amara is hosting a potluck for friends on her farm, and she needs help finding her pumpkins to serve a tasty dish. What do we know about pumpkins? They’re large, round, and orange—and, wait a minute, is that a pumpkin? No, that’s an apple. Where, oh, where could those pumpkins be? Can you help Amara find them in time for her potluck?

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, by Kevin Noble Maillard

Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.

Fry bread is food.

It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.

Fry bread is time.

It brings families together for meals and new memories.

Fry bread is nation.

It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.

Fry bread is us.

It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.

Sleep Tight Farm, A Farm Prepares for Winter by Eugenie Doyle

A captivating exploration of how a family gets a farm ready for the snow of winter, Sleep Tight Farm lyrically connects each growing season to the preparations at the very end of the farm year. This beautiful and informative book paints a fascinating picture of what winter means to the farm year and to the family that shares its seasons, from spring’s new growth, summer’s heat, and fall’s bounty to winter’s well-earned rest. All year long the farm has worked to shelter us, feed us, keep us warm, and now it’s time to sleep.

About the Author

Sherry White

Sherry White is our Librarian at Greenspring Montessori School. She has been with our faculty for over 15 years, serving many different roles. Sherry loves working with children of all ages, instilling in them a life-long love of reading, writing, and art. Sherry leads our Summer Fun Explorer and Adventurer Programs, along with serving as a director of our After-School Art Club. Learn more about Sherry.

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