Independent Reading Suggested Books for Passing Down Wisdom
See our Independent Reading for Elementary Students Teacher Tool for guidance on how to use the suggested texts below.
Texts with Connecting Topics and Themes
Folktales and Stories
- A Year Full of Stories: 52 Folk Tales and Legends from All Around the World by Angela McAllister
- An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales by Theresa Breslin
- Ancient Night by David Bowles
- El Chupacabras by Adam Rubin
- Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns by Duncan Tonatiuh
- Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang
- Folk Stories and Tall Tales by Claire Cock-Starkey and Zanna Goldhawk
- Folktales of Mexico: Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Traditional Mexican Stories by Neil Philip
- Night Stories: Folktales from Latin America by Liniers
- The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Friends by DK and Joel Chandler Harris
- The Day it Snowed Tortillas by Joe Hayes (690L) **
- The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin America by Jaime Hernandez
- The Lizard and the Sun by Alma Flor Ada
- The Natural Storyteller by Georgiana Keable
- Wisdom Tales from Around the World by Heather Forest (840L)
* lower Lexile or qualitative measures than core text.
** higher Lexile or qualitative measures than core text.
Note: Some of the links below are Bookshop affiliate links. This means that if you click and make a purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which supports our non-profit mission.
We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students
We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free