Kid's book suggestions from St. Louis Rams

Running back Marshall Faulk says his favorite kid's book is "Huckleberry Finn," by Missouri's own Mark Twain. Both rookie defensive back Adam Archuleta and tight end Jeff Robinson named S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders."

In time for the holidays, the St. Louis Rams owner, coach, players and even a cheerleader have told about their favorite kid's books. Their suggestions extend from books for pre-schoolers to high school.

The book selections by the Rams Reader Team are a combination of long-time classics as well as some newer books. But, all of them were selected in order to encourage young St. Louis area kids to get into reading.

A total of 59 Rams personnel gave their suggestions for kids reading.

For a complete listing of recommended books, log onto the Rams website at www.stlouisrams.com. Click on the Community header for the whole Reader Team listing. There's a full-color poster with pictures that can be printed out.

Owner Georgie Frontiere picked Louisa May Alcott's classic, "Little Women." That's a story of four devoted sisters growing up in 19th century New England.

Mike Martz

Coach Mike Martz recommended Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' "The Yearling." That book tells of a young boy living in the Florida backwoods who must decide the fate of a fawn he's raised as a pet.

Quarterback Kurt Warner's selections are primarily for elementary kids. They include two Dr. Seuss' books, "Cat in the Hat" and "Oh! The Places You'll Go." He also liked Marcus Pfister's "The Rainbow Fish."

Kurt Warner

Several of the players gave suggestions for middle school kids.

Defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina recommended two classics, Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" and Alexandre Dumas' "Three Musketeers." Both are adventure stories targeted to middle schoolers.

Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett liked Jack London's "Call of the Wild." That's a classic of a dog shipped to Alaska to become a sled dog and how it gradually becomes more like its wolf ancestors.

Offensive tackle Orlando Pace suggested William Sleator's "The Duplicate." This is a book about 18th century London and the early emigration to Australia.

Orlando Pace

For those middle schoolers who like magic and enchantment, quarterback Jamie Martin suggests C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." This is the first book in a series by Lewis called The Chronicles of Narnia.

Another quarterback, Paul Justin, recommends Esther Forbes' "Johnny Tremain." This tells about the pre-Revolutionary War period in Boston through the eyes of a young apprentice silversmith.

Of course, no book list would be complete without at least one vote for the Harry Potter series. Linebacker Mark Fields gives his vote for the books by J.K. Rowling.

Wide receiver Isaac Bruce has picked an unusual book for elementary-age kids. He likes Betsy Byars" "Bingo Brown." That's a story about a boy who is puzzled by questions about growing up and about adults. It provides laughs as well.

For kids who'd like to try some books aimed at high schoolers, the Rams have suggestions.

Adam Archuleta

The suggestion of Archuleta and Robinson of Hinton's "The Outsiders" fits that category. That's a problems faced by a 14-year-old who is caught up in gang problems.

Cornerback Jerametrius Butler gives his recommendation for another Jack London classic, "White Fang." This is another story about a part-dog, part-wolf in the north.

Linebacker London Fletcher recommends Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter." This thriller is set in 17th century Boston.

Safety Kim Herring recommends a more recent classic, May Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." This is a story of growing up black in Arkansas, Chicago and California.

For a football story that has become a classic of sorts, there's Jim Dent's "The Junction Boys." This is a story about the boot-camp experience by legendary coach Bear Bryant that turned Texas A&M into a football school. That's a recommendation by guard Cameron Spikes.

The Rams Reader Team program began in 1996. It's an effort to use the high-profile of Rams players to focus attention on the need for education and literacy. Most of the programs by the St. Louis Rams Foundation have been aimed at programs for kids.