It’s Apple Time!

The weather is cooling off, and leaves are thinking about changing. The apples are ripe and ready for picking and eating. Enjoy these fantastic apple facts and books all about apples.

*CCPL Staff picks are chosen by CCPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We’d love to hear your ideas too, so write to us and tell us what you’d recommend!*

Amazing Apple Loving Facts

There are over 7,500 apple varieties worldwide, with around 2,500 of those varieties grown in the United States.
Apples come in shades of red, green, yellow, and even a mix of those colors.
The most popular apple in the United States is the Gala apple, which makes up most of the sales.
The Fuji apple is said to be one of the sweetest, while the Granny Smith apple is the tartest with a sour flavor.
The top apple-growing states are Washington and New York.
The crab apple is the only native apple tree in North America.
It takes approximately three apples to make 1 cup of apple juice.
We all know that apples float on the water, making them great for apple bobbing, but do you know why they float? Apples are 25% air, making them light enough to float.
It takes about 40 apples to make one gallon of apple cider.
Apples are in the rose family of plants, with pears, plums, peaches, and cherries.

Apples by Gail Gibbons

Explains how apples were brought to America, how they grow, their traditional uses and cultural significance, and some of the varieties grown.

Let’s Explore Apples! by Jill Colella

Do you like sweet or tart apples? Visit a farm to discover how apples grow, what the different types of apples are, and how they taste. Make some delicious applesauce, and discover how to find the star inside every apple. Includes a recipe for applesauce and ideas for an apple-tasting party.

Seed, Sprout, Fruit: An Apple Tree Life Cycle by Shannon Knudsen

Apples for Everyone by Jill Esbaum

Apples by Jacqueline Farmer

Describes the cultivation and uses of apples.

How to Grow an Apple Pie by Beth Charles

When Sophie turns six, she is eager to make an apple pie from trees planted at birth, but first, she must tend the trees, wait patiently, and learn to bake. Includes facts about the orchard on which the story is based, descriptions of tools Sophie uses, and a recipe.

Toto’s Apple by Mathieu Lavoie

Toto’s desire for an apple sees him launch a series of plans to reach his desired meal.

Peppa Goes Apple Picking by Meredith Rusu

Peppa, George, Mummy Pig, and Daddy Pig celebrate the start of fall by going to the apple orchard. They will bake the apples into a delicious pie for Granny and Grandpa Pig–and Daddy Pig knows a special trick for getting the juiciest, most delicious apples!

Apples for Little Fox by Ekaterina Trukhan

Fox, who hopes to become a famous detective one day, is excited about investigating his first case.

The Biggest Apple Ever by Steven Kroll

Fox, who hopes to become a famous detective one day, is excited about investigating his first case.

Apples A to Z by Margaret McNamara

An alphabet book double as a primer on apples and apple cultivation.

From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky

Grab the wagon, it’s a bright autumn day, and the trees are full of ripe red apples! There’s an apple festival underway at the farm and lots of work to do making cider. This visit finishes with a cider doughnut and a cup of freshly pressed cider. Told in crisp, action-driven thymes from a young child’s point of view, this book is a realistic account of how apple cider is pressed, flavored with the charm and vigor of a harvest celebration.