Picture Books
Homeplace
by Anne Shelby
This is the story of a farmhouse that Great-great-great-great-grandpa built. Over the decades as the world changed around them, the farmer and his wife, their children, and their children’s children made improvements and remodeled the house. Although innovations and technology altered their daily routine, the farmhouse remained a place of love, hard work, and family connection.
Leaning heavily on its illustrations, this living literature book introduces readers to the fashion, industry, interior design, and recreation of the early 19th century to the end of the 20th century. Similar to that of a Jan Brett story, each page is divided into multiple sections that depict one part of farm life in each generation, including the way they planted the crops, fed the animals, made meals, and went to town for supplies.
On the Corner of Chocolate Avenue
by Tziporah Cohen
As a young boy, Milton Hershey stood in front of the candy shop windows dreaming of tasting the sweet treats inside. As a poor, uneducated boy at the start of the 20th century, he couldn’t afford such luxuries. As a teen, he took a job as a dishwasher in a local ice cream parlor. In time, his hard work paid off and he was promoted to candy maker. Determined to make his own way, he left the shop to open his own. After three failed attempts, Hershey finally found success in the caramel industry. His love for sugary treats grew along with his bank account. After attending the World’s Fair and seeing machinery used to create German chocolate, Hershey sold his million-dollar caramel company, bought some new equipment, and spent years finding ways to make milk chocolate that was both affordable and shelf stable.
This is the story of how Milton Hershey brought chocolate to American homes everywhere and later used his profits to provide an education to thousands of children from low-income homes.
Too Tall Houses
by Gianna Marino
Rabbit and Owl are best friends and neighbors. Rabbit loves to garden and owl loves watching over the forest. But when Rabbit's plants grow so tall they block out Owl’s view of the woods, the pair begin to bicker. The only solution, Owl concludes, is to build his house taller. This, unfortunately, blocks the sun from shining on Rabbit’s plants. In retaliation, Rabbit adds to his home, once again, blocking Owl’s visibility. Will the two find a solution to their selfishness or will a life-long friendship be destroyed over house height? Reminiscent of an Aesop classic, this is a new fable with an old soul.
by Aliki
An announcement is made. The king is coming! The lord of the manor and his serfs spend days, weeks, and months preparing for his arrival. They ready rooms, fields, and gardens. They hunt for the choicest meat, mix sauces, and bake desserts. When His Majesty finally arrives escorted by dozens of servants and courtiers, the great hall is overflowing with the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of celebration.
This is a living literature peek at the culture of a medieval manor.
Leveled Readers
by Candice Ransom
A brother and sister head to the orchard for a fun day with their parents. They're going to pick apples! They climb high, reach and stretch, and plop red and green apples into their basket...one, two, three. Eventually, they're joined by another boy and the siblings race their new friend to see who can pick the most apples. At the end of the day, their baskets are full and they enjoy a feast of apple treats from cider to pie to fried donuts.
Each 2-page spread of this Level 1 reader contains a rhyming couplet. Example: "I pick high. You pick low. In our basket apples go."
by Judy Donnelly
While factual, this retelling of both the sinking and rediscovery of the Titanic is written in narrative form like a story. Readers will gain a better understanding of the architecture of the luxury liner, the different social classes represented aboard, and the tragic events of April 14th. In addition, they'll learn why certain maritime laws are so important and see how many current ship safety practices were introduced because of that devastating voyage. In the final chapter, they'll read about Robert Ballard's 1985 quest to locate the lost ship on the ocean floor.
Illustrated Chapter Books
by Gary D. Schmidt & Elizabeth Stickney
Wilson has always been Abigail’s friendliest, wooliest, and smartest sheep. One day when a delivery truck arrives on her farm to drop off a new piano, however, she notices that Wilson is missing. Unbeknownst to her, he has escaped from his pen and ends up in the back of the truck. He’s taken into town and arrives at the piano store. Scared, he wanders around town. Unbeknownst to Wilson, Abigail and her grumpy neighbor are out looking for him. The pair never cross paths. Will Abigail find her beloved sheep or will Wilson be lost forever?
This is a full-color illustrated chapter book with beautiful watercolor renderings on every three or four pages.
Please note: One line reads, "Sheep are stupid as all get-out."
by Tim Davis
When Charles and Oliver are loaded onto a ship by pirate sea dogs, they overhear a plot to steal the Queen's gold. They make it their mission to find Her Majesty's treasure and return it immediately. Trouble is, as mice, they are not sure which is more frightening, confronting the dreaded pirates or joining forces with the Queen's personal sailors, the cats.
Fans of The Great Mouse Detective will enjoy all three books in the Herring Bone series.
Middle-Grade Novels
by J. Scott Savage
Neither Celia nor Tyrus are looking forward to starting a new school. They each struggle to make friends. Celia's profound dyslexia has always made her feel stupid while Tyrus' love for books makes him appear "too smart". When the pair stumble upon Lewis Carroll's lost diaries, they are transported into the fantastical world of Wonderland where nothing seems as it should be. Wonderland is slowly being destroyed by one of its very own.
Believing her to be Alice, the citizens of this other world turn to Celia to save them. But can she find the villain and stop him or her before it is too late? Or will she and Tyrus be trapped there forever?
This is a modern twist on the beloved classic. Readers will not only appreciate a few unexpected twists to the plot but will enjoy learning the backstory of some of Carroll's most beloved characters.
Please note: Toward the end of the book when all seems lost, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) tells the children that they can stay and be destroyed by the enemy of Wonderland or jump off a cliff to avoid being captured. One could infer that he was suggesting suicide, but the text never uses that word. His comment could also be seen as another fantastical suggestion by the sensational characters of Carroll's world.
This is the first of a two-book series. I have only read Book 1.
The Friendship War
by Andrew Clements
Grace and Ellie have been friends since second grade. But as they enter 6th grade, Grace begins to feel that the relationship is one-sided. Ellie loves to be the center of attention and often disregards Grace’s opinions. When Grace brings a bag of buttons to school—a collection of vintage treasures she found while visiting her widowed grandfather for the summer—she unintentionally starts a school-wide fad. Buttons become an underground currency. Kids start collecting them, trading them, and creating games out of them. This sudden turn in Grace’s social standing doesn’t sit well with Ellie and forms a rift in their relationship. At first, Grace is determined to go to war and win, but she soon regrets her decision. She misses her friend and is desperate to find a way to repair what seems broken.
While Grace responds to Ellie’s poor behavior in a very mean-spirited way, she eventually realizes an important life lesson: You can not control how others treat you. You can only control how you respond. Andrew Clements candidly shows how relationships can sour over simple misunderstandings, but also reveals how they can be restored when one person decides to do the hard work of forgiveness and restoration.
I'm often asked if I have any recommendations for older tweens who struggle to read or struggle to like reading--books that have more mature characters but that are not as long as the average middle-grade novel. The Friendship War is such a book!
Please note: Two of the characters deliver snarky comments to their siblings. For the most part, however, the remarks are said in a teasing tone.
Additionally, when remembering her recently deceased grandmother, Grace asks her mother some questions about what happens after a person dies. Mom explains that while the body ceases to live, it’s her opinion that a person’s soul continues to live on forever. She’s just not sure how or where.
Near the end of the book, Grace has an opportunity to make public amends for her behavior. She attempts to do it while keeping her parents in the dark. She enlists the help of her grandfather and swears him to secrecy. In the end, however, she comes clean with her mom and dad, realizing that deception would only add more trouble to her situation. This would make for an excellent read-aloud as it would bring up many opportunities to talk about some universal struggles that plague nearly every friendship at one time or another.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" This is the message that Reynie Muldoon and his tutor discover on a flyer one day. While Reynie doesn't consider himself to be exceptionally gifted, he is up for an adventure. So he heads to the address listed on the pamphlet. Once there, he is given a series of odd tests to determine if he has what it takes.
"What it takes for what?" he wonders.
Little does he know that he is one of four orphans being assembled for a top-secret mission by the mysterious Mr. Benedict. As children with unique and under-appreciated skills, they alone can infiltrate the lair of the sinister Mr. Curtain and stop him from brainwashing the world.
This is the first of a fantastic four-book series.
A Bear Called Paddington
by Michael Bond
Once upon a time, there was a bear. He was found at Paddington Train Station in London having just arrived from the darkest corners of Peru and is taken in by the Brown family.
He's not a naughty bear, but somehow things just sort of happen to him. While in London, he learns to write with real ink, gets to eat as much orange marmalade as he wants, and even wins a painting competition...sort of.
Older fans of Winnie the Pooh and Peter Rabbit will be delighted to join this jovial bear in one misadventure after another. This is the first in a 15-book series. I have only read Book 1.
Parents, Be Aware
by Lisa Findlay
When his owner dies, Puss the cat is willed to the youngest son Tom, Determined to make a good life for himself, one which contains all the creature comforts he's always been used to, Puss realizes that he must first make a good life for Tom. With clever cunning, the cat secures a wife, a castle, and much wealth for his new master.
Things to know: Puss lies repeatedly to get his way. His "fibs," as they are called in the text, are never discovered. Consequently, his dishonesty is rewarded time and time again. Additionally, there are two mentions of an Ogre scratching his bottom and picking his nose.
by Nick Courage
Puerto Rico: At first, Valerie appears to be a run-of-the-mill hurricane. Although most of the tourists have abandoned the resorts along the coastline, the locals aren't afraid of a little rain. But when Valerie is upgraded to a Mega Storm, young Alejo begins to get nervous. Steeling a weather crew's van, he heads home in search of his uncle only to find his entire neighborhood deserted and the floodwaters beginning to rise.
New Orleans: Emily is certain she can get to the park, take a few photos on the other side of the island, and bring them back to show her now cancer-free older brother Elliot before their mom notices. Once there, her cell phone dies, leaving Emily no way of knowing that her family needs to evacuate immediately.
Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico: Emily's dad is stuck on an oil rig with a slim chance of making it back to his family before the largest storm of the century destroys everything in its path.
This high-stakes natural disaster adventure is told with multiple POVs and will appeal to both boys and girls.
Things to know: Most of the first few chapters take place at a resort and casino. Guests are served mixed drinks to calm their nerves.
Elliot's illness has captured all of his mom's attention. Consequently, Emily roams the neighborhood alone and is nearly forgotten. She stumbles upon a group of teenagers smoking in the park.
There is one mention of the Spirits of the Sea and one use of God's name in vain.
Just for you, Mom
by Sarah McCoy
This fan fiction flashes back in time to fill in the gaps of Marilla Cuthbert's childhood: how her mother's untimely death shaped her character and how the budding romance between her and John Blythe that L.M. Montgomery alluded to in her classic Anne of Green Gables ended abruptly. The author does a great job of weaving together the characters of the original series as well as a few key historical events like the abolition of slavery and the clash of rival Canadian political groups.