Picture Books
by Margot Zemach
A poor Jewish farmer lives in a house with his mother, wife, and six children. His house is crowded, unbearably so. One day, when he can stand the noise and congestion no longer, he goes to his Rabbi for advice. The wise man instructs the farmer to bring some of his barn animals inside the house. Weeks go by, and the living conditions naturally become more cramped and less quiet. He returns to the Rabbi, who tells him to bring even more animals inside. This continues for quite some time with several return trips to and from the Rabbi. Through some timely perspective, the farmer eventually learns that his original circumstances were not that bad. He stops complaining and instead chooses to be content.
by Cheryl Harness
In true living literature style, this book takes young readers on a trip through the thirteen original British colonies. Each beautifully illustrated page is set in poetic verse and features one month in the life of an early American. Readers will not only see how different life was then from what it is now, but they'll also learn how fashion, industry, and lifestyles changed from colony to colony and from month to month.
Stubby: A True Story of Friendship
by Michael Foreman
When a stray dog wanders into an army training camp in 1917, he has no idea what’s in store for him. He befriends some soldiers who eventually smuggle him aboard the USS Minnesota bound for Europe. He fights in the French trenches right alongside Allied forces and becomes the most decorated dog in American war history.
by Janet Stevens
To settle his bet with Tortoise, Hare sold all his land to Bear, leaving his family with no way to grow crops. Now his wife and baby bunnies are hungry. Clever Hare, however, thinks up a "Heads, I win; tales, you lose!" scheme. He convinces Bear to split the harvest with him. The pair agrees that one of them will get the top half of each plant and the other will get the bottom half. The agreement seems fair, but is it? And more importantly, will Hare be able to keep his family fed or will he lose yet again?
Leveled Readers
by Harriet Ziefert
This emergent reader is just one in a fantastic 8-book Flip-a-Word series that emphasizes three word families apiece. This particular title features words that contain the end rhyme sounds of og, all, and eat.
Readers flip each page to reveal one new word per page. They then combine the words from three or four pages to create an entire sentence.
Mac and Cheese
by Sarah Weeks
Mac likes to eat. He likes to swim. He likes to jump. He likes to chase mice. Cheese doesn’t like to do any of these. He’d rather complain than play. But when Mac’s hat flies away, Cheese must employ all these skills and more to help his friend.
This Level 1 reader is full of rhyme and repetition to help emergent readers master basic sounds. That said, I believe it is more appropriate for the skills of Level 2 readers.
Illustrated Chapter Books
In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen
by Cynthia Rylant
While their parents are away touring the world with their dance company, cousins Lily, Tess, and Rosie live with their Aunt Lucy, owner of a local flower shop. Together, they launch a cookie-baking business and deliver treats to folks around the community. On one such delivery, they meet Mrs. Haverstock a local home botanist, her brother Michael who clearly has feelings for Aunt Lucy, and Mrs. White an elderly woman in need of friends. The girls throw a party and invite all their customers hoping that Aunt Lucy and Michael might fall in love. This sweet story about family life and friendships is the first in the six-part Cobble Street Cousins series.
Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen
by Candace Fleming
Etzel has been raised to be a vicious attack dog for a German police unit. But when a silent film director discovers him, he’s renamed Strongheart and whisked off to Hollywood where he stars in several box-office hits and quickly becomes America’s favorite dog. One day, he’s accused of attacking a little girl. Strongheart and his owner must somehow prove their innocence or face jail time. Based on the life of Strongheart, a 1920s canine film star, this is a true underdog story.
Middle-Grade Novels
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
by Betty MacDonald
Have a child who talks back? Know a kid who refuses to take a bath? Need to get a picky eater to swallow what's on his plate? Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, the eccentric widow who lives in the upside-down house, is the perfect person to call. She has a clever way of managing even the most spirited children, curing them of their impertinence and childish antics. Each chapter is a stand-alone story of whimsy, adventure, and hilarity that is sure to delight.
Sled Dog School
by Terry Lynn Johnson
Eleven-year-old Matt is struggling in class. He has to do well on an extra credit project or face remedial math. The assignment? To launch an after-school business and keep track of all profits and losses. When all his classmates opt for more traditional entrepreneurial paths, Matt decides to go off the grid and give sled dog lessons. Mushing is what he knows. It's what he loves. Trouble is, he has to have at least three clients to turn a profit, and he's only got two. To make matters worse, the class bully seems to be doing great with his recycling business and wants everyone to know it.
In the end, Matt learns two valuable lessons. First, bullies often bully at school because they are being bullied at home. In other words, hurt people hurt people. And second, a test can't measure some of the most important things in life like perseverance, kindness, and effort.
Please know: Matt's client Alex lies twice. She is never caught in her lie and goes unpunished.
Sweep
by Jonathan Auxier
This is the story of an orphaned sweep named Nan who carries around the last remaining evidence of her father, a charred piece of soot. One day while cleaning a chimney, Nan gets stuck. The only way to get her out is to set the chimney ablaze. Before being rescued, she passes out and later awakens only to find that her special soot has transformed into a kind golem. This new friend is determined to protect her against Wilkie Crudd, the ruthless sweep who controls most of London's "climbing boys" and who will stop at nothing to get rid of Nan and her monster.
War Stories
by Gordon Korman
In celebration of the 75th anniversary of V-E Day, Trevor Firestone and his dad board a plane alongside his great-grandfather, the last surviving member of the battalion who liberated a small French village during WWII. They are headed to France to retrace the steps of his hero--his GG--and to attend a ceremony in his honor. When they receive mysterious threats on social media, they learn that not everyone is happy about their arrival. Perhaps, his great-grandfather is not the war hero Trevor's always believed him to be.
This is a powerful story about the importance of forgiving grudges. Every other chapter takes place in modern time with the alternating chapters jumping back to 1944 and 1945. Because of the complicated and sometimes graphic nature of war, this book is best suited for 10+.
Please note: In one scene, a soldier jokes, "In my next life, I'm coming back as a general." Additionally, there are two instances where someone declares the war to be "hell on earth."
Parents, Be Aware
Princess Black: Prince in Pink
by Shannon & Dean Hale
Like all Princess in Black books, this tenth installment of the series finds Princess Magnolia as a masked do-gooder saving her friends from mayhem.
Things to know: This time, she's joined by a new sidekick Prince Valarian whose feminine alter ego wears pink sequence and a tiara to help the princess stop an escaped emu from ruining the much anticipated Flower Festival Ball.
Manatee Summer
by Evan Griffith
Before the summer ends, Peter and his best friend Tommy are determined to finish their discovery journals, homemade field guides filled with information on 100 different species of Florida wildlife. But Peter's dad has abandoned the family. To make ends meet, his mom must take on extra hours at work, leaving Peter to watch over his grandfather who suffers from dementia. One day, the boys stumble upon an injured manatee. They are determined to protect it. When Peter learns that his mom's biggest client is responsible for the reckless accident that has left irreparable scars on the animal's back, however, the situation becomes quite a bit more complicated.
Things to know: There are many uses of God's name in vain in this book. Additionally, in a typical "kids know best" tone, Peter lies to and then directly disobeys his mother for the sake of "the greater good." Peter is encouraged to tell his truest truth and will do so even at the risk of his relationships. While there are a few redemptive qualities in the book, some may find its "save the animals at all costs" anthem a bit off-putting.
Just for you, Mom
Salt to the Sea
by Ruta Sepetys
When four civilian refugees on the German side of WWII converge along the docks trying to gain passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German military troop transporter, their lives intertwine in ways that will affect generations to come. Based on the sinking of a ship that was six times more deadly than the Titanic, this was a fascinating look at the other side of a horrific war--a side that is not often talked about.
I highly recommend listening to this one on audio as I don't think the nuances of all the different dialects would come through as well in the print version.