Picture Books
Locomotive
by Brian Floca
The year is 1869. You gather with your family on a platform in Omaha, Nebraska, and board a great iron horse bound for San Fransisco, California, where the rest of your kin awaits your arrival. The journey that used to take months by horseback or covered wagon now takes only days thanks to the Transcontinental Railroad.
This book is a narrative look at westward expansion and the changes that the railroad brought to the land and its people. The beautiful watercolor illustrations will give readers a peek at 19th-century American culture, the Native Americans of the West, national landmarks, and the expansive and diverse landscape of the United States.
Noah Webster's Fighting Words
by Tracy Nelson Maurer
He wasn’t a soldier and he wasn’t a high profile official. Nonetheless, Noah Webster used his words to fight the British during the Revolutionary War. He changed the spelling of certain words, invented others, and created a universal alphabet for the country. Though it took nearly his entire adult life, he curated a dictionary that was entirely American, declaring in his own way that we were free from English rule.
Farmhouse
by Sophie Blackall
When she purchased some property in upstate New York, author and illustrator Sophie Blackall didn't know what to do with the dilapidated house that came with the land. It clearly hadn't been lived in for decades but still held the secrets of the 12 Swantak children, its previous owners. She sifted through many ruins and relics, listened to the stories of the surrounding neighbors, and spent days imagining what the walls must have witnessed so long ago. In the end, she pieced together a tapestry of words and paper art to tell the story of the beloved 1930s farmhouse and the people who called it home. This book is the result. It is an endearing and poetic look at the imperfect, work-a-day lives of one ordinary family.
Casey at the Bat
by Ernest L. Thayer
Inspired by a handful of spirited baseball Greats of the late 1800s, Ernest Lawrence Thayer, longtime reporter for the San Fransisco Examiner, wrote a satirical poem about Mighty Casey, a fictional all-star whose pride cost him the championship game. That work, originally published on June 3, 1888, has since been reprinted dozens of times.
The illustrator of this particular rendition has used pen and ink sketches, typeset fonts, and even historic baseball memorabilia to make the story look like a 19th-century scrapbook of news clippings highlighting Mighty Casey's record-breaking career.
Leveled Readers
Rick is Sick
by David McPhail
Jack arrives at Rick's house hoping to play with him only to find that Rick is sick in bed. Ever the good friend, Jack does all he can to nurse Rick back to health. But will all his efforts work or will Jack just get sick too?
With the exception of a few sight words, this Level One reader contains sentences made up of short vowel words.
Clipper Ship
by Thomas P. Lewis
Following the discovery of Gold in California, clipper ships begin taking passengers on the 3-month-long journey from New York Harbor to San Francisco Bay. Despite the potential for danger, Captain Murdock of the Rainbird decides to bring his entire family along on one such voyage. It is to be a grand adventure for all of them!
When she sees the captain fall ill and that there's no one left to steer the ship around the treacherous icebergs near Cape Horn, Mrs. Murdock volunteers.
This Level 3 reader is loosely based on the stories of a few real wives of clipper ship captains during the late 19th century.
Please note: When the crew docks in the harbor of a small island in the Pacific to take on fresh provisions, one of the locals present the passengers with a welcome gift--a human scalp. While historically accurate, the mention of a "human head" could be upsetting to some young readers.
Illustrated Chapter Books
Little Pilgrims Progress
by Helen L. Taylor
Based on the Bunyan Classic Pilgrim's Progress, this beautifully illustrated Biblical allegory uses woodland creatures to tell the story of the Christian life, from a person's first introduction to God and His Word to their eternal life in Heaven.
In Part One of the story, a young rabbit named Christian leaves his home in the Great City of Destruction to follow the way of the King to the Celestial City where the Good Prince is standing ready to receive him. Along the way, he's met with many obstacles including the soldiers of the Wicked Prince who seek to confuse, harm, and even destroy the young pilgrim. Part 2 follows the journey of Christian's childhood companion, Christiana, who decides to bring all of her siblings with her to meet the King. Will a larger group make traveling easier or more difficult for the young rabbit? Will she be able to join Christian on the other side or will she fall for the schemes of the enemy and lose her way?
The Hundred Dresses
by Eleanor Estes
First published in 1944 and reprinted dozens of times, this is a timeless story about the power of kindness and the importance of standing up for what is right even in the face of ridicule. Wanda Petronski is a poor immigrant from the wrong side of town. She speaks with an accent and wears the same tattered blue dress to school every day. She's different from the other girls in class which prompts them to shame her mercilessly. While her classmate Maddie doesn't necessarily join in on the bullying, she also never stands up for Wanda.
When Wanda gets pulled from school, Maddie is faced with a hard decision. Should she speak out against the teasing or just continue to allow the other girls to bully?
Middle-Grade Novels
Journey Beyond the Burrow
by Rina Heisel
As a trained weather scout for his burrow, young Tobin knows the rules of mice. He knows who is friend and who is foe. But when his mother's new pinkling gets abducted by a gang of sinister spiders, he must join forces with some unlikely woodland creatures to help bring it back. Along the way, Tobin discovers there's more to the situation than just the stealing of one baby mouse. The spiders have a plan to take over the woods. Is one mouse big enough and brave enough to stop them? Fans of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and Charlotte's Web will enjoy this underdog animal story.
Family togetherness and respect/love for one's parents are central themes throughout the story.
Please note: In one line of the book, one mouse refers to another mouse as having "turd for brains."
Kildee House
by Rutherford Montgomery
Upon retirement, Jerome Kildee moves to the woods. He builds himself a modest home against the base of a redwood tree and dedicates himself to the hermit life. But then, raccoons begin to show up. And skunks. And deer. And two nosy children. They'd all like nothing more than to commandeer his warm shelter. Jerome's peaceful retreat no longer seems so peaceful.
In the tradition of other classic animal stories, Montgomery paints a vivid picture of nature and shows how enemies, when given a common goal, can learn to get along.
Please note: This story describes animals in their natural habits and with their natural instincts. The depiction of hunters and predators vs. prey may be difficult for sensitive readers.
The Candymakers
by Wendy Mass
When four very different children are selected to compete in a national candy-making competition, they each assume Logan, the candy maker's son, is a shoo-in to win. But then, someone tries to steal the secret ingredient from the candy factory and fingers start pointing in everyone's direction, even his. Did he do it? And if not, was it one of the other contestants or someone else entirely?
This is a multipersepectivity story, meaning that the events of the book which take place over the course of three days are repeated over and over again but through the perspective of a different character each time.
Toliver's Secret
by Esther Wood Brady
Set in colonial New York, this historical fiction tells of the bravery of young Ellen Tolliver, the ten-year-old granddaughter of a local rebel who's working with General Washington to bring down the British army. When her grandfather falls ill and can no longer smuggle secret messages in loaves of freshly baked bread, Ellen cuts her hair and decides to take his place in the spy ring. Pretending to be a boy, she risks her life to help the Revolutionary cause.
Parents, Be Aware
A Fox Called Herbert
by Margaret Sturton
Herbert was born a rabbit. But he loves foxes. He loves their pointy ears, their bushy tales, and their beautiful orange color. One day, Herbert decides it's time for a change. When Mommy isn't looking, he makes himself a fox outfit, insisting that he was born to be someone else. When he hears Mommy's disapproval, Herbert yells at her disrespectfully. In the end, Mommy decides to accept him for who he really is, not for who she thinks he should be.
Things to know: This book has been lauded by many as a celebration of inclusivity, tolerance, and sexual diversity.
Ginny off the Map
by Caroline Hickey
10-year-old Ginny has always had two anchors in her life: her love for geography and the love of her father. But when the military uproots her family, moves them to a new city, and deploys her father to Afghanistan, she feels lost. Encouraged by her mother, Ginny launches a neighborhood geography camp to help her make friends in her new neighborhood. She soon finds that making new friends isn't quite as easy as she had hoped it would be.
The longer Dad is gone, the harder it becomes for the entire family to keep it together, especially Ginny.
Things to know: This book contains a few mentions of the following: evolution, millions of years of earth erosion, the undead, and zombies. Ginny lies to her mom, her dad, and a few of her friends on several different occasions and never gets caught nor suffers any consequences for her bad behavior. Additionally, the sisters are at times disrespectful to their mom and directly disobey her on at least one occasion.
Just for you, Mom
The Residence
by Kate Andersen Brower
No one has a more intimate look into the lives of America's first families quite like the resident workers of the White House. Hired from word-of-mouth recommendations, these faithful few serve the country by serving its leader regardless of whether they agree with his politics, like him personally, or voted for him during the last election. This nonfiction book peels back the walls of the most famous home to give readers a glimpse at the day-to-day workings of the house. I especially enjoyed learning about how the workers handle the transition from one administration to another and how they manage presidential deaths and/or scandals.
Please note: A few times, when directly quoting from interviewees, the author will include a four-letter word.