Picture Books
Mailing May
by Michael O. Tunnell
Seventy-five miles of Idaho mountains stand between May and her grandmother. The 1914 terrain makes automotive travel nearly impossible. And a train ticket costs nearly a day's wages, a sum May's parents just can’t afford. When they learn that a US postal package could be sent on the train for just a few dollars, however, they decide to send her another way...by mail. This is the true story of five-year-old Charlotte May Pierstorff and her adventures as a “domestic parcel.”
Buffalo Music
by Tracey E. Fern
Based on the true story of Texas rancher Mary Ann Goodnight, who adopted several orphaned buffalo calves after their herd was hunted to extinction, this book introduces readers to President Roosevelt's plan to regrow the buffalo population in the newly created Yellowstone National Park. Mary Anne's babies grew up to have babies of their own and, in time, became one of five foundational US buffalo herds in the national park system.
Please note: In keeping with the late 19th-century vernacular of the southwest, one of the characters uses the word "Lordy" a few times.
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
by Marjorie Priceman
What do you do when the local market closes and you have a hankering for a homemade apple pie? You travel the globe to gather all the necessary supplies--the wheat, the cinnamon, the apples, and more in order to create a tasty treat. In the process, you see all the sights and meet all the people.
In true living literature style, this book gently introduces young readers to the geography, topography, and cultures of different countries around the world.
The Seven Silly Eaters
by Mary Ann Hoberman
Every mother knows that children are picky eaters. But in the Peters' home, there are seven children. That means there are seven different opinions about food at each and every meal. For a while, Mrs. Peters does her best to accommodate all the different taste buds but begins to realize that short-order cooking is not sustainable. It isn't until the children try to make her a birthday cake that everyone realizes how complicated the kitchen has really become.
Leveled Readers
Hot Dog
by Molly Coxe
It's a hot day for this farm dog who does all he can to find a cool place to land.
This Level 1 reader is a great first step for kids who need practice with one-vowel words. The sentences are short and contain 3-5 phonetically appropriate words. For instance: "Dog is hot. Mom is not."
The Long Way to a New Land
by Joan Sandin
A letter has arrived from America! For Carl Erick and his family who are among the thousands of Swedes starving during the 1868 and '69 draught, this letter from Uncle Axel is a welcome invitation to start a new life in a new land. Papa and Mama agree that life in America must surely be better than the current conditions of Sweden. So, they sell the farm, pack their few belongings, and book passage on a ship that will take the whole family, including Carl Erik, to a more promising future.
This Level 3 reader has five short chapters with pictures on every page.
Illustrated Chapter Books
Hotel Flamingo
by Alex Milway
Anna Dupont has inherited a dilapidated animal hotel. The trouble is, she knows nothing about running a hotel and even less about the animals she hopes to welcome as guests. With the help of a lively cast of four-footed characters and a flock of dancing flamingos, however, she is able to bring the hotel back to its former glory days.
The first in a series of four books, this simple yet charming story has delightful illustrations on every page.
The Bears of Hemlock Mountain
by Alice Dalgliesh
Young Jonathan has always been told that there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain. But one winter day, he's sent on an errand all by himself. He must travel through the woods to Aunt Emma's. Could the rustling and crunch-crunch-crunch sound he hears be a bear?
This story will leave young readers on the edge of their seats. (Please note: One of the editions contains a rather scary-looking picture on the cover. The book, however, is not scary. While it is suspenseful, it wraps with a happy ending for all.)
Middle-Grade Novels
The Twenty-One Balloons
by William Pene du Bois
On his attempt to fly across the Pacific, Professor Sherman gets stranded on the unbelievable island of Krakatoa. While there, he meets some amazing creatures who have taken up several unusual habits in order to survive.
This one is a silly sci-fi/fantasy that still ranks as one of our family's most treasured read alouds of all time.
The Mysterious Howling
by Maryrose Wood
Recently graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope Lumley is excited to begin her new life as a governess for the adopted children of Lord and Lady Ashton. Little does she know that her three charges are no ordinary children. After living alone in the woods for most of their lives, they are quite uncivilized. Can she teach them how to behave in polite society? What's more, can she protect them from whomever or whatever continues to sabotage their efforts of reform?
Please note: It's implied that Lady Ashton becomes tipsy after drinking too much champagne at a party near the end of the book. There is also a mention of a hunting accident where the "body was never found."
This is the first of a 6-part series called The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. For the most part, the entire series is quite clean with one mention of a gypsy who foretells the future in Book 2. Each book builds upon the next, so they must be read in order. While the covers sometimes make the books appear fiendish or scary, they are not. The idea that all lives have value is a theme that runs throughout the entire series.
Always, Clementine
by Carlie Sorosiak
Clementine isn't an ordinary house mouse. She was born and raised in a lab and is, by all accounts, a genius. In an attempt to save her from any future experiments, one lab employee steals her and deposits her in the mailbox of a former chess champion. He and his grandson, along with a whole motley crew of characters, teach Clementine to play chess, proving to the world that she deserves more than a pathetic existence behind the bars of a cage.
This is an epistolary novel, written as a series of letters from the mouse to a chimpanzee named Rosie--her best friend and fellow test subject. Please note, at times, the book does have a mild "save every animal at all costs" tenor.
A Night Divided
by Jennifer Nielsen
On August 13, 1961, twelve-year-old Gerta wakes up to find that a giant wall of barbed wire and concrete has been erected in the middle of Berlin, dividing not just the town, but the people. Sadly, her father and her brother Dominic had traveled to the west side the day before in search of work. And now, she, her eldest brother Fritz, and their mother face a life of communism alone. Should they risk their lives and make a run for the West? But what of the friends and extended family they'd be leaving behind?
This historical fiction details the postwar years of East Germany. While it is absolutely free from language and sexual agenda, it does contain scenes of communistic cruelty that could be troubling to some young readers. Please be aware that the publisher has pegged it for 10-12-year-olds, which is on the upper end of the middle-grade ranking.
Parents, Be Aware
What is God Like?
by Matthew Paul Turner and Rachel Held Evans
Through a series of similes that compare God to an eagle, a river, a shepherd, a fort, and many other parts of creation, this picture book attempts to give young readers a better understanding of His character and nature.
Things to know: Various pronouns are used in reference to God including he, she, and they. In addition, one illustration portrays God as three androgynous-looking dancers.
Fortunately, the Milk
by Neil Gaiman
Dad went out one day to get milk. Milk, that was all. But he returned with a fantastical tale about being captured by space aliens, pirates, and eventually a prehistoric dinosaur. What finally saves him? The milk.
Things to know: This is a silly, quick novel with even sillier illustrations on every page. Partway through the book when the dinosaur comes on the scene, the text reads, "150 million years ago." There is also a line or two about some cavemen-type people who have plans to sacrifice the milk-carrying father to their gods.
The House That Wasn't There
by Elana K. Arnold
Alder has always lived in his house--the one right next to a stately walnut tree. Oak, on the other hand, just moved in on the other side of that tree. Much to her disdain, she was uprooted from the only home she'd ever known because her parents wanted to move to Southern California. When her mother decides to cut down the walnut tree because technically it is on their new property, the two tweens become instant enemies. But when they end up accidentally adopting sibling kittens and are assigned to be partners for a project at school, they begin to notice some rather strange similarities between their lives.
Things to know: The book has a very slow start and often takes winding, and perhaps, unnecessary trails. The author, has, however, crafted a story with timeless themes of forgiveness and human connectedness and has concluded it all with an unexpected ending.
Oak is very disrespectful to her mother throughout most of the book. Her mom, in turn, is rather uncaring and rude until the last few chapters. There are quite a few mentions of magical realism and whole chapters dedicated to the idea of cat teleportation. Overall, the book has a "kids know best" tone.
Just for you, Mom
No One Ever Asked
by Katie Ganshert
When an affluent school is forced to open its doors to kids in an impoverished neighborhood, tensions begin to rise all over town. Three very different women, all struggling with their own personal heartaches, are forced to come face to face with their false assumptions of others.
This was one of the best contemporary Christian fiction books I've read in a long time. It had believable characters, a compelling plot, and unlike many Christian fictions, did not sound contrived and unnecessarily preachy. It not only unpacked the very real struggle of racial tension in this country but also revealed the darker side of adoption that no one ever wants to talk about.