Picture Books
by Mary Casanova
She set out for an adventure on the lake. But, before she could push off from shore, her trusty dog bounded into the canoe. "What could go wrong?" she wondered, "It's only one dog." Soon, other north-woods animals came aboard. How many animals would be too many for one small canoe?
This delightful story will introduce kids to a few common canoeing terms and the names of lesser-known northern animals. Fans of Jan Brett's The Mitten will appreciate this silly spin on the classic "not enough room" trope.
Cubs in the Tub
by Candace Fleming
When her husband brought home a baby for their newly decorated nursery, it was not exactly the kind of "baby" Helen Martini had in mind. It was a tiger cub born at the Bronx Zoo where he worked. Its mother had abandoned it and it wasn't thriving. Helen fell in love and cared for the little one as any new mother would. Like all babies, the cub, dubbed Little MacArthur, began to grow. He grew fangs. He grew claws. Eventually, he became too big for the Martini's small apartment and had to be returned to the zoo. Helen was heartbroken, but only for a spell. Soon one cub was replaced by three when she was given a set of triplet tigers to care for.
This is the true story of how Helen Martini became the Bronx Zoo "animal nursery keeper" who helped to raise the babies of big game animals for over two decades.
by Flora Delargy
"Come at once...we have stuck a 'berg. It's CQD. OM." 21-year-old Harold Cottam was just about to go off duty at his station in the Marconi Wireless Room of the HMS Carpathia when a transmission came through that would change his life and the lives of hundreds of unsuspecting passengers aboard his ship. Four hours away, the luxury liner Titanic was sinking and needed help.
While gallons of ink have been spilled detailing the story of the "unsinkable ship" and her survivors, very little has ever been written about its rescuer, the Carpathia. In this beautifully illustrated narrative nonfiction, readers will follow the timeline of the Carpathia's heroic maritime voyage of April 1912.
by Virginia Lee Burton
The city house is moved to the county. It's placed on a hill overlooking a sweeping pasture and left in the tender care of a loving family. As the years go by, the family grows and moves away, leaving the little house all alone. But not for long. The city begins to expand and the bustle and noise creep closer and closer. The little house finds itself surrounded by a metropolis once again. Sitting in the shadows of towering skyscrapers, the house falls into disrepair. Will it ever enjoy the peace of the countryside again? Will it get to enjoy the care of another family? Is it doomed to be demolished under the pretense of progress?
This award-winning classic is my GO-TO example when teaching about personification--the literary device used to give human characteristics to inanimate objects.
Leveled Readers
Clark the Shark: Too Many Treats
by Bruce Hale
Clark loves his mom's homemade brownies. When he swims home from school one day and finds a whole pile of them on the counter, he loses all self-control and eats every last one. Understandably, Mom is upset that he chose to be so greedy. Rightfully remorseful, Clark gives a sincere apology and with Mom's help bakes another batch for others to enjoy. This book is a gentle lesson in character. It's not preachy or naggy. It teaches through the real-life example of a childish transgression, earnest contrition, and timely restoration.
The publisher has branded this as a Level 1 book. It contains complex digraphs, however, making it more accessible for Level 2 readers, in my opinion.
Dust for Dinner
by Ann Turner
One day, we were playing outside in the fields and the next day a black blizzard swept through our land. It was a rainless storm that covered everything with dust. Now, we must sell everything we own and move to Cal-i-for-ni-ay to work as farmhands. But will we have to sell old Sam, our farm dog, too?
This Level 3 book is a living literature look at one family's journey through the Dust Bowl, an often forgotten portion of the Great Depression era.
Illustrated Chapter Books
Anne Arrives
by Kallie George
This beautifully illustrated abridged version of the timeless Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery is the first in a 5-book collection for young readers. Unlike so many modern takes on this beloved classic, this particular compilation does not add or detract from the original and will, no doubt, engage a new generation of Anne enthusiasts.
Anne Arrives begins with Matthew's curious trip to the train station and ends when Marilla tells Mrs. Spencer that she's decided to keep the orphan girl after all. The subsequent titles of the set pick up the story from there.
Honey Cake
by Joan Betty Stuchner
The Nazi occupation is unsettling for everyone in Copenhagen. For David and his family, however, it is life-threatening. They are Jews. Rumors of a resistance begin to swirl. David soon learns that his older sister Rachel has joined the underground group in hopes of liberating Denmark from the German invaders. One day, David's father, the town baker, asks him to deliver a box of treats across town. Unbeknownst to David, he's carrying more than dessert in the little white bakery box. He's smuggling intel inside a pastry that will help intercept German supplies. But when two soldiers stop to inquire about his package, the entire mission is put in jeopardy.
This is a very age-appropriate look at the courage of Jewish sympathizers who helped hundreds of Danish Jews escape to other parts of Europe during WWII. While historically accurate, it is not too detailed or graphic to be enjoyed by young readers.
Middle-Grade Novels
Echo
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Alone in the woods one day, curious Otto stumbles upon three eccentric sisters who tell him of a prophecy that concerns a harmonica. But it's not just any harmonica. It's an enchanted harmonica that will connect Otto with three daring children from three different parts of the world before, during, and after the World Wars--Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California.
One part fairytale and three parts historical fiction, this epic story is best enjoyed in audio. Music plays a central role in the plot and is masterfully woven throughout the recording. Additionally, the audio contains a broad cast of voice-over actors who depict the international and regional dialects of the heroes and heroines with excellence.
Please note: The first few pages of the book include the mention of a witch and a few magical elements. Neither plays a prominent role in the story nor is depicted in a glamorous light. Each of the three historical portions ends rather abruptly, mid-tragedy. While all four stories come to a favorable end, the sudden jolt of plot in the middle of each climax may be alarming to some sensitive readers/listeners.
The Van Gogh Deception
by Deron Hicks
The truth is locked somewhere inside the boy. If only he could remember who he is, how he got to the National Gallery of Art in the first place, and why he's the key to uncovering the mastermind behind an international ring responsible for producing and selling fraudulent works of art.
In this fast-paced kid-friendly crime thriller, "Art" (as he is temporarily dubbed) and his foster sister Camille are on the run. They have no idea who they can trust but they are determined to find Art's missing dad, the only one who can prove that a Van Gogh painting is a fake.
Please note: There are three uses of "freakin'" in the text. Additionally, Camille lives with her mom but has never met her father who lives in a different state.
A Lion to Guard Us
by Clyde Robert Bulla
With her mother's recent passing, young Amanda must gather her courage and her two younger siblings and head to Jamestown in hopes of finding their father. He left more than three years ago to establish a new home for them all in the New World. If and when they finally make it across the wide blue ocean, will they even recognize him? Will he recognize them? Throughout their journey, the three children carry with them the only remaining keepsake that they have from their former life in England, a brass door knocker in the shape of a lion's head. It was a gift from their father and proof of his identity.
The Indian in the Cupboard
by Lynne Reid Banks
Unimpressed by his birthday gift--a second-hand figurine of a Native American hidden inside a plain wooden cupboard--Omri tosses it aside and heads to bed. The next day, he's surprised to find that the toy tribesman, an Iroquois named Little Bear, has come to life.
Soon, more toys are transformed inside the cupboard, including a cantankerous cowboy who believes Little Bear to be "savage." Omri does his best to keep the secret of the growing miniature world from those around him, but when tensions begin to build inside the wooden box, word gets out. How can Omri keep his little friends safe from his classmates and from each other?
Please note: This book has received criticism from some who view its depiction of cowboys and Native Americans as outdated and stereotypical. Truthfully, the cowboy's continued use of "injun" should elicit some parent-child dialogue about the appropriate representation of indigenous people in literature. However, the author's portrayal of Little Bear is respectful and shows him to be more clever, courageous, and skillful than any of his other tiny counterparts. The story will, no doubt, draw young readers to an appreciation of the Iroquois culture.
Parents, Be Aware
Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess
by Richard Platt
With hopes of knighthood someday, Tobias Burgess, is sent to his uncle's castle. It's January of 1285 and he will spend the next year as a page, waiting on his aunt, Lady Elizabeth, learning Latin at the feet of the chaplain, and completing any number of unglamorous duties for his lordship. This is his diary--a fictional first-hand account of castle life.
Things to know: This book has made many appearances in homeschool catalogs and medieval history book lists. Parents should be aware that the following words are sprinkled throughout the text, "ass" in reference to a donkey and "hell's teeth" used as a period curse word. One line includes the following, "Let not the privy members [genitals] be laid open to be viewed. 'Tis most shameful and abhorred, detestable, and rude!"
Additionally, there are a few references to Egypty Day ("a superstition from heathen Egypt"), one mention of Tobias relieving himself in a flask in order that a doctor might study his urine, a black-and-white illustration of him sitting on a castle garderobe (toilet), and the prosecution and potential hanging of a man tried for poaching.
Overall, Castle Diary is a deep dive into medieval life. Readers will experience the culture, language, and social hierarchy of the 13th century through conversational text and lively illustrations.
A Sky Full of Song
by Susan Lynn Meyer
The year is 1905. Eleven-year-old Shoshana, along with her family, has just moved to North Dakota from a small Ukrainian village in hopes of escaping the antisemitism sweeping their homeland. Trouble is, it seems that Jews are not very welcome in America either. Shoshana must choose to hide her ethnicity at school in order to fit in or continue to follow her faith and cultural customs in the face of criticism and scorn.
Things to know: While on the surface this book lives up to the acclaim it has received in many Christian circles, it does include several instances of offensive racial slurs including the word "kike." Additionally, the physical and emotional harm other students inflict on Shoshana might be troubling for sensitive readers. Other plot points worth consideration are as follows: several adult characters drink hard liquor, teens sneak to the woods to smoke cigarettes, one character yells, "g*dd*mit" when a cat claws at him, Shoshana shares her Jewish view of the crucifixion of Christ with her Christian classmates and contradicts Scripture, and a teenage boy pantomimes grabbing his penis and peeing in front of a group of girls.
Parents should also be aware that the story describes Shoshana's older sister starting her period for the first time. The entire incident is handled with great care, however. Her mother makes it clear that menstruation is a gift that, while painful and inconvenient at times, allows a woman to bear children.
Just for you, Mom
Counting the Cost
by Jill Duggar
As a woman who became a Christian at 15 in an IBLP church, I was hesitant to start this book because I was afraid it would be filled with salacious gossip, draped in bitterness, and dredge up all kinds of old memories I'd rather forget. I read Jinger Duggar Vuolo's book Becoming Free Indeed last spring and appreciated how she respectfully shared her story while still telling the truth about her childhood wounds. I wondered if her sister Jill would write as graciously.
While the aim of Jill's book was completely different than that of Jinger's, it too was honoring and appears (from an outsider's point of view) to be honest. Since the sudden cancellation of the 19 Kids & Counting show and her unexpected departure from its spin-off Jill & Jessa: Counting On, Jill has come under fire from both the tabloids and (it sometimes seems) those closest to her. This book is her attempt to set the record straight. Admittedly, there are two sides to every story. Human nature being what it is, storytellers will always slant the facts to their advantage. Somewhere in the middle is the actual truth. I'm sure this book and its colorful cast of characters is no exception.