Picture Books
by Michelle Markel
The year is 1878. Little does Randolph Caldecott know that he is about to change the literature landscape for entire generations of kids. Up until this point, the illustrations in most books marketed to children contained stiff, lifeless characters. In contrast, he believes children need lively drawings to look at--pictures of people and animals frolicking across the pages, pictures full of color and movement, pictures bursting with imagination. So, he sets out to illustrate a book that children will love. And they do!
This is the story of how one man revolutionized the way children's books are illustrated and how he inspired the inception of the prestigious Caldecott Award, given annually to the most distinguished artist of children's literature.
That Book Woman
by Heather Henson
Here she comes again, up the mountain, carrying her books. But no matter. Young Cal, has no need for book learnin'. What good are books for Appalachian folks like him? When his sister Lark learns to read, however, new imaginary worlds begin to open up to her. Slowly, Cal begins to wonder if there just might be something to these books after all.
Based on the real 1930s Pack Horse Librarians who braved unpredictable weather to bring literacy to remote areas in Kentucky, this delightful story is written in local dialect.
Knight Owl
by Christopher Denise
Ever since he hatched, Owl has dreamed of little else than becoming a knight. Determined, he enters knight school and learns to defend the castle against invasion. While on watch one night, he is confronted by a fierce dragon. Being the clever knight that he is, Owl shows the dragon how much they have in common--they both hatched from an egg; they both fly; they both work better at night. Turns out, the best way to protect the castle is to turn enemies into allies.
by Annie Silvestro
During the winter when most mice are tucked warmly in their borrows, Lucy is outside enjoying the cold. She loves wearing cozy hats and mittens, catching snowflakes on her tongue, and making snowmice in the yard. One day, she discovers ice skating and loves it. Without friends by her side, though, winter begins to feel rather lonely. So, she hatches a plan to convince the other mice to join her on the frozen pond.
Leveled Readers
Johnny Appleseed
by David L. Harrison
Part fact, part fiction, this is the story of John Chapman as told through the eyes of two young children. When Johnny Appleseed arrives at their frontier farm to stay a spell, he hunkers down by the fire to tell them of his childhood--how he was one of ten boisterous siblings, how he loved to venture into the woods, and how he was given a handful of apple seeds one day and encouraged to plant them. Thus began his love for planting trees and spreading their sweet fruit to the far-reaching territories of our growing nation.
by Susan Schade
Everyone in Cat's family has a hobby. Her father paints; her mother writes; her sister sings; her brother cooks. But what is she good at? Cat doesn't know. One day, she and her friend Rat pass a gymnastics studio and see folks tumbling and twirling. They appear to be having fun! But will Cat be any good at it? She joins a class with a few friends and although she isn't as great as they are at some of the activities, she excels on the mat. She always lands on her feet!
This Level 2 reader is told in simple verse. That said, some of the words are multisyllabic and include complicated phonetics.
Illustrated Chapter Books
Anna Hibiscus
by Atinuke
Anna lives in Africa with her big family including her father, mother, twin baby brothers, and lots and lots of aunties, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Her life is full of simple pleasures like splashing in the sea, gathering and selling oranges, and imagining what it would be like to see snow in Canada where her mother's parents live.
Each chapter of this delightfully wholesome story is a stand-alone that introduces readers to the traditional values of a large African family and stresses the importance of honesty, hard work, and humility. When Anna makes a selfish choice, her grandfather insists that she make amends but also stands with her as she atones for her poor decision.
This is the first in a five-part series.
Please note: One illustration shows Anna's aunt in a bikini, much to the disapproval of her grandparents. However, she is underwater and is mostly covered in the black and white sketch.
by Peter Meisel
While hard at work scaring off the pesky seagulls that threaten to steal his cargo of fish, Spike, the shipyard dog slips off the dock and into the ocean. For days, he’s lost at sea threatened by sharks, whales, and eventually pirates. The crew of the Driftwood takes him on board and promises to return him safely to land if he’ll help them sniff out some buried treasure. Will Spike be able to find what they’re looking for or will he walk the plank?
Please note: When he beholds what looks to be an empty ship sitting in the bay, the pirate captain says, “Maybe it’s a ghost ship!”
Middle-Grade Novels
Iceberg
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
To alleviate some of the financial strain on her family, who is struggling to make ends meet after the tragic death of her father, Hazel Rothbury agrees to travel to America on board the Titanic and take a job with her aunt in a factory. When she arrives at the dock, she realizes she doesn't have enough money for a ticket. So, she does the only thing she can think of...she climbs into a large luggage trunk and hides in the cargo deck. Once at sea, she learns that there's a smoldering fire in the boiler room. Why hasn't the captain announced the impending danger? Intrigued, Hazel begins to take notes and soon discovers other questionable activities, including the strange behavior of a first-class couple who appears to be swindling other passengers out of large sums of money. With the help of a sympathetic porter named Charlie and a young heiress named Sylvia, Hazel begins to piece together what she hopes will be the journalistic story of the year. Little does she know that the boiler room fire is only the tip of the iceberg of troubles for the luxury liner.
Please note: In addition to sneaking on board the ship without paying for a ticket, Hazel also confesses to "premonitions" about the fate of the ship. While this is a middle-grade fiction, it contains a few scenes that might be troubling for sensitive readers. It is more appropriate for kids 10+, in my opinion.
Because of the Rabbit
by Cynthia Lord
The night before she's to begin 5th grade at the local public school, Emma and her game warden father rescue a rabbit in someone's yard. They immediately realize that it is not a wild rabbit. It's someone's beloved pet. Until they can locate its rightful owner, Emma's father agrees to let her be the foster mom. A new friend could not have come at a better time. Emma has never been to school. She's been homeschooled since kindergarten and is nervous about navigating a traditional classroom.
Much to her disappointment, she struggles to navigate the unspoken social rules of school. When her teacher pairs her with an autistic boy for a group project, Emma assumes their relationship will be social suicide. She likes Jack in private but just isn't sure how to be his friend in public. To add insult to injury, she learns that her rabbit's owner may have been found. She's forced to make a choice, confess to finding the rabbit and return him to his rightful owner or keep him for herself.
This is a delightful story about finding the courage to do the right thing and to be a good friend. I especially appreciate how positively homeschooling is portrayed in the book.
Please note: Emma disobeys her parents by bringing the rabbit into her bedroom after they told her not to. In addition, she lies to her classmates at school about her hobbies in hopes of sounding cool. She confesses to both instances of deceit. The rabbit is said to be "magic," but it's clear that the author intends the word to mean enchanting and mysterious, not possessing the powers of divination or sorcery. The word Halloween is mentioned.
by Katherine Applegate
After her entire pack is killed to extinction, young Byx believes herself to be an Endling, the very last of the Dairnes--mythical doglike creatures possessing the power to tell if someone is telling the truth. Alone and scared, she heads off to find safety. In her journey, she meets a few other misfit creatures looking for a place to call home, including a young human girl named Khara who's determined to clear her family name. Together, the little band of outliers uncovers a plot of deception that turns their allies into enemies. Who can they trust? Who is friend and who is foe?
This is the first in a 3-book fantasy adventure series by the critically acclaimed author of The One and Only Ivan. All three titles contain the same fantastical style and world-building.
G.I. Dogs: Sgt. Stubby, Hero Pup of World War I
by Laurie Calkhoven
Despite the official ban on pets in the military, a mangy mutt wandered into the US Army camp at New Haven, Connecticut, winning the heart of Private J. Robert Conroy who later smuggled him aboard the USS Minnesota headed for France. While on the battlefield, Sergeant Stubby, as he was named, became the mascot of the 102nd Infantry, boosting soldier morale and even participating in several raids on the frontlines. Upon his return to the States, after fighting in 17 different battles and sustaining a few life-threatening injuries, Stubby received a hero's welcome from President Woodrow Wilson.
This is a first-person memoir as told by Sgt. Stubby, himself.
Parents, Be Aware
Dogtown
by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko
Chance used to be a beloved pet. She lived with the Professor's family. One day, her owners left for a six-month sabbatical and placed Chance in the care of a negligent dog-sitter. That's how Chance got in an accident, lost her leg, and ended up at Dogtown, a local animal shelter. But flesh and blood pets aren't the only animals being dumped off at Dogtown. Unwanted robot dogs, like Metal Head, keep arriving every day too. At first, Chance can't stand the electric mutt. She sees Metal Head as an imposter, stealing the human affection that should rightfully go to real dogs. But then, she learns why the robot hound was left behind and realizes that like her, Metal Head longs for a family to love. With the help of a friendly mouse, the pair breaks out of the shelter in search of a forever home.
Young dog lovers will enjoy the delightful illustrations and short, upbeat chapters narrated by Chance, the three-legged dog.
Things to know: The text includes several mentions of dogs exhibiting normal canine behavior like licking their private parts while bathing, sniffing each other's bottoms while greeting, peeing, pooping, and drinking from the toilet bowl. That said, the author doesn't write any of this in an unnecessarily crass way for shock value. She merely notes the work-a-day happenings of a dog's life.
Chase, the narrator dog of the story, uses the phrases, "pretty darn lucky" and "really ticked off." She also describes the weekly poker game played by the shelter employees.
The dog sitter's boyfriend makes manipulative comments to her and is mean to Chase, causing the dog to run away. Additionally, the boy who originally owned Metal Head makes several disrespectful remarks to his mother. Both of these characters play minor roles in the story (only a few pages each) but their portions could be troubling for some sensitive readers.
Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School: We the Children
by Andrew Clements
Sixth grader Benjamin Pratt was the last person to see the janitor alive. Just before he died, the elderly man passed Ben a coin--a message from Captain Oaks, the eccentric ship captain who founded the school over 200 years ago. "The school belongs to the children. Defend it!" he said with his last breath.
With his father and mother separating and his home life crumbling, Ben doesn't know how he can help save the school. The property's already been sold. The building will soon be torn down and an amusement park will be built in its place. Why not just accept the inevitable? But when some strange things begin to happen in the halls, it becomes clear to Ben that there's more to the story than just a real estate investment and that he must act. And fast!
This is the first in a six-part series. Each book ends rather abruptly with very little resolve. Readers will have to complete the entire series to understand the full plot.
Things to know: There's a surprising amount of mean-spirited banter in this short book. Including phrases such as:
"That old windbag!"
"Are you ready for some serious butt-kicking?"
"Talk to you losers later."
"This guy's a real pain."
Additionally, in a typical "kids know best" tone, the two main characters lie to their parents and teachers a handful of times in order to sneak around the school looking for clues.
Benjamin admits that while he doesn't believe in ghosts, he feels pulled by some unseen power to discover the truth about the sale of the school.
Just for you, Mom
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley
by Courtney Walsh
University researcher Isadora Bentley is a rule follower. She lives alone, keeps to a well-practiced schedule, and prefers not to get too close to others. She's happy with her status quo as a hermit. In her way of thinking, if she doesn't let anyone into her life, she won't ever have to experience the pain of loss when they leave it.
While in line at the grocery store on her 30th birthday, however, she spots the headline of a magazine article promising to reveal the top 31 steps to happiness. Doubtful, she leaves the store, article in hand, and sets out to prove the writer wrong. Using her analytical mind and research experience, she devises a series of tests to show that a person's happiness can not be improved upon. Life is what it is.
Her experiment takes a turn when she's assigned to work alongside Dr. Cal Baxter, a young psychology professor who needs a research assistant. Like Isadora, he too has been disillusioned by past loves gone wrong. But, he refuses to believe that "happily ever after" is just a myth.
I was pleasantly surprised by this clean Rom-Com. It was full of relatable characters, snappy one-liners, and plenty of cultural references to keep the story relevant. It was not your typical romance, as Isadora's connection to Dr. Cal is only one of many budding friendships that expand her social circles. In the end, the story is less about love and more about life.
Please note: God's name is used in vain two or three times. And there's one use of "be d*mned." Except for a few chaste kisses, there are no other mentions of physical intimacy.