Picture Books
by Tammi Sauer
Wordy Birdy likes to talk—a lot. In fact, she talks so much that she rarely ever listens. Ok, so she never listens. One day, while on a hike, she walks headlong into danger. She's so busy talking that she doesn't listen to the warnings of her friends, telling her to turn around. Go back. Stop walking. Consequently, she suffers the consequences.
This is a silly book with charming illustrations, narrated in both third-person and first-person perspectives.
by Phyllis Root & Gary D. Schmidt
Celia Thaxter wasn't always a poet. As a child, she lived on an island off the coast of Maine, helping her father run his seaside hotel. Most of her days were spent collecting shoreline treasures, growing a beautiful garden, and entertaining the many world-famous poets who came to the island for respite. Little did she know that the innocent days of youth would be the inspiration for her own writing someday.
Snippets from Thaxter's most famous poems grace the outer edges of the beautiful watercolor illustrations.
Fly, Cher Ami, Fly!
by Robert Burleigh
When the 77th Infantry Division was trapped behind enemy lines during World War II, they needed to get a message to their American base. They needed help. It was up to Cher Ami ("Dear Friend" in French), one of 600 carrier pigeons used by the Allies to deliver vital intelligence, to fly an SOS through the thick fighting and into friendly territory. En route, he was shot at and severely injured, yet he flew. He delivered his message, and the "lost battalion" was saved. This is his story.
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The county fair only comes once a year, and young Almanzo Wilder can't wait. This year, he's entering a pumpkin and hopes to win a ribbon for all his hard work. While he waits for the judging, he roams the fairgrounds. There's so much to see and so many yummy things to eat. He even enters a foot race. At last, when it is finally time for the pumpkins to be inspected, Alamzo notices that his pumpkin is the biggest. But will it be the tastiest?
Like all the other thirteen titles in the "My First Little House Books" series, the text of Country Fair comes directly from a chapter of one of the original Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Leveled Readers
Oliver
by Syd Hoff
Oliver has always dreamed of being a circus dancer. But when the circus man says he has enough elephants already, Oliver must find a new job for himself. He heads to the zoo, but the zoo has no room for him. He wanders a neighborhood asking if anyone needs a house pet. But it seems everyone already has a pet to love. Finally, he heads to the park. While there, he meets the neighborhood children who are thrilled to have a new friend to play with. Swinging and sliding are fun, but will Oliver ever be able to dance?
by Peggy Parish
With his newly made bow, Blue Sky sets out for his very first solo hunt. He aims at a turkey and misses. Next, he aims at a deer, but misses again. Animal after animal escapes his arrow. Empty-handed, a dejected Blue Sky heads back to his village. But when a wild boar begins to chase him, Blue Sky finds a way to bring dinner home after all.
The illustrations in this Level 2 reader are action-packed.
Illustrated Chapter Books
The Miniature World of Marvin & James
by Elise Broach
James is going on a trip, and his trusted friend, Marvin the Beetle, is going to miss him. Marvin will be so bored. How will he pass the time? Will James meet new friends while he is away? Will he forget all about home? These are the concerns that swirl through the beetle's thoughts. But, with his cousin Elaine by his side, Marvin has quite an exciting, albeit somewhat dangerous, adventure involving a pencil sharpener!
Please note: In one line, when describing his cousin, Marvin narrates, "Sometimes she is fun. Sometimes she is annoying."
This is one in a five-part series about Marvin and James. I have not read the subsequent titles.
by Cynthia Rylant
Nigel Chipmunk lives in a cozy cottage on Thimbleberry Lane. Ever the hospitable critter, he makes himself available to help his neighbors. Dipper the hummingbird has just moved into the area and is looking for a friend. Little Owl needs help redecorating. Claudius, the garden snake, could use a hand planting strawberries. And Mudpuppy the salamander yearns for a day of fun and relaxation on the pond with a pal. Nigel comes alongside each of them to offer companionship and care.
Fans of Beatrix Potter stories will enjoy this delightful book about the simple joys of community. Each chapter is a stand-alone tale, making this an excellent title for young readers transitioning from picture books to chapter books.
Middle-Grade Novels
by Ross Montgomery
Rebel lives a simple life. With the love of his boy, Tom, and the responsibility of keeping watch over the farm, the young mutt has all he could ever want or need. But when his boy runs away to join the ranks of the Reds, a growing band of townsfolk determined to break free from the king's tyrannical rule, Rebel leaves the safety of his beloved fields and runs headlong into a Civil War. He must find Tom and keep him safe. But that's not an easy task for a little dog who has never left the yard. As days turn into weeks, Rebel meets a ragtag group of friends who will teach him about the sacrifice of real love.
This endearing story, set in a pseudo-England of medieval times, is told from the dog's point of view.
Please note: Jaxon, an older stray dog that Rebel meets, tells of Companion, a "spirit guide that walks with dogs to care for them and keep watch over them. Although the book is not Christian fiction, the brief description of the Companion reflects the Creator's care for animals, as seen in Psalm 50:10-11.
When Rebel nearly dies, he is joined by Companion who shows him some of the highlight memories of his life on the farm. He must choose to enter what can only be described as a sort of dog heaven (although the text never says that) or keep living in order to find and protect Tom.
A few chapters describe a battle scene that may be troubling for sensitive readers.
by Sara Pennypacker
It's been quite a week for 3rd grader Clementine. No one seems to understand that she cut off her friend Margaret's hair and dyed it green because she was trying to be helpful. And she then cut off her own hair in solidarity. She used her toothbrush to eat her lentils because she thought it might make them taste better.
No matter what Clementine does, her choices always seem to end in disaster. But when Dad needs help getting rid of the neighborhood pigeons, Clementine's imagination just might be precisely what is required.
Fans of Ramona Quimby will appreciate this fun-loving, imaginative, and somewhat impulsive girl. Please note: Clementine mentions seeing the school lunch lady kissing the janitor in her car one day.
This is the first of a seven-book series. I have not read the subsequent titles.
by Jasmine Warga
Resilience, the Mars rover, has never left the laboratory. Up until this point, his days have been spent doing tests and running simulations. He's a robot programmed just to follow commands. But through years of watching the "hazmats" prepare him for launch, he has slowly developed feelings and emotions. The plan is to send him to Mars and leave him there. NASA doesn't have the budget to get him home. But he's not named Resillience for nothing. Against all odds, the rover determines to find a way to return to Earth.
12-year-old Rania's mother is one of the NASA scientists tasked with sending Res, as he's called, into orbit. While Rania is proud of her mom and all she has accomplished, she misses her too. It has taken years — much of Rania's childhood, teenage, and eventually young adult life — for the team, including her mom, to build and program Resilience. To prevent herself from getting frustrated or sad, Rania begins to write Res letters.
Part of the book is the first-person narrative of Res, the rover, and the other part is epistolary as told through Rania's letters to him.
Please note: One character says, "Dang," and Rania writes, "OMG" a few times in her letters. Additionally, some of her early letters suggest the resentment she holds against her mother and her mother's job. But, as the story progresses, Rania's perspective of and love for her mother grow and mature.
by Gloria Whelan
The year is 1919. Rachel Sheridan lives with her missionary parents in British East Africa, where they work with and minister to the Kikuyu and Masai tribes. Her life is upended when her parents unexpectedly die from a flu epidemic that ravages the land. Orphaned, she is forced by a greedy British couple to impersonate their deceased daughter and travel to England in order to cash in on an inheritance. Rachel must navigate the deception of her caretakers, nurture new relationships with others she's not sure she can trust, and ultimately find the strength to carve out a new life.
While the publisher has slotted this title as a middle-grade, the emotional themes make it more suitable for 10+ or young teens.
Parents, Be Aware
by Charlotte Sullivan Wild
Violet has learned to greatly admire, Mira, another young girl in her class. With Valentine's Day only days away, she makes Mira a special card. But will she have the courage to give it to her?
Things to know: The "love" described in this story goes beyond the normal feelings that a friend might have for another friend. While the text never explicitly labels Violet's admiration for Mira as a "crush," it strongly implies it. Additionally, the book earned the Stonewall Book Award, a prize bestowed upon titles that feature LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Mystery of the Roman Ransom
by Henry Winterfeld
All they were trying to do was buy a slave as a gift to their teacher. But things take a horrible turn when seven school chums soon find themselves entangled in a sinister plot to kill a senator. Unbeknownst to them, the slave was the mule carrying the assassination orders that would leave one of them fatherless. Trouble is, they don't know whose father is about to be murdered. It's up to the boys to solve the crime before it's carried out.
Things to know: While the initial plot of the story sounds spine-chilling, the actual story is relatively tame. That said, because the author has done his best to portray the Roman culture with historical accuracy, there are many mentions of false gods. Characters often use phrases such as "By the gods" when making oaths. There are a few references to ghosts and one use of the word "a*s." Additionally, the boys lie to their mothers to sneak out late at night in hopes of tracking the murderer.
Just for you, Mom
by Sandra Dallas
The lives of four strangers will collide when they, along with dozens of other Mormon converts, embark on a harrowing journey from Iowa City to Salt Lake City in hopes of finding the "promised land." Nannie was left at the altar and is now traveling with her sister and brother-in-law. Louisa is married to an overbearing patriarch who believes He's God's mouthpiece to the people. Jessie is a near-spinster hoping to start a farm with her brothers. And Anne does not share the faith of the fellow travelers but must make the trek by her husband's side. Pushing all their worldly goods in small hand carts across the country, the motley crew of women will face unimaginable hardships that will test their faith in their Mormon beliefs and each other.
The book, albeit entirely fiction, is based on the true historical events of the Martin Handcart Company of 1856, which proved disastrous for many Mormon pioneers who died from starvation, disease, accidents, and harsh weather conditions.