Picture Books
by Eve Titus
After hearing two humans talk about how detestable mice are--how they steal and spoil food--Anatole determines to earn his keep. He sneaks into the Duval Cheese Factory and begins leaving small signs around their cheese selections to inform the owners of improvements they can make to their products. From camembert to bleu, Roquefort to brie, the furry father of six has much to say about every delicious variety. The owners of Duval take his suggestions to heart and make necessary improvements to their recipes, turning their sales numbers around. In the end, Anatole becomes a respectable business mouse who no longer has to scrounge for leftover scraps.
This delightful living book will introduce young readers to the culture and language of Paris, France.
by Mary Ann Hoberman
A web is a house for a spider. A nest is a house for a bird. But what about a mule or a rabbit? A mosquito or a snake? What do they call "home?" And how about inanimate objects like airplanes and trains? Where do they live? Do they live in houses, too? Or different people groups like Eskimos and Cree? What are their houses called?
Written in verse, this is a simple story that will gently expand a child's vocabulary by showing the relationship between the things of this world and the places they each call "home."
by Linda Arms White
Even when she was a little girl, Esther McQuigg, later Esther Morris, knew she was capable of doing far more than others gave her credit for. She took that tenacity with her all the way to Wyoming Territory, where she moved with her husband and three grown sons. At that time in history, women were not allowed to vote. Out on the frontier, however, everyone's input was needed. Everyone had to pull together to survive. Knowing this, Esther refused to stay silent. She rallied important officials to give women the right to vote and was later appointed the first woman to hold the office of Justice of the Peace.
Although Esther Morris did not live long enough to see women vote in a presidential election, she directly influenced the establishment of the 19th Amendment, the legislation that made it possible.
by Patricia MacLachlan
Jack was five in 1919 when the final nail was put into the barn. Father christened it "The Hundred-Year Barn" in hopes that it would be helpful for an entire century. Years passed, and Jack grew up. He married a childhood friend and began farming the same land his family had farmed for years. It was his turn to take over the barn. Though much had changed since his boyhood days, the barn remained the same. It was like an old faithful friend.
Leveled Readers
by Brian Selznick
Whether it is a missing set of jewels, a stolen pizza, or a misplaced clown nose, Baby Monkey can find it. He looks for clues, writes notes, eats a quick snack, and solves the crime every time.
This is a collection of five individual stories about missing items. With the exception of a few illustration-only pages, each two-page spread includes one line of text and a pencil sketch. At 192 pages, the book is robust in size but not in difficulty, making it an excellent option for an older child who struggles to read but who doesn't want to practice on a skinny "baby" book.
by Deborah Kogan Ray
Chang Li wants two things: to buy a pony of his own and to return to China. But Grandfather reminds him that they have no money to purchase something so extravagant and that they can never go back home. China is being torn apart by war. Though California is safe, it's not very welcoming. The gold miners tease Chang for the way he talks and the way he dresses. Then, one day, Big Pete moves to town. He's the tallest, toughest gold miner Chang Li has ever seen, but he's nice. He befriends the young boy and teaches him how to pan for gold. With hard work and determination, Chang finds enough gold to buy a pony and have a real friend.
Illustrated Chapter Books
by Carolyn Haywood
This is the delightfully old-fashioned story of one young girl's year in first grade. Betsy starts to feel somewhat nervous about school. But with the help of Officer Fitzpatrick, her new friend Ellen, and the neighborhood Grandma Pretzi, Betsy learns to love her new class.
Written in 1931 and reprinted for modern audiences, the entire Betsy series is a peek into the past when children spoke politely, neighbors were friends, and families maintained traditional values. While the cover has been updated, the internal illustrations have retained their original design.
Please note: In one chapter, Betsy and her classmates learn about the first Thanksgiving. Early editions of the book include the words "braves" and "squaws." The children make an "Indian village" that includes an inaccurate representation of indigenous people.
by Jackie French Koller
When Mole clawed his way into Shrew's home, looking for a house of his own, he was naturally met with indignation. You can't invade someone else's space, after all. But Mole's sincerity, kindness, and simplemindedness quickly win over the straightforward Shrew. With plenty of "Who's on First" style hijinks, they find Mole the perfect place to call home and throw a large party for all their friends.
Fans of Frog and Toad will like this book, the first in a clean 4-title series about the unlikely friendship between two rodents.
Parents, Be Aware
The Apartment House on Poppy Hill
by Nina LaCour
Ella Josephine Norwood lives at 1106 Wildflower Place, Apartment C. Since she's lived there her whole life--all nine years--she fancies herself an expert on the comings and goings of all five apartments. Except no matter how much sleuthing she does, she knows little to nothing about the strange inhabitants of Apartment A, the Robinsons. She's determined to find out. Through a series of notes she leaves and receives in the communal garden, she begins to discover that the Robinsons have been behind the random acts of kindness other tenants have experienced.
Things to know: Two of the five families that live in the apartment complex are same-sex couples. Many of the illustrations reflect a LGBTQ+ lifestyle, including one of Ella as the flower girl in a gay wedding.
Just for you, Mom
by Jonathan Freedland
Nineteen-year-old Walter Rosenberg, a Slovak Jew whose name was later changed to Rudolf Vrba, had one mission: to break out of Auschwitz and use his near-photographic memory to warn the world of the atrocities that were being committed behind the gates. He joined forces with a slightly older prisoner, Alfred Wetzler, and together, the pair did exactly what they set out to do. Only, the world wasn't ready or perhaps was unwilling to listen. The propaganda and secrecy of the Nazi party ran deep.
Auschwitz couldn't possibly be a death camp. It was a relocation facility at best and a prison for political rivals at worst, or so the world was led to believe. Even the very Jews they were hoping to save could not be convinced. No government would ever commit a mass genocide of civilians. The Vrba-Wetzler report was too unbelievable! Or was it?
This narrative nonfiction was an eye-opening look at the complexities of the Allied Nations and their action, and sometimes inaction, regarding the "Jew problem." The author portrays Vrba as a hero--referring to him numerous times as the "first" or the "only" Jew to ever break out of Auschwitz, though neither of those claims is accurate--but also as a flawed individual who allowed his bitterness toward certain Zionist and Allied leaders who "did nothing" to destroy his personal and professional relationships. I appreciate that the author was honest even when the truth did not always fit my expectations or hopes for the characters.