Picture Books
by Matthew Cordell
Charlie has just died, and Louise is sad. Charlie wasn't just the family dog; he was Louise's best friend. Angry and sad, Louise boats across the lake one morning to the island to be alone. But she's not alone. The island is filled with all kinds of curious critters, including a lone bear who seems just as angry and sad as Louise feels. Each day, Louise returns, and each day, she and the bear grow less angry and sad. Until one day, the bear must hibernate. Louise knows this means she'll have to say another goodbye. Will this one be as painful as the last?
This is a picture book that addresses healing after loss.
by Claudia Friddell
To the men of Antietam--the wounded and the dying--she was an Angel on the Battlefield. She left her job as a public school teacher and clerk in the US Paton office to go to the front and tend to the soldiers. She brought medical supplies, food rations, and compassion.
This is a picture book memoir of a few days in the life of Civil War hero and founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton. The story is told through actual excerpts of Barton's correspondence and a narrative poem that lyrically reiterates each journal entry or letter. While the illustrations of the wounded are crafted with children in mind, they may be troubling for sensitive readers.
by Steven Kellogg
He's the King of the Keelboatmen along the Mighty Mississippi. But he wasn't always. As a baby, Mike Fink snuck out of his crib to wade in the pond with the bullfrogs. As a young child, he strapped on a plow like an ox and helped his Mamma clear the land. As a young man, he wrestled grizzly bears in the woods. He's an excellent marksman, a champion heavyweight, and an exceptional navigator. He's ornery enough to go toe to toe with alligators and snapping turtles. But when the steamboats begin taking over the river, Mike must face his most formidable rival yet, Hilton P. Blathersby, captain of The Buffalo.
This is a delightful tall tale about one of America's most famous frontiersmen.
by Robert McCloskey
"You never can tell what will happen when you learn to play a harmonica." Little Lentil sure had no idea. He only started learning one day when it was clear he didn't have the pipes to sing or even to whistle. So, he bought himself a "mouth organ" and began practicing. And boy, did his practice pay off!
When Colonel Carter, the town hero, comes to Alto after a two-year absence, dozens of folks show up at the train station to welcome him. The stage is set for a grand homecoming. But then, the professional band gets waylaid and can't perform. Grabbing his harmonic, Lentil saves the day!
The black-and-white illustrations and Andy-Griffith-esque storyline will take readers back to a simpler time.
Leveled Readers
by Jennifer Armstrong
This is a round-trip-style book, which means the story is told in the daytime as the sun is just beginning to shine on the town. And then, the same story is presented in reverse order as the moon starts to appear. The first line of each page in this Level 1 story reads "Sun shines on the..." or "Moon shines on the..." and contains one to two rhyming lines.
by Betsy Byars
May-May and Rose are singing, dancing, and slightly scatterbrained sisters headed west. They plan a vaudeville-type show at each town they come to, but when they step out onstage, something always goes wrong. While the pair, at times, disagrees, they always come to a compromise, apologize when necessary, and do their best to help each other perform.
This whimsical Level 3 reader is the first of three books based on the misadventures of the Golly Sisters. Please note: Book 2 has the pair performing magic tricks.
Illustrated Chapter Books
by Sarah Dillard
Best friends Tigerlily and Violet have just been promoted from Buttercups to Acorns in Mouse Scouts. Though they are excited to join the older girls and learn new scouting skills, they've heard that troupe leader Miss Poppy is quite stern. She challenges the girls to earn their Sow It and Grow It badge, which requires them to work together to plant, nurture, and harvest a garden. But gardening proves to be much more challenging than they ever thought possible, especially when bugs, slugs, and other critters threaten to eat all their crops.
Between each chapter of the fictional story are snippets from the Mouse Scouts Handbook, which includes kid-friendly information about gardening.
This is the first in a cute four-part series. Please note: In the third book, the scouts tell "scary" stories around a campfire.
by Clyde Robert Bulla
Sigurd, a young Norwegian Viking, travels to North America, following the path of his hero Leif Eriksson, who explored parts of Wineland (now Newfoundland) over 100 years earlier. Once there, Sigurd and the entire boat crew are attacked by villains. The boy escapes and makes it back home, only to find that his family is no longer alive. He tries telling the village leaders about his harrowing trip, but no one believes him. Determined to be heard, Sigurd learns to read and write and preserves his memories for future generations.
Some of the battle scenes might be difficult for sensitive readers.
Parents, Be Aware
by Joanna Lapati
Nineteen-year-old Rosetta Wakeman refused to sit around and watch her nation be torn apart. Cutting her hair, changing her name to Lyons, and donning the uniform of a Union soldier, she left her comfortable domestic life in New York to join a regiment headed to Virginia and later Louisiana. Throughout the war, she wrote letters home until her death from dysentery.
Based on the true story of the only documented woman to serve on the front lines of the Civil War, this book was created with scratchboard illustrations similar to the wood etchings that were popular in the late 19th century.
Things to know: While the story text does not explicitly mention transgenderism and the reasons behind Wakeman's decision to live as a man for many years of her life, the author's notes at the back of the book go into further detail and present speculation about Wakeman's gender confusion and that of other women who also served in the American Civil War.
Just for you, Mom
by Courtney Walsh
While walking down the sidewalk, hands laden with the coffee orders of her coworkers, overworked and undervalued junior book editor Kelsey Worthington gets hit by a car. While not exactly on her bucket list, the accident is just the wake-up call she needs to start living her life with intention.
She's placed in a shared hospital room with business mogul Georgia Tate. Hoping to glean valuable wisdom from the older, more accomplished woman, Kelsey questions Ms. Tate about her biggest life regrets. She has many, namely her estranged relationship with her husband and grown son. With her kidneys failing, she figures it's too late to make amends.
Kelsey sees Georgia's confession as an invitation--an opportunity to finally start living her own life well and help a dying woman make things right. She declares the upcoming months as "The Summer of Yes!" and insists that the pair agree to every adventure that comes across their paths. But when she meets Georgia's very single and startlingly handsome son, she realizes that some yeses might be too good to be true.