Picture Books
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane
by Mike Lucas
A little boy and his grandpa have always loved visiting their cozy local bookshop with its nooks and crannies, old beloved stories, and cuddly dog at the back. But when the owners close the shop, pack the books, and take down the shelves, the boy worries that things won't ever be the same. After some remodeling, the new owners reopen the doors. The bookstore looks much different, the boy acknowledges. But different can be good. In fact, it can be its own special kind of "great."
This sweet rhyming story features the many emotions that grow when a child experiences change.
by Alice Melvin
Mouse begins his journey in the wintry snows of January to visit Squirrel. As the weather warms, he and Hedgehog welcome spring. In May, he enjoys a pleasant picnic among the bluebells with Mole. By June, he's picking fresh berries alongside Dormouse. As the year cools down in November, he gathers with friends around a campfire. The journey comes full circle in December, when Mouse takes shelter from the cold inside Fox's cozy caravan.
Each page of this seasonal story features a lift-the-flap-to-see-inside style picture of a different woodland house.
Inky the Octopus
by Erin Guendelsberger
Though he is well cared for by the aquarium staff, Inky the Octopus grows bored with his enclosed life and longs to explore the wonders of the vast, open ocean. One night, he notices that the lid of his tank has been left unlatched. Seizing the opportunity, he tries to convince his tank mate, Blotchy, to join him in a daring escape. But Blotchy prefers comfort and safety to danger and adventure. Undeterred, Inky uses his flexible body to slip out, slide across the aquarium floor, and squeeze himself down a narrow drainpipe. The pipe leads him straight out into the Pacific Ocean, where he finally achieves his dream of freedom.
This brightly illustrated rhyming book is loosely based on a real octopus who became an international sensation when he made a daring, aquatic escape from the National Aquarium of New Zealand in 2016.
When Alexander Graced the Table
by Alexander Smalls
Alexander loves to help his mother in the kitchen. He takes pride in peeling eggs for potato salad or shredding cheese for macaroni, all for the family's big Sunday dinner — a meal that includes everyone from grandma and grandpa to aunties, uncles, and cousins. With his mother's permission and encouragement, Alexander decides to bake a homemade lemon icebox pie with meringue from scratch for next Sunday's meal. He wants everyone to enjoy it, but he especially wants his father to be impressed.
When young readers finish turning the last page of this uniquely illustrated book, they can make a version of Alexander's pie using the recipe the author has included on the endpapers.
Leveled Readers
Shampoodle
by Joan Holub
It is picture day at the dog park, and the local pups need to look their absolute best. So they head over to the "Shampoodle" pet salon. The groomers begin washing, spinning, twirling, and scrubbing the bouncing dogs. Things spiral out of control when some curious, nosy kittens wander in. The dogs immediately break loose to chase them and go sliding across the floor in puddles of wet shampoo. Amidst the slipping and tripping, the groomers' curlers and clippers get tangled up, accidentally giving the pets wacky, wild new haircuts.
Because this Level 2 reader contains many difficult digraphs, I think it's more appropriate for Level 3 readers who need a fast-paced, easy-to-read story.
by Shelley Moore Thomas
In a faraway kingdom, a lonely, dutiful knight keeps watch from his crumbly tower. His quiet evening is interrupted when he hears a loud roar echoing from the nearby forest. Expecting a fearsome beast, the knight draws his sword and gallops off on his horse to investigate. Instead of a giant monster, he discovers a cave inhabited by three little, lonely dragons who are resisting sleep with childish delay tactics like asking for a drink of water and a bedtime story. The chivalrous and incredibly patient knight returns to the cave again and again to fulfill the little dragons' requests. Will they ever fall asleep? Will the knight be able to call it a night and get some rest himself?
This Level 2 reader flips the classic fantasy trope of a brave knight slaying a terrifying dragon, turning it into a gentle story about caretaking and patience that mirrors the real-life bedtime struggles of parents.
Illustrated Chapter Books
The House on Walenska Street
by Charlotte Herman
Following her father's recent death, eight-year-old Leah must step up to help her mother and younger sisters, Esther and Rose, manage their Russian household. To support the family, Mama bakes and sells bread and rents out a small corner of their cottage to a kindly local cobbler named Zimmel. As Jews, they are always on the lookout for soldiers who continually threaten to ransack their home.
A budding writer, Leah's favorite household responsibility is reading and answering letters from their cousins who have immigrated to America. Their correspondence inspires her to dream about a future where she and her family can emigrate to the United States, and never have to worry for their safety again.
This historical fiction about the misadventures of three Russian sisters is loosely based on the life of the author's grandmother.
Please note: In one scene, a girl calls a cantankerous, old woman a toad face, knowing full well she'll earn a spanking for her impudence.
Animal Inn: A Furry Fiasco
by Paul Dubois Jacobs
Animal Inn is a countryside pet resort and spa managed by the Tyler family. In addition to housing all of the Tylers' personal pets, the resort provides daycare, grooming, and luxury boarding for all kinds of creatures.
One day, the animals hear that a wizard is coming but find greater terror in the clarification that the wizard won't be the guest—the wizard's dragon will be. Fearing that a monstrous, fire-breathing beast is going to move in and devour them all, the resident pets, especially the narrator of the story, a spirited Macaw named Leopold, spiral into a state of panic.
It turns out that the animals were victims of a tragic game of telephone. They heard one of the tiny humans say "wizard," but what she was actually trying to say through her toddler lisp was "lizard."
This is the first in a five-book series about the mischievous capers of the pets at Animal Inn.
Please note: In Book 5, the animals believe the inn to be haunted.
Parents, Be Aware
by Harry Woodgate
Every summer, a young girl visits her grandfather at his seaside cottage. Grandad shares photo albums and happy stories of traveling across places with his late partner, Gramps. Since Gramps passed away, Grandad has stopped traveling. Wanting to help him heal, his granddaughter encourages him to dust off and repair his old pink camper. Together, they fix the van and set off on a new trip to honor Gramps and celebrate his life.
Things to know: This story was awarded the Stonewall Honor for its obvious LGBTQ+ inclusions.
Just for you, Mom
Theo of Golden
by Allen Levi
Theo arrives alone in Golden right before Easter, keeping his past, his surname, and his reasons for visiting a complete mystery. He moves into an apartment overlooking the river and establishes a daily routine at a local coffee shop called The Chalice.
At the coffee shop, Theo discovers 92 lifelike pencil portraits of local townspeople drawn by a struggling local artist named Asher Glissen. Deeply moved by how the artwork captures the raw humanity of each subject, Theo decides to buy the portraits one by one and distribute them to their rightful owners — the subjects. In exchange for each drawing, he asks only to hear the recipient's personal story.
This is one of the very best examples of Christian fiction I have ever read. That said, it's not a "Christian" book and was not published by a Christian publisher. But it was written by a Christian who clearly understands the depravity of man as well as the redemption of God. He did not sugarcoat the brokenness of this world but instead painted anyone without Jesus as they are: lost and in need of saving.
Please note: There is quite a bit of colorful language in the book. No F-bombs, mind you, but many examples of other four-letter expletives. However, in the same way that CS Lewis needed the darkness of the witch and her minions in Narnia in order to show the stark contrast between the evil found in them and the good found in Aslan, Allen Levi needed to show the sins of a sinner in order to also show the glorious hope of redemption. In other words, the language has a point. It is not superfluous or thrown in simply for the sake of language, as in so many other popular books. In this case, the language helps to create 3-dimensional characters who obviously need Jesus.
Best in Show
Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express
by Eleanor Coerr
This Level 3 reader is a historical fiction based on the legendary life of William Frederick Cody, more commonly known as Buffalo Bill, who at the age of 15 joined the rough-and-tumble riders of the Pony Express. While on the trail, Cody outruns wild animals, savage storms, and even a few outlaws.