Picture Books
by Lela Nargi
Every morning, Fred, an urban beekeeper, climbs up to his apartment rooftop to greet his flying friends, whom he considers family. He says howdy-do to his three queens, Mab, Nefertiti, and Boadicea. As he sits on his roof, he watches his bees fly across the city, foraging in local gardens and parks for nectar and imagines their journey over brownstones and bridges. Later, when the honey is ready, he uses a spinning machine to extract it from the combs. Jarring the final product, he labels it "Fred's Brooklyn Honey, Made by Tireless Brooklyn Bees," and shares it with his neighbors on his front stoop, celebrating the fruits of the community’s flowers.
This living book will teach young readers the basics of honey production.
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek
by Deborah Hopkinson
In 1816, seven-year-old Abraham Lincoln and his ten-year-old best friend, Austin Gollaher, lived near Knobb Creek in Kentucky. One day, despite warnings from Abe’s mother to stay away from the high water, the boys head to the creek to look for partridges. To reach the other side, the boys attempt to cross the swollen, turbulent waters on a narrow log. Austin makes it across, but Abe loses his balance and falls in. Since neither boy knows how to swim, Austin heroically uses a long sycamore branch to pull Abe to safety.
The narrator of this pseudo-tall tale about a little-known part of Lincoln's childhood breaks the fourth wall by talking to the reader.
Please note: Abe and his friend Austen disobey Abe's mother and then vow never to tell her about the aftermath of their bad choice.
My Father Knows the Names of Things
by Jane Yolen
Father knows the names of all kinds of things, including clouds, plants, bugs, and planets.
This lyrical picture book celebrates the bond between a father and his child through the shared wonder of the natural world. Unlike so many contemporary stories that portray men as bumbling or over-controlling, this one really highlights the greatness of a supportive and caring dad.
Sunrise Summer
by Matthew Swanson
Instead of a typical summer with swimsuits and sandals, the young girl in this book takes a trip that requires packing survival supplies like spark plugs and doorknobs. Her family travels via multiple flights and a bush plane to reach a remote cabin. For the first time, she is old enough to officially join her mother’s salmon-fishing crew in the remote wilds of Alaska.
Young readers will get a rare glimpse at the commercial fishing trade through the eyes of a young girl learning the ropes.
Leveled Readers
by Eric Seltzer
Space cows come in green and also in blue. Some of them quack, but most of them moo. They play games, eat chips, own toys, and use space ships.
This Level 1 reader follows the nonsensical day-to-day lives of cows who live in space. Young readers will enjoy the silly one-line rhymes as they practice reading one and two-syllable words.
by Eleanor Coerr
Ariel desperately wants to join her mother, "Carlotta the Great," the best female aeronaut in America, for an upcoming race against her rival, Bernard the Brave. Her parents refuse, telling her she is too young and must ride in a buggy with her father instead. While waiting for the race to start at the fairgrounds, Carlotta allows Ariel to sit in the basket of their balloon, Lucky Star. As the mayor delivers a long-winded speech, Ariel falls asleep inside a box of "odds and ends." A simple oversight finds Ariel in the race of her life!
Based on a true story of the Myers family, 19th-century balloonists, this Level 3 reader contains three hair-raising chapters.
Illustrated Chapter Books
The Trouble with Chickens
by Doreen Cronin
When a frantic chicken named Moosh demands that he find her two missing chicks in exchange for a hamburger, J.J. Tully, a retired search-and-rescue dog, reluctantly takes the case. The hardened hound follows the scent and discovers that Vince the Funnel, a house dog wearing a medical cone, is involved in the kidnapping. Then again, so is one of the chicks.
This is the first in a two-part mystery series starring J.J. and his farmyard friends.
Beti and the Little Round House
by Atinuke
Nestled in the Welsh mountains is a little round house made of mud and thatch. Here is where Beti, her Tad (dad), her Mam (mom), and her baby brother Jac live happily off the grid. Each season gives Beti a new chance to better appreciate her simple, woodland life and to grow and mature. Alongside her baby goat, Naughty, Beti proves herself to be a great help to her family.
This is the idyllic story of a family who chooses to live without the luxuries of modernity but who band together in love despite their unusual and sometimes difficult days. I especially appreciate the relationship between Beti and baby Jac, whom she cares for and delights in.
Parents, Be Aware
Pirate Mom
by Deborah Underwood
Pete loves pirates, but his mother finds them "rude and messy." Things take a comedic turn when the two attend a magic show starring the Amazing Marco, who accidentally hypnotizes Pete's mom into believing she is a pirate.
Things to know: After her hypnotic transformation, the mother becomes mean and rude, steals underwear from a clothesline, and ignores her basic responsibilities. Desperate to protect her from losing the respect of her peers, Pete lies to the PTA about the reason behind her behavior.
The story resolves without a clear lesson or a takeaway for either Pete or the reader.
Just for you, Mom
by Jennifer Chiaverini
Born into slavery, Elizabeth Keckley uses her exceptional sewing skills to eventually purchase her own freedom and that of her son, George. After moving to Washington, D.C., she establishes a thriving business catering to the city's elite, including the wives of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee. In 1861, she's hired by Mary Todd Lincoln and becomes far more than a seamstress, serving as a trusted friend who supports the First Lady through the death of her son, Willie, and the intense political pressures of the Civil War. After the assassination of the president and under immense financial pressure, Keckley, unfortunately, makes a decision that will change their relationship forever.
Best in Show
by Candace Fleming
Based on the true-life generosity of the author's mother, this book shows the hardships of post-WWII Holland and depicts how one American girl sent hope to a small Dutch community one care package at a time.
At the risk of playing favorites, I must confess that this is my most favorite picture book of all time. I read it aloud to my kids every year when we pack Operation Christmas Child boxes. I tear up every time I read it.