Picture Books
Roxaboxen
by Alice McLerran
Most folks would look at the hill of sand, rocks, and cacti as nothing but a scrub desert, but not Marian and her friends. With a little imagination, the neighborhood kids transform a small patch of earth into the make-believe town of Roxaboxen. Scrapping together broken boxes and abandoned treasures, they build homes, shops, and highways. Through the years, the children grow and so does the town. Pretend play can't last forever...or can it?
retold by Candace Fleming
When Thomas Jefferson set out to write the Declaration of Independence, he had no idea what kind of criticisms would come his way. Delegates of the Continental Congress made all kinds of suggestions, hoping to make the Declaration even better. Discouraged, Jefferson sought the consolation of friend and fellow patriot, Benjamin Franklin. To teach Jefferson a valuable lesson about the vacillating opinions of the public, Franklin tells him a story of a hatmaker whose attempt at making a store-front sign was thwarted time and again by the criticisms of the town's folk. This is Franklin's story.
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel
by Kathryn Gibbs Davis
The year was 1893. Chicago was chosen to be the backdrop of the World's Fair. France had dazzled thousands the year before by unveiling the Eiffel Tower; now it was America's turn. A nationwide contest was announced encouraging engineers to submit their best ideas. Blueprint after blueprint arrived only to be sent back by the judges. Until one day, George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. hatched a plan to use a steel alloy--a relatively new material--to create a spinning structure the likes of which the world had never seen. Powered by two giant steam engines, Mr. Ferris called his contraption a Monster Wheel.
A Country Far Away
by Nigel Gray
Two boys. Their days are so different and yet very much the same. They go to school. They play with friends. They do chores. They live ordinary lives. One calls the United States home while the other resides in a village in Africa.
Told in first person, this simple story chronicles a day in the life of two different boys. The text appears in the middle of each page and is intentionally generic. One line reads," I helped my mom and dad. They were pleased." The beautiful illustrations reveal the differences and similarities of the boys in a way that does not make one life better or worse than another. Both lives are celebrated.
Leveled Readers
A New Home
by Tim Bowers
Matt likes his new home, but it's missing one important thing: a pal. When he sees Pam's hat fly away, he rushes off to grab it. This allows him to make introductions and the two become fast friends.
The left side of each two-page spread has one to two simple sentences. The right side has a large illustration, making this Level 1 reader a manageable book for early readers. With the exception of two more difficult words, friend and new, the sentences contain only one and two-vowel words.
The Bravest Dog Ever
by Natalie Strandiford
In the frontier town of Nome, Alaska, two children fall ill from a deadly disease called diphtheria. The local doctor does not have enough medicine to help the siblings let alone to prevent the spread of the sickness to the rest of the town. The closest hospital with supplies is over 800 miles away in Anchorage. So, the townsfolk do the only thing they can: they call upon Alaskan mushers to help.
This is the true story of Balto, the lead dog of one of the many sled teams that helped carry life-saving medicine across the tundra in the winter of 1925.
Illustrated Chapter Books
A Long Road on a Short Day
by Gary D. Schmidt
Early one winter morning, Samuel and his father set out on foot with a treasured Barlow knife in hand. Mama needs a milk cow to feed the baby. Papa says they'll use the knife as payment. But how can one lone knife buy a cow? At the first farm they come to, Papa promises the knife in exchange for two tin lanterns. At the next house, he trades the lanterns for a book of poetry. And so it goes--all day, Papa trades for larger and more valuable items.
Fans of The Ox-Cart Man will appreciate the premise of this delightful story. I especially like how the father acknowledges the son's contributions and allows the boy to make the final trade of the day. When given a choice to keep a prized pony and cart all to himself, he selflessly remembers the needs of his mother and baby sister, and barters for a milk cow instead.
by Poppy Green
What could be better than heading back to school to see your friends after a long winter break? The anticipation of meeting a new classmate! But when Sophie Mouse steps into the one-room schoolhouse of Silverlake Elementary, she's surprised to learn that the new student is a snake. Can she overcome her fears and be kind to someone who is different from her? Does she have room in her heart for one more friend? And if she has the courage to welcome a snake into her circle of friendship, what will her other classmates think?
This is the first in a 20-book series starring Sophie Mouse and her collection of woodland pals. All twenty books are quite clean and wholesome.
Please note: In Book 2 of the series, Sophie leaves a half-truth message for her parents in order to sneak away on a dangerous misadventure. She and a friend end up meeting a stranger and follow him into his house. The story ends innocently because the stranger has no ill intent. However, the plot may send the wrong message to impressionable readers about interacting with unfamiliar adults.
Parents, Be Aware
Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children
by Jonah Winter
Irate about the working conditions for children in mills and factories, Mary Harris Jones, known as Mother Jones, took to the streets to demand child labor laws and the formation of unions to help protect young workers. Together with one hundred boys and girls, she marched from New York City to Teddy Roosevelt's summer home in Long Island urging the then-president to enact change. Although few improvements were made in her day, Mother Jones ignited a revolution against injustice, the effects of which are still being felt today.
Things to know: Mary Harris Jones was a spitfire. A self-proclaimed "h*ll-raiser," she was labeled the most dangerous woman in America by many politicians in the early part of the 20th century. Sensitive readers should be aware that while accurately written, the first-person narration of the story often portrays Jones as hostile, rebellious, and vulgar. There is one use of "Heck, no!"
Just for you, Mom
The Italian Ballerina
by Kristy Cambron
Present Day- Delaney Coleman has just lost her beloved grandfather Courtney Coleman, a small-town doctor and WWII veteran when she receives a strange message from a family in Italy demanding she return a vintage suitcase from her grandfather's estate. Confused and grief-stricken, she travels to Italy to sort out the mistake only to discover there's more at stake than just a timeworn piece of luggage. Its return will unlock the history of dozens and dozens of forgotten Jews.
1943- Famed British Ballerina Julia Bradbury and her dance partner must take refuge in Fatebenefratelli Hospital on Timber Island in Italy after their train car is bombed. While there, Julia lends a hand to the doctors and priests as they care for patients suffering from Syndrome K. When two US medics are smuggled in along with a young Jewish girl, Julia must make some decisions that will change the course of all of their lives.
This incredibly clean dual-timeline historical fiction is a sweeping saga that will introduce readers to a lesser-known portion of WWII history.