Picture Books
by Deborah Hopkinson & James E. Ransome
Like so many other folks, the young narrator and his father struggled through the Great Depression, saving pennies and collecting scraps of firewood. Each day, the boy watched the fearless steelworkers, known as "sky boys," labor high above the city, hoisting 60,000 tons of steel and stacking 10 million bricks with machine-like precision, slowly transforming the vacant lot on 34th Street and 5th Avenue. Then, on May 1, 1931, the pair paid the small fee and were among the first to ride the elevators to the observation deck. They stood for hours, looking out over Manhattan from the top of the world's tallest building, the Empire State Building.
by Louise Borden
After the father of his friend Johanna is arrested for sending messages to the Allies, ten-year-old Piet Janssen is tasked with guiding Johanna and her younger brother, Joop, to safety across the border in Belgium. The three children must skate approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) along frozen canals from their hometown of Sluis to their aunt's house in Brugge. To avoid detection by German soldiers, they must pretend to be innocent schoolchildren out for a casual skate while maintaining enough speed and strength to reach their destination. Piet draws inspiration from his hero, Pim Mulier, the first person to complete the Elfstedentocht (Eleven Towns Race), a prestigious 200-kilometer skating tour in the Netherlands.
This historical fiction depicts an interesting piece of WWII history and Dutch culture. While technically a picture book, the text is quite robust, making it a great read-aloud or read-alone for young kids and tweens alike.
by Matt De La Pena
CJ joins his Nana every Sunday for a bus ride through the city after church. One day, as they wait for the bus in the rain, CJ expresses disappointment that his family doesn't have a car like his friend Colby. Throughout the ride, CJ continues to question why he doesn't have certain luxuries, such as a music player like other boys on the bus. Nana patiently answers each question, helping him see the value in what he does have, such as the company of the bus driver and the live music from a fellow passenger. The "last stop" is revealed to be a soup kitchen, where Nana and CJ volunteer. By the end of the trip, CJ feels grateful for the opportunity to serve the community.
Home on the Range
by Deborah Hopkinson
Growing up on a Texas ranch, John A. Lomax was captivated by the songs of cowboys traveling the Chisholm Trail and began documenting these tunes. As a college student, John presented his collection to a professor who dismissed the songs of "plain, ordinary folk" as having no value. Discouraged, John reportedly burned his original childhood collection. Years later, with the support of a different teacher, John returned to his passion. He embarked on a cross-country journey to record and archive these vanishing oral traditions. Using a "clunky" Ediphone recording device, John traveled the West, convincing cowboys, gypsies, and regular people to sing for him. Through his efforts, hundreds of songs were preserved for future generations, including classics such as "Sweet Betsy from Pike," "Git Along Little Dogies," and the title song, "Home on the Range." This is his story.
Please note: One illustration depicts John recording in a saloon, with cowboys gathered around. In another scene, he is sitting with a gypsy who is said to have "wandered all over the West, telling fortunes and singing."
Leveled Readers
by Syd Hoff
Sammy is a curious and friendly seal living at the zoo. While the other seals are content, Sammy is bored and wants to see what life is like in the "outside world." The zookeeper, Mr. Johnson, lets Sammy leave for the day. While free, he explores the busy city. He eventually follows a group of children into school, where he learns to read, write, and play outdoor games. After a fun day, Sammy decides that although the city is exciting, he belongs at the zoo. He takes a taxi back just in time for dinner, concluding that "there's no place like home."
Each page of this Level 1 reader contains one to three sentences.
by Nathaniel Benchley
The year is 1775. Young Sam Brown lives on a farm with his family in Lexington, Massachusetts. At the time, America was still a British colony, but there was growing tension and unhappiness among the colonists. Late one spring night, Sam is awakened by the sound of church bells signaling that British soldiers are marching from Boston toward Concord to seize hidden weapons. Sam's father, a Minuteman, tells him to get his gun and join the local militia. Sam accompanies his father to the Lexington village green, where they wait through the night for the British to arrive at dawn. During the first encounter, a shot is fired, and a brief battle ensues. Sam's best friend, John, is shot in the leg, which deeply frightens Sam and makes him angry at the British. As the British troops return from Concord, the Minutemen use a new strategy, hiding behind trees and stone walls to shoot at the soldiers as they march back to Boston. At sundown, Sam returns home to sleep, ending the first of many days of the war ahead.
Though Sam Brown is a fictional character, many real people and places of the American Revolution are mentioned in this Level 3 reader.
Illustrated Chapter Books
by Cynthia Voigt
Teddy, Umpah, and Peng live on an island with other lost toys. One day, their quiet life is disrupted by the arrival of two new stuffies: a grumpy rabbit and a doll with royal ambitions. Will there be room in their circle for more friends, or will the inclusion of these outsiders change their community forever?
Fans of Winnie the Pooh will enjoy this delightfully slow-life story about the everyday adventures of a team of stuffed animals.
This illustrated chapter book is robust in length but innocent in content, making it a perfect title for young but advanced readers.
Blue Ribbon Blues
by Jerry Spinelli
Tooter Pepperday is struggling to adjust to farm life after having moved from the city with her family. To help her feel more at home, her aunt gives her a goat of her own and introduces her to a neighbor boy, the current reigning blue-ribbon goat champion. Determined not to be outdone by another farm kid, Tooter resolves to enter this year's competition. When her preschool brother stumbles upon a can of blue paint, however, Tooter's blue ribbon dreams are ruined. Or are they?
Please note: Tooter rolls her eyes at her mom. Later, when it seems like she will not be able to enter the goat contest, she tries to sabotage the neighbor's chances, but through a series of chaotic events, she changes her mind.
I appreciate Tooter's response to her little brother's impulsive decision to paint her goat. She could have been angry and sought revenge, but she didn't.
Parents, Be Aware
by Maribeth Boelts
Just after a mother cocker spaniel gives birth to six puppies, a witch steals one of them. Naming it Pupunzel, she locks it in a tower where it begins to grow long golden fur. Devastated, the momma dog sets off to find her stolen pup.
This Level 3 reader is a reimagined retelling of Grimm's Rapunzel.
Things to know: The witch flies about on her broomstick and uses a magic hairbrush to make the dog's fur grow longer.
Just for you, Mom
by Heather Kaufman
Following her mother's untimely death, young Martha is thrust into a maternal role, raising her siblings: the studious Lazarus and the "wild and rambunctious" Mary. She finds a brief spark of hope in a first love with a lowly shepherd named Uri, but her father's disapproval and further hardships cause her dreams to "crumble into dust." Years of duty and disappointment leave Martha guarded, weary, and defined by her burdens.
Time passes, and eventually a friend begs Jesus of Nazareth, a new teacher, to heal her husband. Martha recognizes this "carpenter-rabbi" from a story in her past. As Martha witnesses Jesus' miracles and experiences His compassion, her hardened heart begins to heal.
As the first book in the Women of the Way series, Up From Dust, reimagines Martha’s journey from a burdened childhood to her life-changing encounter with Jesus.
Best in Show
by Judith Berry Griffin
Phoebe, the daughter of the local tavern owner, gets sent to George Washington's house to be a housekeeper, or so she's supposed to pretend. In reality, she's been sent there as a spy to thwart a plot to poison the colonial general. Loosely based on the true story of Phoebe Fraunces, of Fraunces Tavern in New York City, who saved the life of General George Washington during the Revolutionary War, this book will not only teach young readers about a pivotal time in the nation's history but will also leave them on the edge of their seats.