Published: 1983 Theme: Independence Best for: 10 and up "They saw hundreds of horses charging through the forest until the ground rang under their hooves...They're not frightened- they're just running winter out of their bodies." This magical children's book is like stepping into an ancient fairytale, from who knows where, and who knows when. It has an eternal quality about it...
Published: 2014 Theme: Passion for Cooking Best for: 8 and up "Gladys's dad didn't believe in recipes, so if Gladys left him alone for even one minute, he'd start throwing in random stuff, saying that experimenting always made a dish taste better. It didn't...Worst of all, Gladys's parents... just nuked things in the microwave." In a lovely role reversal, it's 11-year-old Gladys who is aching for quality prepared food, while her parents are into take-out pizza, junk food, and worse.
Published: 2012 Theme: Ice Skating and Nature Best for: 7 and up "The first ice came on the sheep pails in the barn- a skim of ice so thin that it broke when we touched it." Twelve Kinds of Ice is a small, inspiring ode to the beauty and simplicity of ice, ice-skating, children, nature, and simple living.
Published: 1975 Theme: Historical Fiction Best for: 12 to 14 "Why, people ask, why did Leonardo da Vinci choose to paint the portrait of the second wife of an unimportant Florentine merchant when dukes and duchesses all over Italy and the King of France as well, were all begging for a portrait by his hand? Why, they ask, why?" This is quite a lovely way to introduce older children to the world of Leonardo da Vinci, and his painting of the Mona Lisa, and history of the Renaissance.
Published: 2015 Theme: Mystery, Family Best for: 9 and up "With her shabby shoes, the too-big dress, too-tight sweater, and the odd gray apron hanging down, she looked more like a scullery maid than a guest. But the apron's pocket was handy for holding her mouse, and a small sweater hole would give him sufficient air..." Nooks and Crannies held my attention all the way to the extremely happy, and perhaps predictable, ending, where the orphan girl meets a long-lost, very rich, relative.
Published: 2003 Theme: First Chapter Book Best for: 6 to 9 "And the strange thing was - which Horace noticed- the strange thing was, the baby carriage...was barking." This "first chapter book" is a treat - it has some humor, as well as unusual elements such as maps and timetables for the reader to follow. It has a simple plot, with an attempt for the story to be a mystery to be solved, but the clues are present on every page.
Published: 2000 Theme: Social Justice Best for: 9 and up "Abuelita smiled, reached over, and pulled the yarn, unraveling all of Esperanza's rows. "Do not be afraid to start over," she said." What better way for children to become true citizens of the world than by reading honestly written books about serious issues, in this case the treatment of Mexican immigrant farmworkers during the depression...
Published: 2015 Theme: Power of Music Best for: ages 10 and up "Have you ever considered that one person might play the mouth harp and pass along her strength and vision and knowledge? So that the next musician who plays it might feel the same? It is true..." The thread that weaves the three main characters together is the power of music to redeem even the darkest of situations...
Published: 2010 Theme: Live your dream Best for: 8 and up "He peeked out... and saw that the wind had also possessed his mittens. They looked like ghostly hands waving good-bye in the Chilean sky. Where were they headed? Whose hands would they cover next? ..'Where is the storehouse of lost and found?'" As I put this exquisite children's book down, I wiped my eyes, and marveled at the quick journey I had just taken into the heart and mind of Pablo Neruda...
Published: 1972 Theme: Cultural Survival Best for: 9 and up "Miyax pushed back the hood of her sealskin parka and looked at the Arctic sun. It was a yellow disk in a lime-green sky; the colors of six o'clock in the evening and the time when the wolves awoke." Part of the fifth grade Waldorf curriculum, this authentic story allows a glimpse into a world where people were one with wild nature.
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