Published: 2014 Theme: Family Best for: 7 to 9 "I write, "Wrapped in the moon." I can't write any more. But I know that this won't be a rhymed poem. That is too slim for what I want to say. That is too slim for the cow." Reading Fly Away was somewhat like stepping into a child's dream, an ordinary child, living an ordinary life, with the heart and soul of a poet...
Published: 2006 Theme: Perseverance through obstacles Best for: 7 to 10 "Just as Su Shih's writing followed the laws of nature, do did his rulings, where were just and as brilliant as the sun. He was guided by the ancient Chinese book of wisdom, the Tao Te Ching..." It's an interesting challenge to create a historical fiction children's book that young children would be able to take in...
Published: 2005 Theme: Folktale Best for: 9 and up "...Ben started talking about his reading lessons. "It was like coming in out of the dark," he said. "When I started, there were shapes and things, but nothing was clear. Then it was clear and I could see. It was like being born." This unusual children's book offers a retelling of the classic folk tale, Dick Whittington and His Cat, and gentle support for struggling readers.
Published: 2011 Theme: Goodness Wins Out Best for: 9 and up "Whenever Castle Glower became bored, it would grow a room or two. It usually happened on Tuesdays, when King Glower was hearing petitions..." From the opening line (above) to the very end, it is impossible to put this children's book down. Every page has some new development, and so ...
Published: 2004 Theme: Trust and Loyalty Best for: 12 and up "The world was so beautiful in those days, Annika. The music, the flowers, the scent of the pines..." "It still is," said Annika. "Honestly, it still is." Filled with unexpected twists and turns, with terrific characters, and with a cliff-hanger, but happy, ending, this children's book is terrific from start to finish.
Published: 2010 Theme: First Chapter Book Best for: 5 - 8 “The cat ran out of the kitchen. The pig ran after him. It was a chase. Mercy loved a chase.” It’s easy to love Kate DiCamillo’s writing, as she seems to know just what children enjoy...
Published: 1983 Theme: Divorce, Compassion Best for: Boys, 10 and up “Who wants to be friends with someone who scowls all the time? asked Mr. Fridley. “So you’ve got problems. Well, so has everyone see, if you take the trouble to notice.” This book takes us on a journey with a young boy and his feelings towards his estranged dad. The entire story is ...
Published: 2009 Theme: Self-determination Best for: ages 11 and up, especially girls "Granddaddy and I sat motionless for a good five minutes and then quietly collected our things and moved on. On the way back, he spotted the rarest and most delicate object in the wild, an old hummingbird's nest, fragile and expertly woven, smaller than an eggcup." Imagine a children's book which mixes together life in a rural southern town in 1899, a big dose of Charles Darwin, the natural world, and the coming of age of a young girl. If you think this is an implausible mixture for a children's book...
Published: 1996 Theme: Friendship Best for: 11 and up "When I told Tillie that six steps seemed a lot to have to do before you begin, she said, "You must think of those six steps not as preparation for the beginning but as the beginning itself." To get right to the point about this children's book, it is an absolute treasure. The previous books by this author hardly prepared me for this one...
Published: 1997 Theme: First Chapter Book Best for: 5-8 “It was still raining! 'This is terrible,' you said. 'What am I going to do all day?' You sat down and gave yourself a bath." Here’s a sweet little early reader/first chapter children's book especially for kids who have cats they love...
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