Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Children's Book - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Published: 2009 Theme: Gratitude Best for: ages 5 and up "Minli gaped at the dragon in front of her. It was brilliant red, the color of a lucky lantern, with emerald-green whiskers, horns, and a dull stone-colored ball like the moon on his head. He was half-covered by...the silvery lake of water his tears had formed all around him." What joy, to find such a superb collection of Chinese folk tales, woven together into one adventure story with a beautiful message about gratitude.

Brush of the Gods

Children's Book Brush of the Gods

Published: 2013 Theme: Artistry Best for: 5 to 8 "Each day something new and surprising dripped out of Daozi's brush. His straight lines splintered into trees. His hooks caught fish. His dots burst into eyes, then pigs and monkeys. From a stroke, a horse's tail flew by." This children's book is exquisite from beginning to end, from front cover to back cover. The story is an imaginative version of the life of the great Chinese artist Wu Daozi...

The Castle Corona

Children's Book Castle Corona

Published: 2007 Theme: Contentment Best for: 6 and up "The Queen could always tell when the King had visited the hermit, for he would be, for a short time, calmer than usual, not straining at his restrictive clothing, not complaining or yawning. She would find him sitting mute on his throne,...gazing placidly around the room." This children's book is just pure and simple fun. I found the book in a used book store, and was immediately struck by its beauty...

Flora and Ulysses

Flora and Ulysses Children's Book

Published: 2013 Theme: Reconciliation Best for: 9 and up "And she felt it. Her father's heart, beating there inside of him. It felt very certain, very strong, and very large. Just like Dr. Meescham had said: Capacious....The three of them traveled the rest of the way home in a strange and peaceful silence." Once again, the award-winning Kate DiCamillo has captured well-deserved recognition (2014 Newbery Award) with a new children's book that goes straight to the heart of both adult and children readers...

Leaving Gee’s Bend

Children's Book Leaving Gee's Bend

Published: 2010 Theme: Courage, Racial Discrimination Best for: 11 and older "Would Mama like the colors I picked? Would she be mad about me taking them pieces from her apron? I turned the quilt in the air, looking at it this way and that. Soon I would be running out of thread.Wasn't but a few inches hanging down like the tail of a kite." Gee's Bend is indeed a real place. The women of Gee's bend have a tradition of creating quilts that dates back to early American history. In recent years, their quilts were discovered...

Broken Song

Children's Book : Broken Song

Published: 2005 Theme: Courage, Immigrants Best for: 12 and up (PG) "How much he missed Rachel. Would he be able to hold out long enough for the revolution? Would he survive? Would he ever devote endless hours to practicing a Brahms concerto? Would he ever play games with his sister again?" Here is a painfully beautiful and difficult children's book that I must recommend particularly because I want my son and grandson to read it...

Island of the Aunts

Children's Book Island of the Aunts

Published: 2001 Theme: Caring for the Planet Best for: 8 and up "She went on to explain that the worm was a person who liked to think about important things like 'Where has yesterday gone?' or 'Why hasn't God made sardines without bones?' The trouble is he's so long that his thoughts don't easily get to the other end, and that upsets him." As a confirmed fan of Eva Ibbotson, I was so happy to find another quirky children's book by her on the library shelves, this one with both fun and seriousness....

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Spiderwick - Children's Book

Published: 2003 Theme: Mystery Best for: 8-10 "See, brownies are these helpful guys. But then if you make them mad, They go crazy.They start doing all these bad things, and you can't stop them. Then they become boggarts." This is a an easy read, and is sort of like a fantasy children's book for younger children. I think older readers would gravitate toward more complex stories...

Journey

Children's Book Journey

Published: 2013 Theme: Imagination Best for: up to age 8 This is a children's book without a single word. Is it great children's literature? Absolutely, because the literature comes from the children themselves.

Jake and Lilly

Jake and Lily Children's Book

Published: 2012 Theme: Bullying, Coming of Age Best for: 10 to 12 "It was where I belonged. And--here was the best part--so did everybody else belong. Everybody who is and ever was. I wasn't alone after all. I was connected to it all. That star...it's my neighbor." This is a thoughtful and important book, just like the other books that Spinelli has written.. this one about growing up, and also about bullying.