While gender doesn’t determine if a book is great or not, it does help if children can identify with some of the characters in the stories. This is especially true for reluctant readers. The books in this particular category are noted for the predominance of boys as main characters.
Published: 2012 Theme: Genuine Kindness Best for: Third Grade "I couldn't believe myself. All of a sudden it was like there was no door between my brain and my mouth. As for Gerald Willis, he was a fifth-grader, a troublemaker, and a bully." In this well-written children's book, we find out that being kind is a 24/7 occupation, not reserved for winning points.
Published: 1999 Theme: Finding oneself Best for: boys 11 and up "It was so beautiful it took his breath and he stood, his arms full of wood, staring at the sky until the sun, the star, and the light were gone, wanting it all to mean more." A worthy sequel to the best-seller Hatchet, we find out how challenging it is to adapt to civilization that has lost its soul.
Published: 2017 Theme: Being oneself Best for: 5th grade and up "Some people had comfort food, but Alec has comfort books--stories so familiar that they made reading feel like coasting downhill on a bike, or water-skiing on a smooth lake..." This is a fabulous children's book about fitting in, without losing ones own sense of self, and a little bit about coming of age...
Published: 1999 Theme: The Natural World Best for: 9 and up "Frightful awoke as the morning sun brought color to the ops of the trees. Still ravenously hunger, and growing weak from lack of food, she left the pine and circled above an alfalfa field." This children's book is written so deftly that we feel like we are hearing about the habits of a dear friend, rather than some dry science about falcons...
Published: 2017 Theme: Values, Humor, Science Best for: 9 and up "Now that I have proved that Earth does exist," said Sputnik, "I have to prove that it should exist. Every planet has to have a reason...Useless planets are being shrunk all over the sky..." This book has a wonderful mix of good science, deep thought (Why are we here?) and sensitivity to the difficulty of aging...
Published: 2016 Theme: Science and Heart Best for: 9 and up "You'd think that going to your mum's funeral on Tuesday would get you the rest of the week off, but not according to my dad. "We need to get back to normal," he says when I try to protest." This children's book is a terrific merging of heart and mind, sincere feelings and contemporary science...
Published: 2003 Theme: Survival Best for: 9 and up "Until now, except for occasional gut-wrenching pangs of homesickness and loneliness, I had by and large managed to keep my spirits up. But not anymore. My beacon stayed obstinately damp." I was immediately struck with the clarity, simplicity, and beauty of the writing, and wondered how the tale would unfold...
Published: 2016 Theme: Heroes and Villains Best for: boys age 10 and up "My name is Danny Daley, but no one calls me "Danny" anymore. These days, I'm know as "Stink.' Before you laugh, let me tell you how I got that nickname, because it's not what you might think." Three cheers for a children's book series called Guys Read, a fabulous way to grab the attention of middle-school boys.
Published: 2006 Theme: Adventure Best for: 11 and up "This adventure really began on early spring morning when I was fourteen years old. I remember it all so clearly, from the moment I stepped out into the still dark yard and went to unlock the stable door." Written like a page out of the Celtic past, the adventures of two young lads searching for their dad on a lost island is exquisitely crafted...
Published: 2012 Theme: WWII- Japanese Internment Best for: ages 10 to 12 "Gila River was where I would turn thirteen, and live with my mama and my sister, while waiting for my papa to be brought bak from Fort Lincoln, North Dakota, where the FBI had sent him..." This historical fiction children's book adds yet another new piece of history and humanness to the story of the internment of Japanese citizens after Pearl Harbor was attacked.
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