Smith of Wootton Major

Children's book- Smith of Wootton Major

Published: 1967 Theme: Faery Best for: 7 - 10 "There was a village once, not very long ago for those with long memories, not very far away for those with long legs. Wootton Major it was called because it was larger than Wootton Minor..." A truly magical yet profound tale of the skeptic world and those who 'do believe in fairies'...

Tales from the Perilous Realm

Tolkien Children's Book- Tales from the Perilous Realm

Published: 2008 Theme: Tolkien Fantasy Best for: 7 and up "Faerie is a perilous land, and in it are pitfalls for the unwary and dungeons for the overbold..." This collection of shorter stories by Tolkien has something for all ages, including adults who love Tolkien's fantasy worlds.

Roverandom

Children's Book - Roverandom

Published: 1998 Theme: Fantasy Best for 8 and up "Not every old man with ragged trousers is a bad old man: ... a few, a very few, are wizards prowling round on a holiday looking for something to do. This one was a wizard, the one that now walked into the story." Early on, Tolkien crafted several short novellas out of stories that he made up for his own children, and Roverandom is one of them.

Saving the Griffin

Children's Book - Saving the Griffin

Published: 2007 Theme: Imagination Best for: 9-11 "With a pleased yowl, the griffin chased after the ball again, catching it a few feet from Kate and Michael. Then it came forward and laid the ball at Kate's feet like a cat presenting a dead mouse.." There's a real gentleness about this children's book that actually doesn't need additional drama or hype...

Dodsworth in Paris

First Chapter Children's Book - Dodsworth in Paris

Published: 2008 Theme: First Chapter Book Best for: 6 to 8 "They sat down for lunch at a cafe. "Bonjour," said the waiter. "That means 'Hello'", Dodsworth told the duck. "Oh well then, 'banjo' to you, too," said the duck." As a first chapter children's book, this little book is more than meets the eye, with lovely illustrations, and authentic information about Paris.

Annika Riz, Math Whiz

Annika Riz - First Chapter Book, Children's Book

Published: 2014 Theme: Being yourself Best for: Third graders "It was all new and fascinating to Annika. She had never know that baking had so much math in it--so much tasty math!" Here's a lovely addition to those hard to find interesting first chapter books, which, uncommonly, focuses on the early grade student's relationship to math.

Blockhead – The Life of Fibonacci

Children's Book - Blockhead,

Published: 2010 Theme: Math Biography Best for: 6 to 9 "You can call me Blockhead. Everyone else does. One day when I was just a boy, Maestro wrote out a math problem and gave us ten minutes to solve it. I solved it in two seconds." If you have any young children who love numbers, this is definitely a children's book they should read - a superb biography about Fibonacci.

Will Sparrow’s Road

Will Sparrow's Road - Historical Fiction Children's Book

Published: 2012 Theme: Coming of Age Best for: 11 and up "Will Sparrow was a liar and a thief, and hungry, so when he saw the chance to steal a cold rabbit pie from the inn's kitchen and blame it on the dog, he took it - both the chance and the pie..." First and foremost, this is a beautifully written piece of children's historical fiction literature. The fact that the story and characters are interesting as well is icing on the cake..

Listening for Lions

Historical Fiction for Children: Listening for Lions

Published: 2005 Theme: Power of Kindness Best for: 11 and up "Africa was hurrying by as if someone were turning the pages of a book too quickly. I was miserable at what I was leaving behind. Even the railway itself has a sad story...I felt my own future would be no better." This historical fiction for children is full of unexpected turns, and dramatic turnabouts, from living in Africa to exile to England.

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail

Children's Book - Mouse with Question Mark Tail

Published: 2013 Theme: Pluck Best for: 8 to 10 "Every time a human walks out of a room, something with more feet walks in. Mice, of course, who are only a whisker away. It's true of the room where you are sitting. It's truer still of Buckingham Palace." This lovely tongue-in-cheek children's book will definitely bring smiles to readers, especially those who can grasp some of the satire.