Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley
by Aaron Blabey
Grades Pre-K and up
(JJ Blabey) |
Pearl and Charlie are best friends yet they are absolutely nothing alike. How can that be? What does it mean to be best friends? Great story with fabulous illustrations. |
Artful Reading
by Bob Racska
Ages 4 and up (J 701.1) |
The many joys of reading described in playful, rhyming text that accompany colorful reproductions of beautiful artwork by famous artists makes this a winning art book for young and old alike. |
Snow
by Cynthia Rylant Ages 5 and up (JJ Rylant) |
Celebrates a snowfall and its happy effects on children. Beautiful words and sentiments with fun illustrations. |
The Little Bit Scary People
by Emily Jenkins
Ages 5 and up (JJ Jenkins) |
Some people are a little bit STRANGE or a little too LOUD, and just a little bit SCARY. But I bet, if you knew them, and knew their favorite things, you'd think that maybe, (probably) most people aren't so scary after all. Great lead to discuss fear, prejudices, and individuality. |
Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale
6th and up (J Shannon) |
Fifteen-year-old Dashti, sworn to obey her sixteen-year-old mistress, the Lady Saren, shares Saren’s years of punishment locked in a tower, then brings her safely to the land of her true love, where both must hide who they really are as they work as house maids. |
Why War is Never a Good Idea
by Alice Walker older elementary and up
(J 303.66 Walker)
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Simple, rhythmic text explores the wanton destructiveness of War, which has grown old but not wise. |
The Top Job
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel Preschool to 3rd grade (JJ Kimmel) |
A little girl is delighted to share her father’s profession with her classmates on Career Day at school. The children think his job as light bulb changer is extremely boring until they hear all of the details! Great New York, New York book. |
Ms. Rubenstein’s Beauty
by Pep Montserrat
4th grade & up
(JJ Montserrat) |
It's a message we learn in childhood, but all too quickly forget: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." "Beauty is only skin deep." With its incandescent paintings and imaginative text, Ms. Rubinstein's Beauty shows us just how true these timeless sayings can be. Pep Montserrat has created a gorgeous tribute to love that looks beyond the obvious—and a picture book as special as its two main characters. |
Thank You Bear
by Greg Foley
Age 3 and up (JJ Foley) |
A sweet story simply told about a little bear’s excitement over a treasure found. Unfortunately, everyone he meets does not share his opinion. Most readers will recognize the characters found within the pages. Ultimately, true friendship wins the day. |
The Golden Rule
By Ilene Cooper
All Ages
(J 170.44 Cooper) |
Everyone knows a version of the Golden Rule. But what does it really mean? And how do you follow it? In this gorgeously illustrated book, a grandfather explains to his grandson that the Golden Rule means you "treat people the way you would like to be treated. It's golden because it's so valuable, and a way of living your life that's so simple, it shines." And though it may be a simple rule, it isn't easy to follow. Fortunately, following the Golden Rule is something everyone can do, which means that every person-old or young, rich or poor-can be a part of making the world a better place. |
Keeper
by Mal Peet
Middle school and up
(J Peet) |
In an interview with a young journalist, World Cup hero, El Gato, describes his youth in the Brazilian rain forest and the events, experiences, and people that helped make him a great goalkeeper and renowned soccer star. |
Cowlick
By Christin Ditchfield
Ages 3 and up
(JJ Ditchfield)
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A humerous and fanciful account of how a little boy and his baby brother get cowlicks in their hair as they sleep through the night. |
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Scorned at first by others, a featherless chicken finds a way to fit in before discovering that his new friends may not be as beautiful as they appear to be. A story of self-acceptance and personal beauty told with unusually appealing illustrations. |
Lazy Daisy
by David Olson
Ages 6 and up (JJ Olson)
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Lazy Daisy has a messy room and she is proud of it! Wonderful read aloud book in rhyme that is especially appealing to any mom who has ever spent a good part of her life trying to get her daughter to clean up her room. Lots of fun. |
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From the earliest days of stories, when hunters told of their exploits around the campfire, to the era of kings in castles listening to the storyteller at the royal feast, to the time of TV dinners, stories and eating have been close companions. So it is not unusual that folk stories are often about food: Jack's milk cow traded for beans, Snow White given a poisoned apple, Hansel and Gretel lured by the gingerbread house.
Exquisitely illustrated by Philippe Beha, Fairy Tale Feasts is more than collection of stories and recipes. In it, Caldecott-winning author Jane Yolen and her daughter, Heidi Stemple, imagine their readers as co-conspirators, cooks, and tellers of tales themselves. |
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What's the best time of day for reading? Well, for Baby Bear it's all day long. From the first wild wake-up book to the last gentle sleepy-time book--and all the adventures in between--each book takes Baby Bear somewhere new and exciting.
In this companion to Baby Bear's Chairs, bestselling author Jane Yolen and award-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet have created a celebration of little bears everywhere, their beloved books, and their carefree imaginations. |
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A young rabbit starts his first day of school with much hesitation. The beautiful, watercolor illustrations detailing a carrot-themed house create a cozy atmosphere in which to enter with your own little beginner of the school journey. |
Small Steps
by Louis Sachar
Ages: middle school & up
(J Sachar) |
Great read for middle schoolers this summer. The continuing story of the character Armpit from the author’s smash hit novel Holes. It is now three years after having been released from Camp Green Lake. Armpit is trying to put his life back in order when he is visited by his old campmate X-Ray. Armpit’s life gets complicated once again when he is drawn into a scheme to make a quick profit.
If you are traveling any distance, try bringing the audio version for the car. Great way to have the whole family share a book together. |
Lights Out
by Arthur Geisert
Ages: preschool and up
(JJ Geisert)
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Told by his parents that his light must be out by eight o’clock, a young piglet who is afraid of the dark devises an ingenious solution to the problem. A must read for any blooming young inventor.
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Local author, Pat Hubbell, uses rhyming text, that includes descriptions of every kind of train imaginable, to assist in building enthusiasm over the splendid trains. The book is enhanced by collage artwork filled with hidden jokes and references. A must read for the train lover – both young and old. |
The Little Stone Lion
by Kim Xiong
Ages 5 and up (JJ Xiong) |
A little stone lion tells about the small village that it watches over as a guardian spirit generation after generation. Beautifully illustrated.
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Families Have Together
by Harriet Ziefert
Grades Preschool - 2nd
(JJ Ziefert) |
Delightful picture book in rhyme for great read-aloud. With playful illustrations we read about the joys and sorrows of family life. |
Fancy Nancy
by Jane O’Connor
Ages 3 and up
(JJ O'Connor)
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A young girl who loves fancy things, and wants her family to be fancy too, helps everyone to be fancy for one special night out. Themes touched on are individuality, family life, manners and customs, dress and costumes. Great fun, well done! |
Me and Uncle Romie: A Story Inspired by the Life and Art of Romare Bearden
by Claire Hartfield
Grade 2 & up |
A boy from North Carolina spends the summer in New York City visiting the neighborhood of Harlem, where his uncle, collage artist Romare Bearden, grew up. Includes a biographical sketch of Bearden and instructions on making a story collage. |
