Navigating Early

Clare Vanderpool
When Jack’s mom dies, his long absent military father comes home and places Jack in a boarding school. Alone and a bit miserable, Jack befriends the unusual student Early Audon. Early is strange, almost in a magical way. ...

Review by Michele R. »

Little White Duck: a Childhood in China

Andrés Vera Martínez
Na Liu moved to the U.S. in her early 20’s. Soon after learning that she and her cartoonist husband would be having their first child, they decided to work together to create a graphic novel for children. Na Liu’s husband loved hearing his wife’s childhood stories describing life in Wuhan, China. ...

Review by Melanie A. »

No Kiss for Mother

Tomi Ungerer
Piper Paw is one bad cat. He is always causing trouble in school and hangs with all the other tough cats. But what really, really, really gets him mad is his MOTHER!!!!!She is always KISSING him…..ALWAYS.She calls him Darling and Honey Pie…just disgusting.Is there any hope for this horrible young cat…..read….the….book. ...

Review by Christopher S. »

What's for Lunch?: How Schoolchildren Eat Around the World

Andrea Curtis
So what do you like to eat? This fun book shows the fascinating food that kids eat in different countries. It also gives interesting glimpses into their various social and cultural habits. But best of all (in my opinion) it illustrates other approaches toward solving problems like too much junk food or malnourishment in less privileged parts of the...

Review by Christopher S. »

Caesar: on Deaf Ears

Loren Spiotta-DiMare
Caesar is a beautiful almost pure white German Shepard puppy. His mom had him and four other siblings. A nice lady saved their lives when she saw them abandoned in front of the train station. You will follow his young eventful life in this heart warming book. ...

Review by Christopher S. »

Wonder

R J Palacio
Wonder is mostly a story about kindness. August, also known as Auggie, was born with a craniofacial abnormality. Auggie’s Mom and Dad, his big sister and their dog Daisy love him more than words can describe. Because of his many surgical procedures Auggie’s parents chose to home school. That is, until Auggie’s Mom decides it is time for him...

Review by Melanie A. »

A Long Walk to Water: a Novel

Linda Sue Park
"What was it Uncle had said during that first terrible day in the desert? Do you see that group of bushes? You need only to walk as far as those bushes…" Bit by bit Uncle Jewiir helps eleven year old Salva cross the Akobo Desert to escape the war in Sudan and seek shelter in an Ethiopian refugee camp. ...

Review by Melanie A. »

Ruth and the Green Book

Calvin A Ramsey
This book/CD (Kit) chronicles a black family’s car trip from Chicago to Alabama to visit a beloved grandma in the early 1950's. As they travel they encounter the humiliation of being refused service based on the color of their skin. Fortunately, in Georgia a man showed them something called The Negro Motorist Green Book. ...

Review by Christopher S. »

Summer at Forsaken Lake

Michael D Beil
Nicholas, Hetty and Haley usually spend their summers in New York City, but this year they’ve been sent to their Uncle Nick’s house in Ohio. They’ve never met their uncle and dread the thought of a boring summer with nothing to do. Nothing could be further from the truth though, as they learn and explore the outside, make friends, and even solve...

Review by Linda T. »

The Dog Who Belonged to No One

Amy Hest
Oh, boy! Another wonderful dog story! Beautiful sepia watercolors illustrate this touching story of a dog and a “wisp of a girl” who are both searching for some one. The dog, despite being oh so cute, and well mannered, has not found a home in the town he has wandered into. The girl, working delivering bread for her parent’s bakery, has no time...

Review by Michele R. »