Mystery on Pine Lake by Tamra Wright 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

This children’s novel is a classic “whodunit” book.  A murder has not been committed, but somebody is trying to sabotage the loon’s nest on Pine Lake. Copper is a middle-schooler, whose parents own the campground on the lake. He and his friend Packrat are on a mission to find out who wants to harm the loons and why. Along with the detective story there is at the beginning of every chapter a cool fact about loons.

This is a great book for the outdoorsy child in your life. It is full of adventure, humor, and mystery. It manages to bring both a passion for conservation in nature with the realities of family life together in a seamless story. I will be getting the series of “Copper and Packrat” to share with all my grandchildren.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2013	Profanity: None
Publisher: Islandport Press	Violence: Bullying
Age Level: 8-10 years	Sexual: None
ARLevel:4.4	Mature Themes: Death of a Loved One
Pages: 152
Stars: 5    Series: 5 Books

Angela's Glacier by Jordon Scott 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Angela’s Glacier is a book that reminds both adults and children how important it is to go outside and communicate with nature. Whether it is a walk in the woods, wading in a stream or visiting a glacier, the outdoors is a place to work out your worries. Both my 10- and 6-year-old grandchildren enjoyed this book. They related to Angela’s busy life and how good it felt for her to take a break from all the activities. After we finished the book, both children wanted to know more about glaciers. Highly recommend. 

Published In: 2024
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Age Level:  4-8 years
AR Level: N/A
Pages: 32
Stars: 5

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

“The Little Engine That Could’ was one of my favorite books as a child. The idea that once you set your mind to something and you worked at it, you could then make it happen gave me confidence in myself. A train engine carrying toys and good things to eat for the boys and girls on the other side of the mountain breaks down. The toys traveling on the train stop 3 engines passing by, asking them for help so the train can get to its destination. All three of these engines think they are too good to pull the small train. Finally, a small blue engine helps the train but has trouble climbing the steep mountain. She says over and over to herself “I think I can – I think I can” until she makes it over the mountain. 

The book sends two important life lessons: always help other in need and never give up. The three engines all had excuses for not helping the small train instead of giving assistance. The small blue engine used her positive thinking and motivation to keep her going up the mountain to deliver all the toys and good food to eat to the boys and girls. “The Little Engine That Could” may not be my granddaughter’s favorite book but she enjoyed the story and will read it again with Nana.

Fun Activities; Make an egg carton train engine or using construction paper shapes make a train. The internet has examples of both these activities.

Published In: 1930
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Age Level: 1-4 years
AR Level: 3.5
Pages: 48
Stars: 5

Red & Green by Lois Ehlert 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

This book is a new twist on a classic story, “The Night Before Christmas”. The story is told from the mouse’s perspective and describes to the reader all the things he sees in the house on that very special night. I loved the die-cut pages, they made the book fun and interactive. This book is a great addition to your collection of holiday books.

 Fun Activity: Have your child pretend to be a mouse and have them tell you what things he/she would find to write about. Published In: 2023

Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Age Level:  1-8 years
AR Level: N/A
Pages: 40
Stars: 5

It Rained Warm Bread by Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

“It Rained Warm Bread” is a holocaust story as experienced by a 13-year-old boy, Moishe. He is a Jew living with his family in the city of Kielce when the Nazis marched into Poland. When the Nazis first came to Kielce the family hides in a family friends barn. When that becomes too dangerous for the famer, they go to the Jewish Ghetto and from there they are separated into different concentration camps. Moishe is moved from camp to camp where he is always hungry, cold, and tired. At the end of the war, he is placed on a Nazi death march and survives by playing dead.

The story is told in verse and is a true account from a holocaust survivor. It is horrific and at the same time hopeful. Moishe never gives up hope. So many of the historical fiction books about the holocaust are from a girl’s perspective. It was refreshing to find a book on this topic that could resonate with my 10-year-old grandson. The books depiction of the Nazis cruelty and atrocities left him asking how people could treat each other that way. This is a must read for middle school students.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2019	Profanity: None
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.	Violence: Holocaust
Age Level: 9-13 years	Sexual: None
AR Level: 3.7	Mature Themes: War, Prison, Cruelty
Pages: 148
Stars: 5

Milo's Hat Trick by Joh Agee 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

    

     
Milo the Magnificat’s magic show is not doing well. He keeps messing up all the tricks. The theater manager is giving him one more chance. He must pull a rabbit out of a hat. Milo goes into the woods to find a rabbit but instead he gets a bear, and the best part is that the bear can disappear into a hat. Milo’s magic show is now a hit with children young and old, this is until the bear wants to go home. What will Milo do? This book is a home run by Jon Agee. A fun story that all preschoolers will love.

Fun Activity: Teach your child a simple magic trick.

Published In: 2001
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Age Level: 5-8 years
AR Level: 2.4
Pages: 32
Stars: 5

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

Life was tough in the Depression-era 1930’s, but it was even tougher if you were a 10-year-old African American orphan. Bud, Not Buddy is living in the Home, which has been his residence on and off again since his mother died when he was six years old. Bud has also lived with various foster families, and none have worked out for him. At the start of the novel, he is being sent to a new family and as usual it ends in a disaster. Bud’s dream is to find his real father who he believes to be a famous Michigan band leader called Herman E. Calloway. Among his mother’s possessions was a series of flyers advertising the bands performances. Bud knows his mother would not have kept the flyers if they didn’t mean something to her. After the latest terrible foster home experience Bud runs away and decides it time to go find his father. 

The thought of a 10-year-old child traveling alone for more than 100 miles with no supervision or resources sends chills down my back. I don’t think in today’s world the outcome would have been as positives as it was for Bud. Bud is clever and determined and with the help of some good Samaritans along the way he does find Herman E. Calloway. The ending is a surprise and leaves the reader with a warm feeling even if it’s not Bud’s dream. This is a book that I am recommending to my grandchildren and hopefully they will like it as much as I did.  

Published In: 1999
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Age Level: 10-11 Years
AR Level: 5.0
Pages: 288
Stars: 5
Awards: 2000 Newbery Medal Winner, Coretta Scott King Award