Stone Soup by Marcia Brown 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

“Stone Soup” is a children’s classic tale that has been retold by many authors. This version was written in 1947. Some of the older Caldecott books do not age very well, but this one does stand up to the test of time. Three soldiers are on their way home after fighting in the wars. They are very hungry when they come to a village. They ask the villagers for some food and a place to sleep. After the villagers say no to their request they have an idea, let’s make stone soup. Can stone soup turn in to a feast? This vintage book is a must for the home library.

Published In: 1947
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Publisher
Age Level: 3 -8 years
AR Level: 3.3
Pages: 46
Stars:5
Awards: 1948 Caldecott Honor

Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

I have read a lot of Alphabet books and this one is my favorite. I love the way the letters become part of what they represent. Such as the letter C for clown turning into the clown’s smile. The colors are great, and the pages have just enough activity without becoming cluttered to keep the reader turning the pages. This is a wonderful book for the toddler who is learning the alphabet.

Fun Activity: Shape letters using pipe cleaners

Published In: 1986
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Level: 3-6 years
AR Level: N/A
Pages: 64
Stars: 5

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein - 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

It’s bedtime and Papa Chicken is trying to tell a bedtime story to Little Chicken. Each time Papa starts a tale she cuts the story short to save the characters from danger. Papa runs out of stories, so he asks Little Chicken to tell him one. Who will fall asleep first? Even though the book does not teach a lesson about interrupting the book is fun and silly. Toddlers will want to read it again and again.


Published In: 2010
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Age Level: 3-6 years
AR Level: 2.2
Pages:40
Stars: 5
Series: 3 Books
Awards: 2011 Caldecott Honor

A Child's Good Night Book by Margaret Wise Brown 🟌🟌🟌🟌

“A Child’s Good Night Book” is a calming and soothing story about all the animals in the world going to sleep at night. Its text is repetitive which makes it a favorite with children under 4 years. The illustrations were creepy to me. I know the animals were suppose to be sleeping but they looked almost dead. I would borrow this one from the library before buying.

Fun Activity: Name an animal and have your child tell you where they think they sleep at night.

Published In: 1943
Publisher: William R. Scott
Age Level: 0-4 years
AR Level: N/N
Pages: 32
Stars: 4
Award: 1944 Caldecott Honor

There's a Nightmare In My Closet by Mercer Mayer 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Parents of toddlers around the world are familiar with the “Little Critter” series by Mercer Mayer. They are a great set of books and part of almost everybody’s childhood since the 1970’s. However, there is another series of Mayer’s books that I think are better, called “There’s Something in My Room”. The first in the series “There’s a Nightmare in My Closet” is the one most readers recognize. The other two are “There’s an Alligator Under My Bed” and “There’s Something in the Attic”. In the series the character conquers their fears, whether it’s the monster in the closet, under the bed or in the attic.

“There’s a Nightmare in My Closet” is the first book my granddaughter had memorized by the age of 3. At the age of 5 she still loves this book and will ask me to read it again and again. The humor is spot on and if you read the book using the right voice and with some drama, any child will forget to be scared about the monster in the closet. All three books give solutions on how to overcome the imagined fear of a scary monster. I would recommend all three for your home library, just be ready to read them over and over.

Fun Activity: Your and your child take on the task of cleaning out their bedroom closet just to make sure no monsters are living in it.

Published In: 1968
Publisher: Penguin Putnam
Age Level: 2-5 Years
AR Level: 2.4
Pages: 32
Stars: 5

The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

“The Black Pearl” is a classic and should be read by every middle schooler. Ramon Salazar wants to be a great pearl diver like his father and to find the largest pearl in the sea, the Pearl of Heaven. As with most who desire treasure, there is a price to pay and Ramon pays with the life of his father.

The text is straightforward, and the storyline flows effortlessly. The book should be an easy read for any 10–13-year-old. “The Black Pearl” is an adventure novel with lots of suspense that keeps the reader going page after page until the book is finished. My only complaint is that the illustrations are dark and hard to decipher but otherwise this book has a place in every home library.

Published In: 1967
Publisher: Dell
Age Level: 10-13 years
AR Level: 5.4
Pages: 96
Stars: 5
Award: 1968 Newbery Honor

When Giants Come to Play by Andrea Beaty 🟌🟌🟌🟌

It is summertime and two giants have come to play with Anna. The play hide and seek, marbles, catch and a slew of other games. It is fascinating to see how the author and the illustrator pull together to make this book a fun read. Each page displays an activity that Anna plays with her giant friends. These are not scary giants at all and by the end of the book you wish you had two giants for friends.

The whimsical illustrations are what makes the book entertaining. When I read this to my 5-year-old granddaughter we had more discussions about the pictures than the text. I would have liked more substance to the story. I went back and read the book without the pictures, and it was not that exciting. “When Giants Come to Play” is 4-star book.

Published In: 2006
Publisher: Abram Books for Young Readers
Age Level: 4-8 years
AR Level: 3.2
Pages: 31
Stars: 4

The Pied Piper's Magic by Steven Kellogg 🟌🟌🟌🟌

Peterkin is a cheery elf even though he is poor. He is searching for work when he comes across the home of a retired witch whose house need some repairs. The witch tells him she has no money to pay him, but he does the work anyway. Upon Peterkin completing the work she gives him a magical pipe. The pipe does not make the sound of notes but instead letters. When he spells out the letters of animals they appear before him and then when he reverses the letters the animal turns into what he has spelled out. While Peterkin is traveling the county, he comes upon a dark and dreary city full of rats. With his magical pipe he is able get of rid the rats but also turn the city into a lovable place for people to live.

The illustrations in this book are bright and colorful. The pictures make the reader happy just looking at them. I never read the original tale of the Pied Piper which apparently is not a very happy story but this one has a feel-good ending. My granddaughter and I liked the book, and we will read it again. If you were to pick just one of Kellogg’s books, I think there are better ones such as the those that retell American folk stories.

Fun Activity: Try to find some simple wind instrument in your house such as a recorder or harmonica, and have your child make some noise.  

Published In: 2009
Publisher: Dial/Penguin
Age Level: 4-8 years
AR Level: 4.3
Pages: 40
Stars: 4

Galaxy Zack Monster In Space ! by Ray O'Ryan 🟊🟊🟊

The “Galaxy Zack” books are perfect for the student who is just beginning to read chapter books, lots of pictures and big print, but that might be all its good for. I read the “Galaxy Zack Monsters in Space!”, number 4 of 18, with my grandson and he was not impressed. The book did excite him enough to want to read anymore in the series. The story is about a new kid at school who does look like anybody else in the class. Can Zack find it in himself to be friends with him? There are more engaging books for the beginner reader, get this one from the library before you purchase.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2013	Profanity: None
Publisher: Little Simon	Violence: None
Age Level: 5-9 years	Sexual: None
AR Level: 3.3	Mature Themes: None
Pages: 119	Series : 18 Books
Stars: 3