Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

It is summer and the whole world is locked down because of a deadly virus. A young boy, Clay, spends his days in the woods behind his house. Away from his pesky sisters and his parents worries. The woods are the same place that the Under the Mountain people go hunting with their dogs. When one of the dogs is separated from the pack Clay finds her and of course takes her home. The dog becomes part of the family after they try to find its owner. The dog has a very ornate collar with its name on it, Elphinore. Elphinore takes Clay to magical places in the woods that Clay never knew existed or could have found without her. But as with all magic, danger is right around the corner. 

The adventures that Clay and Elphinore go on are thrilling and captivating. I was enthralled with the book from the beginning. This fantasy story is perfect for middle-schoolers. The book has similarities to other fantasy stories, but its updated version will be more relatable to today’s readers. This is one I will be getting for the Grandchildren.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2023	Profanity: No
Publisher: Candlewick Press	Violence: Mild
Age Level: 8-12 years	Sexual Content: No
AR Level: 4.8	Mature Themes: Animal
Pages: 229	Cruelty
Stars: 5 Awards: 2024 Newbery Honor

Inspector Flytrap: The President's Mane Is Missing by Tom Angleberger 🟊🟊🟊🟊

Inspector Flytrap solves BIG DEAL mysteries, and he has decided to also take on THRILLING mysteries to become the World’s Greatest Detective. This is the second book in a series of three about Inspector Flytrap and his assistant Nina the Goat. In this mystery the President’s of the Unites States, who is a horse, mane is missing from his statue. Can the Inspector and his assistant solve the mystery?

The story is very silly but perfect for the beginner readers of chapter books, especially boys. The print is big and with graphics on nearly every page making the book easy to read. The series may not win any awards, but elementary school kids will love the ridiculous humor.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2016	Profanity: No
Publisher: Amulet Books	Violence: No
Age Level: 5-8 years	Sexual Content: No
AR Level: 3.8	Mature Themes: No
Pages: 99
Stars: 4

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Jude and her mother have left their turbulent country of Syria for America. They leave behind her father and beloved brother. Jude’s Uncle has taken them in, to live in his very American home in Cincinnati. Warga does a beautiful job of expressing the difficulties of being a new immigrant in America. She not only expresses the cultural differences but also the racial prejudice that many immigrants experience. The book is written in verse and flows seamlessly. A great book to expose middle-school students to the realities of being an immigrant in this county.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2019	Profanity: No
Publisher: Balzer & Bray	Violence: War
Age Level: 9-12 years	Sexual Content: No
AR Level: 5.3	Mature Themes: Hatred to
Pages: 342	Immigrants
Stars: 5 Awards: 2020 Newbery Honor

One of Those Days by Amy Krouse Rosenthal 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Everybody has “One of Those Days” and the reader goes through all the things that could go wrong in a day in a child’s life. Both adults and children will be able to relate to this book. This is a great way to explain to kids that not all things are going to go your way but tomorrow is another day. A wonderful book to have on hand when your child is having one of those days.

Published In: 2006
Publisher: G.P. Putman’s Sons
Age Level: 2-7 years
AR Level: N/A
Pages: 32
Stars: 5

The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Annie lost her mitten, the fifth time in one winter. She knows she must find it, or she will be in big trouble. She and her dog retrace all the places they where that day and no mitten to be found. Then she thinks about all the animals that would have found the mitten and used it for their own purposes. Next, she thinks about planting the one mitten she has left to see if she can grow a mitten tree and have an endless supply of mittens. Then she notices the snowman she has made has a red heart, could that be her mitten? All the grandchildren loved this story. You can never go wrong reading a Steven Kellogg book to a child.

Published In: 2000
Publisher: Puffin
Age Level: 2-6 years
AR Level: 2.2
Pages: 36
Stars:5

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

A wonderful baby book that explores what comes first and then second in the life cycle of animals, plants and art. It has cute die-cuts that add depth to the simple words of the story. The book would be a great present for newborns and their parents.

Published In: 2007
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Age Level: 1-3 years
AR Level: N/A
Pages: 32
Stars: 5
Awards: 2008 Caldecott Honor

The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

A mother tells her son he has powerful magic living inside him and to understand this magic he must go on a quest to learn the truth about dragons. The first part of the quest is to find out what his European grandmother knows about dragons and the second part from his Asian grandmother. Each grandmother has their own version of what is true about dragons. Can they both be right? I love the way the two cultures are put on display by having to answer the same question, each having different answers. A great book for the biracial child, the child that loves dragons or for those that like a good story. Get this book for your home library.

Published In: 2023
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Age Level: 3-6 years
AR Level: 4.7
Pages: 40
Stars: 5
Awards: 2024 Caldecott Honor

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuers 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

A comet is coming to destroy Earth and a few hundred scientists with their children are going to travel to a new planet. Petra and her family are among the lucky ones chosen for the journey. The space voyage will take hundreds of years, so the passengers are put in pods to sleep. This will allow them to retain their current age and teach them new skills. When the ship reaches its destination the only remaining passengers of those that were put to sleep years ago are children and they find a very different society than when they left Earth. Petra the storyteller knows she and the other children must escape the menacing Collective and try to find any remaining people from Earth.

Sci-Fi is not my favorite genre of literature but I totally enjoyed “The Last Cuentista”. The mixture of old stories that Petra tells with the reality of the futuristic society that exists on the ship mesh beautifully together. The story is a pager turner keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Buy this book for your home library, both adults and children will not be able to put it down.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2022	Profanity: No
Publisher: Levine Querido	Violence: No
Age Level: 10-15 years	Sexual Content: No
AR Level: 5.0	Mature Themes: No
Pages: 320
Stars: 5 Awards: 2022 Newbery Medal

Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

It’s bedtime and all the sheep are ready for sleep, but Russell can’t get tired. He tries all kinds of tricks to help him, maybe it needs to be darker, or is it too hot, or does he need a different sleeping place. None of these gimmicks help him find sleep. He attempts one more trick, will counting sheep help? This is a great bedtime book for children who have trouble falling asleep. A book to have on hand when sleep is elusive for you toddler.

Published In: 2005
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
Age Level: 2-6 years
AR Level: 1.9
Pages: 32
Stars: 5
Series: 3 Books

A Good Night Walk by Elisha Cooper 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

The reader takes a walk before bed with a child and parent through the neighborhood. They pass the neighbor who is gardening, the squirrels in the trees, the birds in the air and much more. The illustrations are charming and the words soothing. The book is perfect to settle down with when it’s bedtime. A great book to end the day.

Published In: 2005
Publisher: Orchard Books
Age Level: 3-5 years
AR Level: 2.3
Pages: 36
Stars: 5

The Wheel On The School by Meindert DeJong 🟊🟊🟊

I tried so hard to read all of this children’s classic but after 100 pages I was done with it. Six schoolchildren are on a quest to bring back storks to their small Dutch fishing village. They are looking for a wagon wheel which supposedly is where storks like to build their nests. The story moves very slowly, and it was not that interesting. Maybe in 1955 it appealed to elementary school students, but it will not engage today’s children.


Published In: 1954
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
Age Level: 8-12 years
AR Level: 4.7
Pages: 298
Stars: 3
Awards: 1955 Newbery Medal