Locomotive by Brain Floca 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

If your child likes trains this is the book for them. A family is moving out West, the year is 1869, the transcontinental railroad has just been completed, and they will be traveling by train. The book gives insight into the passenger experience through the eyes of a young boy traveling with his mother and sister. It describes all the sights along the way as well as what it is like living on the train over the course of the multi-day trip. Details are given about the mechanics of the train and what it takes to keep it moving. The jobs of the men working on the great machine are told simply and accurately. Younger children will find the story about the family moving out West fascinating. Older children will appreciate the history of building the train and the details of how a steam engine works.

Published In: 2013
Publisher: Atheneum
Age Level: 2-8 years
AR Level: 4.7
Pages: 60
Stars: 5
Awards: 2014 Caldecott Medal

 

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

"Finding Winnie” is a beautiful story and I learned so much about one of America’s most famous bears by reading this non-fiction picture book. Winnie was a real bear that was purchased by a Canadian veterinarian on his way to the front lines of WWI. While his Infantry Brigade was training on the Salisbury Plain in England, Winnie stayed with her veterinarian. But when the Brigade was called to France to fight, a hard decision had to be made about what to do with Winnie. Any child that has read the Winnie the Pooh books will find it fascinating to know the true story about the real bear. Both my grandchildren and my grown children loved this book.

Published In: 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Age Level: 4-8 years
AR Level: 3.4
Pages: 52
Stars: 5
Awards: 2016 Caldecott Medal

Paperboy by Vince Vawter 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

The year is 1959 and an eleven-year-old boy called Little Man is living in segregated Memphis. His best friend has asked him to take over his paper route for the month of July. Little Man agrees to the job but is worried about having to talk to the customers, when he collects the weekly payment. He has a stutter that makes it difficult to communicate with people. Little Man not only has to interact with the customers on the route but the adult bully in the neighborhood is stealing from him.

There are a lot of serious and complicated concepts in the book, domestic violence, bullying, segregation, and brutality. Even with all these difficulties the book is heartwarming, and the drama keeps the reader engaged. For those readers who want to know what it was like for their grandparents growing up in the 50’s this book is a great snapshot of that time in America.

 

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2013	Profanity: No
Publisher: Delacorte	Violence: Knife Fight
Age Level: 10-12 years	Sexual Content: Mild
AR Level: 5.1	Mature Themes: Racism,
Pages: 224	Domestic Violence, Bullying
Stars: 5 Awards: 2014 Newbery Honor Series: 3 Books

Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Hare needs to feed his very hungry family, but he has lost all his money and land. In desperation he and his wife form a plan to trick the lazy Bear that lives down the street. They want to use the land in front of Bear’s house to plant crops. Hare tells Bear he will plant and harvest the crops, and Hare will keep the bottom half and Bear can have the top half. When Hare’s family digs up the carrots, radishes, and beets, the family keeps the good parts grown on the bottom and Bear is left with the greens on top. The innovative Hare family does this again and again to Bear before he says no more. Bear then grows his own crops but not before Hare has been able to sell the surplus crops and buy land for his own family to harvest. Add this clever book to your home library, it will be asked for over and over.

Published In: 1995
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Age Level: 4-7 years
AR Level: 3.2
Pages:32
Stars: 5
Awards:1996 Caldecott Honor

Fun Activity: Plant a small or big vegetable garden with your child.

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

“One Cool Friend” is one cool book. The very proper and polite Elliot takes a trip to the aquarium with his father. His father settles on a bench to read his newspaper, and Elliot is left on his own. He skips the saltwater tank, the jellies display, and the hands-on tide pool. He heads straight to the penguins. Elliot knows he has a lot in common with the penguins and one of them would be a perfect pet. So, he puts a penguin in his backpack to take home. How will his father react once he finds out about Elliot’s new pet?


Published In: 2012
Publisher: Dial/Penguin
Age Level: 5-8 years
AR Level: 3.1
Pages:32
Stars:5
Awards: 2013 Caldecott Honor

Hot Dog by Doug Salati 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

It’s summertime in the city and one dog has had enough of the heat, noise and crowds. The hot dog lies down in the middle of the street and refuses to move one more step. The dog’s owner has an idea, she picks up her pet and calls for a taxi. The two of them take off for an adventure at the beach. This is just the trip to revitalize both dog and owner. When they make it back to the city, they are ready to face the stress of city life. The book has more illustrations than words which make it a great discussion book. My 4-year-old granddaughter enjoyed talking about all the beautiful pictures and narrating her own side story.

Published In: 2022
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Age Level: 2-6 years
AR Level: N/A
Pages: 40
Stars:5
Awards: 2023 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

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 Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Noble 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

This is one of the funniest children’s books you will ever read. A little girl describes to her mother the class trip to a farm. It starts with a crying cow and from there she tells her mom a series of hilarious events that took place at the farm all because Jimmy brought his pet Boa to meet the animals. My kids loved this book and now the grandchildren like it just as much. It’s a classic in our house and a book that is asked for over and over.

Published In: 1980
Publisher: Penguin Putnam
Age Level: 3-7 years
AR Level: 2.2
Pages: 32
Stars: 5

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

Dragons love tacos but only with mild toppings. They can’t handle spicy salsa or green chilis. If a dragon gets a hold of salsa, it makes their “ears smoke”, they “snort sparks” and they get “tummy troubles”. When the dragons are invited to a taco party somehow spicy salsa finds its way onto the tacos. What will happen to the dragons when they eat the tacos? OH NO!

This is a classic children’s book, and it can be read over and over. All my grandchildren love it along with its sequel. This is a great bedtime story and a must for all home libraries.

Fun Activity: Make some tacos with your child and be sure to have all the toppings. 

Published In: 2012
Publisher: Dial Books
Age Level: 2-5 years
AR Level: 3.1
Pages: 32
Stars: 5

Number the Stars by Louis Lowry 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

The year is 1943 and in Copenhagen, Denmark the German troops are beginning to “relocate” the Jews. Annemarie Johansen’s best friend Ellen is Jewish and the rabbi at her synagogue has informed his congregation that the Nazis are coming for them. Annemarie’s family takes in Ellen, and they pretend that she is their daughter who died a few years earlier. As events become more dire for Ellen’s family Annemarie’s family plans to smuggle the Rosen’s out of Denmark and into Sweden.

The Courage and bravery that Annemarie’s family displays in the book is amazing. The question I always ask myself about the Holocaust is would I have the fearlessness to help, or would I sit back and watch? “Number the Stars” puts this question front and center. The suspense in the book is real along with the menacing actions of the Germans.

This book is most definitely on the must-read list for my grandchildren. With the passage of time, I hope that the horrors of the Holocaust are not forgotten. One way to keep the next generation aware is through books like “Number the Stars”.
                                                                                    
Published In: 1989
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Age Level: 9 -11 Years
AR Level: 4.5
Pages: 160
Stars: 5
Awards: 1990 Newbery Medal Winner

Sarah. Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

Anna and Caleb’s father, a widower, is looking for a wife. The Wittings live on the prairie in the late 19th century. Papa has put an advertisement in the newspaper and Sara Elisabeth Wheaton from Maine has agreed to visit the prairie family. Sarah arrives by train and writes to Papa that she “will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall.” As Sarah develops a relationship with the family they question if she will stay? Or does she miss the sea so much that she returns to Maine?

“Sarah, Plain and Tall” is a classic children’s book. The writing style of this historical fiction is simple and easy to read. The story is told from the point of view of Anna and Caleb. It is heartbreaking to read how much the children want Sarah to stay with them. They want both a mother and a wife for Papa so the family will sing again. This tender story is a must for the grandchildren.

Published In: Harper Trophy
Published:1987
Age Level: 8-10 years
AR Level: 3.4
Pages: 58
Stars: 5
Series: Sarah, Plain and Tall – 5 Books in the Series
Awards: 1986 Newbery Medal & 1986 O’Dell Award

Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

This is a classic children’s book, about the inchworm that measures the birds, tail, neck, beak, legs and body. The inchworm provides his talents so that the birds of the forest will not eat him. The last bird, a nightingale, asks him to measure his song. How will the inchworm outsmart this bird? All my grandchildren have loved this book, and I recommend it for all toddlers

 

Published In: 1962
Publisher: William Morrow & Company Inc.
Age Level: 2-5 years
AR Level: 1.8
Pages: 32
Stars: 5
Awards: Caldecott Honor

Mister Max The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt 🟒🟒🟒🟒🟒

Max’s parents are actors who have been offer the job of a lifetime in India. Max and his parents live in England and when Max misses the boat that was to take them to India he is separated from them. As the days pass, he does not hear from his parents, and he is left to fend for himself. Max must find a way to support himself. After finding a runaway child in the neighborhood Max becomes a finder of lost things. He turns his newfound talent into a business and starts to earn money. While still trying to figure out what happened to his parents.

Max is a wonderful character who is full of courage and guts. He has all the appropriate response you would expect from a 13-year-old boy. The mystery around his parents’ disappearance and the way he tackles each job of finding lost things is engaging. I will be getting the series of Mister Max books for my grandchildren.

Relevant Information	Content Review
Published In: 2013	Profanity: None
Publisher: Knopf	Violence: None
Age Level: 8-12 years	Sexual: None
AR Level: 5.8	Mature Themes: None
Pages: 367
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

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

“The Wednesday Wars” is a historical fiction novel set in 1967. The Vietnam War is raging, all the youth want to be “flower children” and appearances are everything in a small town. Holling, a 7th grade student, thinks that his teacher Mrs. Baker hates him. On Wednesdays all the students go to either Hebrew School or Catechism. Holling the only Presbyterian in the class is left alone with the teacher that hates him. Over the course of the year a relationship between student and teacher and friendship becomes a possibility.

This book has it all humor, tragedy, historical references, and a happy ending. Both adults and students will enjoy Holling’s exploits. I remember the 1960’s and the book is spot on. I recommend it to all middle school students.

Published In: 2007
Publisher: Clarion Books
Age Level: 10-14 years
AR Level: 5.9
Pages: 264
Stars: 5
Award: 2008 Newbery Honor

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

Cute story about an owl that wants to become a knight. He enrolls in knight school to learn how to be “brave and clever”. Once he graduates, he is assigned to protect the castle on the Knight Night Watch where he encounters an intruder. Will the owl be able to keep the castle and other knights safe?

Great illustrations with a suspenseful story with just enough scary pictures to keep a preschooler enthralled but not give them nightmares. The book length is perfect for that 1 more book before bedtime. A wonderful addition to the home library.

Published In: 2022
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Age Level: 3-6 years
AR Level: 2.6
Pages: 40
Stars: 5
Award: 2023 Caldecott Honor

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

Twelve-year-old Rosie and Bailey live next door to each other and have been friends their whole lives. They don’t always get along but when Granny Torrelli makes soup disagreements get worked out. A new girl, Janine, has moved into the neighborhood and Rosie is jealous. Janine gets Bailey to teach her Braille and Rosie is furious. In the past Rosie had asked Bailey to teach her Braille and he had refused. Jealousy is a hard emotion to control, and Rosie has buckets of it. Granny Torrelli has her own story of jealousy, and she shares it with Rosie and Bailey. After the friends hear the story, they rethink their actions.

In my journey as a grandmother, I hope to have as much wisdom as Granny Torrelli. I love books about grandparents and this one is a keeper. I can’t wait to share this book with all my grandchildren.

Published In: 2003
Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books
Age Level: 8- 12years
AR Level: 4.2
Pages: 141
Stars: 5

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

Mike and his steam shovel work together to dig canals for ships, cut through mountains for trains, make highways for cars and dig deep holes for skyscrapers. But with the new inventions of gasoline, electric and diesel shovels Mike’s steam shovel is becoming obsolete. Mike then hears about a town in the country that needs a new town hall. So, Mike and his steam shovel head to Popperville. Here they find one last job and a permanent home.

This is a great book to introduce the importance of moving from steam machines to gasoline which is a cleaner form of energy. This was a very pivotal time in our nation’s development. In addition, the book delivers a message that if you take care of things, they will take care of you. The book is a classic and a great addition to any home library.

Fun Activity: With your child make a list of all the things that you could build with a steam shovel. Or on the internet get a picture of an old steam shovel and a modern backhoe. With your child pick out the differences between the two machines.

Published In: 1939
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Age Level: 2-6 years
AR Level: 4.4
Pages: 48
Stars: 5