by: Gloria Whelan - (HarperCollins Publishers, 2000) 192 pages. Set in India, this is a lyrical and compassionate portrait of a survivor. Thirteen-year-old Koly is getting married to someone she has never met. When her new husband turns out to be gravely ill, things take a turn for the worse. Koly finds herself widowed, hopeless and on the streets. Perfect for: Kids who like realism. Find at your local library. The Liberation of Gabriel King by: K.L. Going - (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005) 151 pages. Frita Wilson works hard to help her friend Gabe to overcome the fear of bullies in fifth grade. This is an inspiring story about friendship and understanding between an African American girl and a white boy. Perfect for: Kids who like realism. Find at your local library. Maniac Magee by: Jerry Spinelli - (Little, Brown, 1990) 184 pages. A homeless orphan becomes a legend in a town divided by racism in this sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always exciting story. Jeffrey Magee’s exploits may have made him famous, but reconciling a town filled with hate and finding a decent life for himself may be more than even he can manage. Perfect for: Kids who like realism. Find at your local library. No Talking by: Andrew Clements, illustrated by: Mark Elliott - (Simon & Schuster, 2007) 146 pages. This is an ear-to-ear-grinningly delightful school story. Parents need to know that there is nothing to be concerned about here and lots to cheer. It’s a story that even reluctant readers can love, about good-hearted children and adults who grow in compassion and understanding. Families can talk about silence and civil
The Sisters Grimm Book Two: The Unusual Suspects by: Michael Buckley - (Scholastic, 2007) 290 pages. Now that Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are living with their grandmother Relda in Ferryport Landing, New York, the time to start school has arrived. Daphne is in second grade, with Snow White as a teacher, and school could not be more fun. Sabrina, on the other hand, is in sixth grade and quickly discovers that the entire sixth-grade teaching staff is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Not only that, but the majority of the students sleep through every class and have not done their homework. When Sabrina’s homeroom teacher, Mr. Grumpner, is found dead and dangling from a spider’s web, the Grimm family must step in and try to solve the crime before more people get hurt. Perfect for: Kids who like science fiction and fantasy. Find at your local library. Skellig by: David Almond - (Random House, 1998) 182 pages. Is the creature dying in Michael’s garage a man, a bird, an angel or all three? And what is his connection to Michael’s baby sister, who’s in the hospital with a heart problem? This gorgeously weird novel holds readers entranced in a spell woven of moonlight, owls and poetry. Among the many pleasures of this atmospheric and stunningly beautiful novel are the characters of Michael, a deeply empathetic boy, and Mina, who studies birds and William Blake (and who should be the poster child for home schooling) — and the tender and touching relationship Michael and Mina develop in caring for Skellig and worrying about his baby sister. Want to see the movie? Check out the 2009 made-for-TV adaptation, Skellig: The Owl Man.
Perfect for: Kids who like nonfiction and animals. Find at your local library. Pick Me Up: Stuff You Need to Know… by: Jeremy Leslie and David Roberts - (DK Publishing, 2006) 352 pages. Longtime publisher of kid’s information-weighted books and software, Dorling Kindersley (DK) is trying to bring the computer-mesmerized, videogame-addicted, next-generation kids back to books. And this energetic, colorful, oddball compendium of info “you need to know” tackles that objective head-on. … True to DK’s approach, this plump collection of all and everything is illustrated to the extreme, some of its pages dominated with poignant or wacky photos and minimal explanations, others filled with words in the tiniest of type. … Unconventional, yes, but the book is fun and fascinating, and aptly titled. Young readers will pick it up again and again, and undoubtedly learn something they “need to know.” Perfect for: Kids who like nonfiction and facts. Find at your local library. Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My World! Recipes that Take You Places by: Emeril Lagasse, illustrated by: Charles Yuen - (HarperCollins, 2006) 210 pages. Star chef Emeril Lagasse takes readers’ taste buds on a trip around the world in this follow-up book to his two previous kids’ cookbooks (There’s a Chef in My Soup! and There’s a Chef in My Family!). Young chefs will enjoy this lively cookbook that includes more than 70 recipes from every region of the world. The format is friendly with clear ingredient lists and numbered directions. There are pronunciation guides for foreign names, interesting food and cultural facts (for instance, in Ireland, salmon is the most prized fish and thought to have magical powers), and bright and colorful illustrations of the dishes. This book would be a great way to get the whole family into the kitchen and cooking together. Perfect for: Kids who like to cook. Find at your local library. Roald Dahl’s Even More Revolting Recipes
by: Felicity Dahl and Roald Dahl, illustrated by: Quentin Blake and Jan Baldwin - (Viking/Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 2001) 64 pages. If the Addams Family had a favorite cookbook, this would be it. Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake have teamed up again to create the companion volume to his first culinary compendium, Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes. Aficionados will recognize some of the dishes from Mr. Dahl’s other works, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While some of the recipes may sound fairly disgusting, none of them really is. The titles alone are enough to fill young and mischievous cooks with glee as they look forward to presenting company with a plate of Soil with Engine Oil or some Boiled Slobbages. Parents, please note: While the dishes are calculated to appeal to younger appetites, the directions may get a bit overwhelming for junior chefs. Adult supervision is the rule rather than the exception here, so get a firm grip on your sense of humor and wade on in. Who knew lizard’s tails could be so tasty? Perfect for: Kids who like to cook. Find at your local library. Everything Kids’ Environment Book by: Sheri Amsel - (Adams Media, 2007) 144 pages. The books in Adams Media’s Everything Kids’ series provide encyclopedic yet entertaining introductions to their topics, and this volume on the environment is no exception. Perfect for the curious child, this guide — filled with eco-friendly activities and puzzles — shows them how to reduce waste, recycle materials and protect plants and animals. Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature. Find at your local library. A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids: Understanding Climate Change and What You Can Do About It by: Julie Hall, illustrated by: Sarah Lane - (Green Goat Books, 2007) 88 pages.