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Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson
A Mississippi River fable in which bullies grow horns and rock trolls and river trolls wage petty battles between them, with disastrous consequences for the humans that get in their way. After 12 year-old Claire's cousin grows a horn and his parents are turned to stone, she joins a trio of river trolls in their quest to find their fathers and restore the humans. Ages 10-14.
Helgerson, J. (2006). Horns and wrinkles. New York: Houghton Millfin Books. -
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
A giant squid proudly compares himself to shrimp, clams, crabs, jellyfish, octopus, and a shark. When confronted (and eaten) by a bigger creature, he still finds a way to boast. This book’s delightful humor is brought to life with bright, playful illustrations. Ages 2-6.
Sherry, K. (2007). I'm the biggest thing in the ocean. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. -
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulson
A boy receives an old riding lawn mower from his grandmother on his 12th birthday, and figures that mowing lawns would be a good way to earn summer money. He quickly finds himself in demand, and an out-of-work-stockbroker neighbor helps him turn this one-boy business into a booming enterprise with sub-contractors and sub-sub contractors with big-time business/financial management lessons along the way. Ages 10-14.
Paulson, G. (2007). Lawn boy. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. -
Lucky by Rachel Vail
14 year-old Phoebe has it all - she and her friends are the queen bees of their middle school, and are planning an unforgettable party to celebrate their continuation to high school. Phoebe's family is faced with an unexpected financial crisis that sends her world into a tailspin as she navigates how to keep up appearances while coping with financial hardship for the first time ever. This is the first book in the Avery Sisters trilogy. Ages 13-16.
Vail, R. (2008). Lucky. New York: HarperTeen. -
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson
Stunning black and while illustrations with spare splashes of yellow help tell this soothing, repetitive story. Perfect for reading at bedtime, snuggling up and imagining that your dreams can take you all the way to the moon and back safe at home. Ages 2-6.
Swanson, S. (2008). The house in the night. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. -
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
When 15 year-old Evie's stepfather returns home from the war he is followed by handsome Joe Coleridge, for whom Evie soon falls. As she takes her first steps toward adulthood, she comes to realize that her parents and Peter are part of a complex web of secrets and lies that builds and finally culminates in tragedy. In the aftermath, Evie must also choose between loyalty and love, and between truth and lies. Ages 13-16. Blundell, J. (2008). What I saw and how I lied. New York: Scholastic, Inc. -
The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going
This book is a journey through grief, hope, and healing. 11 year-old Evie desperately misses her mom. She moves with her father to home in an old apple orchard that is said to be cursed. Evie receives a mysterious present of an old seed, and when she plants it, she is whisked to an Edenic parallel world where the dead may be brought back. Ages 11-14.
Going, K. (2009) The garden of Eve. Boston: Sandpiper. -
The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School by Laurie Halse Anderson
“Zoe Fleefenbacher had one blue eye and one green eye and bright red hair that went on…forever.” Zoe’s wild, unruly hair is a sensation in kindergarten, but is unwelcome in first grade (“School has rules”). Will Zoe and her hair find a way to fit in? The illustrations are as rollicking and wild as the hair, and the story has an important message about acceptance. Ages 5-8.
Anderson, L.H. (2009). The hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher goes to school. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. -
Spells by Emily Gravett
A small frog with a big imagination finds a book of spells, and after some experimentation, turns himself into a handsome prince. The book is full of clever wordplay, rhymes, stunning illustrations, and gentle humor. Kids can conjure up other spells and imagine which rhyming combinations would make new animals. Ages 4-9.
Gravett, E. (2009). Spells. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. -
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn
This ghost story is satisfyingly Gothic, with the plucky orphaned protagonist, the decaying old manor, the sinister and hostile aunt, the sickly and delicate cousin, the fearful and superstitious servants, and the malevolent ghost, teasing and taunting and vowing revenge. A page-turner for ages 9-12.
Hahn, M. D. (2010). The ghost of Crutchfield Hall. Boston: Sandpiper.
