by: Nancy Smiler Levinson, illustrated by: Carolyn Croll – (Harper Collins, 1988) 64 pages.
The book: The young, passionate Clara is a hard worker farmgirl who didn’t have a chance to go to school. Her duties on the farm and helping her mother prevents her from achieving her dream which is to read and write. However, her encounter with Miss Mary, the librarian, and her Bookwagon changes Clara’s life. With the help of Miss Mary, Clara convinces her father to let her study and satisfy her eagerness and passion for learning. This book is about a true story.
Perfect for: Kids who love to read legends.
by: Trudy White – (Kane/Miller, 2007) 89 pages.
The book: Could you? Would You? is an amazing book for children. It contains a variety of questions that make them wonder and imagine themselves in different situations. These questions are odd and interesting at the same time. For example, “How tall are you in centimeters? In bananas?” This will help them be prepared for most of the upcoming situations in their lives. It will also bring laughter, thinking, and talking to your kids.
Perfect for: Kids who like adventurous and humorous stories.
Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle
by: David Elliott, illustrated by: Andrea Wesson – (Candlewick, 2007) 196 pages.
The book: The protagonist of this book is a girl named Evangeline whose parents are primatologists. They were very interested in studying the golden-haired apes that live in the remote Ikkinasti Jungle. They were very interested in the extent that they raised their little girl as these apes raise their babies. As a result, Evangeline gains some apes’ behaviors such as eating a sandwich with her foot while drinking milk with the other one and many other scenarios. This book is delightful and will bring laughter and joy to your kid for sure.
Perfect for: Kids who like animals and adventure.
by Mark Shulman, illustrated by: Adam McCauley – (Chronicle Books, 2006) 36 pages.
The book: This is a very fun book about a boy named Bob. One day Bob was at school and he realized that he was a palindrome. He was frustrated when he realized that his sister, mom, and dad are all palindromes too. The book is full of images that capture the attention of the reader. It also contains 101 palindromes in the lines throughout the book.
Perfect for: Kids who like to read humorous fiction.
by: David Almond, illustrated by: Polly Dunbar – (Candlewick Press, 2008) 115 pages.
The book: Lizzie is a young girl living with her father and taking care of him. Since his wife, Lizzie’s mom, died, he has never been the same again. He was grieving but finally found himself a pain killer. He resorts to the world of birds. The father is so mesmerized by the birds and how they’re able to fly carelessly. So he built himself wings of feathers to be like them. The story depicts freedom, love, and the strong bond between Lizzie and her father.
Perfect for: Kids who like stories based on fantasy and imagination.
by: Amy Hest, illustrated by: Jon J. Muth – (Candlewick Press, 2004) 32 pages.
In the book: A one years old man, Mr. George, and a young schoolboy, Harry, are best friends. They sit together every day on Mr. George’s porch and wait for the school bus. Their passion for knowledge is what bonds them. It’s a great story full of valuable and meaningful lessons.
Perfect for: Kids who like friendship-themed stories.
by Niki Daly – (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2003) 32 pages.
The book: Saree is a South African girl who has some issues with confidence. She cannot read aloud in front of the whole class. She gets anxious and her voice becomes so low. Her classmates always make fun of her. However, with the help of her aunt, a book, and a classmate. She can somehow overcome her anxiety and become confident. The beauty of this story is that everyone can relate to it.
Perfect for: Kids who like motivational stories.
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
by: Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by: Arnold Lobel – (Random House, 1983) 32 pages.
The book: This book is a gate to the fascinating poetry world. It contains the perfect mixture of fun and meaningful poems for kids with more than 400 poems. Your kid will have a variety of poems to pick and choose from.
Perfect for: For kids interested in poetry.
by: Sharon Creech, illustrated by: Harry Bliss – (Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins Pub., 2001) 32 pages.
The book: Tillie is a young girl who goes to a fine, fine school but turns out that the school is not as fine as she thought! The principal, who appreciates learning so much, decides that there will be school every single day of the year, even on holidays. Throughout the story, Tillie and her friends plan on how to change his mind and convince him that it’s important to take days off.
Perfect for: Kids who love to go to school.
Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown
by Paula Danziger – (Puffin, 2002) 48 pages.
The book: Amber Brown is about a little girl who’s a little bit nervous about going to the 2nd grade. She thinks about what awaits her at school and about whether she likes the teacher and classmates or not. She finally decides that she’s more than ready for school with its good and bad. Amber here represents all the kids which make this book relatable for your child.
Perfect for: Kids who like their school a lot.
by: Pansie Hart Flood, illustrated by: Amy Wummer – (Carolrhoda Books, 2004) 80 pages.
In the book: Tiger Turcotte is a schoolboy who is nervous to take a test. We figure out that itself is not the issue, the issue is filling out his personal information. Since Tiger is Black, Hispanic, and African American, he always struggles with what to write in the racial identification section. Later on, the school changes the form of the test and his problem is finally solved. This story focuses on issues of race and mixed kids.
Perfect for: Teaching kids the value of being unique.
Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys
by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, illustrated by: Earl B. Lewis – (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2000) 32 pages.
The book: In this story, Virgie’s brother tells us how girls are treated differently and how Virgie is not allowed to go to school because she is a girl. Therefore, she is considered weak, fragile, and small. However, one day, her parents realize their mistake and let Virgie try and go to school with her brother. She proved that she is strong and determined. She proves them all wrong.
Perfect for: Teaching kids to treat everyone equally.
by Bernard Waber – (Houghton Mifflin, 1972) 48 pages.
The book: Every child has his favorite item, whether it’s a toy or a certain item in the house. Well, Ira is a little person who loves his teddy bear so much and cannot sleep without it. One day he gets invited to a sleepover with his friends. His older sister mocks him and asks him if he’ll bring his bear with him. This thought hovers in his mind. Finally, he decides for himself and does what makes him happy and satisfied. An interesting, fun book full of images.
Perfect for: Kids who like humorous text and funny illustrations.
by Debra & Sal Barracca, illustrated by: Mark Buehner – (Dial Books for Young Readers, 1990) 32 pages.
The book: This story is about a taxi driver who finds a homeless dog in New York City. He adopts and takes good care of him. And that’s how the story begins. The taxi driver takes the dog with him on all his adventures. They drive together all over the city and experience a new story every single day.
Perfect for: Kids who love their pets.
by: Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by: Anne Mortimer – (HarperCollins, 2003) 32 pages.
The book: The sneaker is about a playful cat that goes to the beach one day. He finds lots of distractions to amuse himself with, such as a shrimp, a crab, and a shell that echoes the sound of the loud sea. Anne Mortimer paints a colorful picture with her detailed illustrations which enable the children to imagine these situations as if they were real.
Perfect for: Kids interested in adventure stories.
by: S.E. Hinton – (Viking Press, 1967) 224 pages.
The book: Ponyboy is about a young boy who is considered an outsider by society. His parents died in a car accident. This incident makes his life even harder and full of challenges that are not suitable for his age. The book sheds light on the real struggle of outsiders or those who consider themselves outsiders.
Perfect for: Kids who like motivational stories.
