Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner*

Mr. Wuffles is bored by his toy.  Only one toy will do!
An almost wordless book but the reader can infer a lot by the pictures.
Superb!
Strategies: inferring
I believe it won for Caldecott Honor Book for 2014.

Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child

My boys love the two books written by Lauren Child which feature Herb and fairy tale creatures.
In this book two wolves exit Herb's book and threaten to eat him.  Who will rescue him?  The fairy godmother, of course!
Funny!
Strategies: text to text connections

Emperor Penguins Up Close by Carmen Bredeson

A great nonfiction series for preschoolers and beginning readers.
This series divides its sections into different parts of the animal and has a close up photo of that part.
Text structures:  contents, glossary (at the beginning!), diagrams, map, labels, photo captions, flow chart-sequence, learn more section and an index

A-Z Mysteries The Bald Bandit by Ron Roy*

The Green Lawn Savings Banks has been robbed.  Fortunately a teenager filmed the thief exiting the bank.  A detective investigating the case hires Dink, Ruth Rose and Josh to find the teenager and the video.
An exciting mystery series perfect for the reluctant transitional reader.
*Highly recommend series.

The Adventures of Robin Hood retold by Tom DeFalco illustrated by Frank Mayo*

Classics for Beginning Readers-Reader's Digest
In a simple format the entire story of Robin Hood is told.
Every page has bold illustrations.
*Highly recommend.

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones illustrated by Jago*

I love how this Bible storybook centers on Christ from the beginning-literally at Creation.  Each story is told how God's plan was in motion and focuses on God's love for all of humanity.
Stories are told in a very descriptive, dramatic format.
*Highly recommend.

Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett*

This book is a sequel to Gingerbread Baby.  The Gingerbread Baby appreciates the house Mattie has made him but he is lonely.  He longs for friends.  So he ventures out into the village and finds potential friends in a bake shop.  Of course, there needs to be a chase with a gingerbread baby and this race is a close one for the Gingerbread Baby!
A huge expanding page at the end.
*Highly recommend.

Hedgie Blasts Off! by Jan Brett*

Hedgie takes care of the Zeppadoppler rocket for Professor (who is in charge of Outer Space) of Star Lab. Hedgie dreams of being an astronaut.  He has his chance to prove his competency when he is sent up in space to check out why Big Sparkler on planet Mikkop is shooting out weak sparkles.  The sparkles are what feed and make the unique flowers on Mikkop grow.
Beautiful illustrations, of course!  A fun fold-up page with sparkles.
*Highly recommend.

Magic School Bus Arctic Adventure by Gail Herman illustrated by Carolyn Bracken*

Scholastic Level 2
The kids in Ms. Frizzle's class visit the arctic and discover how animals survive in the  snow.
*Highly recommend series.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau*

Lina and Doon's city, Ember, is the only area that has life in their world.  Beyond the city is darkness.  The city's light source is light bulbs and the generator run by the underground river keeps them burning.  Uncertainty fills the city as the lights are flickering off more often and for longer periods of time plus life necessities are running low.
Even though Lina and Doon are only twelve years old, their curiosity, sense of adventure, and love for the people of the city lead them to place where they can rescue the impending doom.
Every aspect of this book is excellent: character development, exciting plot, organization, good description.
The characters are admirable and the ending leaves the reader to want to read the second book!
Four books in the series.
*Highly recommend.

Antarctic Antics A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey*

Love this book!
The reader learns about the life of the penguin and reads poetry too.
My favorite poems were the predator riddles.
My boys liked "Regurgitate"!
*Highly recommend.

My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza*

A piglet by accident knocks on fox's door.  The fox anticipates a fine meal! A surprise, funny ending!
Strategies: confirming predictions, inferring (at end)
*Highly recommend.
One of my favorite to model making predictions, confirming or changing them.

The High-Rise Private Eyes #6 The Case of the Fidgety Fox by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Two friends, Bunny Brown and Jack Jones, live in the same apartment building and solve cases together.
In this book, they try to find a bus driver's lucky dice.
My seven year old son read this book in one sitting and enjoyed  it.
Four short chapters.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin*

A wonderful, clever mystery.
Fast paced.  Well developed characters.  A happy, satisfying ending!
Wealthy Mr. Westing dies but in his will claims he has been murdered.  He selects individuals to participate in a game to solve the crime.
*Highly recommend.
Won Newbery Medal.

100 Snowmen by Jen Arena illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

A great book to use for the 100th day of school.
In rhyming text, the author shares how more and more snowmen come into the scene.  Adding equations are also on every other page.  On the final page there is one long equation adding all the numbers up to equal 100.
I think the snowmen could have looked slightly cuter!

Treasured Tales by Aneurin Rhys and Ronne Randall illustrated by Chameleon Design*

An over-sized book containing ten traditional fairy tales.  A great book to have on hand when introducing fairy tales if kids are not familiar with them.  The writing is simple so struggling readers can read it easily.  Full page illustrations can be found on every other page.
My four year old son enjoyed reading this book each night.
Barnes and Noble published this fourteen years ago so do not know how available it is.
*Highly recommend.

White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt illustrated by Roger Duvoisin*

How a town/village and people there enjoy the snow (some not so much) and then really enjoy the thaw and spring!
Beautiful language-similes and metaphors.
Winner of the Caldecott Medal.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

Ants National Geographic Kids by Melissa Stewart*

Level 1-for kids who are beginning to read on their own
Perfect nonfiction text for beginning/transitional readers.
Text structures: table of contents, photographs, labels, diagrams, picture captions, vocab. boxes, cutaway/cross section, up close photos, picture captions, picture glossary, jokes/riddles
*Highly recommend.

A Circle of Friends by Giora Carmi*

A wordless book.
The circle begins when a mom gives her son some money to go buy a muffin.  He purchases the muffin and takes a bite.  Then he sees a homeless man . . .the story of kindness takes off.
Strategies: predicting, determining importance, inferring
*Highly recommend.

The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg*

One of my favorite authors!
The book is divided into 26 acts.  The reader first sees a large letter on stage with something happening to it. The reader must predict the action word for the letter (it begins with the corresponding alphabet letter).
*Highly recommend.
Strategy/skill: predicting, word choice

Millie in the Snow by Alexander Steffensmeier*

It is Christmas time.  Millie and the mailman are now friends (read the first book to find out why/how).  She has a box of presents from the mailman to deliver to her home farm when she becomes lost.
Once again, funny!
Strategy-inferring
*Highly recommend.

Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier*

I am so glad I stumble upon this book and its sequel at the library!
Millie's favorite part of the day is when the mail arrives.  Why?  Because she loves to scare the mailman!  Is Millie a dog?  No, she is a cow!
Funny!
Strategies: predicting
*Highly recommend.

Avalanche Annie by Lisa Wheeler illustrated by Kurt Cyrus

When Annie Halfpint joins the folks from Yoohoo for their annual snowshoe race, Annie yodels and begins an avalanche.  With descriptive, humorous language, the author relates how Annie saves the village and forms Twin Antler Lake.
Lots of figurative language- similes, hyperbole, personification.

All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan illustrated by Mike Wimmer

Beautiful paintings.
Each family member has a favorite place on the family farm.  An older brother is eager to share them with his baby sister.  Sweet.
Beautiful language.
Strategy-visualizing

Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards illustrated by Henry Cole

A slug sets off to saunter up a slope.  A surprise and funny ending!
Full of alliteration!
Readers can find "s" creatures hidden throughout the book and the letter "s" hidden on each page.

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

Vashti's art class frustrated her until her teacher honored her dot picture.  Her teacher's encouragement inspired her to be creative with lots of dot pictures.  In the end she passed on the encouragement to a younger boy and his squiggle.
Craft idea- make pictures using just dots and/or squiggles  (use the end of a pencil eraser in different color stamp pads or Do A Dot markers-my boys just wanted to paint!).

Older students:
Strategy-author's purpose/message, determining importance

The Life of Ty Penguin Problems by Lauren Myracle Illustrated by Jed Henry

Seven year old Ty is tired of Teensy  Baby Maggie (his new sister) receiving all the attention so he pursues methods to gain attention from his mother.
Funny parts but my seven year old and I agreed we did not like Ty's behavior and how he handled his jealousy.  Made for a good discussion throughout the book.

The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery photographs by Nic Bishop*

"Scientists in the Field" series
This book shares how Scientist Dr. Robert Mason studies red-sided garter snakes at the Narcisse Wildlife Area in Manitoba, Canada.  If you do not like snakes, the photos will make you squirm!!
Very interesting.
Mr. Bishop is an incredible photographer.  I highly recommend any book he has photographed.  He has published his own series about animals.
*Highly recommend the "Scientists in the Field" series.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

The reader follows the "life" of a house through history and sees first hand how our nation changes-from rural to more developed.
A Caldecott Award Book

The Magic School Bus Scholastic Reader Level 2 series by various authors*

A perfect series for children who like to read nonfiction.  My seven year old loves the series and picks them often to read aloud to me or read to himself.
At least eighteen in the series.
*Highly recommend.

Mr. Terupt Falls Again by Rob Buyea*

This book made me laugh and cry.  Mr. Buyea develops the characters from his previous book Because of Mr. Terupt beautifully.  You admire each one all the more as events unfold and they mature in their outlook and how they handle life.
A wide variety of students and life situations: three female students with single moms, an only child who has wonderful parents, a boy who had brother with Downs Syndrome who eventually died . . .now the parents are buried in grief and do not interact with each other or with him, a boy who has workaholic parents and who want to send him to private school, and a Christian girl who lives on a multi-generational farm.
Wonderful life lessons are learned.  How I wish I was a teacher like Mr. Terupt is portrayed!!
Love how Mr. Buyea has the class reading wonderful books.  Hopefully the reader will want to go and read these titles:
 (The Westing Game, The Whipping Boy, Are You There, God?  It's Me Margaret. :-), Wringer)

I am cautious to recommend the book to sixth graders even though that is what grade the students are in, just because of the following-
*boys may feel a bit uncomfortable reading about two girls getting their period for the first time-pretty descriptive (Mr. Buyea describes "the event" very well and he is a guy!! Impressive! :-)),
* one student wants to have a bigger chest and stuffs herself with toilet paper a few times (again guy readers may not enjoy these parts . . . I found them hilarious!!!)
*one student begins hanging out with high school students and begins to smoke.  The high school students also give her vodka to drink and bring pot to the scene.  She does not try the pot.  These scenes mostly occur in the beginning of the book and Mr. Terupt "rescues" her from the situation.  The one high school student-a boy- is very disrespectful of teachers and gives Mr. Terupt the middle finger twice.  By the end of the book Mr. Terupt has befriended the boy!

*Highly recommend.

The Boy on the Wooden Box A Memoir by Leon Leyson*

"How the impossible became the possible . . . on Schindler's list"
Mr. Leyson relays to his readers in a matter a fact tone the horrors he endured as a Polish Jew during Nazi-controlled Poland.  It is unbelievable what the Jews faced . . . .horrific.
Very well written-easy to read.
A great book to include when studying WW II and Hitler.
*Highly recommend.

Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming illustrated by G. Brian Karas*

Jack is invited to the princess' tenth birthday party.  The problem is he and his mother only own a quilt, a spinning wheel, and an ax.  "Clever" Jack figures out a way to make and bake the princess an incredible cake.  On the way to the palace his cleverness is tested many times. The ultimate test occurs when he comes to the princess without a gift!
My boys and I loved reading this story!
Strategies: introducing character traits, predicting
*Highly recommend.
Check out Muncha! Muncha!  Muncha! by this team (their is a sequel to this one but I forget the title at the moment).

Planting the Wild Garden by Kathryn O. Galbraith illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin*

This book explains how plants not cultivated by humans spread.
Necessary to share when talking about seeds and seed dispersal.
Creative layout of illustrations.  Paler colors but represent the topic well.  I loved the end pages of the various seeds.
*Highly recommend.

Small Saul by Ashley Spires

Ever since he was small, Saul wanted to be on the sea.  Because of his size, he is only accepted on a pirate ship.  He is not your typical pirate. It takes losing him for the pirates to appreciate him.

The Little Snowflake by Steve Metzger illustrated Monica Wellington

A snowflake longs to be made into a snowman.  His patience pays off but not exactly the way he expected.

The Snowman's Wish by Harmen van Straaten

A snowman stuck in snow globe wishes he could escape his monotonous world.  An angel above the clock mantel grants him his wish and he spends a wonderful hour dancing with a ballerina.  How can he ever return to his suffocating world?
Not a favorite.

Puffins Climb, Penguins Rhyme by Bruce McMillan*

Beautiful, simple photographs of puffins and penguins.
Rhyming text-which alternates between puffins and penguins.
Great to utilize in classroom when talking about the difference between animal life in the Arctic vs. Antarctica.
Two pages in the back share more facts about these adorable birds.
*Highly recommend.

African Acrostics by Avis Harley photographs by Deborah Noyes*

Wow!!  An amazing book!  Beautiful photos of African animals and clever poetry.
In the back are a few pages explaining how to write acrostic poetry.  More information about each photographed animals is also included in the back.
A most for any person who collects poetry books!  A great book to use in classroom during poetry unit.
*cannot recommend it enough!!-highly recommended.

The Boy Who Cried Fabulous by Leslea Newman illustrated by Peter Ferguson

Roger loves life and finds many fascinating objects and people to celebrate as he walks through town.  Adults in his life are frustrated by his easily distracted behavior.  Who will change: Roger or the adults?

Rhyming text.  Bold illustrations.
Could use to model word choice-use different words for the word "fabulous".

The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell illustrated by Jim Harris*

The folktale based on the Three Little Pigs but it takes place in the desert and features javelinas and a coyote.  Spanish words sprinkled throughout the story.
Adorable illustrations.
Strategies/skills: predicting/confirming, making connections, venn diagram
*Highly recommend.

Wiener Dog by Jeff Crosby

Wiener Dog is tired of the same backyard, toy and food.  When he sees wolves on TV, he leaves Granny, his owner, to live in the wilderness.  He becomes "Wiener Wolf"!  Reality of their lifestyle slaps in the face and he departs this new way of life.  Granny, of course, is happy to welcome him home.
Funny!
One part requires readers to infer.

Imagine a Night by Sarah L. Thomson illustrated by Rob Gonsalves*

Same concept as "Imagine a Day" but the paintings take place at night.
My seven year old son loved both these books.  Some of the pictures in this book he thought were creepy.
*Highly recommend.

Imagine A Day by Sarah L. Thomson illustrated by Rob Gonsalves*

Incredible paintings with unusual twists.  Ms. Thomson adds her own unique captions, asking the reader to imagine . . .
*Highly recommend.
Could use to foster creative writing.
Over-sized so great for sharing with a group.

Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett illustrated by Adam Rex

The author, Mr. Barnett disagrees with Mr. Rex about his drawing of a dragon.  Mr. Barnett quickly realizes his mistake of disposing his illustrator when his efforts are pitiful!!
Funny!

Lifetime by Lola M. Schaefer illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

"The Amazing Numbers in Animals Lives"
How many holes will a woodpecker drill in his lifetime?
How many baby seahorses will a male seahorse carry and birth in his lifetime?
An unique counting and math book.
Great book to use when introducing/teaching averages.
More facts about each animal is in the back.
*Highly recommend.

A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

The author proves why a pig parade is a terrible idea.
Large in size so great for sharing with a group.

Little Rooster's Diamond Button retold by Margaret Read MacDonald illustrated by Will Terry*

A folktale told in many different countries.
We loved this version!!
A pet rooster has a magical stomach which helps him outsmart a greedy king.
*Highly recommend.
Strategy: predicting

Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra illustrated by J. Otto Seibold

The B.B. Wolf lives in Villain Villa with other questionable characters.  One day he is invited to the library for a tea!
Funny!  We read its sequel-Tell the Truth, B.B.Wolf first without realizing it.  The ending of this story leads right into the sequel.

A Isn't For Fox An Isn't Alphabet by Wendy Ulmer illustrated by Laura Knorr*

An unique alphabet book.
So fun!  Rhymes.
Highly recommend.

Zero, Zilch, Nada Counting to None by Wendy Ulmer illustrated by Laura Knorr

Harry, the rabbit, is excited to begin his first job at the balloon factory-blowing up balloons.  He runs into trouble though when he needs to count them and his choice to keep track of his counting ends in disaster.
Can use the book to talk about counting by 2's, 5's and 10's and equal grouping.
A bit long for the subject manner.

The Question by Scott J. Langteau illustrated by Lidat Truong

A boy wonders many things as he watches the snow fall . . .especially if the snow will bury his house and how he will survive.  A fun ending.
Bold, colorful illustrations.

When Gorilla Goes Walking by Nikki Grimes illustrated by Shane Evans*

Through poetry, one learns about Cecilia and her cat Gorilla.  Very clever!
Ms. Grimes knows cats!!
*Highly recommend.

Rocket's Mighty Words by Tad Hills

Basically a book with labels.  I was looking for something more meaty.
Maybe good to use with ESL students??
Adorable illustrations.
We own the other Rocket books by Tad Hills and highly recommend them.

Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman

When each member of the Greenstalk family encounters a problem, the pigs are right there to fix the problem.  Funny ending too! Another book coming?
If you like this book, read the first book Chickens to the Rescue.

Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke by Pamela Duncan Edwards illustrated by Henry Cole*

Their mother leaves for Florida and the kits are left to find food for themselves.  They try to ambush the farmer's fowl but each time are unsuccessful.  Meanwhile their older brother Fosdyke is cooking vegetarian like foods and finally convincing his siblings to try them.
Full of great vocabulary-the focus is "f" words.  The author/illustrator challenge readers to  find "f" objects drawn in the book.
*Highly recommend.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Lucy the bear discovers a boy hiding in the woods and takes him as a pet.  Her mother is reluctant but acquiesces to the idea.
Funny!

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

A girl toddles around with her stuffed spider monkey repeating, "Monkey and Me" and pretending to be an animal.  The following page displays the animal she was pretending to be.  It is fun for the reader to guess what animal she is.

Balloon Trees by Danna Smith illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein

For kids who love balloons this will be an interesting book!  It starts in a forest of rubber trees where latex is tapped and continues to the factory where they are made.
I found it fascinating!
In the back the author has more information about rubber, a little quiz-like, a sequencing page, and a true or false page.
Wish the map on the information page was bigger-difficult to read the words/map key.

Defend the Castle Lego Kingdoms by Hannah Dolan*

DK Readers  Level 2  Beginning to Read Alone
Lion King is the good king and must defend his castle against the Dragon Wizard.  A battle occurs and the illustrations are all legos.
Text structures: labels, rectangle boxes that give an additional true facts about knights and medieval times, quiz, and index.
*Highly recommend.

A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood illustrated by Dan Andreasen

Where do you go when the world is too noisy?  The boy in this book goes to various habitat and settings to find some quiet.
A bigger sized book so great for sharing with a group.

Seed by Seed by Esme Raji Codell illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins

"The Legend and Legacy of John "Appleseed" Chapman

The book starts with two children overlooking a city and then it slowly transports them back to the time Johnny Appleseed lived.
Ms. Codell focuses on four lessons we can learn from him.
The artwork is an interesting mixture: watercolor/gouache, embroidery, woodcarvings, burlap and secondhand book pages.
An unique Johnny Appleseed book!
Ms. Codell also gives creative activities to do as one celebrates Johnny Appleseed on his birthday, Sept. 26th.  Visit Ms. Codell's website  www.planetesme.com for lots of book recommendations and activities to encourage reading.

This Is Just to Say Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski*

Such a clever idea!
Sixth graders write poems of apology to each other and family members.  Through the poems you learn about their lives.  In Part 2, the receivers of the initial poem respond.
*Highly recommend.

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig by Chris Kurtz*

"A novel of snow and courage"
Flora knows it is not her destiny to remain confined in a pig sty with her mother and brothers.  She dreams of exploring and doing amazing feats.
She receives her opportunity.  She finds herself in Antarctica on an expedition that goes wrong. Flora knows she can help the dog sled team, the captain and the crew .  . .if only they can believe a pig has talent!!   Like the captain says, "It hard to know where brains and talent are going to come from."
A fun story of courage and friendship and character transformation!
*Highly recommend.

The Sandwich Swap by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah with Kelly DiPucchio illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Lily and Salma are best friends.  Secretly they each think the other one's sandwich at lunchtime looks disgusting (peanut butter/jelly vs. hummus).  One day they let each other know how they feel and a big fight ensues.  Together they resolve their differences and include others to appreciate culture/ethnicity differences.
A fun fold-out page.

Escaping the Titanic A Young Girl's True Story of Survival by Marybeth Lorbiecki illustrated by Kory S. Heinzen

Told from Ruth Becker's point of view, the reader is able to experience first hand what it was like to be on the Titanic as it met its demise.
Cartoony illustrations.
Text structure:  time, time line, internet sites, afterword with a photograph of Ruth Becker

Psst! by Adam Rex

A girl innocently visits a zoo.  To her surprise each animal she views requests her to bring them something.
A very fun ending!!
My boys loved it!  My seven year old paged through it and said, "that is a great book!".

A map is included on the end pages so you can trace the main character's path.

The Silver Button by Bob Graham

Jodie is about to draw a third button, when her brother takes his first steps . . .the book continues showing what various people and animals are doing at that exact moment.  Gives a world perspective.

A Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk A forest of poems by Deborah Ruddell illustrated by Joan Rankin

Humorous poems set in the forest.
A wide variety of types of poems.

How to Teach a Slug to Read by Susan Pearson illustrated by David Slonim

This picture book is a great book to share with parents!  The same principals of teaching a slug to read apply to teaching a child to read.
Comprehensive.

Henry's Map by David Elliot*

Henry, the pig, likes everything in its place.  When he peers out to the farm yard, he is disturbed by the disorder.  So he creates a map and shares it with the farm creatures.
Cute and fun!
Perfect for introducing a map unit.
*Highly recommend.

Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh adapted by Jamie Simons illustrated by Atelier Philippe Harchy

Several classic stories about Pooh and his friends.
Pages dominated by the illustrations.

The Boxcar Children #19 Benny Uncovers a Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner*

Benny and his brother Henry are working at a local department store for the month of August.  A valuable vase is stolen and new jewelry just appears in the showcase.  The manager is not fond of the boys (or anyone) and suspects them.  Benny persists in finding the answers and solves the mystery!
*Highly recommend.
Perfect series for 2nd-4th graders to read independently.  I do not care for the titles after #19-those are written by different people.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea*

This story is told by seven fifth graders who are positively impacted by their new teacher Mr. Terupt.
Mr. Buyea writes from the perspective of seven different personalities and backgrounds with ease.
A powerful book!
*Highly recommend.

Starlight Breyer Stablemates by Kristin Earhart illustrated by Dan Andreasen

Haley finally has a horse of her own, Starlight.  The only problem is Starlight does not listen when she is being called.  One night Starlight disappears.  A search begins with the hope that she will come when she is called!
Perfect for transitional readers-short chapters, few sentences per page.
True facts about the horse are in the back.

Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat illustrated by Marc Simont

Rosamond makes a prize for the smartest pet contest but it disappears.  Nate the Great and loyal dog Sludge solve the case just in time!
2017 update-
My first grader just read this book to himself.  He says, "It was a great book!  The problem is that Rosamond lost the prize for the smartest pet contest.  The case is solved by Smudge, Nate the Great's dog, sniffs the bag.  Nate the Great comes over and sees the tuna fish can in the bag.  Then they can begin the contest!!"

Brave Irene by William Steig*

Irene's mother made a gown for the duchess' ball but is too sick to transport it to the palace.  Irene, the sweet daughter, tucks her mother in bed and battles the wind, snow and a sprained ankle to deliver the gown in time.
Great vocabulary
Skills: context clues; word choice

Finicky An Aldo Zelnick Comic Novel by Karla Oceanak illustrated by Kendra Spanjer

The cafeteria's menu is going to feature more healthy items.  Aldo is quite upset about this change since they are taking away pizza Monday and chicken nuggets and chocolate milk.  With his friends, he leads protests.
I like how when he makes mistakes his parents hold him accountable and require him to make things right.
I did not like this one as much as the first one in the series but still a great book!

Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Sucie Stevenson*

Mudge gets sick.  Henry is apprehensive about taking him to the vet.
Can't say enough good about this series!!
Ready to Read   Level 2

Josie's Gift by Kathleen Long Bostrom illustrated by Frank Ordaz*

This Josie and her family's first Christmas without their father.  This Christmas Josie learns the true meaning of Christmas as she gives sacrificially.
A longer picture book for older readers/listeners.
*Highly recommend.

Ye Olde Werid but True! 300 Outrageous Facts from History National Geographic Kids*

Love this series!  Great for time filler in the classroom.
Perfect for reluctant older readers.
*Highly recommend.

Who Would Win? series by Jerry Pallotta illustrated by Rob Bolster*

This series is wonderful for reluctant readers and . . boys!
Each book has an animal versus another one.  Their attributes and abilities are compared and then a battle ensues.
At the end is a comparative checklist where you compare them.  The author challenges the reader to come up with their own ending.
I bought this entire series for my seven year old son and he loves them!
*Highly recommend.
Titles in series:
 Hammerhead vs. Bull Shark
Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Velociraptor
Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark
Lion vs. Tiger
Polar Bear vs. Grizzly Bear
Tarantula vs. Scorpion
Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra

If you order the books directly from Mr. Pallotta, he will dedicate and sign each of the books!

The Boxcar Children #48 The Mystery Bookstore created by Gertrude Chandler Warner illustrated by Charles Tang

The Alden children are visiting New Orleans where their grandfather purchases a bookstore for his friend Olivia Chase.  The children help clean up the store in preparation for a book sale.  While there a part of a fairy tale set is stolen.  The Boxcar children pull together their resources to find the culprit.
This book was difficult for me to read aloud to my seven year old.   I found it not very exciting.  My son, however, liked it!!
I highly recommend the Boxcar series by Ms. Warner.  She wrote up through #19.  Numbers after that are written by various people.  I tell the difference between the writing!

The Three Little Rigs by David Gordon

The three little rigs leave their mother to construct their own garages.  Who comes along but the big, wrecking ball to destroy their homes!  The three brothers join forces and destroy the menace!

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by K.G. Campbell

Flora is a cynic.  Then Ulysses, who happens to be a squirrel-a very special squirrel- comes into her life.  A whole host of characters begin to interact with Flora and her tough facade begins to crumble.
A very unique book . . .fun to read too.

Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg*

The ants have discovered a place where there are abundant amounts of sweet crystals.  They will do anything for their dear mother queen ant so they march through perilous places to retrieve the crystals.  Two ants, however, decide to stay so they can devour the crystals at their leisure.  Unexpected events create a very exciting night for them!!
Strategies/skills: inferring, point of view
*Highly recommend.

Piggins by Jane Yolen illustrated by Jane Dyer*

Piggins, the butler, at 47 The Meadows, figures out who stole Mrs. Reynard's diamond necklace through his acute observational skills.
Great book to introduce mysteries and observational skills.
*Highly recommend.

The Raft by Jim LaMarche*

Nicky does not want to spend the summer with his grandmother.  She does not even have a TV!
His patient grandmother transforms a sullen boy to one who loves nature and life.
Based loosely on the author/illustrator's experiences.
Strategies/skills: inferring, character development
*Highly recommend

Hello, Squirrels! Scampering Through the Seasons by Linda Glaser illustrated by Gay W. Holland

Follow baby squirrels from their birth in the spring to the following winter as they prepare their own nests.
Very simple text for the youngest learner yet it has a lot of substance/facts to it.

The Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien

This book is a collection of letters J. R. R. Tolkien sent to his children every year at Christmas from 1925 to approximately 1939, pretending to be Father Christmas.
Very creative and humorous!
*Highly recommend.

Gifts of the Heart by Patricia Polacco

Trisha's gramma has passed away so her grandfather plans to sell the farm.  This Christmas will be their last Christmas there.  Trisha's older brother, Richie, is really struggling with the change and her death.  When Kay Lamity arrives to be their housekeeper, Richie gives her a difficult time.  Will Kay help the children through their grief and teach them about true gifts?
Ms. Polacco's books are usually longer narratives for middle to older elementary.

Tom Thumb retold and illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson

A poor yet kind couple accommodate a weary traveler.  The weary traveler, Merlin, grants them a wish for a child.  Their child is the size of a thumb!  This story is full of his exciting adventures and how he finally helps out his parents.
The illustrations are exquisite.
Boys will like since King Arthur, Merlin and a giant are characters in it.

A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas illustrated by Violeta Dabija

Fun rhyming text!
A multi-age book-young learners to elementary.
Text structures:  more facts about each focus point in the main text, glossary, and further reading.

One Gorilla A Counting Book by Anthony Browne

The book is over sized and the illustrations are incredible.  Perfect for sharing at story time.
Counts up to 10.
Point to discuss:  He includes humans in the family of primates . . ."all one family . . . all my family and yours"

Aliens Are Coming! by Meghan McCarthy

"The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast"
Lots  more information about it in the back.  The actual story to read is really short.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson*

We loved Mr. Watson's depiction of Santa's sleigh!!  Each illustration focuses on Santa.
Mr. Watson is an incredible illustrator.
*Highly recommend.

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

Three children build a snowman.  When the snowman proceeds to sneeze and complain of the cold, they try to remedy his problem.  Unfortunately, he melts!  A fun solution to the problem!
Rhyming text.

Leo Geo and the Cosmic Crisis by Jon Chad

We own the first book by Jon Chad-Leo Geo and the Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth and were excited to purchase Mr. Chad's second graphic book.
He does a great job of mixing in real science facts with a fun, exciting story line.
In this book Leo Geo's computer has malfunctioned and is requiring Leo Geo perform bad experiments.  Who will reboot the computer?  Why Leo Geo's brother Matt Data who lives on the moon!
A fun book with two stories in it-you just flip it over to read each brother's story.

The Boy Who Went Ape by Richard Jesse Watson and Benjamin James Watson

Father-son team
What happens when Benjamin, a class troublemaker, by accident, switches life with a chimpanzee?  Quite a crazy day!!

Poppy The Pirate Dog by Liz Kessler illustrated Mike Phillips

My almost seven year old says this book was funny because the dog became a pirate dog.  The parents and kids looked through magazines to fin Poppy a pirate ship.

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson

Gives a brief biography of Nelson Mandela.
The paintings are exceptional.

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh

Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans
Rush Revere is a substitute honors history teacher.  He takes two students back to when the Pilgrims were traveling to America and establishing themselves.
His talking horse Liberty is the object that brings them through the time portal.
Humorous and one learns a lot about true history.
Thick quality paper Beautiful illustrations and lots of older pictures/paintings, ship diagram.

The Lord's Prayer by Richard Jesse Watson

Beautiful illustrations.
Various ethnicities represented.

I especially liked how at the back Pastor Rick Warren restates the verses in kid-friendly language.