Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee illustrated by Christopher Denise*

Firefly's dream to fly to the moon and live beyond Firefly Hollow does not sit well with the Elders.  And Cricket?  He wants to catch a real baseball.  All their life they have been told that the Giants (aka Humans) are the enemies of their nations.  Vole is the only River Vole left.  His family was washed away in a river surge (started by humans when they removed the beaver dam).  All his life he has been practicing tying knots to prepare for an adventure on the river.  When will he have the courage to set off on his own and be a real river vole?
These three characters come together one summer with their seemingly impossible dreams and befriend an unlikely creature . . .a miniature giant, the human-Peter.
Peter is suffering from loss and finds comfort in his little animal friends.
The summer proves to provide healing to all the creatures-both animal and human.
I read this aloud to my third grader and kindergartner.  They both really enjoyed it!  My youngest was sad when we finished it.  He did not want to leave Firefly Hollow and the characters!
Strategies: asking questions, inferring
*Borrowed from the library.
*Highly recommend.
Points to discuss: Sometimes the characters are quite disrespectful to the elders/adults in their lives and out right disobedient.  The author does not give details but the reader can infer that Charlie, Peter's best friend, must have died.