Twenty Questions by Mac Barnett illustrated by Christian Robinson

 Each two-page spread includes a question-some have a specific answer while most of them are open-ended with the potential for interesting discussions with your child! Definitely a book that will promote critical thinking and provide the practice to defend logical thinking.

Warning: One question is "Which of these ladies just robbed a bank?"-probably a discussion is needed how robbing a bank is wrong!!

-Borrowed from the library.

Little Houses by Kevin Henkes illustrated by Laura Dronzek*

As a girl seaches for shells and walks the beach, she describes her contemplative time with her grandparents at their beach house. The main character's favorite shell is a junonia (not stated but depicted in the illustrations). As a result, it pairs perfectly with Junonia, a chapter book also by Kevin Henkes.

Beautiful acrylic illustrations.

A great book to instill and to encourage wonder and appreciation for God's vast creation.

Point to discuss: In the illustrations, an old-earth view is purported.

-Borrowed from the library.

*Highly recommend.

Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer**

A Caldecott Honor book for 2021! 

These illustrations are stunning and amazing!! Very detailed collages. Check out the flowers-so intricate. 

The text is very simple but beautiful (one question per two page spread).  It celebrates the outdoors, imagination and being present in the moment. Reading this book will encourage pondering. 

**Highly, highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Night Walk by Marie Dorleans*

 What a stunning book!  

A mother wakes up her two children for a night walk.  The family of four (the father goes too) leaves their house in the middle of the night to walk through the village, through the woods, to the open country to see a spectacular view.  

Award-winner in France-Prix Landerneau.

Ms. Dorleans utilizes imagery and although the writing is sparse, each word is powerful and well-selected.  The art is incredible.  The way she inserts light into the darkness is breath-taking and reveals she has studied her subject and is a very talented artist.  The illustrations certainly add more to the story.  Even the endpages are part of the story.

As I was reading it, it reminded me how I felt when I read Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.  These two books would be a perfect pair to read together and compare.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Strategies: asking questions, inferring

Snowman's Story by Will Hillenbrand

 When my boys were toddlers and preschoolers, I read all of Mr. Hillenbrand's books I could find because I loved the adorable illustrations and sweet plots.  This wordless book depicts a snowman's beginnings, a secretive rabbit, and an exciting pursuit.  Parents and children who love books and reading will smile and sigh contently at the story's conclusion.

Strategies: narrating, inferring, asking questions, predicting

-Borrowed from the library.

A Long Road on a Short Day by Gary D. Schmidt & Elizabeth Stickney illustrated by Eugene Yelchin*

 Mr. Schmidt wrote this story with his late wife, Anne Schmidt (Elizabeth Stickney is her pen name).  

Mama wants a milk cow to help feed the baby.  Papa and Samuel venture into the blustery winter day to trade objects until they can fulfill her wishes.  Beginning with a Barlow knife and ending with a milk cow (plus something for Samuel), they meet a variety of interesting people who own intriguing objects/creatures.  

Short chapters and full page illustrations make this a perfect book for readers trying to build stamina.   It would also be a great book to read aloud to toddlers/preschoolers who are building listening-stamina.  

Strategies: inferring, asking questions

Recommendation: This book is brimming with secondary characters.  It would be helpful if the parent/teacher would make a list of each secondary character and what they gave for the trade/what they received for the trade.   

*Highly recommend.  A wholesome, sweet book.

Update: I reread this book as my thirteen-year-old read it for RAR family book club. Even he, an advanced reader and a teenager, found it delightful. 

-Borrowed from the library.

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry illustrated by Kenard Pak*

 After watching her father's old home movies from her childhood, Ms. Lowry realized that as she played on the beach in Hawaii,  the ship sailing on the horizon was the Arizona, which was bombed during Pearl Harbor.  This realization prompted her to write this book.

Through verse form, she shares the tragic events of Pearl Harbor and of Hiroshima and then pieces of her life when she lived in Tokyo.  

Simple but powerful.  

Strategies: inferences, asking questions

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Money Tree by Sarah Stewart illustrated by David Small

 Husband-wife team!

I own and love two of this team's books- The Gardener and The Library.

This book was Ms. Stewart's first book.  To be honest, I was not overly impressed with the story.  Children may miss the author's message and will need to utilize inferencing skills.  The vagueness will stimulate discussion, though!

One winter Miss McGillicuddy notices a strange shape growing in her yard.  Over the next few months it grows into tree.  The tree is extraordinary.  Its leaves are actually paper money.  Greedy people flood her yard and stuff  their sacks.  Growing tired of  humanity's relentless greed, Miss McGillicuddy and the neighbor boys cut it down.  

I absolutely loved the illustrations.  I would buy the book just for the illustrations.  Mr. Small adds exquiste details that are pure fun and ones that also extend the story.  I would love to live in Miss McGillicuddy's home and on her property!

Strategies: asking questions, inferring

Hike by Pete Oswald*

A wordless picture book

 My ten-year old and I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed illustratons as we asked questions and made predictions and inferences.  

A boy and his father arise early in the morning for a hike.  As the reader studies the pages, he will discover that the hike is very special with a family history attached to it.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Strategies: asking questions, making predictions, making inferences

The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix*

I bought this book over a year ago when it was first published, but since I own (no due date!) it, I kept reading borrowed books instead.
Readers will learn about a vulnerable Germany after World War I,  will witness the rise of evil Hitler and will read in awe as Dietrich Bonhoeffer decides to stand against the Nazi propaganda. 
Mr. Hendrix presents history in an exciting narrative.  His artwork is interpretive yet powerful.
*Highly recommend.
Perfect for reluctant readers (or struggling readers) who are in junior high or high school.
-I own this book.

River by Elisha Cooper*

I read this beautiful picture book aloud to my sons since we are learning about New Netherlands (NYC) and Henry Hudson (Hudson River).
A woman (a mother) canoes the Hudson River from Henderson Lake into the Atlantic Ocean.  Her encounters with nature and the river are recorded in beautiful prose.  Mr. Cooper's attention to detail in his illustrations is amazing.  Observing the differences between the end pages in the beginning and the end and also the illustrations before the title page and on the author's note page is a worthwhile activity.
A great book to model asking questions while reading.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill*

My sister-in-law read this book aloud to my four year old nephew/her son and recommended it to me.

Frederika (aka Fred) narrates about the year Miss Agnes teaches in their one-room schoolhouse in rural Alaska.  Miss Agnes is not the like the other teachers.  She packs up the Dick and Jane readers and writes her own stories for them to read!  In all the subjects she makes learning come alive and relevant.  Soon the children's learning spreads to adults in the fishing village.  The question that hangs heavily in the air, "But will she stay beyond a year?".  Most teachers only last one year in this unique area of the world. 
This book reveals the far reaching impact of education.
Miss Agnes is the kind of teacher who inspires . . . she is the ideal teacher.
Strategies: inferring, asking questions
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber illustrated by Marc Simont*

This book is probably one of the strangest books I have read in a long time, but I loved it!
I read it aloud to my boys in only three reading aloud times.  They would beg for one more chapter throughout our time!
An evil Duke has frozen time (the thirteen clocks) in his castle and keeps his niece, Saralinda, sort of captive.  Any prince who tries to win her hand ends up dead.  Is there a prince who can break the spell and free Saralinda?
The writing is superb, humorous, shocking and poetic. 
Very clever and creative.
My sons and I agree that this is a book we will not forget! 
My twelve year old's favorite character was the Golux.
Strategy: asking questions
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

Jesus is Alive! by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

With Gwen Ellis
Evidence for the Resurrection
This question and answer format is user friendly and allows the readers to pick and choose what to read.
I selected the more apologetic type questions as my sons have a good understanding of the basics and needed to go deeper.  We discussed the "unknown tomb" theory,  "wrong tomb" theory, "legend" theory, "hallucination" theory, "Jesus swooned and was revived", "Muslim substitution" theory.
A great assortment of questions/answers for kids who are at different levels in their understanding of the Gospel.  The salvation message is clearly presentation.
Perfect to read during Lent/before Easter.
-Borrowed inter-lib. loan (my county does not own it.)

Stone Giant by Jane Sutcliffe illustrated by John Shelley*

Michelangelo's David and How He Came to Be
My nine year old and I enjoyed this book together to support our learning of the Renaissance Artists.
The illustrations are beautiful and reflect the artistic beauty in Florence at the time.
The narrative will appeal to younger readers yet it incorporates many facts and the story behind the David statue (even before Michelangelo came along to carve it!). 
Author's note shares what happened to the statue over the years.  Ms. Sutcliffe, however, does not mention where David stands now!
Warning: Small statues in the borders show men's private parts.  Full size David statue on one page shows his private parts, of course.  Another illustration shows his butt.  Naked statues were common during this time period.
Strategy: asking questions

A Medieval Feast written and illustrated by Aliki*

What a beautiful book!
The illustrations and their captions reveal just as much as the main text about a typical medieval feast. 
I especially enjoyed examining the borders. 
Some the illustrations will encourage the reader to ask questions.
The author's note shares more information about this time period and feasts in the Middle Ages.
A must read book when studying the Middle Ages.
-Borrowed from the library.
*Highly recommend.

Becoming Bach by Tom Leonard

I was expecting more information about Bach's life by reading this book, however; I learned more about the atmosphere and environment in which he developed his love for music.   Beautiful illustrations.
Told in first person narration.
The reader will learn what the term "bach" means too!
-Borrowed from the library.

The Giver by Lois Lowry*

*Award Winner-Newbery Medal
This book kept me up past "my bedtime" quite a few nights.  Ms. Lowry has created a well developed plot that captures the reader's heart.
Jonas loves his Community where they are protected from pain, fear, war . . .feelings, memories.  Every day is predictable.  At the December ceremony, where different age children move into a new stage and responsibilities, Jonas eagerly awaits his name and his Assignment (basically job training) to be called.  As he is trained in his Assignment, he learns secrets about his Community and he finds himself in a moral dilemma that could endanger his and someone else's life.
*Highly recommend for high school(see warning).
Part of a quartet.
Warning: Jonas has a dream about a girl where he wants her to take off her clothes so he can bathe her.  He describes his feelings as "wanting".  His "parents" then give him a pill so he won't have the "stirrings" (as they call them) anymore.  Parents are not married-just paired together.  Birthmothers are the only ones who give birth to children.  Females in the parent pairings do not.  **Spoiler Alert-When they release someone from the community, they inject them with a solution that kills them.  A baby is killed this way and his death is described.
This book will be encourage many discussions!

A House that Once Was by Julie Fogliano illustrated by Lane Smith*

Two siblings stumble upon an abandoned house in the woods. As they explore the dilapidated house,  they wonder about its former occupants and the stories it contained.
*Highly recommend.
Strategies: asking questions, inferring
Pair with: Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (a chapter book)

A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker*

The main character, a girl, is mourning over the death of her dog.  Her family leaves for vacation and she finds an unique stone that offers her comfort.
This wordless book gives the reader the opportunity to ponder the history of a beautifully polished stone.  What ancient civilizations have utilized it, worshiped it?  A map on the end pages reveals the stone's journey through history (dates included).
Points to discuss: death of a pet, evolutionary worldview
Strategies: asking questions, inferring
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
My boys like Mr. Becker's other wordless books better.