Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Aldamuy Denise illustrated by Paola Escobar

A sweet biography about a woman, Pura Belpre, who comes from Puerto Rico to New York City.  When she begins to work at the library, she realizes that folktales from Puerto Rico are not in the collection.  So begins to bring share those stories with children and their parents with homemade puppets. Eventually she has these stories published by Frederick Warne (!).
Spanish words intermingle with the English words, which is fitting. 
The Author's Note section offers more interesting information about this amazing woman.
-Borrowed from the library.

Mystery! Mystery! As told by Jim Weiss*

Greathall Productions  for Children
Featuring abbreviated versions of:
The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe
The Blue Cross by G.K. Chesterton
The Red Headed League by Arthur Conan Doyle

Although I am not a child, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to these stories! 
*Highly recommend (especially as a schema building activity).
-Borrowed via Inter Lib. Loan (My county library system does not own it.)

The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon

Award Winner
Several review sources recommended this novel, so I decided to read it aloud to my boys (ages nine and twelve).  My twelve year liked it okay, but my nine year old did not care for it.  He did not like how the brothers were choosing to disobey their parents and to make bad decisions.  So I stopped reading it aloud to them and read it to myself.
Caleb and his older brother, Bobby Gene,  have always lived in Sutton, Indiana.  Caleb longs to be not ordinary and experience life beyond their rural town.  Under no circumstances, however, does their dad want them to leave their community.  It is safe.  In fact, he does not even permit the boys to go on field trips to the Indianapolis' museum with their classmates!  Then Styx Malone, a sixteen year old foster "child", appears in their woods one summer morning.  Styx takes risks.  He seizes life.  He is not safe.  Soon the brothers find themselves in circumstances that involve lying, disobeying and even stealing. Yet it is exhilarating to break out of their protective haven.  Caleb wants to live the life Styx has-freedom to be and do what he wants.  Yet is Styx really satisfied?  Does the security of family and being loved  outweigh the freedom to have adventure?
Lots of opportunities to  discuss life, the impact of choices  and other deeper issues with children when reading this book.
The ending was satisfying. 
Point to discuss: Caleb, Bobby Gene and Styx are African American.  Caleb and Bobby Gene's father has reviewed what they are do if they are stopped by a police officer  to keep them safe.
Other points to discuss/Warnings: Caleb swears two times to show Styx he is "cool"-not a country bumpkin, peer pressure, lying, stealing, disobeying/disrespect, foster care

The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock illustrated by Mardicai Gerstein

Two very different men, Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, find commonality in their love for nature.  Roosevelt responds to Muir's request to come see the beauty of the wilderness in California and after that camping trip, proposes and changes laws to protect America's wilderness.
Beautiful vertical illustration of the sequoias. 
Points to discuss: Muir's belief in evolution

Mr. Bliss by J.R.R. Tolkien

Before he wrote The Hobbit, Mr. Tolkien wrote this story for his own children.  This version displays the story in his own handwriting with the original illustrations on the right hand side, while the left hand side is typed for easier reading.
One day Mr. Bliss decides to buy a motorcar from Mr. Binks.  He then ventures out to visit the Dorkinses and a crazy adventure soon begins that involves bears, cabbages, a donkey and bananas.  The Girabbit also adds to the absurd story!
I read this aloud to my sons (ages nine and twelve) and the ludicrous plot certainly kept them entertained!
-Borrowed via Inter-Library Loan (My county system does not own it.)

A Helpful Alphabet of Friendly Objects by John Updike photographs by David Updike

Pulitzer Prize Winner John Updike writes poems about ordinary objects that begin with each letter of the alphabet.  His son, John, took the photographs to accompany each poem.
Great way to introduce children to this famous author.
-Borrowed from the library.

Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen

Mr. Cohen creates a wonderful story about hope with characters and a setting that will remain in the reader's mind long after the last page is read.
I heard the author speak on the Modern Mrs. Darcy podcast. 
Harry loves trees.  Unfortunately, he works for the US Forest Service as an analyst behind a computer.  He dreams of leaving his job and working with actual trees.  His beloved wife, Beth, dies unexpectedly.  In his sorrow, he quits his job and flees to Endless Mountains in Pennsylvania.  In those woods he meets Oriana, a imaginative, intelligent girl who is dealing with her own sorrow. Her mother, Amanda, is tough and does not seem to grieve.   After reading tons of fairy tales over the past sorrowful year, Oriana reads an unique fairy tale called The Grum's Ledger.   Oriana contrives a plan which will free them from their tragedies based off of this peculiar tale. 
The plot moves along quickly yet at the same time characters develop at the perfect pace.
I loved reading this novel.  Although, there were some elements I did not appreciate (and tried to skip some paragraphs):
-swearing/f-word
-the local men lust over Amanda (not real explicit, but the author makes it well known they all want her!)
-After her husband dies, Amanda misses the physical aspect to a relationship, so she asks a local farmer to satisfy that desire.  They both agree that they do not care for each other.  They just want the physical part.  There is one chapter with some details about their physical relationship.
-The farmer video tapes their intimate interactions and shares the video with his hired hand.
(*The positive part to the last two items is that both parties feel horrible about what they had done and realize that it was a mistake.  The farmer makes amends at the end of the story.  I still did not like this piece of the story, though.)
-Borrowed from the library.