Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Edward and Alphonse Elric are alchemists that made the mistake of breaking one of alchemy's biggest laws: resurrecting the dead. As a result they are stuck in half-human bodies of metal. They are searching for the philosopher's stone in hopes that it will help them regain their original bodies. In their search, they stop in a town that is under the power of a corrupt religious official. The townspeople believe that he can perform miracles but the alchemists quickly discover that his "miraculous powers" are nothing more than alchemy. The religious leader has a ring that appears to be the philosopher's stone, but when the brothers reveal him as a fraud to the townspeople the ring breaks in the scuffle and it becomes obvious that the stone is a fake.

Along they travel, and the brothers find themselves in a mining town were another corrupt official is taxing people to the point where they don't have enough food to eat and can hardly afford their homes and businesses. Using alchemy the brothers trick the official into trading the deeds over for huge sums of gold. The alchemists make a deal to trade the deeds over to the townspeople before the corrupt official notices that the gold has changed back into rock.

The alchemists then find themselves on a train being held hostage and they use alchemy and their quick wit to outsmart the gunmen and take control of the train.

This series contains violent action and some inappropriate language. It is intended to be read by teens 8th grade and up. Due to the scenes of intense action this title appeals mainly to boys.

Genre: Fantasy/Manga

Arakawa, H. (2002). Fullmetal alchemist. San Francisco, CA: Viz.

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Strega Nona, which means "Grandma Witch" is a little old lady with the magic touch. All the townspeople come to see her to cure their problem whether they be a headache or lack of a husband.

Being that Strega Nina is pretty old she posts a sign in the town square asking for someone to help her out around her house. Big Anthony answers the ad and she asks him to keep the house, tend the garden, feed and milk the goat and fetch water for which she will pay three coins and provide a place to sleep and food to eat. She also warns him to never touch her pasta pot. Everything seems to be working out just fine until Big Anthony witnesses the magic of the pasta pot.

Big Anthony overhears Strega Nona singing a song to make the pasta pot bubble up with pasta and then she sings another song to make it stop. She also blows three kisses, but Big Anthony didn't see this for he had already run toward town to tell the townsfolk. Of course, nobody in town believes him so when Strega Nona leaves to call on a friend of hers Big Anthony sings the sings the song to the magic pot and it bubbles to life full of delicious pasta. Big Anthony invites all of the townsfolk and they all feast until they have their fill and then Big Anthony sings the song to make the pasta stop, only he didn't blow three kisses and the pasta just keeps flowing!

The pasta fills Strega Nona's house and cascades down the hills heading for town. The towsnfolk rush to build barracades to protect themselves from the pasta, but luckily Strega Nona arrives back in town just in time. She delivers the solution and punishment for Big Anthony: he must eat all of the pasta!

This is a perfect tale for storytime!

Genre: Folktale/Fairy Tale/Picture Book

dePaola, T. (1975). Strega nona. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Wish (story and art by Clamp; translator Ray Yashimoto) English translation by Jamie S. Rich

Wish is the story of good versus evil that plays out on Earth. One night Dr. Shuichiro Kudo rescues angel Kohaku from a crow sent from the devil. So begins the debt of gratitude that Kohaku must repay. The problem lies in the fact that the dreamy doctor has no need for wishes because he has everything he needs. Kohaku sticks around and tries to help Shuichiro out around the house but she messes things up more than she helps. She may be an angel, but she's a clumsy one.

In confidence one night Kohaku reveals that she is also on Earth looking for one of the angel masters from Heaven, a woman who is also her mentor and is very dear to her. Time is running out to find her as there are strict rules about how long angels can remain on Earth. Meanwhile, beings from the underworld are conspiring against the angels.

Madam Hisui, the master angel, turns up while Kohaku and Koryu, a being from the underworld are about to battle and announces that she can no longer return to heaven because she has fallen for the son of Satan and the pair have consummated their affair. Book 1 ends with kind Dr. Kudo offering to house the lovers so that God will not be aware of the love affair.

This book contains some inappropriate language and sexual innuendos. It is intended for teen readers 8th grade and up. Although it is thoroughly entertaining this particular title appeals mainly to teen girls.

Genre: Fantasy/Manga

Rich, J. S. (2002). Wish. Los Angeles, CA: Tokyopop.

My Dog May Be a Genius by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by James Stevenson

Jack Prelutsky is the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate and has written more than 50 books that contain verse and wordplay. Kids who enjoy Shel Silverstein and/or Roald Dahl will love Prelutsky's poems that rhyme and are accompanied with illustrations.

Reluctant readers should enjoy the nonsense of these poems and independent reades will welcome this step up from Mother Goose rhymes. Topics in this book include animals (both real and mythical), grumpy characters, silly situations, food, homework, hobbies, seasons, the library, family members, ect.

This book contains an index to titles and an index to first lines to aid readers in finding poems. A list of selected titles by Prelutsky can also be found at the back of this book. This book would work well in storytime or in programming. I recommend "Sandwich Stan," it's both funny and inventive!

Genre: Nonfiction

Prelutsky, J. (2008). My dog may be a genius. New York: Greenwillow Books.

My Dog

Venom by Marilyn Singer

A look at venom in all its different carriers! This book includes spiders, insects, snakes, frogs and toads, birds, marine animals, worms, jellyfish, ect. Vivid pictures accompany informative text that outlines how to avoid getting hurt by any dose of venom and what to do if you accidentally get bitten or stung. Many pages feature fun quizzes in the margins to test your knowledge about these creatures. A bibliography as well as a webliography are contained at the back of this book. A large glossary defines terminology found throughout the text. This book can be read like a magazine, either for its sections that interest you or from cover to cover. A great resource for homework or personal interest. 4th graders and up will enjoy this book for its information and pictures.

Genre: Nonfiction

Singer, M. (2007). Venom. Plain City, OH: Darby Creek Publishing.

The Agony of Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Alice McKinley is in 6th grade and lives with her older brother Lester who is in college and her father who manages a music store. Alice fears she is growing backward because she never fails to embarrass herself. She sets her hopes on becoming Miss Cole's adopted daughter because she's sure that with a mother figure in her life she'd start growing forward instead of backward. Alice doesn't end up in Miss Cole's class though, she ends up in Mrs. Plotkin's class. Readers journey through Alice's school year as she shops for jeans and ends up opening the wrong fitting room door only to find a boy in his underpants to the Halloween parade where she plays the part of the horse's rear to Patrick to her first train ride. Through it all she confides in her journal and comes to confide in Mrs. Plotkin as well, finding the mother she wanted in an unlikely place.

Genre: Realistic Fiction-Controversial

Naylor, P. R. (1985). The agony of Alice. New York: Atheneum.

Sound: From Whisper to Rock Band by Christopher Cooper

Information about sound is interspersed with experiments involving sound that can be performed with objects commonly found within households. Pictures and diagrams help illustrate terms and concepts explained in text. This text would be appropriate for 6th graders and up.

Genre: Nonfiction

Cooper, C. (2004). Sound: From whisper to rock band. Chicago: Heinemann Library.

Adventures in Sound with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Emily Sohm, illustrated by Cynthia Martin and Anne Timmons

The topic of sound is introduced in a familiar, accessible way complete with key terminology. A detailed depiction of the anatomy of the human ear is paired with description of the individual elements that allow people to hear sounds.

One section addresses what sound can do and how it can aid oceanographers in their study of the ocean floor. Sonar pulses can be used to measure how far away objects are based on our knowledge of how fast sound moves.

Special attention is paid to protecting hearing by avoiding exposure to loud noises for a prolonged amount of time.

This book will entertain and inform 6th graders and up.

Genre: Nonfiction

Sohn, E. (2007). Adventures in sound with Max Axiom, super scientist. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Louis Pasteur and Pasteurization by Jennifer Fandel, illustrated by Keith Wilson, Rodney Ramos, and Charles Barnett III

The Scientific Method at its best! This title in the Graphic Library series presents Pasteur's microorganism problem and his many trials in the quest to protect people from harmful bacteria present in their milk and wine.

Some attention is paid to the idea that disease was brought upon by evil spirits. and the impact that Pasteur's work made on disease theory. This book will help readers 6th grade and up understand an important scientific breakthrough.


Genre: Nonfiction



Fandel, J. (2007). Louis Pasteur and Pasteurization. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Seahorses by Elizabeth Laskey

A seahorse is really a fish and there are at least 32 species found in all of the world's oceans excepting the North and South poles. They have virtually no enemies, that is except humans who have used them in medicines, souvenirs, and kept them as pets. The most amazing fact about seahorses is that the males have the babies! This book contains beautiful photographs of seahorses in their natural habitats and focuses on ways we can save seahorses so that we may tresure them for years to come. 3rd graders and up will find this book enterteinign and informational.

Genre: Nonfiction

Laskey, E. (2003). Seahorses. Chicago: Heinemann Library.

Crushing Avalanches by Louise and Richard Spilsbury

An informative text that explains when avalanches happen (January-March), why (snow accumulation on mountainsides during cold seasons), and how they can be prevented (protecting trees to stabilize slopes and breaking up snow using explosives). Also included are case studies of some notable avalanches in Peru, France, and Alaska. This book contains a glossary, index, and further reading section. An excellent resource for school assignments for 3rd grade and up.

Genre: Nonfiction

Spilsbury, L. & Spilsbury, R. (2003). Crushing avalanches. Chicago: Heinemann Library.

The Exlosive World of Volcanoes with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Christopher L. Harbo, illustrated by Tod Smith

A title in the Graphic Library series that introduces readers to the science of volcanoes through pictures and limited text and resembling a comic book format. Concepts are discussed using key terminology as well as graphs, charts, and diagrams to familiarize readers with the scientific tools of the trade. Some history is featured as the main character tours some of the most devastating volcanic eruptions of all time such as Pompeii. A great resource for education and entertainment, though this would be classified as leisure reading. Boys and girls in 3rd grade and up will find this text appealing.

Genre: Nonfiction

Harbo, C. L. (2008). The explosive world of volcanoes with Max Axiom, super scientist. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher

Kids are encouraged to write about the details of their life in this book. The author introduces key terminology such as memoir, biography, autobiography, character, setting, and plot. The text addresses many of those questions kids are sure to ask such as "Don't You have to be Famous to Write Your Life Story?" and "Who will Read My Story?"

The author suggests great ideas for brainstorming such as creating a neighborhood map (an actual map of the neighborhood where your house is located) or a heart map (an emotional map of what matters to you). The text is filled with examples of stories that illustrate the concepts the author is teaching.

There are also interviews with famous authors such as Jack Gantos (of Joey Pigza fame) and Jerry Spinelli (of Maniac Magee fame). Many different forms are presented and special attention is paid to telling both good stories and bad, meaning those stories that are sad, painful, or may not paint you in the best light.

Overall this is a fantastic book on an important topic. This text would be useful in programming for writing programs or clubs. This text would be ideal for 3-5th graders, but the activities can be broken down into simpler tasks or embellished to captivate older audiences making this an essential tool in school age programming. Highly recommended!

Genre: Nonfiction

Fletcher, R. (2007). How to write your life story. New York: Collins.

An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy

This book takes readers through the yellow fever epidemic from the beginning when nobody paid much attention to the talk of fever down by the river to the height of the epidemic in which hundreds of people were dying everyday to the end when frost finally released the city from sickness. Each chapter features a page from the Federal Gazette newspaper that shows the progression of the epidemic and the public response to it. Detailed information about the major players in this tragedy is provided (i.e. Dr. Benjamin Rush) as well as discussion concerning the political and social events surrounding this outbreak and special attention is paid to medical beliefs and practices in the 18th century.

A thorough sources section at the end of the book points to further reading on a variety of topics including: firsthand accounts, yellow fever in fiction and nonfiction, medical practices in the 18th century, Philadelphia then and after, George Washington, Blacks in Philadelphia, mosquitoes, and other plagues.

This book works well when paired with Fever, 1793. Due to the nature of this subject this text and/or the study of this topic would be suitable for readers in the 6th grade and up.

Genre: Nonfiction

Murphy, J. (2003). An American plague: The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books.

Born to Read by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown

Sam was born to read. Reading is his favorite hobby. He even reads while playing basketball! Sam enters a bike race and wins paying all credit to his favorite pastime. He read books on all kinds of topics from nutrition to bike repair which helped him prepare.

Then, a giant baby Grundaloon begins terrorizing Sam's town and he takes some of his favorite books and reads to the giant while a cargo jet from UPS scoops up the baby and delivers him home safely to his mother's waiting arms.

Sam's message to readers is that readers can do anything and go anywhere! The illustrations are wonderful and feature the covers of some of the most beloved children's picture books of all time including The Cat in the Hat and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. This book would be excellent for storytime as it has a rhyming text and supports print awareness.

Genre: Picture Book-Fiction
Sierra, J. (2008). Born to read. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Franny K. Stein Mad Scientist: Lunch Walks Among Us by Jim Benton

Franny K. Stein isn't your average little girl. Whereas most little girls like unicorns and playing with their dolls, Franny prefers bats and spiders and bubbling bakers and steaming test tubes. Needless to say, Franny isn't very popular with her classmates when she starts a new school. Most of her classmates fear her. All Franny wants is to fit in.

Miss Shelly, Franny's teacher, suggests that Franny study what the other kids like, kind of like an experiment, so that she can fit in a little better. Franny does her homework and ends up conforming quite well except that she abandons everything that made her Franny.

One day, a Giant Monstrous Fiend emerges from the trashcan composed of old gum, gym shoes, trash. and unstable industrial waste! The worst part is that the monster takes Miss Shelly and heads for the flagpole! Franny to the rescue! She quickly sews together all the lunchmeat from everyone's sandwiches and combines this with some leftover unstable industrial waste resulting in the creation of a Lunch-Meat Creature. The Giant Monstrous Fiend drops Miss Shelly on a stack of white bread slices that Franny assmebled for just such a situation, while the Lunch-Meat Creature pulls the flagpole from the ground and winds up to bat the Giant Monstrous Fiend into the next century! After saving the day, the kids all love Franny just the way she is and she finally feels accepted. Second graders and up will enjoy this series that features illustrations on each page.

Genre: Fantasy


Benton, J. (2003). Franny K. Stein mad scientist: Lunch walks among us. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Bed Hogs by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Howard Fine

A rhyming, counting story about sleeping arrangements. Runt, the smallest pig in his family, has a hard time getting a good night's sleep with his drooling, stinky, giggling, dancing, snoring family members. He kicks them out of the straw one by one until he;s all alone and he still can't sleep. Runt calls all his family back and then he can finally rest. A great book for storytime. The text supports print recognition and narrative skills.

Genre: Picture Books-Fiction

DiPucchio, K (2004). Bed hogs. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Slop Goes the Soup: A Noisy Warthog Word Book by Pamela D. Edwards, illustrated by Henry Cole

A book that celebrates onomatopoeia, words that sound like the noises they describe. With clashes and clatters and whooshes galore this book is a surefire hit for storytime as this story just begs to be read aloud. A great text for print recognition.

Genre: Picture Book-Fiction

Edwards, P.D. (2001). Slop goes the soup: A noisy warthog word book. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

Bear is not feeling well so his friends make him soup and tea and sing him lullabies until he falls asleep. When he wakes up he feels better, but his friends feel sick so it's Bear's turn to care for them. This book would work well in storytime and is sure to be a hit with the Preschool crowd.

Genre: Picture Book-Fiction

Wilson, K. (2007). Bear feels sick. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

If you give a mouse a cookie...begins this cute story in which one things leads to another and the beginning becomes the end. A cookie leads to milk and milk leads to a straw and a straw leads to a napkin and so on and so forth until milk leads to a cookie bringing this story full circle. This book is perfect for storytime! Preschoolers and up will love this story and its central character: the needy little mouse.

Genre: Picture Book

Numeroff, L. J. (1985). If you give a mouse a cookie. New York: Harper & Row.

Henry's freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Henry is a slave. He works hard for his master, marries another slave named Nancy, has children, and then loses his entire family when his master sells them. That's when Henry decides that he will mail himself to freedom. With the help of his friend James and Dr. Smith, a white man who thinks slavery is wrong, he packages himself in a large wooden box and arrives in Philadelphia on March 30, 1849, which Henry decides to claim as his birthday. This is a true story and a 2008 Caldecott Honor Book.

Genre: Picture Book-Historical Fiction
Levine, E. (2007). Henry's freedom box: A true story from the Underground Railroad. New York: Scholastic.

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers & Eaters by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Philippe Beha, recipes by Heidi E. Y. Stemple

Fairy tales, some familiar and some that may be new to readers are accompanied with a recipe that relates to an element of each story. An example is Stone Soup is followed by a recipe for Stone Soup. Little Red Riding Hood is followed by a recipe for deviled eggs, a treat from her famous basket. The book is organized like a cookbook with stories and recipes divided into Breakfasts, Lunches, Soups, Dinners, and Desserts. Notes from the author can be found in the margins of the stories and facts about some of the ingredients can be found in the margins of the recipes. This book would be an excellent resource for programming in public libraries as well as fun for kids to learn some cooking skills (with parent supervision, 0f course).

Genre: Non-Fiction

Yolen, J. (2006). Fairy tale feasts: A literary cookbook for young readers and eaters. Northampton, MA: Crocodile Books.

The Most Excellent Book of How to Be a Puppeteer by Roger Lade, illustrated by Rob Shone

With instructions detailing how to create a variety of puppets including: basic glove puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, marionettes, and bunraku-style puppets this book really lives up to its name! Sidebar information gives kids tips on how to handle puppets and construct sturdy puppet booths. This book would be an excellent source for programming in public libraries. Fourth graders and up will enjoy the process of creating their own puppet characters and performing shows for friends and family.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Lade, R. (2007). The most excellent book of how to be a puppeteer. Mankato, MN: Stargazer Books.

Making a Difference: Reusing Things by Sue Barraclough

In keeping with the green movement, this book teaches gives kids some helpful suggestions to extend the life of an object instead of sending it to a landfill. A few suggestions include reusing two liter pop bottles for funnels, making gift tags out of old Christmas and birthday cards, and hosting a garage sale or packing up used clothing for Goodwill Industries. Big, clear pictures and large typeface make this an excellent text for 1st and 2nd graders.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Barraclough, S. (2008). Making a difference: Reusing things. Mankato, MN: Sea-to-Sea.

The Underground Railroad: An Interactive History Adventure by Allison Lassieur

In this unique interactive history text readers can choose to experience what it's like to be a runaway slave, a slave catcher, or a abolitionist on the Underground Railroad. All the facts are presented to help readers make a decision as they might have in the 1850s. Third graders and up will learn firsthand as they struggle with whether they should run for freedom or wait to be sold. Each story arc concludes with the end of the Underground Railroad and a timeline of events and a brief bibliography along with suggestions for further reading.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Lassieur, A. (2008). The underground railroad:An interactive history adventure. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

The Titanic: An Interactive History Adventure by Bob Temple

Readers choose their fate on history's most famous ocean liner. After a brief history and introduction to the layout of the ship, readers can choose to be a first class passenger, a third class passenger, or a crewmember. Each choice has its consequences and not all choices lead to a watery grave. The story concludes with an explanation of what really happened when Titanic struck an iceberg and eventually sunk and the aftermath. A timeline of events is included as well as a glossary of terms, a bibliography and suggestions for further reading and notable Internet websites. This book is a very accessible introduction to a sad moment in history and would be suitable for third grade and up.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Temple, B. (2008). The Titanic: An interactive history adventure. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Making Origami Paper Airplanes: Step By Step by Michael G. LaFosse

Learn how to make all kinds of paper airplanes from simple Safe~T Darts to stunt planes and jets. Each style of airplane is introduced with factual information and includes easy to follow instructions that pair text with pictures illustrating the steps. Most planes can be constructed in 8 steps or less. A glossary of terms is featured at the back of the book and uses words and pictures to describe origami concepts.

Genre: Non-Fiction

LaFosse, M. G. (2004). Making origami paper airplanes step by step. New York: PowerKids Press.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

The narrator describes his grandfather's love affair with two countries: Japan and America. He describes the beauty found in both countries and how his grandfather's life and family changed over time. One of the closing lines of text best sums up this story. The narrator remarks, "The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." A beautiful story about a boy discovering his grandfather's life highlighted with pleasing illustrations. A Caldecott Medal Winner.

Genre: Picture Book-Historical/Realistic Fiction
Say, A. (1993). Grandfather's journey. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons

The everything vegetable book for kids! This book introduces kids to the different ways botanists classify vegetables and provides illustrations that lable the different varieties of vegetables in each category. Kids are invited to grow their own garden and this book introduces them to some vocabulary and tools gardeners use. A description of how vegetables travel from the farm to the table helps kids visualize the detailed process. Fun facts about vegetables appear on the last page. This book would work well in storytime.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Gibbons, G. (2007). The vegetables we eat. New York: Holiday House.

Hello Benny! by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley

Readers follow baby Benny through his first year as he grows and develops. Each page features a box of information that expands on a topic raised in the story such as why Benny likes to look at a face close up and why Benny makes a face when he smells something sour like a lemon. Young children who are about to become siblings or are already siblings and find that they have many unasnwered questions about their new baby brother or sister will find this picture book helpful. The illustrations are big and clear and help highlight key points of the story, but select pages feature depictions of Benny's anatomy and a view of Benny's mother's breast as she is feeding him. Written by the award-winning team who created Parenting magazine and with the help of a panel of doctors and child educators, parents will appreciate the broad range of knowledge contained within this text.

Genre: Informational Picture Book

Harris, R.H. (2002). Hello Benny! New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Look Around a Medieval Castle by Clare Hibbert

In this book readers are taken on a virtual tour of the historic medieval castle Krak des Chevaliers as it functioned in 1270. Rooms/areas of interest include the kitchens and latrines, armory, hospital, and dungeon. Each page contains illustrations and information relating to the room such as how food was prepared, gardens, and what crusaders dined on are some of the topics covered on the pages that deal with the kitchens and latrines. Students third grade and up will enjoy this informational virtual tour of a medieval castle.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Hibbert, C. (2008). Look around a medieval castle. Mankato, MN: Arcturus.

Star Wars: Epic Battles by Simon Beecroft

Young boys love Star Wars! In this book all of the greatest battles are recounted both on land and in air. Each page has pictures from the legendary showdowns and there is a glossary in the back explaining terminology. Children just learning how to read will delight in this page-turner.

Genre: Fantasy

Beecroft, S. (2008). Star wars: Epic battles. London: DK Publishing.

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Sucie Stevenson

Henry and Mudge visit Great-Grandpa Bill in his home which he shares with other senior citizens. They brought checkers and books and butterscotch candies. Henry and Mudge discover a pond and all the grandpas go swimming in their underwear! When everyone comes back from swimming they eat a spagetti dinner. Children just learning how to read will fall in love with Henry and his big dog Mudge.

Genre: Realisitic Fiction

Rylant, C. (2005). Henry and Mudge and the great grandpas. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Fourteen year old Matilda Cook lives in Philadelphia in 1793 and helps her widowed mother run a coffeehouse along with her grandfather who served under Washington during the Revolution. The whole city is turned upside down when an unseasonably warm summer leads to an overabundance of mosquitoes and an epidemic of yellow fever kills thousands. Mattie's mother is striken with fever and sends her daughter away to the country where people believe children will be safer in the open air. Over the course of the story, Mattie herself contracts the "pestilence" as they refer to the illness and is lucky enough to survive. She loses track of her mother not knowing whether she is alive or dead and has to bury her grandfather. Mattie's struggle then becomes staying alive as she must learn to care for herself and find enough food. Mattie's journey takes her from health to sickness and from childhood to adulthood. Readers sixth grade and up will appreciate Anderson's careful research of a terrifying period in American history.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Anderson, L.H. (2000). Fever, 1793. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The beginning of a series in which the narrator constantly warns the reader that all will not end well for the Baudelaire orphans: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. When their parents die suddenly in a car crash Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are sent to live with a distant cousin named Count Olaf. The children soon find that Count Olaf is after their money and their lives! Each child is possesses their own unique talents: Violet is a clever inventor, Klaus loves to read, and Sunny like to bite things. Armed with these talents the three siblings aim to outwit Count Olaf who has plans to marry Violet during a play put on by his theater company.

This fresh series features a narrator who often breaks through the story to directly address the reader and warn of impending doom or explain complex vocabulary words. Sixth graders and up will enjoy this series which promises an uncharacteristic unhappy ending from the very beginning!

I highly recommend the audio version of this tale read by actor Tim Curry!

Genre: Gothic Fiction

Snicket, L. (1999). The bad beginning. New York: HaperCollins Publishers.

Babymouse: Puppy Love by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Babymouse is exactly that: a baby girl mouse. She wants one thing: a pet. She tries her pet parenting skills out on a fish, hamster, salamander, turtle, hermit crab, sea monkeys, ferret, and venus fly trap, but ends up losing all of them. With not so much as one success in terms of pet parenting Babymouse's parents are hesistant to let her care for a stray dog, but she proves to be an excellent dog owner in that she walks, bathes, and trains Buddy only to have to hand the dog over to its rightful owner at novel's end. A humorous graphic story told in comic book panel format with black and white illustrations highlighted with pink young boys and girls alike will laugh out loud as Babymouse learns what it takes to be a pet owner.

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Fantasy

Holm, J.L. & Holm, M. (2007). Babymouse: Puppy love. New York: Random House.

Judy Moody: Was in Mood. No a Good Mood. A Bad Mood by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter Reynolds

Judy Moody is a third grader with an attitude. Set with the task to build a ME collage Judy catalogs her school experiences by the categories she needs to fulfill for her poster such as: secret clubs, favorite pet, the worst thing ever and the funniest thing ever. She has a younger brother named Stink, a best friend named Rocky and a new, unlikely friend in Frank Pearl. A smart girl, Judy aspires to be a doctor when she grows up and she even sends away for a doll to practice her healing skills on, but when Stink causes Hedda-Get-Betta's head to get stuck on its chicken pox face she uses her quick thinking and her stash of "fancy" Band-Aids to cure her patient like she believes her idol, Elizabeth Blackwell, First Woman Doctor, would've done in a similar situation. A humorous story with lots of imagination third grade readers and up will appreciate Judy's attitude and imaginative mind that allows her to travel to China as well as find "moon" rocks.

Genre: Realisitic Fiction

McDonald, M. (2000). Judy Moody. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton is editor of The Rodent's Gazette in New Mouse City. He wants nothing more than to lead a quiet life at home, but his sister, Thea, convinces him to accompany her on a mission to find lost treasure! Geronimo, Thea, Trap, their cousin, and Benjamin, Geronimo's favorite nephew, all hop aboard a ship in search of the Emerald Eye where they expect to find treasure. What follows is a humorous account of the many adventures the unlikely crew find themselves mixed up in at sea. From "fresh" clams to falling overboard to a hurricane to quicksand and finally land ho! young readers will enjoy the fast pace and short chapters filled with colorful graphics and illustrations.

Genre: Fantasy

Stilton, G. (2004). Lost treasure of the emerald eye. New York: Scholastic.

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

Kevin Boland is a baseball player, well, make that former baseball player, at least for the better part of the season anyway. Kevin has mono and has taken up writing poetry. He's pretty good at it too! He writes sonnets, sestinas, pantoums, haikus, and elegies. Poetry helps him deal with his mother's death, his loss of identity as he sits out the baseball season, his frustration with friends, and his growing interest in a girl at school.

This entire book is written in blank verse poetry which makes this such a fantastic read as each poem can be read for individual meaning as well as for its advancement of the story.

Teens will enjoy this book for the artistic risks it takes and succeeds.

Genre: Poetry/Realistic Fiction

Koertge, R. (2003). Shakespeare bats cleanup. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Bella, high school junior, moves to Forks, WA from Phoenix, AZ to live with her father. Although she hates Forks and has been vocal about it in the past, she makes the move so that her mother may go on the road with her new husband, a baseball player. Bella soon finds that she doesn't hate Forks nearly as much when she crosses paths with Edward Cullen, a mysterious, unhumanly beautiful fellow student.

At first, Bella is wary of Edward as he often seems to be giving her hateful looks and disappeared for quite awhile when they are paired up as lab partners in Biology. Then, Edward's mystery is explained: he's a vampire. Edward is a "good" vampire in that he hunts animals for blood and not humans, but he does crave Bella's blood as much as her company. This fact doesn't scare Bella away and before long the two are inseparable. They behave as a normal teen couple despite Edward's immortality: they go out to dinner, they meet each other's families, they attend Prom, but they also square off against an evil vampire thirsty for Bella's blood.


Teens will love this book and while the book is fairly long the pages just fly by. Highly recommended.

Genre: Fantasy

Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little Brown and Co.