Tiny & Hercules by Amy Schwartz

PreK-2. Tiny, an elephant, and Hercules, a mouse, are best friends. They share many adventures in Schwartz's picture book-sized short story collection. In the first story, Hercules teaches Tiny to ice skate with a humorous result. In the second story, Tiny helps Hercules find inspiration for his artistic masterpiece. In the third story, the friends set up a lemonade stand, but soon find themselves with a bunch of unhappy customers. In the fourth story, the friends throw a birthday party for Hercules' Uncle Roy who is turning 103 and has a little trouble blowing out all the candles on his cake! In the fifth story, Tiny and Hercules knit each other sweaters.

These stories are fun whether read one at a time or all in one sitting!

Polo and Lily by Regis Faller

PreK-2. This wordless book is read by looking from each brightly colored picture frame to the next like a comic book. Polo is a dog and receives a special visitor one day when Lily, a bunny, crashes into his treehouse on her magic cloud. The two friends play and eat together and then Lily summons her cloud and goes home. Polo misses his friend until he realizes that Lily left him a special gift to use so that they can keep in touch.

This is a great book to use when reading together as kids are encouraged to "read" the pictures and "tell" the story. Anything goes with wordless books, there's no wrong way to tell them!

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

PreK-2. James and Eamon ("AY-mun") spend a week at Nature Camp at Eamon's grandparents' (Bill and Pam) house on the beach. Bill attempts to engage the boys in nature-based activities (i.e. hiking, a visit to the penguin exhibit at the Natural History Museum, map skills ect...), but the boys spend most of their time eating (Pam is a fabulous cook), watching TV, and enjoying the beach. Their last day at camp becomes their most memorable as they use rocks, sticks, and shells to recreate Antarctica. This is a humorous book with beautiful illustrations. It really taps into the way kids think and play, and their unique brand of humor. This title is great for one-on-one book sharing or for silent reading.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Anne comes to live with siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert on their farm called Green Gables in Avonlea on the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. The Cuthberts decide to take in an orphan boy to help Matthew out with the farm work, but when he arrives to pick up an orphan boy, an orphan girl awaits him instead. The girl charms Matthew with her spirit and nonstop chatter and he asks Marilla if they can keep her. After a trial period, Anne wins over Marilla too and she's allowed to stay.

Due to her lack of education and social graces Anne often behaves in an unladylike manner, but her heart is good. Her best friend is Diana Barry and she is no longer allowed to see her when she accidently serves Diana red currant wine instead of raspberry cordial, which intoxocates her friend. After Anne saves Diana's sister's life (she is sick with croup), the two girls are allowed to be friends and play together again. This is exactly the kind of trouble that Anne often gets into.

Anne has another friend that she feuds with for most of the book. Gilbert Blythe is Anne's arch nemesis because he teased her about her red hair (a crime worthy of the silent treatment in Anne's book) and she competes with him throughout her years of education as they are the two best students in the class.

Anne does well in school and attends the Queens Academy where she wins a scholarship that will allow her to attend a four-year college next fall. On a trip home Anne finds that all has not been well at Green Gables in her absence. Matthew is now suffering heart problems and passes away before novel's end. Marilla is sure to go blind so Anne decides to stay home and care for her and Gilbert Blythe, of all people, gives up his teaching post at Avonlea school so that she may teach and be near Marilla. This act solidifies their friendship.

Genre: Fiction/Classic

Montgomery, L. M. (1988). Anne of green gables. New York: Children's Classics.

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams

The classic tale about rfrienship between a spider and pig. Wilbur is born the runt of the litter, but thanks to a little girl named Fern her father keeps him instead of killing him. Wilbur and all the other farm animals can talk and Wilbur soon learns to fear that the farmer may still kill him. Charlotte's vows to help her friend and she decides to use her web to show the farmer just how special Wilbur is. When messages like "Some Pig" and "Terrific" appear in Charlotte's web Wilbur gains some celebrity attention drawing people to the farm from far and wide to see the special pig.

As Wilbur is getting ready to go to the county fair he begins to worry about Charlotte. His friend just doesn't seem to have the same spunk. Charlotte is concerned about finishing her egg sac because she knows that her days are numbered. Eventually Charlotte tells Wilbur that soon she will die, but she tries to make Wilbur focus on the fact that he will live and that should be celebrated. Wilbur plays the hero when he saves Charlotte's egg sac, ensuring that Charlotte's babies will be born. When the baby spiders do emerge from the egg sac all but three float away. The three who remain befriend Wilbur, which makes him happy even though he will never forget Charlotte.

Genre: Fiction/Classic

White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte's web. New York: Harper.

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner

Shakespeare Shapiro is a high school senior trying to sum up his crazy life in a memoir. All the graduating seniors are writing memoirs and a panel of finalists will be chosen to compete for publication! He's your normal teen worried about his perceived coolness, getting a girlfriend, and getting into college. His writing is hip and edgy and he has many fans among his classmates because they can always count on his writing to be over the top in terms of sexual content and raw humor at his and his family's expense.

His best friends drink too much, swear too much, and among their favorite conversation topics is bowel movements. Charlotte is different though. She's usually late, if she makes it to school at all, and she's hesitant to even share the first sentence of her memoir with Shakespeare.

A hilariously funny novel with heart. Teens will bust a gut as they journey through Shakespeare's senior year in high school and won't be able to put this page-turner down until they see him through Prom and graduation.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Wizner, J. (2007). Spanking Shakespeare. New York: Random House.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal by Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley narrates/illustrates his middle grade school year month by month. His discusses his brothers, Rodrick (older) and Manny (younger) and his friend Rowley who seems to be even more unpopular than Greg is (at least in Greg's way of thinking). His numerous adventures include building a Haunted House with Rowley, his run in with high schoolers on Halloween, joining the safety patrol, wrestling, building muscle with his homemade gym, playing a tree in the school musical The Wizard of Oz, playing with the Big Wheel Rowley got him for Christmas, building the world's biggest snowman, writing comics for the school paper, fighting Rowley, and of course The Cheese.

Boys will love this book! Girls will also find it enjoyable as it shows a through development of character. Kids love these diary/journal/memoir books and this one is funny and really makes the reader think as it doesn't always protray Greg as the nicest guy.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid: Greg Heffley's journal. New York: Amulet Books.

Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger

Amber Brown is a 3rd grader who's a little messy, lives with her single mother, and is best friends with Justin Daniels. Amber's mother is even best friends with Mrs. Daniels. The only problem is Justin and his family are moving to Alabama because his dad found a really great job there. Amber worries that everything will change when she's stuck in New Jersey without her best friend to help her with fractions or to know what she's thinking.

The two friends get into a silly fight over a chewed gum ball and refuse to talk to one another. They make up and vow to see each other over the summer.

Amber Brown is an alternative to Junie B. Jones and will appeal to the same audience. What gives this book its strength is the creativity of her teacher Mr. Cohen who simulates world travel in the classroom to teach a unit on China and the sensitivity of her mother in dealing with Amber's feelings about Justin and his family moving away.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Danziger, P. (1994). Amber Brown is not a crayon. New York: Scholastic.

Moses Sees a Play by Isaac Millman

Moses goes to a special school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Manuel is a new student who doesn't know English or sign language. The boys become friends and communicate using gestures they make up. The highlight of the book is when the Little Theatre for the Deaf puts on the play Cinderella. This book includes boxes of sign language instruction so that readers can become actively involved in the story.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Millman, I. (2004). Moses sees a play. New York: Frances Foster Books.