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.

Little Red: A Fizzingly Good Yarn retold by Lynn Roberts, illustrated by David Roberts

In this twist on the Little Red Riding Hood Story, Little Red is a boy growing up during the late 18th century in America. This version offers a lighter ending in which the boy tricks the wolf into consuming a jug of ginger ale which ultimately results in a belch so ferocious it expels Granny from the confines of the wolf's belly. The illustrations for this picture book accurately depict 18th century clothing and furniture and give this retelling much of its charm.

Genre: Picture book/Folktale/Fairy Tale

Roberts, L. (2005). Little red: A fizzingly good yarn. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

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.

The Deaf Musicians by Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs, illustrations by R. Gregory Christie

Lee is a piano player in a jazz band. When his bandmates notice that Lee is missing his solos and off the beat they kick him out of the band. On the subway, Lee sees a poster for a school for the deaf. There he learns sign language and meets other musicians. They jam on the subway and even get a singer, a sign-language interpreter, for their band. The band is a big hit! Lee even runs into his old bandleader who counts himself as a fan!

This is a great book for print recognition. This would be great in storytime, it begs to be performed outloud!

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Seeger, P. & Jacobs, P. D. (2006). The deaf musicians. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

The Frog Princess: A Tlingit Legend fom Alaska by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger

In this tale of the Frog Princess the village headman brings many suitors to court his daughter. She islikes all of them and even goes as far as proclaiming that she would rather marry a frog from the lake instead of marry any of her suitors. That night a mysterious man appears in the young girl's bedroom asking if she meant what she said about sooner marrying a frog than any one of the suitors her father had chosen for her. The girl answers yes and the youngman leads her to the lake where he lift the water up as if it were a quilt on a bed. She is welcomed by the Frog People and marries the man and they raise a family.

Meanwhile, on land, her parents miss her. They even hold a funeral feast, believing she is dead. A passing traveler tells the headman that he saw a beautiful girl sitting on a log surrounded by frogs singing and dancing. The traveler's description of the girl matches that of his daughter and the headman goes to the lake summoning the Chief of the Frog People. The headman threatens war with the Frog People is his daughter is not returned and the Chief, not wanting to enter into war, agrees to return the young girl.

The young girl appears changed. Her eyes blge more like a frog's and her fingers have grown longer. She no longer speaks or eats. She is miserable without her husband and family. She spends her nights walking along the lakeshore. One night she goes missing. The headman searched for her and tried to summon the Chief again, but the frogs seemed to have moved on. The story ends with another passing traveler speaking with a frog who asks him to pass a message on to the headman: Her daughter is well and happy with her husband and children. The travler has no problem understanding the frog(s) because they were all taking in Tlingit.

Older readers (11 and up) will enjoy this retelling and the culture of the tribe it hails from.

Genre: Fairy tale/Folktale

Kimmel, E.A. (2006). The frog princess: A Tlingit legend from Alaska. New York: Holiday House.