We Are Best Friends

by: Aliki - (Greenwillow, 1982) 32 pages.

In this story, Robert and Peter try to figure out how to stay best friends after Peter moves away. Aliki's illustrations and text are simple, but they show the boys' loneliness and send a reassuring message that your child will enjoy.

Kids who like to make new friends will love this.

My Dad’s a Birdman

by: David Almond, illustrated by: Polly Dunbar - (Candlewick Press, 2008) 115 pages.

My Dad's a Birdman used to be a play, but now it's a chapter book that's a lot of fun to read. The illustrations are wacky and darkly comic in a very British way. The story of Lizzie and her dad getting to know each other through the Great Human Bird Competition has both the strange lightheartedness and the maturity of Matilda by Roald Dahl, who wrote the book about the girl. Dare someone not to laugh or cry when they read it!

Perfect for: Kids who like to read stories about magic.

A Fine, Fine School

by: Sharon Creech, illustrated by: Harry Bliss - (Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins Pub., 2001) 32 pages.

People who work at the school say that Mr. Keene is a very happy person. He decides to have school on every day of the week, even on holidays and during summer vacation. Your child will enjoy hearing about Tillie's clever plan to save her vacations.

Kids who like school.

Brundibar

by: Tony Kushner, illustrated by: Maurice Sendak - (Hyperion Books for Children, 2003) 56 pages.

Many of the characters in the book wear yellow armbands with a Star of David on them. Brundibar, with his bristly, cropped mustache, looks a lot like Hitler. The historical context isn't important to understanding the story. All kids have been bullied at some point in their lives, and the small kids' victory in the story is both cheering and satisfying. In the end, they tell the reader, "Remember, be brave and the bullies will stop!" As it turns out, justice isn't always quick to come.

Kids who like realism will like this.

Mr. Peabody’s Apples

by: Madonna, illustrated by: Loren Long - (Callaway, 2003) 40 pages.

This story is based on a 300-year-old Ukrainian story. It tells about the dangers of gossip, the power of words, and how rumors can hurt other people. With its warm illustrations and important message, this is a great book for kids. It should be read to them at a young age.

Kids who like realism stories will like this.

The Chocolate Touch

by: Patrick Skene Catling, illustrated by: Margot Apple - (Morrow, 1952) 128 pages.

It's a dream of mine. Our hero John Midas can make chocolate out of anything he touches. Even chocolate can be too much for him. The Golden Touch and Bread for Frances. strong reader or "read me to sleep"

It's great for kids who like classic stories.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little

by: Peggy Gifford, illustrated by: Valorie Fisher - (Schwatz & Wade Books, 2008) 92 pages.

Every child goes through this book's plot at some point in his or her school life: On the day before school starts, you haven't read the book that you had to read for summer. You feel bad about yourself because you know how bad things are, but you just can't bring yourself to read the text because you don't want to hurt yourself. Moxy and I are in the same boat. It's not that she doesn't like to read. She just doesn't want to read what someone else tells her to. This book will make you laugh out loud. It's full of wit and charm. Moxy is a great character, even if her plans aren't very well thought out. Peaches, Moxy's mother's garden, and a bowl of them all play important parts in the story. The story will make you smile.

It's great for kids who like funny stories.

Tacky in Trouble

by: Helen Lester, illustrated by: Lynn M. Munsinger - (Houghton Mifflin, 1998) 32 pages.

Tacky is back, and he's getting himself into situations that can only make young readers happy, but also understandable. This time, Tacky is surfing, while his penguin friends are napping on their iceberg, which is where they live. Tacky's shirt is blown away by a strong wind, and he is taken to a tropical island. It turns out that an elephant, which Tacky thinks is a big gray rock, thinks Tacky's shirt looks like a bouquet of flowers that would look great on her table. Tacky can do what? You can see how "penguinish" his actions are by watching him march and dive and slide and hop until the tablecloth is full of food. So as always, the watercolour illustrations by Munsinger always make me laugh, and Lester's dry, witty tone is used to tell the story. Fans of Tacky will be sure to find new fans with this book. Old fans will be reminded to read the other Tacky books again.

It's great for kids who like funny stories.

Babymouse: Skater Girl

by: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm - (Random House, 2007) 96 pages.

In six of her own graphic novels, this cute mouse has been the star. In this seventh one, she doesn't disappoint. She can show what she is best at after all of her friends have been named best at something. As soon as she is found by a famous ice-skating coach, her favorite pastime is on thin ice. So the writing in Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm is great. Her brother, Matthew, draws Babymouse in a fun way. You'd be hard-pressed to find a 9-year-old girl who doesn't want to read this Babymouse book.

Kids who like adventure stories will love this.

Come on, Rain

by: Karen Hesse, illustrated by: Jon L. Muth - (Scholastic, 1999) 32 pages.

Unrelenting heat steams off every page in this beautiful water-colored story about leggy little girls who are waiting for the rain to come. As soon as everyone in the city starts to get tired, a soft breeze comes through the kitchen window, giving everyone hope for some rain. Little girls who dance in the rain are joined by their Mamas, who can't help but dance too. With words that sizzle, thunder, drench, and simmer, the story ends with a parched city that is now sparkling after a rain storm that even refreshes the reader.

Kids who like realism stories will like this.

Gator Gumbo

by: Candace Fleming, illustrated by: Sally Anne Lambert - (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004) 32 pages.

Mr. Gator is being trolled mercilessly by a group of pesky swamp creatures who clearly haven't read about Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby. They wouldn't get so close to his bubbling cauldron if they had. Because of his smarts and his mom's recipe, Monsieur gets both dinner and revenge even though he isn't as young as he used to be. Laughing listeners will enjoy hearing a story with a little bit of Cajun dialect. They'll know what Mr. Gator is up to long before his tormentors do, and they'll be able to laugh at him.

It's great for kids who like funny stories.

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