Book Finder

Short, fresh and fun essays present a broad array of musicians and their music - from Bach to Guthrie to Joplin with lots in between. Unexpected information can be found in each informal entry along with caricatured portraits.

Short, clever, sometimes irreverent snapshots introduce a range of artists and their peculiarities. From Michelangelo to Georgia O’Keefe, the artists are presented in brief essays accompanied by lighthearted illustrations.

Perhaps his difficult childhood helped create the brilliant scientist (but rude man) he became. A complete portrait of Newton and his contributions to science are presented in a conversational text punctuated with droll illustrations.

Charlie is a poor but admirable boy who finds one of five tickets that provide entry into Willie Wonka’s fabulous factory. Ultimately, it is Charlie’s ethical behavior that wins, saves his family and begins yet another adventure. Comic illustrations add movement and punctuate the humor in this modern fantasy classic.

As a young boy, Cesar Chavez grew up on an 80-acre ranch in Arizona in the midst of joyous family reunions. When his family had to leave Arizona, however, to work as migrant laborers in California, their lives were turned upside down. During these excrutiating days and nights, Cesar struggled — but then found the resolve to one day help his fellow workers. Yuyi Morales brings Cesar’s childhood and early days as an organizer to life with stunning illustrations.

Like its predecessor The Birchbark House, this long-awaited sequel is framed by catastrophe, but the core of the story, which is set in 1850, is white settlers’ threats to the traditional Ojibwe way of life. Omakayas is now nine and living at her beautiful island home in Lake Superior. But whites want Ojibwe off the island: Where will they go? In addition to an abundance of details about life through the seasons, Erdrich deals with the wider meaning of family and Omakayas’ coming-of-age on a vision quest. — Booklist

As a gift from his magician uncle, Joe receives The Book setting into motion a series of humorous time travel adventures. Joe and his friends, Fred and Sam, travel to King Arthur’s England where they meet dragons, knights, and more in this first Time Warp Trio trip. Smith’s black/white illustrations punctuate the action in this fast-paced tale.

Fact and fiction, old and new styles of illustration, wit and seriousness combine in this pithy, lighthearted look at four luminaries in American history. Only mature readers will appreciate the title’s name play but are sure to chuckle at the take on John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington and Ben Franklin. Fact is clearly differentiated from fun at book’s end.

The well-loved stuffed bear is back for another nighttime adventure, this time in search of the perfect present for Lisa’s birthday. The small bear finds himself lost but in good hands at Mr. Gonzales’ newsstand until Lisa finds him the next morning. In this new story by the original author’s art director, both the text and illustrations convey the gentle warmth and verve of Don Freeman’s original Corduroy stories.

Rosie, a hen, takes a walk — oblivious to the fox that is following her. Rosie unwittingly leads the hungry fox from one disaster to the next until she returns safely home. The simple text notes only Rosie’s trip around the farm, making the strong line and bright colors of the illustration all the more striking and very funny.

Nancy loves being fancy and shares her enthusiasm with her family who all dress up and go out for pizza — fancy, of course! Nancy’s bubbly narration is matched by expressive illustrations that convey the affectionate and unique family, and their support for each other.

Inspired by stories she heard as a child, the author presents original tales steeped in oral tradition and imbued with the African American experience. Rich language and memorable characters create a collection to be shared aloud time and time again on front porches or anywhere else.

How did a poor boy named Ehrich Weiss became the famous escape artist, Harry Houdini? The author, best known for his original tall tales and novels, demonstrates his ability to tell a spellbinding true story and shares his appreciation for the mystery of magic.

Folks who live near the Mississippi River know that it’s magic. When mysterious things begin to happen in the riverside town of Blue Wing, Claire and her nasty cousin, Duke, set off on an adventure to find answers. The clever plot blends fantastical elements and unique characters, as unexpected as the turns in the river, in this rich novel for accomplished readers.

When is a gorilla like Curious George? When he (and a parade of animals) follow the zookeeper home at bedtime — and snuggles in with the zookeeper’s wife with very fast and funny results.

Bidemmi is a budding artist and a careful observer of the world around her. As she weaves together stories and drawings of the people in her neighborhood, she ties the tales together through cherries — buying them, sharing them, and enjoying them. Learn how Bidemmi uses cherries to create her vision for the future in this brightly colored and softly crafted book that understands and speaks to young children.

When old Mr. Putter decides to join his neighbor’s knitting club, he and his faithful feline companion Tabby contribute chaos and laughs for readers. Lighthearted illustrations add to the fast-paced fun.

Molly wants to return to Russia, but her mother reminds her that the Cossacks have burned the synagogues. There is no going back. The endless teasing of her classmates makes home feel even farther away. But when Molly’s mother makes a pilgrim for Thanksgiving, Molly recognizes the similarities to her own journey and gains acceptance and admiration from her classmates. This story is based on an experience from the author’s family.

Experience the explosion of color and movement of jazz as you pulsate with its beat in a vibrant series of poems and paintings. This father-and-son team explores a variety of jazz forms in an unforgettable book.

In 2008, the first Odyssey Award (opens in a new window) for distinguished children’s/young adult audiobook was presented to this read-along title. This package brings together the illustrations of the book with the featured Jazz music.

Blackbeard’s story is “a tale to billow a pirate’s sail!” Told here in a series of poems, including brief bits of factual information and dramatic images, this is a book that will capture the imagination of any pirate enthusiast. An author’s note provides additional information, a timeline and sources for what we know about this fierce pirate.

To escape the coming conflict, young Soo leaves North Korea without her mother. Though her mother plans to join Soo and her father, the Korean War begins and Soo has only memories of her mother’s bravery. Darkly hued illustrations combine with the lyrical narrative in this story based on the authors’ own family.

Henry and Mudge visit Henry’s Great Grandpa Bill in his home with all the other old grandpas, bringing slobbery kisses, great joy, and lots of energy. Together, the Great Grandpas along with Henry and his dad go swimming and lean on Mudge — literally — when they get tired proving that even a big, wet dog can make a difference!

Scieszka has collected short stories with special appeal to guys; after all, they were written by guys! In this collection, readers will learn about guys who write for guys who read &mdash and love to laugh (and occasionally get grossed out), including a Scieszka family story.

Trash isn’t gross with Mr. Gilly at the wheel of the collection truck. In fact, he is proud of his job picking up the trash around town — from the school to the pizza parlor. Boldly colored illustrations and a catchy rhyme tell the story of this Trashy Town — and how we all helped make it so!