Book Finder

Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle to call his dog, Willie. Try as he might, he just couldn’t seem to make the sound come out — until one day he could! The simple description of a child’s yearning is told in natural language and charming collage illustrations.

Though Herb enjoys reading, he doesn’t appreciate how important it is to treat books with care. Then he falls asleep and finds himself in a book of fairy tales that he has changed. Readers who are familiar with the standard tales will delight in this fresh, funny, and fractured book.

Rabbit cannot go into her own house for fear of the ferocious-sounding animal inside. Told as a play with masked actors, this cumulative tale gradually unfolds to a surprising and very satisfying conclusion.

Molly, the bookmobile librarian, finds a new batch of readers and writers when she accidentally drives into the zoo. “In a flash, every beast in the zoo was stampeding/To learn all about this new something called reading.” Lively and appealing illustrations show the fun Molly and the animals have as they build the Zoobrary. Also available in Spanish.

Ten-year-old James is intrigued by the K-Bones, a local gang, and considers joining. But when his six-year-old brother witnesses him vandalize a sign, he begins to have second thoughts. A tough topic is handled in a brief but effective way, sure to launch discussion.

Alfie takes his trusty blanket with him when he attends his first party alone, but bravely puts it down to comfort a friend who is frightened by a mask.

When the lowercase x from Charley’s alphabet disappears, the other letters set off to find him. Young readers become detectives on the quest to find the lowercase letters and will rejoice when little x finds a way to rescue his rescuers from becoming alphabet soup.

Lots of vacations include a trip to an amusement park, but how many are trips to an aMAZEment park? Find the way with Ms. McCourt and her class as they visit the Cyclone, the Enchanted Castle, the Wild West Walk, and more before heading through a series of intricately illustrated mazes that make a playful visual treat for all.

Amelia Bedelia takes her orders quite literally. She wonders why she’s asked to dust the furniture when it really should be “undusted,” or why it’s important to find the proper clothes to “dress the chicken.” Readers will chuckle as they figure out the correct way for the bumbling maid to carry out her work.

The year Grace turned eight, her Mum and Dad took her and her siblings on a trip around Australia. The kids “missed school for the whole winter term” and Grace documented much of what she learned, where she went, and the adventures they had as they experienced the diversity of the continent. Grace’s informal voice is informative yet engaging, completed by line drawings and simple maps.

Rich language and lots of farm detail are used in the saga of Babe, a unique and truly heroic pig, who works successfully as a sheep dog.

Rather than sleep, Baby wants to dance the polka, the cha cha – any and everything – exhausting the poor parents! After lots of activity, Ma and Pa finally tuck in the tuckered out baby. Rhyming text and flaps that lift on sturdy pages make a memorable book to share at bedtime and beyond.

Knock-knock. Who’s there? Lift the flap and find out in this silly, pun-filled look at school and everything from lockers to spelling bees. Comic illustrations incorporate both flaps and cut-outs to create a satisfying format.

Naomi and her younger brother Owen have lived with their grandmother in a small trailer for many years, ever since they were abandoned by their mother. When Mom Terri Lynn suddenly returns, does she really have the kids’ best interests at heart?

Ever since Peter moved away (We Are Best Friends, 1982), he and his best friend Robert have kept in touch. Now that they’re together during Peter’s visit, the boys learn that while some things have changed, others, happily, have stayed the same.

Even though they talk by phone every Sunday, Grace has felt an “Aimee-shaped hole in her life” ever since her best friend moved away. But that’s only one of the changes Grace deals with in this engaging novel. Grace and her friends were first introduced in Starring Grace (2000).

When Ruby sends out invitations to a party, Max sends out his own which are delivered to Grandma. Children are encouraged to participate by lifting the flaps in this sturdy, colorful book. They’ll try to figure out the meaning of Max’s messages and may even be inspired to write their own letters in this latest Max and Ruby jaunt.

As mysterious things happen in and around their Chicago school, Petra and Calder use their knowledge of the painter Vermeer, their intuition, and their problem solving skills to retrieve a stolen painting. The book’s Illustrations contain clues that are revealed only upon close (and multiple) examinations. This quirky mystery is sure to please fans of E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Chester and Wilson are like peas in a pod. Not only do they do everything together; they do most things in the same way. Then, a new mouse moves in to the neighborhood and things will never be the same! Lilly (Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, 1996) is irrepressible and energetic, as Chester and Wilson soon happily find out.

A grandmother tells her granddaughter the history of baskets, going all the way back to Africa. The circular history of a people and of families is suggested in gentle text and evocative watercolors.

In this Newbery Medal-winning novel, Crispin is falsely accused of murder and must flee his medieval town to save his life. But, just as he’s leaving, he learns from the village priest that his parents’ origins — and fates — might be more mysterious than he ever imagined… (2003 Newbery Medal Winner)

Ike LaRue, famous correspondent (introduced in Dear Mrs. LaRue) known by readers as a four-legged letter writer with a flair for exaggeration now turns to solving the mysterious disappearance of neighborhood cats.

As a child doodles and draws, she plays with lively language and creates all that she’s illustrated. Which comes first, the doodles or the words? Well, it’s a tantalizing tangle to untwist tongues and identify illustrations.

When an orphaned boy fulfills an ancient prophesy and becomes a dragon rider to help Firedrake find the Rim of Heaven, he finds more than just adventure. The fantastic journey is filled with characters from folklore, and the classic struggle between good and evil makes a spirited good read aloud.