Book Finder

When Buzz and his family go on vacation, they don’t want to take Buzz’s pet, Fly Guy, with them — but he joins them nonetheless. Though small, the fly proves his mettle and saves the day with his flying skills. Bug-eyed cartoon characters and broad humor make this an entertaining read for newly independent readers.

This fun, fact-filled glimpse at the states begins with a warning that many of the facts are “wacky and outrageous” but buckle up and join the romp! (Leominster, MA, was the birthplace of the plastic lawn flamingo, for example.) Factoids combine with humorous illustrations to engage travelers on the go!

For one glorious, hot summer week, James went to stay with his friend Eamon’s grandparents so the boys could go to a nature camp. Though the boys seem to prefer playing video games and staying indoors, the truth is in the comic illustration. Adults will recall summer vacation while young readers will enjoy its unbridled joy.

Annie and her big (big) brother Simon have a special relationship. Simon is very patient and quite the opposite of his sister, but together they share summertime adventures, including Annie getting a bee sting and going out in a boat to hear a loon. Cartoon-like illustrations complement each short chapter in this warm book.

As her cat goes out, a girl imagines his world travel: on a gondola in Venice, in Spanish soccer games, and more before he returns to his home and favorite person. The rhyming text combines with richly detail, naive illustrations for a satisfying armchair adventure.

Benny is busy being a pirate and doesn’t want to play with his little sister. But when Penny seems to be lost, Benny realizes that sometimes playing alone isn’t all that much fun. Words and illustration in a comic book-like format create an appealing, short novel for emerging readers.

Sam is almost 11 when he discovers a locked box in the attic above his grandfather Mack’s room, and a piece of paper that says he was kidnapped. There are lots of other words, but Sam has always had trouble reading. He’s desperate to find out who he is, and if his beloved Mack is really his grandfather. At night he’s haunted by dreams of a big castle and a terrifying escape on a boat. Who can he trust to help him read the documents that could unravel the mystery? Then he and the new girl, Caroline, are paired up to work on a school project, building a castle in Mack’s woodworking shop. Caroline loves to read, and she can help. But she’s moving soon, and the two must hurry to discover the truth about Sam.

Larger than life Maniac Magee is a modern folk hero, particularly in the small town of Two Mills, Pennsylvania where he brings together people from opposite sides of the track. Unforgettable characters deal poignantly, often humorously, with race, poverty, and more in this contemporary tall tale.

Yolen wrote all of these varied entries about the delightful dragon, and relates the poems, and short stories from a variety of genres, complete with a background as to their inspiration.

A four-book series featuring reluctant princess Cimorene, warring factions of dragons and wizards, and tons of humor.

Younger readers will enjoy this dragon fantasy set in the present day. While running away from his unwanted crush Mary Lou, Jeremy discovers a magic shop where he purchases an egg. When dragon Tiamat hatches, the adventure begins, and so do Jeremy’s responsibilities toward the growing dragon. A perfect introduction to fantasy.

Un paseo mágico en tren durante la Nochebuena lleva a un niño al Polo Norte para recibir un regalo especial de Papá Noel. Ganador de la medalla Caldecott.

When young Iqbal is sold into slavery at a carpet factory, his arrival changes everything for the other overworked and abused chidren there. It is Iqbal who explains to them that despite their master’s promises, he plans on keeping them as his slaves indefinetely. But it is also Iqbal who inspires the other children to look to a future free from toil…and is brave enough to show them how to get there.
This moving fictionalized account of the real Iqbal Masih is told through the voice of Fatima, a young Pakistani girl whose life is changed by Iqbal’s courage.

What should a pink pig don for Halloween? A pink princess costume, of course. Mercy is reluctant until the mention of treats is made. This is as lively and funny as the other books about this porcine prima donna.

Edward Tulane is a vain and selfish china rabbit whose memorable journey teaches him what love is as well as the pain it can cause. This sparsely told tale is evocative and comes full circle bringing Edward and his story to a satisfying resolution.

Hondo and Fabian, dog and cat friends, are back. Here, their days take very different looks as Fabian the cat goes outside to play with “friends” while Hondo stays in with the baby. Softly lined and hued illustrations create humor to show what really goes on with an escaped cat and a dog-chasing toddler!

Ah, that baby in those “White shoes./High-jumping,/fast-funning,/fine-looking/shoes!” sure moves quickly when she and her mama take a walk to the park and beyond. Lively language and jaunty watercolors share the joy of the outing — for mother and child!

Original paintings re-energize this sea-going classic to celebrate the year of its creator’s 100th birthday. The story of the small tugboat that saves the large ocean liner when other larger tugs cannot remains as satisfying as when it was first published in 1939.

Become the storyteller when examining the inventive illustrations that start with a boy who looks out the window on a rainy day. He finds a mysterious key, which leads to an imaginative adventure with other children on a sunny beach. Could it be real? Readers add the story that accompanies this lively book without words.

As a pirate, Jack Plank was not a very good plunderer, although he makes up for it as a fine storyteller. He wows Mrs. Del Fresno’s daughter and her other boarders with his stories as he seeks another profession. This episodic yarn spins a wonderful read aloud.

According to his new motto, “A Writer’s Job Is to Turn His Worst Experiences Into Money,” Jack Henry is going to be filthy rich even before he gets out of junior high, for his life is filled with the worst experiences imaginable. In the course of the few months Jack is humiliated by a gorgeous synchronized swimmer, gets a tattoo the size of an ant on his big toe, flubs an IQ test and nearly fails wood shop, and has to dig up his dead dog not once but twice. And that’s not the half of it.

Because of a mix-up, best doll friends Annabelle and Tiffany are sent to the wrong house where they must deal with Mimi, a doll who thinks she’s the queen of all and whose behavior is perfectly ghastly. Readers who were first introduced to these characters in Doll People will enjoy seeing them again.

Though only 10 years old, Alonzo King wants to be the “boy of a thousand faces” just like his favorite actor Lon Chaney is the “man of a thousand faces” in the horror movies that Alonzo watches on late-night television. As Halloween approaches, Alonzo becomes an expert in using make-up and knowledge of The Beast.

Image and text combine in a unique presentation to tell the story of an orphan boy who lives between the walls of a Paris train station and repairs its clocks. Monochromatic illustrations change perspective and move in and out, and alternate with text to tell this mysterious, breathtaking, and riveting tale. Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal. (2008 Caldecott Medal Winner)