Unicorn Academy; Nature Magic- Lily & Feather by Julia Sykes, A Steppingstone Book/Random House, 2020, 111 Pages.

The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney. Puffin Books, 2004, 125 Pages.

Add caption

Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osborne. Random House, 2012, 114 pages

Who Was Julia Child by Geoff Edgers and Carlene Hempel. Grosset & Dunlap, 2015, 112 pages

I have a ton of Who Was/Who is series books. Very, very popular and fun-- moving them from NF to series made them visible and accessible to all and upped the circulation tremendously. Narrative nonfiction biography of lots of different important figures-- many historic but many current as well-- a huge hit with teachers, parents and the 3-5 grade set. Who Was Julia Child? was written as a narrative- fun to read, historically accurate enough, full of illustrations and still the all important --100 pages or more-- needed for so many school reports.

Mallory on the Move by Laurie Friedman. Lerner Classroom, 2004. 158 pages.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene. Simon and Schuster, 1930. 180 pages.

The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. 137 Pages.

In the spirit of Judy Moody, Junie B and Pippi Longstocking, Clementine shines-- clever and quirky, thoughtful and fun loving, she speaks to kids and to families. Lots of truths here about being a kid, the books are great and filled with kid-logic that we all thought but most of us were afraid to say.
Great and always recommended.

Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray by Nick Bruel. Square Fish, 2011. 176 pages.

White Crane: Samurai Kids by Sandy Fussell. Candlewick Press, 2011.

The Never Girls: In a Blink by Kiki Thorpe. RH/Disney, 2013, 128 pages.

Captain Alatriste by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005. 253 pages.

Romantic and swashbuckling, the first in a series, Captain Alatriste was recommended to me by a homeless man in the library--and he was right. Set in 17th century Spain, Diego Alatriste, veteren of the 30 years war, is hired by the Grand Inquisitor to kill a traveler who turns out to be the Prince of Wales...and the plot thickens! Pérez-Reverte is a master storyteller-- weaving a tale of intrigue and adventure and romance-- with Alatriste he creates a hero who every man wants to be and every woman wants to be with. Pérez-Reverte deftly adds plenty of historic detail that enhances the tale, but never overwhelms. I haven't loved an adult series like this in a long time. A great book from a phenomenal writer. Read it.

Araminta Spookie: My Haunted House as told to Angie Sage. Katherine Tegen Books, 2006. 133 pages.

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. HarperCollins, 1990. 176 pages

Nine year old Beezus has a four year old sister named Ramona who drives her crazy. Beezus cannot enjoy anything on her own because Ramona wants to tag along and always ruins everything. She throws temper tantrums, doesn't listen or do what she is told and-- worst of all-- is cute and clever and full of imagination. It seems to Beezus that in the end, Ramona always gets her way. It is so unfair! AAAAh-- an older but goodie--the original was written in 1955 and some details are a little dated-- the theme sounds like something from shakespeare! Cleary is the master once again with this classic tale of sibling rivalry and the subtlety of family relations. This is the only Huggins/Quimby story told from big sister Beezus' point of view and as a big sister myself, i can sympathize. The littler ones are always cuter and there's no glory in keeping an eye on your little sister. (of course, Ramona thinks her sister gets to do everything!) This is a quiet tale the unwraps slowley-- Beezus takes her sister to the library where Ramona insists that the book she borrowed is hers. Ramona writes her name on every page to prove it is hers and Ramona has to pay for it. The sisters are very different-- Beezus the thoughtful and responsible older sister while Ramona is the carefree one full of bad behavior and imagination-- personality traits that are mirrored in the mother and aunt---something the reader does not fully realize until the birthday party at the end. A classic, gentle tale from a master storyteller.

Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor. Puffin Books, 1990, 62 pages.

Taylor states she got the idea for this short story from a story her father told of an event from his own childhood. 1930s-segregated south at the Mississippi River. Casual small town racism as seen through the eyes of a 10 year old white boy--a child afraid of and bullied by his own father--Taylor tells the facts mostly, without editorializing. She does not say how the young black girl felt being told she could not try on a hat in the store or why the black townsfolk spoke easily to each other but clammed up when the little white boy started hanging around. She leaves it to us to decide what to think. A well written and powerful short story.

Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2). Disney-Hyperion, 2006. 288 pages.

Jackie & Me (Baseball Card Adventures) by Dan Gutman. HarperCollins (1999), Hardcover, 160 pages

In order to write an essay for school, 12 year old Joe Stoshak uses his baseball card collection to travel back to 1947 to meet Jackie Robinson and learns to understand better the racsim Robinson faced as the first African American in major league baseball; Stoshak, who is white, arrives in 1947 as a young black boy. Not great literature, formulaic and predictable, part of Gutman's baseball card series books.(See Honus, Babe, etc.) Young baseball fans LOVE them. Good for sports fans.

Me Oh Maya (Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka. Viking Juvenile (2003), Hardcover, 80 pages

The book sends the trio back in time 1,000 years to Chichén Itzá, where the boys make friends with fallen Maya Royals who they help restore to there rightful place in society. They learn a few things about Maya society and sports in the process. I like the books and they are very popular with series readers, especially boys, but this one comes with a caveat: The Maya are a living breathing people still--unlike neanderthals or european pirates--and this book is a bit disrespectful--not awful, but worth mentioning to young readers. In particular, Scieszka ridicules the evil Maya rulers name as "Kakapupahed" and I am concerned that this can encourage kids (and adults) to ridicule the names(and people) of languages they do not speak. i mention this to whomever takes the book out. Still, the series is clever and popular with both children and adults for children.