Teeth, Tails, & Tentacles: An Animal Counting Book (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) by Christopher Wormell. Running Press Book Publish

Outstanding picture book, counting to 20, broad range--simple text, bold colors and type; back pages give info on animals for older readers. OUTSTANDING

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Joey Pigza Books) by Jack Gantos. HarperTrophy (2000), Paperback, 153 pages

Gantos speaks in the voice of Joey himself; so well written and so believable that I wondered if Gantos himself had ADHD--Joey has some knowledge of what he is doing but he is compelled and cannot stop himself. His feet move, he can feel his meds wearing off, he does not want to get in trouble but his brain, his ability to think logically and make good decisions, is different than ours and he makes some spectacularly bad decisions, occasionally hurting himself and other people. Joey is getting worse; he has trouble every day at school; the other kids think he is weird, are afraid of him, bully him, etc. Both Joey and his mother resist his placement in the "special school" downtown, but his options are running out, and everything is NOT okay. His family life is far from perfect; family members have the same disorder, plus alcoholism, abandonment, poverty, neglect, abuse-- but the characters are so complex and nuanced... just as in real life, they are not black and white, but imperfect. And...most amazing of all, the book is funny! We genuinely like Joey and his family and are sympathetic. I loved this book but I wonder if a 4th or 5th grader will get the sublety , especially without adult guidance. I would put it at 5th grade at least. Powerful and funny and moving and real. I will always pause before I get mad at another kid who is "just not listening."

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling. Yearling (1995), Paperback, 96 pages

John Midas is a self centered little boy who loves chocolate more than anything and doesn't do what he is told. John makes a bad choice at a magical candy shop and finds himself with a special gift/curse: everything his mouth touches turns to chocolate. It is amazing how tiring and even dangerous this becomes and he soon realizes this is punishment for his previous selfish behavior. After he turns his own mother to chocolate with one kiss he learns his lesson and sets out to set things right. A typical 3rd grade book, mediocre writing and no surprises. I am told kids love it and the few I know who read it said they enjoyed it; but it seems a bit heavy handed and preachy to me. An award winner though and it made it onto NOVELISTS GREAT READ-ALOUDS, 3RD GRADE list, so I will keep an open mind and push it a little. (the jury is still out)

Pumpkin Town! Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins by Katie McKy. Houghton Mifflin (2006), Hardcover, 32 pages

Jose and family are pumpkin farmers--"Nothing is better than pumpkins!" they say--but sometimes seeds do the darndest things, and the entire town was taken by an over-abundance of pumpkins. What to do? Jose and his brothers save the day in this fun and humorous story that ends with a twist. A fun and memorable way to introduce the concept of seeds and plants to young scientists, or a great idea for a food or seasonal (fall OR spring storytime. (

I'm The Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry. Dial (2007), Hardcover, 32 pages

Giant Squid brags about being the biggest thing in the ocean; bigger than shrimps, jellyfish, crabs, etc., until he meets up with a whale. Everyone will enjoy the clever ending where Squid, always the optimist, still manages to look on the bright side. Good introduction to size relativity and the concept of big/little and bigger/smaller. Loved it!

Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan by Eric A. Kimmel. Holiday House (2003), Library Binding, 32 pages

When a nasty rat overruns his castle, the daimyo, a powerful lord, enlists help from three samurai cats in this wonderful, humorous and very eastern tale with a powerful Zen message. Wildly popular with 1st graders for social studies or writers workshop, this is one of my FAVORITE stories and most successful classroom units. Great of reading, for read alouds, for telling, for group writing, for art, for folktales, for country study, for everything. Eric Kimmel is the best!

Campy: The Story of Roy Campanella by David A. Adler. Viking Juvenile (2007), Hardcover

Brief but well written biograpy of baseball legend Roy Campanella who broke the color barrier of major league baseball and played with the Brooklyn Dodgers along with Jackie Robinson. He is equally famous for a car accident at the height of his career that left him almost killed him and left him a quadriplegic and almost killed him. Very well written and beautifully illustrated, the back pages of the work include a timeline, quotes of note and a short list of suggested readings. Very well done.