0 and Up

by Eleanor Estes and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin Ages: 7+ Realistic Fiction Polish-American Wanda Petronski is the target of ridicule in her school, mostly for her name. But more significantly for wearing the same shabby blue dress to school every day. When picked on, Wanda claims to have a hundred dresses lined up in her closet. Popular classmate Peggy is in the habit of grilling Wanda about this every morning for harmless pleasure. The silent accomplice to this, Maddie, on the other hand can see how the ritual can impact Wanda. However she chooses to do nothing, to simply stand and watch. Until one day Wanda and her family move away to the big city where they think they will be better accepted. When the "hundred dresses" finally surface, Maddie     feels awful. Sleepless and restless she wishes she could have done something. Maddie and Peggy go on a mission to let Wanda know how they truly feel, and in the process are in for a surprise!

By Madhur Jaffrey, Illustrated by Amanda Hall Age:7+ Fantasy, Adventure It starts off with Kabbi Wahabbi (the mouse) running around frantically for help. It's understandable considering he is drenched in smelly orange paint so much so that he is unrecognizable! And who did it? The wicked Slimey Kimey. Robi Dobi, the genial elephant, promises to help him. And that's how an exciting adventure gets kicked off! An escapade in which a horde of engaging characters join the caravan, like Kamla-saurus (The Great Painter) and Maya Wishkaya (of The Dancing Butterflies). There is also an edge-of-the-seat segment when the entire team joins General Aman and his Great Parrot Army to rescue Princess Tara from The Wicked Purple Panthers. The journey continues steadily with two more brave rescues enroute, and that of course includes the downfall of Slimey Kimey!

By Kevin Henkes Age:8+ Realistic Fiction It is a tradition for Alice to vacation in winter and celebrate her birthday with other regulars, in a seaside cottage in Florida. But on her 10th birthday things are a little different. Some of her "extended family" is missing. Instead, 6 year old Mallory enters the scene, and makes everything less perfect for Alice. But Mallory's own story has a tinge of sadness. Henkes authentically brings out Alice's struggle, swinging from girlhood to adoloscence - a trip into the internal psyche trying to balance genuine conflicting emotions. Wrapped tightly around all of this is Alice's passion for shells and the hunt for the rare junonia shell she covets. Kevin Henke's writing - choice of words, similies, simplicity, and style of language. The beach backdrop filled with sky, sea gulls, sun, pelicans, dolphins, cottages, sand and shells! Picture:HarperCollins

By Scott O'dell Age:10+ Based on a true story Newbery Medal in 1961 Riveting. Powerful. Moving. Classic. Timeless. Twelve year old Karana who jumps off a ship to rescue her little brother, only to find him dead on the shore. While the ship and her clan sail away for safer shores, Karana is left stranded on the desolate island for several years. Her survival saga is shrouded in hope, loneliness, courage, perseverance and strength, to stay alive and live beyond! Scott O'dell is a master - a three time Newbery award winner and the recipient of the highest global honor, the Hans Christian Anderson Author Award. Need I say more? Picture: Author Website

By Holling.C.Holling Age:7+ Geo-fiction Caldcott Honor in 1942   I am grateful to destiny for leading us to this book. I am duly presenting it here. As my 7 year old promptly adds  Paddle-to-the-sea  to her list of favorites, I see us both recommending and reading this book several times in the future, and not many books are  that compelling. The book was published in 1941. It was a Caldecott Honor Winner. The movie version was an Oscar nominee as well.  Holling.C.Holling  is generous with natural details in the story and fluent in writing it with a geographic pitch. A young native American boy carves a wooden man-figure on a canoe and names him  Paddle-to-the-sea . After addressing the mechanical needs, he etches the words  Please put me back in water – I am Paddle to the sea , along the underbelly of his “toy”. He sets him on a mound of snow in the wild, in Nipigon country in Canada. He hopes and waits for Paddle to start his travel when the ice thaws in spring and

By Patricia Maclahan Age:7+ Realistic Fiction Newbery Medal in 1986 Sarah, plain and tall, comes to join the family in the Prairies, in response to Jacob's ad for a wife, for a mother to his two motherless children Anna and Caleb. However Sarah misses her own home back in Maine - the smell of the ocean, the gulls, and the mist over the cliffs. The children fall in love with Sarah but are soon overcome by fear of being abandoned once again. At one point, it seems like Sarah might never come back. However Sarah comes back and reassures them how much she'll miss them (even more than Maine!) if she left. Narrated in the voice of Anna, this is a story of love and hope in small children,  it is gentle and heartwarming. Skylark, Caleb's Story, More perfect than the moon, Grandfather's dance , all belong to a series following this book. Patricial Maclahan has several wonderful novels to her credit. Picture: Wikipedia

By E.B White , Illustrated by Garth Williams Age: 8+ Fiction Newbery Honor in 1953 The realization that he is going to be slaughtered for a meal one day, leaves Wilbur, the naive and fun loving little pig, in a stupor. While the other gabby animal neighbors are supportive, Charlotte an affectionate and wise spider, goes to great lengths to protect friend Wilbur. She promises to save him. And she keeps it up by making him an overnight celebrity. Wilbur soon becomes the pride of the Zuckermans' and the talk of the town. But Charlotte's passes on doing what she does best - weaving magic words that keep Wilbur alive! A heartwarming tale about friendship and commitment. Picture:HarperCollins