Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest!


Judith Viorst - 2001
    But she’s not just messy, either…. She’s Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest! Olivia’s family tries to show her that Sophie is plenty of things besides a slob, but Olivia is unconvinced. Pictures from Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of Fancy Nancy, make this book super-completely and totally fun!

In the Shadow of the Sun


Anne Sibley O'Brien - 2017
    Mia was adopted from South Korea as a baby, and the trip raises tough questions about where she really belongs. Then her dad is arrested for spying, just as forbidden photographs of North Korean slave-labor camps fall into Mia's hands. The only way to save Dad: get the pictures out of the country. Thus Mia and Simon set off on a harrowing journey to the border, without food, money, or shelter, in a land where anyone who sees them might turn them in, and getting caught could mean prison -- or worse.An exciting adventure that offers a rare glimpse into a compelling, complicated nation, In the Shadow of the Sun is an unforgettable novel of courage and survival.

The Jewel Box Ballerinas


Monique De Varennes - 2006
    She has two houses, two hats (exactly alike), and two silly dogs. But she doesn't have a single friend. When she comes across a beautiful jewel box, of course she wants two of them. Though there's only one like it in all the world, inside two dancers spin. Perfect! The shopkeeper explains that the box is enchanted--all who look on the ballerinas will see sorrow in their faces. Soon Bibi becomes more concerned with her sad ballerinas than with worldly riches. What will make them happy? It is her love that finally transforms them into living, breathing, happy children--and gives Bibi two real friends.

A Piglet Named Mercy


Kate DiCamillo - 2019
    Watson and Mrs. Watson live ordinary lives. Sometimes their lives feel a bit too ordinary. Sometimes they wish something different would happen. And one day it does, when someone unpredictable finds her way to their front door. In a delightful origin story for the star of the Mercy Watson series, a tiny piglet brings love (and chaos) to Deckawoo Drive — and the Watsons’ lives will never be the same.

Room for Everyone


Naaz Khan - 2021
    A young boy on a crowded bus discovers that, after some wiggles and giggles, there’s room for everyone in this lighthearted rhyming picture book set in Zanzibar.The dala dala rumbles and roars as Musa and Dada drive off to the shore—but the bus stops for multiple detours: “Do you need a ride? It’s hotter than peppers out there in the sun! Come in, there’s room for everyone!” One stop becomes two stops which soon becomes ten, and Musa wonders when it will end: “How can any more people get in? We’re already smushed like sardines in a tin!” But there's always room for one more, if you make the room, which is the heartwarming take-away from this bouncy, joyous tale in rhyme.

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures


Nikki Grimes - 2020
    a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED reviewIt's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night."The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review

The Doorbell Rang


Pat Hutchins - 1986
    Each ring of the doorbell brings more friends to share the delicious cookies Ma has made in this beloved classic.This enjoyable read-aloud picture book about friendship, sharing, and cookies can also be used to introduce basic math concepts to young children.The Doorbell Rang was named a Notable Book for Children by the American Library Association.

Always in Trouble


Corinne Demas - 2009
    On Monday he got into the garbage. On Tuesday he ran into the road. On Wednesday he ate a loaf of bread that Emma's dad had just baked." No matter what day of the week it is, Toby's up to no good. His owner, Emma, doesn't know what to do! So she takes him to dog training school, where Ms. Katz teaches him everything a dog needs to know. By week's end, Toby has learned some surprising new tricks, leaving no doubt as to why he is top dog in Emma's eyes!

One Proud Penny


Randy Siegel - 2017
    Who knew the life of a penny could be so exciting?Born in 1983, our copper (well, zinc and copper as we find out) narrator travels everywhere from New York City to Portland, Oregon, to Puerto Rico describing in colorful detail his many adventures along the way.Randy Siegel's quirky, informative text mixed with Serge Bloch's spare but exuberant illustrations (which make use of real pennies) make this book a must-have for lovers of American history or just a good story.A Neal Porter Book

What Was the Wild West?


Janet B. Pascal - 2017
    Famous for cowboys, American Indians, lawmen, gunslingers, pioneers, and prospectors, this period in US history captures the imagination of all kids and now is brought vividly to life.

There Is a Tribe of Kids


Lane Smith - 2016
    . .he trails a colony of penguins, undulates in a smack of jellyfish,clasps hands with a constellation of stars, naps for a night in a bed of clams,and follows a trail of shells, home to his tribe of friends.If Lane Smith's Caldecott Honor Book Grandpa Green was an homage to aging and the end of life, There Is a Tribe of Kids is a meditation on childhood and life's beginning. Smith's vibrant sponge-paint illustrations and use of unusual collective nouns such as smack and unkindness bring the book to life. Whimsical, expressive, and perfectly paced, this story plays with language as much as it embodies imagination.

Excellent Ed


Stacy McAnulty - 2016
      Ed wonders if this is why he isn’t allowed to eat at the table or sit on the couch with the other children. So he’s determined to find his own thing to be excellent at--only to be (inadvertently) outdone by a family member every time.   Now Ed is really nervous--what if he’s not excellent enough to belong in this family?   This funny and endearing story offers a subtle look at sibling rivalry and self esteem, and will reassure kids that everyone is excellent at something, and that your family loves you, just as you are.

Little Pink Pup


Johanna Kerby - 2010
    He was so small that the Kerby family didn?t think he would survive? so they brought him into the house where he met Tink, a new dachshund mom. When Tink saw Pink, she immediately adopted him into her family, and helped nurse him back to health. Pink thrived in his new family: the puppies didn?t mind that Pink looked nothing like them?he was just their size. This remarkable story has already garnered a great deal of media attention: the irresistible photographs documenting Pink and Tink?s relationship have appeared on Good Morning America and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Readers of all ages will be captivated by these adorable animals and the amazing bond that they share.

Home Tweet Home


Courtney Dicmas - 2015
    But when they encounter all sorts of big, scary, hungry creatures, Pippi and Burt realize their crowded old nest is the best home of all. Here is an ideal story for anyone who appreciates the riotous joys (and challenges) of a large, rowdy family. It’s a funny and warm tribute to both the thrill of adventure and the love of home."Dicmas' expressive, paint-splotched birds have an adventurous spirit all their own [...] the page-turn reveals are their own reward. - Kirkus

The First Dog


Jan Brett - 1988
    Jan Brett’s popular tale of adventure in prehistoric times is now a big book!