Book picks similar to
Shapes by Jenny Tyler


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The Long Way to a New Land


Joan Sandin - 1981
    This book is a helpful supplement to a history class and a courageous, compelling story for any occasion.The year is 1868 and Sweden is a barren land of poverty and famine. Carl Erik and his family receive a letter from an uncle in America. The uncle realizes that the Erik family is near the end of their rope, and encourages them to move abroad to make a new life. The family sells all their personal items and begins a long trek across land and sea to America...As a fan of this book and its companion, The Long Way Westward, put it: "The books describe the difficulty and dangers of the journey in a way that is non-complaining and full of optimism for a new life in America. Teachers, these books are wonderful for integrating with other subjects and topics, such as immigration, westward expansion, steamships, trains, geography, and American life in the 1860s."Author-artist Joan Sandin's grandfather was born in Sweden and immigrated to Wisconsin with his parents in 1882, when he was only two. Joan herself spent time in Sweden and did extensive research to create her well-loved classic books about the immigrant experience.

Clara and the Bookwagon


Nancy Smiler Levinson - 1988
    Based on the true story of America’s first ‘bookmobile.’"The free library in a nearby Maryland village is off-limits to the curious child, but Clara's chance encounter with librarian Mary Titcomb and the first horse-drawn 'moving library' changes her father's response. A glimpse of childhood without schools, libraries, literacy and books is presented in easy-to-read historical fiction." (Cooperative Children's Book Center)Clara and the Bookwagon is a Level Three I Can Read book. Level 3 includes many fun subjects kids love to read about on their own. Themes include friendship, adventure, historical fiction, and science. Level 3 books are written for early independent readers. They include some challenging words and more complex themes and stories.

Meet Wild Boars


Meg Rosoff - 2005
    STOMP STOMP STOMP. Naughty Morris." Are you daring enough to befriend this dastardly bunch of boars? Meet Wild Boars! Or maybe you better not. After all, they are dirty and smelly, bad-tempered and rude. They might try to fool you, but don't worry, you won't believe them. There's no such thing as a nice wild boar. Hmmm. This insufferable gang of boars will mess up your house and set a very bad example indeed. If you are foolish enough to fall in love with them, they will break your heart (and most of your furniture). So don't say we didn't warn you! A CHILDREN'S BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB SELECTIONA JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

Rickshaw Girl


Mitali Perkins - 2007
    In her Bangladesh village, ten-year-old Naima excels at painting designs called alpanas, but to help her impoverished family financially she would have to be a boy--or disguise herself as one.

Walk The World's Rim


Betty Baker - 1965
    A vivid portrait of Mexican life and the harsh conditions of a primitive Indian tribe.

Pompeii . . . Buried Alive!


Edith Kunhardt - 1987
    in full color. "The drama of natural disasters provides prime material to entice young independent readers. In this volume, the account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius describes village life 2,000 years ago, the eruption itself and its aftermath, and the excitement when the buried town is rediscovered centuries later. A lively and factual glimpse of a devastating moment in history, in an accessible, attractive package."--Publishers Weekly.

Barbie as the Island Princess


Mary Man-Kong - 2007
    But when a handsome prince rescues her and brings her back to civilization, Barbie¨ isn't sure she fits in - especially with the prim & proper queen! Will Barbie¨ choose true love - or will she return to the land of animals? Girls will enjoy reading this beautifully illustrated hardcover storybook based on the ninth Barbie direct-to-DVD movie.

Shadow Spinner


Susan Fletcher - 1998
    In an adventure equal to any a storyteller might relate, a crippled serving girl faces the intrigues of the harem, the dangers of the streets, and the anger of the Sultan himself to find the needed ending to an incomplete story.

Wagon Wheels


Barbara Brenner - 1978
    But when Daddy moves on, the three boys must begin their own journey. They must learn to care for one another and face the dangers of the wilderness alone.

Me and You and the Red Canoe


Jean E. Pendziwol - 2017
    A perfect morning on the water unfolds, with thrilling glimpses of wildlife along the way.The narrator describes the experience vividly. Trailing a lure through the blue-green depths, the siblings paddle around a point, spotting a moose in the shallows, a beaver swimming towards its home and an eagle returning to its nest. Suddenly there is a sharp tug and the rod bends to meet the water. A few heart-stopping moments later, the pair pull a silvery trout from the water, then paddle back to the campsite to fry up a delicious breakfast.The poetic text is accompanied by stunningly beautiful paintings rendered on wood panels that give a nostalgic feeling to the story.

Phoebe the Spy


Judith Berry Griffin - 1977
    Phoebe gets a job as George Washington's housekeeper, but her real job is to work as a spy. She listens and watches very carefully, and she meets her father every day to tell him what she has learned. One day Phoebe's father tells her that Washington is planning to leave town in a few days, and the person plotting against him will act before then. Phoebe is very frightened, but she is determined to figure out who is after Washington before it's too late. . . . "This episode drawn from the Revolutionary War is related with historical accuracy and suspense and illustrated with finesse."(School Library Journal)

A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems


Paul B. Janeczko - 2001
    The size and arrangement of words—or even just letters on the page can add or alter meaning, and poems can take the shape of crows and fly off the page. Or become a balloon filled with rhyme drifting away from outstretched hands. Or fourteen exuberant lines can become "Joy Sonnet in a Random Universe." Here in a single extraordinary volume are thirty poems from some of the world’s finest visual poets, including John Hollander, Emmett Williams, Maureen W. Armour, and Douglas Florian—a spirited "poke in the I" brought to you by the very talented Paul B. Janeczko and Chris Raschka.

Subway


Anastasia Suen - 2004
    a rush of aira car is therehop, hop, hopon the subway!Come along for the ride as a little girl and her mother hop on the subway.  From spinning turnstiles and musicians performing on the platforms to people hopping off and on and lights flashing past in the tunnels, the sights and sounds of the subway have an energy all their own.  Anastasia Suen's sprightly text and Karen Katz's brightly colored patterns and lively perspectives combine for a pitch perfect celebration of an underground train ride, where the hustle and bustle is only part of the fun.

Día de los Muertos


Roseanne Thong - 2015
    There are altars draped in cloth and covered in marigolds and twinkling candles. Music fills the streets. Join the fun and festivities, learn about a different cultural tradition, and brush up on your Spanish vocabulary as the town honors their dearly departed in a traditional, time-honored style.

Hill of Fire


Thomas P. Lewis - 1971
    Then one afternoon the ground growls, hisses smoke, and swallows up his plow. A volcano is erupting in the middle of his cornfield!