Almost Astronauts

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone J 629.45 STO —Almost Astronauts chronicles the efforts of 13 women who tried and failed to win admission into NASA’s first astronaut training program in the early 1960s. An eye-opening look at where women were in the 1960’s and what these women endured to be a part of space travel.

Henry Aaron’s Dream

Henry Aaron’s Dream by Matt Tavares  J B AAR—This story, with great pictures, of a young Henry Aaron will bring to light for younger readers the discrimination faced by black ball players when attempting to join the major leagues.

Anne Frank

Anne Frank by Elizabeth Hudson-Goff and Jonatha A. Brown J GN B FRA—This graphic novel gives good background information about the Holocaust while focusing on the short life of Anne Frank with excerpts from her world famous diary.

Boston Jane

Boston Jane: an Adventure by Jennifer L. Holm J HOL—The year is 1854 and 16 year old Jane Peck sails from Philadelphia to the unknown wilds of the Great Pacific Northwest to meet her fiancé.  When he isn’t there to greet her she must use her wits to find a way to survive the colorful characters and crude life that await her.  If you enjoy this book then read the sequels Wilderness Days and The Claim.

The Billionaire’s Curse

The Billionaire’s Curse by Richard Newsome J M NEW—Gerald is a young boy who inherits his aunt's billions upon her death but has never met her.  However, she knows he is the right person to have her wealth.  But she asks him a favor in return...figure out who murdered her.  Gerald immediately gets to work trying to solve the murder of his aunt and soon meets Sam and Ruby, a brother and sister, who become his friends as well as help him try to figure out why his aunt was murdered and who stole the largest diamond in the world. 

All the Lovely Bad Ones

All the Lovely Bad Ones: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn J HAH—Travis, 12, and his younger sister, Corey, love to play tricks on people.  While spending the summer at their grandmother’s Vermont inn, they discover that the inn is supposedly haunted.  They can’t wait to cook up some ghostly sightings to scare the guests, but their pranks turn terrifyingly real when they awaken an evil spirit.

Falling for Rapunzel

Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox  E WIL—The prince tries to get Rapunzel to throw down her long hair, but the princess is having a hard time hearing him since he is so far, far away and mistakenly throws down other items. When he asks her to throw down a rope, she throws down a cantaloupe. Will they ever find their happily ever after?

Always

Always by Ann Stott E STO—A young boy is reassured by his mom’s answer about whether she loves him all the time: when he acts nicely, when he’s silly and even when he misbehaves.

Airborn

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel J OPP—Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface. An exciting adventure with nasty villains and even a bit of romance.

The Greatest Skating Race

The Greatest Skating Race: a World War II Story from the Netherlands by Louise Borden J BOR—A beautifully illustrated book, based on a true story from World War II, it is fraught with danger as three children skate to another country along the frozen canals of the Netherlands to escape the enemy soldiers in their country.

Amelia Lost

Amelia Lost: the Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming J B EAR—In this new (2011) biography of the most famous female pilot of all time, Amelia Earhart, you will delve into her childhood, her early beginnings as a pilot, all while tidbits of the search for her and the missing plane are explained.

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davies J GN DAV (2012 Bluestem Nominee)—A new graphic novel that is full of mystery and invention, Secret Science Alliance is about three kids who love inventing. They each have different strengths and weaknesses, but together they are a force to be reckoned with and when evil comes to town, well, it better watch out.

Women Daredevils: Thrills, Chills, and Frills

Women Daredevils: Thrills, Chills, and Frills by Julie Cummins J 791.0922 CUM—This book includes the stories of fourteen women who performed daring feats. I loved reading about these brave (and crazy!) women who were shot out of cannons, rode high diving horses, walked on airplane wings, etc.

Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak E SEN—Because the book is always better than the movie…

Rhyming Dust Bunnies

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas E THO (2011 MONARCH Winner) - If you want funny, you have to check out this book about the little dust bunnies that live under your couch.

Top Ten Tallest

Top Ten Tallest by Ruth Owen J 152.142 OWE—A very interesting book about the world’s tallest things. It has great pictures, too. Did you know that the tallest person was 8.9 feet tall?

The Sixty-Eight Rooms

The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone J MAL—This magical tale takes place inside the sixty-eight miniature Thorne Rooms that exist deep within the Art Institute of Chicago. What if you discovered a key that allowed you to shrink so that you were small enough to explore those rooms? What if you discovered that you weren’t the first one to have visited them? Fans of Chasing Vermeer and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will be enchanted by the magic of this exciting art adventure!

Where the Red Fern Grows

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls J RAW -This is one of my favorite children’s novels about a young boy and his two dogs. You might need a box of Kleenex on hand for this one.

We are the Ship

We are the Ship by Kadir Nelson J 796.357 NEL—Nelson tells the fascinating story of the Negro League baseball both in words and illustrations. The fabulous illustrations help the story come alive!

Tiny Little Fly

Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen E ROS—This cute rhyming story is about how a tiny little fly teases some great big animals.

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin J M BER—Winston Breen is a puzzle enthusiast. He looks for puzzles everywhere and loves nothing more than solving a good riddle. For his sister’s birthday, he buys her a pretty box not realizing that it will lead him on the greatest puzzle quest he has ever had.

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn J HAH—Florence is a 12 yr. old girl who, after five years in an orphanage, is sent to her uncle’s home at Crutchfield Hall. Soon after she arrives, she begins having visits from the nasty ghost of her cousin, Sophia.

The Garden of Eve

The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going J GOI - Without her mom, Evie doesn’t believe in magic anymore. But, when she moves with her father to a withered old apple orchard that is rumored to be cursed, she finds herself in the middle of a real life fairy tale complete with a mysterious seed and a boy she meets who claims to be dead.

Russell the Sheep

Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton E SCO - When Russell can’t sleep, he decides to count things like his feet and the stars, but nothing seems to help. What else could he possibly count to help him fall asleep? Read this silly book to find out.