​ A Hundred Horses
Written by Sarah Lean
Age Level:  8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

Happy Easter! Here’s a story that can be read long after Easter’s over. Sorry, no bunnies or eggs, but there are lots of horses, 99 to be precise. When Nell is forced to spend her Easter vacation with her aunt and cousins, she starts packing and discovers a carousel her father made before he left the family behind, along with a few scars.
 
When Nell arrives at her aunt’s, she meets Angel, a wild and mysterious girl with her own scars. Slowly they become friends, and their friendship helps them each heal. Best of all Angel is adopted by the owner of a farm with 99 horses. Angel saves the 100th horse, a foal with wonky legs. This story was sweet, but its two mysteries, the carousel and 100 horses, kept it from being super-sweet. I loved it!
 

 

Do you need to write a book report about a cool animal? Here are two great sources.
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​Ranger Rick: I wish I was an Elephant
Written by Jennifer Bove
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: P – 3

This is a great easy book to read. The facts are fantastic, and so are the photographs. Jennifer hooked me by asking, what if you wished to be an elephant? The text shows the facts, how you would eat, talk, and live like one. It gives you a trunks’ eye view into their lives. Jennifer ended by letting me wonder would I want to.
 
The content is level 1, and it’s perfect for young readers and for older ones who need book report information they understand. Back matter includes a glossary and a hands on activity, how to play ‘elephant hockey.’ The only difference is you have to use your arms instead of a trunk. I need to find some kids and try it out!

​ How Do Cats Purr?
Written by Nancy Furstinger
Age Level: 10 – 12
Grade Level: 2 – 3

This is a great nonfiction chapter book, and it’s also easy to read. It has great cat-facts, like the record purr is as loud as a dishwasher. Here are the 4 chapters in the book with a question they’ll answer:
1 – How old are kittens when they begin to purr?
2—How does a purr move from the brain to the mouth?
3 – How do cats voice their feelings?
4 – What unusual sounds do cats make, and what do they mean?
The end pages include a glossary, the top 5 reasons why cats are awesome, a drawing activity, and another one where you can learn to listen like a cat. There’s a list of resources for you to check out and an index to help you find facts you’re interested in. The table of contents at the front will help you too.

​The Unteachables
Written by Gordon Korman
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

​Sometimes those people we minimize and overlook, turn out to have the greatest potential. That’s the character twist written into this story. Mr. Kermit’s teaching career is ruined by a cheating scandal so he quits caring and becomes the worst teacher at school. He’s a year away from early retirement when he’s given the unteachables. It doesn’t matter because Mr. Kermit does the unthinkable . . .  he lets the kids vegetate. But what I really loved about this story, as a retired teacher, is that there’s more to Mr. Kermit, and more to the unteachables. Read how they work to help each other make the impossible come true, and the ending is spot on! This is a great read!

​Mothman’s Curse
Written by Christine Hayes
Illustrated by James K. Hindle
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 4

I love fantasy, and a good mystery! Christine took the real facts of the Mothman story from 1960 newspapers. She updated it, added 2 brothers and a sister, then set the story in Athens, Ohio. I’m a Buckeye, and I love my home state!
 
The sister and oldest brother help their father with the family auction business. That’s where they discover a camera that’s linked to the mothman story. They trace back the curse (that’s the made-up part), and they must break it before Josie dies or someone takes her place. I absolutely loved this story and its mix of fantasy, mystery, and a little horror. It’s a great read!

​A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans
Written by Laurence Yep & Joanne Ryder
Illustrated by Mary GrandPre
Age Level: 8 - 12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

I love fantasy, and this book hooked me right away . . . a dragon with a human pet. What a great concept! The problem - Miss Drake is grief-stricken when her pet Fluffy dies, but Fluffy has it covered. Her great niece Winnie is coming to take her place. Miss Drake is the dragon. Fluffy and Winnie are humans. Unfortunately Winnie draws some magical creatures in a book. They come to life and escape into the streets of San Francisco. The old dragon and the child must work together to capture them before the disaster’s discovered. Here’s my favorite piece of wisdom from Miss Drake, “In my experience, it’s a rare human who can accept you as you really are.” So true! I love Laurence, Joanne, and Mary just the way they are, a team of great book creators!

The Snatchabook
Written by Helen Docherty
Illustrated by Thomas Docherty
Age Level: 3 - 6
Grade Level: P – 2
 
I saw this book, and I had to read it. Eliza Brown the rabbit loves to read bedtime stories, till her book is stolen. So are all the other books in her neighborhood. Eliza decides to capture the thief. Her trap – a pile of books. This story melted my heart with its love and its restitution. Snatch this book! It’s great!

​Shadows of Sherwood
Written by Kekla Magoon
Illustrated by Andre Ceolin
Age Level: 8 - 12
Grade Level: 4 – 6

Wow! I read this book a few years ago. It’s a version of Robin Hood that’s set in the future world, but unfortunately there’s still the age-old fight between good and evil. Twelve year old Robyn Loxley sneaks out for a little adventure. She returns to traces of blood, missing parents, and the thought that sneaking out may have saved her life. Robin must crack her father’s codes and learn moon lore to fight off the evil government. I wrote back then that I’d love to read the sequel. Now, in 2019, there are 2, and I can’t wait to read them!

​My Journey to the Stars
Written by Scott Kelly
Illustrated by Andre Ceolin
Age Level: 5 - 8
Grade Level: K – 3

​If you’ve ever wondered how to become an astronaut, this is the book for you! Scott Kelly was a so-so student and a trouble-seeker, but he turned it all around after he read The Right Stuff with the Mercury 7 astronauts like John Glenn. Read how he turned his problems into strengths. He learned if you plan, then take small steps, you can reach big goals like becoming an astronaut. You can even command the International Space Station. Scott wrote about his life in space, but he also told how good it was to get back home. If you love space, you’ll love Scott’s journey to the stars. He has the right stuff, as an astronauth and as a writer.

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​The Pirate Pig
Written by Cornelia Funke
Illustrated by Kerstin Meyer
Age Level: 7 - 10
Grade Level: 2 – 5

This is a great read! It’s an easy chapter book that’s also a pirate story! Poor Julie is thrown overboard by pirates, but she’s rescued by Stout Sam and Pip. They quickly discover Julie’s talent . . .  she can sniff out treasure. Really! Of course the pirates discover they threw away a treasure-finding pig, and they are off to capture Julie, by hook or by crook. Pirates and pigs, kids will love this book!
 

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