Escape from Baxters' Barn
Written & Illustrated Rebecca Bond
Age Level: 8 - 12   
Grade Level: 3 – 7

​I loved this book back in 2015, and I still do. From the minute I saw it, I thought of Charlotte’s Web. So did School Library Journal.
 
The story starts when a stray cat named Burdock overhears someone say he’s going to burn the barn down for insurance money. Burdock calls a meeting of the farm animals, and it’s the beginning of a journey to save their lives. The animals must work together to plan an escape, or face a fiery death. There is a happy ending, but you’ll have to read to find out how the animals made it happen.
 
I admired this book so much I picked it as a mentor text for a story I’m writing. If I write half as well as Rebecca Bond, I’ll have a good story.

Big Bad Detective Agency
Written by Bruce Hale
Age Level: 7 - 10
Grade Level: 2 - 5

​Looking for an easy chapter book that’s funny and punny? Try this one! It’s spun from some of my favorite fairy tales. Big Bad Wolf is accused of destroying three houses, the ones that happen to belong to the three little pigs.
 
Wolf is arrested. He claims he’s been framed, but he gets one day to prove his innocence. If he fails, he’ll spend his life in jail with nothing to eat but porridge. YUCK!
 
Wolf is clueless till the fourth little pig shows up with some crazy crime-solving ideas. He has to try them, or face a life of porridge. Read along to find out the verdict – and what’s for dinner.
 
 


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​​​ Genius Journal: Stem Edition
Written by Karen O’Leary
Age/Grade Level: None suggested. I suggested one below.
 
​Do you have a child who loves to read, think, and do? This is the perfect book for  him/her. I’ve only looked at the STEM Editionbut I’m assuming that the others are written similarly.
 
The STEM edition is set up in 7 sections. Each section starts with a quote that’s followed by a series of activities. These range from thoughtful questions like what would you do, why , or describe.
 
There are also writing opportunities for acrostic poems, a letter, a list, a story, or jokes. You can respond with a math problem, a design project, or in a maze. There are even opportunities  to explain or imagine. These could be done in words or drawings. Altogether there are more than 50 prompts to respond to with unique and creative ideas.
 
The age level? I  think it’s for any child who likes to read or write. This is a journal your child can make their own. I looked across the other Genius Journals, and the comments were all from parents/grandparents with 10/11 year olds, but I think this is a great possibility for any reader/writer from Kindergarten up.
 
There are 3 other journals: Hopes & Dream, Friendship, and Teacher Edition. If I were still teaching, I would love to use this for kids who always finish early and want something meaningful to do. This is it!

Santa's Gift
Written by Angie Karcher
Illustrated by Dana Karcher
Grade Level:  3 – 4

Can you imagine growing up with a 35-foot town Santa who disappears one day? You didn’t notice him fading away, but somebody did, and they sent Santa off to the junkyard. Fortunately someone else noticed and started a program to ‘Stand Santa Back Up.”
Santa’s gift is written in verse so it’s a fun read aloud, but my favorite part is that it’s a great example of how working together can solve problems.

​ Bird Count
Written by Susan Edwards Richmond
Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Age Level: 4 - 8
Grade Level:  K – 2
 
Have you heard of a Christmas Bird Count? I hadn’t, but the Audubon Society does one every year, and author Susan Richmond has been counting birds for 14 of them. She is the perfect person to tell the story of Ava, bird lover and girl citizen scientist.

The Christmas Bird Count has 3 rules: 1. Count every bird you hear or see. 2. At least 2 people must see or hear each bird. 3. The hardest – you can only count a bird once. If you think you’ve seen or heard it before, you can’t count it again.

Want to learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, read the back matter. It’ll tell you more about each bird and how to join the count.

Rhino? What Rhino?
​Written by Caryl Hart
Illustrated by Sarah Horne
Age Level: 3 - 5
Grade Level:  Preschool – Kindergarten

This was one of the first books I read when I started keeping a journal of the new children’s books I was reading. I guess it’s been awhile! Rhino was published back in 2012, but my notes reminded me what I loved about it.
 
The story is told in verse, and it’s  good to the last rhyme!The plot? Rhino escapes from the zoo and hides out on a farm. There are no zookeepers so Rhino takes whatever he wants. His life is perfect, but it’s not so great for the other farm animals. They get blamed for  every single thing Rhino takes. They decide to teach  Rhino a lesson, and a few manners. This story is pure fun! I hope you check it out!

The Best Seat in Kindergarten
Written by Katherine Kenah
Illustrated by Abby Carter
Age Level: 4  - 8
Grade Level:  P – 3
 
This would be a great first day of school book, but it’s also something more. It’s about the power of friendship, of helping others. The first day of school finally arrives, and  his teacher takes the class outside for a nature walk. The assignment – find something and bring it back for show-and-tell. Guess who  finds the best thing of all? Sorry, you’ll have to read to find out what Sam found.
 
PS – this is a sequel to Katherine’s 2006 book, The Best Seat in Second Grade.
 

​The Girl Who Could Not Dream
Written by Sarah Beth Durst
Age Level: 10 - 12
Grade Level:  5 – 7

​Dreams are a powerful force! That’s probably why this twisted title caught my eye, and the plot didn’t disappoint. Imagine a teen ager who doesn’t fit in and can’t dream. Add in parents who have a book store that’s a front for their real business, selling dreams and nightmares. Sophie notices a couple girls who look beyond tired. She raids her parents’ store to get them dream catchers. Sophie trades the used nightmare-catchers for fresh ones, and she starts to fit in, until Mr. Nightmare walks into the shop and threatens everyone. Only Sophie, the nondreamer, can save them. This is a great story for middle school kids with its mix of fantasy, dreams, and accepting yourself. Bonus points go to Sophie’s clever sidekick, her pet Monster, who’s a cat with tentacles instead of legs.
 

​Owl Diaries #6: Baxter is Missing
Written and Illustrated by Rebecca Elliot
Age Level: 5 - 7
Grade Level:  K – 2         

​​This is a great series for young readers who want to get into chapter books. Eva has two problems to solve. Her pet bat Baxter is missing. It’s all she can think about even though she’d love to win a writing contest. It’s impossible! !How can Eva write a story when Baxter might be in danger? Don’t be afraid! Eva finds a happy ending for both her problems!

The Seven Tales of Trinket
Written by Shelley Moore Thomas
Age Level: 8 - 12
Grade Level:  4 – 6

​This was one of the first books I read when I started journaling about my reading. I remember loving this story back in 2012. I still do!
 
Trinket is an orphan. Her mother died, and her father disappeared. There’s only one thing to do – to become a storyteller like her father. She sets off on a quest to become a bard. She must find seven tales of her own, and that isn’t easy. Each story becomes more difficult to find, to tell. Along the way Trinket learns what happened to her father, and it changes her life forever. Curious? You’ll have to read all seven tales for yourself.