​What James Said
Written by Liz Rosenberg
Illustrated by Matt Myers
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: K – 3

You Are My Friend:
                  The Story of Mr. Rogers and His Neighborhood
Written by Aimee Reid
Illustrated by Matt Phelan
Age Level: 5 – 8
Grade Level: K – 3

Have you ever wondered how Mr. Rogers came up with the ideas for his neighborhood? You should read his story. I’m glad I did! It’s fictional, but it helped me picture his childhood. I didn’t know allergies kept him inside, or that he hid his feelings. They only came out when he played with his puppets. His mother taught him to look for helpers when he needed them, and that’s what Mr. Rogers taught kids on his TV show. Don’t forget to read the back matter! It includes a short biography, a note from the author and illustrator, plus a bibliography of resources so you can learn more about him.

​​Prince Fly Guy
Written & Illustrated by Tedd Arnold
Age Level: 4 – 7
Grade Level: P – 2

​What do you do when you have to write a story, and you’re stuck? Ask your best friend. He’ll help you pick and choose ideas. Buzz hits the lottery when he writes about Prince Fly Guy. It’s a fairy tale of a story from Buzz, Fly Guy, and Tedd Arnold!

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​How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye?
Written by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Mark Teague
Age Level: 2 – 3
Grade Level: P – K

I love this series, but this book is especially well-done. Each spread asks the question, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye? Each dinosaur must face their worst fear – that Mom, Dad, or Grandma’s leaving. It’s a great way to help kids handle it too. (The same fear) And best of all, they get to do it with dinosaurs! 

​What a Waste
Written & Illustrated by Jess French
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: 1 – 4

WOW! This book is super-detailed, with lots of great information and suggestions. It looks like a picture book, but it’s got a table of contents, and each spread is set up like a chapter. There’s large print information for young readers, and text boxes with small print for older kids. I read everything, and I learned so much!
 
One example – the plastic page: Did you know plastic takes forever to break down? It went on to explain how and where it goes. It also showed the 4 kinds of plastic and how we can reuse/recycle them.
 
More from the plastic example: Have you ever wondered what happens to water bottles? I learned that only 9% are recycled. 12% are burned and 79% go into a landfill. We buy 20,000 bottles a second. If you want to have kids do the math, I estimated about 15,000 of them go into a landfill each second, 900,000 bottles in a minute, or 54,000,000 in an hour. I could go on, but it’s too depressing.

If you're looking for a great book with facts, ideas, and a few more sources, this is the book for you!

​​The Great Santa Stakeout
Written by Betsy Bird
Illustrated by Dan Santat
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: PS – 3
                                      
This book is just plain fun! Meet Freddie Melcher. He’s Santa’s #1 Fan, and he’s determined to get a selfie with Santa. Freddie reminds me a little of Kevin from Home Alone. They both come up with brilliant strategies and use maps to do it. Freddie may or may not get that selfie, but his story is fun from cover to cover. 

Rocket Says Look Up
Written by Nathan Bryon
Illustrated by Dapo Adeola
Age Level: 3 – 7
Grade Level: PS – 2

Meet Rocket. She’s as bright as this book cover! Rocket loves everything about space, and she wants to be an astronaut someday, just like her hero, Mae Jemison. Every night before bed she sets up her telescope, searches the sky, then makes a wish. Rocket’s problem – getting her family to look up and notice the meteor shower tonight. Don’t worry . . . Rocket’s the girl for the job!

​Dragon Was Terrible
Written by Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
Age Level: 3 – 7
Grade Level: PS – 2

Dragon is so terrible that the King has to do something. He offers a reward to his knights to stop Dragon. One by one they all fail, and Dragon gets more terrible with the village next door. The King and the villagers offer another bigger and better reward, but who can save them? Dragon already defeated every knight in the land. Who’s left? You’ll have to read and find out how Dragon is stopped. He might be terrible, but this story is terrific.

​Who Was Marie Antoinette?
Written by Dana Meachen Rau
Illustrated by John O’Brien
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

​Who was Marie Antoinette?

• A young girl living a royal life in Austria.
• A teenager who married the future King of France.
• A fashionable queen who lost her head.
• Or all of the above?

 
Meet the real Marie in a fun AND exciting biography that shows you some real historical details, like the pouf on top of her head. Some were three feet high (one yardstick), could last a week, AND trap lice. WOW! But, you had trouble sleeping with all that hair on top of your head, AND you had to sit on the floor of your carriage. Sounds unfashionable, AND silly to me!
 
PS – This series is super-successful . . . with 211 titles AND counting!

​Pirate Stew
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: P – 3

​Kids will love this book! I did! Imagine – your babysitter is a pirate, and he’s bringing his buddies to help him cook up some pirate stew, just for you. The story is as much fun as the title and the cover promise, and it’s a great read aloud for kids, parents, and teachers. Bon Appetit!