​I Campaigned for Ice Cream: A Boy’s Quest for Ice Cream Trucks
Written by Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw
Illustrated by Wendy Leach
Age Level: 5 – 9
Grade Level: K – 3
 
What do you do when something’s not right? Don’t scream . . . Campaign! Ask Joshua Lipshaw who fought city hall for ice cream and won. This is his true story and a great way to learn about local government. The back matter includes a glossary of civic terms, but don’t get lost in vocabulary and forget the most important thing . . . Ice Cream!

​The Seekers
Written & Illustrated by Hari & Deepti
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: PS – 3

This book is as beautiful as the cover, and it tells the legend of the silver fox and the fire wolf. The illustrations might tell the story better than the words, but it’s definitely worth a look.
 
The story - in the valley of Krum, there’s a legend that the land is guarded by fire and ice. Everything changes when Nao, the wonderer, finds a shell where the river slows. Mio the storyteller senses something’s wrong, but he’s sure when the river dries up. Together Nan and Mio must figure out the problem, then fix it. You’ll have to read the story yourself to find out how it ends, but I can share the theme – how man fits in with nature. 

​ Dreamers
Written & Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Age Level: 3 – 9
Grade Level: PS – 3
 
I loved Yuyi’s story, of how she and her baby came to the US as immigrants. In the beginning she couldn’t understand or speak English. She learned from books. They gave her a new language, and a home. They taught her how to read, how to speak, even how to write. Books are amazing!
 
In return she gave us the chance to experience coming to America through her eyes. The back matter includes Yuyi’s story, the books she read to learn English, and how she told her story in this one. 

​The Remember Balloon
Written by Jessie Oliveros
Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
Age Level: 5 – 10
Grade Level: K – 4

​When this book came out, I wanted to read it. Then I saw it in my local library, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a quiet story about a boy, his grandfather, and Alzheimer's. Grandpa uses the balloons as a way to keep track of time, and memories. But when he starts losing them, his grandson James learns how to share his own balloons, and it helps. I’m a daughter of Alzheimer's, and this is a lovely book to help children understand it, to find ways to cope with it.

​On the First Day of First Grade
Written by Tish Rabe
Illustrated by Sarah Jennings
Age Level: 4 – 8  
Grade Level: PS – 3

Looking for a gift for a Kindergartener who’s heading into First Grade? This is it! The rhyme isn’t perfect, but  littles will love singing this version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” with a twist . . . Parents too. It shows twelve of the great things waiting for you in first grade. 

​Grandude’s Green Submarine
Written by Paul McCartney
Illustrated by Kathryn Durst
Age Level: 2 – 6
Grade Level: PS – 1

​I usually don’t like the books celebrity authors write, but this one is wonderful! As a grandmother I can get into words like Grandude, Nandude, and Chillers, and I really love that grandparents can still be adventurous. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the man who wrote Let It Be could write a children’s book that was so good . . . that the publisher asked him to write a sequel. Well done, Paul!
 
PS – My only disappointment – Paul didn’t use a yellow submarine 😊

​The Fun Book of Scary Stuff
Written by Emily Jenkins
Illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Age Level: 3 – 6
Grade Level: P – 1

I love this book! It’s more than a scary story. The main character is afraid of almost everything, but his medium-sized dog isn’t. . . until something unexpected happens. That’s when the boy realizes he has one sure-fire trick to fight fear. You’ll love his strategy – and this story!

​HoneyBee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera
Written by Candace Fleming
Illustrated by Eric Rohmann
Age Level: 4 – 12
Grade Level: 1 – 4

I loved every page of this book! The words and illustrations – gorgeous! Follow a worker bee, an Apis Mellifera, from the moment she hatches, until the day she dies. Her story is so well done!
 
Back matter includes a diagram of a bee. It illustrates what each part does and how it helps the bee survive. There’s additional information about the jobs bees do every day. This is nonfiction, but it’s also a great story!

​What James Said
Written by Liz Rosenberg
Illustrated by Matt Myers
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: K – 3
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​What happens when a little girl discovers her best friend James has been talking behind her back? And he said . . . that she was perfect. Oh! My! The horror of it all! I guess praise doesn’t always work out.
 
Me, I’d be thrilled, but this little girl got mad. So mad she gave him the silent treatment. James needs to figure out why, then find a way to fix it. How does this one end – wih the kids as friends or enemies? Friendship –is tricky!
 

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.