​The Door by the Staircase
Written by Katherine Marsh
Illustrated by Kelly Murphy
Age Level: 7 – 12
Grade Level: 3 - 7

If you like folk tales, check out this story. Baba Yaga is a famous Russian witch who decides to come to America. She’s changed her mode of operation, a little. She now adopts orphans, leaves them in the woods to scare them, and then eats them for dinner. That changes when she meets Mary Hayes, an orphan, who’s more than a match for Baba Yaga. This story is full of Russian flavors, including the food!

​The Water Princess
Written by Susan Verde & Georgie Badiel
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Age Level: 4 - 8
Grade Level: K - 3

​If you want to travel to Africa and understand what it’s like to live without easy access to clean water, this is the book for  you. I read it aloud to a 4th grade classroom. They were so interested, I didn’t hear a sound, not even a pin drop. It says something wonderful about the text and illustrations.
 
This story was inspired by Georgie Badiel so it’s a work of fiction, but it gives kids a real look at what water scarcity means, especially for women and girls. They walk all day, every day to get water that’s not even clean. Georgie made the walk whenever she visited her grandmother, but that roundtrip took all day. It also shows what they had to do to drink dirty water. Before the princess could take a sip, her mother boiled the water first. In the US, we only boil when there’s a problem at the water treatment plant.
 
This is one of the best books I’ve read to help kids understand the importance of clean sustainable water. Don’t forget to check out the back matter!

​Why Longfellow Lied: The Truth About Paul Revere’s Ride
Written by Jeff Lantos
Age Level: 8 -12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

​This is an interesting read…except I’d change the title…How Longfellow Decided to Retell Paul Revere’s Story. The first one is catchier; that’s why Jeff Lantos used it. That’s what Longfellow did when he shared Paul’s story. He kept the story moving, with great page turns. He didn’t worry about accuracy. He cared more for the words.
 
Jeff cared for all of the above, and he took an interesting approach to his version of Revere’s story. The prologue grounds you in dates like April 1775 when Revere took his ride, and April 1860 when Longfellow started writing. In the rest of the book, Jeff breaks the poem apart section by section. Then he tells you what’s true, what’s not, and why Longfellow made the choices he did. Personally I found Jeff’s factual retelling more compelling than Longfellow’s. If you want to learn more about Lexington, Concord, and the men who took part in those battles, check out this book!

​The Day You Begin
Written by Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Age Level: 5 - 8
Grade Level: K – 3

Have you ever looked around and seen yourself as less? That’s exactly what the main character in this story does. Follow her and learn how she accepts that she’s different. And that she’s just as worthy as the people she meets.
 
How do you learn  to do that? It all starts the day you begin to see yourself as worthy, with something to contribute. I loved this book, and I would have put it in my classroom library when I was still teaching. All kids need to begin . . . to see themselves as worthy. Grown-ups too!

​Giant Island
Written by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Doug Keith
Age Level: 5 - 7
Grade Level: K - 2

This book is magical! Imagine taking a trip to a tiny island, then discovering there’s more to the island than meets the eye. As the kids explore the caves and coves of Giant Island, they discover the truth. The island is a disguise for a real, live giant! When you add the words of Jane Yolen to the illustrations of Doug Keith, you get an incredible picture book. Need proof? Just check out the cover!

My Brother Sam is Dead
Written by James Lincoln Collier
                                    & Christopher Collier
Age Level: 10 – 12

If you want to travel back in time to the American Revolution, check out this book. It comes at the war from a different angle – the home front. When Sam, the oldest son comes home from college, he’s wearing an American uniform. His father is a staunch loyalist. After a heated argument, Sam runs off to war, taking the family gun with him. His little brother Tim and their mother are stuck between them.
 
The story follows their effort to survive the year following Lexington and Concord, the Declaration of Independence, and the British invasion of New York. A cattle drive to Verplancks Point on the Hudson River turns into a nightmare. His father is kidnapped. Sam has to make it home alone with the wagon and oxen. He and his mother must run the family tavern together. As for Sam, he’ll meet his end in a tragic way. No one escapes war – not those on either side. Or the ones stuck in the middle. If you want to picture what their life was like during those fateful days, this is the book for you. Check out the back matter to discover the research that went into its pages.

​Find the Tooth Fairy
Written by Jean Reagan
Illustrated by Lee Wildish
Age Level: 4 – 6
Grade Level: PS – 1

If you’re a fan of Jean Reagan and her How to books, like babysitting grandpa, you’ll love this one too. It’s all about what happens when a loose tooth comes out at Grandpa’s. This is KEY . . . no kid wants to miss  the tooth fairy or cash under the pillow. An added plus – it’s a Step 2 reader with short sentences that will help your child build vocabulary and learn to sound out new words. 

​Wombats Are Pretty Weird
Written & Illustrated by Abi Cushman
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: PS – 3

This is the kind of book I love – it’s fun AND clever! I can tell from the front cover. It’s the kind of book an illustrator could imagine and write. Check out the story with its illustrations, the side comments from the characters, and the sidebars of information. My favorite part – the snake – he’s comic relief. Don’t forget to check out the back matter with facts about the three kinds of wombats, a glossary, further reading, and a hunt for Australian animals hidden in the illustrations. Here’s hoping you find time to hunt down this book!

​Palace of Books
Written & Illustrated by Patricia Polacco
Age Level: 4 - 8
Grade Level: PS - 3

This is a beautiful book, with a story full of hope and heart. How do you cope when you have to leave the place you love? A city will never feel like home to Patricia. She misses the farm, and that makes school even harder. Until she finds Ms Creavy and her library. She introduces Patricia to art books, and eventually the Audubon Room. It changes her life, and Patricia becomes the first member of the new Audobon Society at school.

The Bake Shop Ghost
Written by Jacqueline K. Ogburn
Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
Age Level: 4 - 7
Grade Level: PS - 3

What do you do if you’ve saved up to buy a bakery and it’s haunted? That’s the problem Annie Washington discovers after she buys her dream business. Cora Lee is a ghost, and she can’t let anyone else bake in her shop. Then Annie comes along and refuses to leave. When she asks how to stop the haunting, her ghost answers, bake a cake that’s so good she tears up. Can Annie do it? You’ll have to read to find out, but this ghost story is like a yummy slice of cake!