​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!

​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!

​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!

​The Monstore
Written by Tara Lazar
Illustrated by James Burke
Age Level: 2 - 7
Grade Level: PS - 2

​This book is so much fun! I read it once, and then I read it again. It’s that good! What do you do when you need to keep your little sister out of your room? Go to the Monstore . . . Then find a scary good monster. Sounds like a great plan – until you find out she loves monsters. Really! Then it gets WORSE! You can’t return it and get your money back. If you need to find out how this one ends, you’ll have to read it for yourself, but . . .  make sure you have enough time to read it again!

​The William Hoy Story
Written by Nancy Churnin
Illustrated by Jez Tuya
Age Level: 6 - 10
Grade Level: PS - 3

This book gave me a new hero, William Hoy. All he wants to do is play baseball, but he has a really big problem – he’s deaf. People think he can’t play if he can’t hear. But William persists. When he doesn’t make the deaf team, he keeps practicing. Eventually he earns a spot on a professional team. Even then, he still has another problem to solve. When he can’t hear the calls, he asked the umpire to use sign language. It changes the game forever, and it’s a bonus for fans too. They can see the calls they can’t hear.
 
This is a great book for kids to learn how to deal with difficulties and discrimination. The back matter includes more information about William, plus a timeline of his life.

​Five Little Ducks
Written & Illustrated by Denise Fleming
Age Level: Baby - 8
Grade Level: PS - 3

This isn’t the only book titled Five Little Ducks, but I loved this one. It’s a simple backwards counting book with Papa Duck losing one of the little ones every day until all the ducklings are gone. Will Papa Duck have a happy ending? You’ll have to read for yourself.
Your little one can learn counting and days of the week from this book. The end pages show the farm animals Papa met along the way, plus a llittle bit about each one. Then if you want more fun, and who doesn’t, you can go back and find each animal in the story.