Children's Book Lists

Picture Books (JJ)

• Long, Melinda. How I Became a Pirate. (JJ Long)
  • hen Braid Beard's pirate crew invites Jeremy Jacob to join their voyage, he jumps right on board. Buried treasure, sea chanteys, pirate talk--who wouldn't go along? Soon Jeremy Jacob knows all about being a pirate. He throws his food across the table and his manners to the wind. He hollers like thunder and laughs off bedtime. It's the heave-ho, blow-the-man-down, very best time of his life. Until he finds out what pirates don't do--no reading bedtime stories, no tucking kids in. . . . Maybe being a pirate isn't so great after all.
• Stevenson, James. Could be Worse.  (JJ Stevenson)
  • Unexcitable Gramps surprises everyone with a whopping tale of derring-do that proves there's life in the old boy yet.
• Teague, Mark. The Secret Shortcut. (JJ Teague)
  • Wendell and Floyd can't seem to get to school on time. Wendell discovers a shortcut so secret that only he knows about it. Soon, both boys are lost in a wild jungle full of quicksand, monkeys, and crocodiles. Who would have thought that getting to school could be such an adventure.
• Rosen, Michael. We're Going on a Bear Hunt.  (JJ Rosen)
  • Brave bear hunters go through grass, a river, mud, and other obstacles before the inevitable encounter with the bear forces a headlong retreat.

Beginning Readers (JJE) 

• Antle, Nancy. Sam's Wild West Show.  (JJE Antle)
  • Sam and his Wild West Show entertain the townsfolk and catch two bank robbers before moving on to the next town.

Easy Chapter Books (JE)

• Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic Tree House. (JE (Osborne)
  • Travel through time and space with Jack and Annie as the pursue adventures from the Amazon to Camelot.
• Kramer, S.A. To the Top: Climbing the World's Highest Mountain.  (J796.5 Kramer)
  • Describes how Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first human begins to reach the top of the world by climbing Mount Everest.

Junior Fiction

• Avi. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.  (J Avi)
  • As the only passenger, and the only female, on a transatlantic voyage in 1832, thirteen-year-old Charlotte finds herself caught between a murderous captain and a mutinous crew.
• Clements, Andrew.  A Week in the Woods.  (J Clements)
  • Mark didn't want to move to New hampshire, or have Mr. Maxwell as his teacher, but when his fifth grade class heads to the woods for the traditonal week of camping, Marks survival skills are tested to the utmost as well as his ability to relate to a teacher who seems out to get him.
• Fardell, John.  The 7 Professors of the Far North.  (J Fardell)
  • Eleven-year-old Sam finds himself involved in a dangerous adventure when he and his new friends, brother and sister Ben and Zara, set off for the Arctic to try and rescue the siblings' great-uncle and five other professors from the mad scientist holding them prisoner. Sequel: Flight of the Silver Turtle.
• Fendler, Don.  Lost on a Mountain in Maine. (JCD Book  Fendler)
  • A twelve-year-old relates the true story of his nine-day struggle to survive in the Maine wilderness after being separated from his companions.
• Frederick, Heather. Voyage of Patience Goodspeed. (J Frederick)
  • Following their mother's death in Nantucket, Captain Goodspeed brings twelve-year-old Patience and six-year-old Tad aboard his whaling ship, where a new crew member incites a mutiny and Patience puts her mathematical ability to good use.
• George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves. (J George)
  • While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack.
• George, Jean Craighead. My Side of the Mountain.  (J George)
  • A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, and his animal friends.
• Kehret, Peg.  Escaping the Giant Wave.  (J Kehret)
  • When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save himself, his sister, and a boy who has bullied him for years.
• London, Jack. To Build a Fire.  (J London)
  • A tale of survival as a tenderfoot attempts to hike through the Yukon snows with his dog
    in order to reach a mining claim.
• London, Jack. White Fang.  (J London)
  • The adventures in the northern wilderness of a dog who is part wolf and who eventually makes his peace with man.
• Morpurgo, Michael. Kensuke's Kingdom. (J Morpurgo)
  • When Michael is swept off his family's yacht, he washes up on a desert island, where he struggles to survive--until he finds he is not alone.
• Naylor, Phyllis. The Grand Escape.  (J Naylor)
  • The story of two indoor cats' adventures after they make a break for freedom.
• Springer, Nancy.  Rowan Hood, Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest.  (J Springer)
  • 13-year old Rowan and her half-wolf, half-dog companion adventure
    in Sherwood Forest.
• Stevenson, Robert Louis. Kidnapped.  (J Stevenson)
  • 17-year old David Balfour is kidnapped by pirates and escapes to the Scottish highlands.
• Stewart, Trenton Lee.  The Mysterious Benedict Society.  (J Stewart)
  • After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected to go on a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Insitute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. Other books in the series are: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma.
• Taylor, Theodore.  The Cay.  (J Taylor)
  • When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.
• Turner, Megan. The Thief.  (J Turner)
  • Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.
• Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  (JCD Book Twain)
  • The quintessential coming-of-age adventure with young Tom on the banks of the great
    Mississippi River.
• Wyss, Johann.  The Swiss Family Robinson. (J Wyss)
  • This intrepid family survives a shipwreck and makes their home on an island.

Picture Books (JJ)

• Bruel, Nick. Bad Kitty. (JJ Bruel)
  • When a kitty discovers there is no cat food in the house, she decides to become very, very bad.
• Day, Alexander. Carl's Sleepy Afternoon. (JJ Day)
  • Carl's owners expect him to sleep all afternoon. Instead Carl, a rottweiler, roams the town assisting many people in their daily chores.
• Feiffer, Jules. Bark George. (JJ Feiffer)
  • George's mother wants him to bark, but he makes the sounds of other animals instead. One day she takes him to the vet, who finally discovers the problem.
• Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats. (JJ Gag)
  • How can an old man and his wife select one cat from a choice of millions and trillions.
• Shannon, David. Good Boy Fergus. (JJ Shannon)
  • Except for his bath, Fergus experiences the perfect day, from chasing cats and motorcycles to being scratched on his favorite tickle spot.
• Wells, Rosemary. McDuff's Wild Romp. (JJ Wells)
  • At Aunt Frieda's house for dinner, McDuff the dog and the old cat Purlina have a tussle over a Turkey Tidbit.

Beginning Readers (JJE)

• Eastman, P.D. Flap Your Wings. (JJE Eastman)
  • A mother and father bird are startled to find a strange egg in their nest, and are even more surprised by what hatches.
• Murray, Carol. Jenny's Socks. (JJE Murray)
  • Jenny has beautiful socks in lots of colors, but her favorite is her pet cat Socks.
• Rylant, Cynthia. Puppy Mudge Finds a Friend.* (JJE Rylant)
  • Henry's puppy Mudge enjoys playing with Fluffy the cat.

Early Chapter Books (JE)

• Miller, Sara. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat. (JE Miller)
  • A cat hears three stories about a dull rainy day, a yummy bug, and a good day of destruction in the house.
• Miller, Sara. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog. (JE Miller)
  • Stories addressed to dogs & written from a dog's point of view.
• Rylant, Cynthia. Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea.* (JE Rylant)
  • Mr. Putter gets an old cat to share his life with him.
• Wallace, Karen. My Cat's Secret. (JE Wallace)
  • After getting a cat when her family moves into a new house a young girl gets an even bigger surprise on her birthday.

Junior Fiction (J)

• Armstrong, Alan. Whittington. (J Armstrong)
  • Whittington is a roughneck Tom who arrives one day at a barn full of rescued animals. There he spins a stirring tale about his ancestor, the nameless cat who brought Dick Whittington to the heights of wealth and power in 16th-century England.
• Avi.  Poppy. (J Avi)
  • Poppy the deer mouse urges her family to move next to a field of corn big enough to feed them all forever, but Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas.
• Banks, Lynne Reid.  I, Houdini. (J Banks)
  • A boastful hamster with exceptional talent as an escape artist recounts his experiences chewing, wriggling, or squeezing his way out of various closed areas in his quest for the great outside.  
• Bauer, Marion. A Bear Named Trouble. (J Bauer)
  • Jonathan, a ten year old witha passion for animals, is devastated when a brown bear kills his favorite animal at the zo in Anchorage, Alaska. He vows to get even with the bear, and then finds revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be.
• Bearn, Emily. Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall. (J Bearn)
  • Wealthy, married mice Tumtum and Nutmeg find adventure when they secretly try to help two human siblings who live in a tumbledown cottage with their absent-minded inventor father.
• Birney, Betty. The World Accordng to Humphrey. (J Birney)
  • Humphrey, an unusually intelegent hamster at Longfellow School, learns that he has an important role to play in helping his classmates and teacher.
• Byars, Betsy.  The Midnight Fox. (J Byars)
  • When Tom spends two months on a farm with his aunt and uncle, he never expects that a black fox will become the focus of his life.
• Cleary, Beverly.  The Mouse and the Motorcycle. (J Cleary)
  • A reckless mouse makes friends with a boy and discovers the joys of motorcycling. Try the other books in the series: Runaway Ralph and Ralph S. Mouse.
• Deedy, Carmen Agra. The Cheshire Cheese Cat-A Dickens of a Tale. (JCD Book Deedy)
  • A community of mice and a cheese-loving cat form an unlikely alliance at London's Cheshire Cheese, an inn where Charles Dickens finds inspiration and Queen Victoria makes an unexpected appearance.
• George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves. (J George)
  • Faced with the prospect of a disagreeable arranged marriage or a journey acoss the barren Alaskan tundra, 13-year-old Miyax chooses the tundra. During her long and arduous treck, Miyax comes to appreciate the value of her Eskimo heritage, learns about herself, and wins the friednship of a pack of wolves. After learning the language of the wolves and slowly earning their trust, Julie becomes a member of the pack.
• Grahame, Kenneth.  The Wind in the Willows. (J Grahame)
  • The escapades of four animal friends who live along a river in the English countryside--Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger.
• Harlow, Joan Hiatt.  Thunder From the Sea. (J Harlow)
  • Just when his dreams of being part of a family and having a dog seem to be coming true, Tom wonders if trouble with neighbors on his new island home and the impending birth of a new baby will change everything. Set in Newfoundland in 1929.
• Henry, Marguerite.  King of the Wind. (J Henry)
  • Sham and the stable boy Agba travel from Morocco to France to England where, at last, Sham's majesty is recognized and he becomes the "Godolphin Arabian," ancestor of the most superior Thoroughbred horses.
• Henry, Marguerite. Misty of Chincoteague. (J Henry)
  • An orphaned brother and sister work to earn the money to buy a wild pony that has won their hearts.
• Hobbs, Valerie. Sheep. (J Hobbs)
  • After a fire destroys the farm where he was born, a young border collie acquires a series of owners and learns about life as he seeks a home and longs to fulfill his life's purpose of shepherding sheep.
• Jacques, Brian. Redwall. (J Jacques)
  • When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.
• King-Smith, Dick. Babe: The Gallant Pig. (J King-Smith)
  • A piglet arrives at the farmyard, is adopted by an old sheep dog, and discovers a special secret to success.
• Lawson, Robert. Rabbit Hill. (J Lawson)
  • What happens when the animals of Rabbit Hill learn that new folks are moving into the big, empty house.
• Martin, Ann. A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray. (J Martin)
  • Squirrel the dog is forced to make her own way in the world when her mother and brother are taken away from her. However, Squirrel makes two friends, who in very different ways, define her fate.
• Morey, Walt.  Gentle Ben. (J Morey)
  • A warm story of deep trust and friendship between a boy and an Alaskan bear.  
• Morpurgo, Michael. The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. (J Morpurgo)
  • When English villages must evacuate their homes so the allies can practice D-Day landings, Lily's cat enters the restricted area to give birth. Two soldiers help the frantic Lily, forming a lasting friendship that changes their lives.
• O’Brian, Robert.  Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. (J O’Brian)
  • Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a laboratory made them wise and long lived. 
• Wallace, Bill. Beauty. (J Wallace)
  • Unhappy about his parents splitting up and moving with his mother to Grandpa's farm, eleven-year-old Luke finds comfort in riding and caring for a horse named Beauty.
• White, E.B. Charlotte's Web. (J White)
  • Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

Caldecott Award

Nutmeg Award

Newbery Award

• Cook, Sally. Good Night Pillow Fight. (JJ Cook)
  • Rhyming bedtime conversation between a city full of parents and their children, who are much more interested in playing than sleeping.
• Dewdney, Anna. Llama, Llama Red Pajama. (JJ Dewdney)
  • At bedtime, a little llama worries after his mother puts him to bed and goes downstairs.
• Field, Eugene W. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod. (J811.4 Field)
  • A classic lullaby poem about three fishermen who try to catch the stars in nets of silver and gold.
• Ives, Penny.  Rabbit Pie. (JJ Ives)
  • Mama Rabbit has a recipe for tending to her six little ones and getting them ready for bed.
• Kloske, Geoffrey. Once Upon a Time, The End: Asleep in 60 Seconds. (JJ Kloske)
  • A tired father takes only a few sentences to tell a number of classic tales in order to get the persistent listener to fall asleep.
• Lloyd-Jones, Sally.  Time to Say Goodnight. (JJ Lloyd-Jones)
  • In the same way that baby animals stop whatever they are doing and close their eyes for the night, so a child must finally go to sleep when bedtime comes.
• Marisabina, Russo. The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds. (JJ Marisabina)
  • Some young rabbits would rather play than sleep, much to their parents' chagrin.
• Nakamura, Katherine Riley. Song of Night: It’s Time to Go to Bed. (JJ Nakamura)
  • Animal parents help their babies get ready for a night of good sleep.
• Parr, Todd. Otto Goes to Bed. (JJ Parr)
  • Otto the dog doesn't want to go to bed until he discovers how nice it is to dream.
• Rohmann, Eric. Clara and Asha. (JJ Rohmann)
  • Young Clara would rather play with her imaginary giant fish, Asha, than settle down to sleep.
• Root, Phyllis. Ten Sleepy Sheep. (JJ Root)
  • One by one ten sheep reluctantly fall asleep in the barnyard.
• Sayre, April. Hush, Little Puppy. (JJ Sayre)
  • In this version of the classic lullaby, a boy tries to settle his puppy down to sleep with a lullaby after a day of splashing in the creek, fetching sticks, and chasing sheep.
• Scotton, Rob. Russell the Sheep. (JJ Scotton)
  • Russell the sheep tries all different ways to get to sleep.
• Shulevitz, Uri. So Sleepy Story. (JJ Shulevitz)
  • In the quiet of the night, a sleepy sleepy boy awakes to find the dishes, chairs, and clocks enjoying themselves. In a sleepy sleepy house everything is so sleepy - until music drifts in through an open window. Chairs begin to rock, dishes begin to dance, and a sleepy boy opens his eyes to the revelry of the once-sleepy house. Then, softly, the music drifts out, and everything is sleepy sleepy once more.
• Tafuri, Nancy. Goodnight, My Duckling. (JJ Tafuri)
  • As a mother duck leads her ducklings home, one dawdles and is left behind but, luckily, a friend is there to help the little duckling back to his nest in time for bed
• Thomas, Shelley Moore. Good Night, Good Knight. (JJE Thomas)
  • A good knight helps three little dragons who are having trouble getting to sleep.
• Williams, Mo.  Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay up Late. (JJ Williams)
  • A pigeon comes up with many reasons why he should not go to bed.
• Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? (JJ Yolen)
  • Mother and child ponder the different ways a dinosaur can say goodnight, from slamming his tail and pouting to giving a big hug and kiss.
• Ziefert, Harriet.  Mommy, I want to sleep in your bed. (JJ Ziefert)
  • It's nighttime and everybody--children, parents, and pets--says good night. But when all the lights are out, find out where Charlie wants to sleep.

Picture Books (JJ)

• Allard, Hary. Miss Nelson is Missing. (JJRT Marshall)
  • The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.
• Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline. (Favorites JJ Bemelmans)
  • Set in picturesque Paris, this tale of a brave little girl's trip to the hospital is as appealing today as it was in 1940. The combination of spirited heroine, timelessly appealing art, cheerful humor, and rhythmic text makes "Madeline" a perennial favorite with children of all ages.
• Freeman, Don. Corduroy. (JJ Freeman)
  • A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him he finds what he has always wanted most of all.
• Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon. (Make Believe JJ Johnson)
  • An ingenious and original picture story in which a small boy out for a walk--happily with crayon in hand--and draws himself some wonderful adventures.
• Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. (JJ Keats)
  • A little boy celebrates the new snow in the city with a day of humble adventures--experimenting with footprints, knocking snow from a tree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day.
• Lamarche, Jim. The Elves and the Shoemaker. (JJ Grimm)
  • The story of a poor shoemaker who becomes wealthy with the help of two small elves.
• McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. (JJ McCloskey)
  • Mr. and Mrs. Mallard proudly return to their home in the Boston Public Garden with their eight offspring.
• McCloskey, Robert. Blueberries for Sal. (JJ McCloskey)
  • Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost end up with the other's mother.
• Piper, Watty. The little engine that could. (JJ Piper)
  • Although she is not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull a stranded train full of toys over the mountain.
• Waber, Bernard. Lyle Lyle Crocodile.
  • Lyle the Crocodile is perfectly happy living with the Primms on East 88th St. until irritable Mr. Grumps next door changes all that.

Beginning Readers (JJE)

• Eastman, P.D. Are You My Mother? (JJE Eastman)
  • A baby bird has a number of adventures while looking for its mother after falling out of its nest.
• Dick and Jane Books (JJE Dick and Jane)
  • The classic stories of Dick and Jane, along with Sally and Spot, that generations of American children used to learn to read.
• Eastman, P.D. Go Dog Go! (JJE Eastman)
  • Many kinds of dogs in a variety of fun-filled activities.
• Minarik, Else Holmelund. Little Bear. (JJ E Minarik)
  • Little Bear's four adventures include taking a trip to the moon and having a birthday party.
• Seuss, Dr. Cat in the Hat. (JJE Seuss)
  • Two children sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the Cat in the Hat who shows them some tricks and games.
• Seuss, Dr. Green Eggs and Ham. (JJE Seuss)
  • In this rhyming story Sam tries to convince his friend to try green eggs and ham.

Junior Fiction (J)

• Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. (J Alcott)
  • Chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in nineteenth-century New England.
• Andersen, Hans Christian. Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen. (J 398.21 Anderson)
  • Presents nine of Andersen's well-known tales: The Emperor's New Clothes, The Princess on the Pea, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling, The Tinderbox, The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep, The Little Match Girl, The Nightingale, and The Little Mermaid.
• Barrie, J. M. Peter Pan. (J Barrie)
  • Tells the story of Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up, and his adventures with Wendy, John and Michael in Neverland
• Burnett, Frances Hodgson. Secret Garden. (J Burnett)
  • Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.
• Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. (J Carroll)
  • A little girl falls down a rabbit hole and discovers a strange world inhabited by all sorts of unusual characters.
• Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. (J Defoe)
  • The diary of an Englishman shipwrecked for almost thirty years on a small isolated island where, using wit and industry, he manages to build a new life.
• Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. (J Dickens)
  • A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.
• Eager, Edward. Half Magic. (J Eager)
  • Faced with a dull summer in the city, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha suddenly find themselves involved in a series of extraordinary adventures after Jane discovers an ordinary-looking coin that seems to grant wishes.
• Grahame, Kenneth. Wind in the Willows. (J Grahame)
  • The escapades of four animal friends who live along a river in the English countryside--Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger.
• Knight, Eric. Lassie Come Home. (J Knight)
  • After being sold to a wealthy duke living in the far north of Scotland, a collie undertakes a 1000-mile journey to Yorkshire in order to be reunited with her former master, the son of a poor farmer.
• Milne, A.A. Winnie-the- Pooh. (J Milne)
  • The adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meets a Heffalump, and Eeyore has a birthday.
• Montgomery, L. M. Anne of Green Gables. (J Montgomery)
  • Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.
• Norton, Mary. The Borrowers. (J Norton)
  • Miniature people who live in an old country house by borrowing things from the humans are forced to emigrate from their home under the clock.
• Rawlings, Marjorie. The Yearling. (J Rawlings)
  • A young boy living in the Florida backwoods is forced to decide the fate of a fawn he has lovingly raised as a pet.
• Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square. (J Selden)
  • The adventures of a country cricket who unintentionally arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat
• Sewell, Anna. Black Beauty. (J Sewell)
  • A horse in nineteenth-century England recounts his experiences with both good and bad masters.
• Travers, P. L. Mary Poppins. (J Travers)
  • The wind brings two English children a new nanny who slides up the bannister and introduces them to some delightful people and experiences.
• Twain, Mark. Adventures of Tom Sawyer. (JCD Book Twain)
  • The adventures and pranks of a mischievous boy growing up in a Mississippi River town in the early nineteenth century.
• White, E.B. Charlotte's Web. (J White)
  • Wilbur the pig is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.
• Wyss, Johann David. Swiss Family Robinson. (J Wyss)
  • Relates the fortunes of a shipwrecked family as they imaginatively adapt to life on an island with abundant animal and plant life.

Death in general

• Bryant-Mole, Karen. Death. (J 155.9 Bryant-Mole)
  • Focuses on death as part of a natural cycle and as part of the entire process of life; also discusses common responses to death.
• Mellonie, Bryan. Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children. (J 155.9 Mellonie/Parenting 155.9 Mellonie)
  • A pet . . . a friend . . . or a relative dies, and it must be explained to a child. This sensitive book is a useful tool in explaining to children that death is a part of life and that, eventually, all living things reach the end of their own special lifetimes.
• Wilson, Antoine. You and a Death in Your Family. (J 155.937 Wilson)
  • Death today -- Talking about death -- Am I feeling the right feelings? -- Coming together as a family -- The death of a pet -- The funeral -- The death of a parent -- The death of a brother or sister -- Suicide or violent death -- The funeral--what to expect -- Working through your grief and returning to life
• Thornhill, Jan. I Found a Dead Bird: the kids' guide to the cycle of life & death. (J 306.9 Thornhill)
  • The death of a bird is the jumping-off point for this intelligent, wide-ranging look at the cycle of life. From life spans to how things die, from what happens after death to how people cope with the loss of a loved one, Jan Thornhill guides young readers through a difficult loss.

Death of a Grandparent

• DePaola, Tomie. Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs. (Favorites JJ DePaola)
  • Four-year-old Tommy enjoys his relationship with both his grandmother and great-grandmother, but eventually learns to face their inevitable death.
• Wild, Margaret. Old Pig. (JJ Wild)
  • Because Old Pig knows that her time to die is near, she puts her affairs in order and takes a slow walk with Granddaughter to savor the beauty for one last time.
• Wiles, Debbie. Love Ruby Lavender. (J Wiles)
  • When her quirky grandmother goes to Hawaii for the summer, nine-year-old Ruby learns to survive on her own in Mississippi by writing letters, befriending chickens as well as the new girl in town, and finally coping with her grandfather's death.

Death of Parent

• LeShan, Eda. Learning to Say Good-by: When a Parent Dies. (155.9 Leshan)
  • Discusses the questions, fears, and fantasies many children experience when a parent or someone close to them dies.
• Tolan, Stephanie. Listen. (J Tolan)
  • During her solitary convalescence from a crippling accident, twelve-year-old Charley finds a wild dog, and the arduous process of training him leads her to explore her feelings about her mother's death two years earlier.

Death of Sibling

• Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-Kira. (J Kadohata)
  • Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally ill.

Death of Teacher

• Hest, Amy. Remembering Mrs. Rossi. (J Hest)
  • When Mrs. Rossi suddenly dies, she leaves not only her eight-year-old daughter Annie, but also a class full of students who pour out their hearts in a scrapbook for Annie. With tenderness and humor, Hest reveals the struggles of a father and daughter as they forge a new life.

Death of Pet

• Cochran, Bill. Forever Dog. (Parenting Cochran)
  • Mike and his dog Cody plan to be best friends forever, so when Cody becomes sick and dies, Mike is angry about the broken promise.
• Demas, Corinne. Saying Goodbye to Lulu. (Parenting Demas)
  • When her dog Lulu dies, a girl grieves but then continues with her life.
• Harris, Robie. Goodbye Mousie. (Parenting Harris)
  • A boy grieves for his dead pet Mousie, helps to bury him, and begins to come to terms with his loss.
• Rylant, Cynthia. Dog Heaven. (Parenting Rylant)
  • God created Dog Heaven, a place where dogs can eat ice cream biscuits, sleep on fluffy clouds, and run through unending fields.
• Viorst, Judith. The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. (Parenting Viorst)
  • In an attempt to overcome his grief, a boy tries to think of the ten best things about his cat.
• Wallace, Bill. No Dogs Allowed. (J Wallace)
  • Twelve-year-old Kristina, still struggling to come to terms with the death of her beloved horse, finds it difficult to accept the new dog she receives for her birthday.
• Walsh, Barbara. Sammy in the Sky. (Parenting Walsh)
  • A little girl tells about her special pet, Sammy, "the best hound dog in the whole world," and how, after he becomes sick and dies, she comes to know the truth of her mother's words, that Sammy's spirit is everywhere.
• Wild, Margaret. Harry & Hopper. (Parenting Wild)
  • One day when Harry comes home from school, his faithful companion Hopper isn't there to greet him, in a touching story about the process of healing after losing a beloved pet.

Death of Friend

• Cohn, Janice. I had a Friend Named Peter. (Parenting Cohn)
  • When Betsy learns about the death of a friend, her parents and teacher answer questions about dying, funerals, and the burian process.
• Goldman, Linda. Children also grieve: talking about death and healing. (Parenting 155.9 Goldman)
  • Children Also Grieve is an imaginative resource, fully illustrated with color photographs, that offers support and reassurance to children coming to terms with the loss of a close friend or relative and to adults who are supporting them through their bereavement.

Fantastic Fantasy

• Alexander, Lloyd. Book of Three. (J Alexander)
  • Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to a famous oracular sow, sets out on a hazardous mission to save Prydain from the forces of evil. Other books in the series are: The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King.
• Almond, David. Skellig. (J Almond)
  • Young readers will by enchanted by this magical tale of friendship and family: Michael was looking forward to his new house and neighborhood, until his infant sister became very ill. Now his parents are constantly frantic, the scary doctor is always coming around, and Michael feels helpless. When he goes out into the old rickety garage, he comes across a mysterious being living beneath spider webs and eating flies for dinner. This creature calls himself Skellig, and over the weeks Michael and his new friend Mina bring Skellig out in to the light, and their worlds change forever
• Baccalario, Pierdomenico. The Door to Time. (J Baccalario)
  • After moving from London to an old mansion on the English coast, eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia discover that their new home has twisting tunnels, strange artifacts from around the world, and a mysterious locked door.
• Banks, Lynne Reid. The Indian in the Cupboard.  (J Banks)
  • A nine-year-old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a little key for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life in the cupboard and befriends him. Other books in the series are: The Return of the Indian, The Secret of the Indian, The Mystery of the Cupboard, and The Key to the Indian.
• Collins, Suzanne. Gregor the Overlander. (J Collins)
  • When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving humans, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. Other books in the series are: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, and Gregor and the Marks of Secret.
• Diterlizzi, Tony. The Field Guide. (J Diterlizzi)
  • Three siblings discover an old book with pictures of fantastic creatures in the spooky old house in which they live. Other books in the Spiderwick Chronicles series are: The Seeing Stone, Lucinda's Secret, The Ironwood Tree, and The Wrath of Mulgawrath.
• Downer, Ann. Hatching Magic. (J Downer)
  • A procession of a pet dragon, a wizard, and his archenemy travel through time from the 13 th century to the 21 st century, where an 11-year-old Bostonian becomes involved in their disputes
• Dunmore, Helen. Ingo. (J Dunmore)
  • As they search for their missing father near their Cornwall home, Sapphy and her brother Conor learn about their family's connection to the domains of air and water.
• Funk, Cornelia. Inkheart. (J Funk)
  • Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story. Other books in the trilogy are: Inkspell and Inkdeath.
• Funk Cornelia. Dragon Rider. (J Funk)
  • After learning that humans are headed toward his hidden home, Firedrake, a silver dragon, is joined by a brownie and an orphan boy in a quest to find the legendary valley known as the Rim of Heaven, encountering friendly and unfriendly creatures along the way, and struggling to evade the relentless pursuit of an old enemy.
• Ibbotson, Eva. The Secret of Platform 13. (J Ibbotson)
  • Odge Gribble, a young hag, joins an old wizard, a gentle fey, and a giant ogre on a journey from their magical island kingdom to London through a tunnel which opens every nine years for nine days, to try and rescue the young prince who had been stolen as an infant nine years before.
• Kerr, Philip. Akhenaten Adventure. (J Kerr)
  • When twelve-year-old twins Philippa and John discover that they are descended from a long line of djinn, their mother sends them away to their Uncle Nimrod, who takes them to Cairo where he starts to teach them about their extraordinary powers. Other books in the series are: The Blue Djinn of Babylon, The Cobra King of Kathmandu, Day of the Djinn Warriors, Eye of the Forest, Five Fakirs of Faizabad, and Grave Robbers of Ghengis Khan.
• Lewis, C.S. Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. (J Lewis)
  • Four English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter. Don’t miss the other books in the series: Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle.
• Levine, Gail Carlson. Ella Enchanted.  (J Levine)
  • In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
• Levine, Gail Carlson. Fairest. (J Levine)
  • In Ayortha, singing and beauty are prized above all else. Aza, a commoner, can sing, and Queen Ivi is a beauty. The queen forces Aza to use her voice to deceive the entire court.
• Napoli, Donna Jo. The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De Fawg Pin. (J Napoli)
  • When a prince is turned into a frog, he finds it difficult to adjust.
• Nimmo, Jenny. Midnight for Charlie Bone. (J Nimmo)
  • What's happening to Charlie Bone? Charlie doesn't want to believe it when he discovers that he can hear the thoughts of people in photographs. But his horrible aunts are delighted - it means that he is one of the chosen and must attend the Bloor's Academy for gifted children. Once there, Charlie realizes that some of his classmates have equally mysterious powers, and soon Charlie is involved in uncovering the mysterious past of one of them. Other books in the series are: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister, Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy, Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors, Charlie Bone and the Hidden King, Charlie Bone and the Beast, Charlie Bone and the Shadow, and Charlie Bone and the Red Knight.
• Norton, Mary. The Borrowers. (J Norton)
  • The Borrowers are a tiny race of people who live hidden away in houses or other safe, convenient places, and own nothing except what they borrow from "human beans." The last family to live in the old house, Pod, Homily and Arrietty have made a comfortable home beneath the kitchen floor. But their lives become threatened when Pod is seen while on a borrowing expedition. Other books in the series are: The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Afloat, The Borrowers Aloft, The Borrowers Avenged.
• Park, Linda Sue. Archer’s Quest. (J Park)
  • Twelve-year-old Kevin Kim helps Chu-mong, a legendary king of ancient Korea, return to his own time.
• Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. (J Riordan)
  • Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. Other books in the series are: The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian.
• Riordan, Rick. The Red Pyramid. (J Riordan)
  • After their father's research experiment at the British Museum unleashes the Egyptian god Set, Carter and Sadie Kane embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest which brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. Other books in this series are: The Throne of Fire, The Serpent's Shadow
• Riordan, Rick. The Lost Hero. (J Riordan)
  • Jason, Piper, and Leo, three students from a school for "bad kids," find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, where they learn that they are demigods and begin a quest to free Hera, who has been imprisoned by Mother Earth herself. Other books in this series are: The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades.
• Rutkoski, Marie. The Cabinet of Wonders. (J Rutkoski)
  • Twelve-year-old Petra, accompanied by her magical tin spider, goes to Prague hoping to retrieve the enchanted eyes the Prince of Bohemia took from her father, and is aided in her quest by a Roma boy and his sister.
• Sensel, Joni. The Farwalker's Quest. (J Sensel)
  • When twelve-year-old Ariel and her friend Zeke find a mysterious artifact which has not been seen in a long time, it proves to be the beginning of a long and arduous journey that will untimately reveal to them their true identities.
• Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. (J Stead)
  • As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
• Winthrop, Elizabeth. The Castle in the Attic. (J Winthrop)
  • A gift of a toy castle, complete with silver knight, introduces William to an adventure involving magic and a personal quest. Also try the sequel The Battle for the Castle.
• Wrede, Patricia. Dealing with Dragons. (J Wrede)
  • Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom. Other books in the series are: Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons.

Picture Books (JJ)

• Alborough, Jez. Fix it Duck. (Activities JJ Alborough)
  • Duck's attempts to deal with various minor disasters only lead to more problems.
• Auch, Mary Jane and Herm. Beauty and the Beaks: a turkey's cautionary tale. (JJ Auch)
  • When Lance, a very pretentious turkey, arrives on the farm and boasts that he is the only bird invited to a special feast, no hen is impressed, but when Beauty learns that Lance in the main course, she convinces the others to save him.
• Noble, Trinka Hakes. The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash. (JJ Noble)
  • Jimmy's pet boa constrictor wreaks havoc on the class trip to the farm.
• Shannon, David. Duck on a Bike. (JJ Shannon)
  • A duck decides to ride a bike and soon influences all the other animals on the farm to ride bikes too.
• Small, Davis. Imogene's Antlers. (Make Believe JJ Small)
  • One Thursday Imogene wakes up with a pair of antlers growing out of her head and causes a sensation wherever she goes.

Beginning Readers (JJE)

• Parish, Peggy. Teach us Amelia Bedelia.* (JJE Parish)
  • The very literal minded Amelia Bedelia becomes a substitute teacher for a day.

Early Chapter Books (JE)

• Cameron, Ann. Stories Julian Tells. (JE Cameron)
  • Relates episodes in seven-year-old Julian's life which include getting into trouble with his younger brother Huey, planting a garden, what he did to grow taller, losing a tooth, and finding a new friend.
• DiCamillo, Kate. Mercy Watson Fights Crime.* (JE DiCamillo)
  • Mercy the pig's love of buttered toast leads to the capture of a small thief who would rather be a cowboy.

Junior Fiction (J)

• Blume, Judy. Freckle Juice. (J Blume)
  • Andrew wants freckles more than anything else, so Sharon offers to sell him her secret freckle recipe. When Andrew turns green and blue from the brew, it's doubtful he'll ever wish for freckles again.
• Blume, Judy. Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing.* (J Blume)
  • Peter finds his demanding two-year-old brother an ever increasing problem.
• Brand, Christinna. Nanny McPhee: the collected tales of Nurse Matilda. (J Brand)
  • The incorrigible Brown children, who devour nannies, nurse-maids, and governesses, finally meet their match.
• Colfer, Eoin. The Legend of Spud Murphy.* (J Colfer)
  • The name Spud Murphy strikes fear into the hearts of children everywhere. Grown-ups think she's a kindly old librarian, but kids know the truth. They've heard all about the gas-powered spud gun she keeps hidden under her desk -- make so much as a sound in Spud's library, and you could get spudded with soggy potatoes. Laugh out loud, and you may never be seen again.
• Gifford, Peggy Elizabeth. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little.* (J Gifford)
  • With summer coming to an end, about-to-be-fourth-grader Moxy Maxwell does a hundred different things to avoid reading her assigned summer reading book.
• Gilbreth, Frank B. Cheaper by the Dozen. (J Gilbreth)
  • What do you get when you put twelve lively kids together with a father -- a famous efficiency expert -- who believes families can run like factories, and a mother who is his partner in everything except discipline? You get a hilarious tale of growing up that has made generations of kids and adults alike laugh along with the Gilbreths in "Cheaper by the Dozen,"
• MacDonald, Betty Bard. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.* (J MacDonald)
  • From her upside-down house, the eccentric Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle issues to parents her marvelous cures for such common children's diseases as Won't-Put-Away-Toys-itis, Answerbackism, and Fighter-Quarrelitis.
• Peck, Richard. A Long Way From Chicago. (J Peck)
  • What happens when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice--two city slickers from Chicago--make their annual summer visit to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town? In the tradition of American humorists Mark Twain and Flannery O'Connor, Richard Peck has created this memorable world filled with characters who, like Grandma herself, are larger than life and twice as entertaining.
• Peck, Richard. The Teacher’s Funeral. (J Peck)
  • In rural Indiana in 1904, fifteen-year-old Russell's dreams of quitting school and joining a wheat threshing crew are disrupted when his older sister takes over the teaching at his one-room schoolhouse after mean old Myrt Arbuckle "hauls off and dies."
• Robinson, Barbara. Best Christmas Pageant Ever. (J Robinson)
  • The six mean Herdman kids lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.
• Rogers, Mary. Freaky Friday. (J Rogers)
  • Annabel Andrews thinks she has a tough life. She's got an annoying little brother named Ben (better known as Ape Face), her mom is always after her to clean up her room, and Boris, the boy who lives upstairs, doesn't like her a bit. Annabel wishes she had her mother's much easier life--and one freaky, and hilarious, Friday, she gets it. She learns how difficult life can be when the laundry spins out of control, she sits in on a horrendous parent/teacher conference--about herself-- and to cap it all, she loses Ape Face.
• Rockwell, Thomas. How to Eat Fried Worms. (J Rockwell)
  • Two boys set out to prove that worms can make a delicious meal.
• Sachar, Louis. Sideways Stories from Wayside School. (J Sachar)
  • Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each story.
• Sachar, Louis. Holes. (J Sachar)
  • As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.
• Smith, Robert. Chocolate Fever. (J Smith)
  • Henry Green is a boy who loves chocolate. He likes it bitter, sweet, dark, light, and daily; for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks; in cakes, candy bars, milk, and every other form you can possibly imagine. Henry probably loves chocolate more than any boy in the history of the world. One day-it starts off like any other day-Henry finds that strange things are happening to him. First he makes medical history with the only case of Chocolate Fever ever. Then he finds himself caught up in a wild and hilarious chase, climaxed by a very unusual hijacking!

* This book is part of a series. Look for other books by the same author.

30 BCE-999 AD

• Speare, Elixabeth George. The Bronze Bow. (J Speare)
  • When the Romans brutally kill Daniel bar Jamin's father, the young Palestinian searches for a leader to drive them out, but comes to realize that love may be a more powerful weapon than hate. 30 AD
• Yolen, Jane. Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur. (J Yolen)
  • Merlinnus the magician devises a way for King Arthur to prove himself the rightful king of England--pulling a sword from a stone--but trouble arises when someone else removes the sword first. 550 AD
• Tingle, Rebecca. The Edge on the Sword. (J Tingle)
  • In ninth-century Britain, fifteen-year-old Aethelflaed, daughter of King Alfred of West Saxony, finds she must assume new responsibilities much sooner than expected when she is betrothed to Ethelred of Mercia in order to strengthen a strategic alliance against the Danes. 918 AD

1000-1500

• McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Kite Rider. (J McCaughrean)
  • In thirteenth-century China, after trying to save his widowed mother from a horrendous second marriage, twelve-year-old Haoyou has life-changing adventures when he takes to the sky as a circus kite rider and ends up meeting the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. 1260 AD
• Cushman, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy. (J Cushman)
  • The thirteen year old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, particularly her longing for adventures beyond the usual role of women and her efforts to avoid being married. 1290 AD
• Gray, Elizabeth Janet. Adam of the Road. (J Gray)
  • Eleven year old Adam finds himself traveling the road as a minstrel searching market towns and fairs for his father and beloved dog. 1294 AD
• Cushman, Karen. Matilda Bone. (J Cushman)
  • Fourteen year old Matilda, an apprentice bonesetter and practitioner of medicine in a village in medieval England, tries to reconcile the various aspects of her life, both spiritual and practical. 1300 AD
• Cushman, Karen. The Midwife's Apprentice. (J Cushman)
  • In medieval England, a homeless girl is taken in by a sharp-tempered midwife and, in spite of obstacles and hardship, eventually gains the three things she most wants: a full belly, a contented heart and a place in this world. 1325 AD
• Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. (J Avi)
  • Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret. 1327 AD
• De Angeli, Marguerite. The Door in the Wall. (J De Angeli)
  • The dramatic story of Robin, physically disabled son of a great lord, who proves his courage and wins his king's recognition-set in 14th century England. 1330 AD
• Park, Linda Sue. The Kite Fighters. (J Park)
  • In Korea in 1473, eleven-year-old Young-sup overcomes his rivalry with his older brother Kee-sup, who as the first-born son receives special treatment from their father, and combines his kite-flying skill with Kee-sup's kite-making skill in an attempt to win the New Year kite-fighting competition. 1473
• Dorris, Michael. Morning Girl. (JCD Book Dorris)
  • Morning Girl, who loves the day, and her younger brother Star Boy, who loves the night, take turns describing their life on an island in pre-Columbian America; in Morning Girl's last narrative, she witnesses the arrival of the first Europeans to her world. 1492 AD

1500-1700

• Yolen, Jane. The Queen's Own Fool. (J Yolen)
  • When twelve year old Nicola leaves Troupe Brufort and serves as the fool for Mary, Queen of Scots, she experiences the political and religious upheavals in both France and Scotland. 1542-1587 AD
• Meyer, Carolyn. Beware, Princess Elizabeth. (J Meyer)
  • After the death of her father, King Henry VIII, in 1547, thirteen-year-old Elizabeth must endure the political intrigues and dangers of the reigns of her half-brother Edward and her half-sister Mary before finally becoming Queen of England eleven years later. 1547-1553 AD
• Pope, Elizabeth Marie. The Perilous Gard. (J Pope)
  • While imprisoned in a remote castle, a young girl becomes involved in a series of events that leads to an underground labyrinth peopled by the last practitioners of druidic magic. 1558 AD
• Blackwood, Gary. The Shakespeare Stealer. (J Blackwood)
  • A young orphan boy is ordered by his master to infiltrate Shakespeare's acting troupe in order to steal the script of "Hamlet", but he discovers instead the meaning of friendship and loyalty. 1600 AD Sequel: Shakespeare's Scribe.
• Bulla, Clyde Robert. A Lion to Guard Us. (J Bulla)
  • Left on their own in 17th century London, three impoverished children draw upon all their resources to stay together and make their way to the Virginia colony in search of their father. 1609-1610 AD
• Speare, Elizabeth George. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. (J Speare)
  • Kit Tyler left her luxurious home in Barbados to visit her Puritan aunt in colonial Connecticut. While there, she became friendly
• Petry, Ann. Tituba of Salem Village. (J Petry)
  • Tituba, taken from her own land to be a slave in New England, finds herself at the center of the Salem Witch Trials where she is condemned for consorting with the devil. 1692 AD

1700-1800

• Dalgliesh, Alice. The Courage of Sarah Noble. (J Dalgliesh)
  • Remembering her mother's words, an eight year old girl finds courage to go alone with her father to build a new home in the wilderness and to stay with the Indians when her father goes back to bring the rest of the family west to Connecticut. 1707
• Edmonds, Walter Dumaux. The Matchlock Gun. (J Edmonds)
  • In 1756, during the French and Indian War in upper New York state, ten-year-old Edward is determined to protect his home and family with the ancient, and much too heavy, Spanish gun that his father had given him before leaving home to fight the enemy.
• Durrant, Lynda. The Beaded Moccasins: The Story of Mary Campbell. (J Durrant)
  • After being captured by a group of Delaware and given to their leader as a replacement for his dead granddaughter, twelve year old Mary Campbell must travel west with them to Ohio. 1759
• Nixon, Joan Lowery. Caesar's Story. (J Nixon)
  • After having been a slave on Carter's Grove plantation near Williamsburg, Virginia, since childhood, Caesar finally finds a way to plan his own future. 1759
• Speare, Elizabeth George. The Sign of the Beaver. (J Speare)
  • Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in 18th century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills. 1768
• Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. (J Forbes)
  • A Bostonian silversmith's apprentice becomes a messenger for the Sons of Liberty in the days before the Revolutionary War. 1773
• Collier, James Lincoln. My Brother Sam is Dead. (J Collier)
  • Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolutionary War when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town. 1777
• Collier, James Lincoln. War Comes to Willy Freeman. (J Collier)
  • A free thirteen year old black girl in Connecticut is caught up in the horror of the Revolutionary War and the danger of being returned to slavery when her patriot father is killed by the British and her mother disappears. 1778
• Collier, James Lincoln. Jump Ship to Freedom. (J Collier)
  • A fourteen year old slave, anxious to buy freedom for himself and his mother, escapes from his dishonest master and tries to find help in cashing the soldier's notes received by his father for fighting in the Revolution. 1787
• Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever, 1793. (J Anderson)
  • In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen year old Matilda Cook learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic. 1793

1800-1850

• Roop, Peter. Girl of the Shining Mountains: Sacagawea's Story. (J Roop)
  • Sacagawea describes how, at the age of sixteen, she becomes part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and serves as their interpreter and guide, surviving many dangerous adventures on their trek through the wilderness. 1804-1806
• McCully, Emily Arnold. The Bobbin Girl. (Our World JJ McCully)
  • A ten year old bobbin girl working in a textile mill in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1830s, must make a difficult decision-will she participate in the first workers' strike in Lowell? 1830
• Blos, Joan. A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32. (J Blos)
  • A journal of a fourteen year old girl records daily events in her small New Hampshire town, her father's remarriage and the death of her best friend. 1830-1832
• Avi. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. (J Avi)
  • As the lone "young lady" on a transatlantic voyage, Charlotte learns that the captain is murderous and the crew rebellious. 1832.
• Whealan, Gloria. Night of the Full Moon. (J Whelan)
  • When she sneaks away to visit her friend, a young girl living on the Michigan frontier is caught up in the forced evacuation of a group of Potawatomi Indians from their tribal lands. 1840
• Fox, Paula. The Slave Dancer. (J Fox)
  • Kidnapped by the crew of an Africa-bound ship, a thirteen year old boy discovers to his horror that he is on a slaver and his job is to play music for the exercise periods of the human cargo. 1840
• Paterson, Katherine. Lyddie. (J Paterson)
  • An impoverished Vermont farm girl, Lyddie Worthen, is determined to gain her independence by becoming a factory worker in Lowell, Massachusetts. 1843
• Giff, Patricia Reilly. Nory Ryan's Song. (J Giff)
  • When a terrible blight attacks Ireland's potato crop in 1845, twelve year old Nory Ryan's courage and ingenuity help her family and neighbors survive. 1845. Sequel: Maggie's Door.
• Paulsen, Gary. Mr. Tucket. (J Paulsen)
  • In 1848, while on a wagon train headed for Oregon, fourteen year old Francis Tucket is kidnapped by Pawnee Indians and then falls in with a one-armed trapper who teaches him how to live in the wild. Other books in the series: Call Me Francis Tucket, Tucket's Ride, Tucket's Gold and Tucket's Home. 1847-1849
• Cushman, Karen. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. (J Cushman)
  • In 1849, twelve year old California Morning Whipple, who renames herself Lucy, is distraught when her mother moves the family from Massachusetts to a rough California mining town. 1849

1850-1900

• Fleischman, Sid. Bandit's Moon. (J Fleischman)
  • Twelve year old Annyrose relates her adventures with Joaquin Murieta and his band of outlaws in the California gold-mining region during the mid-1800s. 1850
• Hopkinson, Deborah. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. (Our World JJ Hopkinson)
  • A young slave stitches a quilt with a map pattern which guides her to freedom in the North. 1850
• Van Leeuwen, Jean. Bound for Oregon. (J Van Leeuwen)
  • A fictionalized account of the journey made by nine year old Mary Ellen Todd and her family from their home in Arkansas westward over the Oregon Trail in 1852.
• Paulsen, Gary. Nightjohn. (J Paulsen)
  • Twelve year old Sarny's brutal life as a slave becomes even more dangerous when a newly arrived slave offers to teach her how to read. 1853
• Holm, Jennifer. Boston Jane. (J Holm)
  • Schooled in the lessons of etiquette for young ladies of 1854, Miss Jane Peck of Philadelphia finds little use for manners during her long sea voyage to the Pacific Northwest and while living among the American traders and Chinook Indians of Washington Territory. 1854
• Paterson, Katherine. Jip: His Story. (J Paterson)
  • While living on a Vermont poor farm during 1855 and 1856, Jip learns his identity and that of his mother and comes to understand how he arrived at this place. 1855-1856
• Hunt, Irene. Across Five Aprils. (J Hunt)
  • Jethro Creighton comes of age during the turbulent years of the American Civil War. 1861
• Keith, Harold. Rifles for Watie. (J Keith)
  • Jeff Bussey becomes a scout and soldier in the West and sees the Civil War from both sides. 1861
• Paulsen, Gary. Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War. (J Paulsen)
  • Eager to enlist, fifteen year old Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat. 1861-1865
• O'Dell, Scott. Sing Down the Moon. (J O'Dell)
  • A young Navajo girl recounts the events of 1864 when her tribe was forced to march to Fort Sumner as prisoners of the white soldiers. 1864
• Reeder, Carolyn. Shades of Gray. (J Reeder)
  • At the end of the Civil War, twelve year old Will, having lost all his immediate family, reluctantly leaves his city home to live in the Virginia countryside with his aunt and the uncle he considers a "traitor" because he refused to take part in the war. 1865
• Yep, Laurence. Dragon's Gate. (J Yep)
  • When he accidentally kills a Manchu, a fifteen year old Chinese boy is sent to America to join his father, an uncle, and other Chinese working to build a tunnel for the transcontinental railroad through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Sequel to: Mountain Light. 1867
• MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall. (J MacLachlan)
  • When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay. 1870's -- Sequel: Skylark
• Wilder, Laura Ingals. Little House in the Big Woods. (J Wilder)
  • Laura, her sister Mary, her pa and her ma lived the lives of pioneers in a small cabin in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Others in the series are: Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On The Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. 1870's
• O'Dell, Scott. Thunder Rolling in the Mountains. (J O'Dell)
  • In the late 19th century, a young Nez Perce girl relates how her people were driven off their land by the U.S. army and forced to retreat north until their eventual surrender. 1877
• Cushman, Karen. Rodzina. (J Cushman)
  • A twelve-year-old Polish American girl is boarded onto an orphan train in Chicago with fears about traveling to the West and a life of unpaid slavery. 1881
• Kelly, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. (J Kelly)
  • In central Texas in 1899, eleven-year-old Callie Vee Tate is instructed to be a lady by her mother, learns about love from the older three of her six brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather, the latter of which leads to an important discovery. 1899

1900-1939

• Lenski, Lois. Strawberry Girl. (J Lenski)
  • The story of the feud between the Slaters and the Boyers in Florida during the 1900s. 1900
• Yep, Laurence. Dragonwings. (J Yep)
  • In the early twentieth century a young Chinese boy joins his father in San Francisco and helps him realize his dream of making a flying machine. 1903
• Schmidt, Gary D. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. (J Schmidt)
  • Not only is Turner Buckminster the son of the new minister in a small Maine town, he is shunned for playing baseball differently than the local boys. Then he befriends smart and lively Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from Malaga Island, a poor community founded by former slaves. Lizzie shows Turner a new world along the Maine coast from digging clams to rowing a boat next to a whale. When the powerful town elders, including Turner' s father, decide to drive the people off the island to set up a tourist business, Turner stands alone against them. He and Lizzie try to save her community, but there' s a terrible price to pay for going against the tide. 1912
• Whelan, Gloria. Angel on the Square. (J Whelan)
  • In 1913 Russia, twelve-year-old Katya eagerly anticipates leaving her St. Petersburg home, though not her older cousin Misha, to join her mother, a lady in waiting in the household of Tsar Nicholas II, but the ensuing years bring world war, revolution, and undreamed of changes to her life. 1913
• Morpurgo, Michael. War Horse. (J Morpurgo)
  • Joey the horse recalls his experiences growing up on an English farm, his struggle for survival as a cavalry horse during World War I, and his reunion with his beloved master. 1914
• Hesse, Karen. Letters From Rifka. (J Hesse)
  • In her letters to her cousin, a young Jewish girl chronicles her family's flight from Russia and her own experiences when she must be left in Belgium for a while when the others emigrate to America. 1919
• Fritz, Jean. Homesick, My Own Story. (J Fritz)
  • The author's fictionalized version, though all the events are true, of her childhood in China in the 1920s. 1920's
• Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. (J Curtis)
  • Ten year old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father-the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids. 1929
• Hesse Karen. Out of the Dust. (J Hesse)
  • In a series of poems, fifteen year old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression. 1929
• Armstrong, William. Sounder. (J Armstrong) (1969)
  • Angry and humiliated when his sharecropper father is jailed for stealing food for his family, a young black boy grows in courage and understanding by learning to read and with the help of the devoted dog, Sounder. 1930's
• Ayres, Katherine. Macaroni Boy. (J Ayres)
  • In Pittsburgh in 1933, sixth-grader Mike Costa notices a connection between several strange occurrences, but the only way he can find out the truth about what's happening is to be nice to the class bully. 1933
• Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. (J Taylor)
  • A black family living in the South during the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination that their children don't understand. 1933
• Kerr, Judith. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. (J Kerr)
  • Recounts the adventures of a nine year old Jewish girl and her family in the early 1930s as they travel from Germany to England. 1933
• Uchida, Yoshiko. A Jar of Dreams. (J Uchida)
  • A young girl grows up in a closely-knit Japanese American family in California during the 1930s, a time of great prejudice. 1935
• Peck, Richard. A Year Down Yonder. (J Peck)
  • During the Depression, fifteen year old Mary Alice, initially apprehensive about leaving Chicago to spend a year with her fearsome, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois, gradually begins to better understand and admire her grandmother's unusual qualities. Sequel to: A Long Way to Chicago: a Novel in Stories. 1937
• Ackerman, Karen. The Night Crossing. (J Ackerman)
  • Having begun to feel the persecution that all Jews are experiencing in their Austrian city, Clara and her family escape over the mountains into Switzerland. 1938

1939-1945

• Drucker, Malka. Jacob's Rescue: A Holocaust Story. (J Drucker)
  • In answer to his daughter's questions, a man recalls the terrifying years of his childhood when a brave Polish couple hid him and other Jewish children. Based on a true story. 1939-1945
• Rinaldi, Ann. Keep Smiling Through. (J Rinaldi)
  • A ten year old girl living in middle-class America during World War II learns the painful lesson that doing what's right is not always an easy thing to do. 1939-1945
• Vos, Ida. Anna is Still Here. (J Vos)
  • Thirteen year old Anna, who was a "hidden child" in Nazi-occupied Holland during World War II, gradually learns to deal with the realities of being a survivor. 1945
• Vos, Ida. Hide and Seek. (J Vos)
  • A young Jewish girl living in Holland tells of her experiences during the Nazi occupation, her years in hiding and the aftershock when the war finally ends. 1940
• Lisle, Janet Taylor. The Art of Keeping Cool. (J Lisle)
  • Robert and his cousin Elliot uncover long-hidden family secrets while staying in their grandparents' Rhode Island town, where they also become involved with a German artist who is suspected of being a spy. 1942
• Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. (J Lowry)
  • During the German occupation of Denmark, ten year old Annemarie learns how to be strong and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.1943
• Giff, Patricia Reilly. Lily's Crossing. (J Giff)
  • During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently. 1944 Sequel: Willow Run.
• Roy, Jennifer Rozines. Yellow Star. (J Roy)
  • From 1939, when Syvia is four and a half years old, to 1945 when she has just turned ten, a Jewish girl and her family struggle to survive in Poland's Lodz ghetto during the Nazi occupation. 1939-1945

1945-Present

• Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. (J Lord)
  • A Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball. 1947
• Hill, Kirkpatrick. The Year of Miss Agnes. (J Hill)
  • Ten year old Fred (short for Frederika) narrates the story of school and village life among the Athapascans in Alaska when Miss Agnes arrived as the new teacher. 1948
• Paterson , Katherine. Park's Quest. (J Paterson)
  • Eleven year old Park makes some startling discoveries when he travels to his grandfather's farm in Virginia to learn about his father who died in the Vietnam War. 1961-1975
• Curtis, Christonper. The Watsons Go to Birmingham. (J Curtis)
  • The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

• Alexander, Lloyd. Book of Three. (J Alexander)
  • Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to a famous sow, sets out on a hazardous mission to save Prydain from the forces of evil. Sequels: The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King.
• Coville, Bruce. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. (J Coville)
  • When Jeremy Thatcher follows the strange instructions given to him by the weird old man who runs the Elives' Magic Shop, he finds himself raising a tiny mischief-loving dragon. But as Jeremy soon learns, even a tiny dragon can mean big trouble -- and it isn't going to stay tiny for long!
• Eager, Edward. Half Magic. (J Eager)
  • Faced with a dull summer in the city, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha suddenly find themselves involved in a series of extraordinary adventures after Jane discovers an ordinary-looking coin that seems to grant wishes. Sequels: Knight's Castle, Magic by the Lake, The Time Garden, Magic or Not?, The Well-Wishers, and Seven-Day Magic.
• Funk, Cornelia. Inkheart. (J Funk)
  • Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story. Sequel: Inkspell.
• Ibbotson, Eva. Secret of Platform 13. (J Ibbotson)
  • Odge Gribble, a young hag, joins an old wizard, and a giant ogre on a journey from their magical island kingdom to London. They travel through a tunnel which opens every nine years for nine days, to try and rescue the young prince who had been stolen as an infant nine years before.
• L’Engle, Madeline. Wrinkle in Time. (J L’Engle)
  • Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. Sequels: A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time.
• Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. (J Levine)
  • In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella travels through lands inhabited by ogres, elves, and fairies while struggling against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order she is given.
• Lewis, C.S. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. (J Lewis)
  • Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia where they assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter. Sequels: Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle.
• McKinley, Robin. The Hero and the Crown. (J McKinley)
  • Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard Luthe and the help of the blue sword, wins the birthright due her as the daughter of the Damarian king and a witchwoman of the mysterious, demon-haunted North.
• Nesbit, E. The Enchanted Castle. (J Nesbit)
  • Four English children find a wonderful world of magic through an enchanted wishing ring.
• Nimmo, Jenny. Midnight for Charlie Bone. (J Nimmo)
  • Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking. Sequels: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister, Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy, Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors, and Charlie Bone and the Hidden King.
• Norton, Mary. Bedknob and Broomstick. (J Norton)
  • The Wilson children meet an elderly woman who is studying to become a witch. They go on magical trips with her that are both exciting and dangerous.
• Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. (J Paolini)
  • In Aagaesia, a fiftee-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. Other books in this series are: Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance.
• Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. (J Riordan)
  • Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. Other books in this series are: The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian.
• Tolkein, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. (J Tolkein)
  • Elderly hobbit Bilbo Baggins relinquishes possession of a golden ring possessing magical powers to Frodo, his youthful heir. Charged with casting the ring into the fires from which it was forged, the young hobbit begins an arduous trek across Middle-earth, accompanied by a stalwart band including his best friend Sam, the mercurial wizard Gandalf, the warrior Aragorn, and the blustery Gimli. Opposed by the treacherous sorcerer Saruman and the demonic emissaries of Sauron, the Dark Lord, this ever-embattled Fellowship makes its way slowly toward the dark land of Mordor. Sequels: The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and The Hobbit (prologue)
• Winthrop, Elizabeth. Castle in the Attic. (J Winthrop)
  • A gift of a toy castle, complete with silver knight, introduces William to an adventure involving magic and a personal quest.
• Wrede, Patricia. Dealing with Dragons. (J Wrede)
  • Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom. Sequels: Searching for Dragons, Talking to Dragons, and Calling on Dragons.

Picture Books (JJ)

• Kitamura, Satoshi. Sheep in Wolves' Clothing. (JJ Kitamura)
  • When wolves steal their fluffy coats, two sheep turn to Detective Baa for help.

Beginning Readers (JJE)

• Adler, David. Young Cam Jansen and the Lost Tooth.* (JJE Adler)
  • Cam uses her photographic memory to help a classmate find the tooth she lost at school. Don't miss the other books in this series.
• Cushman, Doug. Aunt Eater Loves a Mystery. (JJE Cushman)
  • Aunt Eater loves mystery stories so much that she sees mysterious adventures wherever she looks.
• Lawlor, Laurie. The Worst Kid Who Ever Lived on Eighth Avenue. (JJE Lawlor)
  • Trying to be detectives, Mary Lou and her friends imagine that terrible crimes are being committed when Leroy, the worst kid who ever lived on Eighth Avenue, returns to the house next door.
• Rylant, Cynthia. The Case of the Missing Monkey. (JJE Rylant)
  • While having breakfast at their favorite diner, two detectives, Bunny and Jack, solve a mystery that is not what it seems.

Beginning Chapter Books (JE)

• Adler, David. Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Babe Ruth Baseball.* (JE Adler)
  • Cam uses her photographic memory to identify the person who stole a valuable autographed baseball.
• Cushman, Doug. Inspector Hopper. (JJE Cushman)
  • Inspector Hopper and his perpetually hungry assistant McBugg solve three mysteris for their insect friends.
• Levy, Elizabeth. The Mystery of the Missing Dog. (JE Levy)
  • The invisible boy Chip intends to enter his invisible dog Max in the dog show, but when Max comes up missing, Chip and his Invisible Inc. friends suspect foul play.
• Nixon, Joan. Gus & Gertie and the Missing Pearl. (JE Nixon)
  • Arriving for a vacation on Holiday Island, penguins Gus and Gertie stumble into a hotel full of Bad Guys and have a beautiful, valuable deep-sea pearl stolen from them.
• Roy, Ron. The Absent Author. (JE Roy)*
  • Dink Duncan and his two friends investigate the appartent kidnapping of famous mystery author Wallis Wallace. Check out the other books in this series.
• Sharmat, Marjorie. Nate the Great and the Monster Mess.* (JE Sharmat)
  • Nate and his dog Sludge are determined to find the recipe for his mother's monster cookies. Check out the other books in this series.

Junior Fiction (J)

• Balliett, Blue. The Wright 3. (J Balliett)
  • In the midst of a series of unexplained accidents and mysterious coincidences, sixth-graders Calder, Petra, and Tommy lead their classmates in an attempt to keep Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Robie House from being demolished.
• Broach, Elise. Shakespear's Secret. (J Broach)
  • Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house.
• Clements, Andrew. Room One: A Mystery or Two. (J Clements)
  • A shrinking school in a dying town and a face in the window of an empty house don't seem to be related, but as fifth-grader Ted Hammond learns, in a very small town, there is not such thing as an isolated event.
• Dixon, Franklin. Hardy Boys Series. (J Dixon)
• Giff, Patricia Riley. Kidnap at the Catfish Cafe. (J Giff)
  • Assisted by her cat Max, sixth grader Minnie starts up her new detective agency by investigating a kidnapping and a thief who will steal anything, even a hot stove.
• Holm, & Hamel. To Scratch a Thief. (J Holm)
  • An enemy from Mr. Stink's past is targeting his new suburban family, and the international cat of mystery must discover the identity of his nemesis and defeat him.
• Howe, Deborah. Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery.* (J Holm)
  • Though scoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire.
• Keen, Carolyn. Nancy Drew Series. (J Keen)
• Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game. (J Raskin)
  • The mysterious death of an eccentirc millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.
• Sobol, Donald. Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case. * (J Sobol)
  • Presents ten cases in which the reader pits his wits against those of Encyclopedia Brown, an ingenious twelve-year-old detective. Includes recipes.
• Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady. (J Springer)
  • Pursued by her much older brother, famed detective Sherlock Holmes, fourteen-year-old Enola, disguised and using false names, attempts to solve the kidnapping of a baronet's sixteen-year-old daughter in nineteenth-century London.
• Stanley, Diane. The Mysterious Matter of I.M. Fine. (J Stanley)
  • Noticing that a popular series of horror novels is having a bizarre effect on the behaviour of its readers, Franny and Beamer set out to find the mysterious author.
• Van Draanen. Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man.* (J Van Draanen)
  • On Halloween night, seventh grader Sammy stumbles onto a mystery involving a twenty-year-old family feud and some heirlooms stolen by a man in a skeleton costume.

*This book is part of a series. Try other books by the same author.

• Anholt, Laurence. Sophie and the New Baby (JJ Anholt)
  • Sophie waits through the seasons of the year for her sibling to be born and then experiences mixed feelings about the new baby.
• Burningham, John. There's Going to Be a Baby (JJ Burningham)
  • A young boy imagines what life will be like when his new sibling arrives.
• Cole, Joanna. I’m a Big Brother and I’m a Big Sister (Family JJ Cole)
  • A child eagerly welcomes home his new baby brother, and a sister enumerates the joys of welcoming a new baby to the family and the advantages of already being "big."
• dePaola, Tomie. Baby Sister (Favorites JJ dePaola)
  • When he learns that his mother is going to have a baby, Tommy is very excited and hopes that the baby will be a sister.
• Elkin, Mark. Samuel's Baby (Family JJ Elkin)
  • Samuel announces during show-and-tell that he is having a baby and soon his kindergarten classmates are expecting everything from twins to puppies, but while Samuel teaches them how to hold and diaper a newborn, he has some qualms about becoming a big brother.
• Feiffer, Kate. But I Wanted a Baby Brother (Family JJ Feiffer)
  • Oliver Keaton wants a baby brother more than anything but when he gets a baby sister instead he sets out with his dog Chaplin to trade his sister for the perfect baby brother.
• Hall, Algy. Fine as We Are (Family JJ Hall)
  • Little Frog was very happy just being with his mom. Then the baby frogs came. Lots of baby frogs.
• Henkes, Kevin. Julius, the Baby of the World (JJRT Henkes)
  • Lilly is convinced that the arrival of her new baby brother is the worst thing that has happened in their house, until Cousin Garland comes to visit.
• Hill, Susanna Leonard. Not Yet, Rose (JJ Hill)
  • While impatiently waiting for the birth of a new baby brother or sister, Rose imagines the things they will do together and how her life will change.
• Layne, Stephen L. Love the Baby (Family JJ Layne)
  • An older brother at first resents his new sibling, but eventually he starts to love the baby.
• Lloyd-Jones, Sally. How to Be a Baby – By Me, the Big Sister (Family JJ Lloyd-Jones)
  • An all-knowing big sister gives her baby sibling lessons in being a baby.
• Uegaki, Chieri. Rosie and Buttercup (JJ Uegaki)
  • Tired of her baby sister always getting in her way, Rosie gives Buttercup to her babysitter, Oscar, but when she finally has the house to herself, Rosie realizes how much fun her sister really is.
• Hooks, William H. Mr. Big Brother (JJ E Hooks)
  • Eli is disappointed when the new baby in his family is a little sister rather than the brother he had expected.

• Kennedy, Kim. Pirate Pete's Giant Adventure. (Make Believe JJ Kennedy)
  • When the a sea fairy promises him a new ship in return for retrieving a stolen magic sapphire, Pirate Pete discovers that the gem is guarded by a fierce, yet dimwitted, giant.
• Krosoczka, Jarrett. Bubble Bath Pirates. (Make Believe JJ Krosoczka)
  • When pirate mommy announces bathtime, it is yo ho ho and to the bath we go for her little pirates.
• Krupinski, Loretta. Pirate Treasure. (Make Believe JJ Krupinski)
  • When pirates Captain Oliver and Rosie decide to try farming near the town of Mousam they learn that the sayings about weather that they used while at sea are equally useful on land.
• Long, Melinda. Pirates Don't Change Diapers. (Make Believe JJ Long)
  • Braid Beard and his pirate crew return to retrieve the treasure they buried in Jeremy Jacob's backyard, but first they must help calm his baby sister, Bonney Anne, whom they awoke from her nap.
• McElligott, Matthew. Blackbeard and the Birthday Suit. (Make Believe JJ McElligott)
  • A humorous story of a rough, tough, and hairy pirate who gets some new clothes.
• McPhail, David. Edward and the Pirates. (Make Believe JJ McPhail)
  • Once Edward has learned to read, books and his vivid imagination provide him with great adventures.
• Sobel, June. Shiver Me Letters: a Pirate ABC. (Concepts JJ Sobel)
  • Having decided that R is not enough for them, a bumbling band of pirates sets sail on a quest to capture the rest of the alphabet.

Beginnning Readers (JJE)

• Dubowski, Cathy. Pirate School. (JJE Dubowski)
  • At Pirate School, Pete learns to act like a pirate and fight it out, but when he and a classmate find a treasure at the same time, pirate rules don't seem to work.
• Underwood, Deborah. Pirate Mom. (JJE Underwood)
  • When a hypnotist convinces Pete's mother that she is a pirate, Pete tries to find a way to turn her back into a regular parent.

Beginning Chapter Books (JE)

• Cannon. A. E. Way Out West With Pirate Pete and Pirate Joe. (JE Cannon)
  • Two silly pirates go on a search for their Wild West cousins and end up at a surprise birthday party.
• Morgan, Christopher. Pirates Eat Porridge. (JE Morgan)
  • While Mom and Dad are away, a pirate takes Billy and his sister Heidi on a wild adventure.

Junior Fiction (J)

• Babbitt, Natalie. Jack Plank Tells Tales. (J Babbitt)
  • Pirate Jack is unable to get a job and he spends his evenings telling stories to the other boarders at Mrs. DelFresno's boarding house.
• Barry, Dave. Peter and the Starcatchers. (J Barry)
  • When young orphan Peter and his mates are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff, they set sail aboard the Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold, but the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and danger.
• Colfer, Eoin. Eoin Colfer's Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth. (J Colfer)
  • Will and Marty Woodman travel with their family to a small seaside town famous for its resident ghost, pirate Captain Augustine Crow, who haunts the seashore.
• Fleischman, Sid. The Giant Rat of Sumatra: or Pirates Galore. (J Fleischman)
  • A cabin boy on a pirate ship finds himself in San Diego in 1846 as war breaks out between the United States and Mexico.
• Fleischman, Sid. The Ghost in the Noonday Sun. (J Fleischman)
  • 12-year old Oliver tries to escape from pirates who take him to a haunted island.
• Rossell, Judith. Jack Jones and the Pirate Curse. (J Rossell)
  • With the death of his Great-Uncle Mungo, Jack learns to his dismay that, as the tenth-generation descendant of the Caribbean pirate Blackstrap Morgan, he is next in line to inherit the Pirate Curse and is fated to spend his life running from a vengeful band of pirates--unless he finds a way to outsmart them.
• Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. (J Stevenson)
  • While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the mistress of the inn and her son find a treasure map that leads them to a pirate's fortune.

Non-Fiction

• Hamilton, Hohn. Pirate Ships and Weapons. (J 910.45 Hamilton)
  • Armed and dangerous -- Blades -- Firearms -- Tooth and nail -- Pirate ships -- Jolly Roger -- Cannons -- Battle tactics.
• Lassieur, Allison. History of Pirates: from Privateers to Outlaws. (J 910.4 Lassieur)
  • Describes the history of pirates, including the reasons people became pirates and why the Golden Age of Piracy ended.
• Lewman, David. Yo-ho-ha-ha-ha!: A Pirate Joke Book (J 808.87 Lewman)
  • Based on the TV series SpongeBob Squarepants created by Stephen Hillenburg as seen on Nickelodeon.
• Lichtenheld, Tom. Everything I Know About Pirates. (J 910.45 Lichtenheld)
  • A collection of made-up facts, educated guesses, and silly pictures about pirates.
• Matthews, John. Pirates. (J 910.4 Matthews)
  • An introduction to the world of pirates, including the history of pirating, the ships and flags, life on board, pirate attacks and treasure, as well as profiling some of the most notorious pirates, discussing their lives on land, their capture and trials, and punishment. Includes a look at pirate fiction, a time line, and numerous pull-out maps, letters, and other movable parts.
• Niehaus, Alisha. Piratepedia. (J 910.4 Niehaus)
  • Ancient pirates -- Corsairs -- Privateers -- Buccaneers and the golden age of piracy -- Asian pirates -- Modern-day pirates -- Classic pirate literature.
• O'Donnell, Liam. Pirate Ships Sailing the High Seas. (J 910.4 O'Donnell)
  • Presents different types of pirate ships and their features, how they were obtained, their uses and care, and some of the famous pirates who used them.
• Robins, Deri. Great Pirate Activity Book. (J 790.1Robins)
  • Make your own pirate ship, treasure chest, and pirate outfit. Learn new games and much, much more.
• Tessaro, Chuck. Big Book of Pirates. (J 910.45 Tessaro)
  • Gives descriptions of pirate lifestyles and codes of conduct, maps and ship diagrams, and accounts of notorious pirates.
• Yolen, Jane. Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World. (J 910.45 Yolen)
  • Brief biographies of women pirates from around the world.

Biography (JB)

• Hamilton, Sue. Captain Kidd. (JB Kidd, William)
• Hamilton, Sue. Henry Morgan. (JB Morgan, Henry)

Picture Books (JJ)

• Auch, Mary Jane. The Princess and the Pizza. (Folk and Fairy Tales JJ Auch)
  • An out-of-work princess applies to become the bride of Prince Drupert, but first she must pass several tests, including a cooking contest.
• Child, Lauren. The Princess and the Pea in Miniature: after the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. (Folk and Fairy Tales JJ Child)
  • Presents a re-telling of the well-known fairy tale of a young girl feels a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds and proves she is a real princess.
• Cole, Babette. Princess Smartypants. (Make Believe JJ Cole)
  • Not wishing to marry any of her royal suitors, Princess Smartypants devises difficult tasks at which they all fail, until the multitalented Prince Swashbuckle appears.
• Craft, K.Y. Cinderella. (Folk and Fairy Tales JJ Cinderella)
  • Although mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella meets her prince with the help of her fairy godmother. This beautifully illustrated version of the classic tale was inspired by 17th and 18th century France.
• Lum, Kate. Princesses Are Not Quitters! (Make Believe JJ Lum)
  • Three bored princesses decide to become servants for a day and learn what hard work is all about.
• Munsch, Robert. The Paper Bag Princess. (Make Believe JJ Munsch)
  • When a dragon comes along and burns all Elizabeth's clothes and smashes her castle, Elizabeth wears a paper bag until she recovers her possessions.
• Oram, Hiawyn. Princess Chamomile Gets Her Way. (Make Believe JJ Oram)
  • Princess Chamomine is fed up. She's not allowed to wear anything but fussy, frilly princess dresses; she's not allowed to leave the castle grounds; and she's never, never allowed to eat sweets. What's a headstrong mouse princess to do?
• Shannon, Margaret. The Red Wolf. (JJ Shannon)
  • Roselupin, a princess locked in a tower by her overprotective father, uses yarn to knit a red wolf suit to free herself.

Easy Chapter Books (JE)

• French, Vivian. Princess Sophia and the Prince's Party.* (JE French)
  • Princess Sophia encourages a shy prince to dance with her at the Princes' Academy Ball.
• Yolen, Jane. Sleeping Ugly. (JE Yolen) 
  • When beautiful Princess Miserella, Plain Jane, and a fairy fall under a sleeping spell, a prince undoes the spell in a surprising way.

Junior Fiction (J)

• Burnett, Frances Hodgson. A Little Princess. (J Burnett)
  • Sara Crewe, a pupil at Miss Minchin's London school, is left in poverty when her father dies, but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor.
• Coombs, Kate. The Runaway Princess. (J Coombs)
  • Fifteen-year-old Princess Meg uses magic and her wits to rescue a baby dragon and escape the unwanted attentions of princes hoping to gain her hand in marriage through a contest arranged by her father, the king.
• Ferris, Jean. Once Upon a Marigold. (J Ferris)
  • A young man with a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father. Sequel: Twice Upon a Marigold.
• Hale, Shannon. The Princess Academy. (J Hale)
  • While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.
• King-Smith, Dick. Lady Lollipop. (J King-Smith)
  • A quick-witted swineherd and a pig named Lollipop are royally rewarded after they reform a spoiled princess. Sequel: Clever Lollipop.
• Levine, Gail Carson.  Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep. (J Levine)
  • In this retelling of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, Princess Sonora, who is ten times smarter than anyone else, vows to choose for herself the best time to be pricked by the spindle.
• Levin, Gail Carson.  Cinderellis and the Glass Hill. (J Levine)
  • In this humorous retelling of a Perrault tale, a lonely young farm lad uses his unusual inventive ability to pass a nearly impossible test and win the hand of the neighboring princess.
• Levin, Gail Carson. Two Princesses of Bamarre. (J Levine)
  • With her adventurous sister, Meryl, suffering from the the Grey death, meek and timid Princess Addie sets out to find a cure.

Non-Fiction

• Peters, Stephanie True. The princess primer: a fairy godmother's guide to being a princess. (J 398.21 Peters)
  • An incomparable gift for girls who dream of being a princess, this journal from a fairy godmother reveals all her closely guarded secrets about how to wear a sparkly tiara, choose a fabulous gown, what to expect at a royal ball, and how to recognize a true prince.

*This book is part of a series. Try other books by the same author.

Picture Books (JJ)

• Allard, Harry. Miss Nelson is Missing. (JJRT Allard)
  • The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.
• Barrett, Judi. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. (Make Believe JJ Barrett)
  • In Chew and swallow, meals rain from the sky at appropriate times of the day, but a change in the weather blows in massive problems.
• Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. (Vroom JJ Burton)
  • Mike Mulligan proves that, although dated, his steam shovel is still useful.
• Cannon, Janell. Stellaluna. (Animals JJ Cannon)
  • After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother.
• Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius. (JJ Cooney)
  • As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.
• De Paola, Tomie. Strega Nona. (Favorites JJ DePaola)
  • When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.
• Kellogg, Steven. Pinkerton Behave. (Pets JJ Kellogg)
  • When his owners send him to obedience school, Pinkerton flunks out in record time. Then one night, a burglar breaks into their house, and Pinkerton is able to put his bad habits to good use.
• McCully, Emily. Mirette on the High Wire. (Favories JJ McCully)
  • Mirette was always fascinated by the strange and interesting people who stayed in her mother's boarding house. But no one excited her as much as Bellini, who walks the clothesline with the grace and ease of a bird. When Mirette discovers that fear has kept him from performing for years, she sets out to show him that sometimes a student can be the greatest teacher of all.
• Van Allsburg, Chris. Jumanji. (Favorites JJ Van Allsburg)
  • Left on their own for an afternoon, two bored and restless children find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical jungle adventure board game.
• Verna, Aardema. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. (Folk and Fairy Tales JJ Aardema)
  • A retelling of a traditional West African tale that reveals how the mosquito developed its annoying habit.
• Waber, Bernard. Ira Sleeps Over. (JJRT Waber)
  • A young boy is excited at the prospect of spending the night at his friend's house but worries how he'll get along without his teddy bear.

Junior Fiction. (J)

• Birdsall, Jeanne. The Penderwicks. (J Birdsall)
  • While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.
• Brink, Carol Ryrie. Caddie Woodlawn. (J Brink)
  • Chronicles the adventures of eleven-year-old Caddie growing up with her six brothers and sisters on the Wisconsin frontier in the mid-nineteenth century. Caddie Woodlawn loves adventure and she refuses to be a "lady." She'd rather hunt than sew, plow than bake, and she beats her brothers' dares every chance she gets. Caddie and her six brothers and sisters have many exciting experiences on the Wisconsin frontier of the 1860s.
• Burnett, Frances Hodgons. The Secret Garden. (J Burnett)
  • Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.
• Cleary, Beverly. Ramona the Pest.* (J Cleary)
  • Ramona meets many interesting people in kindergarten class, like Davy whom she keeps trying to kiss and Susan whose springy curls seem to ask to be pulled.
• Enright, Elizabeth. The Saturdays.* (J Enright)
  • Four New York City siblings decide to pool their resources so that each can do a special thing on the Saturday that is his turn to receive the combined allowance.
• Gardiner, John Renyolds. Stone Fox. (J Gardiner)
  • Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.
• Grahame, Kenneth. Wind in the Willows. (J Grahame)
  • The escapades of four animal friends who live along a river in the English countryside--Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger.
• Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. (J Lowry)
  • In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.
• Norton, Mary. The Borrowers.* (J Norton)
  • Miniature people who live in an old country house by borrowing things from the humans are forced to emigrate from their home under the clock.
• Robinson, Barbara. Best Christmas Pageant Ever. (J Robinson)
  • The six mean Herdman kids lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.
• Speare, Elizabeth George. Sign of the Beaver. (J Speare)
  • Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

• Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House in the Big Woods.* (J Wilder)

  • Four-year-old Laura lives in the little house with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack. Pioneer life is sometimes hard, since the family must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter, but it is also exciting as Laura and her folks celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do the spring planting, bring in the harvest, and make their first trip into town. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.

* This book is part of a series

• Byars, Betsy. Summer of the Swans. (J Byars)
  • A teenage girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally handicapped brother gets lost.
• Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw. (J Cleary)
  • In his letters to his favorite author, Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
• Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. (J Creech)
  • After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route.
• Konigsburg, E.L. The View From Saturday. (J Konigsburg)
  • Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.
• Lord, Cynthia. Rules. (J Lord)
  • Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules-from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public"-in order to stop his embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic boy, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?
• Martin, Ann. Belle Teal. (J Martin)
  • Belle Teal's lives with her mother and grandmother far out in the country. As school begins, Belle Teal faces unexpected challenges. Her best friends are up against some big problems. And there are two new students in Belle Teal's class: a shy boy caught in the town's furor over desegregation, and a snob who has problems of her own. As her world falls apart, Belle Teal discovers the importance of sticking together.
• McKay, Hilary. Saffy's Angel. (J McKay)
  • After learning that she was adopted, thirteen-year-old Saffron's relationship with her eccentric, artistic family changes, until they help her go back to Italy where she was born to find a special momento of her past.
• McKinnon, Hannah Roberts. Franny Parker. (J McKinnon)
  • Through a hot, dry Oklahoma summer, twelve-year-old Franny tends wild animals brought by her neighbors, hears gossip during a weekly quilting bee, befriends a new neighbor who has some big secrets, and learns to hope.
• Namioka, Lensey. Half and Half. (Namioka)
  • At Seattle's annual Folk Fest, twelve-year-old Fiona and her older brother are torn between trying to please their Chinese grandmother and making their Scottish grandparents happy.
• Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Shiloh. (J Naylor)
  • When he finds a beagle in the hills near his home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to mistreat his dogs.
• Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. (J Paterson)
  • The life of a boy in rural Virginia expands when he befriends a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.
• Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins. (J Paterson)
  • An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
• Smith, Yeardley. I, Lorelei. (J Smith)
  • In letters to her recently deceased cat Mud, eleven-year-old Lorelei chronicles the ups and downs of her sixth-grade year, during which her parents separate, she gets a part in the school play, and she becomes friends with the cutest boy in her grade.
• Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee. (J Spinelli)
  • After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
• Wiles, Deborah. Love, Ruby Lavender. (J Wiles)
  • Ruby Lavender has fun with her grandmother Miss Eula as they rescue chickens, paint a house pink and run their own secret post office. But what can Ruby do when Eula goes away?

• Cassedy, Sylvia. Behind the Attic Wall. (J Cassedy)
  • In the bleak, forbidding house of her great-aunts, neglected Maggie hears ghostly voices and finds magic that awakens in her the capacity to love and be loved.
• Gaiman, Neil. Coraline. (J Gaiman)
  • Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a worl that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.
• Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. (J Gaiman)
  • Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard.
• Gorog, Judith. In a Creepy, Creepy Place and Other Scary Stories. (J Gorog)
  • A collection of scary stories with unpredictable events and bizarre characters.
• Hahn, Mary Downing. Deep and Dark and Dangerous. (J Hahn)
  • When thirteen-year-od Ali goes to spend the summer with her aunt and cousin a the family's vacation home, she stumbles upon a secret that her mother and aunt have been hiding for over thirty years.
• Hahn, Mary Downing. Wait Till Helen Comes: a ghost story. (J Hahn)
  • Molly and her brother Michael dislike their bratty 5-year-old stepsister Heather and resent the family move to an isolated converted church in the country. The adjourning graveyard frightens Molly, but Heather seems drawn to it and soon Molly discovers that the ghost of a child (Helen) who died in a fire a century ago wants to lure Heather to her doom. Can Molly save Heather before it is too late?
• Hamilton, Virginia. The House of Dies Drear. (J Hamilton)
  • In this Edgar Allan Poe Award-winning novel, a black family moves into an enormous house once used to hide runaway slaves. Mysterious sounds and events as well as the discovery of secret passageways make the family believe they are in grave danger.
• San Souci, Robert. Double-Dare to be Scared. (J San Souci)
  • DeWayne's friend is acting creepy, and DeWayne needs to get away-fast. Because in Double-Dare to Be Scared, being a regular kid doesn't mean you're safe. And having friends is even less of a guarantee.
• Schwartz, Alvin. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. (J398.25 Schwartz)
  • Stories of ghosts and witches, "jump" stories, scary songs, and modern-day scary stories.
• Schwartz, Alvin. Scary Stories 3: more tales to chill your bones. (J398.25 Schwartz)
  • More traditional and modern-day stories of ghosts, haunts, superstitions, monsters, and horrible scary things.
• Wallace, Barbara Brooks. Peppermints in the Parlor. J Wallace
  • Sent to live with an aunt and uncle, Emily enters their once-happy mansion only to find unimaginable horrors.

• Donaldson, Julia. Room on the Broom. (Celebrations JJ Donaldson)
  • A witch finds room on her broom for all the animals that ask fo a ride, and they repay her kindness by rescuing her from a dragon.
• Emberley, Ed. Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Make Believe JJ Emberley)
  • Die-cut pages allow readers to manipulate a monster's features.
• Galdone, Paul. Teeny Tiny Woman. (Folk and Fairy Tales JJ Galdone)
  • Tell the tale of the teeny-tiny woman who finds a teeny-tiny bone in a churchyard and puts it away in her cupboard before she goes to sleep.
• Goodhart, Pippa. Three Little Ghosties. (Make Believe JJ Goodhart)
  • Three mischievous ghosts love scaring little children, until the children decide to take matters into their own hands.
• Mayer, Mercer. There's a Nightmare In My Closet. (Make Believe JJ Mayer)
  • A child believes that there is a nightmare hiding in his bedroom closet but no one takes him seriously.
• Mayer, Mercer. There's Something In My Attic. (Make Believe JJ Mayer)
  • Convinced there is something making noise in the attic at night, a brave little girl sneaks up the stairs, lasso in hand, to capture it.
• Schwartz, Alvin. In a Dark, Dark Room, and Other Scary Stories. (JJE Schwartz)
  • Scary stories to tell, based on traditional stories and folktales from various countries.
• Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. (Favorites JJ Sendak)
  • The classic story of a little boy, sent to bed without his supper, who sails to the land of the wild things.
• Van Allsburg, Chris. The Widow's Broom. (Favorites JJ Van Allsburg)
  • A witch's worn-out broom serves a widow well, until her neighbors decide the thing is wicked and dangerous.
• Williams, Linda. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything. (JJ Williams)
  • Our heroine must deal with a pumpkin head, a tall black hat, and other spooky objects that follow her through the dark woods
• Wisniewski, David. Golem. (Favorites JJ Wisniewski)
  • A saintly rabbi miraculously brings to life a clay giant who helps him watch over the Jews of sixteenth-century Prague.
• Wood, Audrey. Heckedy Peg. (JJ Wood)
  • A mother saves her seven children from Heckedy Peg, a witch who has changed them into different kinds of food.

Picture Books (JJ)

• Alborough, Jez. Hit the Ball Duck. (JJ Alborough)
  • Duck and his friends drive out into the countryside to play a game of baseball.
• Burleigh, Robert. Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth. (JJ Burleigh)
  • A poetic account of the legendary Babe Ruth as he prepares to make a home run.

Beginning Readers (JJE)

• Berenstain, Stan. The Berenstain Bears play t-ball. (JJE Berenstain)
  • When Brother and Sister Bear help teach some younger cubs how to play T-ball, they learn a lesson in patience.
• Parish, Peggy. Play Ball Amelia Bedelia. (JJE Parish)
  • Amelia Bedelia, who knows very little about baseball, stands in for a sick player during a game.

Easy Chapter Books (JE)

• Adler, David. Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Babe Ruth Baseball. (JE Adler)
  • Cam uses her photographic memory to identify the person who stole a valuable autographed baseball. The Cam Jansen books are perfect for young readers who are making the transition to chapter books, and Cam is a spunky young heroine whom readers have loved for over two decades. Now the first ten books in the series have updated covers that bring new life to these perennial best-sellers. Old fans and new readers will love Cam's cool, modern look!
• Christopher, Matt. The Captain Contest. (JE Christopher)
  • Dewey loves to draw and wants to enter the soccer team logo contest, but he doesn't want to win the grand prize--being team captain

Junior Fiction (J)

• Baggott, Julianna. The Prince of Fenway Park. (J Baggott)
  • In the fall of 2004, twelve-year-old Oscar Egg is sent to live with his father in a strange netherworld under Boston's Fenway Park, where he joins the fairies, pooka, banshee, and other beings that are trapped there, waiting for someone to break the eighty-six-year-old curse that has prevented the Boston Red Sox from winning a World Series.
• Corbett, Sue. Free Baseball. (J Corbett)
  • Angry with his mother for having too little time for him, eleven-year-old Felix takes advantage of an opportunity to become bat boy for a minor league baseball team, hoping to someday be like his father, a famous Cuban outfielder.
• Day, Karen. No Cream Puffs. (J Day)
  • In 1980, when twelve-year-old Madison, who loves to play baseball, decides to play in her town's baseball league, she never envisions the uproar it causes when she becomes the first girl to join.
• Gardner, John Reynods. Stone Fox. (J Gardner)
  • Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.
• Gutman, Dan. Honus and Me. (J Gutman)
  • Joey, who loves baseball but is not very good at it, finds a valuable 1909 Honus Wagner card and travels back in time to meet Honus.
• Gutman, Dan. Million Dollar Shot. (J Gutman)
  • Eleven-year-old Eddie gets a chance to win a million dollars by sinking a foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals.
• Lord, Bette. In the Year of the Boar and Jacki Robinson. (J Lord)
  • In 1947, a Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball.
• Lupica, Mike. Heat. (J Lupica)
  • Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.
• Myers, Walter Dean. Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues. (J My Name)
  • Teenager Biddy Owens' 1948 journal about working for the Birmingham Black Barons includes the games and the players, racism the team faces from New Orleans to Chicago, and his family's resistance to his becoming a professional baseball player.
• Ritter, John. Boy Who Saved Baseball. (J Ritter)
  • The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato.
• Scieszka, Jon. See You Later Gladiator. (J Scieszka)
  • Joe, Fred, and Sam demonstrate some of their favorite professional wrestling moves, including the "Time Warp Trio Blind Ninja Smackdown," when they're transported to ancient Rome and forced to fight as gladiators in the Colosseum
• Soto, Gary. Baseball in April. (JCD Book Soto)
  • A collection of eleven short stories focusing on the everyday adventures of Hispanic young people growing up in Fresno, California.
• Tunis, John R. Rookie of the Year. (J Tunis)
  • Dodger manager Spike Russell's efforts to rally his team to a pennant victory are threatened by a scheming club secretary and the seeming irresponsibility of a star rookie pitcher.
• Wolf, Virginia. Bat 6. (J Wolf)
  • In small town, post-World War Oregon, twenty-one 6th grade girls recount the story of an annual softball game, during which one girl's bigotry comes to the surface. Includes recipe for apple spice cake.

• Bloom, Suzanne. The Bus for Us. (Growing Up JJ Bloom)
  • On her first day of school, Tess wonders what the school bus will look like.
• Buzzeo, Toni. Adventure Annie Goes to Kindergarten. (Growing Up JJ Buzzeo)
  • Even though there are rules to follow, a little girl who loves adventure has an exciting first day of kindergarten.
• Carlson, Nancy L. Look Out, Kindergarten, here I Come! (Growing Up JJ Carlson)
  • Even though Henry is looking forward to going to kindergarten, he is not sure about staying once he first gets there.
• Cox, Judy. Don't Be Silly, Mrs. Millie! (Growing Up JJ Cox)
  • A teacher makes her students laugh when she mixes up words saying "goats" instead of "coats" and "poodles" when she means "puddles."
• Danneberg, Julie. First Day Jitters. (Growing Up JJ Danneberg)
  • Sarah is afraid to start at a new school, but both she and the reader are in for a surprise when she gets to her class.
• DeGroat, Diane. Brand-New Pencils, Brand-New Books. (Growing Up JJ DeGroat)
  • Gilbert's excitement over starting first grade turns to worry, but throughout the day he encounters pleasant surprises.
• DePaola, Tomie. Meet the Barkers. (JJCD Book DePaola)
  • Bossy Moffie and her quiet twin brother Morgie both enjoy starting school.
• Edwards, Pamela Duncan. Dinosaur Starts School. (Dinosaurs JJ Edwards)
  • Dinosaur worries about the first day of school, but with the help of a a reassuring classmate he finds that school can be fun.
• Gantos, Jack. Back to School for Rotten Ralph. (Growing Up JJ Gantos)
  • Afraid of being left alone, Rotten Ralph, the nasty red cat, follows Sarah to school and tries to prevent her from making new friends.
• George, Lucy M. Back to School Tortoise. (Growing Up JJ George)
  • Summer is over and Tortoise must summon the courage to go back to school.
• Grogan, John. Marley Goes to School. (Growing Up JJ Grogan)
  • Marley the rambunctious dog sniffs his way to Cassie's school and spreads chaos as he searches for her.
• Harper, Jamie. Miss Mingo and the First Day of School. (Growing Up JJ Harper)
  • Miss Mingo helps all of the animal students in her class overcome their shyness on the first day of school by encouraging them to share something special about themselves.
• Henkes, Kevin. Wemberly Worried. (JJ Henkes)
  • A mouse named Wemberly finds that she has a whole list of things to worry about when she faces the first day of nursery school.
• McGhee, Alison. Countdown to Kindergarten. (Growing Up JJ McGhee)
  • Ten days before the start of kindergarten, a preschooler can not tie her shoes by herself and fears the worst.
• McGhee, Alison. Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth. (Growing Up JJ McGhee)
  • A first grader is frightened on her first day of school after hearing a rumor that her teacher is an alien who steals baby teeth from her students.
• Mackall, Dandi Daley. First Day. (Growing Up JJ Mackall)
  • After a doubt filled but successful first day at school, a child can't help but look forward to the second day.
• Penn, Audrey. The Kissing Hand. (Growing Up JJ Penn)
  • When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.
• Rubel, Nicole. Ham and Pickles: first day of school. (Growing Up JJ Rubel)
  • Pickles is nervous about her first day of school, but taking advice from her big brother Ham may not be a good idea.
• Saltzberg, Barney. Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for School. (Growing Up JJ Saltzberg)
  • Cornelius the pig has his own style when preparing for school in the morning, but he does not really feel ready until he gets a kiss.
• Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: School Days. (JJ E Silverman)
  • Cocoa the horse does not want Cowgirl Kate to go to school without him.
• Slate, Joseph. Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. (Growing Up JJ Slate)
  • Introduces the letters of the alphabet as Miss Bindergarten and her students get ready for kindergarten.
• Thompson, Lauren. Mouse's First Day of School. (Growing Up JJ Thompson)
  • When he goes to school, Mouse finds a world of new objects and new friends.
• Vernick, Audrey. Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? (Growing Up JJ Vernick)
  • Although kindergarten provides unique challenges for a young buffalo, one who follows the rules and tries his best will get along fine.
• Wells, Rosemary. Timothy Goes to School. (Favorites JJ Wells)
  • Timothy learns about being accepted and making friends during the first week of his first year at school.

• Coville, Bruce. My Teacher is an Alien. (J Coville)
  • Susan Simmons can tell that her new substitute teacher is really weird. But she doesn't know how weird until she catches him peeling off his face and realizes "Mr. Smith" is really an alien. Other book in the series are: My Teacher Fried My Brains ,My Teacher Glows in the Dark , and My Teacher Flunked the Planet.
• Duprau, Jeanne. City of Ember. (J Duprau)
  • In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions. Other books in the series: The People of Sparks, and Prophet of Yonwood.;
• Fox, Helen. Eager. (J Fox)
  • Unlike Grumps, their old-fashoned robot, the bell family's new robot, Eager, is programed not mearly to obey but to question, reason, and exercise free will. Sequel: Eager's Nephew
• Gutman, Dan. Satch and Me. (J Gutman)
  • With his ability to travel through time using vintage baseball cards, Joe takes Flip with him to find out whether Satchel Paige really was the fastest pitcher ever. Other books in the series include Mikey and Me, Babe and Me, Abner and Me, Jackie and Me, and Honus and Me
• Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. (J Haddix)
  • When thirteen-year-old Luke Garner unwittingly sets off a rebellion which sweeps the country and ousts the Population Police from power, he quickly realizes that the new regime is corrupt and he may hold the only key to true freedom. Other books in the series: Among the Imposters, Among the Betrayed, Among the Barons, Among the Brave, and Among the Enemy
• Lowery, Lois. The Giver. (J Lowery)
  • Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.  Other books in the series are Gathering Blue and The Messenger.
• L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. (J L’Engle)
  • Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. Other books in the series include A Swiftly Tilting Planet and A Wind in the Door.
• MacHale, D. J. The Merchant of Death (Pendragon series). (J Machale)
  • Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world. And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution. If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning. Other books in this series are: The Lost City of Faar, The Never War, The Reality Bug, Black Water, The Rivers of Zadaa, The Quillan Games, The Pilgrims of Rayne, Raven Rise, and The Soldiers of Halla.
• O'Brien, Robert C. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (J O'Brien)
  • Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a laboratory made them wise and long lived. 1972 Newbery Award Medal Winner!
• Peck, Richard. Lost in Cyberspace. (J Peck)
  • While dealing with changes at home, sixth-grader Josh and his friend Aaron use the computer at their New York prep school to travel through time, learning some secrets from the school's past and improving Josh's home situation.
• Seidler, Tor. Brainboy and the Deathmaster. (J Seidler)
  • When Darryl, a twelve-year-old orphan, is adopted by a technology genius, he finds himself the star of his very own life-threatening video game.
• Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. (J Stead)
  • As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
• Yolen, Jane. The Devil's Arithmetic. (J Yolen)
  • Hannah resents stories of her Jewish heritage and of the past until, when opening the door during a Passover Seder, she finds herself in Poland during World War II where she experiences the horrors of a concentration camp, and learns why she-- and we--need to remember the past.