3rd Grade (Age 8)

This picture book biography tells the true story of a steadfast, resourceful hero. Wilson Bentley (1865-1931) was a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of snowflakes in order to study their formations. When his mother gave him an old microscope, he began what was to become his life’s work, studying the intricate designs of snowflakes. He discovered that no two patterns appeared the same. For three winters, he tried drawing what he saw, but the crystals always melted before he could finish. Then, when he was 17, his parents spent all their savings to buy Willie a camera with a built-in …

Presidents have come in almost every variety. There have been generals like George Washington and actors like Ronald Reagan. They are tall and short, serious and filled with humor. David Small’s hysterical pictures will keep young readers in stitches as they learn about the surprising idiosyncrasies of our nation’s leaders.

Although the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving has been a staple in schools for decades, the Native American version of this event is far less familiar. Told in the first person from Squanto’s point of view, Bruchac’s book begins with the brutal hardships Squanto endured at the hands of the English. After being kidnapped and enslaved in Spain, he works desperately hard to sail back to New England, only to find that his family and many other Patuxet people have died from disease brought by the white man. In spite of all this, Squanto is unaltered in …

The inventive duo who brought the world such zany tales as The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man now offer an inimitable tribute to Aesop. “Fables have been around for thousands of years,” the author explains. “And it’s no wonder. Because even thousands of years ago people were bright enough to figure out that you could gossip about anyone as long as you changed their name to something like ‘Lion’ or ‘Mouse’.” He’s also sure that these tales about squids and dawdling grasshoppers could easily have been created by Aesop “if he were alive …

SQUIRRELLY GRAY LIVES in a world without color. His TV is the only fun he has. (And it’s really not much fun.) But tonight is an unusual night for the young squirrel. First he meets the Tooth Fairy, who is very nice. And then he meets the Hungry Fox, who is not so nice. So turn off that TV, Squirrelly Gray - the fun is just beginning! Mixing playful verse with comics-inspired illustration, James Kochalka has created a unique picture book and an imaginative fable that will have kids rooting for the always adorable, sometimes courageous Squirrelly Gray.

Sabuda and Reinhart Studios have created another spectacular pop-up book for George Lucas’s epic STAR WARS movies! Bestselling pop-up artist and engineer Matthew Reinhart has designed a thirtieth anniversary commemorative edition that comes packed with a variety of novelty features — pop-ups, working light sabers, pull tabs, and other interactive looks at the exciting and popular movies. This beautiful book will impress all fans of STAR WARS and gives a whole new perspective to the films.

Blanche Douglass loved the Mississippi river and the steamboats that traveled across it. By the time she was 12 she knew she wanted to be a steamboat captain, even though it was a job that, so far, had only been done by men. Focused and filled with determination, Douglass pursued her dream to became the first licensed woman steamboat captain.

Who is this stranger? Why did he arrive after a winter storm and what surprises does he bring?
A delightful book of the animals and birds reaction to a snowman who suddenly appeared in their woods after a winter storm. This tale is beta-carotene for the spirit in everyone!