Grade: 4

A blend of poetic text and hand-tinted photographs transform common stones into prized possessions. Rocks are for skipping, splashing, climbing, and wishing. Some rocks even work well as tools for drawing on sidewalks. This quiet gem invites young readers to ponder over the possibilities.

Funny and often touching, Dakos’s poems about life at school will get your class through virtually any situation with good humor.

Igraine, who turns twelve tomorrow, dreams of becoming a famous knight. But today, like most days, life at the family castle remains . . . rather boring. Until the nefarious nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. Greedy Osmund’s got a dastardly plan to capture Pimpernel Castle and steal the singing magic books that belong to Igraine’s mom and dad. Complicating matters, on the eve of the siege her parents misspeak a spell and turn themselves into pigs! (How inconvenient.) Igraine’s birthday wish has come true, and the challenge is bigger than she ever bargained for: Will she face her fears and find the courage to save the day–and the books?

While I Have a Dream features many artists illustrating one person’s words, this book celebrates the poetry of several black authors accompanied by the extraordinary illustrations of one talented artist, Javako Steptoe.

Don’t be fooled by this book’s comic-book style. Within the bubbles, asides, and jokes, readers will find fascinating information about how the Wright brothers braved winds, rain, and crashes while building and testing the first successful flying machine.

Island of the Blue Dolphins is the remarkable story of a strange and beautiful Indian girl who lives a serene and courageous life as the solitary survivor on a rocky island off the California coast. The island looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it, blue dolphins swim, otters frolic in the surf, and sea elephants and birds abound. Once, many Indians lived on the island, too. But when the Russian arrived to prey on the wildlife surrounding the island, a war broke out, and many perished. The few that were left fled the island and sailed to the island of Santa Catalina in the east, but Karana, The Girl wih the Long Black Hair, and Ramo, her brother, were left behind.

In a chapter book format, Karr entertainingly tells the stories of real-life residents of the White House in the following categories: “Home Improvements,” “All the Presidents’ Dogs,” “The First Kids,” “Curious, Strange, and Weird,” and “White as a Ghost.”

There is no doubt about it. Joey Pigza is wired. He suffers from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). This poignant, fast-paced novel deals with the effects of this disorder on Joey as well as on his parents, teachers, and fellow students. Although Joey Pigza tries to control his behavior, he still manages to swallow his house key and turn the class field trip into a disaster. Fortunately, Joey’s teacher suggests further medical evaluation for Joey’s disorder. Gantos’s sequel, Joey Pigza Loses Control, was awarded a Newbery Honor in 2001.