Grade: K

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!

Sun & Spoon proves that Kevin Henkes is just as adept at writing for older readers as he is at creating award-winning picture books like Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Chrysanthemum, and the Caldecott Honor Book Owen. After his grandmother’s death, ten-year-old Spoon Gilmore longs for just the right memento to preserve her memory. His search–through keepsakes, family stories, and his journal about her–leads him into a new understanding of death, memory, and family, as well as a deeper relationship with his grandfather. One of the few novels about mourning written for middle-graders, this earnest novel will not only help students deal with loss but also give them new words and ways to express their feelings.

Despite the danger of capture and punishment, a brave young slave creates a quilt with a map stitched into it to guide herself and others to freedom.

A special dessert is often among the most memorable parts of a holiday celebration, and the pie that Ma and Pa rindle whip up offers the most amazing feast Willobee Street has ever tasted! To make their amazing pie, the Brindles toss together every sweet thing in sight (including marshmallows, chewing gum, and sprinkles) and mesmerize the entire neighborhood for the full 13 hours it takes to bake. Although Ma cautions the neighbors not to eat too much, no one listens. When they eventually go home and drift off to sleep, too much pie turns sweet dreams into potbellied nightmares, jovial green and purple creatures that lumber down the street and float through the air. Finally, Ma rindle sweeps them away, restoring peace to Willobee Street.

Tacky’s companions are graceful and quiet. He isn’t. He is an odd bird. But when hunters come looking for pretty penguins, it is Tacky’s individuality that saves the day.

The Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to the eve of the first Thanksgiving. There they meet the Pilgrims as well as Squanto, a Native American who helped them. The story offers an age-appropriate, in-depth picture of what life was really like for early settlers, as well as the usual Magic Tree House adventure and excitement.

Before school, Horace finds a small toy truck on the playground and keeps it. When he plays with the truck during snack time, a classmate, Walter, yells that the truck is his. Horace lies to his teacher. That night he also lies to his mother. After a troubled night, Horace is too “sick” to go to school. He receives get-well letters from his classmates — even one from Walter. Walter offers Horace an opportunity to return the truck with no hard feelings. This important topic, not often found in picture books, is handled sensitively. This book naturally opens discussion about how it feels to make a bad choice and why one bad choice can lead to others. More importantly, it deals with forgiveness and positive ways to handle a mistake.

The ABCs have never had it so good—created by two of today’s wittiest, most imaginative minds, OUR ALPHABET BOOK is a sheer delight from A to Z. In twenty-six alliterative couplets, Steve Martin conjures up much more than mere apples and zebras; instead we meet Horace the Hare, whose hairdo hides hunchbacks, and Ollie the Owl, who owed Owen an oboe. Roz Chast contributes the perfect visual settings for Martin’s zany two-liners. Her instantly recognizable drawings are packed with humorous touches both broad and subtle.