Funny Little Woman – Lent

In this humorous tale set in long ago Japan, a lively little woman who loves to laugh pursues her runaway dumpling – and must also outwit the wicked three-eyed "oni" when she lands in their clutches.

Illustrations are done in traditional Japanese style, with imagination, delicacy and many interesting details. 

Folklore, K-5 (CDE)

Madeline’s Rescue – Bemelmans

Sweet story told in rhyme about a brave Parisian dog that rescues a small girl from the Seine, becomes a beloved school pet, is chased away by hard-hearted school trustees, and then surprises everyone! Great read aloud, read-along – fun for all! Book will inspire the reading of more Madeline books. Suitable for kindergarten through grade five.

Not available (CDE)



Officer Buckle and Gloria – Rathman

Absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious book that actually has a serious message. Police Officer Buckle finds that his school audiences only pay attention to his safety tips when his dog, Gloria, is with him. When he sends Gloria alone, an accident occurs. Then they both realize that: "You should always stick with your buddy," Rule # 101. Front and back end papers show Gloria demonstrating many important safety rules in a manner sure to leave the message reinforced with lots of laughter. Colorful illustrations leave no doubt about their messages.

Humor, K-2 (CDE)

Rapunzel – Zelinsky

This fresh retelling of the familiar tale is illuminated by the remarkable illustrations. They are painted in the Italian Renaissance style with buildings and landscape reminiscent of Tuscany.

Book can be used as a bridge to art appreciation. Students of many different levels will draw different truths from this beautiful book.

Fairy Tale, Folklore, 3-5 (CDE)

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble – Steig

In a moment of great fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock, but then finds out that he cannot hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal.

Magical story with messages of family love and "be careful what you wish for" will charm students of many levels. It will delight students however it is presented.

Fantasy, 3-5 (CDE)

Where the Wild Things Are – Sendak

Max is sent to his room for bad behavior, then takes off on an imaginary voyage to the land of the wild things. Even though they make him their king, he misses his family and returns just in time for a hot dinner!

Ever appealing, especially to boys, all students can relate to Max, the real "wild thing". Parents will fondly remember it and relish it again. Even upper grade students will somewhat sheepishly want to read it again. Struggling readers will master the brief prose just so they can delight in reading it for themselves. 

Fantasy, K-2 (CDE)

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples’ Ears – Dillon

Traditional West African folk tale is enhanced by unusual art work with colorful details to intrigue students. Students will find much to enjoy in this outstanding book whether it is used as a read-along, read aloud, chorale reading or individual read. Suitable for kindergarten through grade 6.

Not available (CDE)

Dear Mr. Henshaw – Cleary

A correspondence with his favorite author helps sixth grade student Leigh Botts deal with some tough problems: a new school, missing his dog Bandit, a lunch thief, and his parents’ divorce. Fast moving, easy reading and listening, in a letter format, this book will capture the hearts and minds of even the most reluctant readers. Sequel is Strider. Excellent popular choice, a modern classic.

Realistic Fiction, 6-8 (CDE)

Holes – Sachar

Stanley Yelnats isn’t so surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a juvenile detention center. After all, his family has been ridden with bad luck ever since a one-legged gypsy put a curse on his grandfather. He is told that the hard labor he must perform, digging 5 foot holes in the dried up soil where Green Lake once was, is meant to build character. But it soon becomes clear that the warden is using the boys to search for hidden treasure. The treasure, the warden, Stanley’s friend Zero and the curse on the Yelnats family are all part of a larger puzzle. Crime and punishment leavened with dark humor make a this a book hard to forget. 

Fiction, 6-12 (CDE)

A Long Way From Chicago – Peck

Joey recounts his annual summer trips to rural Illinois with his sister, Mary Alice. The time frame of these eight amusing and spirited stories is the Great Depression, 1929 to 1942. Brimming with unique characters and featuring surprising twists of plot, these tales nonetheless give students a sense of that long ago time and its deprivations. Easy reading, easy listening, these stories will hold students’ attention and leave them wanting more. Suitable for grades five through nine. 

Sequel, A Year Down Yonder, is also included in our choices this month.

Missing May – After the death of her beloved aunt who has raised her, twelve-year-old Summer and her uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living. Through a series of surprising and very moving events, both Summer and Ob find consolation and hope, leading them to reach out to a lonely neighbor boy, Cletus. First person narrative will "grab" students, especially those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Suitable for grade five and up.

Not available (CDE)

View from Saturday – Konigsburg

Four students 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.

These four students, Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian, each with a very distinctive personality, narrate their own thoughts and feelings about the serious competition. Lots of humor, lots of heart and enough twists and turns to keep everyone guessing.

Realistic Fiction, 6-8 (CDE)

Walk Two Moons – Creech

As Salamanca Tree Hiddle travels with her Gramps and Gram across the Midwest to find her mother and somehow convince her to come back, she tells the story of how her friend Phoebe’s mother left her family and returned. At the end of the journey, Sal comes to see that everyone and everything is interrelated. The two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, are intricately woven together to create a moving story of love, loss and the complexity of human emotions.

Realistic Fiction, 6-12 (CDE)

The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 – Curtis

Ten-year-old Kenny and his family from Flint, Michigan, travel to Birmingham, Alabama toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history. Book is both humorous and moving by turns in its depiction of an African-American family during the struggle for civil rights. The message is powerful, the story is engrossing, and students will take the messages of courage and hope to heart. Suitable for grade five and up.

Not available (CDE)

A Year Down Yonder – This sequel to A Long Way From Chicago focuses on Mary Alice and her year with Grandma. It is 1937, she is fifteen, and the adventures and humorous mishaps of the first book continue. Students will be eager to read this book after reading the first one. It is just as easy to read, again bringing alive a very different time in America.

Realistic Fiction, 6-8 (CDE)