Wish
by Barbara O'Connor

Do you want to get inside the head of an 11 year-old troublemaker? Read Wish by Barbara O’Connor. Eleven-year-old Charlie makes a wish every day. However, it doesn’t seem to be working. Her Daddy’s in jail because of his quick temper and her Mama’s in bed behind of wall of empty soda cans. When the state takes Charlie away, they place her with family she barely knows. Charlie pushes away friendship and love, but no one gives up on her. It’s a poignant story about love and hope, but it’s also hilarious! There’s lots of dry humor and plays on words.  And, there’s the lady who dries her giant underpants by tying them to her car antenna and driving around town. Does Charlie get her wish? Of course! But I’ll bet you won’t have guessed what she wished for.

Upper Elementary and Middle School

Strong female and male characters

Those Darn Squirrels Fly South

by Adam Rubin 

Artwork by Daniel Salmiere

There’s a Mr. Fookwire in every neighborhood. He’s a solitary grump who likes only one thing: painting the birds in his backyard. Oh, Mr. Fookwire has lots of hates. He hates the squirrels who eat the birds’ food and outwit his diabolical squirrel traps.  He hates it when the birds fly south and leave him behind. What do those darn squirrels do? They hatch a plan for themselves so they can fly south, too! The two reasons for him to get up ion the morning, his loves and hates, have left.  What’s a man to do? Go south! There are three books about Mr. Fookwire and those “darn squirrels,” each filled with surprising humor and wry jokes. Note to Adult Reader: See who guesses first that Mr. Fookwire has a carrot for a nose. You or a three-year old?

Great for Skype, Facetime and laps!

Trouble in Maiden Rock? Yes, it’s big trouble! Ms. Stillford, Quinnie’s teacher, goes missing! Quinnie and her friend Ben suspect almost everyone: two old admirers who’ve pined after Ms. Stillford for decades, a rocker group passing through town, even two nuns from the local convent. You’ll find yourself smack dab in the middle of the mystery, worrying about Ms. Stillford, resenting the new girl Mariella, house breaking and snooping alongside Quinnie. The Maypop Kidnapping by C.M. Surrisi reminds us that even grownups make mistakes and that somebody doesn’t have to be just like you in order to be your friend. This was fast paced and fun. See if you can figure out “who dunnit?”

Age 8-12

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland anyone? That’s what I channeled after a few chapters of Furthermore. Maybe it was because the story was unlike any fairy tale I’d read. Once I’d accepted that flowers were a food staple and the sky suffered from loneliness, I gladly jumped into the story. In a town where magic is thought to be linked to color, poor 12-year-old Alice is almost completely white. Her only support has been Father, who has gone missing years ago. When her former enemy Oliver offers to help her find her Father, Alice jumps in (literally) into the strange world of Furthermore, where Father has been trapped. Besides a rich, imaginative story, I loved the messages woven in. “Change the way you see, not the way you are” and “Not knowing is only temporary if you have a mind to figure things out.”
Middle grade
Coming of Age

Arnie the Doughnut

by

Laurie Keller

Think YOU have it hard? Try being a sprinkle doughnut named Arnie.
He arrives in the world at 5:15 AM, born at the bakery. Then he’s deep fried, iced, sprinkled, and given his donut name. (Did I tell you it was Arnie?) Next, off to a grand adventure. Or is it grand, after all? Arnie’s tickled as Mr. Bing picks him up. “Oh, isn’t that cute?” he thinks, “He wants to hold me.” HA! You know what happens next. Or, do you? A surprising solution saves Arnie and satisfies Mr. Bing. The artwork is for kids and grown-ups (tiny hilarious captions alongside the main action) makes this fun to read aloud.
Read Aloud and easy reader.

Every time you read a story, you’re casting a spell of magic. So, what could be better than imagining yourself yourself in a world where fairy sprites light the night, a mandrake plant becomes a man, and fairy tales are true?  That’s the world of 12-year-old Sophie until the city’s leaders have decided that magic and imagination are dangerous. Fantastical creatures are killed, imprisoned or banished, Sophie stumbles across an unusual book of “Who?” that refuses to be destroyed and wants only Sophie to be its owner. A fantastical cast of characters help or hinder Sophie as she attempts to uncover the books” meaning. It’s Sophie, Peter Nimble, a deft thief who blindfolds himself and Sir Tode, a knight who has been turned into a chimera of man, horse and cat, who save the world of imagination.

Ages 8 and up.

Strong female and male characters