Dragonsdale

Dragonsdale was written by Salamanda Drake and illustrated by Gilly Marklew. It was published by The Chicken House in 2007. This book is a fantasy chapter book written for middle school to high school students. The main theme of this book is making difficult choices. the main character is Cara, the daughter of the Dragonmaster at the renowned Dragonsdale training farm. She works with dragons every day, mucking out their stalls, caring for their harnesses and tack, and tending the new hatchlings. But her father has forbidden her to do the one thing she wants to most in the world—fly on one—because her mother was killed in a fall. She has bonded with the most unruly dragon in the stables, Skydancer, who refuses to be trained, ridden, or cared for by anyone other than Cara. When a wealthy and cruel girl decides that Skydancer will be her next dragon, Cara is forced to choose whether to obey her father or save the creature she loves. This is a great story for young girls learning how to deal with puberty and hard choices.

Someday

Someday was written by Allison McGhee and illustrated by Peter Reynolds. It was published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers in 2007. This book is a realistic fiction book written for children from kindergarten through second grade. The main theme of this book is love and family. The main character is the mother, as she describes her child's life and details the most important events. She narrates as though it were a letter she writes to her daughter. This is a great book for early readers. It is written with simple sentences.

The Three Grumpies

The Three Grumpies was written by Tamra Wight and illustrated by Ross Collins. It was published by Bloomsbury in 2003. The mian theme of this story is leaning how to deal with difficulties. The main character is a little girl who wakes up with the grumpies. They proceed to make her day miserable, from spilling her breakfast milk to dropping her homework in a puddle. Various well-meaning adults advise her on how to get rid of them, but it is the unnamed narrator who discovers the sure cure when she giggles, and then laughs, which sends them packing. This book is good for teaching students about feelings.

Dino Soccer

Dino Soccer was written by Lisa Wheeler and illustrated by Barry Gott. This book is a fantasy book depicting the personification of dinosaurs. It was written for children in elementary school. It was published by Carolrhoda Books in 2009. The main theme of this book is friendship and spirited competition. The main characters are the grazers and the biters. The Grazers are in gold, and they take on the blue-uniformed Biters in a  soccer match. The vegetarian and meat-eating dino players pass, steal, and trap the ball as they travel up and down the field.  As the game progresses, the competition is fierce and the score teeters back and forth. At the end of the day, the Biters win, but the defeated Grazers refuse to give up. At the end of the story, they hint that they will meet their opponents on the baseball field for a spirited game of Dino-ball. This book is great for teaching about herbivore and carnivore dinosaurs and their different names.

A Mother's Wish

A Mother's Wish was written by Kathy-Jo Wargin and illustrated by Irena Roman. It was published by Harper Collins in 2006. This is a realistic fiction picture book. The main theme of this book is a mother's love for her daughter. The main characters are Ella and her mother. One day Ella and her mother discover a bunch of butterflies. Ella's mother tells her she should make a wish on the butterfly and when it reaches the heavens it will come true. So Ella wishes never to be parted from her mother, writes it on a slip of paper, and stores it in a little box. When Ella grows up she shows it to her mother, and Ella's mother tells her that she also made a wish on the butterfly, that her daughter grow up strong enough to be able to be free. This story, while not necessarily educational, is still very sweet.

If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge

If Stones Could Speak was written by Marc Aronson with contributions by Mike Parker Pearson. This book was published by National Geographic Children's Books in 2010. This book was awarded the Orbis Pictus Honor in 2011. This book is an informational picture book intended for children from ten and up. The main theme of this book is exploring the mysteries of Stonehenge. The characters in this book are the narrator, Mike Pearson, and his archaeological team. They explore a different perspective about Stonehenge. Pearson, with the help of his team and other influential archaeologists, discover a link between Stonehenge and a circle of timbers, relating life and death. This is a great book for use in world history.

The Origin of Life on Earth

The Origin of life on Earth was written by David A. Anderson and illustrated by Kathleen Atkins Wilson. This book was published by Sights Production in 1996. It was  selected in 1996 by the Elementary School Library Collection and was the winner of the 1993 Multicultural Publishers Exchange Book Award of Excellence. It was also, the winner of the 1992 African Studies Association Outstanding Book Award, and the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Silver Medal Finalist. Lastly it was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award in 1993. The main theme of this book is creation. The main characters of this book are orishas, especially one named Obtala, who was not content with doing nothing. He wanted to use his powers in a meaningful way. So he prepares carefully and gathers materials from his fellow orishas in order to create the Earth. Then he fashions people out of the earth and has them brought to life. This is a great story for use when teaching about African culture.

Bodies from the Ice

Bodies from the Ice was written by James M. Deem. This book is an informational book written for fifth through seventh grade students. It was published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children in 2008. This book was awarded the Robert F. Siebert Honor Medal in 2008. The theme of this book is discovering remains in glaciers. The book discusses the different human remains that have been found in glaciers around the world. This is a great book for teaching children about glaciers and how they work.

Sun Mother Wakes The World

Sun Mother Wakes the World was written by Diane Wolkstein and illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. This book was published by Harper Collins in 2004. The main theme of this story is creation. The mian character in the book is Sun Mother, who came down from the heavens. With every step she took, plants and grasses started growing. She explored the caves, and in every cave she wakes different animals and insects. Then she goes back into the heavens. The animals miss her and cry to heavens for her to come back, so every day she slowly moves in the sky as she visits the Earth. Then she gave birth to the morning star and the moon to keep the animals company while she was away. From the dust of the ground she creates man and woman to watch over the animals for her. This is a great book for studying the culture of the Australian Aborigines.

Here Comes The Garbage Barge!

The Garbage Barge was written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by the Red Nose Studio. This is a historical fiction picture book intended for children from kindergarten through second grade. The book was published by Schwartz and Wade in 2010. The main theme of this book is to educate kids about the garbage barge. The main character of this book is Captain Duffy St. Pierre. He steers the garbage barge from the stinky town of Islip, which had over 3,000 tons of garbage and nowhere to put it, all over the world. No one wanted the garbage. As time went by, the garbage got stinkier and stinkier. Finally Islip was forced to take their garbage back. This brought new awareness to garbage and the need for recycling. This is a great book to use when teaching about environmental awareness.

The Mummy's Mother

The Mummy's Mother was written by Tony Johnston. The book was published by Blue Sky Press in 2003. This book was intended for children from seven and up. The main theme of this book is determination and perseverance. This book is an adventure story about a mummy boy named Ramose who is woken from his tomb by grave robbers, while searching the tomb, he find they have stolen his mother. He decides he's going to go find her, but time has ravaged Ramose and he's unfamiliar with the world around him. He's helped by a camel named Mahmet to get on the ship carrying his mother. He meets a boy named Gerald, who introduces Ramose to his friends. After a wild storm, Ramose is stuck searching again, only this time he's in New York and he's by himself. He eventually rescues her with some unlikely help.

The Dark Is Rising

The Dark Is Rising was written by Susan Cooper. It was re-published by Margaret K. McElderry Books in 1999. This book is intended for children in middle and high school. It is a chapter book that deals with adventure and contemporary fantasy. This book was awarded a Newbery Honor Award in 1974. The theme of this book is the battle between darkness and light. The main character of this book is Will Stanton, who is the seventh son of the seventh son, which makes him an immortal. Immortals are known as the Old Ones, who stand and defend against the powers of darkness. He is tasked with seeking out four "Things of Power" for the light to defeat the darkness. He is first directed to find the six signs that make up the Circle of Signs, which  is one of the Things of Power. This all happens right around Christmas; and Will who is the sign-seeker has to travel through time in order to find them. This book is a great story. It would be a great story for use in an English or Language Arts class.

Forged By Fire

Forged by Fire was written by Sharon Draper. It was published by Simon Pulse in 1998. This book was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award in 1998. This book is a realistic fiction story about a young boy named Gerald. the main theme of this story is having the courage to be who you are. The main character in this story is Gerald, and details the events in his life from the time he is three. As a three year old, Gerald is left home alone while his mother goes out to buy drugs. He starts playing with a lighter and sets the house on fire. He wakes up in the hospital, and his aunt becomes his legal guardian. From that moment on, his Aunt Queen becomes his parent. When Gerald is six, his mother gets let out of prison, has remarried, and given birth to his sister named Angel. Gerald's mother wants him to come live with her. At first he and his aunt refuse, but after his aunt dies, Gerald is forced to move in with them. Over time, Gerald's step-father begins to abuse both Gerald's mother, and his sister. Gerald tries to protect his sister. His mother refuses to believe anything is happening. In an attempt to protect his sister, Gerald sets fire to the apartment, and accidentally kills his step-father.

The Game of Silence

The Game of Silence was written by Louise Erdrich. It was published by Harper Collins in 2006. This chapter book is a historical fiction story written from the perspective of a Native American girl. It won the Scott O'Dell Award in 2006. The main theme of this story is change. The story is intended for children in middle school or high school. The main character of this story is Omakayas, or Little Frog, a young girl from the Ojibwe tribe. She enjoys her routines. The tribe builds birchbark houses in the summer, go to the ricing camps in the fall to harvest and feast, and move to their cozy cedar log cabins near the town of LaPointe before the first snows. But these pleasant routines are interrupted by the appearance of the white man asking them to leave and move west. Omakayas doesn't want to go, and she realizes that she took her quiet life for granted. This book is great for middle school and is a great way to teach about Native American culture.

The Thief Lord

The Thief Lord was written by Cornelia Funke and illustrated by Christian Birmingham. It was published by The Chicken House in May of 2010 in English. This chapter book is a fantasy novel translated from German. It was awarded the Mildred Batchhelder Award in 2003. The theme of this book is a bit muddled, but it seems like family is very important. The main characters of this story are Prosper and Bo, who are brothers. They escape from their aunt and uncle, after their mother's death, and run to Venice. There they meet up with a band of orphaned children living in an abandoned theater named the Stella. These children are led by an older boy named Scipio, who calls himself the Thief Lord. They boys get into perilous adventures with these orphans. Their aunt and uncle hire a detective named Victor to find them. Victor attempts to get them back but is tied up and captured. He escapes, but he promises not to reveal where they are to their aunt and uncle. The orphans find out about a magical wing, that once affixed to a magical merry go round can make them older or younger. The merry go round gets broken leaving an evil man a young child and Scipio an adult. This book is fascinating if a bit too broken, but it is a very culturally rich story that would be great for teaching about literature from another country.

Peace, Locomotion

Peace, Locomotion was written by Jacqueline Woodson. It was published by Putnam Juvenile in 2009. This chapter book is a realistic fiction story. The main theme of this story is dealing with change. It was written for children in middle and high school. The mian character of this story is Lonnie Collins Motion, or Locomotion, as he calls himself. His parents died during a fire in December, and afterwards he and his sister are separated by the foster care system. He deems himself the rememberer so he writes letters to his sister as a chronological story about their lives. He lives with his foster family, Miss Edna and her son Rodney. Miss Edna also has a son Jenkins, who is fighting in a war. Throughout the book Lonnie learns interesting things about himself from his teachers, friends, and family. One day Miss Edna gets the news that her son Jenkins has been hurt. He comes home, but he is missing a leg and has a lot of emotional trauma from the war. Lonnie takes it upon himself to help Jenkins through this struggle. While he helps Jenkins recover Lonnie matures and starts learning about family, and what it means to him. This book is excellent for middle school children, because it teaches the value of family, and that change is inevitable. it's how you deal with change that defines you.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar was written  by Eric Carle and illustrated by Eric Carle. This picture flap book was published by Hamilton Hamish Children's Books in 1994. This book is an easy reader designed for children from 5 years and up. The theme of this book is teaching counting using the days of the week and identifying different foods.The main character is a caterpillar who eats his way through the book until he forms a cocoon and turns into a butterfly. This book is a great supplement to a science unit about life cycles.

Peter Rabbit: Rainbow Shapes and Colors

Peter Rabbit: Rainbow Shapes and Colors was based on the work of Beatrix Potter.  This board book was published by the Penguin Group in 2006. The theme of this book is identifying colors and shapes. The main character of this book is Peter Rabbit. He explores different colors and shapes and ties them in with different animals and plants. This is great teaching tool for Pre-K and Kindergarten. It helps with color and shape differentiation.

Five Little Honeybees

Five Little Honeybees was designed by Arlene LeFabre and illustrated by James Croft. This board book was published by Piggy Toes Press in 2009. This board book was designed for children ages 2 and up. The theme of this book is learning how to count. Each bumblebee disappears until only one bee is left. The bees are pop-ups which engage the children in the story. This book is a great way to teach number recognition.

Copycat Faces

Copycat Faces was written by Deborah Chancellor and the senior art editor was Sonia Whillock. This picture book was published by DK Publishing in 1999. This book is an easy reader for early childhood. The theme of this book is discerning between emotions and facial expressions. The main characters of this book are the children making the faces. The expressions are described in detail, telling about what each face is doing. This is a great tool for pre-K children to help them discerne the feelings of their classmates.

James and the Giant Peach

James and the Giant Peach was written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. This chapter book is a fantasy novel written for children from ages 8 and up. The book was published by Puffin and reissued in 2011. The main theme of this book is friendship can be found anywhere. The main character of this book is James Henry Trotter. He lives with his two aunts, after his parents were killed, who are incredibly horrible to him. One day he meets a man who gives him a bag of magical crystals, which he accidently spills on his aunts' withered peach tree. When that tree starts growing a single peach, it grows bigger and bigger. When James climbs into the peach it rolls away and into the sea. While inside the peach he discovers that he is sharing his new-found home with gargantuan insects. He befriends them and they become like a new family to him. This book is another really great story for students transitioning from picture books to chapter books.

The Magic Thief

The Magic Thief was written by Sarah Prineas and illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo. The book was published by Harper Collins in 2009. This book is a fantasy novel, a chapter book written for children from 10 years old and up. Them main theme of The Magic Thief is the push/ pull of wills, and the development of trust between Nevery, the wizard, and Conn, the thief turned wizard apprentice. Conn grows up as a pickpocket in the streets of Wellmet, and one day he picks the pocket of Nevery, stealing his Locus Magicalius, a magical stone, that should have killed Conn just by touching it. Nevery takes Conn on asx a servant, but Conn's increasing skill and knowledge of magic elevates him to the wizard's apprentice. In order to become a wizard apprentice, Conn has to find a stone of his own within thirty days. While doing that he has to help Nevery find out why the magic off Wellmet is being drained. This book is a great story to capture the minds of students transitioning from picture books to chapter books.