The Silver Spoon of Solomon Snow By Kaye Umansky

Solomon Snow spends his days fetching and delivering laundry for his mother, while his father nurses a bad back until, one day, Solly, as he is called, meets Prudence. He discovers that he is a foundling, and, with Prudence, runs away to find the silver spoon that was with him as a baby. Along the way, we meet little Rosabella, the Prodigy, and Freddy, the chimney sweep’s helper. Together, the children find Solly’s silver spoon and help him in his quest for his birth parents. Will Solly find his family and live happily ever after? Read this dramatic adventure story to find out.

The Tale of Despereaux By Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

This fairy-tale-like story is about a mouse, the smallest mouse in his community, who falls in love with a princess. This mouse, Despereaux, discovers the beauty of music and the written word. He reads a story about a knight in shining armor who serves and honors a beautiful princess. As the story progresses, Despereaux finds himself in a position to rescue the beautiful princess whom he loves. Along the way he meets a jailer, rats, a serving girl, a prisoner, a cook, and a king. How will such a small mouse manage to rescue the princess? Will there be a happy-ever-after ending to this story? Read it and find out.

Eoin Colfer’s Legend of … Captain Crow’s Teeth By Eoin Colfer; illustrated by Glenn McCoy

Will and his four brothers, Marty, Donnie, Bert, and Half Pint, vacation at the beach every summer in a trailer with their parents. Marty, as the oldest brother, considers it his duty to frighten and torture his younger brothers, particularly with scary stories. He tells the story of Captain Crow, a pirate, who was hit in the head with an ax by a nine-year-old cabin boy and who is said to haunt the rocks on the beach looking for the cabin boy in order to get his revenge. Of course, Will happens to be exactly 9 years old. When Marty and Will go to a dance together, Will must cross the rocks to get back to the trailer before the curfew his parents set. He tells himself that there is no such thing as a ghost pirate – or is there? Read this story to find out.

Beany and the Meany By Susan Wojciechowski; illustrated by Susanna Natti

Beany’s day started off very, very good with discussing a sleepover at her house with her best friend Carol Ann. Then a new girl, Stacy, started in Beany’s class. Ms. Babbitt announces that the class will be taking part in a science fair and each student will work with a partner to create a project for the fair. Beany wants to team up with her best friend, Carol Ann, but Carol Ann has already asked the new girl, Stacy, to be her partner. Beany ends up with the class bully, Kevin, as her partner. She wants to stay home from school until after the science fair. Will Beany find a way to work with Kevin? Will Carol Ann still be her best friend? Who will win first prize at the science fair. Read this story to find out.

The Field Guide By Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

In this first book of The Spiderwick Chronicles, we meet Mallory, Simon, and Jared Grace. They are moving into their Great-aunt Lucinda’s house with their mother after their father has left them. They hear noises in the walls and upon investigating, find a nest of sorts inside one of the kitchen wall. They also find a secret room with a book about faeries. Is there a faerie in their new house? Or is it something worse? When Mallory wakes up the next morning with her hair tied in knots to the bed and bruises on her arms, it seems the noises in the walls belong to something other than mice or squirrels. After reading this first book of the series, you will want to go immediately to the other books to find out what will happen next.

The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall By Tony Johnston

Martha Snapdragon is a fourth-grader at Horace E. Bloggins School. She also lives in the boiler room of the school with her father, the janitor. The meanest boy in the school, Rufus, uses his influence with the school’s principal, Dr. Klunk, to terrorize all the students, but most especially Martha. That is until Martha discovers a golden spoon sticking out of the bathroom wall. The writing on the spoon proclaims that whoever pulls the spoon out of the bathroom wall becomes King of Bloggins School. Read this fast-moving story of destiny and kindness to find out what happens next.

Beyond the Valley of Thorns By Patrick Carman

In this second book in The Land of Elyon series, Alexa Daley is on a quest with the last Jocasta stone to rescue Catherine from the Dark Tower. On the way she befriends a squirrel, a giant, a very small man named Yipes, a wolf, and a convict named John. Go with Alexa as she travels the Dark Hills, and battles ogres, wild dogs, and the evil Victor Grendall in this exciting adventure to help bring peace to the Land of Elyon.

My Father’s Dragon By Ruth Stiles Gannett; illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett

A little boy meets an old alley cat on his street and takes him home to get warm and have a saucer of milk. The boy’s mother hated cats, so he hid the cat in the cellar and fed him until his mother found out, whipped the boy and threw the cat out. The boy finds the cat and has a long talk with him, telling the cat about his dream of flying. The cat tells him about a flying dragon he encountered in his travels, and the cat and boy plan for the boy to journey to Wild Island to find and free the captive dragon. Read about the boy’s adventures as he journeys to Wild Island and must elude many wild animals on his way.

Niagara Falls, or Does It? By Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Hank Zipzer is late on his first day of fourth grade and has to go to the principal’s office. That is only the beginning of Hank’s problems. When he returns to class, Ms Adolf, his teacher, is announcing the assignment of a five paragraph essay on what you did over the summer. Hank is horrified, because he hates writing and spelling, even though he loves telling stories. He decides to create a “living” essay of his family’s trip to Niagara Falls instead. Read this funny, action-packed story to find out what happens when Hank presents his essay.

Things Not Seen By Andrew Clements

Bobby Phillips wakes up to get ready for school one February morning just as he always does, but when he looks in the mirror his reflection is not there. Suddenly, Bobby is invisible. How did this happen? Can it be reversed? Bobby begins his journey to the answers to these questions by telling his parents. What will they do? What about school? Read this suspenseful story to find out.

indigo’s star By Hilary McKay

Indigo is just recovering from mononucleosis and about to return to school. He is dreading his return because of some bullies who have been bothering him. He hasn’t told his family about the bullies, but his younger sister, Rose, knows from a boy in her class who has a brother in Indigo’s class. On his first day back, he meets Tom, a new boy from America, who becomes the new target of the gang. Throughout the story, we learn more about Indigo’s family, and watch as a bond forms between Indigo, Rose, and Tom. This is a companion book to Saffy’s Angel by Hillary McKay.

counting on grace By Elizabeth Winthrop

Grace Forcier is a twelve-year-old girl attending a one-room school in a mill town in Vermont in the early 1900s. She has trouble sitting still, and she is left-handed, even though her teacher, Miss Lesley, makes her write with her right hand. Both her parents and her older sister, Delia, work in the mill. When Grace’s friend, Arthur, is pulled from school to begin work in the mill, Grace goes to work in the mill as well. Grace learns that Miss Lesley thinks she is smart enough to become a teacher. How will she get out of mill work to continue learning enough to become a teacher? What about Arthur? Will he continue to work in the mill or will he run away as he wants to do? This is a fiction story, but it is based on real-life events of the time. Find out what happens to Grace, her family, and Arthur by reading this historical fiction novel.

Bartleby of the Big Bad Bayou By Phyllis Shalant

Bartleby is a red-eared turtle who has traveled all the way from New York with his friend Seezer, an alligator to find Seezer’s home bayou. Seezer hopes to reunite with his brothers and sisters, and Bartleby wants to get to know other red-eared turtles. Bartleby and Seezer must first learn how to survive in this new environment where some of the inhabitants are not as friendly and welcoming as they would like. We meet Old Stump, Lucky Gal, Quickfoot, Grub, and many others as Bartleby finds a place that is truly home. This is a sequel to Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi. If you like stories about animals, you will enjoy this story of Bartleby’s and Seezer’s adventures.

The Ghost of Cutler Creek By Cynthia DeFelice

Allie Nichols communicates with ghosts. Her friend, Dub, calls her a “ghost magnet”. At the beginning of this story, Allie has a dream where she hears someone or something crying for help. The next day, a new boy, L.J., begins school in her sixth-grade class. Who is L.J. and why does he start a new school on the next-to-the-last day of school? Who or what is the ghost and why does it need her help? Join Allie and Dub as they search for the answers and solve the mystery of the ghost of Cutler Creek.

a cool moonlight By Angela Johnson

Lila is almost nine years old and can never go out in the sun. She lives with her mother and father and older sister, Monk. Lila is only allowed to play outside at night. When she goes anywhere other than home, she must wear long sleeves and a hat with sunglasses even when it is dark. She has a rare allergy to the sun. Read this story to find out how Lila deals with her restrictions and manages to enjoy life in the process.

Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye By Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton is the editor of The Rodent's Gazette in New Mouse City, the capital city of Mouse Island. When Geronimo's sister, Thea, discovers a map to the lost treasure of the Emerald Eye, she persuades Geronimo to set off on an adventure to find the treasure. They are joined by their cousin, Trap, and unexpectedly by Geronimo's favorite nephew Benjamin. Together they set sail on a ship to find the treasure. If you want to know if they find the treasure and what the treasure is, read Geronimo's tale of his adventures.

Stranded in Boringsville By Catherine Bateson

Rain May is moving to a small country town in Australia with her mother Maggie and she is not happy about it. They move into her grandmother’s old house, and one of the first things that Maggie unpacks is the fridge poetry set. This is a set of magnetic words that stick to the refrigerator which Rain May and Maggie use to create poems for each other. Then Rain meets the boy next door, Daniel. Will they become friends? What will school be like in this new place? Where is Rain’s father? To find out the answers to these and other questions, read this touching story about relationships.

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup By Sharon Creech; drawings by Chris Raschka

Rosie is very mad at her best friend Bailey. Her Granny Torrelli comes over to make soup, and in the process, manages to get Rosie to tell her why she is angry. Then she tells Rosie a story from her own childhood that helps Rosie to understand what Bailey did that made her angry. This story is told in Rosie’s voice, almost like entries in a diary. Read it to find out more about Rosie, Bailey, Granny Torrelli, and their families and friends.

A Bear Named Trouble By Marion Dane Bauer

Jonathan is a ten-year old boy who has moved to Anchorage, Alaska with his dad, a zookeeper. His mother and younger sister are finishing out the school year in Duluth, Minnesota before joining Jonathan and his dad in Alaska. Jonathan loves to visit the zoo and pretend that he is inside different animals. He plays a game with his sister in which he describes how it feels to be a certain animal. He is particularly fond of a large white goose at the zoo that he calls "Mama Goose". We also meet a lonely, hurt, and confused young brown bear who wanders into the zoo from the wild. Find out what happens to Jonathan, the goose, and the bear when you read this story of their adventures which is based on an actual incident.

Cold in Summer By Tracy Barrett

Ariadne’s family has moved to Tennessee from Florida and she is determined not to like this new place. Then Ariadne meets May Butler, who seems to understand how she feels. Ariadne notices that May dresses in old-fashioned clothing and that May seems to almost disappear into the trees when she leaves. When Ariadne meets Caroline and Ashley, two other girls from her new town, she asks them about May. They tell her that they have never heard of her. Who is May and why does she seem to always be there when Ariadne needs her? To find out, read this engrossing mystery about a town in Tennessee that is covered with a lake.

The Frog Princess By E.D. Baker

In this twist on the Frog Prince story, Princess Emeralda kisses a frog who claims to be an enchanted prince, only to turn into a frog herself. Why did this happen? Can Emeralda and Eadric, the prince frog, reverse the spell and turn themselves back into humans? Read about their adventures as they encounter witches, bats, snakes, toads, and dogs. Find out if there is really a happy ever after by reading this fairy tale adventure.

Dragon Rider By Cornelia Funke

What happens to dragons when humans begin to encroach on their homes? In this book, the dragon Firedrake sets out to find a new home for himself and the other dragons in his group. He is searching for the Rim of Heaven, the legendary home of dragons. But first, he must find out where it is. A brownie girl named Sorrel goes with him and along the way they meet a human boy, talking rats, dwarfs, a djinn, elves, and a monstrous creature called Nettlebrand and his armour cleaner Twigleg. Will Firedrake find the Rim of Heaven and what will happen to him and Sorrel on their journey? Read this wonderful fantasy adventure to find out.

The Charm Bracelet By Emily Rodda; Illustrated by Raoul Vitale

In this first book of the Fairy Realm series, we meet Jessie, a little girl who discovers that her grandmother’s secret garden has more secrets than she had realized. Jessie is worried about her grandmother, who has fallen and sprained her wrist. Jessie is also worried about the charm bracelet that her grandmother always wore which is now missing. In her search, Jessie stumbles into a magical land. If you would like to find out what happens to Jessie, her mother, her grandmother, and the charm bracelet, pick up this book. If you enjoy this story, there are several other books in the Fairy Realm series that continue the story of Jessie’s adventures.

The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of 5th Grade By Ken Derby

This book documents the antics of a 5th Grade boy named Anthony Madison (also known as Tony Baloney and TB) as he tries to find his way onto The Late Show with David Letterman. His attempts include “stupid human tricks”, “stupid pet tricks”, and a run-in with a biker gang in New York City. If you want to find out how much trouble TB gets into with his teacher, Mr. Gore (Gorilla) and his principal Mrs. Hernandez (the Terminator) as he and his two best friends Anna and Mo try to get on the Letterman show, pick up this non-stop adventure story.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane By Kate DiCamillo; Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

This was a beautiful, touching story of a china rabbit that learns how to love. At the beginning of the story, Edward Tulane is the cherished toy of a little girl named Abilene. His only adventures at the beginning of the story consist of being grabbed by the neighbor’s dog and misplaced by a new maid. All this changes when Abilene and her family board the Queen Mary for a trip across the ocean to London and Edward is accidentally thrown overboard. Check out this book if you would like to find what happens next

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