The Quicksand Book

For some reason, my son had developed a fascination with quicksand and would always ask me questions about it that I didn't know the answer to. Well I found this book at the library and it was great. Simple explanations and pictures for your little scientist. (Caution- There's also a quicksand recipe at the end!)

AR level 2.8

points 0.5

The New Year's Eve Sleepover From the Black Lagoon

This is one in a series of early chapterbooks. I was pleasantly surprised. There are still plenty of pictures and comics to keep kids interested, and the're funny. This particular one is about a boy trying to get through his first time sleepover.

AR level 2.6

pts 0.5

Franklin in the Dark

Ther are many Franklin books available. Kids love them and they're great books for readers who aren't quite to chapter books. I like this one because Franklin is afraid of the dark so he doesn't want to go into his shell. He just ties it to a rope and drags it behind him. It's cute.

AR level 2.5

pts o.5

Goodnight Moon

The classic picture book for your baby or young child. The little bunny sees all the things in the great big room, like the ballon and picture of the cow jumping over the moon, then says goodnight to them all.

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

Second grader Andrew Marcus desperately wants freckles. The boy that sits in front of him at school has millions all over his face and neck. If Andrew had them, his mom would never know if he was dirty and needed to wash up. His classmate, Sheila, has a secret recipe for Freckle Juice that Andrew can't wait to try.

(This is an old cover from a library sale.)

AR level 3.1

pts 0.5

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Both a classic and an all time favorite. The tree loves a little boy who climbs her branches, eats her apples, and makes crowns from her leaves. As he grows, she sees less and less of him. Throughout his life, he occasionally comes back to the tree who gives hime everything she has (apples to sell for money, wood to build a house, etc.) until she has nothing left, or so she thinks. Very touching.
AR level 2.6
pts o.5

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Baby bat, "Stellaluna", is adopted by a mama bird after her bat mother is killed by an owl. Like the other baby birds, she must learn to eat insects instead of fruit, sleep at night, and not hang upside. Great illustrations and educational.
AR level 3.5
pts 0.5

Good Thing You're Not an Octopus!

Do you have a stubborn preschooler who doesn't want to get dressed, take a nap or bath, eat lunch or brush teeth? This book reminds them to look on the bright side, if you were an octopus, you would have to put pants on eight legs. If you were a shark, you would have to brush 200 teeth.
AR level 2.2
pts 0.5

The Berenstain Bears

Whether it's a visit to the doctor, sibling fighting, bad manners, or too much junk food or TV, the Berenstain Bears have a book for you. Plenty of life lessons with quick and fun stories for all ages. Tons of titles to choose from, these are both mom and kid pleasers. Some examples:

The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight
AR level 3.7
pts o.5

The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners
AR level 4.3
pts o.5

The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers
AR level 3.6
pts 0.5

The 39 Clues Book One- The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

Amy and Dan Cahill grieve the loss of their grandmother. At the reading of her will, grandma offers the family members a choice between money or a challenge to find out more about their powerful and influential ancestors by giving them the first of 39 clues. The fate of the world rests on who discovers the secret first.

This book reminds me of a "National Treasure" for kids. Fun, but I can't imagine reading 39 of these. I'd be willing to go through 4 or 5. There's also cards that go with the book and an online game.

AR level 4.3

pts 7.0

The Sisters Grimm

Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are sent to live with their grandmother, whom they thought was dead, after their parents' disappearance. They soon discover that they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm and that the "fairy tales" written by them are actually case files. The girls learn the truth about what they always believed to be fictional stories and attempt to solve their first case.

AR level 5.2

pts 9.0

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Loved this- it's perfect for older school age kids who have a pesky younger sibling. Peter is sick of everyone who thinks his brother, "Fudge," is so cute even though he acts like a brat all the time. Told from Peter's point of view, Fudge's antics are quite entertaining. I think I'm going to start telling my picky eaters, "Eat it or wear it!"
AR level 3.3
pts 3.0

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

"Eragon" meets "Indian in the Cupboard."
Jeremy stumbles upon a magic shop that seems to appear out of nowhere. The strange man who owns the shop sells him a large colorful "marble." Included are instructions on how to hatch a dragon egg. Caring for a baby dragon and keeping it a secret proves to be quite a challenge for Jeremy.
AR level 4.9
pts 4.0

The Spiderwick Chronicles- The Field Guide

The three Grace children move into their Aunt Lucinda's house with their mother after their parents' divorce. The place is dusty and run down, and they can hear something inside the walls. After some searching of the house, the children discover a hidden room, full of secrets.

This book appears to be the tip of the iceberg for the rest of the series, fun to read out loud.

AR level 4.2

pts 1.0

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

Everything your son wants to read about- underwear, poop, boogers, vomit, wedgies, toilets, and on and on. Lots of comics. This is definitely a kid pleaser, not a mom pleaser. One of my big pet peeves is that many words are deliberately spelled wrong. That being said, my son was absolutely enthralled. He's read everyone in the series. Now there's one called Super Diaper Baby, which he read in one day. By Dave Pilkey.

Th only reason I recommended this one as a "buy" is because my child has read them so many times it's worth it, even though they are not a favorite of mine.

AR level 4.3

pts 1.0

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

This was a pleasant surprise. Greg Heffley is a boy who just started middle school and is writing this journal about his everyday life. Entertaining cartoons accompany each entry. My 10 year old was so into these books, that when the third one in the series came out, he read it in one day! I eventually read it also and found I was chuckling to myself in certain parts. And now I know what the "cheese touch" is (which apparently I still have because I negelcted to pass it to someone else!)

AR level 5.2

pts 3.0

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

AR level 5.2

pts 3.0

Diary of a Wimpy Kid:The Last Straw

AR level 5.4

pts 3.0

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective

Written by Donald J. Sobol. Leroy Brown is so smart, everyone calls him "Encylclopedia Brown." He decides to open his own detective agency. The book contains 10 different cases that he solves. The end of the book tells the solution to each case.

I enjoyed these as a kid, and now they're great for my kids!

AR level 4.1

pts 1.0

The Doll People by Ann M. Martin and Laura Goodwin

The Doll family has been passed down for generations through the Palmer family from mother to daughter. They are very careful to make sure the people they live with do not know they are alive. Young Anabelle Doll finds her Auntie Sarah's journal and tries to solve the mystery of her disappearance that occured 45 years ago. She gets help from her friend Tiffany Funcraft. The Funcrafts are a new family of dolls who aren't quite as traditional and rule abiding as the Doll family.

My eight year old daughter loves this one! I believe there is a sequel, "Runaway Dolls."

AR level 4.0

pts 5.0

I Just Forgot by Mercer Mayer

These "Little Critters" books are cute and funny. In this one he just can't remember to do his chores. He says things like "I remembered to put my dishes in the sink, but I forgot to put the milk away... I took a bath and I remembered to wash behind my ears. I didn't use soap but I didn't forget to, I just don't like soap." He has a little spider friend that is somewhere in each illustration, which was another bonus for my kids- trying to find him.

AR level 2.0

pts 0.5

Blackboard Bear

This is a cute one of a younger boy who wants to play with the big kids but is always getting left out. Then he creates Blackboard Bear and everyone wants to be his friend now. Luckily, Black board Bear is loyal and is not fooled by them.

Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long

A must for your baby. Mommy's not promising to buy mocking birds and diamond rings. Instead, she'll show you a humming bird and the evening sky. She'll read you stories and get you a warm blanket when it's cold. Very sweet.

Everyone Poops

I swear by this book in aiding potty training. It's very funny and explains to your child that everyone poops because everyone eats. Most people can get through teaching their child to pee in the toilet. The problem I had with my three oldest were that they were afraid to poop in the toilet. They'd often hide behind the curtain or somewhere in the house and did their business in their diaper- until I used this book. I would say, "An elephant has a BIG poop, a mouse has a tiny poop, and YOU have a big kid poop- in the potty..." They even like to read it after the potty training phase because there is a picture of poop on every page!

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Excellent illustrations in this one. Max was acting like a wild thing, so his mother sends him off to bed with no supper. His room magically takes him to Where the Wild Things Are for a great adventure.

AR level 3.4

pts 0.5

Dr. Seuss

There are so many to choose from, but some are better than others. I feel like some just rhyme for the sake of rhyming but overall aren't as entertaining.
My favorite is The Sneetches. In this story the Sneetches who have stars on their bellies are not very nice to the ones with no stars. They are never invited to beach parties and hot dog roasts. Clever Sylvester McMonkey McBean sees a great business opportunity in offering those poor, left out Sneetches a walk through his machine that will put stars on THEIR bellies.
AR level 3.4
pts 0.5

Cat in the Hat is probably the most well known of all of his books. Two siblings are home while mom runs errands. It's a rainy day and they're bored, until the Cat in the Hat visits!

AR level 3.0

pts 0.5

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is probably a close second to the Cat in the Hat's popularity. The Grinch can't stand all those Whos in Whoville and overwhelming Christmas spirit. But this year he has a plan to put an end to it all.

AR level 3.0

pts 0.5

Worth mentioning are There's a Wocket in my Pocket and The First of Octember. I thought they were cuter than some of the other more generic Dr. Seuss books. In There's a Wocket in My Pocket, a boy finds lots of strange little creatures that live all over his house.

Do any of your kids ask for toys, video games, and treats on a regular basis? We'll now you can tell them that everything will be theirs on the First of Octember!

AR level 2.1

pts 0.5

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

This is a series of picture boooks by Laura Numeroff starting with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Giving him a cookie will prompt him to ask for a glass of milk, then he'll need to look in the mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache... Each page is a new consequence for giving him the cookie. These books are great fun, we have many of the series.
AR 2.7
pts 0.5
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
AR 2.1
pts 0.5
If You Give a Pig a Party
AR 2.2
pts o.5
If Take a Mouse to the Movies (Christmas Story)
AR 2.1
pts 0.5
If You Take a Mouse to School
AR 2.4
pts 0.5

Bunnicula by James Howe

There's something strange about the family's new pet buuny. His markings make him look as though he's wearing a cape, and all the vegetables in the house are turning up white, as if all the juice has been drained from them. The family dog Harold, and cat Chester must discover the bunny's secret.
Cute story, short and easy. There is a series and a spin off series (It Came From Beneath the Bed). The cover has changed, my picture is our old copy from a library sale.
AR gade level 2.6
points 0.5

The Secret of the Indian by Lynn Reid Banks

This is the sequel to the Indian in the Cupboard (see previous post). Omri and his friend, Patrick, learn more about the magic that transformed their plastic toy Indian and cowboy into real people. The process can be reversed, and the magic key can lead them back to the time periods of cowboys and Indians, where they can witness history being made. But it's not all just fun and games!
I enjoyed the first one more, but this is still worth reading.
Ages 7-10years
AR level 5.2
pts 5.0

The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Runaway Ralph

These are 2 in a set of 3 by Beverly Cleary (author of the Ramona series). Ralph is a mouse whose family lives in an old hotel. He usually likes when children stay in the hotel room where his family lives inside the wall, because they drop cookie crumbs an bits of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. A new boy, Keith, arrives with something even better- toy cars and a motorcycle that are just the right size for Ralph.
AR level 5.1
pts 3.0
In Runaway Ralph, Ralph is getting a little tired of life in the hotel, especially when his mother forces him to give rides to annoying little siblings and cousins on his cherished motorcycle. He dreams of an independent life outside the hotel, only to learn things may not turn out as he hoped.
AR level 5.3
pts 4.0
All the kids enjoyed these. We just rented the third- Ralph S. Mouse from the library yesterday. These are listed as 5th grade level, but I think 8 or older can read them alone. For reading aloud, 5 or 6 years old and up will enjoy- they are easy to understand, but much longer than a picture book, which most kindergarteners are in to. Depends on your child's attention span.

The Girl Who Could Fly

Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer, called this book "Little House on the Prairie meets X-Men." I agree and thought it was cute and fun. It's hard not to like Piper McCloud, our flying girl. Her parents always knew she was different. After all, she would float off the table during diaper changes. Unsure how to raise her, the beautiful Dr. Hellion offers to take her to her school for children with special abilities.
I think this is listed at a sixth grade level. But for reading aloud, 8yrs old and up could follow pretty well, probably even younger. It's easier than Harry Potter.
AR level 6.0
pts 11.0

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Voldemort's biggest follower, Sirius Black, has escaped from wizard prison, Azkaban. He was last heard mumbling "He's at Hogwarts," in his sleep, and everyone is afraid he's coming after Harry, who was Voldemort's downfall when Harry was a baby and Voldemort's murderous curse backfired, and instead of killing Harry, Voldemort was reduced to a weakened nothing instead of the powerful dark wizard he was.
I love the Harry Potter series and read this one at least twice personally, so it was fun to read it to the kids. Most people probably like the later books, but this one is my favorite in the series. Every detail in the book ties into a completely unpredictable ending. Nothing is as it seems.
I plan to read the whole series to the older kids and hopefully they will love it as much as I do.
The author who narrates the series on audio CDs is fantastic. I usually will get audios from the library because they're pricey, but this one was worth purchasing. I actually bought it years ago but I pulled it out so the kids could enjoy it in the car since we were reading it at home.
This book is listed as 6th grade level but if you are reading it to them, I think ages 8 and up would enjoy it.
AR level 6.7
pts 18.0

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket

"The Bad Beginning"- The Baudelaire children have lost their parents, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Count Olaf becomes their guardian and he is more interested on getting his hands on their fortune than caring for the children. He enlists the help of the scary friends from his theater troop, including the man with a hook for a hand and the one that looks like neither a man or a woman.
AR level 6.4
pts 4.0
"The Reptile Room" book 2- The orphans have barely escaped from Count Olaf, though he has vowed to get their fortune if it's the last thing he does! They are now put into the care of herpetologist Montgomery Montgomery (Uncle Monty) who loves his snakes and treats the children decently. Before their trip to Peru, his assistant resigns and Uncle Monty hires "Stefano" to take his place. There's something too familar about this "Stefano" character.
AR level 6.3
pts 5.0
"The Wide Window" book 3-Aunt Josephine has new guardianship over the orphans. She is kind to them, but a little too trusting of "Captain Sham." She has unusual fears of stoves (cold soup for dinner, yuck!), telephones, and lakes, however she has a passion for grammar.
BL 6.3
pts 5.o
"The Miserable Mill" book 4- The orphans' new guardian has an unpronouncible name and he puts the children to work in his dangerous lumber mill, where the employees are paid in coupons and given 5 minute lunch breaks to chew their piece of gum, then back to work! The orphans are miserable again but also wondering what Count Olaf is up to; he hasn't come after them, but they know he's out there.
AR level 6.2
pts 5.0
"The Austere Academy" book 5- The orphans are sent to boarding school, where Vice Principal Nero makes them sleep in the Orphans shack that has fungus dripping from the ceiling and territorial crabs scurrying across the floor trying to pinch their feet. Their teachers are horrible and Sunny is made to work as Vice Principal Nero's secretary. At least they have made friends for the first time in a while. Can their new friends help them escape from Count Olaf?
AR level 6.7
pts 6.0

"The Ersatz Elevator" book 6- The new guardians are the wealthy Esme and Gerome Squalor, who live in an enormous penthouse on Dark Ave. Esme agrees to guardianship because having oprhans is "in," as well as auqeous martinis, stairs, parsley soda, and ocean decor.

AR level 6.6

pts 7.0

"The Vile Village" book 7- Mr.Poe is having trouble finding a new guardian for the orphans, since may people have heard about some of the terrible fates of their other guardians. They are adopted by a village under the idea that "it takes a village to raise a child." However, this village has about 20,000 rules and only wanted the orphans to do all of their chores. All the while, the Beaudalaires are trying to find their friends, the Quagmire triplets and trying to solve the mystery of V.F.D.

AR level 6.7

pts 7.0

"The Hostile Hospital" book 8

AR level 6.9

pts 6.0

"The Carnivorous Carnival" book 9

AR level 6.6

pts 7.0

"The Slippery Slope" book 10

AR level 7.1

pts 9.0

"The Grim Grotto" book 11

AR level 6.5

pts 8.0

"The Penultimate Peril" book 12

AR level 7.4

pts 7.0

"The End" book 13

AR level 7.3

pts 9.0

We have book 1 and rented book 5 -7, the rest we have only listened to, but I would like the collection one day. The first two on audio books are read by Tim Curry who does a convincing portrayal of Mr. Poe and his chronic cough. Lemony Snicket does the 3rd and 4th, and I expected more with the author reading it. Tim Curry actually does better. Lemony Snicket's voice does end up growing on you, though.

"The Indian in the Cupboard"

Omri gets a small plastic Indian for his birthday which he thought to be average. But he put it in his cupboard and locked it with his Grandma's special key, and the Indian magically comes to life!
We rented this audio book, read by the author who does a great job! Now I want the book for our home library. The entire family loved it.
AR level 4.6
pts 6.0

The Frances Collection

"Bedtime for Frances"- It's bedtime, so Frances needs one more kiss, one more hug, etc. But, oh no!, there are quite a few noises and shadows that are so scary Frances can't sleep.
AR level 2.7
pts 0.5
"Baby Sister for Frances"- Baby sister Gloria is born and Frances is feeling neglected- her mom didn't have time to iron Frances' favorite dress for school or buy raisins for the oatmeal. Things are not so good with the new baby taking up mom's time- Frances decides to run away!
AR level 3.4
pts 0.5
"A Birthday for Frances"- It's Gloria's birthday, and Frances feels a little jealous. Frances' birthday is ALWAYS the birthday that is not now. Should she get Gloria a present even though Gloria hid her pail and shovel last year?
AR level 3.6
pts 0.5

These books are great fun to read and to listen to on tape. We have the books but also rented the audios. The narrator for the tape is the mom in the Mary Poppins movie and she does a good job with all Frances' made up songs.