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