An Alphabetical Index

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich

Because Dragons Love Milk

Bone

The Book With No Pictures

The Boy on the Wooden Box

Brava Strega Nona

Britannica School

Doggies

Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App

Duck for President

Duolingo

EBSCO: Learning Express Library

El Deafo

Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah

Everything Kid's Science Experiment Book

FarFaria

Field Guide: The Spiderwick Chronicles

Geography Drive

Ghost Knight

Henry and Mudge: The First Book

Inventions

Last Stop on Market Street

Leonardo's Cat

Little Blue Truck

Made with Code

Marisol McDonald Does Not Match / Marisol McDonald No Combina

Minecraft: Education Edition

Mommy?

Mummy Cat

The Mysterious Benedict Society

National Geographic Little Kids First Book of the World

Ninja Baseball Kyuma!

No No Yes Yes

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

The Pout-Pout Fish

Press Here

The Princess in Black

Reading Rainbow: Skybrary

The Real Boy

The Red Pyramid: A Kane Chronicles Book

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot

Secret Coders

Starfall

The Story of Diva and Flea

Storyline Online

Take it Easy

There's a Monster at the End of this Book!

ToonTastic, Jr.

Waiting for Mama

Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Book

Henry and Mudge: The First Book

Title: Henry and Mudge: The First Book

Bibliographic information:

Author: Cynthia Rylant

Illustrator: Sucie Stevenson

• Series: Henry & Mudge (Book 1)
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight; Reprint edition (June 1, 1996)
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

Henry is a very lonely little boy, with few friends.  But when his family adopts Mudge the dog, is life is full of adventures.

Interest Level: Ages 5-7

Lexile level: 460L

Awards, if applicable:

Not Applicable

Plot summary:  Henry lives with mom and dad, but he is lonely.  He doesn’t have any siblings, and he doesn’t really have any friends. There aren’t any other children who live nearby.  So, he asks for a dog.  Mudge seems like such a cute, tiny little puppy.  But he does grow, and grow… until he is the 180 lb dog we know and love through the rest of the series.

Critical review:  This ready-to-read book is engaging for beginning readers - especially those who love dogs!  The plots are simple with engaging characters and the ongoing drama of what trouble Mudge the dog is going to get in.  Character development is simple, relying heavily on the reader to apply their own experiences and emotions to characters.  

Why include it?

This early reader book is engaging, with delightful characters and lovely illustrations.

Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel

Title: Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel

Bibliographic information:

Author: Spencer Quinn

• Series: Bowser and Birdie
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; Reprint edition (April 26, 2016)
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

Bowser and his  human, Birdie, sniff out a mystery in the Louisiana swamp.

Interest Level: Ages 7-11

Lexile level: 650L

Awards, if applicable:

Not Applicable

Plot summary: When Birdie and her Grammy sees Bowser in the cage of the animal shelter, Birdie and Bowser immediately connect with each other.  And it’s a good thing, because there are mysteries in the swamp and Bowser just might be able to sniff out the answers.  Grammy’s prized marlin, Black Jack, has been stolen.  Now, there are rumors dogging the swamp that the missing marlin might be connected to a mysterious treasure map.

Critical review:  This book is told from Bowsers point of view - and it’s a very entertaining dog’s eye view of a mystery.  This allowed the author to play with the conventions, to explore what a mystery smells like and sounds like in addition to what a human might perceive.  Children also enjoy Bowser’s dog-like reactions which he performs without shame (like the pit stop on the carpets!).  

Why include it?

This mystery is a playful and fun read for fans of mysteries and dog lovers alike.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society

Bibliographic information:

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart

Illustrator: Carson Ellis

• Series: The Mysterious Benedict Society (Book 1)
• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

When Reynie Muldoon answers the advertisement - looking for “gifted children looking for special opportunities,” he begins an adventure with three other special children who just might manage to stop a plot to take over the world.  

Interest Level: Ages 8-11

Lexile level: 900L

Awards, if applicable:

Not Applicable

Plot summary: It starts as an advertisement - looking for “gifted children looking for special opportunities.”  And it begins an unforgettable adventure.  Four children pass the tests: Kat, Constance, Sticky and Reynie Muldoon.  And they become the Mysterious Benedict Society, where they are trained by Mr. Benedict and attend an isolated school where they are trained by a criminal mastermind to help take over the world.   If the four can work together, they might be able to discover the secrets of their school and defeat the nefarious Mr. Curtain.

Critical review:  The characters in this book are the true strength of it; they are well developed with ongoing motivations.  Even the external characters - the Mr. Benedict and the Weather Machine - have a level of depth and motivation which elevates this story into a compelling and engaging read.

Why include it?

This excellent story brings mystery and adventure to life in a fun and entertaining way.

Because Dragons Love Milk

Title: Because Dragons Love Milk

Bibliographic information:

Author: Marie Chow

Illustrator: Miki Tharp

Translator: Marie Chow

• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 1, 2014)
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

Tycho cannot get to sleep, because of all of the monsters under his bed.  But his father has some innovative solutions for sweet dreams.

Interest Level: Ages 4-7

Lexile level: Not Applicable

Awards, if applicable:

Not Applicable

Plot summary: Tycho just can’t seem to get to sleep - he knows that there are all sorts of monsters out there - under his bed and all around.  But as he explains his fears to his father, his father comes up with a whole series of innovative solutions to the problems - because dragons love milk, you know.  

Critical review:  The relationship between the father and son is wonderful, with mutual trust and affection.  The father is understanding and patience with his son’s fears, and offers a series of solutions to all of the challenges which keep him from being able to get to sleep at night.  

Why include it?

This bilingual book incorporates a family who deals with problems in a gentle and understanding way.

The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book

Title: The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You!

Bibliographic information:

Author: Tom Robinson

• Series: Everything® Kids
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media; unknown edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

Discover the wonders of science with this wonderful book of experiments

Interest Level: Ages 7-12

Lexile level: 950

Awards, if applicable:

Not Applicable

Plot summary: Do you want to know why and how things work? Then this is the book for you, with a series of experiments which teaches the fundamentals of a wide range of scientific disciplines in a fun and engaging way.  This book starts out with a question - how do you peel a raw egg, or does air take up space.  Then, there are a series of experiments which answer the question.  And finally, the section concludes with  a potential science fair project.

Critical review:  The organization of this book is excellent.  All of the experiments are grouped by subject, so that performing them will give the user a firm foundation in the elements of the subject.  All of the experiments chosen do use standard household products, which is gratifying for children and librarians, who can use them for programs with a minimal investment in materials.

Why include it?

This book covers scientific basics in an appealing way that is easy for children to understand.

Duck for President

Title: Duck for President

Bibliographic information:

Author: Doreen Cronin

Illustrator: Betsy Lewin

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

My fellow Americans, as not what a duck can do for you, but what you can do to elect your duck!

Interest Level: Ages 4-8

Lexile level: 680L

Awards, if applicable:

Not Applicable

Plot summary: Duck is tired of all the work he has to do around the farm.  He’s going to change all that, and run for farmer.  Of course, after he is elected as farmer, his eyes are on higher and higher political positions.  Will he ascend to the highest office in the land, or will sticky ballots and political opponents keep him down?

Critical review:  The irrepressible Duck is at it again - the plot is fun and the sound of the story is incredible.  But what makes this book as enjoyable for adult readers as it is for the youngest fans is the easter eggs hidden throughout the art.  From supporters who wave “We Like Duck” posters, to the sticky ballots hidden under a pancake plate, this book amuses adult survivors of past political elections as well as younger readers who always love Duck.

Why include it?

This playful picture book also gives a hint to the electoral process and some of the history of the presidency of the United States.