The Legend of Holly Claus

The Legend of Holly Claus, by Brittany Ryan Grade 4-7–A letter written in 1878 to Santa Claus by a 10-year-old boy asking not for presents but to know what Santa himself wishes for allows the gent (aka Nicholas, King of Forever) and his wife to realize their greatest dream, the birth of a daughter named Holly. She is, however, cursed by an evil sorcerer, Herrikhan, who surrounds her infant heart... [Read more]

Holly Claus

Holly Claus: The Christmas Princess, by Brittany Ryan When young Christopher writes a letter to Santa Claus, he poses a question no one has ever thought to ask before: Dear Santa Claus, What do you wish for Christmas? Miraculously, Santa’s longtime wish comes true, and a baby girl is born—Princess Holly Claus. But just as the Land of Forever joyously celebrates her arrival, far away an evil... [Read more]

Pebble

Pebble: A Story About Belonging, by Susan Milord There once was a pebble on a rocky shore. It was small and round and nearly smooth. Amid a seascape dotted with endless rocks, one pebble yearns to be special. Can you find the pebble? Susan Milord’s clear prose and exquisite collages offer a timeless message about finding one’s place in the world.  Read More →

Little Kisses

Little Kisses, by Jolie Jones Kindergarten-Grade 2–An amiable, rambling story that has more charm than plot. Narrated by a dog named Bejinhos, which means Little Kisses in Brazil, the tale takes children through a day in the life of a pet and his girl, Jolie. The two friends get up, talk, try on clothes, eat, brush their teeth, and take a walk. A cautionary refrain, Those are the rules, is brought... [Read more]

The Wednesday Tales: The Palace of Laughter

The Wednesday Tales: The Palace of Laughter, by Jon Berkeley Grade 4-7–When the mysterious Circus Oscuro arrives in the dead of night, Miles Wednesday, a runaway orphan living in a barrel, is the only person in the town of Larde to witness the event. Later that same night, he is approached by a tiger who claims he can smell the circus in Miles. Thus begins a chain of events that introduces the... [Read more]

Sunny Bunnies

Sunnie Bunnies, by Margie Blumberg Margie Blumberg has written a delightfully entertaining story about a family of bunny rabbits who spend a day at the beach…. The rhyming text is as clever as it is entertaining and children will thoroughly enjoy the surprise at the end! Charmingly illustrated throughout by June Goulding, Sunny Bunnies is a perfect pick for family, school, and community... [Read more]

The Wednesday Tales: The Tiger’s Egg

The Wednesday Tales: The Tiger's Egg, by Jon Berkeley When the Circus Bolsillo lands in Larde, orphan Miles Wednesday and his angel-friend Little join its wondrous and chaotic show. They soon fall in with Doctor Tau-Tau, a mysterious and bumbling fortune-teller who once knew Miles’s parents and claims Miles’s father is very much alive. Miles sets out in secret with Doctor Tau-Tau, but... [Read more]

The Rock People

One day, while collecting rocks on the beach, a little girl named Nae-Nae discovers something amazing. It is a face on a rock gazing up at her. The more Nae-Nae looks, the more faces on rocks she finds. Through a family legend, Nae-Nae learns she’s discovered the Rock People who are here to heal and protect the Earth.  Read More →

Blue Wolf

Blue Wolf, by Catherine Creedon Grade 5-8-Jamie, a 14-year-old rock hound and cross-country runner, remains clueless for three-fourths of this generally pleasing book, despite the presence of many clues that he is part of an extended family of shape-changers that transform to and from wolves in response to tunes played on ancient stone flutes. Bothered by the apparent ease with which his widowed Korean-American... [Read more]