Where the Sidewalk Ends

Written by Shel Silverstein 

We start out with a description of the wonderful world where the sidewalk ends. This seems to be a magical, mystical world, where nothing is quite normal, but everything is awesome. Once we have a taste of the world beyond sidewalks, we hear a little about the world where the sidewalk reigns. It's not quite as awesome, to say the least.

Next, we hear a little bit about the journey from one place to the other. A big part of the fun of going to the world where the sidewalk ends is just getting there. The journey is nice and slow and marked out by arrows drawn by children. In the end, it's children that have the closest connection to the place where the sidewalk ends.

Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Written by C.S. Lewis 

Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie— step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change, as well as a great sacrifice.

• Publisher: HarperCollins; Collectors edition 

About the Author:

Clive Staples Lewis was born in 1898. Known as "Jack" by his friends, Lewis and his good friend J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, were part of a writer's club, The Inklings, who would meet at the local pub to discuss story ideas. Lewis's fascination with fairytales, myths, and ancient legends coupled with inspiration drawn from his childhood led him to write The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of the best-loved books of all time. Six further books in the immensely popular Chronicles of Narnia followed, and the final title, The Last Battle, received the Carnegie Award, one of the highest marks of excellence in children's literature. 

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Treasure Island

Set in the eighteenth century, Treasure Island spins a heady tale of piracy, a mysterious treasure map, and a host of sinister characters charged with diabolical intentions. Seen through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy of the Hispaniola, the action-packed adventure tells of a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny  led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle.

Amazon.com Review:

Climb aboard for the swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime. Treasure Islandhas enthralled (and caused slight seasickness) for decades. The names Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are destined to remain pieces of folklore for as long as children want to read Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous book. With it's dastardly plot and motley crew of rogues and villains, it seems unlikely that children will ever say no to this timeless classic. --Naomi Gesinger --

Written by Robert Louis Stevenson

• Publisher: Dover Publications; Unabridged edition (April 19, 1993)

Hatchet

Writen by Gary Paulsen 

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present—and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent’s divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair—it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Reissue edition (December 26, 2006)

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Bloomability

By Sharon Creech

Amazon Review: Domenica Santolina Doone, known as Dinnie, finds herself far from home and among strangers. At the beginning of this first person narrative, Dinnie tells us she has been kidnapped and taken to Switzerland by her aunt and uncle. It is an "opportunity," but in Dinnie's nomadic family, "opportunity" is a loaded word that means you may have to pick up and leave at any moment. Suddenly Dinnie has some stability, but at the same time everything is strange and she is not sure where to turn. Creech, through Dinnie's voice, makes the theme fresh and interesting. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

1. 

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. Routine, order and predictability shelter him from the messy, wider world. Then, at fifteen, Christopher’s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer and turns to his favorite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn into the workings of Christopher’s mind.

Novel by Mark Haddon

Author Biography:

MARK HADDON is a writer and illustrator of numerous award-winning children’s books and television screenplays. As a young man, Haddon worked with autistic individuals. He teaches creative writing for the Arvon Foundation and at Oxford University. He lives in Oxford, England.

• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Anne of Green Gables

Amazon.com Review

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, send for a boy orphan to help them out at the farm, they are in no way prepared for the error that will change their lives. The mistake takes the shape of Anne Shirley, a redheaded 11-year-old girl who can talk anyone under the table. Fortunately, her sunny nature and quirky imagination quickly win over her reluctant foster parents. Anne's feisty spirit soon draws many friends--and much trouble--her way. Not a day goes by without some melodramatic new episode in the tragicomedy of her life. Early on, Anne declares her eternal antipathy for Gilbert Blythe, a classmate who commits the ultimate sin of mocking her hair color. Later, she accidentally dyes that same cursed hair green. Another time, in her haste to impress a new neighbor, she bakes a cake with liniment instead of vanilla. Lucy Maud Montgomery's series of books about Anne have remained classics since the early 20th century. Her portrayal of this feminine yet independent spirit has given generations of girls a strong female role model, while offering a taste of another, milder time in history. This lovely boxed gift collection comprises Anne of Green Gables, Anne of the Island, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, and Rilla of Ingleside. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

• Publisher: Starfire; Slp Rep edition (October 6, 1998)

Meet Kit

This story chronicles Kit's life during the Great Depression as her father loses his job and mother's friend comes to live with her family. Kit learns to change her attitude to adjust to her new circumstances and learns to love her changed life.

• Publisher: American Girl (September 1, 2000)

Written by Valerie Tripp

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Meet Samantha

Samantha Parkington is an orphan who lives with her rich grandmother in 1904. There are many servants in Grandmary's busy, bustling household, but there is no one for Samantha to play with. That's why she's so excited when Nellie moves in next door. Nellie has come to work so that she can send money back to her family in the city. Even though their lives are different, the two girls become good friends. 

by Susan Adler and Jeanne Thieme

Publisher: American Girl 

Holes

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.

It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

• Publisher: Yearling (May 9, 2000)

By Lois Sachar

Ella Enchanted

Written by Gail Carson Levine

Harriet the Spy

Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she’s written about each of them. 

Written by Louise Fitzhugh

• Publisher: Yearling (May 8, 2001)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Written by Stephen Chbosky

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Written by Jon Scieszka

The Phantom Tollbooth

For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. 

Written by Norton Juster

A Wrinkle in Time

Up the Tree House

By Gary Wittmann

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

 

This book is a very simple counting book that counts down the four buttons he loses off of his favorite shirt. Pete keeps singing his groovy song and never gets disheartened about losing his buttons. 

Written by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 1, 2012)

Wonder

Wonder (by R.J Palacio) is about young boy, August Pullman, who has a congenital facial abnormality. After being homeschooled, he enters school for the first time in fifth grade and has to cope with a range of reactions to his unusual appearance, as well as a lot of typical middle school drama. Some kids use hateful language, and some people suggest that Auggie is mentally deficient. These situations are upsetting, as are other hardships that Auggie's family endures, including loss of a beloved family pet. However, goodness wins out, and readers should find it inspiring and uplifting. 

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• Publisher: Brilliance Audio; MP3 Una edition (April 8, 2014)

The One and Only Ivan

Ivan is a laid back gorilla who lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He has no real complaints, as he has grown used to his small domain and the humans who visit him every day. In fact, he barely remembers that he once had another life in the jungles of Africa. Ivan lives out his days with the companionship of his best friends, Stella, a wise old elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But Ivan's true passion is making art, and he spends his days trying to capture his surroundings through his art. When Ruby, a new baby elephant joins their group, Ivan suddenly realizes it is up to him to change their lives for the better.
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Eleanor and Park

This book tells the story of two misfits trying to make their way through high school. They find that their initial dislike for each other was a way to hide their true feelings that will help them make their way through their vastly different and equally complicated lives. Each learns to love aspects about themselves through the other's love. 

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (February 26, 2013)

Ship Breaker

Written by Paulo Bacigalupi

In America's Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or by chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.

Review from Booklist

*Starred Review* This YA debut by Bacigalupi, a rising star in adult science fiction, presents a dystopian future like so many YA sf novels. What is uncommon, though, is that although Bacigalupi's future earth is brilliantly imagined and its genesis anchored in contemporary issues, it is secondary to the memorable characters. In a world in which society has stratified, fossil fuels have been consumed, and the seas have risen and drowned coastal cities, Nailer, 17, scavenges beached tankers for scrap metals on the Gulf Coast. Every day, he tries to “make quota” and avoid his violent, drug-addicted father. After he discovers a modern clipper ship washed up on the beach, Nailer thinks his fortune is made, but then he discovers a survivor trapped in the wreckage—the “swank” daughter of a shipping-company owner. Should he slit the girl's throat and sell her for parts or take a chance and help her? Clearly respecting his audience, Bacigalupi skillfully integrates his world building into the compelling narrative, threading the backstory into the pulsing action. The characters are layered and complex, and their almost unthinkable actions and choices seem totally credible. Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating title is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi. Grades 8-12. --Lynn Rutan 

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (October 3, 2011)

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy is a tender story about an orphaned boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression. The main character, Bud, decides to try and find his father. The only clue his mother left him was several flyers about a band in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Awards: John Newbery Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, Golden Kite Award for Fiction, Coretta Scott King Award for Authors

• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (1999)

Maniac Magee

This is the story written by Jerry Spinelli of a young boy named Lionel Jeffery "Maniac" Magee who just can't seem to stop running. He runs from his old life, and he finds himself in the racially-divided town of Two Mills. Before long, he starts making a name for himself as he accomplishes impressive feats wherever he goes. Not everyone is happy, however, and he must think of his new family that has welcomed him into their home. 

Maniac Magee is a very useful and insightful book on issues related to race, what it means to be an orphan, and finding where you belong. This book can be used for a variety of different purposes, and is a fun, easy read to which students can relate. 

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; second edition (November 1, 1999)
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Uses in the Classroom

Awards: John Newbery Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award

Dumpling Soup

Dumpling Soup is the "New Voices, New World Award" winning book about a young girl named Marisa in the Hawaiian Islands who decides to make dumplings for a New Year's celebration. She is worried, however, that they are too different from what people know, and therefore will not be tried by anyone. This story is full of diversity and exemplifies the melting pot that is the American culture. 

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 1, 1998)

Reviews

Dear Deer

Dear Deer, by Gene Barretta, tells the story of Aunt Ant and her letters to Deer. She lives at the zoo, and she describes all of the animals she sees. She uses homophones, words that sound the same but have different spellings and different meanings. This book lends itself well to lessons on homophones and a way to incorporate children's literature into the classroom. 

The Day the Crayons Quit

This story is about a boy named Duncan's box of crayons. It seems that all of the crayons have some sort of complaint for him! So, each crayon writes him a letter describing what troubles it. Blue feels overused, pink underused, and beige feels second best to brown. After carefully reading these complaints and numerous others, Duncan decides to create a masterpiece that uses ALL of his crayons in ways that aren't quite conventional.

The Little Prince

The Little Prince website

Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A young prince not from our world visits an aviator who has crashed in the desert. While repairing his plane, the prince tells the pilot about his travels across the universe, the strange characters he has met, and his own planet of three volcanoes and a rose to which he desperately wishes to return.

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Mrs. Mack

This touching story about a girl and a horse is based on Patricia Polacco's own experience. Pat's father finally decides that this summer will be the one when she will learn to ride a horse. When Pat arrives at shabby stables, she can't believe this is where her summer will be spent. Soon, Pat learns to accept those around her as the summer progresses. She also falls in love with the most beautiful horse she has ever seen, the copper-colored Penny. Pat works hard towards her goal of finally being able to ride Penny before the end of the summer. Her dreams come true, but Penny falls ill. It takes all those invested in the stables to help her, even the most unlikely of characters.