Younger Readers

Agee, Jon. Terrific.
In this winningly illustrated, oversized picture book, grumpy Eugene Mudge anticipates the worst about a windfall trip to Bermuda and utters a sarcastic "terrific." After he befriends a talking parrot, "terrific" takes on a whole new meaning. E AGE

Arnold, Katya. Elephants Can Paint Too!
Armstrong uses color photographs to compare the artistic processes of students in very different art classes - one for children in New York City, another for elephants in Thailand. E 599.67 ARN

Arnold, Tedd. Hi! Fly Guy.
When Buzz captures a fly to enter in The Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong. E 428 ARN

Beaumont, Karen. I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!
Based on the tune "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More," this picture book elicits giggles and audience participation as the young narrator paints his body. Catrow's colorful illustrations are perfectly SPLAT-worthy. E BEA

Bloom, Suzanne. A Splendid Friend, Indeed.
In a picture-book format perfect for emergent readers, a persistent goose wins the affection and friendship of a preoccupied polar bear. The expressive pastel paintings and playful text of the book mirror the exuberance for reading and writing. A 2006 Geisel Honor Book. E BLO

Del Negro, Janice. Willa and the Wind.
Willa Rose Mariah McVale confronts a magical wind and outwits a thieving innkeeper, in a humorous original story inspired by a Norwegian folktale. E DEL

DiCamillo, Kate. Mercy Watson to the Rescue.
Meet Mercy, family pet and porcine wonder! Read and find out how her love for buttered toast saves the day during a family emergency. J DIC

Ehlert, Lois. Leaf Man.
Ehlert arranges a variety of colorful fall leaves on die-cut pages to create a stunning landscape for the travels of imaginary wind-blown characters. E EHL

Graham, Bob. Oscar's Half Birthday.
Oscar's Dad, Mom and four-year-old sister can't wait for his whole birthday so they celebrate with a picnic at six months. Amusingly detailed watercolors depict the very real relationships of a mixed-race family in an urban environment. E GRA

Grey, Mini. Traction Man Is Here!
Traction Man comes equipped with combat boots, battle pants, a deep-sea diving suit and fluorescent flippers, but can he overcome the ignominy of an all-in-one knitted green romper suit with matching bonnet? E GRE

Hicks, Barbara Jean. Jitterbug Jam: A Monster Tale.
Though the mixed-up monster-fears-boy theme is familiar, this charming picture book distinguishes itself with a folksy, quirky-sweet story, exquisite artwork, and an innovative design that includes comic-strip elements. E HIC

Juster, Norton. The Hello, Goodbye Window. Illus. by Chris Raschka
In this sunny portrait of familial love, a little girl tells us about her everyday experiences visiting her grandparents' house. Raschka's style resembles the spontaneous drawings of children, perfectly mirroring the guileless young narrator's exuberant voice. White space balances the density of the layered colors, creating a visual experience that is surprisingly sophisticated. The 2006 Caldecott Medal Book. E JUS

Karas, G. Brian. On Earth.
This large format nonfiction picture book simply explains the science of the Earth's revolution around the Sun, the tilt of its axis, and its gravitational pull. Stunning artwork visually represents each concept. E 550 KAR

Kerley, Barbara. You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids around the World.
In this companion book to A Cool Drink of Water, Kerley takes children on a photographic journey to meet moms, dads, and kids all around the world. E 306.874 KER

Muth, Jon J. Zen Shorts.
Muth's story of inquisitive siblings befriending a wise panda, is told through luminous watercolors interwoven with three lessons, set apart by starkly contrasting Asian-inspired brush paintings. The interplay of artistic styles elegantly conveys the gentle, timeless messages of self-knowledge and acceptance. A 2006 Caldecott Honor Book. E MUT

Priceman, Marjorie. Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride.
Energetic lines and rich watercolors animate the book. Priceman combines spare text, dynamic design and masterful perspective to illuminate the humor and high jinks of three animals swept up in the winds of history. A 2006 Caldecott Honor Book. E PRI

Richardson, Justin and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three. Illus. by Henry Cole.
When two male penguins make a nest together in the Central Park Zoo, a zookeeper provides them with an extra egg, and the penguins raise baby Tango as their own. This winning picture book, awash in icy blues, is based on an actual event. E RIC

Rohmann, Eric. Clara and Asha.
Clara should be falling asleep, but instead she soars through the night with her imaginary friend, a fish named Asha. E ROH

Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas.
In four simple and joyful chapters, Henry and his sweet-natured dog enjoy a memorable visit with great-grandpa Bill and his buddies at the "grandpa house." The full and happy day is highlighted by a frolic in the pond, with grandpas in their "skivvies," topped off by a spaghetti dinner. The 2006 Geisel Medal Book. E 428 RYL

Sayre, April Pulley. Stars Beneath Your Bed: The Surprising Story of Dust.
What could be more surprising than the fact that that ordinary dust is made up of bits of stars and dinosaurs and seals' eyelashes? This beautiful picture book makes the most of the essential grandeur of dust. E 551.51 SAY

Shannon, George. White is for Blueberry.
In an unconventional, fresh and entertaining concept book, full-color paintings offer an intriguing introduction to ten colors while stimulating a closer look at nature. E SHA

Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa.
Plucky Kate and her beloved horse have a day of adventures, including surprises, counting cows, and bedding down in the barn. Along the trail, the humorous repartee and fluid watercolor paintings set the tone and mood to engage new readers. A 2006 Geisel Honor Book. E 428 SIL

Van Leeuwen, Jean. Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day.
It's too darn hot. Hot as a fried egg. Hot as toast. Hot as oatmeal. Chronicles such kid-friendly strategies as a sprinkle with a hose and lots of lemonade, in four simple linked tales. Schweninger's cartoony pencil drawings, heightened with fruit-toned watercolors combine for an accessible treat that is as refreshing as a cool breeze. A 2006 Geisel Honor Book. E 428 VAN

Willems, Mo. Leonardo the Terrible Monster.
Trying very hard to be scary, Little Monster looks for the most scaredy-cat kid to practice on. E WIL

Middle Readers

Anderson, M.T. Whales on Stilts.
Holy Toledo! An intrepid trio saves the world from a plan to launch stilt-walking whales onto land.
J-ADV AND

Armstrong, Alan. Whittington.
Armstrong creates a glorious barnyard fantasy that seamlessly weaves together three tales: Whittington the cat's arrival on Bernie's farm, his retelling of the traditional legend of his 14th-century namesake, and one boy's struggle to learn to read. These three tales unite the disparate citizens of the barn community in a celebration of oral and written language, the support of friends, the healing power of humor and the triumph of life. A 2006 Newbery Honor Book. J ARM

Birdsall, Jeanne. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy.
Four sisters vacationing with their father in a summer cottage wreak havoc on the neighboring estate and rescue a boy in the process. A funny, old-fashioned novel with all the earmarks of a classic - endearingly quirky characters, fine dialogue, and a dog who gets into everything. J BIR

Borden, Louise. The Journey that Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey.
The amazing story of Margaret and H.A. Rey, who fled German troops during World War II and entered France with their first Curious George manuscript, unfolds in scrap book style with photographs, documents, and original illustrations. J-B REY

Burleigh, Robert. Toulouse-Lautrec: The Moulin Rouge and the City of Light.
A strikingly designed picture book introduction to the French artist is abundantly illustrated with photographs of Toulouse-Lautrec's subjects and reproductions of his work. J-B TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

Collard, Sneed B. The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands.
Collaborative efforts to restore a portion of the native tall-grass prairie in Iowa are detailed in a distinguished prose narrative and glorious full-color photographs. J 577.4 COL

Delano, Marfé Ferguson. Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein.
A superior photo-biography of the genius who revolutionized our scientific understanding and whose work laid the foundation for many modern technological marvels. J-B EINSTEIN

Erdrich, Louise. The Game of Silence.
Traditional seasonal work and cultural occasions mark the lives of nine-year-old Omakayas and her Anishinabe family until 1850 when the community must leave its beloved home on the Lake Superior shore. A sequel to The Birchbark House. J-HF ERD

Giovanni, Nikki. Rosa.
From the arresting cover through the endpapers, Giovanni's spare, elegant prose and Collier's iconic illustrations celebrate the quiet courage of Rosa Parks. Collier's radiant watercolors of faces and hands highlighted against the edges of his richly colored collages create another distinguished work of art from this award-winning illustrator. A 2006 Caldecott Honor Book and the 2006 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Medal Book. E-B PARKS

Goscinny, René. Nicholas.
Nicholas was originally published as "Le petit Nicolas." A favorite among French schoolchildren for nearly half a century, the Nicholas stories introduce American readers to the hilarious escapades of a schoolboy and his classmates in an all-boys school. A 2006 Batchelder Honor Book. J GOS

Greene, Stephanie. Queen Sophie Hartley.
Sophie, the middle child in a family of five talented siblings, learns how to assert herself and to appreciate her own talents. J GRE

Himelblau, Linda. The Trouble Begins.
In an entertaining, original novel, fifth-grader Du recounts his difficult adjustment to life in the U.S. when he immigrates from a Vietnamese refugee camp after a ten-year separation from his family. J HIM

Janeczko, Paul B. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms.
More than just another collection of poetry, this anthology celebrates the intricacy and discipline of poetic form, and the freedom that comes from observing that discipline. Raschka's witty art gives readers a clear sense of each form. J 808.1 JAN

Johnson-Davies, Denys. Goha the Wise Fool.
Goha, a character in Middle Eastern folklore, imparts wisdom, tricks fools, and exposes human foibles in fifteen amusing stories. The tales are beautifully illustrated with khiyamiyas, traditional Egyptian embroideries. J 398.2 JOH

Kerrin, Jessica Scott. Martin Bridge, Ready for Takeoff!
Martin Bridge learns about friendship and kindness as he encounters two very different school bus drivers, struggles with the death of a neighbor's pet, and reconciles with a friend as they decorate model rockets. J KER

McKissack, Patricia C. and Onawumi Jean Moss. Precious and the Boo Hag.
Scary and tricky Boo Hag Pruella is right outside the window but smart and brave Precious is determined to mind her mama and not let her in. E MCK

Napoli, Donna Jo. The King of Mulberry Street.
In a wonderfully immediate historical novel set in 1892, nine-year-old Jewish Italian Dom stows away on a ship bound from Napoli to New York, learns to survive alone on the street, and challenges the ruthless padroni who prey on young immigrants. J-HF NAP

Russo, Marisabina. Always Remember Me: How One Family Survived World War II.
A young girl is finally deemed old enough to see all the pictures in her grandmother's "before" photo album-the one that includes photos from before World War II. J 940.53 RUS

Say, Allen. Kamishibai Man.
An elderly retired Japanese storyteller relives the days before television, when children would flock to hear his stories and sample his sweets. The art of kamishibai, storytelling with illustrated cards, is the precursor to manga and anime. E SAY

Sidman, Joyce. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems.
Eleven joyful songs of everyday pond life throughout the seasons are celebrated through Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems, an elegant and satisfying combination of visual drama, poetry and scientific facts. The organic lines of Prange's exceptionally executed, hand-colored woodblock illustrations enlarge upon Sidman's expressive nature-themed poems. A 2006 Caldecott Honor Book. J 811.54 SID

Taback, Simms. Kibitzers and Fools: Tales My Zayda Told Me.
Taback revels in his heritage with these 13 amusing tales from the Eastern European Jewish tradition; each tale is followed by an appropriate saying that sums up its comical yet wise lesson. J 398.2 TAB

Turner, Pamela S. Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes.
Teams of veterinarians take to the mountains of Rwanda to safeguard the health of wild gorillas. Illustrated with glorious photographs. J 333.95 TUR

Winter, Jeanette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq.
Fearing imminent war, Alia Muhammad Baker takes matters into her own hands to save the books in her library. Vibrantly colored pastel acrylic paintings create a sense of distance from the most brutal horrors of war, while celebrating the courage of a brave woman. GOLDSTAR 020.92 WIN

Winter, Jonah. Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Black and white drawings interspersed with full color paintings depict the life and career of this Puerto Rican baseball player, and the struggles he bravely faced on and off the field. E-B CLEMENTE

Woodson, Jacqueline. Show Way. Illus. by Hudson Talbott.
"And the children leaned in./And listened real hard." This magnificent poem tells the story of slavery, emancipation and triumph for each generation of her maternal ancestors. She pays tribute to the creative women who guided their "tall and straight-boned" daughters to courage, self-sufficiency and freedom. Whether with quilts or stories, poems or songs, these women discovered and shared the strength to carry on. "There's a road, girl./There's a road." A 2006 Newbery Honor Book. GOLDSTAR WOO

Older Readers

Armstrong, Jennifer. Photo by Brady: A Picture of the Civil War.
Armstrong tracks the influence of Matthew Brady, who changed the course of war photography, and whose stable of photographers shaped our vision of the Civil War. J 973.7 ARM

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow.
By weaving the personal stories of twelve young Germans into the larger fabric of Nazism and World War II, Bartoletti elevates understanding of Hitler's strategic plans of manipulation to a new level and offers contemporary youth the opportunity to question the choices they might have made in the same situation. A 2006 Newbery Honor Book, A 2006 Sibert Honor Book and A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). YA 943.086 BAR

Bolden, Tonya. Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl.
Based on an unpublished manuscript, this account introduces free-born Maritcha Redmond Lyons, who grew up in New York City during the mid-nineteenth century and went on to become an educator dedicated to bettering the lives of African Americans. A 2006 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book and A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J-B LYONS

Broach, Elise. Shakespeare's Secret.
When sixth-grader Hero Netherfield moves into the famous Murphy Diamond House, she obsesses over finding the centuries-old diamond said to be inside. A funny historical mystery illuminates the debate over Shakespeare's identity. J-M BRO

Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two.
Bruchac's absorbing historical novel tells the story of a boy who became one of the brave Navajo code talkers, whose messages helped the U.S. achieve victory in World War II. A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J-HF BRU

Carvell, Marlene. Sweetgrass Basket.
Mohawk sisters Mattie and Sarah relate their experiences at the Carlisle Indian School, their voices alternating in a piercingly understated sequence of prose poems. J-HF CAR

Fleming, Candace. Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life.
In a well-illustrated scrapbook format, Fleming traces Eleanor Roosevelt's life from her difficult childhood to her role as a precedent-setting First Lady and a leading proponent of human rights. A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J-B ROOSEVELT

Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression.
Freedman describes the impact of the Depression on children throughout the country in a handsomely designed book with beautifully reproduced photographs. J 973.71 FRE

Funke, Cornelia. Inkspell.
Dustfinger, Farid, and Meggie and her family return to the world of the fictional Inkheart to discover that the darkness underneath the beauty of the Inkworld is busily enforcing its own reality on the text they thought they knew. Translated from the German. J-FAN FUN

Gallego, García, Laura. The Legend of the Wandering King.
Set in the deserts of Arabia before Islam, this wonderful, fantastical fairy tale about a magnificent poet and a once-noble prince is at once fresh and familiar. Translated from the Spanish. J-FAN GAL

Giblin, James Cross. Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth.
The twin careers of actor-brothers Edwin and John Wilkes Booth play themselves out in a stunning work that seeks not so much to explain how the latter came to his tragic decision as to explore the choices that led to it and the repercussions of that decision on his bewildered family. A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J-B BOOTH

Hale, Shannon. Princess Academy.
Miri and the other young women of her rocky highland village are forced to leave their close-knit community when the prince must choose a bride in "The Princess Academy." Like the miri flower, which sprouts from the cracks in the linder rock, Miri soon becomes the strong, resilient and courageous leader of the academy. The book is a fresh approach to the traditional princess story with unexpected plot twists and great emotional resonance. A 2006 Newbery Honor Book. J-FAN HAL

Jurmain, Suzanne. The Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students.
This fascinating, elegantly designed book tells the dramatic story of Connecticut schoolteacher Prudence Crandall, who, against all odds, opened a controversial school for African American girls in the 1830s in a climate of bitter racism. A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J 370 JUR

Krull, Kathleen. Leonardo da Vinci.
The extraordinary life and scientific investigations of the artist and scientist are detailed in a readable, insightful volume. J-B LEONARDO

Lester, Julius. Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue.
Lester takes readers to Savannah, Georgia, in 1859 in a fictionalized account of the largest slave auction in American history, told in alternating voices of slaves, slave owners and abolitionists. The 2006 Coretta Scott King Author Medal Book and A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J-HF LES

Perkins, Lynne Rae. Criss Cross.
Follows the lives of four 14-year-olds in a small town, each at their own crossroads. In 38 brief chapters, this poetic, postmodern novel experiments with a variety of styles: haiku, song lyrics, question-and-answer dialogue and split-screen scenarios. With seeming yet deliberate randomness, Perkins writes an orderly, innovative, and risk-taking book in which nothing happens and everything happens. The 2006 Newbery Medal Book and A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J PER

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief.
Percy Jackson has been in six schools in six years. Officially diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Percy's lack of self control gets him trouble again and again. Could he secretly be a demi-god? A 2006 Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA). J-FAN RIO

Scieszka, Jon, ed. Guys Write for Guys Read.
Scieszka has compiled an intriguing collection of stories, reflections, reminiscences, advice, poems, and drawings about being a guy. J-SS GUY

Stauffacher, Sue. Harry Sue.
In this funny, heartbreaking novel, 11-year-old Harry Sue Clotkin vows to become a convict so she can find her mom in prison. First, however, she has to rescue her quadriplegic friend Homer and the kids in her malevolent Granny's day care. J STA

Walker, Sally M. Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley.
In 1864 the H. L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship. It then vanished. For 131 years, the Hunley's fate remained a mystery. Walker has crafted a seamless account of historical and scientific sleuthing to reveal the secrets of the Hunley and her crew, all the while demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of the problem-solving process in our modern world. Walker combines the drama of a wartime shipwreck with compelling scientific writing, to create a work of true distinction. The 2006 Sibert Medal Book. J 973.757 WAL

Yee, Lisa. Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time.
Basketball fanatic Stanford Wong is forced to forgo sports camp for a summer spent making up his failed English class with the help of girl genius Millicent Min. J YEE

All Ages

Kennedy, Caroline, ed. A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children.
A rich compilation of classic and contemporary poems varies in topic from the silly to sublime, with luminous watercolor illustrations. J 808.81 FAM