Eight-year-old Marsha dreams of a beautiful black figure skater: herself, "tall and smooth and slender." Her one desire for Christmas is a pair of figure skates, snow-white with red pompons. She's horrified when her last package contains the ugliest skates in the world, a pair of used hockey skates which once belonged to her Uncle Richard. Her attempts to skate are equally disappointing, until an unexpected visitor shows up at the skating lagoon.
Readers and listeners ages six and up will understand Marcia's dream, her bitter disappointment, and her determination to make the dream come true. All the Money in the World (1979), by Bill Brittain.
When Quentin Stowe, all-American boy, rescues a visiting Irish leprechaun, he is allowed the traditional three wishes. Not surprisingly, he uses his first two unwisely. But the third wish is something else: Quentin Stowe wishes for, and gets, ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. What seems like a dream-come-true becomes more and more complicated as Quentin realizes he can't spend the money, world currencies collapse, he himself is kidnapped (and can't pay the kidnappers), and the President of the United States tells him the fate of the world depends on returning the money.
Readers ages eight and up will enjoy this light-hearted but thought-provoking story of economics and ill-considered wishes, and may desire to read the author's later book, The Wish-Giver. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956), by Roger Lancelyn Green.
From his birth in the greenwood, son of a Norman father and a Saxon mother, to his death in Marian's arms in a nunnery, Robert of Locksley's life is one of adventure and danger. He and his companions become outlaws and champions of the poor as they hunt in Sherwood Forest and steal from rich passers-by. As time goes on, Robert becomes famous as"Robin Hood," and his companions gain fame and new names as well: Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Little John, Maid Marian.
Roger Lancelyn Green's retelling brings the familiar Robin Hood story vividly to life. Based on legends, plays, ballads, and later literary works including those of Scott, Tennyson, and Noyes, Green's book manages to integrate much of the Robin Hood verse and to employ heightened, somewhat archaic, language while remaining accessible to today's readers. This modern classic will be enjoyed by readers ages twelve and up.
By the Great Horn Spoon! (1963), by Sid Fleischman.
When the family fortunes falter, young Jack Flagg decides to take passage on a ship from Boston to California and make his fortunes in the gold fields. Aunt Arabella acquiesces to the plan only on the condition that Jack take along Praiseworthy, the family's butler. Alas, before Jack and Praiseworthy board the ship, their tickets are stolen and they are forced to travel as stowaways. After two days aboard the ship, Praiseworthy insists that the two confess their presence to the captain and offer to work their passage; and their adventures truly begin as their ship begins a fifteen-thousand mile race against another two-masted sidewheeler, the Sea Raven.
Will the Wilma win the race? Will our heroes reach California? Will Jack save the family fortune? Will the ticket thief ever be caught? Sid Fleischman takes readers on a wild and funny adventure in America's past, when just a little exaggeration can turn the tale of two '49ers into something mighty close to a tall tale. This is a terrific read-aloud for ages six and up, and a great read-alone for readers ten and up. An Owl and Three Pussycats (1981), by Alice and Martin Provensen.
An orphaned owl, too young to fly or feed himself, emerges from a fallen tree at Maple Hill Farm. In a series of sometimes funny and sometimes poignant words and pictures, the children of Maple Hill Farm adopt and raise the little owl until "it's time for Little Owl to go free." The same children are also raising three kittens: Fat Boy, Crook, and Webster. Do the children own the cats? or do the cats own the children and the farm? Again, a series of watercolors and carefully chosen words illustrate the dual nature of the animals who live with us, but still have "a little wild streak somewhere."
The award-winning team of Alice and Martin Provensen brings Maple Hill Farm and its inhabitants to life in a fine picture book for ages 3 to 8 years. Scruffy: A Wolf Finds His Place in the Pack (1996), by Jim Brandenburg.
We've all met someone like Scruffy: just different enough from the rest of the pack that you wonder how he can survive. Jim Brandenburg, an award-winning wildlife photographer for National Geographic Magazine, studied Scruffy and the other wolves on brutally harsh and frozen Ellesmere Island. He could not not understand why the dominant wolves tolerated Scruffy's weakness and (for a wolf) goofiness until he witnessed a surprising series of events. When the new wolf pups arrived, Scruffy's talents became apparent: he was their trainer, babysitter, and playmate. This was his important role in the pack.
Animal lovers of all ages will relish the photographs in this book and find the arctic wolves keenly intelligent and fascinating. The Ghost Drum (1987), by Susan Price.
"My story is set (says the cat) in faraway Czardom, where winter is a cold half-year of darkness." Thus begins the tale of a Czar and a witch and how their lives converge for good or for evil. Some of the more memorable characters are Chingis, the slave baby; Safa, imprisoned by the Czar until Chingis hears his cries and rescues him; Marien, the nurse whose efforts to save Chingis lead to her death; and Margaretta, whose safety hinges upon the death of Safa. The setting is cold and intense, and Price is a master at describing that "shivering curtain of cold twilight between the stars" which we have come to know as winter.
Read and shiver with a master writer with a poet's eye for detail. Appropriate for ages 10-13. Matthew Wheelock's Wall (1992), by Frances Ward Weller.
A hundred years ago Matthew Wheelock built a wall that went "round his fields from road to river." He cleared his fields of rocks with a horse and plow, and then stacked the rocks up. He sorted the stones by size and, like a giant puzzle, fit the stones together to make a wall. Now mice build their nests in its crevices and children play on top of it. When the wall is breached by a tree struck by lightning, Matthew's great-grandsons repair the hole.
In simple but eloquent language, the author shows readers how the stone wall becomes a symbol for generations of Matthew Wheelock's family. This picture book is most appropriate for ages 4 to 8 years. Favorite Poems Old and New (1957), edited by Helen Ferris.
Can't quite remember the words to "Little Orphant Annie"? "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" escapes you? Need a good poem about stars or April or the tiger? Looking for an exciting story poem? Want something to tickle your funnybone? This classic collection offers all these possibilities and much, much more. No famous illustrators, no fancy binding--just 567 pages of poetry in a book destined to be worn out by your family.
Selections are placed in broad categories: "Myself and I," "My Almanac," "Animal Pets and Otherwise," "My Fancy and I," "Songs of My Nation," and "Story Time is Special Time," and are just a few of them. Readers and listeners of all ages will find something to love here.
The Prince of the Pond (1992), by Donna Jo Napoli.
A sweet and sassy swamp fantasy, The Prince of the Pond is written from the frog's eye view. It is the story of Pin, a befuddled prince who is turned into a frog by an evil hag. Before he even jumps out of the pile of human clothes, he meets the frog who tells us his amazing story--the frog who will become the love of his life. Although Pin has a terrible time adjusting to eating bugs and other aspects of frog life, his courage and ingenuity remain with him always. There is danger everywhere, especially when he becomes a proud father and must protect his fifty froglets.
The sequel, Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, continues the story when Pin's son braves the dangers of the palace to find his long lost father. Both tales are sophisticated enough to entertain twelve-year-olds and action-packed enough to please the younger crowd.
The Adventures of Hershel of Ostropol (1995), by Eric Kimmel
These hilarious stories capture the dry wit and wisdom of the Eastern European Jewish people. They are meant to be read aloud, but independent readers will enjoy them also. Hershel really did live in Ostropol in the eighteenth century, but his outrageous actions became legendary. Hershel was a very poor man but he used his cleverness, in the true tradition of the trickster, to win every time.
Readers of every age will appreciate these stories of the underdog rascal dressed in rags. The illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman show us a Hershel with a sparkle in his eye and a trick up his sleeve.
Hexwood (1994), by Diana Wynne Jones
Deep in the Hexwood on Earth, an old machine is running again. It has an official Reigner seal, and it is doing strange things with time. People go into the old farmhouse in the Hexwood and never seem to come out again. And what about the tormented sorcerer, Moridon, who is found stumbling about in the Wood? Is he a hero or a villain? Can young Ann Stavely help sort out the strangeness in the Hexwood before it endangers the whole galaxy?
British fantasy writer Diana Wynne Jones offers one of her most challenging and exciting novels for readers aged 12 and up.
Walk Two Moons (1994), by Sharon Creech.
Salamanca Tree Hiddle really has to get to Idaho before her mother's birthday, and bring her back home. So Salamanca and her eccentric grandparents start off on a cross-country journey. Along the way, Salamanca relates the startling adventures of her friend Phoebe Winterbottom. Phoebe's mother has also disappeared, at about the same time that mysterious messages and a "potential lunatic" all appeared at the Winterbottom home.
Will Salamanca be able to bring her mother home in time? And what has happened to Phoebe's mother? Readers ages 10 and up will follow both storylines to a surprising ending in this Newbery Award winner.
When Daddy Had the Chicken Pox (1991), by Harriet Ziefert.
Ellen, her sister, and her brother have all had chicken pox. Then the worst happens: her father gets chicken pox and is, of course, sicker with it than anyone else. He is too sick to watch television, to read a newspaper, or even to eat. And he can't go to Ellen's dance recital.
Ellen is frightened by her father's illness, but is too afraid to express her fears. Gradually her father gets better as he sits up, asks for a newspaper, and eats at the table. A reassuring look at everyday life in a household with a sick parent. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Marsh Cat (1991), by Peter Parnall.
All his life Cat, "son of a mother as wild as any in Siberia," has lived successfully in the woods snaring hares and grouse with his cunning and skill. Half-blinded, his mother found the safety and warmth of a barn and, later, a hollow tree where Marsh Cat was born. After living as a wild animal, he one day meets a small gray barn cat who draws him into the barn. He finds he likes the warmth and security of the barn, and even grows to tolerate the other animals living there, but he cannot trust the two-legged animals who feed him and give him shelter. Young Tracy wants to tame him, and even rescues him from a trap and nurses him back to health. But he is still a wild creature. . .
Vivid descriptions of animal life, and a sympathetic understanding of animals themselves, mark this book as an excellent read for anyone interested in animals. Appropriate for ages 10-13.
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm (1994), by Nancy Farmer.
Zimbabwe, 2194: General Matsika's three children lead a sheltered life and are forbidden to go out on the streets. But one day they steal out of the house and disappear. To find them, their parents call in Africa's most unusual detectives: the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. Rescuing the children takes the detectives from the dirt of the crowded streets to the top of the Mile-High MacIlwaine Hotel, and from the evils of the past to the technology of the future. Along the way, encounters with criminals whose plans go far beyond what anyone can imagine keep the fate of the children in limbo.
This challenging Newbery Honor Book is most appropriate for readers aged 12 and up.
Last revised 17 January 1998