BEST FOR AGES…
Best for Ages: 10 years+ City of Amber by Jeanne Duprau
The people of Ember, living deep under the ground, had always planned to return to the surface… Until the directions were lost and forgotten. The story continues in The People of Sparks.
Best for Ages: 8 years+ Pigs Might Fly by Dick King-Smith
Follow Daggie Dogfoot, the remarkable runt, who has dreamt of adventure since he first he heard that “pigs might fly”. Will he ever? Read it to see!
Best for Ages: 6 years+ The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein
How can you be happy in this world, when you’re missing a piece? I love this book about growing, searching, longing, and being enough already.
Best for Ages: 8 years+ Vile Verses by Roald Dahl
If you, like I, enjoy Roald Dahl’s wit and style, open this book! You’ll find it filled with all the Dahl humor we’ve come to expect, but with an extra scoopful of vile!
Best for Ages: 6 years+ Lost and Found by Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan’s beautiful illustrations have as much detail as Waldo books, and his plots are as packed with emotion as, well, Shaun Tan books.
Best for Ages: 8 years+ Crinkleroot’s Guide to Walking in Wild Places by Jim Arnosky
This is a lovely book to read in the springtime, followed by a long walk in one of the many natural places that Vacationland has to offer! A beautifully illustrated book.
Best for Ages: 8 years+ Bird Talk by Lita Judge
When the snow melts, hundreds of birds fill the air with song, a true joy! This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about birds’ chirps, cheeps, whistles, honks, warbles, coos, and trills!
Best for Ages: 8 years+ Shockers of the Sea by Caroline Arnold
Yes, everyone knows that Eels use electricity to stun their prey, but did you know that other creatures also use shock? Neither did I, until I read this interesting book.
Best for Ages: 6 years+ Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons
When I think of springtime, I always think of butterflies, especially monarchs. Check out this book, then keep your eyes out for milkweed, and green caterpillars.
Best for Ages: 6 years+ The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons
Another great book from Gail Gibbons. Reading this book is a great accompaniment to the start of gardening season. Don’t forget, it’s time to start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors!
Best for Ages: 3-6 years I Like Me by Nancy Carlson
This is a great book to help build a strong foundation of self esteem in young people. The prose style makes reading this aloud enjoyable for parents.
Best for Ages: 3-8 years Owen by Kevin Henkes
This book has stuck in my mind since my own childhood. Henke’s artwork brings to life the story of Owen, the mouse who didn’t know how to live with his Blanky. How will he go to school?
Best for Ages: 5-10 years The Wump World by Bill Peet
Perhaps Peet’s best known work, Wump World is a timeless piece, inspiring preservation of nature in young readers as well as Seuss’s The Lorax. Don’t miss it!
Best for Ages: 5-10 years The Fortune-Tellers by Lloyd Alexander
I would recommend this book for the illustrations alone, which as deeply retailed and richly colored. I recommend this tale as a bedtime story enjoyed by all.
by Kara Taheny, Children’s Room Staff
