Summer 2007
Pinky and Rex and the Just-Right Pet. James Howe, Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001. 40 pages
Fiction H856p Ages 6 to 8
Pinky’s family has decided they want to get a pet. But it’s a cat! Pinky wants a dog. However that’s before Patches, the cat, sneaks into Pinky’s room each night. Will Pinky have a change of heart?
Iris and Walter.
Elissa Haden Guest, Gulliver Books, 2000. 43 pages
Orange Dot G936i Ages 6 to 8
Iris is sad. She has just moved to the country and she misses the big city with all its energy and noise. Grandpa asks Iris to take a walk with him down the road. Around the bend there is a great big green tree, with a rope ladder and just maybe a new friend… A touching story for those just starting to read. Don’t miss the other Iris and Walter stories.
Gooney Bird Greene. Lois Lowry, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. 88 pages
Fiction L921g Ages 6 to 9
Gooney Bird Greene arrives in the second grade class full of ‘absolutely true’ stories to tell such as: How Goonie Bird Came from China on a Flying Carpet. The class asks for a story every day which is fine by Gooney Bird because she likes to be the centre of attention. What makes a good story? Gooney Bird will tell you.
The Man Who Wore All His Clothes. Allan Ahlberg, Candlewick Press, 2001. 77 pages
Fiction A285m Ages 7 to 9
One morning Mr. Gaskitt puts on all his clothes. Mrs Gaskitt picks up a bank robber in her taxi. Gus and Gloria’s school bus gets involved in the robbery. But why does Mr. Gaskitt put on all his clothes?
Sindbad: From
the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights.
Ludmila Zeman, Tundra Books, 1999. 26 pages
Non-Fiction 398.2 Z53s Ages 6 and up
Sindbad the sailor recounts two of his many adventures: his voyage to a mysterious island that comes alive, and being dropped by a huge bird in a valley of diamonds and deadly snakes. Just as fascinating as the stories are the wonderous illustrations, each one in the form of a Persian rug. Sindbad’s adventures are continues in: Sindbad in the Land of Giants, and Sindbad’s Secret.
The Nine Lives of Aristotle.
Dick King-Smith, Candlewick Press, 2003. 76 pages
Fiction K54n Ages 7 to 9
Everyone knows a cat has nine lives. Aristotle, a very adventurous kitten, lives with the witch Bella Donna. But he can’t seem to keep out of danger. He falls down the chimney, almost drowns in the milk jug, is nearly run over by a train…How many lives will Aristotle go through before he settles down? A light-hearted story by an author known for his wonderful animal tales.
Nothing Wrong with a Three-Legged Dog.
Graham McNamee, Delacorte Press, 2000. 134 pages
Fiction M169n Ages 7 to 11
Keith finds it difficult to be different until he meets Lynda and her three-legged dog, Leftovers. Leftovers may be missing a leg, but Keith and Lynda are determined to make him into a prize-winner.
The Legend of Spud Murphy.
Eoin Colfer, Hyperion Books, 2004.
94 pages
Fiction C695L Ages 7 and up
Marty and Will have to spend three afternoons a week of their summer at the library. They really don’t want to go. The library is a dangerous place because of Spud Murphy… the librarian. Every kid knows that if you break one of Spud Murphy’s rules, she’ll spud you with soggy potatoes. And so Marty and Will have to sit on an old piece of carpet in the children’s section surrounded by boring books. How will they ever survive the summer?
Poppy.
Avi, Orchard Books, 1995. 147 pages
Fiction A957p Ages 8 to 11
Dimwood Forest is ruled by Mr. Ocax, the great horned owl. If the mice don’t do what he says ….they get eaten. Poppy the deer mouse and her family are running out of food. Somehow Poppy must find a way of defeating the tyrannical Mr. Ocax and save her family.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick Press, 2006. 198 pages
Fiction D545m Ages 8 to 12
Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The vain and cold-hearted rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost.
The Fortress of Kaspar Snit. Cary Fagan, Tundra Books, 2004. 167 pages
Fiction F151f Ages 8 to 12
Kaspar Snit is an evil genius who is determined to steal all the fountains in the world. Eleven-year-old Eleanor, who longs to fly; eight-year-old Solly, better known as Googoo Man, and their parents, who are, to say the least, odd, set out on a hilarious quest over mountains and across the seas to storm the fortress of Kaspar and retrieve the lost fountains.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and
a Very Interesting Boy.
Jeanne Birdsall, Knopf, 2005. 262 pages
Fiction B618p Ages 8 to 12
Four sisters and their doting father head off for their summer holiday in a tumbledown cottage and end up on a beautiful estate called Arundel. There they discover the magic of Arundel’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic and tame rabbits. But the most wonderful discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.
Whales on Stilts.
M.T. Anderson, Harcourt children’s Books, 2005. 188 pages
Fiction A548w Ages 9 to 12
Lily Gefelty is just an average twelve-year-old girl. But her dad – a normal enough seeming guy – just so happens to work for an evil genius who plans to unleash an army of extremely cranky, stilt-walking, laser-beam-eyes whales upon the world.
The Secret Life of Owen Skye.
Alan Cumyn, Groundwood Books, 2002. 175 pages
Fiction C971s Ages 9 to 12
Owen Skye and his two brothers, Leonard and Andy, live in a small village where they meet up with all sort of adventures. Does the Bog Man really suck out the juice from cattle? Who is Doom Monkey the Unpredictable? Owen’s days are busy as he and his brothers set off on various expeditions - a midnight visit to the snow fort to meet with aliens, a trip to the river to find the giant squid. A warm and magical book about the joys and heartaches of being a boy.
Maxx Comedy.
Gordon Korman, Scholastic Canada, 2003. 153 pages
Fiction K84m Ages 9 and up
Max Carmody loves to make people laugh. When he saw the poster for the contest to find “The Funniest Kid in America” Max knew that he was destined to win. His first priority – change his name to Maxx Comedy. His second - practise. But to practise Maxx needs an audience. Share in on Maxx’s hilarious adventures as he attempts to become the funniest stand-up comic around.
The Last Dragon.
Silvana De Mari, Miramax Books, 2006. 361 pages
Fiction D372L Ages 9 and up
In a world shrouded in darkness and continually lashed by rain, a young elf named Yorsh struggles to survive. When his village is destroyed by the torrential waters, Yorsh finds himself suddenly orphaned and alone – the earth’s last elf.
But Yorsh discovers he is part of a powerful prophecy and that he
must find the last dragon to end the rains and save the world from the Dark Age.
