A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley

A beautifully illustrated picture books tells the story of a bear who discovers a letter in the woods. He doesn't know what the tiny marks on the paper mean, but he soon discovers a woman reading near a cabin in the woods. He gradually approaches her, and she begins to read to him. A wonderful story to share with students just learning to read to show the enjoyment of reading and what it can mean. (A Story for Bear, Dennis Haseley, Jim Lamarche, ill. Silver Whistle Harcourt, Inc., 2002.)

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

Elijah considers himself fra-gile. As the first freeborn child in the community of Buxton, Ontario, Elijah has a carefree life. He fishes, goes to school and helps his neighbors and family with the chores. He has heard about the horrors of slavery from his parents and elders in the community, but never experienced them. That changes when he goes to Michigan to help a neighbor try to retrieve money stolen from him he was going to use to buy his family out of slavery. In his search he comes across some runaway slaves that were captured and being taken back to the South, causing Elijah to confront the horrors of slavery. The story lovingly details life in a rural community in the 1850s. An afternote tells about the community of Buxton and how it came to be founded. A 2007 Newbery Honor Winner. (Elijah of Buxton, Christopher Paul Curtis, Scholastic Press, 2007.)

One Beastly Beast by Garth Nix

This book of short stories from fantasy writer Garth Nix has four stories with odd and goofy premises. The first, Blackbread the Pirate, finds a boy returning DVDs for his mother only to have them stolen by pirate rats that emerge from the sewer. Soon the rat navy comes to the rescue. Another, The Princess and the Beastly Beast, features a young princess who is attacked by a large, clockwork monster. Then there's the orphan boy who likes to invent things, who has to find a way to avoid being adopted by suspicious aliens, and the Know It All girl who is meant to be sacrificed to a sea serpent. I thoroughly enjoyed all four stories which were light, fun and out-of-this-world. (One Beastly Beast (Two aliens, Three Inventors, Four Fantastic Tales) by Garth Nix. Ill. by Brian Biggs. Eos, 2007)

Emlyn's Moon by Jenny Nimmo

"Nia can't do nothing!" is the taunt Nia Lloyd hears from her brothers. The middle child of a family of seven, she feels lost in the shuffle until she befriends Emlyn Llewelyn. But her parents don't want her to go to the Llewelyn home. "Something happened there" is all her brother will say. But Emlyn's cousin Gwyn is a magician with a magic snow spider when it spins a web for Emlyn to glimpse another world, danger threatens. By helping Gwyn and Emlyn, Nia finds a way to do something important. (Emlyn's Moon by Jenny Nimo. The Magician's Trilogy: Book Two. Read by John Keating. Scholastic Audiobooks, 2006.)

Mercy Watson Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo

It's Halloween and Mr. and Mrs. Watson's favorite pig is going trick-or-treating! She likes the "treat" part so she's willing to dress as a princess. Of course, in Mercy's mind treats equal buttered toast so when she's offered Halloween candy--well--chaos ensues. Funny, lively with great illustrations. (Mercy Watson Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Chris Van Dusen. Candlewick Press, 2007).

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Will Stanton got a very interesting present for his 11th Birthday in mid-December. He found out he is one of the “Old Ones” helping to protect the world from the Dark--a malevolent force. Over the course of the Twelve Days of Christmas with the help of his guide “Merriman” he hunts for six magical signs that when linked will force back the Dark. But the dark fights back with fierce blizzards, floods and other obstacles threatening Will’s family and the people of his village. The book combines ancient celtic legends with an exciting story. The second of five in the The Dark is Rising Sequence. The audiobook version was well read by Alex Jennings. (The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. Listening Library, 1999.)

No Talking by Andrew Clements

When 5th Grader Dave Packer learns about Mahatma Gandi while preparing a Social Studies Report on India, he is inspired to stop talking for a day. That leads to a confrontation with Lynsey Burgess in the cafeteria. By the end of lunch, the two have agreed to a contest--boys against girls, to see who can talk the least for two days. Suddenly things get very different at school and the perplexed teachers and principal have to try to figure out what’s going on. Fun, thought provoking, and lively, the contest takes some surprising twists and turns. The audio version, narrated by Keith Nobbs, had me smiling, laughing out loud and nodding in recognition at his description of elementary school life. (No Talking by Andrew Clements. Simon and Schuster Audio, 2007.)