Historical Fiction

Title: Heidi
Author: Johanna Spyri
Publisher: Random House Value Publishing Inc. 
Publication Date: September 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-517-18967-4
Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: A childhood favorite of mind, a young girl from the Swiss Alps named Heidi is sent to live with her grandparents, after living with her aunt for some time. Heidi is an orphan child, but when living with her aunt, she learns to have a lot of fun. When she moves in with her grandparents, she becomes very depressed and it not used to the ritzy lifestyle of not being able to do much in terms of fun in the gray city she now lives in. 

Title: The Wall
Author: Eve Bunting 
Publisher: Clarion Books 
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN:0-395-51588-2
Rating: 5 out of 5 walls
Summary: A young boy and his father travel to see the wall with the names of veterans on it, in Washington DC. They come across his grandfathers name on the wall int he process. During the time that they were at the wall, they met other families who were reminicing their family members names on the wall about the thanks and love they have for those who served for us. 

Title: Black Beauty 
Author: Anna Sewell
Publisher: Dover Publications Inc.
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0-486-27570-1
Rating: 5 out of 5 black beauties 
Summary: Black Beauty is a classic and one book that I can remember being a favorite as a child. Demonstrating how to treat others with kindness and animal welfare, this book is a catch and very entertaining for children. It shows the different life styles of people in England during the nineteenth century, and how some people can be so cruel, but it is much more important to pick life up and treat others, including animals, with respect, no matter what type of background you come from. 

Informational Texts

Title: Hurricane and Tornado
Author:  Jack Challoner
Publisher: DK Publishing Inc.
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN: 0-7566-0690
Rating:5 out  of 5 storms
Summary: This informational text is all about different types of hurricanes and tornadoes. There are real pictures and snapshots of things that show these different types of hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as different types of equipment used to help detect and tract them through nature. There are great descriptions below some of the pictures to explain what they do and how they should be understood. 











Title: Olympics 
Author:  Chris Oxlade and David Ballheimer
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0-789-6293-1
Rating: 4 out of 5 gold medals 
Summary: This book explains many of the different Olympic shorts, the equipment used for them, how they are played, and what is worn. It also explains the different types of Olympics; winter, summer, Paralympics. Although this book is filed with great detail, real pictures, and examples of Olympic sports, some of the information and pictures are outdated and may not reflect what a child may typically see in the Olympics now. 








Title: P is for Passport - A World Alphabet 
Author:  Devin Scillian
Publisher: Sleeping Bears Press 
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 1-58536-157-7
Rating:5 out of 5 passports 
Summary: Although this book goes through the alphabet, it is very diverse and extremely informational. Each letter in the alphabet has animals and diverse facts from around the world that go in accordance with that letter. These examples are good for students to learn about and to help learn about different cultures, as well as the letters. 

Fantasy

Title: Peter Pan
Author:  J.M. Barrie
Publisher: Snow Balls Classic Publishing
Publication Date: 2014 (this is a newer edition of the original)
ISBN: 978-1506029214
Rating: 5 out of 5 Tinkerbell's
Summary: One night, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell make their way to London, into the bedroom of three precious children. With a little bit of faith, trust, and pixie dust, the children join Peter Pan and Tinkerbell to fly away to Neverland during the night. Here, they find Captain Hook, the lost children, crocodiles, and many more. Never wanting to grow up, like Peter Pan always says, really brings a lot of fun, magic, and trouble for these children.






Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Author:  Roald Dahl
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: 1964
ISBN: 978-0-14-241031-8
Rating: 4 out of 5 chocolate bars
Summary: Willy Wonka's chocolate factory is finally opening! Golden tickets are placed in candy bars around the world for children to win, giving them the chance to tour the factory! When the day comes, the five children who won the golden tickets enter the factory to see munchkins working, machines pumping chocolate, geese laying chocolate eggs, and so much more that they would have never expected.









Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Author:  L. Frank Baum
Publisher: G.M Hill Co.
Publication Date: 1900
ISBN: 9781495421860
Rating: 4 out of 5 yellow brick roads
Summary: Dorthy, a young girl lives with her aunt and uncle on their farm in Kansas. When a strong tornado came sweeping through, she and her dog, Toto, were unable to successfully escape and ended up in a strange land. In this land, she met many different people and creatures; munchkins, the Good Witch of the North, the Bad Witch of the East, the scarecrow, lion, tin man, and many more. The Bad Witch used magical spells to try to ruin the journey to Emerald City, where Dorthy would meet the Wizard to help her get back to Kansas.

Realistic Fiction

Title: Babysitters Little Sister - Karen's Secret 
Author: Ann M. Martin   
Publisher: Scholastic 
Publication Date: 1992
ISBN: 0-590-45648-2
Rating: 5 out of 5 babysitters 
Summary: Karen is a loud mouth and telling her secrets is something that no one should do. Her friend Natalie decided to tell her a very special secret that NO ONE was allowed to know about! Karen could not keep her mouth shut with this big secret and told the whole class. Now Natalie and the rest of the kids in Karen's class were mad at her and knew that they should never, ever tell Karen another secret. 






Title: Junnie B. Jones is a Party Animal
Author/Illustrator: Barbra Park and Denise Brunkus
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: 1997
ISBN: 0-679-88663
Rating: 5 out of 5 animals 
Summary: Junnie B. and her friend Lucille are having a slumber party at Lucille's Nanna's house. Junnie B. knows that this is going to be a lot of fun, because what can go wrong at a sleepover at Nanna's house. She soon finds out that jumping on the beds, dancing, and dressing up is too much fun for Lucille's Nanna. And in the morning, she realized that everything in the very expensive house was just for show and she loves sleepovers at her own Nanna's house much better. 




Title: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer

Author/Illustrator:   Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5711-6
Rating: 5 out of 5 summers
Summary: Judy Moody expects to have an awful summer when her parents go away with out her and her brother. When her Aunt Opal comes to stay with her, as her babysitter, she finds out that this is going to be the best summer ever. The summer is filled with adventures, games, activities, competitions, and so much more. Judy Moody involves her friends in all of this fun and it becomes a competition to see who can have the most fun!