The Secret of the Old Clock - 9.3 stars

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene.  This is the first book in the Nancy Drew mystery series.  We are introduced to Nancy Drew, an 18 year old sleuth.  By happenstance she is put on the trail of locating the lost second will of Josiah Crowley.  The first will leaves all of his estate to the greedy Topham family to the detriment of all of his less well off friends and relatives.  Nancy puts herself in harms way multiple times before finally solving the mystery to the detriment of the Tophams.  It was a fun family read.

Recommended Age: 7 and up  

Lourdes - 10 stars.  I like mysteries.  I also like that Nancy is always like - hey why don't I do this instead of doing a wrong choice and not getting the old clock.  She never gives up.  She's always up for anything.  She won't let anyone stand in her path because she is friends with the people who don't have as much money as her.  She wants them to have money.  So she gets the will.  And because Nancy never gave up on what she wanted to accomplish for her friends and other people.  Except not the Topham family because the Topham family was mean.  Like the Topham girls were all "oh no, now I have to get a job."    

Sabine - I give Nancy Drew 10 stars because I liked how she saves some people because they didn't have a lot of money.  And I also liked how she never gave up.  One of the funny parts was when she always wanted to go somewhere and see what the thieves were doing.  Also I liked how she found the will.  

Finn - I give this book 8 stars.  I didn't hear the whole story (because I was at hockey).  But I didn't like how Nancy was like - "Oh the Tophams are going to have to sell their home.  Yay, I made them do this!"  And she also asks her dad to listen to the reading of the will and see the Tophams cry.  It was funny when Nancy doesn't tell the police officers that she stole this clock and then one of the officers asked if he could drive to the police station with her and she's like "oh no, he's going to see the clock.  So she tells the truth but leaves parts out about stealing it."  I think kids would like this book because it has lots of different choices she has to make.  It would also be good as a choose your own adventure book.  I like those.    

Amazon link:

The Red Pyramid - 8 stars

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.  Reviewed by Finn .  The Red Pyramid is the first book in Riordan's Egyptian mythology series.  In this book, estranged brother and sister, Sadie and Carter, each tell the story from their own perspective.  Their mom is dead and their dad was trapped in a magical sarcophagus by Set a/k/a the Red Lord (god of the desert and chaos).  So Carter and Sadie set out on a mission to stop Set from starting the apocalypse.  They are helped on this journey by gods like Isis and Horace.  As a team they must fight Sobek (crocodile god) and magicians from the House of Life that just have the wrong view of things.

I like this book because it is interesting how Riordan uses places in the world and connects them to Egyptian mythology.  Like the Washington Monument and Cleopatra's Needle in London are obelisks.  Other kids will like this book because it is funny and informative (in a not boring way).  It was funny when Carter nicknames the Set animal (a dog like thing) Jeffrey.  It was also funny because there is this monkey named Khufu who belonged to their uncle and Khufu would only eat things that end in "o", like Doritos, Cheetos and Cheerios.  He also liked to play basketball and roots for the L.A. Lakers.  Why?  I don't know.  I mean they are terrible.  Look at their records.  They are not good.  Anyway, I've read almost all of Rick Riordan's books and this is one of my favorites.

Ages: 9-14

Amazon Link:

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad - 8.3 stars

Henry's Freedom Box tells the amazing story of Henry "Box" Brown.  Henry was separated from his family as a child and forced to work in his master's tobacco factory.  He worked hard and when he fell in love with another slave, their masters allowed them to marry.  But then his wife and three children are taken from him and sold when her master falls into debt.  Losing his family was more than Henry could bear and so he reached out to an abolitionist who helped mail Henry in a wooden box from Richmond to Philadelphia.  Henry is stuffed in this box with few air holes and only a bit of food for 27 hours!  As a slave Henry never knew his birthday, but he considered his real birthday the day he obtained freedom.  

Suggested Age: 4-10

Finn - 9 stars.  My favorite part was when Henry mailed himself in the box all the way to a free state where there was no slavery.  And I liked how he managed to survive being upside down in his box for like 16 hours.  I think kids would like this book because Henry was really brave.  He even burned his hand with acid so he wouldn't have to go to work and could mail himself that day.

Sabine - I would give this book an 8 because I liked that Henry wanted to mail himself in a box.  And the part I didn't like was when his family got taken away from him.

Lourdes - 8 stars.  I liked that it told all about Henry's life and how he survived in that box.  What made me sad was that slaves didn't get to know their birthdays.

Amazon link:

50 Books You Should Read by Age 12

Our family has looked through multiple lists like this on the web, so we wanted to make one of our own.  Here is the Kline & Manning Family’s 50 Books You Should Read Before You Are 12 (presented in no particular order).

A Wrinkle in Time


Where the Wild Things Are
 

The One and Only Ivan


The Lemony Snicket series


Charlotte’s Web


The Hobbit


The Lorax


Wonder


The Harry Potter series


The Runaway Bunny


The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore


The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe


The Fantastic Mr. Fox


The Giving Tree


The Story of Ferdinand


The Day the Crayons Quit


Grandpa Green

Love You, Forever

The Polar Express


Holes


The Monster at the End of This Book


Bud Not Buddy


I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark


The Percy Jackson series
 

Circus Mirandus


Black Stallion


Penguin Problems


The Guardians of Childhood Series


The Boy Who Loved Math


What to Do with an Idea


Echo


Land of Stories


Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy


How to Train Your Dragon series


The Mixed Up Files of Basil E Frankweiler


Flora & Ulysses


Bridge to Terabithia


Green Eggs and Ham


A Sick Day for Amos McGee


Corduroy


The Golden Compass


One


What Do People Do All Day

The Cay

 

The Trumpet of the Swan


The Grouchy Ladybug
 

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH


Llama Llama Red Pajama


Knuffle Bunny series

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy

Circus Mirandus - 9.7 stars

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley.  Okay this may be one of my new favorite children's books.  The story centers around Micah Tuttle who lives with his Grandpa Ephraim after his parents pass away.  He adores his grandpa and his wonderful stories about the time he spent with the magical Circus Mirandus.  But then Grandpa Ephraim falls terribly ill and his sister, Aunt Gertrudis, comes to help.  She's terrible to Micah and Micah is understandably distraught about what is going to happen to him.  Will Grandpa Ephraim recover or will he have to go live with Aunt Gertrudis in Arizona?  Micah then seizes on the idea that finding Circus Mirandus will be the answer to his crises.  So Micah and his new friend Jenny Mendoza set off to find the Lightbender at Circus Mirandus and secure his grandpa a miracle.  The book is magical and heart wrenching and beautifully written.  I'd probably give it a 10 if I had a vote.

Suggested age: 8-13

Lourdes - I give it a 10 because I like they tell you about when Aunt Gertrudis tried to fly.  I also like that Micah got to see Circus Mirandus.  It is one of my favorite books because it is magical and I like magic.

Sabine - I give it a 9 because I liked how they told about how Grandpa Ephraim grew up, how Aunt Gertrudis was born, and how Grandpa Ephraim and Micah built the tree house.  My favorite part was when Micah went to Circus Mirandus for the first time with Jenny.

Finnegan - I'm giving this book a 10 because I liked how it has the Head be the only one that is magical and it kind of explains the point of Circus Mirandus' purpose really well.  And I liked how they fired Victoria, because she was a terrible person.  But I don't like how Grandpa Ephraim and Victoria got married.  That was a big mistake.  My favorite part was how Micah ended up at the end.

The Worst-Case Scenario: Everest - 8 stars

The Worst-Case Scenario: Everest by Bill Doyle and David Borgenicht.  This is an awesome choose your own adventure book that also provides tons of information about climbing Everest.  The back of the book contains an expedition file detailing the airport you would fly into, the trek to base camp and the people, culture and food of Nepal.  It also provides helpful tips on how to fend of frostbite, how to survive an ice avalanche, and how to avoid altitude sickness.  After reading the expedition file, you begin your journey to become the youngest group (along with Julia and Garrett) to reach Everest's summit by making the right choices along the way.  My kids were obsessed with this book and I enjoyed it as well.

Age group: 7-12.

Sabine: "I liked Julia because she's really smart, but also she sometimes gets sick.  You gotta choose if you want to tell Doc that Julia is sick or not tell Doc.  I would give it a 7 out of 10."

Lourdes: "I would also give it a 7 because it wasn't the best book, but it was pretty good.  Sometimes you die, but you don't have to start all over again.  You can go back to the part where you made the wrong choice and choose again.  Where I died is sort of near the end.  He went to sleep and you weren't supposed to go to sleep."

Finnegan:  "I rate this book a 10 because no one likes choose your own adventures more than me.  One reason I liked this is because it's really hard and how are you supposed to think the apple pie is poisonous!  That's where I died.  I also like it because they actually treated it like a missions, they gave you information about Everest and they also described the characters for you.  But they say Garrett is going to make a really big mistake, and all he does is crack jokes which I like.  So I don't get that part.  I think people ages 7 and up would like this book because below 7 you might not read the back and that could mean your 'doom' in the story."

Amazon link if you're interested:

Crenshaw - 8 stars

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate.  A book by the author of The One and Only Ivan, one of our favorites.  The story is told from Jackson's perspective as his family deals with financial difficulties, including food insecurity and potential eviction.  To cope with the uncertainty, Jackson creates an imaginary friend, Crenshaw, an oversized cat.  Through Crenshaw Jackson is able to come to terms with his feelings instead of bottling them up, and ultimately address them with his parents.  It is definitely a heavy subject matter, but I thought it was important to introduce Finn to these issues other children face on a daily basis.  Since we read it together, we could take breaks to address certain topics more fully.  For example, as the stress starts to overwhelm him, Jackson steals a few small items as a way of acting out.  After those chapters, Finn and I discussed why he stole and what he should have done instead.  Highly recommended.

Suggested ages: 8-10

Finn - "I am giving this book 8 stars because I like how it talks about the family's money problems from Jack's perspective, but I didn't like that the author left the book on a cliff hanger.  They don't actually make it a closing.  And I think kids 8 and up would like this book because it's a little bit more serious.  Jack steals two things because he's feeling stressed and out of control.  And I think that is something a 6 year old would not get.  One funny part is when Crenshaw (Jack's imaginary friend) keeps appearing with a bubble beard in a bubble bath and makes negative comments about Jack having a dog."

Amazon link:

I am Gandhi - 7.6 stars

I love this ordinary people change the world series.  The newest book in the series is I am Gandhi and it doesn't disappoint.  It is clearly aimed at a younger set than the Who Was series, but it still packs a lot of information while also making it funny and attention grabbing for little ones.  For example, I am Gandhi talks both about Gandhi's efforts to achieve equality for Indians in South Africa before then discussing his protests against British rule and treatment of the untouchables back in India.  It culminates with the salt march that set India on the road to independence.  Heavy stuff to be sure, but it adds some levity by discussing Gandhi's fear of snakes and having a little kid interject "Truth Force" in the pictures regularly - a reference to Gandhi's mantra of Satyagraha as the only way to fight against unfair treatment.  Highly recommend.

Suggested ages: 4 to 9.

Finn - 7 stars.  "It was funny in an informative way.  I think kids would like the book because it's a biography and for people who aren't as good at reading yet, they can read the "I Am" series and then grow into the "Who Was" series.  It was funny because this little guy keeps popping up and saying 'Truth Force.'"

Lourdes - 6 stars.  "It isn't the best book, but it was really good.  I liked that it was really funny when a person said "oh look a snake, would you like to see it?" and Gandhi said "I would very much NOT like to see it."  I also learned that Gandhi went to jail a lot of times fighting for what's right."

Sabine - 10 stars.  "I give it 10 stars because I learned that Gandhi was fighting for the right thing.  And I also liked how he gave a British guy shoes.  Then the British man gave them back to Gandhi because he really liked them and wore them for many summers but was never worthy of wearing Gandhi's shoes."

Note: we changed to a 1 through 10 scale because  my husband thought the 1 through 5 scale was allowing the kids to grade inflate.  This is what growing up with two lawyers gets you.

Amazon link in case you are interested.

Halloween Book Edition

As the kids have started pulling Halloween books off the shelf this week, we thought we'd share some of our favorite picture books.  These are primarily geared towards the 2-6 year age group, but my 9 year old still enjoys them.

Pinkalicious: Pink or Treat by Victoria Kann.  Trick-or-treating is cancelled after a storm takes out Pinkville's power.  The mayor doesn't believe it's safe to go door-to-door in the dark.  So Pinkalicious saves the day by planning a town wide Halloween party in the public park lit by pumpkins and flash lights.  Halloween is saved!

Sabine: "Why I like this book is because I liked how Pinkalicious thought about how she could save trick or treating.  She went to the mayor and told her the idea.  And the mayor thought about it and the mayor wanted people to still have Halloween so she went along with Pinkalicious' idea."




Miss Fiona's Stupendous Pumpkin Pies by Mark Kimball Moulton.  A cute book about the local witchy woman who makes everyone's Halloween special by serving her famous pumpkin pies to the town after trick-or-treating concludes.  She is most beloved as a result, even if she is a bit kooky.

Lourdes: "I give this book a 4 because it isn't the best book, but it is very good.  I like how Fiona serves pumpkin pie to everyone.  Not just she gets it, she serves it to everyone.  I also like how she picks one person to help her serve, but there are other Halloweens that the other kids will get a chance.  I like how she tells the specific person that was picked that year (a pink bunny)."



Frankie Stein by Lola Schaefer.  Mr. and Mrs. Stein are underwhelmed at little Frankie's scariness level.  They try to make Frankie be scary the same way all the Steins have been scary throughout history.  But Frankie has his own way of being scary that he comes to embrace and his parents come to respect.

Finn: "I think kids would like this book because Frankie basically is able to transform from babyish scary to scary enough to make his mom and dad faint.  I think that is kind of funny."


Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.  A witch having trouble pulling her pumpkin off the vine gets some help from a ghost, vampire, mummy and bat.  They end up becoming friends and bonding over the yummy pie.

Sabine: "I think kids would like this book because the witch tried really hard to get the pumpkin off the vine.  Then she gets the pumpkin off the vine and makes pumpkin pie for the ghost, the vampire, the bat and the mummy.  They had a fun party.  Then the witch plants another pumpkin so her friends will come back again soon."



The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz.  A book that bridges both Halloween and Thanksgiving.  An "ugly pumpkin" has a rough go of it until he finally realizes that he isn't an "ugly pumpkin," but a perfectly normal squash.  He finally feels he fits in and marches off happily towards Thanksgiving.

Lourdes:  "I like at the end he finds what he really is and likes it.  Because he's actually a squash and not a pumpkin.  But it was mean to tease him at the beginning.  At the beginning, he says 'I'm the ugly pumpkin as you can plainly see.'  And he means, he doesn't fit in.  But at the end he finds out he's a squash and he's really happy."



Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long.  More of a fall book than a traditional Halloween one.  It is a cute story about how Otis is friends with all the creatures on the farm...even the scarecrow.  While the scarecrow doesn't respond or play with Otis and the animals, Otis still won't let him feel left out or alone.

Finn:  "I think this book is good because when they try to play the quiet game, the ducks' butts always wiggle and that makes everyone start laughing.  But I don't think the ducks know their butts are wiggling."

Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx - 4.2 stars

An inspiring picture book that tells how Sonia grew up very poor in the Bronx, but her mother worked multiple jobs to ensure Sonia and her brother got a good education.  This work ethic rubbed off on Sonia who became valedictorian of her high school class before going to Princeton, becoming a judge and eventually a Supreme Court justice.  Highly recommend!

Suggested ages: 5 and up

Sabine: 5 out of 5 stars.  "I give it a 5 because it tells how Sonia got older.  And they don't just leave out the parts they didn't know -  I think they looked it up!  People don't know why Sonia wanted to be a judge.  And I like how Sonia tried and never gave up and she got to go past college and high school."

Lourdes:  4.5 out of 5 stars.  "I give it a 4.5 because it is cool how Sonia got to meet President Obama in the White House.  That is cool!  Also I like how she reads a lot of books and is really clever."

Finnegan:  3 out of 5 stars.  "I give it a 3 because I think it talks about some important stuff back when she was younger.  And how hard it was for a Latina girl to be a judge.  And how she used so much of her time that she could have been goofing off and running around playing with other kids, to study to be a judge and get a lot of awards for being the smartest person.  I think this book is for people 8 and up.  My mom just checked the book and it says it is for 4 and up.  I think that is insanity because it talks about racism and civil rights.  Do you think a 4 year old would know about that even if his mom tried to explain?  I don't get it.  If your 4 year old asks you questions about this book when you read it to them, don't blame me, and try your best to explain it."

Amazon link

Echo - 5 stars

Even though Finn can speed read through chapter books now, I still read him a chapter or two of a book every night.  It is one of my favorite moments of the day, when all stress and business is put aside and we just enjoy a book together.  I try to choose books with topics I think we should discuss together.  Our latest book was Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.  It is a beautifully written book that tells the story of three separate children living in different parts of the world during World War 2.  The first child, Fredrich, is a boy dealing with the implications of a disfiguring birthmark in Nazi Germany.  The second child, Mike, is trying to protect his brother at an orphanage in Pennsylvania.  Ivy, the third child, is dealing with prejudice in California while also worrying about the safety of her brother fighting in the war.  The stories of all three children are linked by a magical harmonica that brings them comfort during hard times.  I loved the children's' stories and the opportunities they provided for Finn and I to discuss hard topics like how the Nazis treated people they considered to be disabled or imperfect and the Japanese internment camps.

Suggested age range: 9 and up

 Finn - 5 out of 5 stars.  "I really liked Echo because I liked that all the stories connect to each other.  I also like at the end they combine all the stories and, though the characters don't know it, they are with the people that basically changed their lives.  My favorite story of the three was Ivy's story because her story talked a lot about how her brother almost died in the war.  It scared me when the same telegram deliverer that had delivered the telegram to her friend Susan's family that one of their two sons had died, came to Ivy's house.  In the end story, it tells you that Ivy's brother actually lived....and I don't want to spoil the rest.  Also, I really liked Kenny Yamamoto, a Japanese soldier fighting in the war, how he nearly died...but I don't want to spoil that either."

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer - 5 stars

Finn read this one on his own so this review is all his.

"Now you've got only Finn, your favorite reviewer.  And I'm here to save your sanity by telling you about this really awesome book Magnus Chase.  You'll like it because it is written by Rick Riordan and naturally everything Rick Riordan writes is awesome.  Magnus is a 16 year old homeless kid.  Then he faces Surt, a fire giant, who kills him and sends him to Valhalla (the after life).  Magnus escapes Valhalla and goes on a quest to delay Ragnorak (a prophesied battle where many gods die).

I really like this book because it is really funny.  Like when Jack, the sword of summer and Magnus' companion,  throws insults at Frey, the god who gave him up for a goddess.  Also I think kids would like this book because it is a good way of telling kids about Norse mythology.  Next in the series is Hammer of Thor.  If you want more books by Rick Riordan, the Red Pyramid (about Egyptian mythology) or Percy Jackson (about Greek mythology) are also good options."

Amazon link if you want to check it out

Penguin Problems - 4.3 stars!

Penguin Problems by Jory John & Lane Smith.  This book was featured at the Shedd Aquarium gift shop so I picked it up to read to the kids while they were deciding what stuffed animals to purchase.  We were laughing so loudly in the store I bought it right away.  Story is about a curmudgeonly, disgruntled penguin who finds life as a penguin to be one big burden.  He briefly realizes the beauty of his surroundings and the love of his friends and family (after prompted by a wise walrus), but then quickly goes back to his complaining ways.  Highly recommend.  If you invite my kids to a birthday party in the near future - your kid is probably getting this book.

Recommended age - 4 and up

Lourdes - "I give it a 4 out of 5 stars because it is so hiliriouso.  Funniest part is when the walrus goes away (after giving the wise words) and the penguin is 'Who is that Guy?'  'Why do strangers always talk to me.'"

Sabine - "I give it 5 out of 5 stars because I like when the penguin wakes up and says to the other penguins 'What's all the squawking you guys?'  Another funny part is when he goes in the lake and he's like 'I don't like being hunted.  My flippers ache.'"

Finnegan - "I give Penguin Problemos 4 out 5.  I like when the penguin goes hunting and says 'the water smells too salty today.'  Then he says 'where are all the fish???  FISH GET OUT HERE.'"

Amazon link if you'd like to check it out.

There's a Million Things I Haven't Done, but Just You Wait - 3.6 stars

Who Was Alexander Hamilton by Pam Pollack.  The newest book in the Who Was series.  Clearly capitalizing on the popularity of the musical, it summarizes the life, death and major accomplishments of Hamilton.  It included a few things left out of the musical such as the fact that Alexander had tried to use his influence in the government to protect the rights of Native Americans.  Also, it described Aaron Burr's shady Manhattan Company dealings that gives context to Hamilton's dislike of Burr.  I love this series.  Teaching kids about history in an interesting format.

Best suited for 7-11 year olds.  

Sabine - 4 out of 5 stars.  "I think kids would like this book because it talks about the real things that happened to Alexander Hamilton.  In the musical, it didn't tell everybody everything that actually happened."

Lourdes - 3 out of 5 stars.  "Why I give it a 3 is because it is pretty sad.  I mean why do they have to tell about when he died?  One interesting fact is that Hamilton did a lot of stuff for Washington when Washington was sick.  But I liked in general Hamilton was a good person and he did good stuff for the town of New York.  Lin Manuel did a really good job of Hamilton so I think you would get that Hamilton was a good person if you saw the play."

Finnegan - 4 of of 5 stars.  "I recommend this book to other kids because I feel like after hearing the soundtrack of Hamilton or watching the play they might want to know some other stuff about Hamilton.  Like how technically his father wasn't really married to his mother which was kind of personal for the rest of Hamilton's life.  Also, in the play it didn't tell that Burr was more of a jerk than it appears.  Also, the book is just pretty interesting in general"

Amazon link if you're interested

Kid Approved Audio Books for Long Drives

As we head into the long Labor Day weekend, the kids have some suggestions to help make long drives go by faster.

Finnegan:

The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson read by Jesse Bernstein.  "I think kids will like this book because it's about Greek mythology and it is really funny.  Like Percy always critiques the monsters he's fighting in his head."

The Hobbit (Dramatized).  "Kids would like the adventure.  There are some slightly scary parts, but they get better.  I think it is for kids 8 and above (there is death in it).  My favorite part is when all of the dwarves crowd into Bilbo's house at the beginning."

Lourdes:

The Boxcar Kids read by Phyllis Newman.  "I really liked that the Boxcar kids are really nice to each other.  I also liked that they helped each other and can build anything."

The Cricket in Times Square read by Tony Shalhoub.  "I really liked that the boy's mother calls the cricket the CRICKETER.  I like that the cricket helps the family sell newspapers to get money."

Sabine:

Frozen: The Junior Novelization read Andy Arnt.  "I like Frozen because I liked when Ana finds Elsa at her castle.  And I liked at the end they go ice skating and they fix the castle and the frozen things outside.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever read by CJ  Critt.  "I liked that the Herdmans were so funny.  One time they set the shoemakers workshop on fire and then they stole the donuts from the fireman."

I'm going to add that Joe and I are big fans of How to Train Your Dragon and How to Be a Pirate read by David Tennant.  The stories are great, but the narrator really puts it over the top with the accents.  Joe usually falls asleep during audio book time, but he stayed awake for both of these books on more than one occasion.  Also, you can't go wrong with the Harry Potter series read by Jim Dale.        

A Few of our Favorite Picture Books

Thought I'd post links to some of my kids all-time favorite picture books for those looking too add some variety to their little one's library

Ladybug Girl - one of Lourdes' all time favorites because the little girl's name is Lulu.  I like it because she is strong and spunky.

 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - My kids love this book and it is basically a love story about reading.  It makes me tear up every time.



The Boy Who Loved Math - A story about a famous mathematician who was a little odd but absolutely loved prime numbers.  You wouldn't think this would be a big hit with the kids, but Sabine read this in school again yesterday and was raving about it at dinner.  How many kids can tell you what an Erdos number is????  Kids that have read this book can!



I am Helen Keller - This whole series talks about how ordinary people can change the word (Lucille Ball, Jim Henson, Jackie Robinson, Abraham Lincoln etc).  It is inspiring, but done in a way that appeals to kids.  We've probably read the Helen Keller story 50 times if not more.



Marshall the Courthouse Mouse - using mice to explain the Supreme Court.  How cool!



The book with no Pictures - This book is just hilarious.  I literally cried laughing the first time I read it to the kids - as did the kids.



Ada Twist, Scientist - Encouraging kids to question how things work.  Encouraging parents to be patient and allow kids to explore/experiment - even if it makes a mess.  I need this reminder.