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Let's begin with the picture books. Flotsam,
by David Wiesner, is the Caldecott winner for this year and
it's brilliant! A young boy discovers a waterproof camera on the beach
that displays some of the most incredible and magical images ever!
You will surely revisit this book again and again. Here is a book
that families will want to keep forever. |
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The
King's Highway, retold and illustrated by Howard Fullmer,
is the type of story that every family should read aloud again and again.
A young shepherd hears about the King giving his kingdom to the individual
who best travels his road. The wonderful lessons taught in this inspiring
tale will surely motivate all who read it! |
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Henry's Freedom Box: A
True Story From the Underground Railroad, by Ellen Levine,
is an amazing story about a young slave who is sick of the abuse and misuse
of his African family and who decides to escape to freedom by mailing
himself to Pennsylvania. The exquisite paintings, by award winning
Kadir Nelson, are as breathtaking as the story. |
|  Blue
2: A Pop-Up Book for Children of All Ages, by David A. Carter,
is every bit as incredible as Carter's first book, One Red Dot.
If you could only buy one pop-out book for the year, this is the one to
get! Carter is a master paper engineer and he pulls out all the
stops for creating objects of paper that literally explode off the page.
The Mailbox, by
Audrey Shafer, is my favorite book of the year! It's so well written
and full of mystery and suspense that everyone age nine through adult
should read it. Twelve-year-old Gabe has been in the foster care
system most of his life when his uncle is located. When he finds
his uncle dead from a heart attack, his life changes once again. |
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Buy |
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
, by Brian Selznick, has to be one
of the most creative and unique fiction books ever published. By the
time you see young Hugo looking from behind a clock, you've just turned
45 pages of wordless pictures. The book interweaves both storyline
and pictures throughout. Hugo desires to build something very astounding,
something that he is keeping hidden and secret. |
 Jeremy
Fink and the Meaning of Life, by Wendy Mass, is a story that
fills you with the need, along with Jeremy Fink, to find the meaning of
life. Jeremy has opened a package from his father who died suddenly
five years earlier. His father made this package for Jeremy's 13 th
birthday, but there are no keys to open the box. Jeremy's quest begins
as he tries to find the essential keys that will open this important box
from his father. |
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All of the Above,
by Shelley Pearsall, is based on a true story about an inner-city group
of students, and their teacher, building the largest tetrahedron.
Pearsall incorporated fictional characters that reflect the lives of lower
income kids and how they overcome personal obstacles to build this mathematical
object in order to get into the Guinness Book of World Records .
The heart of this book lies in the souls of these kids. |
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward
Tulane, written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Bagram
Ibatoulline, is a tale of adventure, loss and love. Edward Tulane is a stuffed
toy rabbit who is spoiled and self-centered. He belongs to a rich girl who
recently set sail for Europe. But his adventure is about to begin when he
is accidentally thrown overboard into the ocean. |
 The
Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, is the first in a thrilling
three-book series about adventures in Greek mythology. The author
places the protagonist into a modern-day setting, making this story unique
and exciting. Percy is about to go on a quest that's very difficult, and
you'll feel a part of the adventure from beginning to end. |
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Fablehaven, by
Brandon Mull, and illustrated by Brandon Dorman, is an exciting fantasy
about thirteen year old Kendra and her younger brother, Seth, who are about
to discover a most incredible world hidden within their grandfather's property.
Here is a journey of discovery, adventure and magical creatures. |
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Fundorado Island: Redbeard's
Discoveries and His Adventures too, by Captain Redbeard, is
a hilarious book that begs to be read aloud. The vantage point of
the entire book is from the captain's point of view, so of course it's written
in pirate language. So, join in the fun and read this gem to your youngsters.
But beware, they won't want you to stop until the very end! Arrrrrgh!
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