Click to Buy
The
White Giraffe, by Lauren St. John, is a most unusual book because
the setting is in South Africa. Eleven-year-old Martine has come to live in
this beautiful country with its “...endless expanse of trees, dusty
shrubs, and grass, sprawling under an electric-blue sky. On the horizon was
a range of mauve mountains. A black eagle circled lazily overhead.”
Her parents have died in a sudden fire leaving her with a grandmother she never
knew. Now she’s moving to a country filled with a different topography
and animals she’d only seen in cages and she’s filled with trepidation.
But her happiness slowly begins to come back as she experiences a bond with
a rare white giraffe that only she has seen. Her grandmother, who appeared cold
and reserved at first, begins to melt and express her devotion to her only grandchild.
The black and white drawings, by David Dean, at the beginning of each chapter
give hints of what’s to come. Here is a story filled with sinuous imagery
that will wrap around you with the earthly sounds, sights and smells of this
rich country. Click to Buy
The Trap, by John Smelcer, is an insightful look into the harsh
northern wilderness and the grave difficulties that surround an old grandfather
who is alone setting traps far from his village, and a grandson, Johnny, who
begins to worry about him. Grandfather Albert soon runs into life-threatening
trouble when the trap he sets for a lynx or wolf catches his own foot. He immediately
knows that this situation is very serious. He’s far from his village,
he’s alone, he’s almost 80 years old, it’s winter and thirty
or forty degrees below zero - and the sun will soon be setting. “For
the first time in his life, Albert understood what an animal must feel, what
every animal he had ever trapped must have felt.” And he discovers
other trials when he soon realizes he can’t get free and the day turns
into days and the nights become almost unbearable. Johnny begins to become anxious
about his grandfather. So he sets out to find his grandfather. The chapters
alternate between grandfather and grandson making the danger and anticipation
even more heightened. You won’t put this book down until you come to the
last page! Cats to the Rescue: True Tales of Heroic Felines, by Marilyn Singer, is full of stories about daring cats that will probably be new to you. Each chapter gives real life examples of courageous acts from felines. In the "Smoke Detector" chapter, a family was awakened by their cat prancing all over the 4-year-old until she woke up and cried which saved the rest of the family from fire. In the chapter, “World Traveler”, a family moved from California to Oklahoma, the family cat was left behind. But 14 months later, the cat had managed to cross deserts and mountains to appear at the family’s homestead! This book is full of remarkably true stories that are easy and interesting to read.
Barbaro: America’s Horse, by Shelly Fraser Mickle, relates the true story that captured all of America, including children everywhere. This amazing horse was on the road to the Triple Crown of horseracing when tragedy struck and her hind leg was broken. The race had just begun and the horse was seriously injured and unable to continue. As the world looked on, the owners decided to spend thousands of dollars by rehabilitating the horse. By using a new technique instead of euphemizing the horse, they were able to lengthen Barbaro’s lifespan. This book chronicles the young thoroughbred’s life with ease, understanding and compassion. (Photos and a fold-out poster are also included.)
Click to Buy
How
to Save Your Tail, or (if you are a rat nabbed by cats who really like stories
about magic spoons, wolves with snout-warts big, hairy chimney trolls….and
cookies too), by Mary Hanson, is a hilarious read-aloud. Bob,
the rat, is successfully distracting the cats that have cornered him by telling
them the most whimsical and recognizable stories. Even though the stories are
a bit distorted as Bob retells them, that’s part of the laughable magic.
The comedic illustrations, by John Hendrix, help move the humor along. And by
the way, Bob also gets their hunger dislodged as well because he’s baking
cookies. (Which you may just want to do as you read Bob’s tales to save
his tail.)Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the Woof Society (Words of our Friends), by Betsy Byars and her two daughters, Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers, is a great little chapter book that proclaims interesting anecdotal stories of canines. The large illustrations, by Erik Brooks, help make the chapters short and inviting to those newer readers!
Click to Buy
Monsters
and Water Beasts: Creatures of Fact or Fiction?, by Karen Miller,
and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier, raises the questions about animals that have
been asked for centuries. Is there a Big Foot? Could there possibly be mermaids
that live deep in the ocean? This inviting book could motivate your young reader
into doing some of their own investigations.Marley: A Dog Like No Other, by John Grogan, is a hilarious look at a rambunctious Labrador who takes over the author’s family. The story reads with genuine affection as you learn about this dog who seems out of control, but full of energy. A great read!