For the Youngest Readers (Toddlers to Kindergarten)

YOUR MOMMY WAS JUST LIKE YOU
Written by Kelly Bennett, illustrated by David Walker (Putnam)
This charming book features a grandmother caring for her granddaughter and telling her how her mother was just like her when she was young.

LOOK WHO’S THERE!
Written and illustrated by Martine Perrin (Albert Whitman)
Toddlers and adults will love the colors and guessing themes found in Perrin’s cutout lift-the-flap board book.

PETER RABBIT FINGER PUPPET BOOK & NIGHT, NIGHT PETER RABBIT
Written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter, edited by Warne, Frederick & Company
Two adorable books for very young children. These introductions will help children transition into the beloved Peter Rabbit Classics as they grow.

For Readers (Kindergarten to 2nd Grade)

MANNERS MASH-UP: A GOOFY GUIDE TO GOOD BEHAVIOR
Written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold & the Rest of the Rowdies (Dial Books)
This book will make you laugh and helps you learn a few tips on proper etiquette. Fourteen authors and illustrators team up to share their advice on manners in a variety of settings. After you read the book, share your goofiest manners mishap like the authors do.

YOU’RE MEAN, LILY JEAN!
Written by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Albert Whitman)
Every child who has faced the difficulty of being the third person in a friendship will instantly relate to this book. The resolution in this story becomes a perfect opportunity to talk about friendships.

This is the time of year to think about gardening. Here are a few 2011 books to share with children on the subject. Arthur Goes Green by Marc Brown; Watch Me Grow! by Deborah Hodge; First Garden: the White House Garden and How It Grew by Robbin Gourley; Gabby & Grandma Go Green by Monica Wellington.

For Readers (3rd to 6th Grade)

THE BLOOMSWELL DIARIES
Written by Louis L. Buitendag (Kane Miller)
Ben and Elizabeth’s parents had traveled for days and sometimes weeks at a time leaving them under the care of their nanny. But this time was different. Ben was left with his Uncle Lucas and his sister was sent to a boarding school in Zurich. They didn’t know much about their parents’ jobs, but that was all going to change in a run for their lives.            

ENERGY ISLAND: HOW ONE COMMUNITY HARNESSED THE WIND AND CHANGED THEIR WORLD
Written by Allan Drummond (Frances Foster Books)
This amazing story is based on a true happening set on the island of Samsø in Denmark. Sidebars with energy related facts are interspersed throughout the book. A good companion book is The Kids Solar Energy Book by Tilly Spetgang and Malcolm Wells.

BETWEEN TWO ENDS
Written by David Ward (Amulet Books)
For as long as Yeats can remember, there has been a tension between his parents. It was not until he visited his grandmother in the same house his father was raised that Yeats began to unfold the cause. This is a heartfelt action packed page-turner too good to miss.

Book reviews provided by BSU professor Stan Steiner, the Bookman. For more suggestions and reviews, visit his web page at http://education.boisestate.edu/stansteiner.