Books that are Really Fine from 2009

Grades K-2

Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash.
Levine / Scholastic (9780439724173)
Roy, a very confused cowboy, is searching for a horse.

Chicken Little by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley.
Roaring Brook (9781596434646)
The sky is falling, and these animals try to make the world right again in this colorful, humorous classic tale.

Let's Do Nothing by Tony Fucile.
Candlewick (9780763634407)
The two boys have done everything, and now they are bored. It is time to do nothing, but is that possible?

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney.
Little (9780316013567)
Aesop's tale about how the lion is rescued by the mouse is retold with few words and luminous paintings.

Otis by Loren Long .
Philomel Books (9780399252488)
When a big new yellow tractor arrives, Otis, the friendly little tractor, is cast away behind the barn. When trouble occurs Otis is the only one who can help, however.

Redwoods by Jason Chin.
Roaring Brook (9781596434301)
A boy is transported to the land of redwoods while reading a book on the subway.

What Really Happened to Humpty? by Zoe B. Alley.
Illustrated by Stephen Axelsen
Charlesbridge (9781580891097)
Humpty Dumpty's brother is a detective, and determined to find out the true story of why his brother fell off the wall.

Yummy by Lucy Cousins.
Candlewick (9780763644741)
Eight "delicious" fairy tales told in the spirit of the original versions.

Grades 3-4

Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm and others.
Roaring Brook Press (9781596433694)
A horse with a sweet tooth, a knight, and an elf hunt for a dragon while illustrating basic cartooning techniques.

Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet by Alexandra Siy.
Charlesbridge (9781570914621)
About NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers - Spirit and Opportunity.

Crow Call by Lois Lowry.
Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.
Scholastic (9780545030359
Daddy has been away so long that his daughter is shy about going crow hunting with him.

Everything for a Dog by Ann Martin.
Feiwel and Friends (9780312386511)
A book about dogs and the people who love them.

A Foot in the Mouth selected by Paul Janeczko.
Illustrated by Chris Raschka.
Candlewick (9780763606633)
Poems to speak, sing, and shout.

Our Children Can Soar edited by Michelle Cook.
Illustrated by various artists.
Bloomsbury (9781599904184)
A celebration of Rosa, Barack and other African American pioneers of change.

Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride by Andrea Davis Pinkney.
Illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
Jump at the Sun/Hyperion (9780786807673)
A picture-book biography tells of the woman with a larger-than-life spirit who spoke her gospel of truth.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.
Little Brown (9780316114271)
Minli, inspired by her father's stories, sets out to learn how to change her family's fortunes.

Grades 5-8

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko.
Dial (97808003734609)
Now that Moose's request to get his sister into boarding school has been granted, Capone is ready for payback.


Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
by Tonya Lee Stone.
Candlewick (9780763645021)
About the 13 women who tried to be a part of NASA's Mercury program.


Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin.
Simon & Schuster (9781416963783)
Jason, an autistic boy deft at creative writing, has difficulties interacting with his peers.


The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz.
Dial (9780803732247)
A novel in nine innings tells how nine generations of the same family were involved in baseball.


Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud.
Hyperion (9781423109662)
Halli has never fit in with the others in his family, but it is up to him to save the House of Svein in this fantasy full of surprises.


Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson.
Putnam (97803999246555)
Lonnie maintains contact with his sister (who has been adopted by a different foster family) through letters that tell who he really is.


A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck.
Dial (9780803730823)
Mrs. Dowdel is a source of entertainment and fear to her new neighbor, the preacher's son from Terre Haute.


When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.
Random (9780385737425)
Miranda's world is influenced by her mother, a life-long friendship, a homeless person, and her favorite book, A WRINKLE IN TIME.


Written in Bone by Sally Walker.
Carolrhoda (9780822571353)
About what the archeologists have learned from the uncovered remains from 17th and 18th Jamestown and Maryland.