Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!
by Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith, based on the drafts of Dr. Seuss
Diffendoofer School is an unusual place with unusual teacher in an unusual town. At this school, children learn that the earth is round and that white and red make pink. They also learn how to tell the difference between a chrysanthemum and a poodle, how to saddle up a lizard or leopard, and why hippos cannot hope to fly.
Diffendoofer School is in danger of being demolished unless the students can pass a very difficult exam. If they fail, the school will be knocked down and the students will be forced to go to school in Flobbertown, the dreariest, least original place in the world.
It is a good thing that the Diffendoofer teachers have taught the students the most important thing a child can lean - how to think.
The New Kid Has Fleas
by Ame Dyckman
The New Kid is very strange. She never wears her shoes and pounces on the basketballs in gym. She chases squirrels and even howls during music class! Molly says that the New Kid has fleas, so everyone avoids her. Everyone avoids her, that is, until project partners are picked out of a hat, and someone has no choice but to get to know the New Kid.
One thing is for certain, you should never judge a book by its cover. The New Kid is not what you might expect!
If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, DON'T!
by Elise Parsley
Alligators may be fun, but they certainly do not belong at school! Everything that could possibly go wrong certainly does when Magnolia brings her alligator to show and tell. This uproarious tale will have the whole family cackling!
The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer
by Davide Calì
This summer was absolutely crazy! What started out as a day at the beach turned into a world-wide adventure. You might not believe it, but this tale is absolutely, positively, 100% true.
What Is Given from the Heart
by Pat McKissack
James Otis has very little. When a house fire destroys the belongings and home of a local family and a little girl named Sarah, James’ church decides to create a love box for them, a box filled with kind gestures and things the family might need. James’s mama asks him to find something especially for Sarah. James struggles to figure out what Sarah might like and find useful. His spelling bee ribbon wouldn’t mean very much, his whistle has already been used, and his only pencil is just a nub with no eraser. James soon learns that what is given from the heart is always appreciated.
What Is Given from the Heart is a beautifully written story about the real value of kindness, the joy of giving, and making something out of nothing.
Family Chat Pick
Freedom Summer
by Deborah Wiles
Joe and John Henry are best friends. They love to shoot marbles, race each other, and swim. But Joe and John Henry cannot buy ice cream together, because John Henry is black. John Henry is not allowed inside the convenience store, not in the southern USA in 1964. When a law is passed which forbids segregation, the boys are overjoyed; they will finally be able to swim together in the fancy town pool! But they soon discover that while laws can change very suddenly, people cannot.
Freedom Summer is a great read for older children who are learning to understand segregation, racism, and how our experiences of the world often depend on the colour of our skin.
Bilingual Book Pick
L’Homme à la barbe hirsute/The One with the Scraggly Beard
par/by Elizabeth Withey
Un petit garçon remarque qu’il y a un homme qui est en train de vivre en dessous du pont près de sa maison. Le garçon a de la difficulté à comprendre pourquoi l’homme n’a pas de maison lui-même. Ce livre est une interprétation simple et sensible de la réalité de l'itinérance et comment ça se passe que toute personne suit un chemin de vie différent.<br
A little boy notices a man living underneath a bridge near his house and struggles to understand why the man does not have a home of his own. A sensitive and child-friendly discussion of homelessness and how everyone’s life can lead to different places.
Books Just for Babies
ABCs of Kindness
by Samantha Berger
There are a zillion ways to be kind! This large board book is perfect for early alphabet-and kindness-learners.
One Fox - A Counting Book Thriller
by Kate Read
One famished fox, three plump hens... No chickens were harmed in the making of this book!
Looking for more amazing reads?
Check out some of our past recommendations!
#Staffpick: Summer Wrap-up Reads for 0-5
Summertime is coming to an end! Here are some summer wrap up and back to school reads for the whole family to enjoy.
#Staffpick: Monsters and the Paranormal Stories for 0-5
Are you a fan of being spooked? These stories are great for fans of monsters, vampires, ghosts, and more!
#Staffpick: Long Ago Stories for 0-5
Dinosaurs, dragons, princesses and more! So many amazing things happened a long time ago.