CB #14: The Black Stallion

The Black Stallion

Author:  Walter Farley
Illustrator:  N/A
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction
Subgenre:  Animals/ Fantasy
Themes: friendship, horses, shipwreck
Primary Characters:  Alec Ramsay and Black
Secondary Characters:  N/A
Awards:  N/A
Date of Publication:  2011

Publishing Company:  Random House Digital

This book of wonderful adventure with a man and his horse in a shipwreck situation is fun for all ages to read.  it is full of disaster and full of companionship.  They work together to make things work, human and animal!  This would be a wonderful addition to my library, simply because it incorporates a lot of important life lessons!

CB #13: The Rock and the River

The Rock and the River

Author:  Kekia Magoon
Illustrator:  N/A
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction
Subgenre:  African American
Themes:  civil rights, teenagers
Primary Characters:  Sam
Secondary Characters:  Stick
Awards:  Coretta Scott King
Date of Publication:  2009

Publishing Company:  Simon and Schuster

Set in 1968 in Chicago Sam is a son of a man who is part of the civil rights activist.  Sam finds something interesting under his dad's bed.  Who can Sam trust?  This is a wonderful story that implies trust and friendship.  Such a great novel to have in a classroom library!

CB #12: My Father's Dragon

My Father's Dragon

Author:  Ruth Chrisman Gannett

Illustrator:  Ruth Chrisman Gannett

Genre:  Fiction

Subgenre:  Animals

Themes:  Dragons

Primary Characters:  Elmer Elevator

Secondary Characters:  n/a

Awards:  Newberry Honor Book

Date of Publication:  2008

Publishing Company:  Random House Digital, Inc.

This book is a wonderful adventure for all kids to read.  It is about a boy named Elmer Elevator and his flying dragon in a far away land.  With the help of all the knick knacks he carries, it will help him fight off evil! Any child would be intrigued by this story just because of the cover! 

CB #11: Indian in the Cupboard

Indian in the Cupboard

Author:  Lynne Reid Banks

Illustrator:  Brock Cole

Genre:  Juvenile Fiction

Subgenre:  Fantasy

Themes:  friends, indian, culture, magic

Primary Characters: 

Secondary Characters:

Awards:  n/a
Date of Publication:  1980

Publiching Company:  Random House Digital, Inc.

When the plastic indian in the cupboard comes to life, the little boy begins to ask himself what kind of gifts were given to him.  He begins to realize that this indian is a great friend and advice seeker for him now in his life.  This is a fantastic tale of two people who are set apart and brought together for eachother's benefit.

CB #10: Heidi

Heidi

Author:  Johanna Spyri
Illustrator:  Johanna Spyri
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction
Subgenre:  Family Life
Themes:  orphans, family, grandparents
Primary Characters:  Heidi
Secondary Characters:  Grandfather
Awards:  n/a
Date of Publication:  2006

Publishing Company: J.B. Lippincott Company

The wonderful tale is of a little girl who becomes an orphan when her aunt drops her off at her grandfathers house.  The grandfather takes her in and makes her part of her home; not easily of course.  It all takes a lot to get used to, but everything takes a little time.  Any child should read this book and take in all of the descriptivness it has to offer about everything that goes on inside this novel.

CB #9: The Borrowers

The Borrowers

Author:  Mary Norton
Illustrator:  n/a
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction
Subgenre:  fantasy
Themes:  little people, borrowing, friendship, beating the odds
Primary Characters:  Homily, Pod and Arrietty
Secondary Characters: Arrietty's friend (human bean)
Awards: n/a
Date of Publication:  2003

Publishing Company:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

This cute adventure is about a tiny family, the Clocks, who live under the kitchen floor in the "human bean's" house.  Their household items are little things that were borrowed from the house they were living in.  This is a cute story that shows how this little family beat the odds and made it in the word of big people.  This is an amazing chapter book for kids of all ages.  If I enjoyed it, I know everyone will.

PB #26: Something Might Happen

Something Might Happen

Author:  Helen Lester

Illustrator:  Lynn Munsinger

Genre:  Juvenile Fiction

Subgenre:  Animal Fantasy

Themes:  lemurs, scared

Primary Character:  Twitchly Fidget

Secondary Character:  n/a

Awards:  n/a

Date of Publication:  2003

Publishing Company:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Twitchly hates having things around him because he is scared that everything is going to go wrong.  He always is looking out for things falling and scaring him because he does not want to twitch and make an even bigger mess.  This story and it's illustration are very cute and exciting.  It makes me enjoy children's literature even more!