FRIENDSHIP MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY...ANYTHING AT ALL?

Dennis is a regular boy in some respects, but has a markedly unconventional way of expressing himself. Why does he speak through movement instead of just talking when he has something to say? It's because Dennis is a mime. It's not easy for the other kids to relate to "Mime Boy," who dresses in a top hat and stripes, wears white face makeup and gloves, and only acts out scenes during show-and-tell and on the playground. Living a silent yet poignantly dramatic life can get a bit lonely sometimes. Will Dennis ever find a friend who understands how he sees the world and speaks his language? 

Be a Friend is sparely written and strikingly illustrated by Salina Yoon, so that, much like Dennis himself, the book is more visual than textual. Yoon articulates Dennis's expressive movements with a red dotted line to make his mime skills really come alive. This fascinatingly offbeat yet compellingly sweet picture book will make an affecting read for preschool through second graders, whether in a group or one-on-one setting. Just be sure to get your jazz hands ready!

A TREE WORTH READING

THE DRAGON TREE by Jane Langton is not about dragons. This is the story about a family of free-thinkers, an evil tree inspector, and a girl kept captive in an attic. You would think that these things would have absolutely nothing to do with each other. But they are all brought together by a magical tree that grows foot by foot in a matter of minutes, with leaves that tell stories and fruit that feeds body and mind. It's a quick read for a chapter book, with a lot of excitement and some political activism thrown in for your reading pleasure. Plus, you get to learn a little bit about Henry David Thoreau. A great read for 4th grade and up.

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Tal is a teenage Israeli girl searching for reasons. She sends out a message in a bottle, only to hear from a young, angry Palestinian boy. The two exchange sporadic emails, seemingly prompted mostly by Tal, sharing their worlds and the frustration, sadness, and want for change between both sides of the border separating them. A BOTTLE IN THE GAZA SEA by Valerie Zenatti, shows both sides of a never-ending war between two cultures over the right to live in a place that defines both their histories. Told from both characters perspectives, the story is emotional, vivid, and pertinent for any readers 6th grade and up.

WRITING WITHOUT WORDS

Juno lives with his parents and a dog named Sam. His grandmother lives far away in Seoul, Korea, but she writes him letters. Juno cannot read the words she writes as they are in Korean, but he knows what it says because of the items that accompany the letter. When Juno decides to write a letter in return, he draws pictures of his life and sends a leaf from his swinging tree. Juno learns to interpret meaning through a language outside of writing. Even though they don't speak the same language, they can still communicate with images from the world around them. DEAR JUNO by Soyung Pak is a beautiful story for pre-k through 3rd grade.