Books About Bullying- BEN RIDES ON by MATT DAVIES

Ben Lukin gets the bike of his dreams and truly enjoys riding it to school. Unfortunately, a third grade bully at the school uses physical force to take Ben's shiny two-wheeler, leaving Ben in shock.  Ben doesn't report the bullying, nor do the other student witnesses.  While Ben is in class he tries to think of ways to seek revenge.  On the way home, he finds his bike hanging from a tree, and discovers that the bully is in a sticky and life- threatening situation.  Will Ben's wish for ill-will toward the bully come true or will Ben use good judgement and help a person in need?

BEN RIDES ON by Pulitzer Prize- winning cartoonist Matt Davies will sure to delight readers, not only with his line pencil drawings, but with his lead character's courage, integrity, and level headedness.  Davies' book is a lesson for the bullied and for the bully.  

For 2nd grade and up, and for adults and children to read and discuss together.

THE CURE FOR BORING BOOKS

MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE (a book by Betty MacDonald) lives in an upside-down house and loves children. Many of the kids in her town don't like doing their chores, talk back to their parents, and misbehave in many other ways. Rather than scolding the children, the parents turn to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for her miraculous cures and antidotes for these rare childhood "diseases" their children seem to have, such as "Won't-put-away-toys-itis." 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's healing methods are so funny and different, you may even read the other books in the series, just to make sure you don't have any of these strange childhood problems. Other books in this series include HELLO, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE'S MAGIC, and MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE'S FARM, and are great for readers in 3rd grade and up.

JULY 2012

EEK-TASTIC!

Who is Samuel? Is he a child? Is he a Frenchman? Is he a thief? Citizens of MacOongafoondsen want to know! When a ship washes up near this small town of 21 people, many questions arise, such as why don't the people of MacOongafoondsen know how to swim and why does the bailiff have a dead sparrow on his hat? MONSIEUR EEK by David Ives is a silly yet philosophical story about perception with a clear message woven into this short but sweet tale. For grades 4 and up.

THE STARS GUIDE YOUR WAY

THE DRINKING GOURD by F. N. Monjo is a little bit of history with a twist of doing the right thing. Tommy Fuller gets in trouble at church one Sunday and is sent home, only to find a family of runaway slaves hiding in his barn. The Drinking Gourd, also known as the Big Dipper, contains the North Star which is leading Big Jeff and his family to Canada, and Tommy’s father is hiding them. Tommy’s father states that laws should not be broken, but there are exceptions to every rule. There aren't many historical fiction stories for the early reader, much less one that deals with the Underground Railroad. This is a great book to get younger readers into the historical fiction genre. For Kindergarten - 3rd grades.

IN THE NAME OF TOURISM

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt is a Newberry Honor book based on the Malaga community in Maine at the beginning of the 1900's. Isolated, Tucker is more aware than ever that he is not the son his father would wish for, dutiful and obedient. Worse, after a spurt of temper, he must redeem himself by reading to a crotchety old lady who wants to make sure that someone will be there to record her last words for posterity. Things seem brighter when he is befriended by another outsider living on a beautiful island offshore which everyone in town wants to turn into a tourist destination to boost the local economy. But then where would Lizzie Bright and her community of black freed and runaway slaves who have been there for over 100 years go?

For mature readers in grade 5 and older.