Use Your Imagination by Nicola O'Byrne

Rabbit is bored, wishing something would happen.  Wolf, claiming to be a librarian, comes along and claims to know A LOT about stories.  Wolf encourages Rabbit to write a story using his imagination.  Wolf thinks a fairy tale, with a wolf as the "bad guy", is the way to go.  As the two continue to create the story, with a Rabbit as the hero and taking place in a forest, Wolf's true intent becomes clearer.  Luckily Rabbit has such a great imagination, the story goes in a different direction.  Great, fun book!  I can't wait to share it with my students!


Text:  5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast by Josh Funk

Taking food fight to a whole new level...Pancake and French Toast are in a race to get to the last drop of syrup.  Join the adventure as the two travel through the fridge past Broccoli Forest and Orange Juice Fountain, rappelling down linguini, over a sea of soup, and up celery ladder.  Which one will win the prize, that last drop of syrup?

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

The Little Shop of Monsters by R. L. Stein

Goosebumps meets Arthur in this picture book from R. L. Stein and Marc Brown!  Where do you go when you want to "buy" a monster?  The Little Shop of Monsters!  At this shop you will find monsters of all types, some stinky, some that bite, some that will sneeze all over you.  Kids will love the hilarious monsters as they "shop" for the perfect pet.

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

Mr. Putter & Tabby Smell the Roses by Cynthia Rylant

We currently have one very BIG fan of Mr. Putter & Tabby at our house.....so we have read them all.  Many. Many. Times!  In the newest in the series, Mr. Putter is excited to celebrate Mrs. Teaberry's birthday.  But he does not want to celebrate it the same way they have in the past!  Mr. Putter decides a perfect day for Mrs. Teaberry would be spent at the conservatory.  It is a perfect day until Zeke, often the cause of trouble on their adventures, sees a banana tree and assumes it is for HIM!  

Text:  5 Buckeye leaves

Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

The Grasshopper & the Ants by Jerry PInkney

The grasshopper can't understand why the ants are so busy getting ready for winter.  As the seasons pass, the grasshopper can't understand why the ants are so busy working.  When winter arrives the grasshopper sees the value of the work the ants did while he played.  Through pages including simple sentences as well as a series of wordless, powerfully illustrated pages, the story of the ants and the grasshopper is told with the same wisdom.  Jerry Pinkney never disappoints.

Text:  5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water by Gemma Merino

Why doesn't little crocodile like the water like his siblings?  It is lonely when everyone else is in the water all the time and you don't like the water.  He decides to give it a try but it is no help.   But a simple sneeze makes crocodile realize the real explanation to his dislike of water.

Text:  3 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

Brave as Can Be by JoWitek

Everyone is afraid at some time and that is ok.  As a big sister explains to her little sister that there is lots of things she was once afraid of, are not so scary anymore.  There are lots of ways to handle scary things and situations and knowing someone else feels the same sometimes helps.

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  3 Buckeye leaves

Those Pesky Rabbits by Ciara Flood

Bear likes his quiet life minus of others.  He is not happy when a family of rabbits builds a house near him.  Then the rabbits start showing up at his house wanting this, wanting that, asking of help, etc.  Bear wants the rabbits to JUST GO AWAY!  One day bear finds a basket at his door from the rabbits.  Was he wrong about those rabbits?  And suddenly bear starts to feel something he has never felt before, lonely.  Maybe he was wrong to push those rabbits out of his life.

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Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

Be sure to check out the endpages!  I LOVE when illustrators make good use of endpages!!

Fright Club by Ethan Long

Halloween is almost here which means project KIDDIE SCARE!  Vladimir is ready to scare but the others have not been practicing.  Vladimir is greatly amused when an adorable little bunny shows up to join Fright Club.  A cute little bunny?  No way!  But that cute little adorable bunny decides to get other cute adorable friends to take on the Fright Club!  Frightfully fun! (Come on!  You knew that was coming!!)

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

We're In the Wrong Book! by Richard Byrne

Bella, Ben, and Bella's dog were out one day when they were knocked off the page and into a different book full of pencils and lollipops!  Bella and Ben tried to get back to the right book when they were pumped into a comic book.  Next they ended up in a history book, puzzle book, fairy tale, and on and on.  How will they ever get back to the right book?  Cute, fun, and ingenious book that can be used to teach kids the large variety of books available!  Love this one!

*See more of Bella's adventures in This Book Just Ate My Dog!

Text:  5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 buckeye leaves

Turkey Trick or Treat by Wendi Silvano

Halloween has arrived and turkey and the barnyard animals want candy.  Unfortunately it seems that the farmers only give candy to the kids.  Turkey wants to come up with a plan to get candy on Halloween.  Turkey tries a variety of costumes to trick the farmers into giving him candy.  Will the costumes trick the farmers or will Turkey end up with no candy?

Companion to Turkey Trouble and Turkey Claus.

Text:  5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

Land Shark by Beth Ferry

Bobby's birthday is approaching and he wants a pet.  But the pet Bobby has in mind is not exactly what his parents have in mind.  He drops all kinds of hints but when his special day arrives, his parent's gift is not exactly what he received.  The new family member is not very cooperative, chewing up things, and generally making a mess of the house.  Bobby can not, will not, ever like a dog...unless the dog is helping his cause.

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

Hector's Shell by Thomas Radcliffe

Hector, a turtle, has done it again.  He has managed to misplace his shell.  He asks around but no one has seen his shell.  He decides to try to make a shell but it does not turn out as he hoped.  Will Hector ever find his shell?  Where could he had put it?

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

That's (Not) Mine by Anna Kang

Two fuzzy creatures + One Chair = Trouble
Two friends both want the same chair.  How will they get the other to give up the chair?  Both prove to have some tricks up their "sleeves" but will it be enough to finally win the chair?  Great choice for pair reading.  Kids will surely find this one amusing and it will put a smile on their face.  Great fun!

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson's Blackboard by Jennifer Mann

Rose wants to get a star from Mrs. Benson.  Rose does not think she will EVER get a start from Mrs. Benson.  She is not organized, her mind wanders, and when she reads out loud she is too quiet. Rose tries as hard as she can but she will NEVER get a star.  Rose learns that not everyone is good at everything and that there is more than one way to earn a star.  Great book for leading a discussion about differences and strengths/weaknesses.

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Illustrations:  3 Buckeye leaves

There's a Lion in My Cornflakes by Michelle Robrinson

A free lion?  In a cereal box?  See that?  JUST IGNORE IT!!!  Dan and his brother decide that they simply MUST have a lion and began collecting coupons from the boxes of cereal.  It takes A LOT of boxes of cereal to collect enough coupons for a lion.  Once the boys have sent the coupons in to the cereal, the anxiously await the arrival of their lion.  However when the delivery truck arrives, it is not a lion at all but rather a grizzly bear.  When the boys contact the company their problem only grows.  Will they EVER get the lion they were promised?


Text:  5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

Max the Brave by Ed Vere

Max is a kitten that chases mice.  Max's problem is he does not know what mouse looks like.   Max heads out looking for Mouse.  He sees others, Fly, Fish, birds, Elephant, etc., but not Mouse.  Finally Max finds mouse, or so he thinks.

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Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera

You only need to utter the word "underwear" and you will have the attention of any kid between 4 and 12 years old.  Polar bear has lost his underwear.  Polar bear and mouse begin searching for polar bear's missing underwear.  Using a series of cut out pictures, polar bear and mouse find lots of other underwear but not polar bear's.  But why can't they find polar bear's underwear?

Text:  4 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

When a Dragon Moves In Again by Jodi Moore

From the author/illustrator team of When  A Dragon Moves In, comes the newest dragon adventure.  The young boy is waiting for his new sibling to arrive when the dragon arrives, again.  This is an ornery dragon that is responsible for playing in the baby's crib, bowling with the baby's bottles, spilling juice, and on and on.  Maybe if the baby went away things would be better.

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves (Endpages are awesome!)

Monty's Magnificent Mane by Gemma O'Neil

Monty is very impressed with his beautiful mane.  Monty's friends the meerkats like to play in it.  Monty is furious when he finds out his mane is matted together from all the fun.  Monty decides to go to the nearby water hole to pout.  Upon arriving at the watering hole Monty meets a new friend.  Monty quickly realizes his new friend is not exactly the best choice for him.  Great message about friendship and compromise.

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leave