The Cardboard Piano

This story reads like a series of intersecting vignettes, all focused on 14-year-old Debbie and her friends as they leave childhood behind. The descriptive, measured writing includes poems, prose, haiku, and question-and-answer formats. Perkins brings a great deal of humor to this gentle story about a group of childhood friends facing the crossroads of life and how they wish to live it. (2006 Newbery Medal Winner)

The day Frank went to the shelter, he got Lucky. From that day forward, boy and dog are inseparable. Together they learn science and entomology (Lucky finds burdock and ticks), reading (Lucky listens best), foreign language (Spanish and “quack”) and more. Academic subjects applied to the duo’s explorations are sure to add verve to classroom experiences revealed in detailed illustration and unassuming text. 

When a squirrel is snatched up by a hungry hawk (but not eaten), his courageous friends go after him. Together they discover another squirrel society and save their homes from devastation in this clever, quite funny, and often insightful tale that provides a glimpse into what squirrel civilization might be.

The drive is long and the farm of the dad’s childhood looks old and tired. What will the siblings document with disposable cameras and journals? The real memories are kept in their heads and hearts when the extended family gathers and the true fun begins.

The whisper of snow and the jingle of dog tags set a wintery tone in this story of a boy and his friend in search of his lost dog on a snowy day. Music is everywhere in the rhythm of the language and patterns of the illustration in this unusual and memorable book.

When Thomas misplaces the basket of dried fruit he needs to make his seasonal wintercake, friends old and new come together to save the day. This holiday tale is full of surprises and gentle humor, and a book about holiday traditions and why they matter. It’s also a story about making mistakes and how mistakes can sometimes lead to wonderful things!