Book Finder

When Coraline and her family move into a new house, she finds a mysterious otherworld on the other side of one of the house’s many doors. Narnia, however, this is not. The creepy characters of this other dark world lead Coraline on a number of spine-tingling adventures, but readers will be enchanted by Coraline’s courage and resourcefulness.

Twelve-year-old Tom leaves his family to apprentice with The Spook, whose job is to protect the village from witches, boggarts, and other creatures. When Tom makes some terrible mistakes, he seems destined for a horrific fate.

This book is the first of three prequels that takes readers back to Alice’s elementary school days. Here, Alice is in a new school where she makes friends (and unfortunately, enemies). Alice ages through the series, and other books depict Alice in middle school and high school, making this series one that girls can grow up with.

Joey’s dad is back in the picture after winning the lottery. He’s a man with a mission—to remake himself and his family. But, Joey wonders as his mother takes his father back into their life, is it really possible? Readers will cheer Joey on as his journey ranges from the heartbreaking to the comical.

In the tiny Welsh town at the foot of a mountain, nothing much happens — until one day, several strange cars stop by Dylan’s family’s service station on their way to the abandoned mine.

Five-year-old Luna is afraid she’ll find monsters at her new school until a kind teacher and her new classmates show her that she has nothing to fear in this touching bilingual story.

Wow! It is fall and time for school! Share Izzy’s first day as she travels from her mountain home to gleefully experience the first day. A large format supports the bold, highly detailed illustrations where readers can find Izzy to share her excitement.

In this simple escapade, two young mice — Mouse and Minka — play in colorful fall leaves. Because the adventurers are small, focus remains on the earth-toned leaves for a simple, but satisfying time.

The signs that autumn is here are all around, from shorter days to warmer clothing. A child chronicles these changes in short rhyming text accompanied by softly lined, serene illustrations.

As autumn approaches, a young fox finds the changes he notices in his world disconcerting — until he sees his favorite tree, appearing even more beautiful as it sparkles with icicles. Readers can almost feel the ice on the final illustration in this comforting story.

Travel back in time with a bunch of cowpokes and their cattle from Texas all the way to Kansas on the old Chisholm Trail. Cartoon-like illustration and surprisingly informative language of a traditional folksong blend laughter and learning as the tale unfolds — with or without the tune (though music is included).

Jade longs to see the world beyond the walls of her family’s household. But Jade lives in 17th century Korea, where girls and women are restricted. When she figures out a way to get to the outside world, Jade’s observations and experiences reveal a different time and place, but also dreams and wishes that contemporary readers will recognize.

It takes great skill to be a kite fighter as Kee-sup and Young-sup know well. The brothers have different talents; the older boy makes kites easily while Young-sup flies them with a sure hand. Loyalty, tradition and rivalry between the boys are themes in this riveting novel set in 15th century Korea.

What’s better than just eating a favorite dish? Anticipating it while preparing it, of course! Rhythmic, rhyming language and playful illustrations capture the joy of making this special Korean dish — and the joy of sharing it.
Country of origin: Korea
 

Chu-Mong, legendary leader of ancient Korea, suddenly appears — in the flesh! — in 12-year old Kevin’s bedroom in his contemporary Dorcester, New York, home. Humor and tension build as ancient and modern come together in order to get Chu-Mong back to his own time and to take his rightful place in history.

Matt and his twin sister, Bibi accompany their scientist parents to Peru where they stumble into an archaeological adventure. They ride their guanaco (a cousin to the llama), decode the patterns on the poncho, and find the mysterious lost city of Quwi! A note to adults suggests additional patterning activities.

Lily Brown loves her family and the world they share, but she also loves to paint and travel the world through her imagination. Luminous paintings depict Lily’s creative travels to the stars, the seashore, and more, before returning to her family.

Best friends Amy and Louie are inseparable and — “coo-ee!” — even have a special way to call each other. But then Amy and her family move half a world away draining the color from their world — until Louie figures out how to imaginatively communicate with Amy even though they are far, far apart. The distance that separates the children and their strong bond are powerfully conveyed in dramatic watercolors and gentle text.

Travel with Annie and Jack to the city of Edo in 17th century Japan on a Magic Tree House Merlin mission to find one of the secrets of happiness. The siblings spend an exciting day with the wise and respected teacher, Basho, using their research skills for a fast-paced, informative, and fantastic adventure.

Meet Katy—a feisty ballerina-in-the-making who loves to twirl like a leaf, stretch like a flower, and float like a swan. She’s all dance, all the time—until she faces the fear of dancing in front of everyone in her new ballet class at Mr. Tutu’s School of Dance! Suddenly the once-bold Katy is overcome with a bad case of stage fright! What’s a duck to do?

Tree Ear, a homeless orphan, longs to work as a potter, a respected but competitive employment — especially for a boy who lives under a bridge. Set in 12th century Korea, this Newbery Medal winning novel is as relevant as if it were taking place today. (2002 Newbery Medal Winner)

Yoon narrates the difficulty she experiences when her family moves to the United States from Korea. Her struggle with the transition focuses on the moment when she must learn to write her name in English rather than in Korean, and she remains resistant to learning a new language. Her imaginative voice is child-like and plausible, augmented by inventive illustrations.

A little girl gets ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year in this gentle and stunningly illustrated book first published in South Korea. Excitement mounts as she details how she dresses for this engaging celebration with universal appeal.

Forced to leave the turmoil and political unrest of their native Vietnam, 13-year old Mai and her family cram into a boat and make way for Hong Kong and ultimately to America. Mai’s voice provides a necessary distance as she chronicles the journey and its horrors in with even tone.