Book Finder

Charles’ brother and sister told him there was no such thing, but the little boy and his sled set out to find the wish tree. In this sensitive story, a boy’s conviction and kindness are rewarded in kind. Illustrations in muted color accompany the text.

Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down.

Meet Clementine, a 3^rd grader with enough energy to land her into trouble with great frequency. Her everyday adventures continue in other books.

Madame Chapeau makes the perfect hat for each of her customers but she herself remains quite lonely. That is, until a young girl makes the ideal chapeau for Madame Chapeau. Illustrations are fun and worth looking at again and again as they are an homage to haute couture. 

Ted spruces up his home and school and helps another young person by employing his artistic talent and creativity. Simple illustrations accompany an engaging text.

Times are tough for Beans and his family in Key West during the Great Depression. Can Beans and his friends trust the New Dealers who say that they have come to Florida to make their small, poor town a tourist destination? Bean’s saga is both humorous and poignant in his satisfying story.

Starring on the soccer field comes more easily to 7-year old Lola than being Squirrel #2 in the class play. But in characteristic Lola fashion, she rises to the occasion to avert a drama disaster in this laugh out loud saga!

With a little parental scheming, Lola and Bella discover friendship and how ballerinas and soccer players just may have complementary skills.

Once a shelter dog, Strudel is now a proud, healthy, and happy dachshund who lives with Jake and his mom. Together, Strudel and his family make mostly good decisions as they learn about everyday goings-on and each other. Humor from the dog’s point of view as they deal with recognizable issues will engage young readers.

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. 

An imaginative girl with her trusty canine creates adventure all day by combining a variety of things. She adds water to dirt to create a huge mud puddle in which to frolic followed by “Hose + High Up = Shower.” At the end of the day, tuckered out girl + dog = best friends. Math equations and charming illustrations capture the joy of summer play.

Middle school is stressful for everyone, especially for Ava. When she discovers her pencil can answer questions, Ava learns that there’s more to consider than just being right. Magic allows tough topics to be tackled.

A harmonica and a bit of magic link different children from different times. 

Can Suzannah bear to let Paloma, the puppy she’s cared for ever since she arrived at the shelter, be adopted into a permanent home? Her dilemma is happily resolved in the latest installment of the Shelter Pet Squad. Information about shelter dog adoptions is included at book’s end.

Move over Nancy Drew; Sophie – better known as Sesame – Seade is on the job! Here, Sesame and her friend, Jeremy, solve the mystery of why the rowing team is getting sick. Told with humor and solid pacing, this is sure to engage light mystery fans.

Astrid realizes that her interests differ from those of her best friend but decides to pursue them anyway. How the girls’ friendship weathers this is key to this story as much as information about the sport in this engaging graphic novel.

Soledad and Ming have migrated to Louisiana from the Philippines. Their father has returned to their homeland leaving the girls with Vea, the girls’ unhappy, mean-spirited stepmother. As their world expands and fact and fantasy collide, the real world, friendships, and understanding also expand.

Buck Anderson’s friend, David, has moved; now Buck has no one to share his underground explorations or his everyday troubles including being bullied for his stutter. How Buck overcomes his problems and has a cave named in his honor is told in a tense, fast narration.  

The four Fletcher boys (each from a different background; each adopted) and their two fathers vacation in New England. Together the boys and their neighbors, the Galindo girls, help solve the mystery of the closed lighthouse in this fast-paced novel with recognizable events and personalities. The characters in this stand-alone book were first introduced in The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher.

Fans of Roald Dahl will enjoy spending time with young Alfie as he overcomes tough times and the new – and truly evil – dentist who’s come to town. Over-the-top humor and a fast pace are complemented by prolific black/white line drawings in this witty, satirical novel. In the audio version of this book, the author and cast bring the riotous characters to life.

When Piggie decides to thank everyone that has ever appeared in a book with him and Gerald, he forgets someone very important – Gerald! But Gerald reminds Piggie that one more thank you is needed. Fans of Elephant and Piggie will delight in what is supposed to be the final book.

Marvin, James’ beetle friend, goes collecting (finding useful things for their cupboard home) when he must get his human friend to help his injured uncle. Even though Marvin is a beetle, his emotions are as human as James’ in this well paced, generously illustrated and thoroughly engaging novel.

In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful — and very awkward — hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear — sometimes things she shouldn’t — but also isolates her from her classmates. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for.

The famous toy actor, Sock Monkey, has been nominated for an Oswald Award. But to attend the ceremony, he must do something terrifying — he must take a bath. Luckily, his three best pals — Miss Bunn, Froggie, and Blue Pig — know just what to do to help Sock Monkey become fresh and clean … and maybe win his very own Oswald!