Children's Literature Guide

Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear by Trang Nguyen; illustrated by Jeet Zdung

A middle grade graphic novel adventure based on a true story, in which a young conservationist overcomes the odds to save and return a sun bear to its natural habitat. When endlessly curious and tenacious Chang discovers a bear bile farm near her home in Vietnam, she decides to do everything she can to save wild animals--by becoming a conservationist! After teaching herself survival skills, documenting each rainforest plant and animal she sees in her field notebook, and disproving the critics who think she isn't old enough or strong enough, Chang is finally accepted as a rescue center volunteer. But her toughest challenge yet comes when she's tasked with returning Sorya--the sun bear she raised from infancy--back into the wild. Because despite being a different species, Sorya is Chang's best friend. And letting a friend go is never easy ... even when it's the right thing to do.

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds; illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff

As Will, fifteen, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn's fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know.

Small in the City by Sydney Smith

A little boy offers advice to his cat, which is lost in the city, from taking shortcuts through safe alleys to finding a friend in the park.

Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan

A collection of illustrated short stories, each one about the relationship of humans and the animals, both wild and domestic, that share the urban environment of the inner city. Some of the stories are only one page in length; others are told in free-form verse; all throw light on the hidden world of truth and feeling beneath the surface of our everyday lives.

The Lost Words: A Spell Book by Robert Macfarlane
All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world--dandelion, otter, bramble and acorn, all gone. The rich landscape of wild imagination and wild play is rapidly fading from our children's minds. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of nature words and the natural world they invoke. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and hand-painted illustration by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.

Town is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz

A young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a simple family dinner, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea.

There is a Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith

Simple text follows a young boy and the many animals he meets on his adventure through the jungle. Each animal group uses its collective noun.

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

A brave young queen and her dwarf companions set out to rescue an enchanted princess who is not quite what she seems.

On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom.

Shackleton's Journey by William Grill

Tells the story of the shipwreck of the Endurance in a sea of ice en route to Antarctica, and the survival of all 28 members of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

A little fish thinks he can get away with stealing a hat.

Black Dog by Levi Pinfold

When a huge black dog appears outside the Hope family home, each member of the household sees it and hides. Only Small, the youngest Hope, has the courage to face the black dog, who might not be as frightening as everyone else thinks.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness; illustrated by Jim Kay

Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.

2011

FArTHER by Grahame Baker-Smith

When a father who dreams of flying goes off to war and does not return, his son decides to make the dream come true. Grahame Baker-Smith's moving story, with stunning illustrations, shows how, with love and a bit of ambition, you can reach seemingly impossible goals.

PZ7 .B1782 FAR 2010

2010

Harry & Hopper by Margaret Wild

One day when Harry comes home from school, his faithful companion Hopper isn't there to greet him, in a touching story about the process of healing after losing a beloved pet.

PZ7 .W64574 HAR 2011

2009

Harris Finds His Feet by Catherine Rayner

Harris, a very small hare with very big feet, has an elderly Grandad who teaches him the many uses of big, strong feet and other important life lessons.

PZ7 .R2297 HAR 2008

2008

Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett

Little Mouse draws pictures of some of the many things he is afraid of, including creepy crawlies, sharp knives, and having accidents, and provides the correct scientific name for each of his fears.

PZ7.G77577 EM 2008

2007

The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey

Having run away together, the Dish and the Spoon from the nursery rhyme "The Cat and the Fiddle" become vaudeville stars before turning to a life of crime.

PZ7 .G873 AD 2006

2005

Wolves by Emily Gravett

Rabbit borrows a book about wolves from the library. He can't put it down! But soon a sinister figure with sharp claws and a bushy tail starts to creep right off the pages. You won't believe your eyes - but if you're a rabbit, you probably should. 

PZ7 .G72 WO 2005

2004

Jonathan Swift's Gulliver by Martin Jenkins; illustrated by Chris Riddell

The voyages of an eighteenth-century Englishman carry him to such strange places as Lilliput, where people are six inches tall, and Brobdingnag, a land peopled by giants.

PZ7.J41733 GU 2004

2003

Ella's Big Chance: a Jazz-Age Cinderella by Shirley Hughes

In this version of the Cinderella tale set in the 1920s, Ella has two men courting her--the handsome Duke of Arc and Buttons the delivery boy.

PZ8.H873 EL 2004

2002

Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child by Bob Graham

Annabelle finds a family of fairies in the cement and weeds, and they sing and dance for her when she gives them tea.

PZ7.G7516665 JE 2002

2001

Pirate Diary : the Journal of Jake Carpenter by Richard Platt, Richard; illustrated by Chris Riddell

Curious about life on a pirate ship? Check out PIRATE DIARY: THE JOURNAL OF JAKE CARPENTER, an account of adventure on the high seas as told by a feisty nine-year-old carpenter’s apprentice, circa 1716. Historically accurate illustrations of ship and crew, a map of Jake’s travels, and a detailed glossary and index vividly reveal the fascinating - and harsh - life of a pirate in the eighteenth century. Ships ahoy!

PZ7.P71295 PI 2001

2000

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child

A fussy eater decides to sample the carrots after her brother convinces her that they are really orange twiglets from Jupiter.

PZ7.C4383 IL 2000