Curious Alice follows a White Rabbit who must be late for something. She falls into a magical world, where she meets a Cheshire Cat, a Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts.

Liz says:

“This book is probably best for the end of 4th grade and up. It’s very entertaining but has a lot of substance. Bobby faces many tough moments as the new kid in town. His interest in spiders provides lots of ammunition for the school bully, but Bobby figures out a way to deal with this. He’s a very believable character who comes up with some unbelievable stories! (There are also lots of spider facts!)”

When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog’s real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.

Liz says:

“This Newbery Medal winner is an example of a book that both kids and adults love. There are some very sad scenes but a happy ending awaits. This is a must read.”

Odge Gribble, a young hag, accompanies an old wizard, a gentle fey, and a giant ogre on their mission through a magical tunnel from their Island to London to rescue their king and queen’s son who had been stolen as an infant.

Liz says:

“I absolutely love this book. Ibbotson’s writing is reminiscent both of Roald Dahl and J, K, Rowling. This book does have some similarities with Harry Potter but don’t be fooled, this was published first. This is a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy adventure with very colorful characters. I would recommend this to 4th and 5th graders.”

“The adventures of Depereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.”

Liz says:

“This adventurous fairy tale has all the right ingredients: a castle, a king and a princess and good versus evil. Sprinkle this with a good sense of humor and an enticing narration and you have a winner.”

Hospitalized with the dreaded atom bomb disease, leukemia, a child in Hiroshima races against time to fold one thousand paper cranes to verify the legend that by doing so a sick person will become healthy.

Liz says:

“This is a truly beautiful story about the power of hope in the face of great tragedy.”

The enduring friendship between a dog and a robot is portrayed in this wordless graphic novel.

Liz says:

“I’m not always such a fan of graphic novels but this one is exceptional. It is a wonderful story of friendship. It is fun to “read” and has a terrific message.”

Having been turned into a frog by a hag, a frog-prince makes the best of his new life as he mates, raises a family, and instills a new kind of thinking into his frog family.

Liz says:

“Napoli is a master at fractured fairy tales. This is a charming and poignant twist on the Frog Prince Proper. This makes for a great read-aloud!”

Liz says:

“This is an adorable story written by one of the best authors for kids and young adults.”

While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.

Liz says:

“This is a great example of modern day old-fashioned storytelling. It’s a frolic! It’s also the winner of the National Book Award.”