How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor

When Georgina Hayes’s daddy takes off leaving her Mama, little brother, Toby, and Georgina behind, the three end up living in the Chevrolet until Mama can save enough to make things right again.

But Mama’s two jobs don’t bring in money as fast as Georgina would like, and when her best friend, Luanne Godfrey, discovers Georgina’s big secret, she knows she’s got to take matters into her own hands. After all, “Three rolls of quarters and a mayonnaise jar of wadded-up dollar bills” will never be enough to get them out of that car and into a real house.

Georgina’s plan? Temporarily “steal” a dog and cash in on the reward. But things don’t go the way she’d planned and as the days go by, Georgina finds her “How to Steal a Dog” list getting longer and more complicated.

With no reward money in sight and a awful ache growing in the pit of her stomach, Georgina must make an important decision.

Defiance by Valerie Hobbs

Toby Steiner wants his parents to leave him alone.  He wants to ride his bike, hike, go out on the lake, and fish with his dad. Regular type things. Things that all boys his age do.

But Toby and his mom have already been at the rented cabin for three weeks and Toby’s dad’s only been been able to visit for a few days. Toby has to handle all his mother’s worries about his recently finished cancer treatments, alone.

And then there are Toby’s mother’s constant reminders to be careful about every little thing, leaving Toby to feel like a prisoner to her over-protectiveness and the zillions of capsules, tablets, and vitamins that are meant to keep him well.

But small change happens sometimes when it’s least expected, and when Toby meets a skinny old cow named Blossom, and Blossom’s spunky owner, an elderly, nearly blind woman named Pearl, he makes a pair of new friends and begins to look at his family and his cancer in a different way.

Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes, illustrations by Floyd Cooper

“You oughta meet Danitra Brown/ the most splendiferous girl in town.”

Danitra is, indeed, “splendiferous.” She’s a good friend and with her “purple socks and jeans and sneakers, purple ribbons for her hair,” Danitra “just might be a princess. After all, who’s to say?”

Whether they’re sharing a Popsicle on the front stoop, flying down the street on bikes, or walking away from dumb old Freddy Watson’s name-calling, Danitra and Zuri are a team that can’t be beat.

Joe and John Henry Waddell are best friends.  Joe is white.  John Henry is black.  The boys spend their summer days together shooting marbles, shelling butter beans, and splashing in Fiddler’s Creek.

Then, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passes and Joe’s daddy makes an announcement: “The town pool opens tomorrow to everybody under the sun, no matter what color.”

The next day, the two boys, anxious to swim and dive for good luck nickels, race to the town pool. When they arrive, there’s John Henry’s big brother, “raking asphalt into the hole where sparkling clean water used to be.

Joe and John Henry won’t be able to jump to the bottom of this pool, and the boys learn that it takes more than a law to change the minds and hearts of a community.

The Quail Club by Carolyn Marsden

Fifth-grader, Oy, has lived in America since she was five, but that doesn’t mean that she’s doesn’t still love learning traditional Thai dances on Saturdays from her dancing teacher, Pak, in the back of Pak’s store.

When her teacher announces a talent show, Oy immediately thinks of the beautiful silk dress she’ll wear and the dances Pak has taught her. But when classmate and friend, Liliandra, the sometimes bossy leader of the Quail Club, finds out that none of the other members want to perfrom with her in the talent show and that Oy has her own plans, Liliandra makes an ultimatum: “If you don’t dance with me,… I will kick you out of the Quail Club.”  Oy loves being in The Quail Club.  What should she do?

NEW YEAR AT THE PIER: A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch

“Izzy loves this changing time of year. Some days sunglasses, some days sweaters…” But his favorite part of the holiday is Tashlich, the ceremony of “casting away” – celebrated during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is a time when Jews are encouraged to consider the mistakes of the previous year and make amends.

Izzy learns that “Tashlich is like cleaning your heart’s closet.  A new year, a clean heart.”

Told in poetic prose that is true to a young child’s point-of-view, NEW YEAR AT THE PIER, a 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers winner, is a wonderful way to share this meaningful ceremony with children of all ages.

THE SMALL ADVENTURE OF POPEYE AND ELVIS is another gem from this month’s Author-In-Residence, Barbara O’Connor.

It’s been raining for over a week and when Popeye awakens to the Drip. Drip. Drip. of rusty water squeezing its way out of a hole in the peeling plaster above his bed, it looks like it’s going to be another do-nothing, go-nowhere day in Fayette, South Carolina.

But the rain stops, the clouds part, and before long, Popeye’s heading up the road, glad to be outside and free.  There, he runs across a motor home, big as a house, stuck in the gloppy red mud.

When a passel of scruffy kids come spilling out of the Holiday Rambler, their older brother, Elvis, in the lead, Popeye isn’t certain what to do.  But before he knows what’s happened, Elvis is slapping him on the shoulder, inviting him to be in the kids’ Spit and Swear Club, and making him the club’s new senior vice president.

Popeye and Elvis are off, on their very own small adventure!

Who but dear Toad can respond with “Blah” when his best friend, Frog, comes calling on a beautiful spring day? Ever the cheery one, Frog is unperturbed. He knows that the “clear warm light of April” means that he and his friend “can begin a whole new year together.”  Through Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, Frog and Toad are best friends forever.

Lobel’s award-winning EZ reader series (Frog and Toad are Friends won a Caldecott Honor, Frog and Toad Together won a Newbery Honor) has stood the test of time and  been a favorite of kids, parents, teachers, and librarians for over 40 years.

CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J. Muth

A quick glance at the title of this book and its author – known for his humorous Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, Elephant and Pig, and other wonderful books – and it’s easy to assume that CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG will be another raucous tale of friendship.

But this book is different. Like Lobel’s Frog and Toad, Dog and Frog are friends through spring and summer.  But by the time fall arrives, Country Frog is tired and the two friends spend their together time remembering the frog and dog games they enjoyed earlier in the year.

When winter comes and City Dog arrives at Frog’s special rock looking for his good friend, Country Frog is nowhere to be found. The change of seasons has brought the reality of the natural course of life and City Dog is left to pass the cold months alone.

The days grow longer and, soon, spring arrives in all its glory. With it, friendship blooms again for Dog and a new country friend.

Margaret speaks only English. Margarita, only Spanish. When they meet one another in the park, they quickly discover that a smile and kind words, in any language, go a long way.

With charming pen and watercolor illustrations by the author, MARGARET AND MARGARITA is a an example of a bilingual book at its finest.

MR. PUTTER AND TABBY WALK THE DOG by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard

Mr. Putter has two good friends: Mrs. Teaberry, his next-door neighbor, and his fine cat, Tabby. When Mrs. Teaberry slips and hurts her foot, the doctor orders rest – they’ll be no walking her “little lollypup,” Zeke. Good old Mr. Putter’s soft heart gets the best of him, and he offers to do the job.

“I hope he doesn’t tug.” Mrs. Teaberry says.

“Zeke won’t tug.” Mr. Putter assures her.

“I hope he doesn’t wrap around trees,” says Mrs. Teaberry.

“Oh, no.” Mr. Putter replies.  “Zeke won’t wrap.”

Mr. Putter is sure Zeke is a good dog, a fine dog, a dream dog. Of course, there are problems. But together, Mr. Putter and Tabby and Zeke work things out and by the time Mr. Putter drops Zeke off at Mrs. Teaberry’s house for the last time, he and Tabby are ready for a big friendly celebration of their own!