19th century story for younger readers

Coville, Bruce (2007). Hans Brinker. Grades 3-5 or a Read-aloud.

A young Dutch boy and his sister seek out medical help for their sick father and hope to win an ice skating competition. This advanced picture book is a shortened version of Mary Mapes Dodge's original novel, Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates, A Story of Life in Holland (314 pages). Readers will enjoy the wintery illustrations, which capture aspects of life in a Dutch village during a cold winter.

Everyone must do their part, no matter how small!

Okimoto, Jean Davies (2007). Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming. Grades 1-3.


Winston, the polar bear, has noticed that the ice is melting, which means that every year there is less time to hunt for food. What can the polar bears to solve this serious problem? Winston comes up with a plan that will make the tourists aware of this issue. By staging a protest with signs that say "Make less garbage, recycle" and "Save trees" or "Solar Power", the polar bears make it clear that everyone has a part to play in the battle against global warming. This is a great book to introduce children to the real dangers of global warming.

Other books about global warming:

• Cherry, Lynne. How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate. Grades 4-8.
• David, Laurie. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. Grades 4-6.
• Rockwell, Anne. Why are the Ice Caps Melting? Grades 2-4.

A great story about friendship

Williams, Karen Lynn and Mohammed, Khadra (2007). Four Feet, Two Sandals. Grades 2-4.


What would it be like to live in a refugee camp as a child? Meet Lina and Feroza, two young Afghani girls living in Pakistan who become friends after each finds one sandal from a matching pair. At first they do not want to find a solution and each girl wears one sandal, but soon they work up the courage to talk to each other and solve their problem. This is a great story about a friendship between two girls from different backgrounds.