Houston Family Book List

[2]HCPL's Book Bites [3] column appears monthly in Houston Family Magazine [2]. Each column features suggested books for toddlers through teens. Get the new list every month in the magazine, available at all of our branches. Previous columns [4].

This month our selections are customer reviews from this 2009 Summer Reading Program.

Toddlers (Ages 1-3)
[5]	Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones [5] by Claire Freedman As the sun is setting, the animal babies snuggle up to their mommies to go to sleep. We LOVE the pictures in this book. It's a very well written book for little ones; it kept my 13 month-old's attention the whole way through. Reviewed by Sarah
[6]	Bedtime for Frances [6] by Russell Hoban One of my favorites as a child, now I am reading it to my daughter. My husband thought it was repetitive at first and then was laughing at the humor at the end. Reviewed by Jenna
[7]	The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big, Hungry Bear [7] by Don & Audrey Wood Great, great book for toddlers! Super imagery and text - great illustrations. Reviewed by Emma
Picture Books (Pre K-K)
[8]	Otto Goes to Bed [8] by Todd Parr I kind of get scared and stuff when I go to bed like Otto, so I like this book because everyone has problems sometimes going to bed. I have to remember how Otto goes to sleep and this book makes me be brave! Reviewed by William
[9]	Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend [9] by Melanie Watt I really like Scaredy Squirrel books. I think the friend one is my favorite. I like that Scaredy Squirrel puts an air freshener on his dog friend. I laughed when the dog chewed up his test. They are all funny funny books! Reviewed by Walker
[10]	Wally and Mae [10] by Christa Kempter I liked that two different types of people came together and they learned to work with each other. Reviewed by Rachel
Early Readers (Grades 1-3)
[11]	Mildred and Sam and Their Babies [11] by Sharleen Collicott I liked this book about taking care of babies because it makes me think about when my Mom took care of me when I was little. Reviewed by Joleia
[12]	Amelia Bedelia [12] by Peggy Parish "Amelia Bedelia" by Peggy Parish was a really funny book. I especially liked how she dressed the chicken in clothes instead of dressing it to be cooked. Reviewed by Jaden
[13]	Biscuit and the Baby [13] by Alyssa Satin Capucilli Would be a great book for a family getting a new baby. Good book for all dog and baby lovers. Reviewed by Madison
Children's Fiction (Grades 4-6)
[14]	The Niña, the Pinta and the Vanishing Treasure [14] by Jill Santopolo A book about young detective Alec Flint who's hot on the trail of another mystery. I liked this book and if you like suspense you will too. Reviewed by Dawson
[15]	Way of the Warrior [15] by Chris Bradford This is a mix between English and Japanese (samurai) in the 17th century. It is certainly an interesting mix between the two, and the adventure and action never stops in this book! This is the first book in the "Young Samurai" series. Reviewed by George
[16]	Blood on the River: James Town, 1607 [16] by Elisa Carbone Are you tired of hearing the same Pocahontas story over and over again? Well this book is entirely different. It begins in 1606, following the life of Samuel Collier- an orphan who lives on the streets until he becomes Captain John Smith's page. Samuel, and his two acquaintances from the orphan, one a kid and one a priest, start on a voyage to the New World. It's said to wash gold up with every wave, but when the crew arrives, they find out that the New World is nothing like it's believed to be. This book is the best historical fiction book I have ever read. It's truly hard to stop reading. Reviewed by Jacqueline
Teen Fiction (Ages 12 & Up)
[17]	Do Hard Things [17] by Alex and Brett Harris Have you ever wondered why nothing is expected of teenagers? Why the partying teens have given all of us a bad reputation? This book, written by teens, for teens, will tell you why, and what you can do to change it. It calls for us to start a "rebelution" (rebellion + revolution) that is basically a teenage rebellion against rebellion, or low expectations. I give this book a 5 star rating, and it has quickly become my new favorite! Reviewed by Bethany
[18]	The Frog Princess [18] by E.D. Baker The Frog Princess is about a Princess named Emeralda. She is a very clumsy girl who seems she can't do anything right, even the simplest of magic spells. While in the forest, she comes upon a swamp that has a frog that can talk and claims he is a prince who has been put under an evil spell and only a princess can turn him back. The Princess kisses him and she ends up turning into a frog herself. Now the Princess and the Frog Prince have to go on a journey and face an evil witch, dogs, snakes, nymphs, otters and fairies...this is a journey that will leave you on your toes and wanting more! Reviewed by Sarah
[19]	Pendragon: The Soldiers of Halla [19] by D.J. MacHale The conclusion to the Pendragon Cycle! Finally you get to see where the Travelers came from, what happened to Bobby's family, whether Saint Dane was defeated, and what happened to all the people in the Yankee Stadium flume. Please read all the other books in the series before reading this one. Otherwise, hobey-ho, let's go! Reviewed by Teresa

Houston Family Book List - August 2009