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Books That Help

Preschool

1. Cleverstick by Bernard Ashley. Illustrated by Derek Brazell. Random House, 1991. $6.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0517883325
        Every young child knows how hard it is to start that first day of school. Ling Sung is no different. All the children seem to be able to tie their shoes, write their name, button their jackets. Ling Sung wants to share some special skill and he does.
2. The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Random House, 1983. $3.25 (Paperback) ISBN: 0394856392
        Mama Bear has lost her patience. Brother and Sister Bear's room is a mess. How easy it is to get to a point where you just can't move. What to do? Mama and Papa Bear have the answer.
3. Baby Sleeps by Janet and Allan Ahlberb. Little Brown & Co., 1998. $5.95 (Boardbook) ISBN: 0316038458
        Baby Sleeps is a wonderful first book for babies and their parents. Simple illustrations depict baby's activities throughout the day. The last and most special is "baby sleeps."
4. Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes. Mulberry Books, 1995. (Paperback) $5.95 ISBN: 0688143881
        Lilly has a new baby brother and she's not happy. In this funny tale of sibling jealousy, Lilly continues her active dislike for the new baby until her cousin dares to say unkind words about Julius. Lilly instantly leaps into the role of older sister, and in a change of heart finds that Julius is the "Baby of the World."
5. Animal Crackers: Bedtime by Jane Dyer. Little Brown & Co., 1998. $4.95 (Boardbook) ISBN: 0316196606
        Soft watercolor illustrations surround this wonderful collection of nursery rhymes. Rhymes from near and far are sure to delight the oldest reader and the youngest child. Each page is an invitation to read more and more often.

1. The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola. Paper Star, 1989. $5.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0698115724
        With his usual beautiful illustrations, Tomie dePaola shares with us his own boyhood story. Creative children will identify with Tomie's dismay when he is told to copy not create. Readers will want to reach for their own box of beautiful colors and blank paper when they read this book.
2. Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco. Paper Star, 1992. $5.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0698116151
        Chicken Sunday is a heartwarming story of a family that can't love each other enough. The children want to surprise grandma with a new Easter hat. They do, but they have to overcome more than a few obstacles.
3. Isla by Arthur Dorros. Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Puffin, reprint 1995 $5.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0140565051
        Rosalba and her grandmother fly away in their imaginations again. In this sequel to the popular Abuela, the imaginary flight takes them over the Caribbean island where Abuela, the grandmother, grew up. Aunts, uncles, cousins, colors, sights, sounds, all are woven in stories so real that maybe their flight wasn't imaginary.
4. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. Illustrated by Ray Cruz. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1972. $4.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0689711735
        What child (or adult for that matter) hasn't had a day where everything that could go wrong does? From the moment he wakes up Alexander knows it's going to be one of those days. A fun story for all of us who would get overwhelmed by just one of Alexander's terrible, horrible, no good, very-bad- day events.
5. There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Meyer. E P Dutton, 1968. $5.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0140547126
        Mercer Meyer gives us an extremely funny and engaging story. Children's fears about monsters in closets and under beds are real. Here is a story that will bring a smile.

1. Bloomability by Sharon Creech. HarperTrophy, reprint 1998. $5.95 (Paperback) ISBN: 006440823X
        Young Dinnie's parents in New Mexico want her to have opportunities. But Dinnie feels like she's been kidnapped. Taken to Switzerland to enroll in an International School run by her aunt and uncle, Dinnie tries to cope with her new surroundings. Adjustment is hard, but interesting as Dinnie realizes that her new classmates are from around the world.
2. The Skirt by Gary Soto. Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Yearling Books, 1992. $3.99 ISBN: 0440409241
        Miata Ramirez is supposed to be in a folkdance on Sunday, but she has left her folklorico skirt on the schoolbus. To make matters worse, it is her mother's skirt, the one she had as a child in Mexico. Miata and her best friend try to rescue her skirt before anyone knows it is missing.
3. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Delacorte Pr, 1999. $15.95 (Hardcover) ISBN: 0385323069
        Bud, ten years old, has had enough of orphanages and foster homes. Orphaned at six, he has a clear picture of his mother and although she never told him, he is sure he knows who his father is. In this moving story, Bud meets many well-drawn characters on his journey to find a real home. Bud, Not Buddy is the 1999 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winner.
4. Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook by Jennifer Dorland Darling (Editor). Better Homes & Gardens Books, 1997. $15.95 (Hardcover) ISBN: 0696207087
        With over 50 recipes, and simple, colorful, easy to follow directions, this is a cookbook made for kids. Learn the basics and then start cooking, with colorful pictures and illustrations to help. Nutritional facts and tips are included with every recipe.
5. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. Avon Camelot,1983. $4.99 (Paperback) ISBN 0380709589
        In this moving, funny, engaging story a young boy, Leigh Botts, grapples with divorce and the absence of his father. Leigh brings us into his life through his writing, first in letters to a favorite author and finally, as he finds his own voice, in entries in his diary.

1. Peeling the Onion by Wendy Orr. Laureleaf, 1996. $4.50 (Paperback) ISBN: 0440227739
        Within seconds Anna's whole life changes. Surviving a car wreck, but physically disabled, she must now discover who she really is. In this emotionally gripping story, the popular high school athlete must build a new life, peeling away her old identity and building anew.
2. Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. Puffin, 1998. $4.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0698118286
        Joan Bauer has written one of her funniest novels yet. Packed with plenty of humor and quirky characters, Rules of the Road has a lot to say about the rules of life. Sixteen year old Jenna knows shoes and when she agrees to drive the elderly owner of Gladstone Shoes from Chicago to Dallas for the corporate annual meeting it becomes the ride of her life.
3. The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman. Random House, 1985. $4.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0394895894
        Sally Lockhart seeks to unravel the mystery of her father's death. Set in London during the 1800s, her search step by step will lead her further into murky shipping schemes, the opium trade and a gang of pirates. Tension erupts from the first page and grips the reader throughout this high adventure story.
4. Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer and Jack Galvin. Puffin, 1998. $6.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0141304979
        Few books are written by teenagers. None by a teenager who is attempting a physical feat few ever attain: climbing Mount Everest. From the age of thirteen, Mark Pfetzer had this dream. This is the story of his journey, the life of a mountain climber from a teen's point of view. From demanding training at home, to South America, Africa and finally Nepal and Mount Everest the reader gets to follow every step of the way. What did he gain? What did he lose?
5. Trapped! Cages of Mind and Body by Lois Duncan (Editor). Aladdin Paperbacks, 1998. $4.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0689830823
        Filled with stories from some of the best young adult authors around, Trapped! has something for everyone. Each story revolves around the theme of being trapped - physically, emotionally, or mentally. Can one always find a way out? The reader is quickly pulled into each teen's story.

Dr. Dave's Family Favorites can be found at your local Target store