Click below to see the other books in each age band.
2016: GRADES 3 TO 5
The House That George Built
by Suzanne Slade
The House That George Built takes readers through the process of how the president’s house came to be—starting with the contest George held to choose the perfect design for this legendary landmark, all the way to President John Adams’s move into the grandiose home. Cleverly written in the familiar format of "The House That Jack Built," author Suzanne Slade supplements her rhyming verse with lively conversational prose, describing how George was involved in this project from beginning to end, from selecting the location to figuring out how to get the thousands of heavy bricks to the construction site. Rebecca Bond’s watercolor illustrations help readers follow the steps to what became the White House as we know it today.
Josephine
by Patricia Hruby Powell
In exuberant verse and stirring pictures, Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson create an extraordinary portrait for young people of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world. Meticulously researched by both author and artist, Josephine's powerful story of struggle and triumph is an inspiration and a spectacle, just like the legend herself.
The Detective's Assistant
by Kate Hannigan
Based on the extraordinary true story of America's first female detective, Kate Warne, this fast-paced adventure is full of feats of daring and danger, bold action, and newfound courage. When orphaned eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives in Chicago, she is shocked to find that her long-lost aunt is a detective working for the famous Pinkerton's National Detective agency! With nation-changing events simmering in the background as Abraham Lincoln heads for the White House, Aunt Kate is working on the biggest case of her life, and Nell quickly makes herself indispensable by cracking codes, wearing disguises, and spying on nefarious criminals. But can she also solve the case of what really happened on the night her best friend disappeared?
The Show Must Go On!
by Kate Klise and Sarah Klise
In their trademark style, author Kate Klise and illustrator Sarah Klise blend a story bursting with jokes, puns, and wordplay with illustrations, signs, letters, recipes, and bold graphics to introduce Three-Ring Rascals. When Sir Sidney, a kindly old circus owner, becomes too tired to travel with his show, he places a Help Wanted ad in the newspaper. Enter Barnabas Brambles: “I have a degree in lion taming from the University of Piccadilly Circus.” But does Leo the lion need taming? Will Elsa the elephant still get her gourmet peanuts? And what will Brambles say when he discovers Bert and Gert―two mice who travel with the circus on popcorn cleanup patrol? Brambles has big plans: More cities! More shows! No more free popcorn. Soon he’s made a big mess of Sir Sidney’s Circus, but Leo, Elsa, Bert, Gert, and the rest of the performers agree: The Show Must Go On!
Stick Dog
by Tom Watson
Introducing everyone's new best friend: Stick Dog! He'll make you laugh . . . he'll make you cry . . . but above all, he'll make you hungry. Follow Stick Dog as he goes on an epic quest for the perfect burger. With hilarious stick-figure drawings, this book has a unique perspective, as the author speaks directly to the reader throughout the story in an engaging and lively way. Supports the Common Core State Standards.
Wanderville
by Wendy McClure
The first book in a historical series that's perfect for fans of the boxcar children! Jack, Frances, and Frances’s younger brother Harold have been ripped from the world they knew in New York and sent to Kansas on an orphan train at the turn of the century. As the train chugs closer and closer to its destination, the children begin to hear terrible rumors about the lives that await them. And so they decide to change their fate the only way they know how. . . . .