Peck, Richard. (2006). Here lies the librarian. New York: Dial.


Peewee idolizes Jake, a big brother whose dreams of auto mechanic glory are fueled by the hard road coming to link their Indiana town and futures with the twentieth century. And motoring down the road comes Irene Ridpath, a young librarian with plans to astonish them all and turn Peewee's life upside down.

Besides being a book involving librarians as characters, this quirky book was a fun read. I especially enjoyed the historical tidbits strewn throughout the book about librarian school, the beginning of the automobile industry, and then the end where car racing was weaved into the main characters life. I had a third grade student tell me he enjoyed reading this book due to the "car parts". It is definitely a book that has something for everyone.

Stevens, Janet and Susan Stevens Crummel. (1999). Shoe Town. New York: Harcourt.

Little mama mouse dreams of a hot bath and a long nap. Her babies have grown up and moved away from their snug shoe-home. Mama imagines settling into a quiet life, until Tortoise, Hare, and other storybook strangers turn up in search of a home. Soon Mama has a busy life—and lots of new friends—in glorious Shoe Town.

With characters from other stories and a twist on "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe", this book would be another great introduction and comparison to classic nursery rhymes and stories. I enjoyed reading it and having the unexpected ending. Students could even continue this story as a writing activity with other characters from other stories wanting to live in Shoe Town and drawing what shoes they live in.

Crummel, Susan Stevens. (2000). New York: Harcourt.

Jack Rabbit says it's a great day to make tumbleweed stew, but who wants to eat that? With a bit of ingenuity, Jack soon has everyone from Armadillo to Vulture adding something to his delectable stew.

This is a Texas (or prairie) twist on the classic Stone Soup. I enjoyed it and think that many students in Texas will enjoy it as well since they will be familiar with all of the characters.  Tumbleweed Stew would be a good introduction to comparing classic stories that aren't set in familiar places or involve familiar characters.

Peck, Richard. (2010). A season of gifts. New York: Penguin.

Relates the surprising gifts bestowed on twelve-year-old Bob Barnhart and his family, who have recently moved to a small Illinois town in 1958, by their larger-than-life neighbor, Mrs. Dowdel.

After reading the other two Peck books involving Mrs. Dowdel, I was glad to know there was one more book with this whimsical and forthright character. The chapter involving the Christmas pageant/wedding reminded me of the book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I think that if those characters could meet they would feel as if they were looking in a mirror.

Crummel, Susan Stevens and Dorothy Donahue. (2004). City dog, country dog. New York: Marshall Cavendish.

A spin on the classic Aesop fable—spiced with French phrases, Impressionist art, and canine style

Two French dogs, Henri and Vincent, meet at art school and become good friends despite their differences. 

I liked the illustrations and spent more time looking at the details on each page than I did the story line. If read aloud to a class, you would definitely need to brush up on your French accent and phrases so that you wouldn't stumble over them as your read. I have several students who enjoy this book and have asked for it as it they like the simple story about two friends who just happen to be dogs.

Stevens, Janet and Susan Stevens Crummel. (1999). Cook-a-doodle-doo! New York: Harcourt.

Four animal friends set out to bake a strawberry shortcake. Rooster, tired of pecking for chicken feed, remembers that his famous great-grandmother (the Little Red Hen) wrote a cookbook, and in it he finds the recipe. Turtle, Iguana and Pig volunteer to help him. (Publishers Weekly, 1999).

Being an avid cook and having a ever growing collection of cookbooks this was one book I wasn't going to pass up. I liked the twist on Little Red Hen and Amelia Bedelia, which is one of my favorite books to read aloud. Having cooked with my children and grandchildren, I think this book would be a great tool to use before engaging in a first time experience in the kitchen. The information on each page explains basic cooking terms without being boring. I can't wait to try the recipe at the back. Now should this book be on the book shelf or the cookbook shelf?

Stevens, Janet and Susan Stevens Crummel. (2003) Jackalope. New York: Harcourt.

Never seen a jackalope? Not even sure what one is? Well, you've come to the right place. You'll get the whole wild story right here in this book. You see, the jackalope didn't start out with horns. First he was a plain old hare. You know, a jackrabbit. The horns came later, along with a corny fairy godrabbit and a cranky coyote. And the trouble those horns brought--hoooo-wee! (Amazon.com)

The way that this book starts out on the front end pages gives you a glimpse into the crazy story that is about to unfold. I enjoyed reading this book and was glad to be enlightened as to how a jackalope was brought into being and is now extinct. This is a good book to read to students of all ages due to the puns sprinkled throughout the story. I especially liked the illustrations which are lively and capture your attention.