Caroline Parr

Start your New Year off right by sharing with young readers one of the most inspiring children’s books of 2008. “Planting the Trees of Kenya” by Claire A. Nivola is the true story of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, a woman who changed her country one tree at a time. 

This year marks the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his ground-breaking book, “On the Origin of Species.”  Kathryn Lasky’s new illustrated biography, “One Beetle Too Many,” makes an appealing introduction for nine- to twelve-year-olds to the man and his “idea that scared the world.”

    If you have a Rick Riordan fan at your house, you’re well aware that the final book in his Percy Jackson series has just been published. 

     Percy, now 16, is a “half-blood,” the son of Poseidon, the ocean god, and a human mother.  In “The Last Olympian” he leads the final battle between the Greek gods and the forces of Kronos.  Strong characterizations, surprising plot twists, and enough mystery and suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats have made this series a best-seller, and Riordan does not disappoint in the final book.  Readers new to the series would do well to start at the beginning with “The Lightning Thief.”

          Developing empathy, reducing impulsiveness, improving decision-making even when upset – these are all social and emotional skills that children build slowly, with lots of help from caring adults.

If you like trains, here are some other books you might enjoy:

Full Steam Ahead by Faye Gibbons. A young boy and his grandpa ride on a steam locomotive chugging through Georgia one hot summer day.

All Aboard! by Mary Lyn Ray. A large white rabbit named Mr. Barnes goes on a train trip and enjoys all the sights and sounds of the ride.

Circus Train by Jos. A. Smith. After moving to a house in the country, Timothy wonders how he will make any friends, but his problem is solved when he finds an imaginative way to rescue a stranded circus train.

If you're a beginning reader who likes to read series books, here are a couple suggestions. Each title is the first in the series.

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola. The true-life adventures of the famous children's book author, including dropping out of school on the first day of kindergarten.

Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin. Do those kittens really have wings?

McBroom Tells a Lie by Sid Fleischman. Josh McBroom, his dear wife, and their eleven children outwit mean Heck Jones by using frozen sunlight and a car that runs on popcorn.

If you like longish books, here are some suggestions.

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor. Five sisters living on New York's Lower East Side in 1912 get a big surprise when their mother has a new baby.

Cougar by Helen V. Griffith. Is that really the ghost of a horse that Nickel sees?

Dog Friday by Hilary McKay. Who would have thought that a boy who's been attacked by a dog would actually hope that he could adopt the stray dog he found on the beach?

 If you like fantasy and family stories, here are some other titles you might enjoy.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

If you like solving mysteries, you may like these books:

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Babe Ruth Baseball by David A. Adler
Cam uses her photographic memory to identify the person who stole a valuable autographed baseball.

J. K. Rowling's much-loved epic tale of Harry Potter, an orphan who also happens to be a magician, starts with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.

This first book in Rowling's series is followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and finally Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

If you like the Harry Potter series, you may like these:

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the djinni Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from the powerful magician Simon Lovelace.

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
A classic series of fantasy books about the land beyond the wardrobe.

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
A princess grows bored with life at the palace and takes up with a nest of dragons.