Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus

 I love reading this book to my students. Leo (a tiger) is not learning at the same pace as the other animals. He can't read, write, draw, or even talk like all the other animals. His father is worried about him but his mother is not. Then one day, Leo is able to do all of those things!

This is a great story to teach kids that note everyone learns at the same pace, but with continued patience and practice, they can learn to do all the things the others kids can do.

The illustrations (by Jose Aruego) are great, too! They show Leo doing all the things the other animals are doing, though not as well. No one is mean to him and they still include him in their activities even though, he doesn't do things as well as the others. Then they celebrate with him when he is able to.

I really enjoying reading this book to my students. It is a great way to show them that we are all on our own path to learning and that is okay.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

This is another one of my favorites.  Heidi is such a dear and caring child.  I love reading about this dear sweet child and how she softens the heart of her grumpy, bitter, old grandfather.  She endears herself to everyone around her (okay, except maybe her aunt) and into the hearts of her readers.  I just love the ending of this book.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Spoiler alert. . . read at you own risk, however I won't give major plot lines away.

I read the whole Hunger Game series.  I read the first book before I saw the first movie.  I read the second two books before the 2nd movie came out.  I really enjoyed the books.  I do recommend reading the books. They are easy to read and hook you into the story.  Which is probably why I'll never read them again.  

(Spoiler alert) The ending really disappointed me.  I won't go into all the details but I felt depressed after it and lost all enthusiasm for watching the movies.  Maybe the movie will change the most depressing part but I think if they do that, they will ruin the book.  I am all about keeping true to the book and although I don't like how it ended, I understand why it happened.  For those of you who read the book, I am not upset by who Katniss ends up with.  I think it was a perfect match.  I especially love what he plants for her at the side of their home. 

A Corner of The Universe by Ann M. Martin

When I checked this book out at the library I didn't make the connection that this book was written by the same author of the Baby-sitter's Club series until I started reading it at home.  I enjoyed the Baby Sitter Club series as a child and Ann M. Martin did a very well job on this book as well.  It tells a story about a girl and the summer she met one of her uncles for the very first time.  This is a very touching story and I definitely recommend reading it.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is a really good book. It was easy to read. It tells the story through the perspective of different characters.  Each chapter focuses on a different character and in turn giving you new insight to the overall story.  This is a very well written book.  Skeeter decides to write a book with the perspective of "the help" who are the African American women who work for the upper & middle class white women in the south.  There are funny and touching stories and prejudice of all kinds, not just against the races but also against the classes.

The Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine

These delightful books tell the traditional fairy tales with a whole new twist.  There are 6 books in this series and I enjoyed reading every one of them.  They are very short and entertaining.  They take place in the same kingdom and there is even a little map in the books so you can see where each story takes place.  Gail Carson Levine has become one of my favorite authors.

Saving CeeCee Honeycut by Beth Hoffman

This was another enjoyable book for me to read.  Poor CeeCee had to grow up with her somewhat mentally unstable mother.  Her father couldn't handle the responsibility and as a result was gone a lot.  When her mother dies, CeeCee lives with her mother's aunt.  This book is filled with extravagant women, each with a valuable lesson to teach CeeCee.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

When I first saw this movie in the theater I did not know it was a book.  I enjoyed the movie and wanted to read the book.  Of course the book was much better than the movie.  I really enjoyed this unique version of the traditional Cinderella story.  Gail Carson Levine does such a great job bringing this enchanted story to life.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet by Jamie Ford

I think one of the saddest parts of our American History was during WWII when the Japanese Americans were shipped off to internment camps.  This is a fictional account about a relationship between a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl in Settle during WWII.  There are other themes in this book like the relationship between a father and his son.  I found this book enjoyable to read and I enjoyed the historical facts I learned while reading this book.

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

This is a story about a prince and his whipping boy.  The whipping boy takes advantage of living in the castle with the prince and learns as much as he can, receiving a "free" education.  The prince takes advantage of his position to get out of anything he doesn't want to do, like learning.  One day the prince runs away and takes the whipping boy with him.  If it weren't for the whipping boy, the prince would have died on this journey.  I thought it was an enjoyable book to read.

Pope Joan by Donna W. Cross

This was a very interesting historical fiction novel.  There were some very disturbing scenes that are not for the faint of heart.  It takes place during a time when it was okay to beat your wife and children.  What you did in your home was no one's business but your own.  It was also the time of misconceptions like how to tell someone was a witch by throwing them into a river and such.  I liked the historical knowledge I gained reading this book but I got very emotional and upset about how people were treated back then.  The concept of a female pope is also intriguing.