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.

The Princess Tales Series by Gail Carson Levine

I don't remember when I first read these books. I didn't finish the series because I couldn't find the books. I'm not sure why. However, they are such delightful books. My daughter started to show interest in the series and I bought the book with all 6 books in it and we are reading it together. It is such a delightful twist to the fairy tales we all know. The stories are clever. Of course, they are written for a younger audience, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the series!

The Bad Seed by Jory John

This is such a delightful children's book. All of Jory John's books in this series are so good.

The Bad Seed

The Good Egg

The Cool Bean

The Couch Potato

The Smart Cookie

The Sour Grape

The Big Cheese

They help children see the value in themselves is such a clever and unique way. I enjoy reading these books to children any chance I get. I look forward to new releases and look forward to buying them. 

They can be read to any grade level and the topics of discussion can be adapted for any age. If you haven't read one of these books, I highly recommend reading one today.

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.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I always enjoy reading this book.  It is about a sweet little girl who is thrown into hard times.  She knows who she is and stays true to her character.  She remains sweet to the very end.  She doesn't allow the awful circumstances around her to cause her to loose her spirits.  I love how she is secretly rewarded for her kind deeds and of course in the end she lives happily ever after.  Sara Crewe is a great role model for young girls, and even for big ones, like me.  I think I need to read this book again. . .

Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen

This book is great! It shows that real beauty is found on the inside.  It is a great children's book and there are many lessons that can be taught through this book.  I love books that put a twist on fairy tales.  This one is done very well.  I love it.  It is definitely worth reading, even if you aren't going to read it to a child. 

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.