Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

As everyone knows, nothing is sweeter than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes.  Here, from two of the most gifted picture-book creators of our time, is a celebration of baby fingers, baby toes, and the joy they— and the babies they belong to— bring to everyone, everywhere, all over the world.

Hello, Day!
written and illustrated by Anita Lobel

What will baby's first word be? Hello? Sun? Dog? Cat? Cow? Owl? Spend a day in the country with Anita Lobel's friendly animals. Meow. Woof. Moo! Whoo! Baby will be talking in no time!

Old Bear
written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Snug and warm, curled and furry, Old Bear sleeps. Red, orange, and brown leaves fly through the air, and it is snowing hard. Old Bear doesn't notice. Old Bear is dreaming about being a cub again. He is dreaming about the beauty of the world. He is dreaming of everything he loves about the forest that is his home. Turn the page and you will see!

The Wave
written and illustrated by Suzy Lee

In this evocative wordless book, internationally acclaimed artist Suzy Lee tells the story of a little girl's day at the beach. Lee's stunningly simple illustrations, in just two shades of watercolor, create a vibrant story full of joy and laughter.

Big Bad Bunny
by Franny Billingsley, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

At home, in the Mouse House, Baby Boo-Boo gets no respect. Just look at her name: Baby Boo-Boo. She's no baby! The word drives her wild in a big, bad way. And here's Mama Mouse calling, always calling after her, "Baby! Where are you, Baby?" It's humiliating. Mice (and other small persons) will understand what Big Bad Boo-Boo does. It's quite naughty.

Keeping Score

by Linda Sue Park

Both Maggie Fortini and her brother, Joey-Mick, were named for baseball great Joe DiMaggio. Maggie doesn't play baseball— but at almost ten years old, she is a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. When her baseball mentor, Jim Maine, is drafted into the army and sent to Korea, Maggie writes to him often, and when she finds out that Jim needs her help, she's determined to provide it. Whether you love baseball or not, you’ll be drawn into the world of the true and ardent fan.

Savvy

by Ingrid Law

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy"— a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen.  Now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day and she finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up.

The Runaway Dolls

by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin

Best friends Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft are back in this masterfully-plotted third book in the Doll People series, and this time they've got an unexpected visitor, a new doll named Tilly May. She's arrived in a mysterious package from London but her face looks so familiar. . . Could she be Annabelle's long lost baby sister? 

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer

by Kate Klimo

Ten-year-old cousins Jesse and Daisy have always wanted something magical to happen to them. So it’s a wish come true when Jesse’s newly found egg hatches, and a tiny but very loud baby dragon pops out.  The "Dragon Keepers" learn that they must keep her safe from the villainous Saint George, who has kept himself alive over centuries by drinking dragons’ blood.

The Mystery of the Martello Tower

by Jennifer Lanthier

In their attempts to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance, Hazel and her brother, Ned, find themselves involved with a trio of art thieves and uncover some disturbing family secrets.

The Black Book of Secrets and The Bone Magician

by F.E. Higgins

Not exactly a series, these two books, linked by references and cameos, unfold with delicious creepiness and are full of mysterious characters.  F. E. Higgins delivers two stories full of intrigue and suspense.

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

In a dystopian future, the rulers control the people through an annual televised survival competition which pits young people against each other.  Sixteen-year-old Katniss volunteers to compete to save her younger sister.  Katniss is smart, athletic, and fast, but will her skills be enough to survive the Hunger Games?  A story of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance.

Dear Julia

by Amy Bronwen Zemser

Shy sixteen-year-old Elaine has long dreamed of being the next Julia Child, much to the dismay of her feminist mother. But when Elaine's first friend, the outrageous Lucida Sans, convinces Elaine to enter a cooking contest, anything could happen.

Brooklyn Bridge

by Karen Hesse

In Brooklyn (circa 1903), the immigrant Michtom family lives near society’s castoffs, who form a community under the Brooklyn Bridge. The Mitchtoms’ lives improve after Mama and Papa invent the "Teddy Bear," but the lot of the children under the bridge becomes harder.  They are haunted by a death omen in the form of a ghost. For Joseph Michtom, glittering Coney Island holds both the answer to the mystery of the "Radiant Boy" and his connection to Joseph’s own family.

Graceling

by Kristin Cashore

In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

The Underneath

by Kathi Appelt

An old hound that has been chained up at his hateful owner’s run-down shack, and two kittens born underneath the house, endure separation, danger, and many other tribulations in their quest to be reunited and freed in this multilayered tale about the fragility of happiness and the importance of keeping your promises.