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Young Matt is on his own in the family cabin in Maine. He is there waiting for his father to return with his mother, hopefully before winter comes. But, this does not happen. Soon, his rifle disappears. Things get worse when he is attacked by a bear, then by a swarm of bees. Rescued by an old Indian, Saknis, and his grandson, Attean, Matt is asked to teach Attean the white people’s ways. As the boys come to know each other, Attean learns to speak English while Matt becomes a skilled hunter. Attean asks Matt to join the Beaver tribe and move north. Should Matt abandon his hopes of ever seeing his family again and move on to a new life? Find out the answers when you read The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare.

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Jim Harris and Mike Artell is a funny and very nicely illustrated story set in Louisiana.

When Grand-mFre comes down with the flu, Mama knows just what to do. She sends Petite Rouge, accompanied by her cat TeJean, off to Grand-mFre’s house with a basket of tasty food to help cheer her up.

On the way, Claude, an “ol’ hungry gator”, who wants a taste of Mama’s food, stops Petite Rouge and her cat. He soon discovers that snatching a bite will take more than a little threat!

Eager to sink his teeth into the goods, Claude dresses in a nightgown, duckbill, and flippers. After the feisty heroine and her cat teach Claude a hot lesson, he learns that gators should never try to eat dinner uninvited!

There are certain people in northern Scotland who know about a mermaid who inhabits the great pinnacles of rock that rise out of the sea not far from shore. Realizing that she must be protected, they always speak well of her. Young Eric, however, has refused to do so and speaks harsh lies about her. Soon, however, his boat smashes on the rocks and he is in serious peril. What happens to him after this? You’ll have to find out when you read Mermaid Summer by Mollie Hunter.

The Place of Lions by Eric Campbell is a survival story with some beautiful descriptions of Africa in general and lions in particular. On a journey into Tanzania where his father is to take a new job, the plane carrying Chris and his father crashes. His father has a broken leg and Chris is a little banged up, but not hurt too badly. The plane has crashed near where a pride of lions is staying and Chris is witness to incredible danger there. The older male is being challenged by a young one and only barely manages to maintain his supremacy after a fierce battle. Chris has, in the meantime, decided to go for help. Not far off poachers have machine-gunned elephants and incurred the wrath of two men who love Africa and are dedicated to preserving its wildlife.

The poachers find Chris but first drive away and then decide to kidnap him. Chris has been followed across the plain by the old, dying lion and a mysterious connection has been made as both head for a hill where the lion hopes to die and Chris hopes to find help.

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Monkey Island by Paula Fox is a crazy homeless settlement. The main character, eleven-year-old Clay Garrity ends up there because his parents have fallen victim to a series of unfortunate business dealings. Then, Clay’s mother mysteriously disappears. Clay then embarks on many adventures through this wild and crazy settlement. A wonderfully half-mad, sometimes drunk, philosopher named Calvin together with a young black adult, Buddy, help Clay survive on Monkey Island while he searches for his missing mother.

Monkey Island is an American Library Association notable book.

Tuesdayis a picture book by David Wiesner that appeals to a wide age range and its possibilities are endless. For those of you unfamiliar with this treasure, we start before the title page as we see frogs, peacefully at first on their lily pads and then slowly levitating. After the title page, we join a pond turtle as he looks up in amazement.

The book proper begins at sundown where text says: “Tuesday evening, around eight.” The frogs start flying solemnly at first and then with increasing glee as they fly through the town, entering houses, startling dogs and a man enjoying a midnight snack. The time is the only text given as the night continues.

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On her way home from buying strawberry’s at the market, the grey lady is being chased by a long-legged, slightly blue character-a strawberry snatcher. The clever grey lady eludes the Strawberry Snatcher at every turn. When the strawberry snatcher is totally frustrated, he discovers a patch of blackberries to eat.

The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang has superb illustrations with the grey lady becoming part of the environment, hidden from the viewer as well as from the strawberry snatcher.

The oasis has afforded you a night of respite from the heat of the Arabian desert. You awake in the predawn glow, feeling the cool stones of the well press against your back.

Before you can hear it, the breath of flapping wings ruffles by you in a dazzling rush of brilliant gold and scarlet feathers. A fabulous bird the size of an eagle lights on the well brim. It flutters into the water and bathes itself. Its song is so sweet you are mesmerized. Even the sun god, Re, pulling the new day behind him in his sky-borne chariot, stops to listen.

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Redwall by Brian Jacques is an fantasy story kind of like The Rats of NIMH, Wind in the Willows and King Arthur. When you hear that it’s about mice and other creatures defending a monastery against an outlaw band of rats, don’t get too squeamish. It is a great story.

As with many fantasies, the story has the forces of good under siege by the forces of evil. There are deeds of heroism, vanity and cruelty. There’s a rich heritage of peace and good deeds in the monastery which contains an ancient tapestry retelling the deeds of a previous hero, Martin the Warrior. But it is Matthias, an inept and insignificant mouse, who answers the call to rescue the monastery from the horde led by Cluny the Scourge, the one-eyed rat embodiment of evil.

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Once Upon a Dark November is a children’s book by Carol Beach York. If you like mysteries you may really like the work of Carol Beach York. Her stories are not difficult to read but they usually pack a wallop. Once Upon a Dark November starts with a peaceful scene: a woman putting down her reading, climbing the stairs and then stating cheerfully, “Auntie’s coming!” She then releases a frightened child from the locked attic. We then switch scenes and times and come upon Katie, doing light housework after school for Mr. and Mrs. Herron. Truthfully, she has a crush on Mr. Herrron, her teacher. Life goes on until Mrs. Herron announces ominously that their cousin is coming. Then the mystery really takes off with murder and mayhem.

Here’s a great story to read out loud, since it’s really about friendship, self-expression and discovering the meaning of home. A Newberry Honor book, The Cricket In Times Square by George Selden tells a story about the adventure of living in the big city. It all begins when Chester, a cricket from Connecticut, finds himself being transported on the subway by way of a picnic basket into the city of New York. He finds himself in the Times Square subway station, which is filled to the brim with bustling people. Luckily, Chester finds a place to hide under some newspapers, and is soon discovered by young Mario Bellini. You see, Mario is working at his parent’s newsstand when he finds Chester, and he has to plead with his mother and father to let him keep the cricket.

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Imagine that your family was moving to a new location. Except, instead of moving with the help of a truck, all of your earthly belongings were loaded onto an ox-drawn wagon. Imagine that you are travelling from your home in Illinois westward. Imagine being surrounded entirely by grass and trees- - no buildings, no shops, no churches. Your father tells you that you have arrived at your new home. But your mom is homesick and pregnant, and you don’t know what is going to happen, because your house hasn’t even been built yet. This is Zoe’s story. Read Dandelions by Eve Bunting to find out what happens.