No! by David McPhail

This is a stunning picture book with only one word--No!--repeated three times. Illustrator and author McPhail follows a little boy as he sets out to deliver an important letter and witnesses acts of war on the way. He dramatizes conflict and alternatives to conflict in a "language" accessible to young and old through his paintings. Although the book will appeal to children preschool ages and up, it is appropriate for all ages. (Published by Roaring Book Press, 2009).

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts struggling to survive. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen lives with her mother and younger sister. She steps up to take her sister's place when her sister is designated for the fight. But Katniss is a survivor. The story revolves around her use of her skills, values, and courage to bring a new shape to the role of contender. Her choices and her attempts to develop alliances instead of enemies are a fascinating web of tensions and satisfactions.
The author, who dedicates herself to writing about the effects of war and violence on young people, has created a disturbing but realistic metaphor for the world our young people inhabit.

And What Comes After A Thousand by Anette Bley

Otto and Lisa are special friends. Otto may be old, but he can still spit cherry pits, make slingshots and grow delicious raspberries. He and Lisa share a fascination with numbers, tell stories of brave Native Americans, and gaze at the stars.
But when Otto becomes ill and then dies, Lisa struggles to understand. Her rage, confusion and mourning are reflected in the illustrations as she slowly comes to know that, while people die, memories last forever.
This picture book, translated from the original German, is a gift to any young child and caring adult struggling to make sense of loss, particularly the loss of a loved and aging parent, grandparent or other special person. The illustrations, by the author, are especially skillful in their depiction of Lisa keeping company with Otto as his life ebbs away.

BRONZEVILLE by Gwendolyn Brooks

In 1956, Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks created a collection of poems that celebrated the joy, beauty, imagination, and freedom of childhood. She reminded us that whether we live in the Bronzeville section of Chicago or any other neighborhood, childhood is universal in its richness of emotions and experiences.
Now, a brand-new generation of readers will savor Ms. Brooks's poems in this reillustrated edition featuring vibrant paintings by Caldecott Honor artist Faith Ringgold.

BECAUSE OF YOU by B.G Hennessy

This gentle picture book begins: "Each time a child is born, the world changes. When you were born, there was a new person for your family to love and care for. And because of you, there is one more person who can love and care for others."
The narrative continues, celebrating the potential of every person, in language very young children can understand. The author promotes the idea that even the youngest child can make a difference.
Hiroe Nakata's illustrations show children in everyday situations--and also embracing the world (the globe). Parents, teachers, and grandparents will find great pleasure in reading this book to children ages 2-5 and interpreting for them what it means to be a peacemaker.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Quirky, hilarious, bumptious Clementine is having a bad week. She helps a friend cut off her hair, for good reasons only they understand. Though viewed by some adults as a trouble maker, Clementine will bring on smiles, empathy, ideas and enjoyment from young readers( ages 7-9). Illustrations in this book are superb also.

Middle school readers will want to dive into GREEN GLASS SEA by Ellen Klages

Eleven year old Dewey travels alone to a town that is not on the map. It's 1943 and she's joining her father at his new workplace in the New Mexico desert. Since it's wartime, his work is part of a very big secret, and she has never lived with him by herself, Dewey has a lot of questions.

The author makes the locale, the secrets, the people and the landscape come alive in her descriptions of life at Los Alamos during the building of the atom bomb. This is an old story, but this time, it's told from the perspective of Dewey and her friends--and her nemesis, Suzy, who also feels like somewhat of a misfit. Suze likes art; Dewey likes mechanical challenges and building things from odd findings at the dump.

Sometimes Dewey and Co. are just kids and other times they must figure out how to act and react in this unusual environment. A compelling read for both girls and boys who like mystery and well-developed characters.

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Thank You, Mr. Falker, by Patricia Polacco

This painful but hopeful book is the author’s own story of how she learned to read and of her hero, a teacher who “unlocked the door and pulled [her] into the light” and away from the ridicule of her peers.

How Does It Feel to Be Old?

How Does It Feel to Be Old? by Norma Farber.

In this poignant book, illustrated with loving detail, a grandmother speaks to her granddaughter with honesty and humor about growing old. She speaks of the special joys, happy times and those that were not so happy. She speaks of the past and the future, the good things and the not-so-good things about being old.

Nips XI

Nips XI, by Ruth Starke.

Lan wants to be a real Aussie; he thinks the way is through playing cricket. As a joke, and a means to fend off ridicule, he calls his newly constituted cricket team, of all Asian boys, the NIPS XI. They find a tired-out former star player who will coach for free and the fun—and work—begin on the way to breaking cultural barriers and playing cricket.

The Year of the Dog

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The Year of the Dog was written by illustrator Grace Lin as the book she wished she had when she was growing up. She finds humor and irony in being too Chinese for her American friends and too American for Chinese friends. The drawings are full of exquisite detail to amplify this story about finding herself.

What a Wonderful World

What a Wonderful World, by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele, uses color, bold illustrations by Ashley Bryan, and the words of a song made famous by Louis Armstrong to celebrate a beautiful, harmonious world for children.