Who does not love penguins? In Marybeth Wishart’s book, Parker the Purple Penguin, she has written a timely story about bullying. Parker enjoys all the things most penguins love; snow, sliding, water, and swimming but he does not look like all the other penguins. The...

Little Miss Grubby Toes' feet were always grubby because she never wore shoes. Outside, inside, all around, you would always find her without shoes. Her toes were the worst because she loved squishing them in the mud. Little Miss Grubby Toes was usually good at...

Oval Man by Mary Davis Gage is a story about an unusual superhero. Shapes abound in this wacky story. Oval Man lives on planet Ovaliscious with his wife Ovalah and his dog Ovaltina. One day his nemesis Triangularus, who lives on the planet Isosceles, decides...

A Dog Named Trouble Goes to a Forever Home by Anthony Gonzalez is a feel-good story about a huge Saint Bernard. Trouble starts out at a shelter where his new Mom and Dad pick him up and bring him home. Trouble has some anxious moments...

The Day the Screens Stood Still written by R.L. Ullman and illustrated fabulously by Buhmi Loupito is a book all middle grade kids should read—and parents too. With all the blessings home computing has brought us, some bad things have come along. Like taking us...

In Meredith Johnson's Just Momma, Ethan and Tyler love to play pretend. They are having a sword fight when their mom comes to their room to check on them. She decides to play with them and, with their imaginations, they go on adventures as Vikings,...

Seeds for Sharing, written by Carissa Lovvorn and illustrated by Joshua Wichterich, is based on 1 Timothy 6:18-19: “Verse 18. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, (verse 19.) storing up for themselves a...

We all feel a wide range of emotions from time to time: scared, sad, angry, and happy. Not all at once, of course. Ellie is off to her first day of school. While waiting for the school bus, she’s suddenly scared. She doesn’t know anyone...

School is an exciting place to be. There are lots of things to distract an active young mind while trying to learn what is being taught. Joseph is excited about starting kindergarten. But, on his first day, he becomes so focused on his coloring project...

Believe it or not, Christmas trees have feelings, too. Calvin grew up on a Christmas tree farm. He was supposed to be a Christmas tree like all the other trees around him, only he didn’t really grow fast enough. When Christmas came and all the...