A History of the World in 25 Cities (British Museum)
by Tracey Turner, Andrew Donkin, Libby VanderPloeg (Illustrator)
This book goes through history, giving information about different cities around the world at their height. We start with Jericho and end with Tokyo. There are ancient cities that now lie in ruins, old cities that kept getting renewed and rebuilt through the centuries, and modern cities that are comparatively young.
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Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny
by Emily Ann Davison, Deborah Allwright (Illustrator)
Yo-Yo is a bouncy bunny. She can never sit still. Her grandpa tries to teach her some yoga poses to help her learn to be calm and still. But Yo-Yo gets distracted and races after a butterfly. She runs so far that she gets lost. Yo-Yo starts to panic, but then remembers the yoga poses and breathing exercises her grandpa taught her. It helps her to stay calm and find her way home.
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Heidi
by Carole Aufranc (Illustrator),Johanna Spyri
This picture book tells the basic story of Johanna Spyri’s Heidi in just a few pages. I love how the story is condensed to only a few sentences on each page, but the spirit of the story is intact.
Heidi loves living with her Grandfather on the mountain, but her aunt takes her away to live in the city and be the companion to a rich invalid girl, Clara. Heidi loves Clara, but she misses her mountain home.
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The Music of Dolphins
by Karen Hesse
Mila is a wild girl, growing up on a deserted island with a family of dolphins. When she is rescued, she is placed with a doctor who studies the way that humans learn language. The doctor hopes to learn the girl’s dolphin language, and uses music to capture the sounds dolphins make. Mila begins to connect with her caregivers and their families; even the janitor cannot help connecting with this unique girl. At first, Mila is interested to learn English and learn how humans interact and live. But soon, she begins to miss her dolphin family and the simplicity of her life on the island. Her spirit starts to despair and turn inward, searching for the music she used to know.
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Griffin’s Castle
by Jenny Nimmo
Dinah and her mother move into a dilapidated old house, where Dinah discovers a small griffin statue. She names the house the Griffin’s Castle, and hopes that they will be able to stay forever. But her mother is not exactly reliable, and the landlord can’t stand children. Dinah notices animal statues in the city, wishing that they could protect her new home. The misty spirit of a lioness statue follows Dinah home, and Dinah can see and feel the lioness even though no one else can. Soon, more of the animals statues begin to follow Dinah home, and they become so real that others can feel their presence. Dinah’s friends at school are worried about her. Are the animals really protecting the house, or are they imprisoning Dinah within the crumbling walls?
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Basil in Mexico (Basil of Baker Street, #4)
by Eve Titus, Paul Galdone (Illustrator)
Basil is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. He listens in on the cases of the great Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, to learn at the feet of the master. Then Basil can use that knowledge to solve mysteries among the mice of the world. In this book, Basil and his trusty sidekick Dawson are on their way to Mexico to investigate the theft of a famous painting.
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The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
Sam Westing leaves a puzzle in his will, and any of the heirs who can solve the riddle will win the entire inheritance. The puzzle is, who murdered Sam Westing? The heirs are broken up into teams and given different clues, but only by working together can they solve the mystery.
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Basil and the Pygmy Cats (Basil of Baker Street, #3)
by Eve Titus, Paul Galdone (Illustrator)
Basil is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. He listens in on the cases of the great Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, to learn at the feet of the master. Then Basil can use that knowledge to solve mysteries among the mice of the world. When danger calls, Basil is on the case with his trusty friend, Dr. Dawson, at his side.
In this book, Dawson and Basil are traveling to find an ancient island. There is a legend that tiny cats were once ruled by benevolent mice on this isolated island. However, evil Ratigan is also on the hunt, and it’s a race to see who will discover the lost island first.
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Basil of Baker Street (Basil of Baker Street, #1)
by Eve Titus, Paul Galdone (Illustrator)
Basil is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. He listens in on the cases of the great Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, to learn at the feet of the master. Then Basil can use that knowledge to solve mysteries among the mice of the world. When two little mice children are mouse-napped, Basil is on the case with his trusty friend, Dr. Dawson, at his side. They must go up against a gang of criminals who are threatening to destroy everything Basil holds dear.
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Rocki and Her Famous Tree: The (Mostly) True Story of One Owl’s Unexpected Trip to Rockefeller Plaza
by Analise G. Duques, Varya Shambrook (Illustrator), Ryan A. Duques (Goodreads Author)
When the big Christmas tree is brought to Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, they discover a little hitchhiker who has been snuggled inside the tree since they cut it down- a tiny owl! A young boy recognizes the owl and helps to rescue it. The owl is weak and starving, but the veterinarian nurses the tiny bird back to health, until it ready to be released back into the wild. But will the boy ever see his little owl friend again?
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