Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Title/Series:   Princess Academy

Author: Shannon Hale

Pages: 320 pages

Copyright  Date: 2005

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 6^th – 8^th grade

Summary:  Fourteen year old Miri is the main character of this Newberry-honor book.  Miri wants to work in the stone quarry like others in her Mount Eskel village, but is not allowed due to her small size.  A royal decree means that all eligible girls must attend an academy which will prepare them to become princesses.  One lucky girl will then be chosen to become the prince’s bride.  Will tiny Miri be able to save her classmates from danger and become a royal princess?

Educational: Good – economic ideas of supply and demand, power of knowledge

Content: Good – many twists and turns, friendships, teamwork

Message: Good – empowerment and leadership

Bubbles, Bubbles by Kathi Appelt

Title/Series:   Bubbles, Bubbles

Author: Kathi Appelt

Copyright  Date: 2001

Reading Level: 2^nd grade

Interest Level: Kindergarten to 2^nd grade

Summary:  This fun story about bath time has both fun words and rhyming words.  It makes the idea of making bubbles while taking a bath fun.

Educational: Good – rhyming words, repeating words

Content: Average – good story for those who are reluctant bathers

Message: Average – shows that bath time can be fun

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Title/Series:   Dear Mr. Henshaw

Author: Beverly Cleary

Pages: 134 pages

Copyright  Date: 1983

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 4^th – 6^th grade

Summary:  Second grader Leigh Botts adores a book about dog training by author Mr. Boyd Henshaw. To fulfill a school assignment, Leigh writes to Mr. Henshaw and tells him how much he "licked" his book.
At first, Leigh resents the  replies he gets from his idol, but gradually he answers Mr. Henshaw's questions, which are really only to encourage Leigh to put pencil to paper. Four years later, Leigh is in the sixth grade and is still writing to Mr. Henshaw, and he never imagines that he'd reveal so much of himself and his life to the author:
Dear Mr. Henshaw, I am sorry I was rude in my last letter . . . Maybe I was mad about other things, like Dad forgetting to send his child-support payment . . . ." Gradually not only his spelling and writing improve, but also his feelings about life, as Mr. Henshaw inspires Leigh to keep a journal.
This Newbery Award-winning book by veteran author Beverly Cleary traces the inner life of a sometimes lonely and often troubled boy during that all-important but painful transition into adolescence, and she does so with grace and humor.

Educational: Good – shows that getting ideas down on paper are important no matter how well you write, idea of writing in a journal, personal letter format

Content: Good – the troubled character shows that everyone has problems but that we must find ways to solve our problems

Message: Good – just like the character, the reader has control over how to feel about life