Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Slightly Invisible

When Charlie insists that his little sister, Lola, leave him and his friend Marv alone to play, she agrees but soon she and her invisible friend, Soren Lorensen, must come to the boys’ rescue.

The Bear Who Shared

Norris the bear has been waiting patiently for the last ripe fruit to fall from the tree. But Tulip the raccoon and Violet the mouse have too, although maybe not so patiently. In fact, Tulip and Violet sniff, listen to, and even hug the fruit. Norris catches the fruit when it finally falls, and because he is a wise bear, he shares it and makes two new friends. A lovely simplicity of language and gorgeous artwork make this story of one of life’s first lessons perfect for the youngest listeners.

Strange Creatures

Walter, the son of Lady Emma and Lord Nathan Rothschild, was a very unusual boy. He was born in 1868 to a family of bankers and was nearly the richest boy in the world. But that’s not what made him unusual. Walter was so shy he barely spoke. He had no friends, but he loved every creature that crawled, slithered or flew.  At the age of seven he saw his first circus and was inspired to declare breathlessly to his parents: “I’m going to collect animals from all over the world and build a museum and I’m going to call it My Museum!” The family knew explorers who traveled the world to bring back animals for the London Zoo, and soon Walter had his first exotic creatures: several kangaroos. From there his collection grew and grew, until it threatened to take over the Rothschild estate. Lord Rothschild eventually lost patience with Walter’s hobby and insisted that Walter become a banker, like everyone else in the family. Reluctantly, Walter obeyed, but his dream couldn’t be dimmed–he used his earnings to purchase species from undiscovered lands.  Eventually Walter created the largest zoological collection gathered by one man and was respected throughout the world for his contribution to science. He wrote 1200 books and scientific papers and named 5000 new species. Animals that now bear the name Rothschild include butterflies, fish, a millipede, a fly, a lizard, a porcupine, a wallaby, a bird of paradise, and even a giraffe. The painfully shy boy who never made a good banker forever changed our understanding of the world’s diversity of creatures.

Huck Runs Amuck!

Meet Huck. He loves flowers. FLOWERS, FLOWERS, FLOWERS. And he’ll do whatever it takes to get a mouthful: climb the highest mountain, walk a tightrope, even defy speeding trains! It’s true, he can’t resist! But when his mad dash up a church spire is mistaken for a heroic attempt to save Mrs. Spooner’s flowery hat (rather than a determined effort to eat it), Huck has a crisis of conscience. Can anything deter this goat from his gastronomical bliss? For fans of Skippyjon Jonesand Click, Clack, Moocomes an all-purpose, year-round kid-pleaser that will have kids shouting, laughing, and clapping along. This goofy goat also advocates a subtle lesson in setting aside your own desires for the greater good of others. With a heart to rival his appetite (and that’s a BIG appetite!), Huck is not to be missed.

Previously

The adventures of various nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters are retold in backward sequence with each tale interrelated to the other. Includes Goldilocks, Jack and the beanstalk, Jack and Jill, the frog prince, Cinderella, and the gingerbread man.

The Adventure of Momotaro, The Peach Boy (Kodansha Bilingual Children’s Classics)

Perhaps the most beloved of all Japanese folk tales is the story of Momotaro, the boy born from a peach. Momotaro’s expedition to the Land of the Demons, accompanied by his faithful companions, the Dog, the Monkey, and the Pheasant, is filled with fun and excitement for all young readers. One of five of the best-loved stories from Kodansha’s Children’s Classics series, printed in a smaller format with the original Japanese beside the English translation – and all with the same illustrations.