Yakov and the Seven Thieves
by Madonna, Gennadii Spirin (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Seven slippery scoundrels.
One tricky lock.
An unlikely solution . . .

Yakov, the kindly cobbler, and his wife, Olga, are heartbroken because their son, Mikhail, is very ill. They seek advice from a wise old man, who enlists the help of seven thieves and proves that miracles can occur if we do good deeds.

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PENELOPE JONES, Mild Mannered Children's Detective
Character Introduction

Penelope Jones, Central Cityâ??s Mild Mannered Childrenâ??s Detective is a very hard working lady. She is not married but has a special love for children everywhere. She remembers all too well those times when she was a child growing up, that she had to face her problems alone. Her parents had died when she was in the first grade and her Aunt took her in but never seemed to have much time to train Penelope. From that time forward, all she learned about right from wrong was from her own personal experiences and a little Bible that her mother had left her. Children who hire her to help them pay her with their weekâ??s allowance, candy or toys. She inherited quiet a lot of money as a young adult when her Aunt passed away.

It was a beautiful but cool Friday morning in the month of September in the little town of Caveville, USA. Caveville Elementary school had just begun and the first day, as usual, was very frightening for the first grade class.

Mrs. Brown Bear, the first grade teacher, was an older, but very sweet person and very understanding toward her classroom of nervous little bears. She knew that the room was full of little bears who did not know one another, however, being the smart lady bear teacher that she was, she had made plans for all of her students to do something special together. What she had planned would make the little bears feel good and glad that they had come to school.

What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
by Robin Page (Illustrator), Steve Jenkins (Author)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.

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Ella Sarah Gets Dressed
by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Book Description
Ella Sarah may be little, but she has a BIG sense of style--and it isn't at all like that of her mother, father, and older sister. Yet they all want her to dress just like them! Ella Sarah will have none of it--and when her flamboyantly dressed friends arrive, it's clear that Ella Sarah's favorite outfit is just right for her.

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Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears and Other Amazing Alphabet Anecdotes
by Valorie Fisher
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Tired of plain vanilla ABC books? Apple, ball, cat... Here's a witty charmer that you'll like as much--if not more--as your kids do. Valorie Fisher's Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears features a single, perfectly arranged diorama in homage to every letter. Plastic figurines, paper cutouts, tiny clay sculptures, and artfully repurposed everyday objects (see Holly's "humble handbag home") populate each cheery scene, all filled to bursting with items beginning with the designated letter.

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Disney Princess Essential Guide
by Dorling Kindersley Publishing
Reading level: Ages 4-8 Young girls obsessed with Cinderella, Ariel the mermaid, or Jasmine from Aladdin will revel in DK's 48-page "essential guide" to Disney princesses. Much like DK's usual approach to marine life or history, the creators briefly describe the characteristics and habitat of each princess in a highly visual format. For example, Snow White facts include what everyone knows (lips as red as roses, cheerful, hated by the queen, etc.), but readers will also find colorful, full-page illustrations of Snow White's world, complete with Dark Forest, the cottage where the Seven Dwarfs live, etc.

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Little Red
by Sarah Ferguson (Author), Sam Williams (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

When Little Red and her friends plan a "buzz of a day" picnicking in Bluebell Wood, none of them anticipates the dreadful noise that disrupts their placid gathering: "SPLAT SHWOOSH THWACK THUMP SQUEAK SPLOSH." Little Blue and the others are all for skedaddling, but brave Little Red insists: "If someone was in trouble, she and her friends should try to help."

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Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve (Magic Tree House, 30)
by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

In the second of the "Merlin Missions"--hardback additions to Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series--plucky heroes Jack and Annie must once again must travel back in time to rescue Camelot from looming danger.

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I'm a Manatee : Book and CD
by John Lithgow (Author), Ard Hoyt (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

From time to time
I dream that
I'm a manatee,
Undulating
underneath the sea

A little boy dreams of becoming a manatee, and what a dream it is! With his new gigan-atee manatee proportions, he sets off on an underwater adventure with his manatee friends.

Join John Lithgow and Ard Hoyt on this silly aquatic escapade, then sing along with John, who performs "I'm a Manatee" on the enclosed CD.

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