The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1)
by Holly Black (Author), Tony DiTerlizzi (Author)
Reading level: All Ages

The first book in a beautifully produced series of five, The Field Guide sets up the story of the Grace children--13-year-old Mallory and 9-year-old twins Jared and Simon--who with their mother move into the dilapidated Spiderwick Estate only to quickly find themselves sucked into a dark and fascinating world of faeries.

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The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry first published The Little Prince in 1943, only a year before his Lockheed P-38 vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance mission. More than a half century later, this fable of love and loneliness has lost none of its power. The narrator is a downed pilot in the Sahara Desert, frantically trying to repair his wrecked plane.

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The Mitten: A Ukrainian Folktale by Jan Brett (Illustrator)
Reading level: Baby-Preschool

A Ukrainian boy named Nicki wants his grandmother Baba to knit snow-white mittens for him. She warns her grandson that a white mitten will be hard to find if he loses it in the snow, but of course he promptly does just that! What happens next is the surprising part, as a mole takes refuge in the lost mitten, then a rabbit, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, and a fox. If you think the mitten might be a wee bit stretched out at this point, just wait: "Then a big bear sniffed at the mitten. The animals were packed in tight, but the bear didn't care. He crawled in anyway."

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Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales by Nelson Mandela (Editor)

"It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books."â??Nelson Mandela, from the Foreword

The vibrant tradition of African folktalesâ??an oral heritage of stories that predates Ovidâ??is long, varied, and exceptionally rich, but surprisingly has been largely overlooked in the West. Nelson Mandela, the Nobel Laureate for Peace, selected thirty-two African stories for this extraordinary new book, an anthology that will present Africa's oldest folktales to the children of the world.

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The Ugly Duckling by Bernadette Watts (Illustrator), Hans Christian Andersen
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Ever since its publication in 1845, Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling has been a favorite with generations of children around the world. Today's youngsters will be equally moved by the hapless ugly duckling, who, ridiculed and rejected by all, suffers terrible hardships. And they will celebrate along with him when he finally emerges triumphant as the most beautiful swan of all! Bernadette Watts's detailed illustrations chronicle the bittersweet story with charm and poignancy.
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Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault, Fred Marcellino (Illustrator), Malcolm Arthur (Translator)
Reading level: Ages 5-9

Charles Perrault first published his collection of classic French folk tales 300 years ago, including "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," and this entertaining story about a most clever feline. In Puss and Boots, a poor miller dies and leaves his youngest son nothing but a cat. The son is none too happy about it, either; " ...once I've eaten my cat and made a muff out of the fur, I'm sure to starve," he says.

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett
Reading level: Baby-Preschool

What a sweet child, says a newcomer in town about Goldilocks. That's what you think, a neighbor replies. For Goldilocks is one of those naughty little girls who does exactly as she pleases--even if that means sampling the three bears' porridge, breaking Baby Bear's chair, and sleeping in his bed. James Marshall's offbeat and inventive telling of this familiar tale will enchant readers, young and old. A delightfully irreverent retelling of an old favorite is illustrated with delicious humor and contemporary touches.

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The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Princess Emeralda a.ka. Emma isn't exactly an ideal princess. Her laugh is more like a donkey's bray than tinkling bells, she trips over her own feet and she does NOT like Prince Jorge, whom her mother hopes she will marry. But if Emma ever thought to escape her troubles, she never expected it to happen by turning into a frog! When convinced to kiss a frog so he might return to being a prince, somehow the spell is reversed and Emma turns into a frog herself! Thus begins their adventure--a quest to return to human form.

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Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky (Illustrator), Jacob W. Grimm (Contributor)
Reading Level: Ages 3 - 7

Paul O. Zelinsky, 1998 Caldecott medalist for Rapunzel, also has three Caldecott Honor Books under his belt: Hansel and Gretel, Swamp Angel, and this fine edition of Rumpelstiltskin. Zelinsky's oil paintings are perfectly suited to the strange saga of the little man with the secret name who knows how to spin straw into gold. The golden light infusing the late medieval setting subtly reinforces the theme.

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Cinderella by K. Y. Craft (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

This brilliant edition of a timeless story is sure to become the favorite of a generation. Readers young and old will be enchanted by the vision and mastery of Kinuko Y. Craft's luminous paintings, inspired by the lavish artwork of late seventeenth-century France and embellished with extraordinary borders and ornamentation. Rich with radiant color and astonishing detail, here is a dream come true for anyone who has ever believed in living happily ever after.
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