Cliff Hanger

Author: Jean Craighead George

First line: Axel washed his tin cup at the hand pump outside the Teton Mountains Climbing School hut and looked up.

Why you should read this book: Newbery-winning author George is known for her sensitive depictions of children and their interaction with animals and the environment, and this book paints a masterful picture of a long moment in the life of a child who loves both. Axel, whose father runs the climbing school, is chagrined to learn that his dog, Grits, has been left on the mountain as a terrible electrical storm approaches. What follows is both a display of courage, love, and determination as well as a great technical description of a challenging climb under less-than-optimal circumstance.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Even the mere suggestion of height in an illustration gives you vertigo.

New Boy

Author: Julian Houston

First line: "It won't be easy, you know," said Cousin Gwen.

Why you should read this book: Rob Garrett is heading up north to integrate a snooty Connecticut prep school where prejudice takes on strange new forms, but back home in Virginia, his friends are fighting segregation on the front lines, and Rob is torn, trying to find his place in the struggle. On vacation in New York, he comes to understand a world view different from any he's known before, and when his friends organize a sit-in at the "Whites Only" Woolworth's lunch counter, he cannot stand on the sidelines. An interesting perspective on the civil rights movement of the late 50s.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You like easy endings that wrap all the details up in a pretty ribbon.

Follow the Leader

Author: Erica Silverman

First line: Follow the leader. Who should it be? I'm older. I'm bigger. You follow me.

Why you should read this book: Exuberant rhymes and amusing pictures detail the adventures of two young brothers. Although the older brother's imagination is thrilling at first, his bossiness soon drives a wedge into the relationship, until, at last, the younger brother discovers how he can assert himself. A nice solution to sibling rivalry and teaching the concepts of equality and sharing.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You believe firmly in teaching children to follow orders without question.

How Can You Dance?

Author: Rick Walton

First line: How can you dance when Spring is in your shoes?

Why you should read this book: With equal parts joy and good humor, the author presents various scenarios in which a child may desire to dance, and then uses different similes to illustrate how emotions can be expressed through movement. Lyrical text and entertaining illustrations amuse young readers. This book is particularly effective if your young person has enough room to emulate the children in the story.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You are very, very tired.

Chato's Kitchen

Author: Gary Soto

First line: Chato, a low-riding cat with six stripes, was slinking toward a sparrow when he heard the scrape of tiny feet coming from the yard next door.

Why you should read this book: A light-hearted romp following the attempts of a cool cat to devour a family of mice, infused with the flavor of the barrio. Chato thinks his plan to invite the tasty mice to dinner is foolproof, but he doesn't count on little ratoncitos having big friends. With warm, intriguing illustrations that create a concrete sense of place and character.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Mice give you heartburn.

Nino's Mask

Author: Jeanette Winter

First line: Every year I dream of wearing a mask in the FIESTA - of being something else for just one day.

Why you should read this book: Little Nino is tired of being told he is too young to wear a mask and a costume in his village's yearly planting festival, so he takes matters into his own hands. After watching the mask maker carefully, he cuts his own wood and carves the face of Perro, the dog who catches the despicable Tigre that wants to destroy the village's corn crop. For one day, Nino learns how it feels to be something else, and to contribute to the well-being of his community and his culture.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Masks creep you out.

George's Secret Key to the Universe

Authors: Lucy and Stephen Hawking

First line: Pigs don't just vanish, thought George as he stood staring into the depths of the very obviously empty pigsty.

Why you should read this book: When one of the world's most brilliant living theoretical physicists teams up with his novelist daughter to pen the science-fiction response to Harry Potter, anyone with an interest in science or speculative fiction has got to take notice. The story follows George, the son of Luddite eco-warriors, as he follows his wayward pig, Freddy, into the forbidden house next door, where he meets absent minded scientist, Eric, his fanciful daughter, Annie, and his mind-bogglingly useful laptop, Cosmos, which allows good-hearted users to travel through space without mucking around with rocketry or wasting time getting from place to place. When Eric's former colleague, G. Reeper, discovers the computer's existence, his dastardly plan sends Eric hurtling toward a black hole, and it's up to George to unlock the secrets of the universe and save his friend.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You can't believe Hawking changed his mind about that whole "no escape from a black hole" thing.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

Author: Barack Obama

First line: It's been almost ten years since I first ran for political office.

Why you should read this book: In language precise and sincere, Obama details his understanding of the American political process and the dreams of the American nation, laying out all the problems facing the American people and outlining potential solutions to those problem. Those who accuse the candidate of having little experience or understanding of politics must read this book to understand his wealth of knowledge, not just about the Constitution, the legislature, our history, the economy, morality, and foreign affairs, but also his in-depth comprehension of diplomacy, compromise, and ways to unite a divided nation. This is clear-headed doctrine that ought to hit the reading list of anyone (regardless of affiliation) who senses that America could be a healthier country than it is, and anyone who is ready to bring their nation into the twenty-first century with honor.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Neither the outcome of the 2008 American presidential election nor the position of the US in global policy have any bearing on your life.

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business

Author: Esphyr Slobodkina

First line: Once there was a peddler who sold caps.

Why you should read this book: It's the classic tale of monkey-see, monkey-do, and it's one of the very few children's books written prior to The Cat in the Hat that continues to hold the attention of our digital age offspring. In simple, repetitive prose, we learn the story of a tired, hungry peddler wearing an improbably stack of hats on his head, and the monkeys who love him, or at least, love to do what he does. Sixty-eight years after its original publication, this book still has kids shaking their hands, stamping their feet, and scolding like monkeys.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're recovering from a vicious monkey bite.

Cast upon the Breakers

Author: Horatio Alger

First line: "Well, good by, Rodney! I leave school tomorrow. I am going to learn a trade."

Why you should read this book: When the orphan heir, young Rodney Ropes, loses his entire fortune at the hands of his careless guardian, he is turned out of school, nearly penniless, but determined to support himself in the big city. Through setbacks with con men and complications with women who carelessly drop valuable packages outside of Tiffany's, he maintains his perfect air of self-confidence and self-reliance, riding the waves of fortune, making friends and enemies as he acts with gentlemanly aplomb. In the end, as in all of Alger's novels, a good character and work ethic are sufficient to return the young heir to his rightful position in society.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You dislike the taste of saccharine. You demand some kind of suspension of disbelief from literature. You can't read a novel comprised almost entirely of dialog without tags. You don't believe in coincidences.