Hansel and Diesel

Author: David Gordon

First line: At the edge of a huge junkyard lived brother and sister pickup trucks.

Why you should read this book: A deliciously ridiculous riff off Hansel and Gretel, this book recounts the adventures of two little trucks searching for fuel in the dark, foreboding junkyard that is their home. The child-abandonment element is discarded in this tale, but everything else, from the trail of bolts they leave to mark their way, to the wicked winch who lures them into her fabulous service station has its counterpart in the original. Very silly, very enjoyable.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't believe in messing with the classics.

Corduroy

Author: Don Freeman

First line: Corduroy is a bear who once lived in the toy department of a big store.

Why you should read this book: This is the enduring classic children's story of a bear in search of a home. When a little girl finally wants to adopt him, her mother points out that Corduroy is missing a button off his overalls, and the bear sets out through the mall in search of his missing property. In the end, he is well-dressed and well-loved, in a tale that has delighted young readers for forty years.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You could never love a teddy with a missing button.

The Grannyman

Author: Judith Byron Schachner

First line: Simon was a very old cat.

Why you should read this book: Simon, an ancient Siamese cat who is deaf, blind, arthritic, and has terrible breath, is still well-loved by his family, but he has led a long, full life and is ready to throw in the towel. Just as he lies down to die, the family presents him with a little Siamese kitten, and Simon's purpose in life is restored. A nice circle-of-life story celebrating the place of the elderly.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You just put your incontinent parents into a home.

The Watchmen

Author: Alan Moore

First line: Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach.

Why you should read this book: Quite possibly the finest and most influential graphic novel of all time, Alan Moore's masterpiece asks the questions, "What does it take to save humanity from itself, and who among us possesses the inhumanity to take action?" After its original publication, this book turned the industry upside-down with its tale of costumed superheroes and impending armageddon in world very much like our own. Spanning decades and generations, it is a story of love and determination, of men and women driven by compulsions larger than themselves, of fear and uncertainty, and of the self-determination required to believe the truth in a world shrouded in lies.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're reading Action Comics number one with a pair of tweezers and acid-free latex gloves.

American Gothic

Author: Robert Bloch

First line: The castle stood in shadows.

Why you should read this book: Based loosely on the true story of con man, corpse robber, and serial killer HH Holmes, who murdered dozens of people against the glorious backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World Fair, this book is a fluffy little piece of pulp fiction pitting a young female newspaper reporter with an insatiable thirst for the truth against a seemingly genteel businessman. When her insurance investigator fiance makes a big pay out to a wealthy doctor known as C. Gordon Gregg, Crystal is immediately suspicious of the circumstances, and battles widespread gender discrimination to uncover Gregg's nefarious plot. With hints of sexual danger and a pretty satisfyingly gruesome discovery preceding the story's happy ending, American Gothic is the literary equivalent of a bag of potato chips.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It's not Psycho, it's not Grant Wood, and it's certainly not The Devil in the White City. It's a bag of pulp fiction potato chips. Consume at your own risk.

A Plague of Frogs: The Horrifying True Story

Author: William Sounder

First line: Consider the frog.

Why you should read this book: In the summer of 1995, when a group of Minnesota schoolchildren found vast numbers of deformed frogs in a local pond, America found itself mired in a debate that soon comprised local, state, and federal bodies, in which amateurs and professionals in different fields argued over the causes of what became an epidemic of frogs with missing, extra, twisted, and unexplainable limbs. Pesticide runoff from common farming practices, increased ultraviolet exposure due to atmospheric degradation, and natural parasitic infection are all suggested causes hypothesized, argued over, and tested by myriad scientists intent on solving the immediate question of deformed frogs as well as the larger question of global amphibian decline and environmental change. The books is a scientific mystery, unearthing clues while it acknowledges the effects of bureaucratic intervention, scientific skepticism, and professional rivalries in what could be one of the most important environmental investigations of our time.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It's horrifying, but it's not horror. You'll have to go elsewhere for accounts of giant mutant anthropophagic frogs. As for this book, its only flaw is a lack of index.

The Encyclopedia of Mammals

Editor: David Macdonald

First line: To say that The Encyclopedia of Mammals covers all known members of the class Mammalia is an accurate but arid summary of this book.

Why you should read this book: As a general, all-purpose reference work on mammals, this book is tops, beginning with its historical discussion of mammalian evolution and continuing through its 800+ pages of stunning photographs (over a thousand) and detailed essays written by experts in the field. From aadvarks to zebras (and a little bit beyond), with close-ups and diagrams, this book is the perfect starting place for anyone looking for an overview of the class or trying to find specific details about certain species. An enduring work.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Given the book's scope, it is not possible for any animal to be covered in great depth; anyone over the age of twelve looking to write a report or gain a detailed knowledge about a particular animal will need to head for the stacks to find more specific information.

Koko-love: Conversations with a Signing Gorilla

Author: Francine Patterson

First line: If you have ever chatted on-line with a gorilla, you must have been talking to Koko!

Why you should read this book: A first glimpse into the lives of Koko, the signing gorilla, and the other gorillas and humans who share her world. With lots of charming photographs, this book introduces young readers to the circumstances of Koko's life, including her introduction to ASL, her love of kittens, her friendship with Mr. Rogers, and her relationship with the handsome gorilla she met through video dating. A glossary of signs at the end of the book is a nice addition to a picture book that seeks, above all, to share the idea that animals can think and feel.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're afraid the general knowledge that animals can think and feel will devalue your investments in African deforestation and civil war.

Jennifer, Hecate, MacBeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth

Author: E. L. Konigsberg

First line: I first met Jennifer on my way to school.

Why you should read this book: An unorthodox friendship between two outsider girls leads to revelations and growth for the narrator. Little Elizabeth wants to believe in Jennifer's world, where witches can brew flying ointment and use their powers to humiliate stuck-up kids. Clever as all Konigsberg's novels are, it's a small, smart story about the power of the child's mind and the ability to construct reality.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You really are a witch and you aren't planning on sharing your flying ointment with anyone.

No Dinner: The story of the Old Woman and the Pumpkin

Author: Jessica Souhami

First line: There was once an old woman who lived at the edge of a big forest with her little dog.

Why you should read this book: Combining a few fairy tale conventions, an old woman and her granddaughter, who live inconveniently separated by a forest full of man-eating animals, outwit the creatures of the forest. This is a wonderful read aloud story, with repetition and multiple voices, as well as a satisfying conclusion.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've been conned by little old ladies before.