Plain Girl

Written by: Virginia Sorensen

First line: "Esther!"

Why you should read this book: Ever since her big brother, Dan, ran away from their traditional Amish family, nothing has been the same at Esther's house, and now that the men from the county say she must attend public school with the rest of the children, her father's convinced she's going to turn her back on her traditions as well. Esther loves her father, and she loves being a Plain Girl, but in school she learns that the rest of the world is not so terrible, not if it's full of little girls who want to be her friends and teach her to play jacks and even, maybe, trade clothes. Will Esther follow in her brother's footsteps, or can she help to bring her brother back into the fold and make her family complete again?

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't want to go back home.

Anything for a Friend

Written by: Ellen Conford

First line: The first time I saw Stafford W. Sternwood he was doing something weird with worms.

Why you should read this book: Saddled with a weird name for a girl and a father whose career ambitions have her changing schools every year, Wallis feels certain that she will never, ever have a real friend, let alone be part of the popular crowd. Her neighbor and classmate, Stafford W. "Stuffy" Sternwood, may be a bit of a con artist, but he promises that his schemes will propel her into the highest reaches of the social stratosphere. Wallis wants to get in with the in-crowd, but how long can she go along with Stuffy's plans, and how many people will get hurt on the way?

Why you shouldn't read this book: You think friends are overrated.

Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales

Told by: Virginia Hamilton

First line: Little Girl was always home.

Why you should read this book: With African-American women and girls at its center, this award-winning collection brings together little-known stories of mothers, daughters, grandmothers, witches, vampiresses, fairies, and heroines, along with three true narratives of the lives of real women whose long life experiences become fascinating tales in their own right. Combating a world where men or white people often sought to dominate their bodies, these wonderful and unusual stories demonstrate the power of women and their spiritual triumphs. There is something for everyone, and much to love, along with scholarly and historical information, lovely illustrations, and a real sense of historical import in this book.

Why you shouldn’t read this book: You would keep a mermaid in a bell jar.

My Name Was Hussein

Written by: Hristo Kyuchukov

First line: My name was Hussein.

Why you should read this book: In spare, even prose, it tells children the story of a Roma boy's life in Bulgaria, including the joyful customs of his family's celebration of the Muslim holidays. Then the government sends tanks to the village, prevents them from practicing their culture, and finally forces them to choose Christian names. Based on the author's true life story, this book proclaims the right of every individual to their own identity, and helps readers see the importance of tolerance.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've deliberately changed your name.

The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe and Other Stories of Women and Fatness

Edited by: Susan Koppelman

First line: On April 13, 1973, at 9 A.M. at the Atkinson Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana, I stood before a room filled with people, announced, "I am fat," and slowly peeled the wrapping off of a giant Baby Ruth candy bar and took a bite.

Why you should read this book: The twenty-five short stories in this anthology span one hundred years of portraits of and attitudes toward fat women, including women from many cultural and class backgrounds, and encompassing the full spectrum of emotions about fatness. From self-reliant side show fat ladies to high school students with low self-esteem, and touching on every form of eating disorder; physical, mental, and emotional abuse; the ups and downs of dieting and exercise; and the relationships between men and women, along with the relationship between women and women, the reader can discern a complete picture of size in modern American history. In addition to its proud, eye-opening feminist perspective, this is also a collection of great, readable, provocative short stories.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Typos galore. Seriously needs some proofreading.

Galimoto

Written by: Karen Lynn Williams

First line: Kondi opened an old shoe box and looked inside.

Why you should read this book: Determined and inventive, Kondi sets out in one morning to build his very own galimoto, a toy created by the children of Malawi, using spare bits of wire, and shaped like a motor vehicle. His quest is fraught with peril, as he braves the naysayers who tell him he is too young to collect enough wire or build such a complicated construct, or that his plan is a foolish one, or that he needs to stop trespassing as he goes about collecting enough wire to follow through. A wonderful story that opens a window onto another country and serves as a beacon for those self-reliant kids who know they can accomplish great things, if only other people would get out of their way.

Why you shouldn’t read this book: You’re too busy chasing little kids out of your junkyard.

Baba Yaga and the Wise Doll

Retold by: Hiawyn Oram

First line: Once there was a witch called Baba Yaga.

Why you should read this book: The virtuous are rewarded and the wicked are punished in this Russian fairy tale about Too Nice Child and her terrible siblings, Horrid Child and Very Horrid Child. While the cruel brothers send their overly kind sister off to certain death at the hands of the witch, little Too Nice depends on the encouragement of the little doll her mother left her before she died and ends up impressing critical Baby Yaga. The surprising ending may horrify adults, but is sure to delight children.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've let your brothers walk all over you for far too long, and now you're plotting your revenge.

The Girl Who Wore Too Much: A Folktale from Thailand

Retold by: Margaret Read MacDonald

First line: Aree's parents gave that girl everything she wanted.

Why you should read this book: In this cautionary fairy tale, Aree is spoiled with more jewelry and clothing than anyone could possibly wear in a lifetime, and this fact affects her ability to dress appropriately for the big dance. Unable to decide which of her dresses and jewelry to show off, she chooses to simply wear everything, all at once, rendering her incapable of walking all the way to the dance under the crippling weight of her material wealth. Rewritten for modern audiences, this story features a happy ending, in which Aree learns her lesson about excessive possessions, and includes Thai text at the bottom of each page, along with an interesting afterword for those who care about the collecting of folktales or their adaptation for new listeners.

Why you should read this book: You can never have enough pretty dresses.

The Octopus's Garden: The Secret World Under the Sea

Written by: Dr. Mark Norman

First line: Octopuses and squid are like the wizards of the sea.

Why you should read this book: Featuring simple descriptions and glorious photographs, this book introduces young readers to the wonderful world of cephalopods, without ever mentioning the word "cephalopod." Big, sharp, full-color photographs of octopuses, squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus are coupled with smaller inset photos and interesting facts written by an expert in the field. This thoroughly modern book also includes a DVD featuring lovely footage of said cephalopods in hypnotic action.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You fear tentacles.

And Condors Danced

Written by: Zilpha Keatley Snyder

First line: It was midafternoon on an unusually warm June day when Carly Hartwich made the following entry in her secret journal:

Why you should read this book: Growing up in California in the early 1900s, Carly has never known a time when her mother wasn't sick, her older sister wasn't the boss, and her father wasn't aloof and critical. She longs, equally, to be treated like an important member of her own family, and to return to the loving atmosphere of her Aunt M.'s estate, where she spent her first five years, and where her aunt, and her aunt's Chinese servant, Woo Ling, dote on her. Half the time she feels invisible, and the other half she's getting yelled at for not being ladylike, but it's just impossible to be prim and proper while at the same time solving mysteries and maybe, just maybe, fixing the long-standing rift between her family and their old enemies, the Quiqleys.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You find the idea of driving a majestic creature to the brink of extinction sort of thrilling.