Timothy Goes to School

Written by: Rosemary Wells

First line: Timothy's mother made him a brand-new sunsuit for the first day of school.

Why you should read this book: It's a story that recognizes the reality of verbal bullying in public school and, despite its cast of anthropomorphic animals, handles the situation realistically. Timothy the raccoon meets Claude, a much better turned out raccoon, on the first day of school, and immediately finds himself on the receiving end of a string of hurtful comments from a kid who seems to do everything better. At last he meets Violet, a rabbit who's just as annoyed by Grace, a more talented rabbit, as Timothy is by Claude, and their new friendship allows them to overcome their resentment and ignore their bullies.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You advocate violence.