We see them in the backyard, digging through trash. But what doing we really know about bears? (Here’s a hint…Goldilocks was all wrong.) Bears are so much interesting than our stories about them. Backyard Bears takes us into the lives of city bears. What a great pick for reluctant readers!

Ever been to a city park? Possums, crows, dogs. You’d expect to see them. But a coyote pup? How did he get there? Trouble finds himself there after his curiosity and impulsivity take him away from the wilds and into a world he knows nothing about.

A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron Adventure. Danger. Sadness. Everyone will face these someday. That’s why I connected with A Dog’s Way Home. Abby and her dog Tam are in terrible car accident. Tam, crate and all, is thrown into a rushing river that carries him far away. But It’s more than a dog separated

Do You Need a Friend? Something I’ve noticed about my favorite writers is that I think they’re writing about me. Maybe not today’s me, or even yesterday’s me, but me someday. That’s what Barbara O’Connor does in Wonderland: The Novel. I found myself in all her main characters (yes, even the dog’s.) Poor little rich

When I worked as a children’s bookseller, I steered kids away from fantasy for a simple reason: I thought I didn’t like the genre. Then came His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. The Golden Compass, the first in the series, blew me into fantasy land. Children are disappearing in 12 year old Lyra’s world. Scrappy Lyra, decides