Horace the Horrible: A Knight Meets His Match by Jackie French Koller

The princess is sent to visit her uncle, Horace the Horrible, because her father the king is sick.  She misses her daddy terribly, but Horace the Horrible dismisses that and takes the child off to slay a dragon, vanquish an army, and rescue a damsel in distress (provided they can find one).  See how the little princess helps her uncle realize that being a big, brave knight isn't everything. 

Warning, there is a dragon in this book, for those who are more cautious about those kinds of things, although the knight does make an effort to slay him (although he is deterred).   Also, note that at one point in the story, the Uncle says "Oh, daddy faddy" when dismissing his neice's concerns.  Take caution,  because some children might go around and have a sensitive father (we read this with some of my nephews), and go home and say to their father "Oh, daddy fatty" and the father might not appreciate it, beings as he is on the heavier side. 

How Do You Know What Time it Is? By Robert E. Wells

A discussion of time, how days and months and years are measured, sundials, water clocks, and more.  How pendulums work and how the earth rotates and the moon rotates around the earth.  Small discussion of time zones and other things pertaining to the passage of time. 

More Parts by Tedd Arnold

A boy is struggling to hold himself together as he learns that his heart is breaking, he can give someone his hand, he can crack up, hold his tongue (and possibly drop it) and more.  Finally, his parents help calm him down and explain things.  And everything is find until he finds out he can lose his mind.

Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg

A newer version of the traditional sky is falling story, Foxy Loxy watches Chicken Little and friends gather to see that the sky is falling.  With each new creature, Foxy Loxy is plotting to capture them while they are busy worrying about calling the police but sees another one coming and decides to wait for them.  Finally, he pretends to be a police officer and gathers them all up in the back of hs truck to take them home for supper.  However, the same piece of sky that is falling helped defeat him.

Not the best retelling of this story I have found.  I personally didn't like it, and the children had minimal interest in it. 


5

Some Kids are Blind by Lola M. Schaefer

A grade 1 reader that can also be read to younger children to give a brief introduction to blindness and how children can adapt.  Very short and 20 pages of text with a couple sentences per page. 

Farfallina & Marcel by Holly Keller

A caterpillar and a baby gosling become fast friends.   But, one day, Farfallina the caterpillars climbs up a tree and doesn't come back down.  Marcel waits and waits for her to come back, and finally gives up.  When Farfallina finally does come back, she looks and looks for her friend Marcel, but only finds a grown up Goose, who also says he is missing his old friend.  They become friends, and finally realize they were missing each other. 

Animal Babies in Rain Forests by Jennifer Schofield

A large text book showing animal babies.  Each one has the child guessing who the mother is of the baby pictured.  Then, turn the page to show the baby with its mother.  Mothers include jaguar, gorilla, tapir, lemur, orangutan, sloth and tarsier.