George in the Dark

GEORGE IN THE DARK by Madeline Valentine. Knopf, 2014.

Why is George afraid
Only of the dark? and brave
All the other time?

Boom!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!by Jamie Swenson with illustrations by David Walker. FSG, 2013.

When the lightning sizzles and thunder books, there are many things that want to creep into a little boy's bed for comfort. Will everyone fit? What happens is the bed breaks? Tie this one to The Napping House.

Hiding in Plain Sight

HOW TO HIDE A LION by Helen Stephens. Holt 2013.

What do you do when a lion shows up in your town? Iris tries hard to keep the lion a secret, but eventually the secret gets out and the lion runs away. Can Iris help her friend?

Anything you can do, I can do better

ANTON AND THE BATTLE by Ole Konnecke. Gecko Press, 2013.


Anton is fearless. Luke, even more so. The two begin to compete to see who is the bravest, the strongest, the most powerful until along comes something that makes them BOTH heads for the safety of a tree limb.

Frighteningly Wonderful

SCOWLER by Daniel Kraus. Delacorte, 2013.

The author of ROTTERS returns with an intense psychological examination of the long term effect of abuse on kids. Now 19, Ry Burke endured years of abuse (and also witnessed the abuse of his mother) by his father who is now in prison. As a child, after his father nearly caused his death, Ry became attached to the three toys that he believes saved his life: a stuffed bear names Furrington, a rubber statues of Christ, and Scowler, a stitched and stuffed object. When a meteor crashes into the prison where his father is being held, the family prepares to flee. However, before they can reach safety, dear old Dad has returned seeking revenge. Kraus writes lyrically of even the most horrific scenes in Ry's young life. The story drives forward, relentless in its intensity, unremitting in the fear and horror created by the events and the characters who are struggling to survive.

A reading ladder, maybe a step stool

NONI THE PONY by Alison Lester. Beach Lane, 2012.

LET'S SING A LULLABY WITH THE BRAVE COWBOY by Jan Thomas. Beach Lane, 2012.

NIGHTSONG by Ari Berk with illustrations by Loren Long. Simon & Schuster, 2012.

All three of these picture books have a scene where the main character (horse, cowboy, and bat respectively) has a fear of the dark. All three are different in terms of color palette, design, artistic approach. This makes them ripe for a short reading ladder, a step stool if you will. Read all 3 books and talk with kids about the similarities and differences. This simple exercise with young children is helping them to make connections between and among books, something lifelong readers do subconsciously.