Recommendations based on "Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul Stories of Courage, Hope and Laughter for Kids Ages 8-12"

Fans of Junie B. Jones and Ivy and Bean will love this new story about the spunky little rascal with big ideas.The star of Dory Fantasmagory is heading to school. Her older siblings, Luke and Violet, warn her to leave her imaginary friend, Mary, at home—or better yet, leave her whole imagination at home! Dory is determined to behave like a “regular old girl who never gets in trouble,” but on her very first day she meets a new friend, a girl whose imagination and style are just about as wild as her own. Now she just has to convince her siblings that she’s not making it all up!Filled with plenty of funny pictures, this book bursts with charm and impudence, making this a must-read for the chapter book set."Dory is as likable a kid heroine as I’ve encountered in a decade." –The Boston Globe* "Once again, Hanlon’s hilarious narration and cartooning reveal an uncanny talent for getting into the mile-a-minute mind of a one-of-a-kind girl." –Publishers Weekly, starred review

Everyone's A Aliebn When Ur A Aliebn Too Is The Illustrated Story Of A Lonely Alien Sent To Observe Earth, Only To Meet All Sorts Of Creatures With All Sorts Of Perspectives On Life, Love, And Happiness, All While Learning To Feel A Little Better About Being An Alien--based On The Enormously Popular Twitter Account, @jonnysun. Here Is The Unforgettable Story Of Jomny, A Lonely Alienwho, For The First Time Ever, Finds A Home On Our Planet After Learning That Earthlings Can Feel Lonely Too. Jomny Finds Friendship In A Bear Tired Of Other Creatures Running Away In Fear, An Egg Struggling To Decide What To Hatch Into, An Owl Working Its Way To Being Wise, A Tree Feeling Stuck In One Place, A Tadpole Coming To Terms With Turning Into A Frog, A Dying Ghost, A Puppy Unable To Express Itself, And Many More. Through This Story Of A Lost, Lonely And Confused Alien Finding Friendship, Acceptance, And Love Among The Creatures Of Earth, We Will All Learn How To Be A Little More Human. And For All Of Us Earth-bound Creatures Here On This Planet, We Can All Be Reminded That Sometimes, It Takes An Outsider To Help Us See Ourselves For Who We Truly Are--

A fast-paced and exciting read for middle grade fantasy, mystery, and animal buffs. Something strange is happening at the Clarksville City Zoo. Late at night, monkeys are scaling the walls and searching the neighborhood—but what are they looking for?Noah, his sister Megan, and their best friends, Richie and Ella, live next door to the zoo. Megan is the first to notice the puzzling behavior of some of the animals. One day Megan disappears, and her brother and their friends realize it's up to them to find her. Their only choice is to follow a series of clues and sneak into the zoo. But once inside, they discover there's much more to the Clarksville City Zoo than they could ever have guessed...The author originally had the idea for The Secret Zoo when he was nine and wondered what would happen if zoo exhibits had secret doors that allowed kids to go inside—and the animals to come outside. He brings that sense of adventure and excitement to this story, making it a favorite for home and classroom reading along with such middle grade fantasy favorites as The One and Only Ivan.

Are you feeling a little bit (or a lottle bit) anxious? Meet DOT, who's here to help. In this beautiful little hand-drawn book, DOT offers a practical way to comfort and calm anyone anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. For anyone (big or small) who wants to take a moment and some nice, deep breaths. In five unique colours - orange, blue, pink, yellow or green.

Otters are some of the most delightful animals on the planet.These long, lean, furry creatures embody pure joy in so many ways – they live for napping, playing, making friends and eating, and forget about the rest. Pretty inspiring, right?In a world that can often seem divided, lonely, and just plain cruel, the otter reminds us of what’s important in life.What other animal:• Holds hands with their friends whilst napping so they don’t float away?• Communicates in a flurry of whistles, chirps, chuckles, clicks and coos?• Builds a waterslide on a daily basis?• Befriends other species, just because?• Eats food off their tummy while floating peacefully with their pals?These intelligent, adorable, water-dwelling mammals have a lot to teach us about the way we live. So, kick back, grab a pal, dive in and reconnect with your playful side, just like you otter!

Girl by day. Cat by night. Ready for adventure. In the fourth book of this chapter book series, Kitty, a little girl with catlike superpowers, teams up with another superhero to save a bakery from certain disaster. Kitty and the Treetop Chase is perfect for newly independent readers and for fans of Rebecca Elliott’s Owl Diaries. When a new family moves into town, Kitty is excited to make another friend. But George, Kitty’s new neighbor, is quiet and seems to have nothing in common with Kitty. When night approaches, Katsumi, a member of Kitty’s cat crew, tells Kitty about a dog causing a commotion in the bakery. Kitty decides to use her catlike superpowers to investigate, and it turns out that George has his own superpowers, too! Together, they set off to track down the mischievous dog before he can cause even more damage. Kitty and the Treetop Chase is the fourth book in a series about Kitty and her superhero adventures. With a charming main character, loads of cats, and striking two-color art on every page, Kitty is the perfect pick for newly independent readers. Includes fun facts about cats!

With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager.This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will—won’t they? One thing’s for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget.Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.

Twin siblings give their dog to the Coast Guard during WWII only to discover a German threat in their hometown. The sixth book in the action-packed Soldier Dogs series that’s perfect for fans of Hero and Max!  When they hear about the Dogs for Defense program, twins Charlie and Kate know their yellow lab Buster would be a perfect soldier dog. So they enlist Buster in the Coast Guard, where he works alongside Army horseback patrols to protect US shores from German U-boat attacks. Back home, Charlie and Kate discover a threat of their own—a coded message about a Nazi sabotage plan! With danger on every side, can Charlie, Kate, and Buster defend US shores from the Axis Powers?

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available. Have you ever seen a whale stranding on television. Why do these magnificent and enormous creatures become stranded? Read on to find out why it happens and how people help to rescue them. White Plus/Band 10+ books provide challenging plots and vocabulary as well as opportunities to practise inference, prediction and reading stamina. Pages 46 and 47 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall. Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities. Claire was lucky enough once to go on a whale-watching trip. Like other people on the boat, she felt a bond with the magnificent creatures that suddenly appeared and then dived back down under the sea. Writing this book about their mysterious strandings helped her to understand and admire them more.

ARE YOU MY MOTHER? tells a very simple story for children who have just started to read. Their younger brothers and sisters will also want to follow the baby bird's quest as he asks everyone and everything he meets, 'Are You My Mother?' 'I can read it all by myself' is the Beginner Books motto, and behind it is an understanding of how important it is for children to take pride and pleasure in their early reading. Beginner Books have been designed to appeal directly to children through the use of humour, rhyme, and bright pictures that can be 'read' even by the non-reading child. Some Beginner Books are simple stories, others are hilarious nonsense: both types have been designed to give children confidence and make them want to go on reading.