Handpicked by Our Editors

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson
Age 5+
4

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson

Why We Recommend It

Jackie Robinson was special on the baseball field and off. His daughter's bio of the slugger-as-dad emphasizes courage.

Read our full review
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Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again by Isabella Hatkoff, Juliana Hatkoff
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this animal tale. It opens with a badly wounded dolphin caught in a crab trap, but doesn't dwell on the details of her injuries. The rest of the book focuses on positive developments in her rehabilitation. ... read more

Age 4+
Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again
3
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Flawed Dogs: The Novel: The Shocking Raid on Westminster by Berkeley Breathed
Parents Need to Know...

that this endearing book has some scenes that might be tough for sensitive readers to take. A dog is shot, hit by a car, loses his leg in a bear trap, and is separated from his owner. There are several exciting chases and dog fight ... read more

Age 8+
Flawed Dogs: The Novel: The Shocking Raid on Westminster
4
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A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this lovely picture book. Night is a peaceful, content time here -- there’s nothing to fear in the dark. read more

Age 2+
A Book of Sleep
5
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The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
Parents Need to Know...

this picture book means well, but the bullying circus owner is so aggressively angry it’s hard to enjoy the pleasures of the book. Kids might be unsettled by the opening shipwreck scene, in which the circus owner orders the captain to ... read more

Age 5+
The Circus Ship
3
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Cat Dreams by Ursula K. Le Guin
Parents Need to Know...

there's nothing of concern in this gentle picture book. read more

Age 2+
Cat Dreams
3
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Panda Kindergarten by Joanne Ryder, Katherine Feng
Parents Need to Know...

that there's nothing to worry about in this sweet, informative book. read more

Age 4+
Panda Kindergarten
4
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The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Parents Need to Know...

that there's a great deal of brutality by and toward dogs, which may be a bit much for sensitive young animal lovers of the 21st century, when beating dogs with clubs is not considered an acceptable way of training them. Dogs fight each ... read more

Age 10+
The Call of the Wild
4
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Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins
Parents Need to Know...

that some of the animals shown are creepy looking, with big teeth, spines, spikes, or odd shapes. Also, animals are not to scale, so some appear huge when, in fact, they may be small. (Or vice versa.) The language is heavy at times, and ... read more

Age 6+
Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea
3
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Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails by Betsy Franco
Parents Need to Know...

that that the gorgeous pictures in this book are more than entertaining, they're also educational. read more

Age 4+
Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails
4
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The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Parents Need to Know...

that the brutality of the violence is higher than you'd expect for a book that looks like it's for 8-year-olds (though the publishers recommend 10 and older). A drunken father smashes his young son's face, breaking the bones and jaw, ... read more

Age 10+
The Underneath
3
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Gully's Travels by Tor Seidler
Parents Need to Know...

that a despondent dog attempts suicide by jumping from a bridge (he doesn't succeed). Sensitive children may be disturbed by the way the dog is treated by his owners. read more

Age 8+
Gully's Travels
4
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Vasco, Leader of the Tribe by Anne-Laure Bondoux
Parents Need to Know...

that there are some pretty graphic fight scenes between the rats. Some rats are killed and their broken bodies are described. One rat is blinded by another and there are several descriptions of a mouse tasting the blood of another rat ... read more

Age 10+
Vasco, Leader of the Tribe
3
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The Quest Begins: Seekers, Book 1 by Erin Hunter
Parents Need to Know...

that the world of the bears is a cruel and sometimes bloody one, in which bears fight with each other and are shot by humans. A mother bear is killed by orca whales in front of her daughter, bears hunt and kill prey, and one bear mauls a ... read more

Age 10+
The Quest Begins: Seekers, Book 1
3
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Look Behind! by Lola M. Schaefer, Heather Lynn Miller
Parents Need to Know...

that alphabetically arranged by first names, Butt is the last name of every animal in this book: Animal Butts to Zany Butts. Parents who are not put off by reading this word to kids over and over again will find that it's just as focused ... read more

Age 4+
Look Behind!
3
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The Great American Mousical by Julie Andrews-Edwards, Emma Walton Hamilton
Parents Need to Know...

that this book contains some adult mice drinking alcohol and a mouse is caught in a humane trap. Theater vocabulary makes this a good book to introduce live theater productions to kids. read more

Age 8+
The Great American Mousical
4
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Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City by Janet Schulman
Parents Need to Know...

that this true story of a red-tailed hawk surviving in New York City definitely carries a strong message about the rights of wild animals. read more

Age 6+
Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City
4
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Vulture View by April Pully Sayre
Parents Need to Know...

that this award-winning book will make them see vultures in a whole new light. And, the simple scientific facts presented in rhyming language will spark any kids' interest in these amazing birds. read more

Age 4+
Vulture View
4
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Dog by Matthew Van Fleet
Parents Need to Know...

that this is a wonderful book for any dog lover. It's also a great vocabulary builder and perfect for early readers. It should be noted that one of the interactive tabs lifts a dog's leg, and there's a photograph of one dog crouched in a ... read more

Age 2+
Dog
5
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Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Parents Need to Know...

that the lessons are a little twisty here, and guns are used, resulting in Mr. Fox losing his tail. read more

Age 6+
Fantastic Mr. Fox
4
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The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
Parents Need to Know...

that there is nothing to be concerned about here, and much to celebrate. Parents should also know that this is very different from the garish, noisy, and commercialized Disney versions of late, and that the reading and language levels are ... read more

Age 5+
The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh
5
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Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth
Parents Need to Know...

that there's nothing of concern in any of the fascinating facts presented in this nonfiction book. They will be as captivated and amazed as their kids will be. read more

Age 4+
Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea
4

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