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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showing: for beginning readers
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Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt by David Catrow
Parents Need to Know...

that this easy reader showcases the joys of an active imagination. There’s nothing to concern parents. read more

Age 4+
Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt
4
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Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire by Jane O'Connor
Parents Need to Know...

that this is another Fancy Nancy adventure, this time in the outdoors, and it's packed with legitimate, accurate scientific facts as well as the usual Fancy Nancy pizzazz! read more

Age 5+
Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire
4
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Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels by Jamie Michalak
Parents Need to Know...

that this book is filled with likable characters, silly humor, and short chapters. It's perfect for beginning readers. read more

Age 5+
Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels
4
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There Is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems
Parents Need to Know...

that this is another one of the very funny books in Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series. Kids will laugh themselves silly when reading it. read more

Age 4+
There Is a Bird on Your Head!
5
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It's Earth Day: Little Critter by Mercer Mayer
Parents Need to Know...

that this Little Critter book carries an important message about what we all can do to help the Earth. Besides telling the story, it offers 10 solid ways that all ages can work together to save our planet. read more

Age 3+
It's Earth Day: Little Critter
4
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Keeker and the Sneaky Pony by Hadley Higginson
Parents Need to Know...

that this book, the first in the Keeker series, will draw in emergent readers, especially horse lovers. It includes positive messages on caring for and building trust with animals. A girl is tossed off a pony, but not injured. read more

Age 5+
Keeker and the Sneaky Pony
4
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Dragon Gets By by Dav Pilkey
Parents Need to Know...

that nothing harmful or inappropriate is presented in this beginning reader. read more

Age 6+
Dragon Gets By
3
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Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
Parents Need to Know...

that this multiple award-winning book is about making a new friend, learning about differences, and sharing an adventure. On the surface these girls appear very different. One wears dresses and reads books, the other has a sassy mouth and ... read more

Age 6+
Ivy and Bean
4
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Today I Will Fly! An Elephant and Piggie Book by Mo Willems
Parents Need to Know...

that this fun, easy-to-read book has nothing to offend parents or kids. The book is entertaining enough that adults will want to read it aloud, but has enough emotional action that beginning readers will be satisfied that this is no book ... read more

Age 3+
Today I Will Fly! An Elephant and Piggie Book
4
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Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Parents Need to Know...

that this 1939 Newbery honor winner has captivated generations of readers. There's a little Mr. Popper in every reader, particularly those ages 5 to 8, full of questions about the world. In the end when facing a moral dilemma, Mr. Popper ... read more

Age 6+
Mr. Popper's Penguins
5
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Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways by Laura McGee Kvasnosky
Parents Need to Know...

that this award-winning book for beginning readers includes three stories full of kid imagination. In one, the sisters pretend to run away but stick to their own yard (their parents know where they are, but this is never spelled out). In ... read more

Age 4+
Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways
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Driving Buddies by Apple Jordan
Parents Need to Know...

that the plot will make little sense to kids who haven't seen the film on which it's based. read more

Age 3+
Driving Buddies
2
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Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! by Dr. Seuss
Parents Need to Know...

that this story is full of fruity contraptions. It isn't explained why Marvin is dismissed, or where he's going -- the fun is in the journey. read more

Age 4+
Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!
4
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Just Clowning Around by Steven MacDonald
Parents Need to Know...

that the story and writing are simple, but well suited for very early readers. read more

Age 2+
Just Clowning Around
4
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Tiffky Doofky by William Steig
Parents Need to Know...

that we found nothing of concern in this story of a garbage collector seeking fulfillment of a fortune-teller's prophecy. read more

Age 4+
Tiffky Doofky
5
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I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! by Dr. Seuss
Parents Need to Know...

that kids will find a comrade-in-sleep in the hero, who sticks to his bed. read more

Age 4+
I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!
4
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I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! by Dr. Seuss
Parents Need to Know...

that the stories, set to snappy verse, are simple but nimble and quick. The braggart in the title story is boasting of defeating tigers, but is put in his place. read more

Age 4+
I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today!
3
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There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss
Parents Need to Know...

that this book will have listeners calling out rhymes and chortling over witty details in the illustrations. Fun made-up creatures will entertain. read more

Age 2+
There's a Wocket in My Pocket
4
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McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss
Parents Need to Know...

that a skeptical adult fails to convince an optimistic, daydreaming boy to abandon his fishing hole. read more

Age 4+
McElligot's Pool
4
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The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Parents Need to Know...

that this tale, told in Dr. Seuss' trademark rhymes, is a good introduction to environmental awareness. read more

Age 4+
The Lorax
4
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Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss
Parents Need to Know...

that the story visits one comically horrible situation after another, dandily illustrated by Dr. Seuss' wacko artwork and with lots of eccentric word inventions. read more

Age 4+
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
4

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