How to train your dragon

A riotous tall tale guaranteed to get giggles and out loud chuckles takes the reader on a wild romp, while Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III plays the reluctant Viking King's son. He's not the sort of kid who does things the easy way- he bumbles and fumbles and makes the everyone laugh. During his training to becoming a Viking warrior, Hiccup chooses the most unlikely of steed- the scrawniest, laziest, greediest dragon around. Although his training methods are unorthodox, and mocked by many, Hiccup may turn out to be the hero kids will root for.



Cowell, Cressida. (2004). How to train your dragon: the heroic misadventures of Hiccup the Viking. New York : Little, Brown. 214 pages. ISBN: 978-0-316-73737-1.

Ages: 8-12
Rating: High Additional

How to train your dragon [Motion Picture]

Although the premise of the film is not the same as the book, the film stands alone as a work tweens and adults will enjoy. It's just as witty and entertaining as Cressida Cowell's book. The film is based on the premise that the Vikings are at war with the dragons who attack their livestock- thus threatening their way of life. Hiccup is a blacksmith's apprentice (not a warrior in training) and after he shoots the one and only dragon his people have no information about out of the sky with his own cannon like invention, he learns that his talents lie elsewhere. He frees the dragon from the grip of his invention and slowly, they become friends. Through the relationship that Hiccup has with Toothless, his tribe comes to understand the dragons and make peace with them.

How to train your dragon [Motion Picture] 2010
directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
based on the novel by Cressida Cowell
screenplay written by William Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

Ages: 8+
Rating: High Additional

The dark-thirty : Southern tales of the supernatural

The hour before sunset is called dark-thirty in the south- these haunting tales reflect the horror of living in a time when African Americans lacked any semblance of political power. The stories explore many aspects of the African America experience from slavery and emancipation, to desegregation and the terror generated by the Ku Klux Klan.

McKissack, Pat. (1992). The dark-thirty : Southern tales of the supernatural. New York: Knopf. 122 pages. ISBN: 978-0-679-81863-2.

Ages: 8-12

Rating: Outstanding

Newberry Honor Book 1993

Coretta Scott King Award 1993

Cleopatra Rules!: the amazing life of the original teen queen

A modern take on the life of Cleopatra written in language that tweens can identify with- Shecter uses modern metaphors to illustrate ideas about ancient Egyptians spiritual and political beliefs.  Short chapters, graphic banners, and a plethora of illustrations, photographs, and maps make the text readable and easy to digest. 

Shecter, Vicki. (2010). Cleopatra Rules!: the amazing life of the original teen queen. Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press. 128 pages. ISBN: 978-1-590-78718-2.

Ages: 9-12
Rating: High Additional

Harry Houdini

There are plenty of biographies of the famous Houdini, but none that have as many illustrations, photos, or poster reproductions like this volume. The text is captivating enough to keep younger tweens interested and teach older tweens a few things they may not know about the mysterious character.

Cobb, Vicki. (2005). Harry Houdini: A Photographic Life. New York, NY : DK Pub. 128 pages. ISBN: 978-0-756-61246-7.

Ages 9-12
Rating: High Additional

The Great and Only Barnum

A candid and thorough look at one of the great entertainers of the 19th century. Known for perpetuating hoaxes and promoting curiosities (freak shows,) Mr. Barnum founded the circus that would become Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Fleming brings some of the lesser known facts about the man to the forefront with the help of primary sources- he was committed to public service and despite common conceptions, was a deeply religious man.

Fleming, Candace. (2009). Great and Only Barnum: the Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. 160 pages. ISBN: 978-0-375-94597-7.

Ages: 8-12
Rating: Outstanding

Encylopedia of the Human Body

This awesome encyclopedia is organized into 5 categories: "Working Parts," "Moving Framework," "Control and Sensation," "Supply and Maintenance," and "New Generations and contains over 900 color illustrations, diagrams, photographs and models worthy of any library or personal collection. If you have a tween interested in the inner workings of the human body, no topic is too small be covered in this text- from cell anatomy to organ function. The volume even contains helpful reference sections at the end that include "The Body Through Time" and the essential index.

Walker, Richard. (2002). Encylopedia of the Human Body. New York : DK. 304 pages. ISBN: 978-0-789-48672-1.

Ages: 8+
Rating: Outstanding