Published originally in 1982 by British Children's Laureate (2003-2005), Michael Morpurgo, this is largely an anti-war story that will haunt readers. It also brings to mind the classic, Black Beauty, whose story speaks to the way in which animals respond to human kindness; a universal idea. The narrator of WAr Horse is none other than Joey, a farm horse sent into battle in the First World War. He starts out with the Brits, but gets taken by the Germans, giving the author the opportunity to show the good and not-so-good of people on both sides of the battlefield and off, as well. We do not know yet how bloody the film may be, so viewer discretion will be needed about the age of children who are ready for this. We note that the award-winning Broadway play with amazing puppets, recommends this play for 12 and up. We’d say the same about the book. An audio edition of the book is  available. ($13.99)

Age: Tweens, Teens, Adult. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Set in a Paris Train station in the 1930's, this is an award-winning fantasy about a boy who is orphaned and then abandoned by an uncle who leaves the boy to repair the clocks in the railway station. The boy manages to find food enough to live and spends his time repairing a broken automaton, that his father had found and tried to repair with the help of a girl named Isabelle, who has been raised by Georges Méliès, a creator of early films and special effects, including the automaton that he is trying to repair. As Selznick describes the book, “.. this is not exactly a novel, and it's not quite a picture book, and it's not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things." Also available as an audio ($19.95)10 & up.

Age: Later School Years, Tweens. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Truly, one of the most extraordinary pop-up books ever! In fact, pop-up is too ordinary a word to describe the artistry in each spectacular scene Robert Sabuda has designed in his Chanukah Lights. Like his Twelve Days of Christmas, here are eight distinctive locales where the flame of the shamash candle lights up the many places where Jews have lit their menorahs and celebrated the miracle of the lights-from a desert tent, a refugee ship, a tenement building, and other remarkable sites. In each location a menorah is shining through. This is one of those beautiful books that you will want to share, but stay in control of, so that it will not be destroyed. It's a treasure that is sure to bring on ooohs! and aaahs! from all ages. It is certainly more for older children than little ones, those who have begun to learn about the history of the Jews. Properly cared for it can become a traditional keepsake to be shared each night of the Festival of Lights.  All Ages.

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Ben's mom never told him anything about his father - not even so much as a name. When lightening strikes, and Ben loses his hearing within weeks of the accident that takes his mother's life, it seems regrettable (but a relatively minor concern, in the scheme of things), that his mother's mysterious past - and thus, half of the mystery of Ben's own parentage - will probably remain a closed book to him forever. But when, in the middle of all this upheaval, Ben finds a letter, a picture, and (most importantly) a name amidst his mother's old things, what can he do but follow the clues wherever they lead - even if  "where they lead" is somewhere as far away as New York City?

Meanwhile (and yet, fifty years earlier, and entirely told in pictures) a girl named Rose climbs out her bedroom window in Hoboken, embarking on a city-bound mission of her own. Even before their two timelines finally, satisfyingly, collide, Ben seems connected to Rose by the sheer might of his determination to carve out a new place for himself in a world where he doesn't quite seem to fit.
Wonderstruck reads like epic fantasy - a mundane tale with mystical gravitas. Rose's illustrated storyline unravels, urgent and emotive, like a silent film, and the ever-present hints of the fantastic make Ben's journey (which is mundane, but by no means commonplace) seem, always, a little bit sublime. Ultimately a powerful story of belonging, Wonderstruck is an absorbing read for middle grade and young adult audiences.  Review by Emily Oppenheim

Age: Tweens, Teens. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

All Jonas had ever known to aspire to was “Sameness.” But when Jonas became a Twelve and received his work assignment, he learned that the peace and uniformity of his community had been purchased at a terrible cost— and when his new mentor, the Giver, retired, it would become fully his job to continue paying it.

Uplifting despite its disturbing themes (Jonas is horror-stricken when he learns that rule-breakers, the Old, and occasionally even newchildren who have been “released” from the community have actually been euthanized), The Giver is set within a dysfunctional society that does not wish to recognize the extent of its dysfunction. It is easy to sympathize with Jonas as he begins to question his beliefs, and soon finds himself railing against his (previously contented) drone-like existence, desperately grasping for warmth.
This hardcover gift edition features magnificent new illustrations by Bagrim Ibatoulline, whose careful shifts in aesthetic-- and subtle emotionalism-- powerfully evoke the most crucial steps in Jonas' journey of awakening. Already a classic on many schools' required reading lists, The Giver continues to be a thoughtful, compelling page-turner for teens.

Age: Teens. Award Year: 2011.

Five truly remarkable pop-up trucks spring from the pages of this amazing new book. A garbage truck, monster truck, concrete transport, car transporter, and truck train lift up as you read about the work they do and how they do it. Like most elaborate pop-ups, this is one you will want to keep on a high shelf to share when you can supervise, unless you are not going to be very upset when little hands do what little hands do. That said, this is also a good opportunity for teaching kids about gentle ways with delicate things.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Everyone knows the song Jingle Bells, but did you know it was written by a minister in Savannah, Georgia. Based on a true story, John Pierpont was an abolitionist from Boston and was seriously missing the cool days of New England when November rolled around. He realized that his daughter had never seen snow or been in a sled. Although his Unitarian Church is under attack by pro-slavery brickthrowers, he writes his annual Christmas song for the children's chorus and the rest is history. Adam Gustavson's illustrations capture the 1850's setting and John Harris has spun a good yarn that kids will remember when they sing about that one horse open sleigh.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

If you have a budding perfectionist in your house, this is a book to share!  Beatrice Bottomwell NEVER makes mistakes...until she does -  and it happens in a very, very public space. The concept of perfection is address with humor that will touch a chord with many kids (and their parents).  The resolution is, of course, that no one can be perfect--and that a well-rounded life includes some mistakes and an even bigger dose of laughter. We hope that Beatrice is a new storybook character that will take on other childhood issues. 

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

How do you make a great thing greater? Add the third dimension. That is what they have done to this classic love story between Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare. As the two profess their love for each other, each pop-up springs off the page to make their exaggerated motions bigger and more concrete. Of course, they are anything but concrete, in the usual sense. Hares' long arms and pull tabs are going to get a lot of wear and tear and oops! So, this is one beauty of a book that you will want to save for sharing time when you can do little demos on gentle use. That said, this is a charmer. It seems that the story was just made to be a pop-up!

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Magnificent art and storytelling are blending in this moving tale of the Taken; those who whose freedom was stolen and sold into slavery. It is the story of Musafa, the son of Dinga, a blacksmith, who takes with him the memory of his father and the skills he taught the boy. This beautiful story speaks to the big idea, that "Loved ones are never forgotten when we continue to tell their stories." Though it is done in a picture book format, this is an epic tale told poetically and illustrated with a power to match. The problem may be that older students who are ready for the story are often reluctant to open a picture book. That would be a serious loss for them.   8 & up.

Age: Later School Years, Tweens, Teens. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.