Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Madness by Edgar Allan Poe

Setting: Settings from the 4 stories
Characters: Characters from the 4 stories
Theme: Themes vary by story

This book is an anthology of 4 of Edgar Allan Poe's well known stories. It contains The Black Cat, The Masque of the Read Death, Hop-Frog, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Not only does it include these great stories, but the illustrations are the best part. Gris Grimly does a great job, and they add so much more to the sometimes are hard to follow stories.

Free Fall by David Wiesner

Setting: Dreams, Unknown land
Characters: Boy, Dream world characters
Theme: You can go anywhere in your dreams

This story is a simple and effective picture book that has no words so it is open for interpretation. As far as I can tell, the story is a boy who falls asleep and goes into a dream world that has many of the books and things that are in his room. He wakes up to all those same things in his room with a smile on his face.

Little Star by Mary Packard

Setting: Prairie
Characters: Chief Iron Horse, Laughing Cloud, Little Star, Grandmother Gray Feather, Swift Eagle, Morning Star
Theme: Patience

Chief Iron Horse and Laughing Cloud wished on a start to have a baby. They finally did and names her Little Star. Little Star's Grandmother Gray Feather made he a necklace and told her that she could make a wish on it, but she should save it for when she really needed it. Little Star loved horses, especially one named Swift Eagle, but she knew she needed to save her wish. One night, Swift Eagle was sick and having a baby, and Little Star and her father thought she would die. Little Star knew this was the time to use her wish, so she wished that Swift Eagle and her baby would live. It worked! Morning Star was born with a white star on her head. Little Star was allowed to keep her as her own and they were both very happy.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Setting: House
Characters: Sally, Boy, Cat in the Hat, Fish, Thing One, Thing Two Mother
Theme: Don't do what you're not supposed to, There are good parts in everyone

On a rainy day Sally and her brother are bored. Suddenly the Cat in the Hat comes in and offers to entertain them while their mother's away. The fish tries to stop him, but before you know it the house is being messed up. Then the Cat introduces Thing One and Two who make even more of a mess. Then they have to clean up before their mother comes house to the mess. The Cat helps with one of his machines. When their mother gets home, she asks what they did and they tell her it was a boring day.

Dear America: Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell by Kristiana Gregory

Hattie Campbell, a 13 year old in 1847, has to go across the Oregon Trail after her family sells their farm in exchange for a new life in Oregon City. Hattie's sister has also just passed away. She gets a journal and begins to write everything in it. The family meets up with other families along the way while they trek through prairies and mountains. Hattie is always writing throughout the whole trip about her thoughts and what occurs on their journey. They do finally arrive in Oregon City!

Dear America: My Secret War, The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck by Mary Pope Osborne

Maddie Beck who is 13 and has recently moved to a Long Island boardinghouse. Meanwhile her father is stationed in the Pacific. She has a rough time at first until she makes friends with a boy named Johnny Vecchio. After the bombing in Pearl Harbor, Maddie and Johnny create a student group to sell bonds, gather metal, collect newspapers and used books, and make first-aid kits for the Red Cross. Then one night, Maddie  runs into 2 suspicious men at the beach. Later in the story this will lead to the arrest of 4 Nazi agents. Then the family a telegram that Maddie's father has been injured. Soon after, they get ready to move, again, San Francisco where he is.

My Name is America: The Journal of William Thomas Emerson, A Revolutionary War Patriot by Barry Denenberg

William Thomas Emerson who is an orphan in Boston, has finally gotten work with a tavern proprietor. Throughout the story, he writes in his journal about all the events leading up to the Revolution. He describes the patriots, daily life, traitors, and the public punishments that went on in these times.