A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

I loved this debut middle grade book about three London siblings evacuated to the country following their grandmother’s death in 1940. Too young at the time of their parents death to really remember them, their grandmother did not provide them with familial love, so they are all aching for a real family. With no one to take them in, evacuation is only a temporary solution. The book describes their experiences in their new location, with ups and downs. The book has a happy ending in which the children do find a loving permanent home, but they endure some unfair treatment beforehand, so the book is both heart-rending in some spots and ultimately heart-warming. The three children and supporting characters are well-drawn and believable and the atmosphere brings you to the World War II home front.

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn and illustrated by Isabelle Follath

This is an engaging chapter book that imagines Agatha Christie as a child, solving mysteries with her Belgium friend Hector, a young Hercule Poirot. It is the first in a series of 12-year-old Aggie’s adventures. In this first book, Aggie finds a body at her dance lesson. When her beloved dance teacher is suspected, she and Hector investigate to clear her name. The premise of a young Agatha solving crimes with a boy who is clearly a model for Hercule Poirot is a lot of fun and the mystery is entertaining, with strong supporting characters and showing Aggie as a real person, mourning the death of her father and dreaming of being an author while being home-schooled and lonely for friendship.

Rick the Rock of Room 214 by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Ruth Chan

Rick lives on the nature finds shelf in a classroom. After hearing a geology lecture about rocks, he becomes discontent with his existence and wants to have adventures. His fellow mates on the nature finds shelf, Acorn, Moss, and Bark, are happy where they are, but Rick sneaks out of the room via a student’s backpack and ends up outside in a field full of other rocks. These rocks have already had their adventures, including shooting out of a volcano, and now are content to sit in the field quietly. Rick finds himself lonely without the students and his friends on the shelf. Fortunately for Rick, a student finds him in the field and brings him back to the classroom, where he realizes he is happy being a part of the class, appreciated by the students, and sharing the shelf with his fellow nature finds. Funny with entertaining illustrations, a lesson in appreciating what you have.

Old Rock (Is Not Boring) by Deb Pilutti

This picture book provides lots of interesting information about rocks in a fictional story about a rock. Old Rock lives in a meadow. He has been there as long as anyone can remember. Tall Pine, Spotted Beetle, and Hummingbird think Old Rock’s life must be very boring. Hummingbird can fly, Spotted Beetle can climb to the top of trees and look out at the world, and Tall Pine dances in the wind. But Old Rock just sits in the same spot year after year. But Old Rock has a history they know nothing about. He shares his past experiences with them and they learn that he has had a very long and very exciting existence, including being shot out of a volcano, being encased in a glacier, and being sat upon by a mastodon. Now he is content to rest in the meadow and listen to his friends share their experiences. The final page of the book includes a timeline of Old Rock’s existence, which goes back millions of years. Educational and entertaining.

Once Upon Another Time by Matt Forrest Esenwine and Charles Ghigna and illustrated by Andrés F. Landazábal

A homage to the beauties of nature and a call for children to remove themselves from technology and get outside. Told in lovely rhyming verse with soft landscape illustrations, the book takes readers back to a time when there were no “buildings, concrete, highways, byways, billboard signs, no traffic in the street, no drones or airplanes, no phones or internet…” The book contrasts this time with illustrations of the modern world, and then encourages children to “take a step outdoors” in order to enjoy the wonders that nature still has to offer us today, including, “feel the wind…taste the rain…climb a tree…listen to the crickets…”

How Old Is Mr. Tortoise? by Dev Petty and illustrated by Ruth Chan

This is a very sweet and funny story about a tortoise who really likes cake and is celebrating his birthday with his friends. However, they’re not ready for the cake until they know how many candles to put on it. But Tortoise is not sure how old he is. Each animal has his own wild guess. In the end, they do figure out his age, but don’t have enough candles, so instead, Tortoise and each of his friends get one candle on the cake that they blow out together.

In the Woods by David Elliot and illustrated by Rob Dunlavey

This is a collection of poems about woodland animals, accompanied by gorgeous watercolor illustrations of the animals and their surroundings. The animals described in the poems include bears, skunks, moose, deer, porcupines, opossums, foxes, scarlet tanagers, and others, 15 total. The end of the book includes interesting facts about each animal. The poems follow the seasons, opening in late winter and going through a full cycle of seasons back to winter.

A Grand Day by Jean Reidy and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

A sweet story told in rhyming verse about several grandchildren and their visits to their respective grandparents. Activities the grandparents and grandchildren enjoy together include drinking tea on the porch, working in the garden, coloring with chalk on the sidewalk, baking, reading a story, exploring the attic, playing dress-up, roasting marshmallows outside by a fire, and having a picnic in the park. A celebration of the bond between grandparent and grandchild. “Family ties so strong and true, part of me is part of you.” With detailed, colorful illustrations that add energy to the text.

Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall

Magnificent illustrations make this book stand out. It tells the history of a real house in upstate New York where a farm family with 12 children lived. The author bought the land with the falling down house and pieced together the history of the house and family. Told in rhyming verse, it chronicles the daily life of the family up until the youngest child, now an old woman, leaves the house and it sits abandoned for years, allowing nature and wildlife to take over. The house was razed, but the author has preserved its memories in this book.

A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall and illustrated by Vera Brosgol

This is a delightful story about a pleasant-looking witch who is making soup for a TV show. Frog soup, but the frogs are not cooperating – they don’t want to become soup! in the end, after much chasing, pickles are substituted for frogs and the witch sits down with her new frog friends to enjoy the soup. Lots of fun.