Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper (Texas Bluebonnet Nominee 2008-2009)

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Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper

There are four girls in Graces’ class named Grace. Miss Lois decides to call one Grace W., one Grace L., one Grace F., and then Grace tells Miss Lois she wants to be called just Grace. And that’s how it happens.  She ends up with weirdest name in the whole class. “Or maybe even the whole entire world!” But 7 year-old Just Grace, as she is now known, has more things to worry about than her name.

Just Grace loves cats, she loves to practice making faces with her best friend Mimi, she loves to draw Not So Super comics, she loves watching Unlikely Heroes on TV, and she loves using her tiny superpower to help unhappy people. Mrs. Luther, her scary teacher-owner of scary masks-neighbor, is very unhappy. Just Grace learns from Augustine Dupre, the super-amazing French flight attendant that lives in her basement, that Mrs. Luther almost fell on her cat Crinckles, and now Crinckles is afraid of Mrs. Luther, plus she now has a broken leg. Just Grace must switch to tiny superpower-hero mode to make Crinckles love Mrs. Luther again. Just Grace decides to take a picture of Crinckles, blow it up into a lifesize cardboard standee, and take pictures of cardboard Crinkles around town –pictures she can send to Mrs. Luther to cheer her up.  But when Crinkles turns up missing Just Grace’s tiny superhero plan backfires.

Brimming with humor this highly readable book is made even funnier by Just Grace’s cute comic sketches and quirky cardboard Crinkles’ photographs. Just Grace’s energy and liveliness will delight students and old crooked-smile teachers alike, even those who wear their hair in buns. If you love Just Grace you will love her just as much in Still Just Grace and Just Grace Walks the Dog.

The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff (Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2008-2009)

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The thing about Jeanette Wallace was that, well, she was mean, that’s why they called her Jeanie the Meanie. The thing about Andy Moretti, was that he was the best soccer player in fourth-grade and Georgie’s best friend since kindergarten. The thing about Georgie’s parents was that they were real professional musicians. And the thing about Georgie was that…well, it was a lot of things. For starters, he couldn’t play an instrument like his parents. He couldn’t play video games like his friend. He couldn’t tie his shoelaces like any regular kid. He couldn’t even hold a pencil. But it wasn’t because he didn’t want to. He did. He just couldn’t.

While there were many physical things Georgie couldn’t do like his friends, the thing about Georgie was that he still had in common with them the same kinds of worries. He lost his best friend Andy to Russ, he was picked on by the class bully, and worst of all – he was about to become a big brother to Baby Godzilla. When his dad announces the horrible news, Georgie feels like his life is ruined.

The thing about Georgie is that he’s an inspiration to all by the way he accepts and overcomes his everyday physical challenges. Georgie learns in the end that whatever happens in your life you are ultimately going to be surprised, and you as a reader, by the end of this book – will definitely be surprised.