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This hysterical graphic novel by Cece Bell tells her own story of growing up as a hearing-impaired individual in a public school. It’s a funny romp through school culture in the late 1970’s and is now an animated series on Apple TV. If you’ve shied away from graphic novels, make this your first read! It’s great!

Pie

When Alice’s Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, passes away, she leaves her famous pie crust recipe to her extraordinarily fat cat. And she puts Alice in charge of the cat. Everyone in town wants to be the next big pie-contest winner, and they’re concocting all sorts of ways to get at that recipe.

This funny and quick read by Sarah Weeks has the added benefit of pie recipes at the end of every chapter. Yum!

The War That Saved My Life

It seems like this book is on nearly every 5th grader’s “must read” list. Author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells the story of 10-year-old Ada who has never left her one-room apartment because her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. When her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada sneaks out to join him. Ada’s new life brings her the chance to ride a pony, learn to read, and watch for German spies. A wonderful story of triumph set against the background of World War II.

I’ve read all of these titles and heartily recommend them to young and - not old - veteran readers alike. It’s so important and comforting for us to read outside our age and grade levels. So, whether you prep for your own Battle of the Books or satisfy your literary soul, I encourage you to check out these books and tuck into a beautiful story. Read up!