April 2

Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
By: H.C. Andersen

A collection of Andersen’s tales including The Fir Tree, The Little Match Girl, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Thumbelina, The Tinderbox, and The Ugly Duckling.  Ages 6 and up

April 3

Rip Van Winkle
By: Irving Washington

Based equally on German folk-lore and boyhood recollections of the haunted reaches of the Hudson River, this tale of a Catskill ne’er do-well stresses a hero who made a success of failure; who in the end acquired stature through irresponsibility.  Ages 8 and up

April 4

My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me
By: Maya Angelou

A South African girl describes her pet chicken, painting special designs on her house, dressing up for school, and her mischievous brother. Ages 5 and up

April 5

The Devil and His Boy
By: Anthony Horowitz

In 1593, thirteen-year-old Tom travels through the English countryside to London, where he falls in with a troupe of actors and finds himself in great danger from several sources.  Ages 10 and up

April 12

Facts of Life: Stories
By: Gary Soto

Filled with annoying siblings, difficult parents, and first loves, these stories are a masterful reminder of why adolescence is one of the most frustrating and fascinating times of life.  Ages 12 and up

April 12

Petey’s Bedtime Story
By: Beverly Cleary

During his usual bedtime routine, a young boy comes up with his own version of the story about what happened the day he was born.  Ages 5 and up

April 13

Misty of Chincoteague
By: Marguerite Henry

Two children from Chincoteague help in the annual roundup of wild horses on a nearby island. They work hard to raise money to buy a mare and her foal, Misty. After almost losing their beloved horses to another buyer, the two children begin to care for and train them – and discover that genuine love can mean letting go of the loved one.  Ages 10 and up

April 13

Full Moon and Star
By: Lee Bennett Hopkins

When Kyle writes a play about a full moon, his best friend Katie decides she will write one about a star, but they realize it is always more fun to do things together, and combine both plays to make a new one.  Ages 3 and up

April 21

Mick Harte Was Here
By: Barbara Park

Thirteen-year-old Phoebe recalls her younger brother Mick and his death in a bicycle accident.  Ages 8 and up

April 23 (William Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: The Graphic Novel
By: Arthur Byron Cover

Shakespeare’s classic play of deception, intrigue, and murder is reinvented in the Japanese manga style and set on a vast ringworld encircling the sun where Macbeth and his wife scheme and plot their way to power.  Ages 12 and up

April 26

A House of Tailors
By: Patricia Reilly Giff

When thirteen-year-old Dina emigrates from Germany to America in 1871, her only wish is to return home as soon as she can, but as the months pass and she survives a multitude of hardships living with her uncle and his young wife and baby, she finds herself thinking of Brooklyn as her home.  Ages 9 and up

April 27 (Steven D’Amico)

Ella, the Elegant Elephant
By: Carmela D’Amico (Illustrated by Steven D’Amico)

Ella is nervous about the first day of school in her new town, but wearing her grandmother’s good luck hat makes her feel better–until the other students tease her and call her names.  Ages 4 and up

April 28

Killing Mr. Griffin
By: Lois Duncan

A joke about killing the toughest teacher in school, the one who demands the most and gives the lowest grades, becomes a topic of serious discussion among the boys in the local hangout.  Ages 13 and up