How to Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, translated by Cressida Cowell

An excellent book for young boys who will love the Viking and dragon characters and enjoy the humour.

From the back of the book:
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was a truly extraordinary Viking Hero. Warrior chieftain, awesome sword-fighter and amateur naturalist, he was known throughout Vikingdom as 'the Dragon Whisperer,' on account of his power over these terrifying beasts. But it wasn't always like that...

Friedrich by Hans Peter Richter

From the back of the book:
His best friend thought Friedrich was lucky. His family had a good home and enough money, and in Germany in the early 1930s, many were unemployed. But when Hitler came to power, things began to change....For Friedrich was Jewish

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

From chapters.ca:
George Beard and Harold Hutchins are your average fourth graders, always ready with a devastating practical joke or two — and always getting into trouble for them. So they fight back by hypnotizing their formidable principal, Mr. Krupp, thereby turning him into a superhero from their own cartoons: Captain Underpants. Before you can cheer “Wedgie Power,” the newly transformed Principal Krupp is flying out the window and tackling crime wherever he find it, intercepting robbers and robots alike. Of course, he needs the help of his creators, who are usually the ones to get Captain Underpants out of his jams and save the planet, as is the situation with the terrible Dr. Diaper.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

From chapters.ca:
The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family’s tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in post-colonial Africa.

Peppe the Lamp Lighter by Elisa Bartone illustrated by Ted Lewin

From chapters.ca:
Long ago, when the streetlights of Little Italy had to be lit by hand, Peppe lived in a tenement on Mulberry Street. His family was poor, so Peppe thought he needed a job in order to help. But lighting lamps was not the work his papa had envisioned for Peppe. Peppe struggled to win Papa's respect, until one night when being a lamplighter became "the best job in America".

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People To Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

A spiritual look at Harriet Tubman and her amazing accomplishments on the Underground Rail Road.

The Amazing Bone by William Steig

From chapters.ca:
On her way home from school, Pearl the pig is faced with a ravenous wolf...but finds an unexpected friend in a talking bone that has fallen out of a witch's basket.

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Toni DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

From chapters.ca:
The Grace kids--twins Jared and Simon and their older sister, Mallory--aren't all that impressed with the ramshackle old mansion their mother moves them to when their decidedly kooky Great Aunt Lucinda is sent to an asylum. But a series of mysterious events within the house leads the three young Graces to an old book with hand-drawn pictures of all kinds of fantastic creatures. Jared believes the book holds the key to all the weird things that have been going on--for which he has been blamed.

There are five books in the series.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

The narrator's grandfather once took a journey from his native Japan to the United States. The journey of the grandfather is repeated by the grandson who learns to know his grandfather better through the lessons he learns in his travels.

The Cat Who Series by Lilian Jackson Braun

The Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Braun is a great series of mysteries that are solved, at least in part, by a pair of Siamese cats. There are a large number of books in the series, they are listed in order on Wikipedia

Twenty One Great Stories edited by Abraham H. Lass and Norma L. Tasman

This anthology of short stories includes a few of my favourites such as The Lady and the Tiger, Tobermory, and Two Bottles of Relish.

The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's 13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the one person who can shape him up. And they happen to be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blown up.

Bungalo Boys: Champions of Hockey by John Bianchi

The Bungalo Boys have won the hockey trophy every year for several generations. But are they up to this new challenge?

Princess Frownsalot by John Bianchi

Princess Frownsalot frowns a lot. She frowns so much, in fact, that her face gets stuck like that! Her parents try everything to get her to smile, but in the end, a smile transplant is her only hope.

Jousting with Jesters: An ABC for the Young Dragon by Martin Springett

From chapters.ca:
When Dennis the dragon emerges from his egg, he cannot yet breathe fire. This is not unusual in the dragon world, but the quest Dennis undertakes to find his flame most certainly is. An alphabetical series of instructions guides the young dragon as he journeys from castle to countryside, from fairground to forest until he arrives at the blazing crater of a volcano. He meets villains, imps, gnomes and knights along the way-as well as a mischievous jester who stays close to his side from A to Z.

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman, illustrations by Peter Sis

From chapters.ca:
Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.

Treason at York by John F. Hayes

From the back of the book:
When Alan Crawford hid just for fun in the gloomy hold of the old York Belle, he little suspected that he would reveal a plot that was to affect the lives of many, and perhaps threaten the very existence of the Canadian colonies themselves. For this was June of 1812, and war had just been declared - the war which was to carry fire and sword even into the town of York in Upper Canada, where Alan's family had made their home. Caught up in a web of violence and treachery, Alan falls into the hands of American forces and is carried a prisoner to enemy territory.

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

From chapters.ca:
The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, grey walls of Bloor’s Academy. Charlie Bone has discovered an unusual gift - he can hear people in photographs talking! His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for genius’s where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead.

Nutcracker by ETA Hoffman, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

The Nutcracker is one of the better known Christmas stories but there are many versions. This version is wonderfully illustrated by Maurice Sendak and tells of how the nutcracker came to be, and how he was saved from the Rat King.

Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid by Lemony Snicket

A book of wonderful sayings such as, "If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the ting is cats."

A Lovely Tomorrow by Mabel Esther Allan

From the back of the book:
It was New Year's Eve, 1944, that the V2 rocket cut Frue Allendale's life in half. She had only happiness to look back on, and only blank tomorrows ahead. To leave London where she was a drama student seemed the end of the world to Frue. Clinging to the memory of her dear, loving parents, Frue took opposition and animosity toward her great aunt and her new life in the country.

Boy Soup or When Giant Caught Cold, by Loris Lesynski

Giant wakes up with a terrible cold and, when he consults his Giants' Home Medical Guide he finds that the only way to cure it is a bowl of boy soup. When he captures boys for his soup, however, he also gets Kate by mistake and she comes up with a plan to save the boys.

Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzswinkle and Glen Murray, illustrated by Audrey Colman

From chapters.ca:
The family that brings Walter home from the pound quickly discovers his problem. Will a change of diet work? No. And, unfortunately, Walter doesn't seem to have much self-control when it comes to his failing.

Let's Go Camping with Mr. Sillypants by Mark Brown

Mr. Sillypants and his friends are going camping, but Mr. Sillypants sleeps in. What will he do? Will he find his friends?

Imogene's Antlers by David Small

One morning Imogene wakes up with antlers. While her family, especially her mother, are horrified, Imogene makes the most of it. No one knows what to do about her antlers, but when she wakes up the next morning they are gone, and Imogene comes down to breakfast...

Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Ted Rand

An excellent book to read aloud with two people (a person for each narrative voice), this book is about a young Native boy who was born blind. He has accomplished many things people had not thought he would be able to. He is now learning his story from his grandfather.

Nine Day Queen by Karleen Bradford

This is the story of Lady Jane Grey who, at age 15, was the Queen of England for nine days before she was accused of treason.

This is an excellent retelling of a rocky period of British history.

What Can You Do with a Shoe? by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

A silly book about all the possible things you can do with a shoe, a chair, a hat, and another of other items. Do you know what to do with a shoe?

The Queen's Feet by Sarah Ellis, illustrated by Dusan Petrieie

From chapters.ca:
Queen Daisy had a great deal of trouble with her feet. They had a mind of their own and did not like behaving in a royal way. Proper shoes were out of the question, and sometimes her feet did not wear shoes at all!

365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet

From chapters.ca:
On the first day of the new year, the mailman brings a surprise -- a penguin! One by one, day by day, penguins fill the house. At first they are cute, but with every passing day, the penguins pile up -- along with the family's problems. Feeding, cleaning, and housing the penguins becomes a monumental task! But who is sending these penguins, and why?

Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun by Rhoda Blumberg

This is an excellent and easy to understand narrative about the opening up of Japan and Commodore Perry's role in that process. The details are interesting and engaging and the book is well researched and illustrated with photos and art from the time.

I hope to find an equally excellent source on the Meiji period.

Poppy by Avi, illustrations by Brian Floca

From the back of the book:
It is scary to look Mr. Ocax in the eyes. Especially if you are a deer mouse and only six inches long (and three inches of that is your tail). Besides, if you are Poppy you would rather be dancing in the moonlight. Instead, you have to defend yourself against the tyranny of Mr. Ocax, a great horned owl, who, compared to you, is huge.
Mr. Ocax has declared himself king of Dimwood Forest, claiming that he alone protects the mice from porcupines. In order to expand beyond Gray House (where they have lived since the farmer left), the mouse family must ask Mr. Ocax's consent. He refuses, saying that Poppy and her boyfriend did not request permission for a little dancing on Bannock Hill. That moment begins all the trouble.
Frightening trouble, as it turns out, for Poppy must come face-to-face with a dreaded porcupine and, equally alone, confront Mr. Ocax at his most fierce. It's then that Poppy learns that there is no bully worse than a bully whose bluff is called.

Storynory

You can download stories for free from Storynory and listen to them on the computer, on a ipod, or burn them to a disc to listen to on a road trip. I've only had a chance to listen to a couple of them, but if you can stand the introduction about prince Bertie the frog, they're well done.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

From the publisher:
One rat, popping up here and there, squeaking loudly, and taking a bath in the cream, could be a plague all by himself. After a few days of this, it was amazing how glad people were to see the kid with his magical rat pipe. And they were amazing when the rats followed hint out of town. They'd have been really amazed if they'd ever found out that the rats and the piper met up with a cat somewhere outside of town and solemnly counted out the money. The Amazing Maurice runs the perfect Pied Piper scam. This streetwise alley cat knows the value of cold, hard cash and can talk his way into and out of anything. But when Maurice and his cohorts decide to con the town of Bad Blinitz, it will take more than fast talking to survive the danger that awaits. For this is a town where food is scarce and rats are hated, where cellars are lined with deadly traps, and where a terrifying evil lurks beneath the hunger-stricken streets.

Part of the Disc World Series but stands alone just fine.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

From chapters.ca:
Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. At fifteen, Christopher’s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbour’s dog Wellington impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing.
Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer, and turns to his favourite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As Christopher tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, the narrative draws readers into the workings of Christopher’s mind.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, illustrated by Mel Grant

From Wikipedia:
The story is about a unicorn who realizes that she is the last of her kind and then sets off on a quest to find out what became of all the other unicorns. The unicorn learns from an addled butterfly that a powerful force known as the Red Bull has herded her kind to the ends of the earth. She begins a journey to find them and bring them back.

The 1982 movie version is as much a classic as the book.

Mean Margaret by Tor Seidler, illustrated by Jon Agee

Fred is a very particular woodchuck. He likes everything just so and cannot imagine anyone else sharing his life with him, they would only mess things up. When he meats Phoebe, however, things change....a lot!

Sally is a horrid and unwanted child. When three of her brothers and sisters dump her in a ditch in the middle of the night she learns a valuable lesson from an unlikely source.