Smelly Socks by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

From chapters.ca:
Tina loves her brand-new socks so much that she's never going to take them off. But when her wonderful socks start to get smelly, her friends have to take action.

John's Secret Dreams by Doreen Rappaport, Bryan Collier, illustrated by Bryan Collier

A picture book biography of John Lennon. The unique illustrations and words of John's songs help to tell his story.

Bill in a China Shop by Katie Macallaster Weaver, illustrated by Tim Raglin

From School Library Journal: An elegantly dressed bull carefully enters a china shop and shows why the phrase upon which the title plays is so apt...A sneering clerk cannot get Bill out fast enough, but when three ladies enter the store, they take pity on the animal and scold the man. They feel sorry for Bill, who is obviously upset, but it's not totally convincing that they would side with him after all of the destruction he has caused. Still, this twist makes for a pleasing ending as the bull gets to host his own tea party, with the women as his guests.

Julius the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes

From chapters.ca:
"Julius is the baby of the world", say his parents. Lilly, his older sister, thinks Julius is a disgusting germ. Her mind is made up until her cousin Garland says a thing or two, and Lilly has a change of heart.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Alex Scheffler

Little Mouse is very good at talking his way out of difficult situations, but what happens when he finds out he was telling the truth?

Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison

From chapters.ca:
Toni Morrison has collected a treasure chest of archival photographs that depict the historical events surrounding school desegregation. These unforgettable images serve as the inspiration for Ms. Morrison's text: a fictional account of the dialogue and emotions of the children who lived during the era of "separate but equal" schooling. Remember is a unique pictorial and narrative journey that introduces children to a watershed period in American history and its relevance to us today. Remember was published on the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision ending legal school segregation, handed down on May 17, 1954.

Echoes from the Square by Elizabeth Wellburn, illustrated by Deryk Houston

This picture book was inspired by the story of Vedran Smailovic. During the Bosnian war, he witnessed 22 people killed in the street near where he lived and played his cello in a square in Sarajevo for 22 days as a memorial to the victims.

Fromchapters.ca:
Echoes from the Square tells the moving story of a boy’s terror and grief in wartime. With his friends killed and maimed, the boy learns to hope again when he meets a cellist playing in the street.

Imagine a Night illustrated by Rob Gonsalves

Like Imagine a Day, the fantastic paintings by Gonsalves will spark anyone's imagination.

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

I have come to love Wiesner's fantastic illustrations. This book begins with a story with which most of us are very familiar. The three little pigs have built their houses and the wolf is coming. When he arrives, however, he huffs and puffs and blows the first little pig right out of the story!

The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau, illustrated by Gail de Marcken

From chapters.ca:
When a generous quilt maker finally agrees to make a quilt for a greedy king, but only under certain conditions, she causes him to undergo a change of heart. Each page highlights a different quilt block pattern whose name relates to the unfolding story.

Camels Always Do by Lynn Manuel, illustrated by Kasia Charko

This picture book tells a strange but true story from British Columbia's history. During the gold rush, a business man decided it would be a good idea to bring camels into the mountains as pack animals. Told through the eyes of a fictional boy, this story will provide a history lesson that everyone will find entertaining.

Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, illustrated by Byron Barton

From the publisher:
"I live at 165 East 95th Street, New York City, and I'm going to stay here forever," says a young boy. But his parents are moving out West, and he has to go with them--and out West, nobody plays baseball because they're too busy chasing buffaloes, and you have to ride a horse to school even if you don't know how, and you can't sit down because of the cactus! He just knows it will be awful.

Biographies in 90 Minutes by Paul Strathern

This series is a helpful starting place for kids who have to do a report or just want to know something more about various historical figures. A wide variety of important historical figures are covered. They are humorous and easy to read.

Free Fall by David Wiesner

Fantastically illustrated like all Wiesner's books, Free Fall shows the adventures of a young boy as he dreams of dragons, castles, flight, and much more.

Casey at the Bat by Ernest L. Thayer, illustrated by Joe Morse

Another wonderfully illustrated poem by the Visions in Poetry series.

Casey's team is behind at the bottom of the ninth and Casey, their star batter, is their only hope.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, illustrated by Brett Helquist

From chapters.ca:
When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the centre of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has stumped even the FBI?

There are puzzle for the reader to solve within the book and codes to decipher. A fun read.

Edgar and Ellen: Rare Beasts by Charles Ogden, illustrated by Rick Carton

From the back of the book:
Twins Edgar and Ellen live alone -- their parents disappeared years ago, and who can blame them? -- in the quaint, little town of Nod''s Limbs, in a grim, grey house overlooking the cemetery and the junkyard. They spend their days avoiding Heimertz, the mysterious accordion-playing caretaker; pestering Pet, a hairy, one-eyed creature of indeterminate species and gender; and wreaking havoc on the hapless citizens of Nod''s Limbs. But wreaking havoc can incur expenses, so the twins come up with a unique fund-raising scheme: They'll nab the pets of Nod's Limbs and transform them into exotic animals they can sell for big bucks. Not a bad plan, if one of the purloined pets wasn't a lethargic python with a raging appetite....

An excellent choice for younger readers who enjoyed Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Captain Arsenio: Inventions and (Mis)Adventures in Flight by Pablo Bernasconi

From chapters.ca:
Captain Arsenio was a curious man who liked, more than anything, to tinker and explore. One day in 1782, he decided that he would put his unusual skills to work in a most ambitious way: he would build a flying machine. Despite a hodgepodge of materials (and a total unawareness of the laws of physics), Captain Arsenio aimed to get his feet off the ground and his head in the clouds.

Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs (and Others Left Behind) by Jacob Berkowitz, illustrated by Steve Mack

From chapters.ca:
Left by an animal long ago, this durable doo-doo survived the long journey through the ages. It started out stinky, but now it's frozen, dried or turned to rock. To a scientist, it's anything but gross - it's a priceless artifact that can help piece together the puzzle of ancient life. Funny and informative, Jurassic Poop is flush with amazing facts, stories, and activities. Learn how to spot ancient poop importers. Meet dung detectives getting to the bottom of history's hind-end mysteries. Find out how poop gets preserved and discover what it can tell us about dinosaurs, humans and many other animals from long ago. So hold your nose and take a journey back in time to see what tales ancient poop has to tell.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It's a great choice for anyone interested in dinosaurs.

Bone by Jeff Smith

From chapters.ca:
In the first volume of a nine-book epic, the three Bone cousins--Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone--are separated and lost in an uncharted desert. Little do the Bones know, there are dark forces conspiring against them.

The Nursery Collection by Shirley Hughes

This book of rhymes is one that has stayed with me from childhood. When I started this blog it was one I wanted to include, but all I could remember about it was the illustrations and that it contained nursery rhymes. The pictures stuck with me for over twenty years.

Albert's Old Shoes by Stephen and Mary Jane Muir

From chapters.ca:
Albert is sick of being teased by the other kids. If only he had running shoes, he could be like everyone else. But when Albert's mother goes shopping, he's in for a big disappointment. Instead of sneakers, all Albert gets is a new bedspread! Albert shows his anger - with some very surprising results.

A book I thoroughly enjoyed as a child.

Seek by Paul Fleischman

From the back of the book:
Assigned to write his autobiography, highschool senior Rob Radkovitz decides to "listen" back on his life. As he remembers the voices of his younger self, his quirky family, and his closest friends, one stands apart - the haunting voice of his long-absent father, left behind on a single tape from one of his radio shows.

Told in a collage of past and present voices, Seek follows Rob's obsessive search for his father, pursued not through San Francisco's streets, but through the labyrinth of the airwaves. Open the cover and listen in - to psychic readers and pirate DJs, and to Rob's transforming views of his past and future.

I would recommend listening to it on CD or tape if you can, it comes across well that way.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

Book 1: The Amulet of Samarkand
From chapters.ca:
Nathaniel is eleven years old and a magician’s apprentice, learning the traditional arts of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace’s greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.