I was recently asked to contribute to an article about books published between 2001-2006 which deserve to have wider recognition than they've received to this point.  Was it ever hard to choose!  But here are my picks:  one picture book, one for 2nd-4th graders, one for 5th-7th graders and one for teens (age recommendations are approximate.)

PICTURE BOOK

Graham, Bob  OSCAR'S HALF BIRTHDAY

In this utterly charming description of a 6-month-old's half-birthday celebration, Graham puts his perceptive finger on every aspect of the family's outing, from the big sister's ambivalence ("'Careful, Millie,' says Mom.  'A little more fairy and not so much dinosaur,' says Dad.") to their leisurely walk to the country ("'Well, not really the country...The half-country...for a half-birthday.'") to the birthday song in which perfect strangers join while the half-birthday boy "sits tilted at an angle, his fingers curled into Millie's tuna sandwich...and the light shines through his ears illuminating them like little lanterns."  The ring of authenticity, the particularity of keen observation and the gnerality of shared emotion make this book a real winner.

Pennypacker, Sara  CLEMENTINE

Clementine is a spirited third-grader whose perspectives on life do not always gibe with those of the adults around her.  This leads to differences of opinion as to whether green hair is attractive, or if it's possible to be allergic to sitting still, or what someone is supposed to be paying attention to when she is supposed to be paying attention.  Marla Frazee's pen and ink illustrations capture the humor and energy of this very likeable, if fallible, heroine and Pennypacker's spot-on first-person narrative makes a superbly entertaining read-aloud.

5th-7th GRADERS

Choldenko, Gennifer  NOTES FROM A LIAR AND HER DOG

Sandwiched between two perfect sisters, Ant is convinced she can never please her mother, so she gave up trying long ago.  She showers attention on her decrepit, geriatric Chihuahua instead, sneaking him around in her pocket with frequent hilarious or disastrous results.  After Ant's mendacious attempts to cover up her transgressions snowball, a perceptive teacher forces a face-to-face confrontation between Ant and her mother and the two achieve new and surprising appreciation of each other.  This is a terrific "mother-daughter discussion" book.

TEENS

Wolf, Alan  NEW FOUND LAND:  LEWIS AND CLARK'S VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

Thirteen voices combine to narrate this novel of the 1804-1805 expedition.  Most is in verse, with the exception of extracts from Lewis and Clark's actual journals and some prose sections "authored" by the Newfoundland dog who provides an objective view of the human actors.  Each member of the Corps of Explorers emerges as a separate personality and their individual responses to the events of their journey provide a nuanced, multidimensional overview.  The disparities in their experiences (how different the expedition is for Clark's slave than for Clark, for Sacagewea than for any of the men...) the riveting nature of the journey itself, and the assuredness of Wolf's writing make for a stirring and provocative work of historical fiction.

We hope you'll come to borrow these books from the library.