Strudel Stories by Joanne Rocklin

Mix the dough and spread it thin over the tablecloth, thin enough to see the cloth through it. Then add walnuts and honey, thin sliced apples and warm melted butter, and roll it up carefully. Put it in the oven and let it bake until it is golden and crispy...

...and the whole time, tell stories. Tell about the boy who danced with ghosts and lived. Tell about the girl who found her courage at Ellis Island. Tell about apples that turn to gold, and the greatest moment in baseball. Tell the stories of your family, because as long as you tell them, they will always be a part of you.

When Lori's favorite grandfather dies, it seems like Lori will never smile again. But then her older sister starts making strudel from the recipe Grandpa Willy taught them, and telling the stories just like Grandpa Willy did. And Lori remembers what else Grandpa Willy always told them while he baked: it's the stories that make the strudel sweet, and as long as you tell those stories, your loved ones will never leave you.

Includes two recipes for yummy apple strudel.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate Dicamillo

Mr. Watson is dreaming about driving a really fast car.

Mrs. Watson is dreaming about buttering toast, lots and lots of toast.

And Mercy Watson is dreaming about eating lots and lots of buttered toast.

Which means that when they wake up to a loud Boom! and a loud Crack! - none of them know what is going on.

Mr. Watson thinks they should call the fire department.

Mrs. Watson thinks it's an earthquake.

Mercy Watson thinks she should go check the kitchen for hot buttered toast. And if she can't find any there, maybe she'll go check with the Lincoln sisters next door...

In a series of silly coincidences, Mercy Watson, the darling of her parents' eye, rousts out the firemen, saves the day, and gets to eat a great deal of hot buttered toast. A fun set of simple stories for those just beginning to read chapter books.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

First off, I should point out that I am indeed a librarian.

But I’m not one of those evil ones Alcatraz is fighting.

At least I don’t think I am.

Maybe I just haven’t been inducted yet?

…

Okay, enough with the self-identity philosophy stuff. Back to the point then, yes?

In an effort to prove to you that I am not one of those evil Librarians, I would like to introduce you to this book, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians.

Of course, if I were one of those evil Librarians, I might be handing you this book in order to see how you reacted to it. Then if you seemed interested, I might have to… Cough, cough, ahem. Sorry. Was I saying something?

Back to the point. (Again.) The first thing you should know is: Everything you think you know is wrong.

Okay. Not everything. But most of it is.

For instance, there are three continents out there that you never knew existed, one of them quite large and smack-dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. How’s that, eh? Guns and elevators are actually quite primitive – swords and stairs are much more advanced inventions. Glass is the most important substance in the world – you can use it to shoot fire, track people, and even create expanding houses. Special things like Talents and Ocular abilities might seem like magic, but are really quite commonplace and can be very powerful if used correctly.

Oh, and dinosaurs are still alive. They’re British, and quite a bit smaller than the museums make them out to be. Librarian trickery, you know.

Oh, that’s right, you don’t know. Well, Librarians rule the world. (At least the evil ones do; I don’t have anything to do with that, unfortunately.) They have all the power, because they control all the information. At least they do in the Hushlands, which is where you and I live. That’s why Alcatraz Smedry is publishing his autobiography under the pseudonym Brandon Sanderson. It’s so people like you will read it and understand how the world truly is, while the Librarians will think you’re simply reading Fantasy.

Oh, are you going to read it? Oh good, I’m glad to hear that. Hmm? What am I doing? Oh, just pulling out my horn-rimmed glasses, that’s all…

((Highly recommended for older readers, due to the high volume of Truths in this story.))

Stinky and Successful: The Riot Brothers Never Stop by Mary Amato

Riot Brothers Rule #1 is: Make something exciting happen every day. That rule is #1 because it is the most important - and third-graders Wilbur and Orville Riot make sure never to break it.

They have a Secret Riot Brother Mission Book where they write down their daily missions (that’s rule #16: You have to write down your mission of the day, because of rule #5: You can’t change your mission in the middle of the day). From rescuing a damsel, to winning the yearly April Fool’s Day contest with their mom, to becoming mad scientists, the Riot Brothers never stop finding creative ways to add laughter and fun to the most ordinary situations.

Remember: The world would be a better place if all children had a roof over their head, food in their stomach, a smile in their heart, and a fake rat in their pocket. –Wilbur and Orville Riot