Ages 4-10

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2013)

Rosie dreamed of being an engineer. She searched and found gizmos and gadgets and built imaginative machines.  Rosie was teased for her inventions, especially her unusual combination of materials. Meeting with failure, she would hide under her bed until, one day, she was encouraged to see a failure as a new beginning, something positive. Then, nothing stopped her.

If the World Were a Village:  A Book about the World’s People by David J. Smith, illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong (Kids Can Press, 2011)

This fascinating book challenges young readers to think about what we have in common with others around the world and to reconsider the struggles facing many far-away communities. Smith’s method of fractions and percentages is meaningful to children; he provides new understanding of and a fresh connection to the Global Village as a shared home and a shared responsibility.

Ages 10-13

The Boy who Harnessed the Wind:  Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope  by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, illustrated by Anna Hymas  (Puffin Books, 2016)

This story is based on a young teenager named William, who wanted to solve troubles caused by drought and famine in his country of Malawi. Forced to leave school because he had no money for the fees, William found science books in the local library and taught himself how to build a windmill. His idea was to generate electricity so his family could pump water to farm their land.  Too poor to purchase the materials he needed, William found scraps of metal and bicycle parts in junk yards and garbage cans.  With these, he crafted a rudimentary windmill that led him to other ideas and, eventually, he improved the lives of his family and his community. William became a local hero and an inspiration to others around the world.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery (Puffin Books, 2017)

“It’s delightful when your imaginations come true, isn’t it?“  In this celebrated classic, great reading for all ages, Anne is an 11-year-old orphan.  She lands in the home of two middle-aged siblings, the Cuthberts, who had wanted a boy,  strong and sensible, to help around the farm.  Using her imagination to answer all kinds of situations, Anne wins them over. With ideas flowing from many directions, her solutions to various problems are fascinating!  Given the gender restrictions of the early 19^th century, Anne’s creativity lands her in all kinds of trouble.