Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary was one of my favorite authors when I was growing up.

If you are looking for books with a male protagonist, you can read about the adventures of Henry Huggins and his dog, Ribsy. Although these books were written in the 1950s and 60s and are a bit dated with regard to social and economic issues, the characters are timeless and many of the themes and lessons are still relevant today.
Henry Huggins
Henry and Beezus
Henry and Ribsy
Henry and the Paper Route 
Henry and the Clubhouse
Ribsy

Another popular series focuses on the lives of Ramona Quimby and her older sister, Beezus. These books span a greater time period with the first being published in 1968 and the last one going to print in 1999.
Beezus and Ramona
Ramona the Pest
Ramona the Brave
Ramona and Her Father
Ramona and Her Mother
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Ramona Forever
Ramona's World

Newer editions have been given updated illustrations. In my opinion, the original illustrations better capture the era about which Ms. Cleary was writing. If you can, I would recommend trying to find an older edition at your local library.

If you want to learn more about this wonderful author, be sure to read her two-part autobiography: A Girl from Yamhill followed by My Own Two Feet. Also click here to visit a fun website dedicated entirely to Beverly Cleary and her books.

"The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

A friend asked me to review this book, which has been quite popular.

The Mysterious Benedict Society
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Age Level: 9+ years

The adventure begins when an orphan, Reynard (Reynie) Muldoon, responds to an intriguing advertisement in the paper. After surviving a battery of strange and difficult tests, Reynie finds himself in a room with three other children. These gifted children decide to form a team that will embark on a dangerous mission to save the world. They call themselves The Mysterious Benedict Society and the children soon discover that each one of them brings very special talents to the operation. The children go undercover as students at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened where strange events are occurring and a bizarre plan to take over the world is unfolding. Can the children discover a way to stop the evil Mr. Curtain before it is too late?

This was probably the most captivating beginning to a children's novel that I have ever read. The first few chapters were very entertaining. Although the end of the book was not quite as engaging as the beginning, it was still an enjoyable read overall. I would recommend it.

"Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

Here is a review of another Newberry Medal winner.

Maniac Magee
 Author: Jerry Spinelli
Age Level: 11+ years
Newberry Award: 1990

This novel is essentially a tall tale about a boy who does his part to ease the racial tensions between blacks and whites in the town of Two Mills. Jeffrey Magee is orphaned at a young age and spends the next several years literally running, trying to find a place he can call home. He lives with his aunt and uncle for some time, but runs away from these feuding guardians. Next he finds himself in the racially divided town of Two Mills, Pennsylvania where he is taken in by a black family by the name of Beale. After performing several amazing feats, like making an inside-the-park home-run bunt with a frog, surviving Finsterwald's backyard, and untying Cobble's Knot,  he is nicknamed Maniac Magee. However, the presence of a white kid in the middle of East End is not accepted by everyone and he runs out of town to protect the Beales. He spends some months living in a bandshell at the zoo with an elderly man named Earl Grayson. He feels that he has finally found a home, but Grayson unexpectedly dies. Maniac is forced to run again. This time he ends up with the McNab family from West End - a family that is the antithesis of the Beales. After gradually winning the respect of his rival, Mars Bar Thompson, Maniac can finally return "home".

Like most characters from tall tales, Jeffrey 'Maniac' Magee certainly ranks among the most likeable and memorable. The author effectively draws his readers in and generates genuine concern for Maniac in his quest for his true home. Mr. Spinelli has also done an outstanding job of introducing the serious theme of racism while including enough humor to prevent the tone of the novel from becoming too somber. While the subject matter and character interactions were at times a little raw, overall this was an enjoyable read that could spark some very good discussion.