Category: Creativity

Honey, The Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln

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Deeply researched and charmingly told, this is the true story of one extra-special childhood rescue—a dog named Honey.

Long before Abraham Lincoln led the nation or signed the Emancipation Proclamation, he was just a barefoot kid running around Knob Creek, Kentucky, setting animals free from traps and snatching frogs out of the jaws of snakes.

One day, young Abe found a stray dog with a broken leg and named him Honey. He had no idea that the scruffy pup would find his way into Abe’s heart, become his best friend, and—one fateful day—save his life.

Whether shared at home or in the classroom, this is a good choice for young readers interested in true stories of U.S. presidents.

Nonfiction

AR Point .5

Word Count 1090

AR Reading Level 3.8

Kindness, Courage, Creativity, Cleverness, Responsibility

Bunny’s Book Club Goes to School

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Bunny and his forest friends meet at the town library every Saturday morning for book club. But one summer day, their library buddy Josie confesses to Bunny that she’s nervous about starting school. Bunny has an idea: He’ll go with her! Soon, Bunny’s friends Bear, Raccoon, Bird, Porcupine, Squirrel, Mole, Mouse, and Frog decide to join him—and Josie’s first day of school turns into a critter-filled adventure! 
For any child starting school, here’s a comforting, funny, and very fuzzy celebration of friendship that will make everyone excited to hit the books.

Kindness, Perseverance, Initiative, Critical Thinking-Problem Solving, Leadership, Innovation, Responsibility, Teamwork, Patience, Trustworthiness, Adaptability, Creativity, Effort, Cleverness, Excellent Attitude

Fiction

New or Not Yet Leveled

What is Given from the Heart

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“Misery loves company,” Mama says to James Otis. It’s been a rough couple of months for them, but Mama says as long as they have their health and strength, they’re blessed. One Sunday before Valentine’s Day, Reverend Dennis makes an announcement during the service– the Temples have lost everything in a fire, and the church is collecting anything that might be useful to them. James thinks hard about what he can add to the Temple’s “love box,” but what does he have worth giving? This is a touching, powerful tale of compassion and reminds us all that what is given from the heart, reaches the heart.

Kindness, Innovation, Creativity, Gratefulness

Fiction

AR Reading Level 3.6

AR Point .5

Word Count 1120

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré

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An inspiring picture book biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature.

When she came to America in 1921, Pura Belpré carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy.

Adaptability, Creativity, Initiative, Innovation, Leadership, Responsibility

Nonfiction

AR Reading Level 4.0

AR Point .5

Word Count 570

Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire

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Mary Blair lived her life in color: vivid, wild color.

From her imaginative childhood to her career as an illustrator, designer, and animator for Walt Disney Studios, Mary’s ideas were considered too abstract and too colorful. At a time when studios wanted to hire men and think in black and white, Mary painted twinkling emerald skies, peach giraffes with tangerine spots, and magenta horses that could fly.

She painted her world.

Creativity, Innovation, Perseverance

Nonfiction

AR Reading Level 4.3

AR Point .5

Word Count 808

Sky High: George Ferris’s Big Wheel

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This fascinating story describes the invention of the first Ferris wheel—an engineering marvel. The 1893 World’s Fair organizers wanted something big to draw people to Chicago . . . something that would rival the Eiffel Tower. George Ferris, an American engineer, had the idea for an observation wheel that passengers could ride on. People disagreed! They said it would never work. But it was a huge success, with thirty-six cars that could hold over 2,100 riders! That’s some big wheel! Ferris wheel lovers can thank George Ferris for never giving up his dream.

Critical Thinking-Problem Solving, Creativity, Initiative, Innovation

Nonfiction

AR Reading Level 3.0

AR Point .5

Word Count 761

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille

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Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight. He was a clever boy, determined to live like everyone else, and what he wanted more than anything was to be able to read.

Even at the school for the blind in Paris, there were no books for him.

And so he invented his own alphabet—a whole new system for writing that could be read by touch. A system so ingenious that it is still used by the blind community today.


Adaptability, Cleverness, Courage, Creativity, Critical Thinking-Problem Solving, Innovation, Optimism, Patience, Perseverance, Self Confidence and Self Control

Nonfiction

AR Reading Level 3.3

AR Point .5

Word Count 1763

The Marvelous Thing That Came From a Spring – The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation

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It took the teamwork of a dreamer and a planner to turn an ordinary spring into a truly marvelous thing!

With magnificent dioramic illustrations, Gilbert Ford captures the joy, creativity, and determination behind the invention of an iconic, one-of-a-kind toy: the Slinky!

One day, a spring fell from the desk of Richard James, an engineer and a dreamer. Its coils took a walk…and so did Richard’s imagination. He knew right away that he had stumbled onto something marvelous.

With the help of his wife, Betty, Richard took this ordinary spring and turned it into a plaything. But it wasn’t just any old trinket—it was a Slinky, and it would become one of the most popular toys in American history.

Creativity and Teamwork

Nonfiction

AR Reading Level 4.2

AR Point .5

Word Count 685