Imperial Beach Kids

Madeline. by Ludwig Bemelmans.

In the French orphanage where everything is done in a pattern, Madeline manages to be not only an individual, but an independent leader.

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney.

As a young girl, Alice Rumphius dreamed of traveling around the world. She thrilled to her grandfather's tales of faraway places — but she also remembered his admonition that it was important that she do something to make the world more beautiful. When Alice grows up, she does travel the world, but she never forgets to live out her grandfather's instructions. 

 The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble.

In her native American village, it was the boys who cared for the horses, but one girl secretly learned because of her love for the ponies.

 Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.

 Sal and her mother go to pick blueberries on the side of the mountain. At the same time, on the other side, a mama bear and her cub are doing the same thing. What will happen when they meet?

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully.

Mirette lives in 19th century Paris, where she helps her mother run a boarding house. A retired high wire walker named Bellini arrives one day, hoping quiet practice will help him regain his lost nerve. Mirette is enchanted by the high wire and begins to practice on Bellini's when he isn't there. When she finally shows him what she has learned, he agrees to take her on as a pupil. But it is Mirette who shows Bellini how not to be afraid.

The Paper Bag Princess by Munsch, Robert N.

 This princess outsmarts a dragon who has destroyed her kingdom, burned off her clothes (hence the paper bag as attire), and carried off her prince. And when the dragon is vanquished and the prince freed — only to tell her she's a mess and not like a princess at all! — she tells him what for and then dances off into the sunset. 

The Library by Stewart, Sarah.

 Elizabeth Brown is a voracious reader, not interested in dolls or (later) dating, but follows her love of books from childhood through old age. When her house becomes overwhelmed by books (Books were piled on top of chairs/And spread across the floor./Her shelves began to fall apart, (As she read more and more.), she comes up with a wonderful solution.

 Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.

A girl goes along with her father one cold winter's night to see an owl for the first time. 

  Ramona The Brave by Beverly Cleary.

Spunky Ramona is excited about beginning first grade, but finds that school is not what she expected. She meets the challenges head-on and even wins a few points.

The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh.

Eight-year-old Sarah travels with her father to build a new home in the Connecticut wilderness in this story of colonial America. When the new home is finished, Sarah bravely stays with the local Indians while her father goes back to bring the rest of their family. 

 Sheila Rae, the Brave. by Kevin Henkes,.

Louise admires her fearless older sister Sheila Rae, but it is "scaredy-cat" Louise who finds the way home when the two of them get lost.

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish, .

This highly popular series of stories about a wonderfully wacky housekeeper has entertained young readers for years. Amelia Bedelia shows us that life is full of surprises and that there is more than one way to deal with anything that happens.

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