May/June 2014
— A distant father and daughter walk to see Spider-Man; he secretly helps a man afford tickets and saves her from a dog, but she only notices the shirtless hero.
— A child battles nighttime fears during a thunderstorm, mistaking ordinary objects for monsters until exhaustion finally overtakes terror.
— A girl searching for something special in her life discovers a perfect miniature house by a stream in the woods, but must leave before exploring it.
— A six-year-old watches her parents' marriage dissolve on a summer day in Iowa and must choose which parent to leave with when her mother packs for Chicago.
— Al Capone Shines My Shoes, by Gennifer Choldenko; Penguin Young Readers Group: New York, 2011; $6.99 Though I am fascinated with American history, including Alcatraz, I was drawn to the...