Grace has a superpower; a small but important superpower. She says, “I can always tell when someone is unhappy, even if that person is pretending to be happy and is a really good actor.” Grace tries to use her empathy superpowers for good, to cheer up a lonely neighbor, but her plan backfires and gets her into trouble. Now her dad says she has to team up with the disgusting, spitting Sammy Stringer in order to try to set things right. Sometimes it’s not easy being a superhero, but Grace’s adventures make for a lively and funny read. Grace’s cartoon sketches, included throughout Just Grace, add to the fun.  If you enjoy this book, the author, Charise Mericle Harper has written several other Grace books.

 Amber Brown, the spunky third-grade heroine of Amber Brown is Not a Crayon, has a problem. She’s been best friends since preschool with Justin, and now it looks like Justin’s family will be moving away. Amber thought things couldn’t get any worse after her parents divorced and her father moved to France. But now Justin is preparing to move and, worse still, he acts like it’s no big deal. He won’t talk about it with Amber and then the two stop speaking to each other altogether.  In this and other Amber Brown books, author Paula Danziger displays her knack for combining serious subjects with humor in a way that connects with her audience. The book’s storyline, coupled with its slim size, large type, simple sentence structure, and line drawings by Tony Ross, will appeal to young readers in grades 2-4.

If you have never heard about the catalog cats that come in the mail and help you tend to your garden, then you may enjoy The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron. The catalog cats are just one of several humorous stories told by Julian, a young African American boy , about the events in his life… with just a little bit of embellishment. In the six short stories you will also meet Julian’s little brother Huey, his parents, and his new maybe best friend Gloria. If you like the cast of characters you meet, you can visit them all again in several other titles:  Julian, Dream Doctor, Julian, Secret Agent, Julian’s Glorious Summer, More Stories Julian Tells, The Stories Huey Tells,  More Stories Huey Tells, and  Gloria’s Way.

Cynthia Rylant’s Brownie & Pearl See the Sights is the third story about the active and adorable duo of Brownie and her cat Pearl.  They hit the town during the snowy, winter holiday season and have fun visiting various downtown shops. From the hat shop to the cupcake shop, Brownie and Pearl enjoy trying on adult-sized hats and shoes and treating themselves to cupcakes.

The story is sweet and simple and the illustrations by Brian Biggs are even sweeter. The snowy scenes turn the downtown into a fluffy wonderland in which Brownie and Pearl standout in their striped and snowflake-patterned outfits. The downtown scenes are done in muted pastels, and they are full of fun details. See how many winter holiday decorations you can find!

See Brian Biggs’ website for more information on other Brownie & Pearl stories.

Friends can be similar  or good friends can be as different as night and day.  Houndsley likes canoeing and his friend Catina likes bicycling, but each has to help the other learn to enjoy these activities in order to do them together.  Houndsley and Catina Plink and Plunk, like the  other four in the series, focuses on Houndsley's compassionate ability to look beyond their differences and gracefully accept his friend for who she is. 

James Howe is the acclaimed author of more than seventy books for young readers including the beloved Bunnicula series. Marie-Louise Gay is the author and illustrator of many award-winning books, including the Stella and Sam series. She says of this book, "When I first read HOUNDSLEY AND CATINA, I was captivated by the evocative and emotional quality of their friendship. It was a joy to create these two wonderful characters and the world they live in."

What a better way to spend these cold and rainy days, but indoors with a good book about friendship and the winter season.

Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser follows Squirrel, Hedgehog and Bear as they wait for the first snow of winter. Laughter and fun begins when these animals, who are usually sleeping during the winter, try to find ways to stay awake.  Then encounter what each thinks is snow based on what they have heard from their friend Deer. The story along with the simple pencil illustrations in this book will be enjoyed all season long.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, the first in her Bear series, introduces us to Bear and his friends (mouse, mole, hare, wren, badger and gopher) on a cold winter’s night. The animals seek shelter in Bear’s cave and end up having quite a party until Bear wakes up. The rhyming text along with the bright illustrations will have you wanting to read the other books in this series.

In A Little Bit of Winter, by Paul Stewart , Hedgehog, who hibernates through the winter, wants to know what winter feels like, so he asks his friend Rabbit to save him a little bit of winter to share in the spring. The result is not only funny and silly but very heartwarming.

So gather your friends and family together to enjoy these heartwarming stories during this chilly winter season.