David LaRochelle

author & illustrator

Reading: Top Ten Chapter Books

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gen­nifer Choldenko

Twelve-year-old Moose Flana­gan moves to Alca­traz Island when his father is hired as a prison guard. Fun­ny, fas­ci­nat­ing, and touching.

All Thirteen

All Thir­teen:
The Incred­i­ble Cave Res­cue of the Thai Boys’ Soc­cer Team
by Christi­na Soontornvat

This fas­ci­nat­ing and har­row­ing true res­cue sto­ry kept me turn­ing the pages to find out what was going to hap­pen next (even though I already new the end­ing). A stel­lar exam­ple of non­fic­tion writing.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dix­ie
by Kate DiCamillo

A smil­ing stray dog brings changes, and friends, into the life of Opal Buloni. Even bet­ter than the movie.

Der Mr. Henshaw

Dear Mr. Hen­shaw
by Bev­er­ly Cleary

A boy whose par­ents have recent­ly divorced writes to the author of his favorite book. A great sto­ry for any­one who wants to be an author him/herself.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
by C. S. Lewis

You like fan­ta­sy and mag­ic but haven’t read these sto­ries yet? Don’t delay! Step into the enchant­ed clos­et and trav­el to the land of Narnia.

Millicent Min Girl Genius

Mil­li­cent Min, Girl Genius
by Lisa Yee

Being an eleven-year-old genius has nev­er been so funny.

The Night Diary

The Night Diary
by Veera Hiranandani

A mov­ing his­tor­i­cal fic­tion sto­ry about a young girl in India in 1947, strug­gling to deal with changes when her coun­try is split in two.

The Search for Delicious

The Search for Deli­cious
by Natal­ie Babbitt

What do you think is the most deli­cious food in the world? When Gaylen is sent to dis­cov­er the answer, a dan­ger­ous civ­il war begins and only a mer­maid can save the kingdom.

When Stars are Scattered

When Stars are Scat­tered
by Vic­to­ria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Both sad and hope­ful, this graph­ic nov­el gives an insid­er’s look into life in a refugee camp. I’m not sur­prised it is a favorite of so many kids and adults.

Winterhouse

The Win­ter­house Mys­tery series
by Ben Guterson

As a per­son who loves puz­zles, I was imme­di­ate­ly cap­ti­vat­ed by this intrigu­ing tale of codes and secrets. I want to live in this amaz­ing hotel!