Monarch Award books-Part 1

I always like to read the Monarch Award books ahead of time. Just read 7 of them; there are some crowd-pleasers in this group!
Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel. A chapter book featuring Bad Kitty from the picture book on the Monarch list a couple years ago. This is a hilarious how-to guide on how to give a cat a bath. At 125 pages, it's not necessarily a one-sitting book, but you will want to keep reading. The humor is tongue-in-cheek and will keep adults entertained while reading to their little ones also.
Fred Stays With Me! by Nancy Coffelt. A very short picture book about a young girl and her dog Fred. When the girl goes back and forth between the 2 households of her divorced parents, Fred is the one constant. When the parents are fed up with Fred's antics and want to get rid of them, the young girl stands up for herself and a plan is formulated that keeps everyone happy. This one won't appeal to everyone, but is perfect for the young child in the same situation as the narrator.
Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-up by Melissa Thomson. When Keena starts second grade, she is very upset at first to be separated from her best friend Eric. She quickly falls in love with her teacher and makes new friends. Keena is very similar to Junie B. Jones so although she has the best of intentions she gets herself in a couple sticky situations. She is guided by wise adults and the problems are resolved. This is one in a series of short chapter books featuring Keena; this will appeal to fans of Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones.
Dog and Bear: Two Friends Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. The two title characters are a dachsund and a stuffed bear who are best friends. Three short stories focus on their adventures; the illustrations are colorful and young kids will like this one. For the "older" Monarch readers it will probably seem a little babyish.
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems. Mo Willems is the very popular author of the Gerald and Piggie books and this book is just as fun. Leonardo is terrible at being a monster; he can't scare anyone! He finally thinks he succeeds at scaring one young boy, but when he realizes how wrong he was decides to become friends with the boy.
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek by Deborah Hopkinson. This tells a story from Lincoln's boyhood when he almost drowned and was saved by a boyhood friend named Austin Gollaher. I found this appealing due to the previously unknown story, but had to check to see if this really happened. Austin Gollaher was in fact a boyhood friend but sources are divided on whether this event actually happened.
Abe's Honest Words by Doreen Rappaport. This is similar in format to Martin's Big Words about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Each page contains some historical information about Lincoln's life as well as a Lincoln quote. A good introduction for young readers just beginning to learn about our 16th president. There is a timeline of Lincoln's life at the back of the book.