Illinois Authors

Disney/Hyperion, New York : ©2010.

Cupcake, feeling drab because he is only vanilla, and his friend, Candle, come up with a plan to make themselves stand out in the crowd.

Little Brown, Boston : ©2001.

Find out the stories behind some of our favorite foods and possessions.

Dial Books for Young Readers, New York : [2003]

The spider from the famous nursery rhyme gets a job in order to buy a cover that will keep her dry and prevent her being washed down the water spout again.

Houghton Mifflin, Boston : 2007.

Misnamed by her teacher, seven-year-old Just Grace prides herself on being empathetic, but when she tries to help a neighbor feel better, her good intentions backfire.

Meet third-grader Grace Stewart, who gets stuck with the name Just Grace when she tries to distinguish herself from the three other Graces in her class. Grace is plenty different, though. She has a teeny-tiny superpower, for instance--she can tell if someone is unhappy and often tries to fix it. But sometimes her good intentions backfire ... Join Just Grace as she deals with a missing cat, a new neighbor, and more in this delightfully funny three-book.

Alfred A. Knopf, New York : 2011.

When Mama is too sick to go to the Pink Girls Pink-nic with Violet, Daddy offers to take her place but, first, he needs to pink-up his clothes.

Alfred A. Knopf, New York : 2010.

When Mama is too sick to go to the Pink Girls Pink-nic with Violet, Daddy offers to take her place but, first, he needs to "pink-up" his clothes.

Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston : 2007.

When a struggling student teacher assigns a group project, seven-year-old Just Grace gets so involved in working with Grace W. and Grace F. that she fails to understand why she and her best friend, Mimi, are drifting apart.

Houghton Mifflin, Boston : ©2003.

Finnigan, a Secret Service squirrel in training, reports on the unusual activities in the apartment building across from his park.

Scholastic, New York : 2003, ©2002.

In this variation on the traditional cumulative rhyme, a feisty woman tries roller skates, a bicycle, and even a rocket to reach a star.

Little, Brown, Boston : 2002.

In this variation on the traditional cumulative rhyme, a feisty woman tries roller skates, a bicycle, and even a rocket to reach a star.

Chronicle Books, San Francisco : ©2001.

Brightly colored illustrations teach about virtues and qualities including understanding, thoughtfulness, generosity and others.