1978

McKinley, Robin

Beauty

YA

Beauty may not be very pretty but she is a brave bookworm who honorably fulfils her father’s obligation to an enchanted beast in this complex retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Barrett, Judi

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

E

Chewandswallow is a lovely little town where the weather brings food three times a day, but disaster strikes when a storm buries the town in overwhelming amounts of edibles.

Goble, Paul

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

E

Paul Goble relates Native American tales with sensitivity and beautiful illustrations, and this is his story of a girl who feels a deep bond with horses and chooses to run free with them.

1979

Howe, James

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery

JF

Harold the dog and Chester the cat think there’s something strange about their family’s new baby bunny, Bunnicula, especially when they find a white tomato sucked dry and colorless.

Hall, Donald

The Ox-Cart Man

E

Beautiful illustrations fill this book which describes the day-to-day life of a rural family in Nineteenth Century New England.

1980

Banks, Lynne Reid

The Indian in the Cupboard

JF

Omri learns a lesson about friendship and responsibility when he discovers that his old medicine cupboard can magically bring to life a plastic toy Indian who becomes his friend.

Wallace, Bill

A Dog Called Kitty

JF

Bill Wallace, an Oklahoma author, tells the story of Ricky, a boy who is afraid of dogs, but who must conquer his fears to save a stray puppy from starving to death.

Paterson, Katherine

Jacob Have I Loved

YA

Growing up in the early 1940s, on a tiny island in Chesapeake Bay, Louise resents her twin sister who she believes is both the family-favorite and guilty of ruining Louise’s life.

Hill, Eric

Where's Spot?

E

Spot, the cute little puppy who has become a favorite with pre-schoolers, makes his debut in this lift-the-flap book about his mother’s search him when he is hiding.

Kellogg, Steven

The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash

E

Jimmy brings his pet boa constrictor with him on a class trip to a farm, with hilarious and disastrous results.

1981

Van Allsburg, Chris

Jumanji

E

Judy and Peter try to liven up a boring day by playing an ordinary-looking board game, Jumanji, which unexpectedly transports jungle creatures into their home as they play.

Feelings, Muriel L.

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book

TNF

This magnificent alphabet book gives a Swahili word, an English translation, and a beautifully illustrated scene from African village life for each letter of the alphabet.

1982

Cooney, Barbara

Miss Rumphius

E

In this gentle story, Alice Rumphius spends her life fulfilling her childhood dreams of traveling the world, living by the sea and doing something to make the world more beautiful.

Voigt, Cynthia

Dicey's Song

JF

Dicey struggles to understand her mother’s mental illness and to keep her family of four siblings together when they are sent to live with their eccentric grandmother.

1983

Cleary, Beverly

Dear Mr. Henshaw

JF

Leigh writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, about his recently divorced parents, his stolen lunchbox treats, his lack of a canine companion, and his difficulties at a new school.

King-Smith, Dick

Babe: The Gallant Pig

JF

Babe, a sensitive and polite British pig raised by a sheepdog, becomes a champion sheep herder — a self-proclaimed sheep-pig — and rescues Farmer Hogget’s herd.