Books like George and Martha Rise and Shine
By James Marshall
For the kid who's figuring out what makes a best friend a best friend, George and Martha shows that honesty and small daily kindnesses are what hold a friendship together. Gentle, funny, warm — like a favorite short story read before bed.
Two best friends spend a week of summer vacation at Eamon's grandparents' house, supposedly for Nature Camp — but waffles, video games, and staying inside turn out far more interesting than nature ever was.
A mouse named Chester has one way of doing everything, and his best friend Wilson happily matches him move for move — until a bold new neighbor named Lilly moves in with her own way of doing things entirely.
A picnic goes sideways when rain and stormy winds send an umbrella (and Mouse!) flying into a tree — one friend calls it good news, the other bad, all the way through.
A girl brings her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny to school, only to discover another girl has the exact same one — and after a mix-up leaves her with the wrong bunny, her daddy comes to the rescue with a midnight swap.
Twin sisters who look alike but never think alike share six funny stories about their everyday adventures, proving that being silly together is its own kind of fun.
A girl named Emily Elizabeth introduces her enormous red dog, Clifford, sharing the everyday activities they enjoy together and the ways they look after one another.
A little boy is thrilled about his first sleepover next door until his sister plants a worry: what if his friend laughs at his teddy bear, and what if he can't sleep without it?
A boy declares Jeremy Ross his enemy the moment he moves in down the street, so Dad offers his secret weapon: Enemy Pie — but the recipe requires spending a whole day playing with the enemy first.
A mouse hears secondhand gossip that her friend Snake is dangerous, and now she must figure out whether to believe rumor over friendship — or trust what she already knows.
A bird wakes up too grumpy to fly, eat, or play, so he stomps off on a walk instead — and one by one, Sheep, Rabbit, Raccoon, Beaver, and Fox tag along.
A boy named Dennis expresses everything through mime — silent, expressive, entirely his own way — until loneliness gives way to friendship when he meets a girl named Joy.
A mouse who loves school more than almost anything brings a purple plastic purse to class, gets it taken away by her teacher, and lashes out before learning how to make things right.
