Books with author Kimberly Willis Holt

Bernard has never been to dinner at a friend's house before. His mother gives him quite the list of rules to follow—no elbows on the table, put your napkin on your lap, don't talk with food in your mouth, and so on. But Bernard isn't prepared to discover that the Goldsmiths think the table is the best place for elbows and feet, never put their napkins on their laps, and talk with food in their mouths! How will Bernard survive dinner with such an obnoxious crew?Kimberly Willis Holt's funny picture book about manners and etiquette turns the idea of good manners upside-down. The fresh point of view in Dinner with the Highbrows will be appreciated by both kids and their parents.A Christy Ottaviano Book

Read by Kimberly J. BrownApprox. 4 hours3 cassettesEleven-year-old Jaynell is taught to stay away from the Pickens—the poor family from the wrong side of the tracks. Fact is, nobody in Moon, Texas, has much, but everybody is real aware of who's got what and how much. Except Grandpap. He always makes time to visit with the Pickens, even after he buys a '62 emerald green Cadillac convertible. When Grandpap dies, Jaynell learns a secret about Grandpap that changes the way she will look at poverty forever.

A charming story about an unlikely friendship by National Book Award–winning author Kimberly Willis HoltBenny the baker leads a simple life. He makes delicious cakes, cookies and muffins, and keeps his customers well fed and happy. When a skinny brown dog shows up on Benny's doorstep, nothing Benny says can convince him to go away. While Benny insists that the dog isn't his, customers soon grow as fond of the skinny brown dog as they are of Benny's yummy treats. The children even name him Brownie―the perfect name for a baker's dog. Benny starts to wonder what it might be like to have a dog of his own. But it's not until Brownie comes to his rescue that Benny realizes a dog can make a very good friend. Full of winning characters (and delicious treats!), this book celebrates a very special friendship.

The journey begins in 1939 with Rose, who moves with her mother and siblings from rural Texas to live with their estranged grandfather on the Louisiana bayou. Rose connects with this flavorful community by driving a bookmobile. Two decades later, Merle Henry, Rose’s son, is more passionate about trapping a mink than about reading, although there is a place in his heart for Old Yeller. In 1973, Merle Henry’s daughter, Annabeth, feels torn between reading childish fairy tales and a crush on her own real-life knight in shining armor. And in the present day, Annabeth’s son, Kyle, finds himself in a bind: He hates reading, but the only summer job he can get is at the library.In her people-smart way, Kimberly Willis Holt introduces us to a Louisiana family. Touching, lyrical, and always intriguing, their stories reveal the power-ful connections among four generations.

Read by Will Patton4 hours 59 minutes, 3 cassettes1999 National Book Award WinnerToby Wilson is having the toughest summer of his life. It's the summer his mother leaves for good; the summer his best friend's brother returns from Vietnam in a coffin; and the summer that Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, arrives in their sleepy Texas town. There are heartaches, friendships gained, and old friendships renewed. And it's Zachary Beaver who turns the town of Antler upside down and leaves everyone, especially Toby, changed forever.

Piper Reed and her fellow Gypsy Club members are in need of a clubhouse. Raising money to buy one proves to be a challenge. Piper, being the resourceful fifth-grader that she is, launches her own party planning business and gets her first job throwing young Brady’s birthday celebration. But things don’t go as expected on the day of the big event. Fortunately for Piper, her friends and family come to the rescue!

"Justine Eyre's gentle, expressive voice is well suited to Holt's quiet story of what it's like to be the new kid in the neighborhood and the difficulty of dealing with life's changes." ― AudioFile Kimberly Willis Holt explores themes of divorce, acceptance, intergenerational friendship, and the power that comes with noticing in The Lost Boy's Gift, an insightful middle-grade audiobook.There are places where you want to go and places where you want to leave. There are also places where you want to stay.Nine-year-old Daniel must move across the county with his mom after his parents’ divorce. He’s leaving behind his whole life―everything―and he’s taking a suitcase of anger with him. But Daniel is in for a surprise when he settles into While-a-Way Lane and meets his new neighbors―the Lemonade Girl, the hopscotching mailman, the tiny creatures, and especially Tilda Butter. Tilda knows how to look and listen closely, and it's that gift that helps Daniel find his way in that curious placed called While-a-Way Lane. This title has Common Core connections.Christy Ottaviano Books

In her first chapter book for younger readers, which is apparently the first in a series, award-winning author Holt tells a lively family story that draws on her experiences of growing up a Navy brat. For nine-year-old Piper, it is sometimes hard being the middle kid, especially now that the family is once again going to a new base. When they get to Pensecola, Florida, the first day of school is "not everyone's, just ours." It doesn't help that Piper is dyslexic. But she copes in class, and she creates a club to make friends. The family stuff is the heart of the story, not only the constant moves and Dad's being away on duty six months at a time but also the tension, laughter, and love in Piper's relationships with her bossy older sister and her talented younger one. Davenier's occasional black-and-white pictures capture the daily family dramas. Readers will look forward to the next book.

A charming story about an unlikely friendship by National Book Award–winning author Kimberly Willis HoltBenny the baker leads a simple life. He makes delicious cakes, cookies and muffins, and keeps his customers well fed and happy. When a skinny brown dog shows up on Benny’s doorstep, nothing Benny says can convince him to go away. While Benny insists that the dog isn’t his, customers soon grow as fond of the skinny brown dog as they are of Benny’s yummy treats. The children even name him Brownie—the perfect name for a baker’s dog. Benny starts to wonder what it might be like to have a dog of his own. But it’s not until Brownie comes to his rescue that Benny realizes a dog can make a very good friend. Full of winning characters (and delicious treats!), this book celebrates a very special friendship.

Read by Judith Ivey4 hours 6 minutes, 3 cassettesAfter Granny dies, Tiger Ann Parker wants nothing more than to get out of the rural town of Saitter, Louisiana—far away from her mentally disabled mother, her "slow" father who can't read a phone bill, and the classmates who taunt her. So when Aunt Dorie Kay asks Tiger to live with her in Baton Rouge, Tiger can't wait to go. But before she is able to leave, the sudden revelation os a dark family secret prompts Tiger to make a decision that will ultimately change her life.Set in the South in the late 1950's, this tender coming-of-age audiobook explores a twelve-yeas old girl's struggle to accept her grandmother's death, her mentally deficient parents, and the changin world around her. It is a story filled with beautiful language, unforgettable characters, and the importance of family and home.