How many times have you felt lost when you wander into a bookstore or library, looking for the next book for the children in your life, knowing that they need something a little more challenging to read, but they're not yet ready for a novel? Transitional books are ideal for children whose reading levels have advanced beyond easy readers but who are not yet ready for full-length juvenile fiction and nonfiction. With fewer than 100 pages of text and large, easy-to-read typefaces, these books can challenge young readers without intimidating them. Many of the titles listed below are entries in large series.

Denise E. Agosto, Ph.D., is a professor in the College of Information Science & Technology at Drexel University, where she teaches courses in children's literature, public library service, and information resources. Her major research interests include young people's information seeking in digital environments, and Hispanic and multicultural issues in children's and young adult literature. She has published widely in both areas. You may read more about Dr. Agosto on her website by clicking here.

This list is reprinted here with Dr. Agosto's permission.

Hot Fudge Hero, written by Pat Brisson, illus. by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Henry Holt, 1997.

In tales that always end with a hot fudge sundae, our hero experiences small triumphs and camaraderie with his friend, Isobel, his budding friendship with the ``mean'' neighbor next door, and his affection for his mother.

Little Sister, Big Sister, written by Pat Brisson, illus. by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. Henry Holt, 1999.

Edna is the little sister. Hester is the big sister. Put the two together and you have one sister act that can't be beat. In four stories, Edna and Hester capture the essence of sisterhood as they boss each other around, stick up for each other at the pool, share candy, and make Thunder Cookies together.

Roberto Clemente, written by James Buckley. Dorling Kindersley, 2001.

Every once in a while a hero emerges from the diamond who affects not only the fans in the stands but people around the world. Such a player was Roberto Clemente, Hall-of-Fame right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-1972. This book tells the inspiring story of a great athlete and true humanitarian.

The Most Beautiful Place in the World, written by Ann Cameron, illus. by Thomas B. Allen. Random House, 1988.

Imagine living in the mountains of Guatemala on the shores of a blue lake, surrounded by spectacular volcanoes, bright green fields, and flocks of wild parrots. This is young Juan's home. But Juan's life is less than beautiful. His mother has abandoned him to his grandmother, and Juan must work hard shining shoes to earn his keep. Poor though he is, Juan longs to stop working and attend school. His dream is to learn to read. Can he ever make his grandmother understand?

The Stories Julian Tells, written by Ann Cameron, illus. by Ann Strugnell. Pantheon, 1981.

Julian, that quick fibber and wishful thinker, is great at telling stories. He can make people—especially his younger brother, Huey—believe just about anything. Like the one about the catalog cats that come in the mail. Or the fig leaves that make you grow call if you eat them off the tree. But some stories can lead to a heap of trouble, and that's exactly where Julian and Huey end up all too often!

The Hit-Away Kid, written by Matt Christopher, illus. by George Ulrich. Little Brown, 1988.

Barry McGee, hit-away batter for the Peach Street Mudders, enjoys winning so much that he has a tendency to bend the rules; then the dirty tactics of the pitcher on a rival team give him a new perspective on sports ethics.

The Gator Girls, written by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson, illus. by Lynn Munsinger. William Morrow, 1995.

Best friends Allie and Amy do everything together. So how will they ever make it through the summer when Allie's parents decide to send her away to Camp Wogga-Bog?

A Case for Jenny Archer, written by Ellen Conford, illus. by Diane Palmisciano. Little Brown, 1988.

After reading three mysteries in a row, Jenny becomes convinced that the neighbors across the street are up to no good and decides to investigate.

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon, written by Paula Danziger, illus. by Tony Ross. Putnam, 1994.

When Justin Daniels learns that he is moving away, he and his best friend, Amber Brown, have a terrible fight and stop speaking to one another, and Amber is afraid that Justin will leave before they can make up and say goodbye.

26 Fairmount Avenue, written and illus. by Tomie De Paola. Putnam, 1999.

Tomie's family starts building their new house at 26 Fairmount Avenue in 1938, just as a hurricane hits town, starting off a busy, crazy year. Tomie has many adventures all his own, including eating chocolate with his Nana Upstairs, only to find out—the hard way—that they have eaten chocolate laxative. He tries to skip kindergarten when he finds out he won't learn to read until first grade. "I'll be back next year," he says. When Tomie goes to see Snow White, he creates another sensation. Tomie dePaola's childhood memories are hilarious, and his charming illustrations are sure to please.

Shark Attack, written by Cathy East Dubowski. Dorling Kindersley, 1988.

Savage killers or endangered victims? Discover the truth about the most feared creatures in the sea.

Taking Care of Trouble, written by Bonnie Graves, illus. by Robin Pries Glasser. Dutton, 2002.

In this funny, fast-paced middle-grade novel, fifth-grader Joel wants nothing to do with babies. He's the only kid in Junior Adventurers who hasn't passed Emergency Preparedness, and the last thing he needs is a real-life crisis that will mess up his chances. But when his best friend's pretty older sister begs him to help her by taking care of a toddler named Tucker (aka Trouble), he can't say no. And, boy, is he sorry. During his hair-raising-and hilarious-adventure in baby-sitting, Joel battles putrid diapers, an escaped cockatoo, and a best friend obsessed with capturing footage for World's Funniest Videos. After all this, passing a silly old emergency test looks like a walk in the park.

Mummy Mysteries: Tales from North America, written by Brenda Z. Guiberson. Henry Holt, 1998.

Most people have heard of Egyptian mummies and know the history behind them. But what about other, more local mummies, like the mumrny of an outlaw that was used on the set of The Six Million Dollar Man? How did the eighty-seven-year-old mummified remains of a fugitive end up as a prop for a TV show? In a series of chapters, Brenda Z. Guiberson tells the exciting true tales of several North American mummies that helped to solve ancient mysteries—or became mysteries themselves. Mummy Mysteries is filled with photos and detailed illustrations that give clues to each puzzle. And at the end of the book, the author sets up six mysteries that let the readers become archaeological detectives.

Pajama Party, written by Amy Hest, illus. by Irene Trivas. William Morrow, 1992.

Casey, Jenny, and Kate are best friends. slumber party. What could be more fun? So the girls set the time, the place, and the rules (wear pajamas; bring something good to eat).

Pinky and Rex and the Just-Right Pet, written by James Howe, illus. by Melissa Sweet. Atheneum, 2001.

Pinky's family is getting a pet! The problem is, by a three to one vote, they've decided to get a cat, and Pinky wants a dog. And when they get a kitten, Pinky's sister, Amanda, says that Patches is hers. Why should Pinky care? He didn't want a cat in the first place. But Patches may have her own ideas about whose cat she is.

Horrible Harry in Room 2B, written by Suzy Kline, illus. by Frank Remkiewicz. Viking Kestrel, 1988.

Doug discovers that though being Harry's best friend in Miss Mackle's second grade class isn't always easy, as Harry likes to do horrible things, it is often a lot of fun.

Song Lee in Room 2B, written by Suzy Kline, illus. by Frank Remkiewicz. Viking Kestrel, 1993.

Overcoming her normally shy nature and revealing her silly streak to the students of Room 2B, Song Lee dresses up like a cherry tree, wears green clay on her head, and writes a story about Harry's nose.

Night of the Living Gerbil, written by Elizabeth Levy, illus. by Bill Basso. HarperCollins, 2001.

Robert is worried. His pet gerbil, Exterminator, is lying on the bottom of his cage, not moving. A trip to the veterinarian's office doesn't help, and soon, Extermie is gone. Robert is so crushed that he can't even talk about it. It doesn't help that his bossy cousin Mabel keeps telling him how he should feel. Or that his older brother, Sam, can't seem to stop telling bad dead gerbil jokes.Things get even worse when Sam comes up with a plan to cheer Robert up—a plan that involves a creepy store called Weird Science and its even weirder owner. And one dark stormy night, Sam and Robert find themselves right in the middle of ...the night of the living gerbil!

Big Trouble in Little Twinsville, written by Elizabeth Levy, illus. by Mark Elliot. HarperCollins, 2001.

When she was little, Eve asked her parents for a baby brother or sister. But she didn't ask for two! And now the twin terrors—a.k.a. her little sisters, Amy and May—are in her life for good. Or bad. Very bad. The twins trespass in her room. They smear her with peanut butter at the beach. And they get away with everything, just because they're cute! But when Eve's parents decide to vacation at the twin festival at the Twin Falls Resort, enough is enough! With her cousins Lindsay and Karen, Eve plots revenge on behalf of all the singletons. It's Eve and her cousins versus the terrible twosome. Who will win the big showdown?

Take Two, They're Small, written by Elizabeth Levy, illus. by Mark Elliot. HarperCollins, 2002.

Eve wants fourth grade to be different. She's decided this is the year she's going to make new friends. What she doesn't need is help from Amy and May, her twin sisters, who are just starting kindergarten. Then Eve learns her class is to be teamed up with the kindergartners in a buddy program. There's no getting away from the twin terrors! The buddy program pairs one fourth grader with each kindergartner. You'd think the odds would be against Eve's being stuck with one of her sisters. Then again, you'd think the odds would be against the fourth graders and kindergartners having teachers who are sisters! Eve's sure having her twin sisters around in school will mean nothing but trouble—but maybe a little trouble is just what she needs to shake up her life!

Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!, written by Stephen Manes. Clarion, 1982.

One day at the library, a book falls off the top shelf and hits Milo in the head! It's called Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days! The book's author, Dr. K. Pinkerton Silverfish, doesn't look too perfect himself. In the picture on the back cover, he's wearing a clown nose, and mustard is dripping down his chin. Milo figures the book is worth a try anyway. Perfect is obviously the perfect thing to be! But who ever heard of wearing a stalk of broccoli around your neck for 24 hours? And that's just the first day ...

If You Ever Get Lost: the Adventures of Julia and Evan, written by Barbara Ann Porte, illus by Nancy Carpenter. Greenwillow, 2000.

Meet Julia and Evan, two siblings who greet each day's escapades with an uncommon mixture of curiosity and common sense. Whether they are lost in a crowd at a marathon, filling a grocery cart with pet supplies for the dog they don't have, or finding exciting indoor uses for their new umbrellas, Julia and her little brother relish adventure, on a strictly no-nonsense basis. Here is the perfect package of nine stories—nine windows into the world of two intrepid young explorers—for the entire family to laugh over and enjoy.

Knights of the Kitchen Table (The Time Warp Trio), written by Jon Scieszka, illus by Lane Smith. Puffin, 1994.

Adventure, comedy, and magic blend together as the members of the Time Warp Trio—Joe, Sam, and Fred—look through a mysterious book and find themselves in King Arthur's time being pursued by the evil Black Knight.

Tooter Pepperday, written by Jerry Spinelli, illus by Donna Nelson. Random House, 1995.

Tooter was your average suburban kid, until her parents made her move to Aunt Sally's farm. It's not just that the pizzeria won't deliver—the vegetables on her plate were grown in a pile of compost, and everything smells like goat poop! But spunky Tooter has big plans for getting even—sabotage!