The Cricket in Times Square

Author: George Selden
Lexile measure: 780
Language:  Acceptable, no swear words, no potty language.
Violence:  The cricket envisions a mouse friend getting caught by a cat, but the cat ends up being the mouse's best friend and doesn't do anything to him.  The friends get caught in a fire very briefly, but without getting hurt.
Big Kid Mature Topics:  Immigration and culture.  There is an entire 2 chapters devoted to a character who speaks in broken English.  Worries about money. Smoking.
Illustrations:  Black and white line drawings, every few pages.
Plot:  moderately complex.

My daughter really likes this book and I do too.  Its sweet, but not saccharin.  Not too deep for a kid to understand, but not superficial.  It would be a good read for all but the most sensitive of readers.  The writing is clean and the story is good.  There is some interesting specialized vocabulary about music that might need explaining for the very young child.  You could always make another trip to the library and get out some CD's!  Apparently this is one of a series, as well.

Companion media:  CDs on Italian opera--card catalog search "Aida" and "Torna a Surriento"