Library
Mrs. Benton
Collection Total:
2,550 Items
Last Updated:
Sep 10, 2023
Good-Bye Pink Pig
Carole S. Adler*****Ten-year-old Amanda is afraid to go to middle school, so she pretends to be sick and stays home with her miniature figurines. Playing with them, she is transported to a magical Little World where an evil wizard lurks.
Nightbirds on Nantucket
Joan Aiken*****Having had enough of life on board the ship that saved her from a watery grave, Dido Twite wants nothing more than to sail home to England. Instead, Captain Casket's ship lands in Nantucket, where Dido and the captain's daughter, Dutiful Penitence, are left in the care of Dutiful's sinister Aunt Tribulation. In Tribulation's farmhouse, life is unbearable. When mysterious men lurk about in the evening fog, the resourceful Dido rallies against their shenanigans with help from Dutiful, a cabinboy named Nate, and a pink whale.
Prydain Chronicles 1: The Book of Three
Lloyd Alexander*****Taran, The Assistant Pig-Keeper, longs to be a hero.

He begins his journey with a strange assortment of companions on a dangerous mission to save his beloved land, Prydain.  Packed with action, humor, romance, and gallantry, Taran's adventures chronicle his beloved Prydain and his battle with the forces of evil.
Prydain Chronicles 2: The Black Cauldron
Lloyd Alexander*****In the imaginary Land of Prydain, where "evil is never distant," it has become imperative that the Black Cauldron, chief implement of the diabolical Arawn, be destroyed. In this cauldron Arawn has created his terrible army of deathless warriors from the stolen bodies of the slain. For each of those chosen to journey to Arawn's domain, the quest has a special meaning, and to Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, the adventure becomes a glorious opportunity to wear his first sword and prove himself a man among men.

From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Door in the Wall
Marguerite de Angeli*****As the son of a nobleman, Robin’s destiny is changed suddenly when he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. When the great castle of Lindsay is in danger, Robin discovers that there is more than one way to serve his king.
Origami Yoda 2: Darth Paper Strikes Back
Tom Angleberger*****The hilarious, clever, and much-anticipated follow-up to the breakout hit, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda!

It is a dark time at Ralph McQuarrie Middle School. After suffering several Origami Yoda–related humiliations, Harvey manages to get Dwight suspended from school for being a “troublemaker.” Origami Yoda pleads with Tommy and Kellen to save Dwight by making a new case file—one that will show how Dwight’s presence benefits McQuarrie. With the help of their friends, Tommy and Kellen record cases such as “Origami Yoda and the Pre-eaten Wiener,” “Origami Yoda and the Exploding Pizza Bagels,” and “Origami Yoda and Wonderland: The Musical.” But Harvey and his Darth Paper puppet have a secret plan that could make Dwight’s suspension permanent . . .

With his proven knack for humorously exploring the intrigues, fads, and dramas of middle school, Tom Angleberger has crafted a worthy sequel to his breakout bestseller.

Praise for Darth Paper Strikes BackSTARRED REIVEW“Angleberger’s just-as-funny follow-up to The Strange Case of Origami Yoda delves deeper into the mystery of the helpful paper Yoda in a satisfying tale of friendship and just resistance to authority.Pitch-perfect middle-school milieu and enough Star Wars references (and laughs) to satisfy fans and win new ones.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review  “In this imaginative sequel…author Tom Angleberger has his finger puppet squarely on the erratic pulse of middle-school life, with its shifting allegiances, squeals, moans and misgivings.” —Washington Post    “As with this story’s predecessor, the well-observed middle-school dynamics (and Angleberger’s sharp sense of humor) are greatly amplified by the book's design, which includes faux wrinkled pages, abundant doodles, and other scrawled marginalia. It's a natural step up from the Wimpy Kid series, with more text and narrative complexity, but just as much on-target humor and all-around fun.” —Publishers Weekly     “This book is honest, funny, and immensely entertaining. The illustrations and design will engage readers. Based on the positive reception Origami Yoda has received, kids will be clamoring for this sequel. They won’t be disappointed.”   —School Library Journal    “The Force is with Tom Angleberger in this sequel to his funny and clever novel/comics hybrid, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. A sequel to equal the funny and clever novel/comics debut of the Origami Yoda, as Dwight’s friends try to save him from reform school. —Shelf Awareness    

“With the same deft touch that made The Strange Case of Origami Yoda a pleasure, Angleberger takes readers through the ups and downs of adolescence.”   —Portland Book Review     “Darth Paper offers further proof that Angleberger really understands middle-schoolers and the daily dramas that engulf them, while still finding the humor inherent in their situations.   —Scripps News
Origami Yoda 3: The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee
Tom Angleberger*****With Dwight attending Tippett Academy this semester, the kids of McQuarrie Middle School are on their own—no Origami Yoda to give advice and help them navigate the treacherous waters of middle school. Then Sara gets a gift she says is from Dwight—a paper fortune-teller in the form of Chewbacca. It’s a Fortune Wookiee, and it seems to give advice that’s just as good as Yoda’s—even if, in the hands of the girls, it seems too preoccupied with romance. In the meantime, Dwight is fitting in a little too well at Tippett. Has the unimaginable happened? Has Dwight become normal? It’s up to his old friends at McQuarrie to remind their kooky friend that it’s in his weirdness that his greatness lies.
With his proven knack for humorously exploring the intrigues, fads, and dramas of middle school, Tom Angleberger has crafted a worthy follow-up to his breakout bestsellers The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back.

Praise for The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee
STARRED REVIEW
"Angleberger’s third in the series continues the fun. A chorus of spot-on middle school voices and plenty of laughs are wrapped around this tale of friendship and seasoned with Star Wars references."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Tom Angleberger offers a hilarious third book in his best-selling series starring origami Star Wars characters. Angleberger’s grasp of middle-school emotions, humor and behavior is spot-on, and parents who want to get a sense of what it’s like be a preteen these days might consider reading this book. But you'll likely have to pry it out of your young reader’s hands first."
—Scripps Howard News Service

Award
2013 ReadKiddoRead Kiddos - FINALIST
Animorphs 14: The Unknown
K. A. Applegate*****There's a new rumor in town. Someone has discovered an item that proves life on other planets exists. And they've been hiding it on a base called Zone 91—the most secret place on earth. Cassie, the other Animorphs, and Ax already know about life on other planets. They realize that the Yeerks will try to access Zone 91 to find out if what's there will threaten their mission. So the Animorphs decide to pay Zone 91 and the Yeerks a little visit. But what they discover is not at all what they expect.
Julieta and the Diamond Enigma
Luisana Duarte Armendariz*****
Horrible Science: Blood, Bones, and Body Bits
Nick Arnold*****
Horrible Science: Bulging Brains
Nick Arnold*****Discover why ice-cream gives you a headache, how chopping your brain in half needn't be fatal, and whether girls or boys are the real masterminds in this book about grey matter. Fact files, quizzes, teacher tests and cartoons are included.
Horrible Science: Bulging Brains
Nick Arnold*****Discover why ice-cream gives you a headache, how chopping your brain in half needn't be fatal, and whether girls or boys are the real masterminds in this book about grey matter. Fact files, quizzes, teacher tests and cartoons are included.
Horrible Science: Bulging Brains
Nick Arnold*****
Horrible Science: Chemical Chaos
Nick Arnold*****"Horrible Science" is getting a make-over! With a fantastic new cover look and a extra horrible bits at the back of the book, these best-selling titles are sure to be a huge hit with a new generation of "Horrible Science" readers.
Horrible Science: Disgusting Digestion
Nick Arnold*****It's science with the squishy bits left in! What disease makes your eyes bleed? Why can't astronauts eat beans before a space flight? Which part of your brain makes you throw up? Get the awful answers in "Disgusting Digestion".
Horrible Science: Disgusting Digestion
Nick Arnold*****
Horrible Science: Fatal Forces
Nick Arnold*****Continuing our "Horrible Science" paperback bind-up programme, this title brings together two popular subjects in the physics strad of the series. In "Fatal Forces" readers will find out what keeps the moon in the sky and what happens when an apple smacks a scientist on the bonce! In "The Fight for Flight" you'll laugh at some seriously silly flying
Horrible Science: Fatal Forces
Nick Arnold*****Continuing our "Horrible Science" paperback bind-up programme, this title brings together two popular subjects in the physics strad of the series. In "Fatal Forces" readers will find out what keeps the moon in the sky and what happens when an apple smacks a scientist on the bonce! In "The Fight for Flight" you'll laugh at some seriously silly flying
Horrible Science: Frightening Light
Nick Arnold*****This is science with the squishy bits left in! What stops your eyeballs from falling out? Why can dead bodies make ghostly glowing lights? How can a laser beam sizzle human flesh? Get the awful answers in "Frightening Light"!
Horrible Science: Sounds Dreadful
Nick Arnold*****If you think that you can stomach the sick side of science, then read on as the world of rumbling resonance, shocking sound waves and sonic boom gets a sound check. Find out how sound waves make your ear drums tremble and why listening to church bells might give you a nose bleed!
Horrible Science: The Terrible Truth About Time
Nick Arnold*****Find out what happens if you go too close to a black hole and how flies tell the time! With a fantastic new cover look and extra horrible bits at the back of the book, this best-selling title is sure to be a huge hit with a new generation of Horrible Science readers.
Captain Grey
Avi*****Young Kevin Cartwright is the prisoner of a pirate king.

"I shall find a way to get free."

"Free!" he shouted. "You are here, with us now. You can forget about your father and your sister, or anybody else you may have known. You belong to no nation but this nation. Put him back where he was and don't feed him. Tomorrow we shall talk again about freedom!"
Midnight Magic
Avi*****Reintroducing a magical, bestselling medieval mystery from a Newbery-winning author! The release coincides with Avi's exciting new companion to this book, MURDER AT MIDNIGHT.

Night after night, a ghost appears in the royal castle of Pergamontio, terrifying the princess. Mangus the Magician doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't stop him from being charged with finding this one. The King demands that Mangus free his daughter from the torment of the ghost. . . otherwise, the magician will pay with his life. Mangus's only hope is his faithful, street-smart servant boy, Fabrizio, who must solve the mystery of the ghost using logic and reason — and a bit of magic of his own.
The Fighting Ground
Avi*****April 3, 1778

He may be just thirteen, but Jonathan knows he's ready to go to the war against the British. He can handle a gun. He yearns to battle for glory, just like his brother and cousin.

So when Jonathan hears the tavern bell toll, calling men to fight, he runs to join them. He doesn't realize that in just twenty-four hours, his life will be forever altered — by the war, by his fellow soldiers, and by the terrible choices he must make.
The Fighting Ground
Avi*****
Tuck Everlasting
Natalie Babbit*****Time drags by for Winnie Foster, an eleven-year-old girl who lives in a house bordering the woods owned by her family. Winnie spends her summer days under the watchful eye of her grandmother. Most of the time it's too hot to be out in the sun, and when Winnie does actually venture outside, she never goes beyond the fence of the yard. But one morning she sneaks away into the woods and there she sees a young man drinking from a mysterious spring of water he uncovers at the base of tree. The young man, Jesse Tuck, discovers Winnie watching him. So he kidnaps her.
Actually, the entire Tuck family — Mae and Pa and Jesse's brother Miles — kidnap Winnie. They have to keep the spring that Winnie has seen a secret, because the strange water there makes anyone who drinks from it live forever. Long ago the Tucks unknowingly drank from the spring, and now the four of them are over 500 years old. They have come to learn that immortality is not a blessing but a curse. Winnie is won over by the kind family. But she's not the only one who knows their secret. A man wanting to buy the well and make it famous has been watching the Tucks all along, and the only way to stop him is to take away the life he so wants to make last forever. Soon, Winnie must help her new friends escape from the police; she must break every rule that she knows, to insure that the most important rule in life — death — is not broken by everyone else.
Natalie Babbit's celebrated story is both magical in its fantasy and powerful in its themes of time and life. Her vivid writing makes the landscape of the woods and countryside as easy to imagine as the characters who inhabit it. History passes the Tuck family by — they are doomed to live forever. But though they live outside the rules of time, they never live beyond the rules of human compassion and feeling.
Tuck Everlasting
Natalie Babbit*****Time drags by for Winnie Foster, an eleven-year-old girl who lives in a house bordering the woods owned by her family. Winnie spends her summer days under the watchful eye of her grandmother. Most of the time it's too hot to be out in the sun, and when Winnie does actually venture outside, she never goes beyond the fence of the yard. But one morning she sneaks away into the woods and there she sees a young man drinking from a mysterious spring of water he uncovers at the base of tree. The young man, Jesse Tuck, discovers Winnie watching him. So he kidnaps her.
Actually, the entire Tuck family — Mae and Pa and Jesse's brother Miles — kidnap Winnie. They have to keep the spring that Winnie has seen a secret, because the strange water there makes anyone who drinks from it live forever. Long ago the Tucks unknowingly drank from the spring, and now the four of them are over 500 years old. They have come to learn that immortality is not a blessing but a curse. Winnie is won over by the kind family. But she's not the only one who knows their secret. A man wanting to buy the well and make it famous has been watching the Tucks all along, and the only way to stop him is to take away the life he so wants to make last forever. Soon, Winnie must help her new friends escape from the police; she must break every rule that she knows, to insure that the most important rule in life — death — is not broken by everyone else.
Natalie Babbit's celebrated story is both magical in its fantasy and powerful in its themes of time and life. Her vivid writing makes the landscape of the woods and countryside as easy to imagine as the characters who inhabit it. History passes the Tuck family by — they are doomed to live forever. But though they live outside the rules of time, they never live beyond the rules of human compassion and feeling.
The Search for Delicious
Natalie Babbitt*****This engaging story begins with a brief glimpse into the past when dwarfs, woldwellers (forest dwarfs), mermaids, and winds of the air openly inhabited the earth. The actual story unfolds much further in the future, when these amazing creatures, mostly forgotten, live in secret places. DeCree, the Prime Minister, inadvertently provokes an upheaval of the townspeople with his attempt to define the word 'delicious' for the official dictionary. Although other of his definitions have been well recieved ... he cannot secure approval for 'Delicious is fried fish,' because each government official has his own personal food preference. To alleviate the situation, DeCree's 12-year-old special assistant and adopted son, Gaylen, polls all the citizens fortheir choices. The villian of the story, the Queen's brother Hemlock, convinces the townspeople that the King will, upon outcome of the poll, prohibit the eating of certain foods; he futher instigates revolt by dammign up the water supply, but Gaylen with the help fo a mermaid foils this and a definition fo delicous is finally agreed upon . . . The definition of this well-constructed-story, combining fine imagery, humor, strong characterizations, legend, and an unobtrusive theme of good versus evil, is: a good book for children hungry for light entertainment.
The Search for Delicious
Natalie Babbitt*****This engaging story begins with a brief glimpse into the past when dwarfs, woldwellers (forest dwarfs), mermaids, and winds of the air openly inhabited the earth. The actual story unfolds much further in the future, when these amazing creatures, mostly forgotten, live in secret places. DeCree, the Prime Minister, inadvertently provokes an upheaval of the townspeople with his attempt to define the word 'delicious' for the official dictionary. Although other of his definitions have been well recieved ... he cannot secure approval for 'Delicious is fried fish,' because each government official has his own personal food preference. To alleviate the situation, DeCree's 12-year-old special assistant and adopted son, Gaylen, polls all the citizens fortheir choices. The villian of the story, the Queen's brother Hemlock, convinces the townspeople that the King will, upon outcome of the poll, prohibit the eating of certain foods; he futher instigates revolt by dammign up the water supply, but Gaylen with the help fo a mermaid foils this and a definition fo delicous is finally agreed upon . . . The definition of this well-constructed-story, combining fine imagery, humor, strong characterizations, legend, and an unobtrusive theme of good versus evil, is: a good book for children hungry for light entertainment.
The Frog Princess
E. D. Baker*****Princess Emeralda a.ka. Emma isn't exactly an ideal princess. Her laugh is more like a donkey's bray than tinkling bells, she trips over her own feet and she does "not" like Prince Jorge, whom her mother hopes she will marry. But if Emma ever thought to escape her troubles, she never expected it to happen by turning into a frog! When convinced to kiss a frog so he might return to being a prince, somehow the spell is reversed and Emma turns into a frog herself!
Thus begins their adventure — a quest to return to human form. Fascinating and hilarious characters ranging from a self-conscious but friendly bat to a surprisingly loyal snake and a wise green witch confirm that readers won't soon forget this madcap story. A fantastic debut from the talented E.D. Baker.
Oz 1 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum*****One of the true classics of American literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has stirred the imagination of young and old alike for over four generations. Originally published in 1900, it was the first truly American fairy tale, as Baum crafted a wonderful out of such familiar items as a cornfield scarecrow, a mechanical woodman, and a humbug wizard who used old-fashioned hokum to express that universal theme, "There's no place like home." Follow the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, as their Kansas house is swept away by a cyclone and they find themselves in a strange land called Oz. Here she meets the Munchkins and joins the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City, where lives the all-powered Wizard of Oz.
Oz 1 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum*****
Circus Mirandus
Cassie Beasley*****A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015

A New York Times Bestseller

 

Fans of The Magician's Elephant, Savvy, and Roald Dahl will fall in love with Circus Mirandus, which celebrates the power of seeing magic in the world.

Do you believe in magic?
Micah Tuttle does.

Even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The Circus is real. And the Lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle. With his friend Jenny Mendoza in tow, Micah sets out to find the Circus and the man he believes will save his grandfather.

The only problem is, the Lightbender doesn't want to keep his promise. And now it's up to Micah to get the miracle he came for.
The Disaster Days
Behrens, Rebecca*****
Dear Dumb Diary - Year Two 2: The Super-Nice Are Super-Annoying
Jim Benton*****Do NOT read Jamie Kelly's top-secret diaries!

"Sometimes it amazes me how ingenious I am about everything." —Jamie Kelly

We've been with Jamie Kelly through her search for inner beauty, poofy bridesmaid dresses, and desperate attempts to make money during summer vacation. Along the way, she's left us with countless gems of wisdom, such as: "If somebody ever asks you to kick her in the face, the first thing she will do is forget that she asked you to do it," and "As long as you keep laughing at how dumb something is, you can secretly enjoy it without risking your cool."

Now Jamie's upcoming diaries have a fresh look and a fun twist. It's Dear Dumb Diary: Year Two! The diary entries are still laugh-out-loud funny — but this is a whole new beginning. Everything is another year dumber!

(But Jamie STILL has no idea that anybody is reading her diary. So please, please, please don't tell her.)
Doll Bones
Holly Black*****Discover the Newbery Honor winner Doll Bones, from Holly Black, the cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book. A School Library Journal Best Book. A Booklist Editor’s Choice Books for Youth. A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book. A NYPL “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.” A 2013 Goodreads Choice award nominee. A People Magazine “Best New Kids Book.” Six starred reviews!

Winner of a 2014 Newbery Honor Medal.

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her.

But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave.

Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

Doll Bones is a winner of the Newbery Honor, is the recipient of six starred reviews, was on four Best Book lists, and was called "perfect" by The New York Times.
Tangerine
Edward Bloor*****Paul Fisher¹s older brother has always been the football-playing hero of the family. But when the Fishers move to Tangerine, Florida, Paul enters a place where weird is normal. And suddenly the blind can see. TANGERINE as named a 1997 American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, an ALA Top-Ten Best Book, a Horn Book Fanfare Book, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and an Edgar Award Nominee.
A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32
Joan W. Blos*****This novel, written in diary form, tells of "a pivotal year for 19th-century New Englander Catherine Cabot Hill—one of change, loss, and leave taking . . . a low-key, intense and reflective book".—"School Library Journal", starred review. 1980 Newbery Award book.
Williwaw!
Tom Bodett*****"Bodett, the genial voice in those Motel 6 commercials, offers a page-turner set in the wilds of Alaska, and he clearly knows the taste of sea and storm, the face of the landscape, and the sound of the loons and the scent of salmon. In this sentimental but rousing tale, September Crane, 13, and her 12-year-old brother, Ivan, are often left to themselves while their father fishes for their living. . . . Bodett interweaves the story of the williwaw, a wild storm that took their mother's life and family boat, with a spiraling series of bad choices. . . . Along the way, we learn about boat safety, respect for the sea, and self-sufficiency in a desolate but splendid place. . . . The weather's majesty and power are convincing, and the sister and brother are appealing characters . . . [with] very recognizable adolescent longings."
—Booklist
The Name of this Book Is Secret
Pseudonymous Bosch*****This is the story about a secret. but it also contains a secret story.

When adventurous detectives, Cass, an ever-vigilant survivalist, and Max-Ernest, a boy driven by logic, discover the Symphony of Smells, a box filled with smelly vials of colorful ingredients, they accidentally stumble upon a mystery surrounding a dead magician's diary and the hunt for immortality.

Filled with word games, anagrams, and featuring a mysterious narrator, this is a book that won't stay secret for long.
Masterpiece
Elise Broach*****Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays’ apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy.After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an elaborate miniature drawing. James gets all the credit for the picture and before these unlikely friends know it they are caught up in a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that could help recover a famous drawing by Albrecht Dürer. But James can’t go through with the plan without Marvin’s help. And that’s where things get really complicated (and interesting!). This fast-paced mystery will have young readers on the edge of their seats as they root for boy and beetle.   In Shakespeare’s Secret Elise Broach showed her keen ability to weave storytelling with history and suspense, and Masterpiece is yet another example of her talent. This time around it’s an irresistible miniature world, fascinating art history, all wrapped up in a special friendship— something for everyone to enjoy.   Masterpiece is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart 1
Stephanie Burgis*****A classic fantasy with terrific girl power (and chocolate), perfect for fans of Shannon Hale and Jessica Day George.

Aventurine is a brave young dragon ready to explore the world outside of her family's mountain cave . . . if only they'd let her leave it. Her family thinks she's too young to fly on her own, but she's determined to prove them wrong by capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human.

But when that human tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, she's transformed into a puny human without any sharp teeth, fire breath, or claws. Still, she's the fiercest creature in these mountains—and now she's found her true passion: chocolate. All she has to do is get to the human city to find herself an apprenticeship (whatever that is) in a chocolate house (which sounds delicious), and she'll be conquering new territory in no time . . . won't she?

Praise for Kat, Incorrigible
Bank Street Best Books of 2012
A Spring 2011 Kids' Indie Next pick
A 2012 ALA/ALSC Notable Children's Book
A Top 40 Pick for the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett*****Spoiled, angry Mary Lennox is sent to live with her mysterious uncle after the death of her parents, and new friends help her begin her life again.
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett*****Spoiled, angry Mary Lennox is sent to live with her mysterious uncle after the death of her parents, and new friends help her begin her life again.
The Summer of the Swans
Betsy Byars*****"The longest day in the life of a 14-year-old girl—the summer day her loved, mentally retarded brother is lost, the day she discovers compassion is a friend. A compelling story."—Publishers Weekly

Newbery Award Book
The Summer of the Swans
Betsy Byars*****"The longest day in the life of a 14-year-old girl—the summer day her loved, mentally retarded brother is lost, the day she discovers compassion is a friend. A compelling story."—Publishers Weekly

Newbery Award Book
The Summer of the Swans
Betsy Byars*****"The longest day in the life of a 14-year-old girl—the summer day her loved, mentally retarded brother is lost, the day she discovers compassion is a friend. A compelling story."—Publishers Weekly

Newbery Award Book
The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates 1: Magic Marks the Spot
Caroline Carlson*****Pirates! Magic! Treasure! A gargoyle? Caroline Carlson's hilarious tween novel The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1: Magic Marks the Spot is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Trenton Lee Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society.

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors, and she already owns a rather pointy sword.

There's only one problem: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of scourges and scallywags.

But Hilary is not the kind of girl to take no for answer. To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary sets out in search of her own seaworthy adventure, where she gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn't exist, a talking gargoyle, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas.

Written with uproarious wit and an inviting storyteller tone, the first book in Caroline Carlson's quirky seafaring series is a piratical tale like no other.
Alice 1 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll*****Beloved classic describes a little girl's adventures in a topsy-turvy land underground and her encounters with such improbable characters as the White Rabbit, March Hare and Mad Hatter, the sleepy Dormouse, grinning Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle, and the dreadful Queen of Hearts. Includes all 42 of Sir John Tenniel's original illustrations. A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
Alice 1-2: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll*****In 1862 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a shy Oxford mathematician with a stammer, created a story about a little girl tumbling down a rabbit hole. Thus began the immortal adventures of Alice, perhaps the most popular heroine in English literature. Countless scholars have tried to define the charm of the Alice books–with those wonderfully eccentric characters the Queen of Hearts, Tweedledum, and Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle, the Mad Hatter et al.–by proclaiming that they really comprise a satire on language, a political allegory, a parody of Victorian children’s literature, even a reflection of contemporary ecclesiastical history. Perhaps, as Dodgson might have said, Alice is no more than a dream, a fairy tale about the trials and tribulations of growing up–or down, or all turned round–as seen through the expert eyes of a child.
Alice 1-2: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll*****In 1862 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a shy Oxford mathematician with a stammer, created a story about a little girl tumbling down a rabbit hole. Thus began the immortal adventures of Alice, perhaps the most popular heroine in English literature. Countless scholars have tried to define the charm of the Alice books–with those wonderfully eccentric characters the Queen of Hearts, Tweedledum, and Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle, the Mad Hatter et al.–by proclaiming that they really comprise a satire on language, a political allegory, a parody of Victorian children’s literature, even a reflection of contemporary ecclesiastical history. Perhaps, as Dodgson might have said, Alice is no more than a dream, a fairy tale about the trials and tribulations of growing up–or down, or all turned round–as seen through the expert eyes of a child.
The Civil War
Alden R. Carter*****Examines the war that cost more than 500,000 lives, from the Battle of First Bull Run to the final surrender of the Confederate Army in 1865.
The American Revolution
Alden R. Carter*****Discusses the causes, events, campaigns, personalities, and aftermath of the American revolutionary war.
Clarice Bean Spells Trouble
Child, Lauren
Call Me María
Judith Ortiz Cofer*****A new novel from the award-winning author of AN ISLAND LIKE YOU, winner of the Pura Belpre Award.

Maria is a girl caught between two worlds: Puerto Rico, where she was born, and New York, where she now lives in a basement apartment in the barrio. While her mother remains on the island, Maria lives with her father, the super of their building. As she struggles to lose her island accent, Maria does her best to find her place within the unfamiliar culture of the barrio. Finally, with the Spanglish of the barrio people ringing in her ears, she finds the poet within herself.

In lush prose and spare, evocative poetry, Cofer weaves a powerful novel, bursting with life and hope.
War Comes to Willy Freeman
James Collier*****Willy Freeman's life changes forever when she witnesses her father's death at the hands of the Redcoats and returns home to find that the British have taken her mother as a prisoner to New York City.

Willy, disguised as a boy, begins her long search for her mother and luckily finds a haven at the famous Fraunces Tavern. But even with the help of Sam Fraunces and her fellow worker, Horace, Willy knows that to be black, female, and free leaves her open to danger at every turn. What will tomorrow bring?
Getting Near to Baby
Audrey Couloumbis*****A Southern charmer for fans of Newbery Honor book Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Audrey Couloumbis's masterful debut novel brings to mind Karen Hesse, Katherine Paterson, and Betsy Byars's The Summer of the Swans—it is a story you will never forget. 
Willa Jo and Little Sister are up on the roof at Aunt Patty’s house. Willa Jo went up to watch the sunrise, and Little Sister followed, like she always does. But by mid-morning, they are still up on that roof, and soon it’s clear it wasn’t just the sunrise that brought them there. 
The trouble is, coming down would mean they’d have to explain, and they just can’t find the words. 
This is a funny, sometimes heartbreaking, story about sisters, about grief, and about healing.  Two girls must come to terms with the death of their baby sister, their mother’s unshakable depression, and the ridiculously controlling aunt who takes them in and means well but just doesn’t understand children. Willa Jo has to try and make things right in their new home, but she and Aunt Patty keep butting heads. Until the morning the two girls climb up to the roof of her house. Aunt Patty tries everything she can think of to get them down, but in the end, the solution is miraculously simple.

A Newbery Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Chasing Redbird
Sharon Creech*****Zinny Taylor: Explorer

It started out as an ordinary summer. But the minute thirteen-year-old Zinny discovered the old, overgrown trail that ran through the woods behind her family's house, she realized that things were about to change.

Right from the start, Zinny knew that uncovering the trail would be more than just a summer project. It was her chance to finally make people notice her, and to have a place she could call her very own. But more than that, Zinny knew that the trail somehow held the key to all kinds of questions. And that the only way to understand her family, her Aunt Jessie's death, and herself was to find out where it went.

From Newbery Medal-winning author Sharon Creech comes an intricately woven tale of a young girl who sets out in search of her place in the world—and discovers it in her own backyard.
Chasing Redbird
Sharon Creech*****Zinny Taylor: Explorer

It started out as an ordinary summer. But the minute thirteen-year-old Zinny discovered the old, overgrown trail that ran through the woods behind her family's house, she realized that things were about to change.

Right from the start, Zinny knew that uncovering the trail would be more than just a summer project. It was her chance to finally make people notice her, and to have a place she could call her very own. But more than that, Zinny knew that the trail somehow held the key to all kinds of questions. And that the only way to understand her family, her Aunt Jessie's death, and herself was to find out where it went.

From Newbery Medal-winning author Sharon Creech comes an intricately woven tale of a young girl who sets out in search of her place in the world—and discovers it in her own backyard.
Chasing Redbird
Sharon Creech*****Zinny Taylor: Explorer

It started out as an ordinary summer. But the minute thirteen-year-old Zinny discovered the old, overgrown trail that ran through the woods behind her family's house, she realized that things were about to change.

Right from the start, Zinny knew that uncovering the trail would be more than just a summer project. It was her chance to finally make people notice her, and to have a place she could call her very own. But more than that, Zinny knew that the trail somehow held the key to all kinds of questions. And that the only way to understand her family, her Aunt Jessie's death, and herself was to find out where it went.

From Newbery Medal-winning author Sharon Creech comes an intricately woven tale of a young girl who sets out in search of her place in the world—and discovers it in her own backyard.
The Wanderer
Sharon Creech*****Publication Date: April 1, 2002 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up Thirteen-year-old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing aboard the Wanderer, a forty-five foot sailboat, which, along with uncles and another cousin, is en route to visit their grandfather in England. —This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
The Wanderer
Sharon Creech*****Publication Date: April 1, 2002 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up Thirteen-year-old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing aboard the Wanderer, a forty-five foot sailboat, which, along with uncles and another cousin, is en route to visit their grandfather in England. —This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
Christopher Paul Curtis*****A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's 13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the one person who can shape him up. And they happen to be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blown up.

From the Hardcover edition.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
Christopher Paul Curtis*****A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's 13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the one person who can shape him up. And they happen to be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blown up.

From the Hardcover edition.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
Christopher Paul Curtis*****A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's 13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the one person who can shape him up. And they happen to be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blown up.

From the Hardcover edition.
The BFG
Roald Dahl*****Celebrating 30 years of a beloved Roald Dahl classic!

For thirty years, readers have been enchanted by this story of young Sophie and the benevolent Big Friendly Giant—inspired by Roald Dahl's own granddaughter. Come celebrate and join them as they take on the Bonecruncher, the Bloodbottler, and other monsters to help make the world a better place for children everywhere!
The BFG
Roald Dahl*****Celebrating 30 years of a beloved Roald Dahl classic!

For thirty years, readers have been enchanted by this story of young Sophie and the benevolent Big Friendly Giant—inspired by Roald Dahl's own granddaughter. Come celebrate and join them as they take on the Bonecruncher, the Bloodbottler, and other monsters to help make the world a better place for children everywhere!
Don't Know Much About American History
Kenneth C. Davis*****Was Columbus the first European in the Americas?

What sport became more popular after the Civil War?

Were the Little Rock Nine a rock-and-roll band?

As best-selling author Kenneth C. Davis knows, history can be fun, fascinating, and memorable. When his don't know much about® history was published in 1990, it was a sensation. The book delivered a fresh take on history with its wit and unusual detail. Davis now does for young people what his earlier book did for adults. In his trademark question-and-answer style — peppered with surprising facts, historic reproductions, and Matt Faulkner's lively illustrations — Davis introduces our ancestors who settled the East and expanded the West, as well as those who had been living here all along. His sure touch brings the drama and excitement of the American story vividly to life.
Who Was Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
Patricia Brennan Demuth
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson
Barry Denenberg*****On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field as a Brooklyn Dodger and changed American baseball forever.

The first black man to play in the white major leagues, he had the courage to confront racism and fight for the rights of all black people, on and off the baseball diamond. He shattered the color barrier, and with tremendous skill and determination, he became not only one of the most legendary baseball players of all time, but also a great American hero.

Half a century later, Jackie Robinson's extraordinary story remains an important contribution to America's favorite pastime and to American history.
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson
Barry Denenberg*****On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field as a Brooklyn Dodger and changed American baseball forever.

The first black man to play in the white major leagues, he had the courage to confront racism and fight for the rights of all black people, on and off the baseball diamond. He shattered the color barrier, and with tremendous skill and determination, he became not only one of the most legendary baseball players of all time, but also a great American hero.

Half a century later, Jackie Robinson's extraordinary story remains an important contribution to America's favorite pastime and to American history.
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson
Barry Denenberg*****On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field as a Brooklyn Dodger and changed American baseball forever.

The first black man to play in the white major leagues, he had the courage to confront racism and fight for the rights of all black people, on and off the baseball diamond. He shattered the color barrier, and with tremendous skill and determination, he became not only one of the most legendary baseball players of all time, but also a great American hero.

Half a century later, Jackie Robinson's extraordinary story remains an important contribution to America's favorite pastime and to American history.
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson
Barry Denenberg*****On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field as a Brooklyn Dodger and changed American baseball forever.

The first black man to play in the white major leagues, he had the courage to confront racism and fight for the rights of all black people, on and off the baseball diamond. He shattered the color barrier, and with tremendous skill and determination, he became not only one of the most legendary baseball players of all time, but also a great American hero.

Half a century later, Jackie Robinson's extraordinary story remains an important contribution to America's favorite pastime and to American history.
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson
Barry Denenberg*****On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field as a Brooklyn Dodger and changed American baseball forever.

The first black man to play in the white major leagues, he had the courage to confront racism and fight for the rights of all black people, on and off the baseball diamond. He shattered the color barrier, and with tremendous skill and determination, he became not only one of the most legendary baseball players of all time, but also a great American hero.

Half a century later, Jackie Robinson's extraordinary story remains an important contribution to America's favorite pastime and to American history.
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Kate DiCamillo*****Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo.

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Kate DiCamillo*****Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other s lives. What happens then? Author: Kate DicamilloReading Level: Ages 9-12Format: 272 pages, Paperback Publisher: Candlewick (April 11, 2006) ISBN: 978-0763625290
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Kate DiCamillo*****Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other s lives. What happens then? Author: Kate DicamilloReading Level: Ages 9-12Format: 272 pages, Paperback Publisher: Candlewick (April 11, 2006) ISBN: 978-0763625290
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens*****In this unabridged version of the original 1843 edition, the classic tale is illustrated with full-color paintings and black-and-white drawings that brilliantly recapture an era and bring Dickens's characters vividly to life. "Michael Foreman's illustrations have brought new life and charm to a story we all know." — Parents Magazine
The Secret Language of Girls
Frances O'Roark Dowell*****In the old days, when Kate had no interest in romance, she never cared what other people thought. Now, it appeared, love was turning her into a rotten human being.

Eleven-year-old Kate Faber wishes she could talk to her best friend, Marylin, about this. But Marylin is no longer her best friend. Or is she? Kate and Marylin were always the kind of best friends who lived on the same block for their entire lives, and who agreed on what kinds of boys were worth kissing and who should be invited to their sleepover. The kind of best friends who didn't need words to talk, but who always just knew.

But lately Marylin has started to think that Kate can be a bit babyish. And Kate thinks Marylin is acting like a big snob. Somehow nothing is the same, but secretly Kate and Marylin both wish it could be...
The City of Ember
Jeanne DuPrau*****The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
The Familiars
Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson*****When Aldwyn, a young alley cat on the run, ducks into a mysterious pet shop, he doesn’t expect his life to change. But that’s exactly what happens when Jack, a young wizard, picks Aldwyn to be his magical familiar.

Finally off the tough streets, Aldwyn thinks he’s got it made. He just has to convince the other familiars—the know-it-all blue jay Skylar and the friendly tree frog Gilbert—that he’s the telekinetic cat he claims to be. But when Jack and two other wizards in training are captured by a terrible evil, it will take all of Aldwyn’s street smarts, a few good friends, and a nose for adventure to save the day!
Ginger Pye
Eleanor Estes*****Eleanor Estes’s Ginger Pye, a 1952 Newbery Medal winner, is a warm, witty mystery set in a small-town American community. Ginger Pye, the star of the show, is the very smart dog that ten-year-old Jerry Pye buys for a hard-earned dollar. The most famous pup in Cranbury (a town between Boston and New York), Ginger knows many tricks, is as loyal as he is smart, and steals the hearts of everyone he meets . . . until someone steals him! Will Jerry and his sister Rachel ever be able to find their beloved terrier? The author’s own black-and-white sketches leave just enough to the imagination. Don’t miss the sequel, Pinky Pye, also available in paperback!
The Greek Gods
Dorothy Evslin, Bernard Evlsin, Ned Hoopes*****An excellent introduction to mythology, this book includes a glossary, afterword, and bibliography.
The Girl Who Could Fly
Victoria Forester*****You just can’t keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods.   Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.   Sure, she hasn’t mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she’s real good at loop-the-loops.   Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma’s at her wit’s end. So it seems only fitting that she leave her parents’ farm to attend a top-secret, maximum-security school for kids with exceptional abilities.   School is great at first with a bunch of new friends whose skills range from super-strength to super-genius. (Plus all the homemade apple pie she can eat!) But Piper is special, even among the special. And there are consequences.   Consequences too dire to talk about. Too crazy to consider. And too dangerous to ignore.   At turns exhilarating and terrifying, Victoria Forester’s debut novel has been praised by Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight saga, as "the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men...Prepare to have your heart warmed.” The Girl Who Could Fly is an unforgettable story of defiance and courage about an irrepressible heroine who can, who will, who must . . . fly.   Praise for Victoria Forester and The Girl Who Could Fly:   "It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men. I was smiling the whole time (except for the part where I cried). I gave it to my mom, and I’m reading it to my kids—it’s absolutely multigenerational. Prepare to have your heart warmed.” Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight saga  

"In this terrific debut novel, readers meet Piper McCloud, the late-in-life daughter of farmers...The story soars, just like Piper, with enough loop-de-loops to keep kids uncertain about what will come next....Best of all are the book’s strong, lightly wrapped messages about friendship and authenticity and the difference between doing well and doing good."—Booklist, Starred Review   “Forester’s disparate settings (down-home farm and futuristic ice-bunker institute) are unified by the rock-solid point of view and unpretentious diction… any child who has felt different will take strength from Piper’s fight to be herself against the tide of family, church, and society.”—The Horn Book Review   The Girl Who Could Fly is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Lincoln: A Photobiography
Russell Freedman*****A description of the boyhood, marriage, and young professional life of Abraham Lincoln includes his presidential years and also reflects on the latest scholarly thoughts about our Civil War president.
Blue Willow
Doris Gates*****Janey Larkin can't remember when she's lived in the same place for more than a year. Her family has to keep moving so that her father can find work. But Janey longs for a real home and the chance to make friends. When Mom gets sick and the Larkins don't have rent money. Janey offers to pay the rent with her beloved treasure - the beautiful blue willow plate that once belonged to her great-great-grandmother. Losing the plate seems like the end of the world to Janey, but it's really the befinning of something wonderful. 154 pages
Blue Willow
Doris Gates*****Janey Larkin can't remember when she's lived in the same place for more than a year. Her family has to keep moving so that her father can find work. But Janey longs for a real home and the chance to make friends. When Mom gets sick and the Larkins don't have rent money. Janey offers to pay the rent with her beloved treasure - the beautiful blue willow plate that once belonged to her great-great-grandmother. Losing the plate seems like the end of the world to Janey, but it's really the befinning of something wonderful. 154 pages
Frightful 1: My Side of the Mountain
Jean Craighead George*****Terribly unhappy in his family's crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs away to the solitude-and danger-of the mountains, where he finds a side of himself he never knew.
Frightful 1: My Side of the Mountain
Jean Craighead George*****Terribly unhappy in his family's crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs away to the solitude-and danger-of the mountains, where he finds a side of himself he never knew.
Frightful 1: My Side of the Mountain
Jean Craighead George*****Terribly unhappy in his family's crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs away to the solitude-and danger-of the mountains, where he finds a side of himself he never knew.
Frightful 2: On the Far Side of the Mountain
Jean Craighead George*****Two years after Sam Gribley first ran away to live off the land, he is still on his own with his falcon, Frightful. His independent younger sister, Alice, lives in a treehouse of her own nearby. But suddenly, Sam's peaceful life is shattered. Frightful is confiscated by a conservation officer and Alice disappears. To find them, Sam must leave his mountain refuge and track Alice across the Catskills as only he can do. The trail to the far side of the mountain may lead Sam to the two beings that matter the most to him— or it may lead him into grave danger.
Frightful 3: Frightful's Mountain
Jean Craighead George*****It is illegal to harbor an endangered bird, so when Frightful returns to Sam, the boy who raised her, he has to chase her away. Frightful doesn’t know how to live alone in the wild, and she can’t feed herself, mate, brood chicks, or migrate. She struggles to survive and gradually learns to enjoy her new freedom. But Frightful feels a bond with Sam that can never be broken, and more than anything else, she wants to return to him.

“Fans of My Side of the Mountain will be glad to revisit Sam Gribley in this sequel.”
—The Horn Book

“Frightful’s Mountain is a novel that will change the way you look at the world.”
—The New York Times Book Review
Julie 1: Julie of the Wolves
Jean Craighead George*****Lost on the Tundra

To her small Eskimo village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When the village is no longer safe for her, Miyax runs away. But she soon finds herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness, without food, without even a compass to guide her.

Slowly she is accepted by a pack of Arctic wolves, Mid she grows to love them as though they were family. With their help, and drawing on her father's teachings, Miyax struggles day by clay to survive. But the time comes when she must leave the wilderness and choose between the old ways an(] the new. Which will she choose? For she is Miyax of the Eskimos—but Julie of the Wolves.

Faced with the prospect of a disagreeable arranged marriage or a journey acoss the barren Alaskan tundra, 13-year-old Miyax chooses the tundra. She finds herself caught between the traditional Eskimo ways and the modern ways of the whites. Miyax, or Julie as her pen pal Amy calls her, sets out alone to visit Amy in San Francisco, a world far away from Eskimo culture and the frozen land of Alaska.

During her long and arduous journey, Miyax comes to appreciate the value of her Eskimo heritage, learns about herself, and wins the friednship of a pack of wolves. After learning the language of the wolves and slowly earning their trust, Julie becomes a member of the pack.

Since its first publication, Julie of The Wolves,winner of thr 1973 Newbery Medal, has found its way into the hearts of millions of readers.
The Talking Earth
Jean Craighead George*****"Billie Wind lives with her Seminole tribe. She follows their customs, but the dangers of pollution and nuclear war she's learned about in school seem much more real to her. How can she believe the Seminole legends about talking animals and earth spirits? She wants answers, not legends.

"You are a doubter,"say the men of the Seminole Council and so Billie goes out into the Everglades alone, to stay until she can believe. In the wilderness, she discovers that she must listen to the land and animals in order to survive. With an otter, a panther cub, and a turtle as companions and guides, she begins to understand that the world of her people can give her the answers she seeks.
Eleven
Patricia Reilly Giff*****Sam must solve the mystery of who he really is.

Sam is almost 11 when he discovers a locked box in the attic above his grandfather Mack’s room, and a piece of paper that says he was kidnapped. There are lots of other words, but Sam has always had trouble reading. He’s desperate to find out who he is, and if his beloved Mack is really his grandfather. At night he’s haunted by dreams of a big castle and a terrifying escape on a boat. Who can he trust to help him read the documents that could unravel the mystery? Then he and the new girl, Caroline, are paired up to work on a school project, building a castle in Mack’s woodworking shop. Caroline loves to read, and she can help. But she’s moving soon, and the two must hurry to discover the truth about Sam.

★ “This psychological mystery explores a child’s deepest genetic need for belonging. An engrossing examination of a profound theme in the deft hands of a discerning author.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred

★ “Exquisitely rendered story of self-discovery. . . . Given the author’s expertise at developing sympathetic characters and creating a suspenseful plot, readers will find the complexity of Sam’ vulnerabilities to be as
intriguing as the unfolding enigma of his past.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred
Pictures of Hollis Woods
Patricia Reilly Giff*****Grade 4-7-Abandoned at birth, Hollis Woods has lived in about a half dozen homes and has always wished for a family. A foster caretaker describes her as "a mountain of trouble." When Josie Cahill, a retired art teacher, takes the 12-year-old into her home on Long Island, NY, the two bond almost immediately. Hollis draws pictures with colored pencils and Josie carves branches into people. However, it soon becomes clear that Josie has trouble remembering things, and Hollis becomes the caregiver. When she stops attending school, a social worker comes by to investigate. Flashbacks slowly illuminate Hollis's life with one family who had hoped to adopt her and why this didn't happen. Giff masterfully weaves these two strands together in a surprising and satisfying ending. Strong characterization and a solid sense of place are the strengths of this heartfelt story that will appeal to fans of Sharon Creech's Ruby Holler (2002), Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins (1978, both HarperCollins), and Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Gib Rides Home (Delacorte, 1998).
Old Yeller
Fred Gipson*****Set in the rough wilderness of early frontier Texas, Old Yeller is the timeless tale of a boy left in charge of his family's farm, and the big yellow dog who helps him with his many responsibilities.
Old Yeller
Fred Gipson*****Set in the rough wilderness of early frontier Texas, Old Yeller is the timeless tale of a boy left in charge of his family's farm, and the big yellow dog who helps him with his many responsibilities.
Welcome to Wonderland #1: Home Sweet Motel
Chris Grabenstein*****“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series

From the bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author with James Patterson of I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters, comes a hilarious illustrated series about all the wacky things that happen when you live in a motel!
 
Eleven-year-old P. T. Wilkie may be the greatest storyteller alive. But he knows one thing for a fact: the Wonderland Motel is the best place a kid could ever live! All-you-can-eat poolside ice cream! A snack machine in the living room! A frog slide! A giant rampaging alligator! (Okay, that last one may or may not be made up.) There’s only one thing the Wonderland doesn’t have, though—customers. And if the Wonderland doesn’t get them soon, P.T. and his friend Gloria may have to say goodbye to their beloved motel forever.
 
They need to think BIG. They need to think BOLD. They need an OUTRAGEOUS plan. Luckily for them, Gloria is a business GENIUS, and OUTRAGEOUS is practically P.T.’s middle name. With Gloria’s smarts and P.T.’s world-famous stories and schemes, there’s got to be a way to save the Wonderland!
 
BONUS: Includes fun extras like P. T. Wilkie’s outrageous (and sometimes useful) things you learn living in a motel. Installment 1: How to say “Help! The toilet is clogged!” in over twenty languages!

Here's What People are saying about Welcome to Wonderland!

* A New York Times Bestseller * Sunshine State Young Readers Award List * Winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award *  

“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars! Kids who check into this madcap motel will want to stay forever!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series

"So funny I fell off my bed!"—Izzy B., age 10

"Classic Grabenstein. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein’s “Mr. Lemoncello” followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. This new series should be a hit."—School Library Journal

“A  delight. P.T. is a hoot and a half. A funny, madcap dash. Grabenstein . . .  threads in a mystery that blooms in the last act and that puts this particular read over the top."—Kirkus Reviews 

“Charm galore. Easy and breezy, this well-paced novel . . . belongs in the hands of any readers wanting their bad guys bad, their good guys great, and a little of Wonderland’s promised fun in the sun.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Absolutely Almost
Lisa Graff*****From the author of the National Book Award nominee A TANGLE OF KNOTS comes an inspiring novel about figuring out who you are and doing what you love.

Albie has never been the smartest kid in his class. He has never been the tallest. Or the best at gym. Or the greatest artist. Or the most musical. In fact, Albie has a long list of the things he's not very good at. But then Albie gets a new babysitter, Calista, who helps him figure out all of the things he is good at and how he can take pride in himself.

A perfect companion to Lisa Graff's National Book Award-nominated A Tangle of Knots, this novel explores a similar theme in a realistic contemporary world where kids will easily be able to relate their own struggles to Albie's. Great for fans of Rebecca Stead's Liar and Spy, RJ Palacio's Wonder and Cynthia Lord's Rules.

Praise for Lisa Graff's novels

Tangle of Knots (nominated for a National Book Award)
* "Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come."—Booklist, starred review

Double Dog Dare
"Graff's...story is lighthearted and humorous, but honestly addresses the emotions associated with divorce. Her characters' voices, interactions, and hangups are relatable, as they battle each other and adjust to their families' reconfigurations."—Publishers Weekly
The House on the Gulf
Margaret Peterson Haddix*****NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS.

When Britt's older brother, Bran, lands a summer job house-sitting in Florida, it seems like a great opportunity. Britt's family has just recently moved to Florida, and could use the extra money while her mom finishes college. There's only one problem: Britt starts to suspect her family isn't supposed to be there.

Britt starts poking around, and makes a startling discovery — the owners of the house aren't who Bran says they are. So whose house are they living in, and why has Bran brought them there?
The House on the Gulf
Margaret Peterson Haddix*****NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS.

When Britt's older brother, Bran, lands a summer job house-sitting in Florida, it seems like a great opportunity. Britt's family has just recently moved to Florida, and could use the extra money while her mom finishes college. There's only one problem: Britt starts to suspect her family isn't supposed to be there.

Britt starts poking around, and makes a startling discovery — the owners of the house aren't who Bran says they are. So whose house are they living in, and why has Bran brought them there?
The Music of Dolphins
Karen Hesse*****A girl raised by dolphins must choose between two worlds in this critically acclaimed novel about what it means to be a human being. Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, SLJ Best Book of the Year, ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
The Music of Dolphins
Karen Hesse*****A girl raised by dolphins must choose between two worlds in this critically acclaimed novel about what it means to be a human being. Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, SLJ Best Book of the Year, ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
The Music of Dolphins
Karen Hesse*****A girl raised by dolphins must choose between two worlds in this critically acclaimed novel about what it means to be a human being. Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, SLJ Best Book of the Year, ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
The Music of Dolphins
Karen Hesse*****A girl raised by dolphins must choose between two worlds in this critically acclaimed novel about what it means to be a human being. Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, SLJ Best Book of the Year, ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
Charlie and Frog
Kane, Karen*****
Nancy Drew 1: The Secret of the Old Clock
Carolyn Keene*****Nancy Drew's keen mind is tested when she searches for a missing will.
The Titanic
Deborah Kent*****Dramatic and defining moments in American history come vividly the life in the Cornerstones of Freedom series.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Judith Kerr*****Anna is not sure who Hitler is, but she sees his face on posters all over Berlin. Then one morning, Anna and her brother awake to find her father gone! Her mother explains that their father has had to leave and soon they will secretly join him. Anna just doesn?t understand. Why do their parents keep insisting that Germany is no longer safe for Jews like them? Because of Hitler, Anna must leave everything behind. Based on the gripping real-life story of the author, this poignant backlist staple gets a brandnew look for a new generation of readers just in time for Holocaust Remembrance Month.
43 Old Cemetery Road 1: Dying to Meet You
Kate Klise*****Sisters Kate and M. Sarah Klise (creators of the Regarding the . . . series) launched their lively 43 Old Cemetery Road series in 2009 with Dying to Meet You, the story of the churlish, child-hating sixty-year-old children’s book author Ignatius B. Grumply, who rents an old Victorian mansion in Ghastly, Illinois, for the summer . . . only to find it already inhabited. Enter eleven-year-old Seymour Hope and the vivacious, “old as dirt” writer-ghost Olive C. Spence. The ensuing tale of unlikely roommates is cleverly, seamlessly told in letters, newspaper articles, Grumply’s work-in-progress “Ghost Tamer” manuscript, and winning illustrations by M. Sarah Klise. Alternately poignant and side-splittingly funny—and full of writing and publishing jokes—this charming title was nominated for nine state book awards and named a Junior Library Guild selection. Don’t miss the next books in the series, including Over My Dead Body (Book 2) and Till Death Do Us Bark (Book 3).
The View from Saturday
E. L. Konigsburg*****HOW HAD MRS. OLINSKI CHOSEN her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they make such a good team?

It was a surprise to a lot of people when Mrs. Olinski's team won the sixth-grade Academic Bowl contest at Epiphany Middle School. It was an even bigger surprise when they beat the seventh grade and the eighth grade, too. And when they went on to even greater victories, everyone began to ask: How did it happen?

It happened at least partly because Noah had been the best man (quite by accident) at the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather. It happened because Nadia discovered that she could not let a lot of baby turtles die. It happened when Ethan could not let Julian face disaster alone. And it happened because Julian valued something important in himself and saw in the other three something he also valued.

Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching after having been injured in an automobile accident, found that her Academic Bowl team became her answer to finding confidence and success. What she did not know, at least at first, was that her team knew more than she did the answer to why they had been chosen.

This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories — one for each of the team members — that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers.
The View from Saturday
E. L. Konigsburg*****HOW HAD MRS. OLINSKI CHOSEN her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they make such a good team?

It was a surprise to a lot of people when Mrs. Olinski's team won the sixth-grade Academic Bowl contest at Epiphany Middle School. It was an even bigger surprise when they beat the seventh grade and the eighth grade, too. And when they went on to even greater victories, everyone began to ask: How did it happen?

It happened at least partly because Noah had been the best man (quite by accident) at the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather. It happened because Nadia discovered that she could not let a lot of baby turtles die. It happened when Ethan could not let Julian face disaster alone. And it happened because Julian valued something important in himself and saw in the other three something he also valued.

Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching after having been injured in an automobile accident, found that her Academic Bowl team became her answer to finding confidence and success. What she did not know, at least at first, was that her team knew more than she did the answer to why they had been chosen.

This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories — one for each of the team members — that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers.
The View from Saturday
E. L. Konigsburg*****HOW HAD MRS. OLINSKI CHOSEN her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they make such a good team?

It was a surprise to a lot of people when Mrs. Olinski's team won the sixth-grade Academic Bowl contest at Epiphany Middle School. It was an even bigger surprise when they beat the seventh grade and the eighth grade, too. And when they went on to even greater victories, everyone began to ask: How did it happen?

It happened at least partly because Noah had been the best man (quite by accident) at the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather. It happened because Nadia discovered that she could not let a lot of baby turtles die. It happened when Ethan could not let Julian face disaster alone. And it happened because Julian valued something important in himself and saw in the other three something he also valued.

Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching after having been injured in an automobile accident, found that her Academic Bowl team became her answer to finding confidence and success. What she did not know, at least at first, was that her team knew more than she did the answer to why they had been chosen.

This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories — one for each of the team members — that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers.
The 39 Clues 2: One False Note
Gordan Korman*****Super-selling author Gordon Korman sends Amy and Dan off on a wild chase in Book 2 of the highly-anticipated "39 Clues" series. This just in! Amy and Dan Cahill were spotted on a train, hot on the trail of one of 39 Clues hidden around the world. But wait! Police report a break-in at an elite hotel, and the suspects also sound suspiciously like Amy and Dan. Update! Amy and Dan have been seen in a car...no, in a speedboat chase...and hold everything! They're being chased by an angry mob. When there's a Clue on the line, anything can happen. Think you've gone everywhere books can take you? Think again. Books are going to a new place but you have to follow the clues to get there.Join Amy and Dan as they continue the hunt for the 39 Clues in "Book Two: One False Note". The high-octane adventures will continue for a total of ten exhilarating books written by well-known authors over two years. "The 39 Clues" also encompasses hundreds of game cards and an online world that allows you to play a part in the story and compete for 100s of prizes, totaling over GBP50,000.
The 39 Clues 8: The Emperor's Code
Gordan Korman*****Tensions run high in the explosive 8th book of 39 Clues, the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

JOIN ANYTIME TO PLAY FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN!

As the race to find the 39 Clues builds to its explosive finish, Amy and Dan must explore an ancient culture and steal a Clue guarded by thousands of the world's best-trained soldiers. It's the most dangerous Clue search yet. As their enemies crowd in, Amy and Dan find themselves separated for the first time ever. The choice lies before them - find the next Clue, or find their way back to each other.
The Hypnotists
Gordon Korman*****Is it a gift . . . or is it a curse? Jax Opus can use his color-changing eyes to make people do things they don't want to do. (Only his color-blind best friend, Tommy, seems immune.) At first, Jax doesn't know what he's doing — temporarily hypnotizing friends, foes, and strangers. But then his power pushes things way too far, and his secret isn't a secret any longer.

Soon Jax finds himself meeting Dr. Elias Mako, who wants him to join a special institution that will teach him how to use his powers. But what will his powers be used for? That's the big question for Jax as his hypnotic abilities draw him into a conspiracy that will have him racing against time and a mysterious mastermind to save his best friend, his parents, and the entire United States.

From #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a fast, fun, and fantastic adventure about a kid who can make other people do what he wants — and who's wanted big-time because of it.
No More Dead Dogs
Gordon Korman*****Nobody understands Wallace Wallace. This reluctant school football hero has been suspended from the team for writing an unfavorable book report of Old Shep, My Pal. But Wallace won`t tell a lie-he hated every minute of the book! Why does the dog in every classic novel have to croak at the end? After refusing to do a rewrite, his English teacher, who happens to be directing the school play Old Shep, My Pal, forces him go to the rehearsals as punishment. Although Wallace doesn`t change his mind, he does end up changing the play into a rock-and-roll rendition, complete with Rollerblades and a moped!
No More Dead Dogs
Gordon Korman*****
Schooled
Gordon Korman*****CAP was beginning to rile me. "Of course it's empty. It's your locker. It's empty until you put something in it." "What do I have to put in there?" he demanded. "How should I know? It's your stuff." "When we lock things away," he said with conviction, "we're really imprisoning ourselves." Now, that was definitely something you didn't hear every day. "What school did you go to before this?" "I'm homeschooled," he informed me. "I'm only here because Rain broke her hip, and they won't let me live alone at the community." Hugh Winkleman, you're a lucky man. With the arrival of this new kid, all the losers in school were bumped down one space. Never before had anyone screamed for the job of eighth grad president like Capricorn Anderson.
Schooled
Gordon Korman*****CAP was beginning to rile me. "Of course it's empty. It's your locker. It's empty until you put something in it." "What do I have to put in there?" he demanded. "How should I know? It's your stuff." "When we lock things away," he said with conviction, "we're really imprisoning ourselves." Now, that was definitely something you didn't hear every day. "What school did you go to before this?" "I'm homeschooled," he informed me. "I'm only here because Rain broke her hip, and they won't let me live alone at the community." Hugh Winkleman, you're a lucky man. With the arrival of this new kid, all the losers in school were bumped down one space. Never before had anyone screamed for the job of eighth grad president like Capricorn Anderson.
Onion John
Joseph Krumgold*****The story of a friendship between a 12-year-old boy and an immigrant handyman, almost wrecked by the good intentions of the townspeople.
Time Quintet 2: A Wind in the Door
Madeleine L'Engle*****It is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin’s vegetable garden.  That night Meg, Calvin and C.W. go to the vegetable garden to meet the Teacher (Blajeny) who explains that what they are seeing isn’t a dragon at all, but a cherubim named Proginoskes.  It turns out that C.W. is ill and that  Blajeny and Proginoskes are there to make him well – by making him well, they will keep the balance of the universe in check and save it from the evil Echthros. 
 
Meg, Calvin and Mr. Jenkins (grade school principal) must travel inside C.W. to have this battle and save Charles’ life as well as the balance of the universe.
Time Quintet 2: A Wind in the Door
Madeleine L'Engle*****It is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin’s vegetable garden.  That night Meg, Calvin and C.W. go to the vegetable garden to meet the Teacher (Blajeny) who explains that what they are seeing isn’t a dragon at all, but a cherubim named Proginoskes.  It turns out that C.W. is ill and that  Blajeny and Proginoskes are there to make him well – by making him well, they will keep the balance of the universe in check and save it from the evil Echthros. 
 
Meg, Calvin and Mr. Jenkins (grade school principal) must travel inside C.W. to have this battle and save Charles’ life as well as the balance of the universe.
Time Quintet 3: A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Madeleine L'Engle*****It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.

"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."

A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.
Time Quintet 3: A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Madeleine L'Engle*****
Time Quintet 4: Many Waters
Madeleine L'Engle*****The third book in Madeleine L'Engle's spellbinding A Wrinkle in Time Quintet.

"Another provocative spellbinding tale.” ―Philadelphia Inquirer

Some things have to be believed to be seen.

Sandy and Dennys have always been the normal, run-of-the-mill ones in the extraodinary Murry family. They garden, make an occasional A in school, and play baseball. Nothing especially interesting has happened to the twins until they accidentally interrupt their father's experiment.

Then the two boys are thrown across time and space. They find themselves alone in the desert, where, if they believe in unicorns, they can find unicorns, and whether they believe or not, mammoths and manticores will find them.

The twins are rescued by Japheth, a man from the nearby oasis, but before he can bring them to safety, Dennys gets lost. Each boy is quickly embroiled in the conflicts of this time and place, whose populations includes winged seraphim, a few stray mythic beasts, perilous and beautiful nephilim, and small, long lived humans who consider Sandy and Dennys giants. The boys find they have more to do in the oasis than simply getting themselves home—they have to reunite an estranged father and son, but it won't be easy, especially when the son is named Noah and he's about to start building a boat in the desert.

Praise for Many Waters:

“Sandy and Dennys, twins and middle children in the Newbery-winning A Wrinkle in Time, are transported to the time just before the Flood. . . This will be enjoyed for its suspense and humor as well as its other levels of meaning.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“L'Engle blends speculative fiction with biblical theology to create another provocative spellbinding tale.” ―Philadelphia Inquirer

Books by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Many Waters
An Acceptable Time

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle; adapted & illustrated by Hope Larson: A graphic novel adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic.

Intergalactic P.S. 3 by Madeleine L'Engle; illustrated by Hope Larson: A standalone story set in the world of A Wrinkle in Time!

The Austin Family Chronicles
Meet the Austins (Volume 1)
The Moon by Night (Volume 2)
The Young Unicorns (Volume 3)
A Ring of Endless Light (Volume 4) A Newbery Honor book!
Troubling a Star (Volume 5)

The Polly O'Keefe books
The Arm of the Starfish
Dragons in the Waters
A House Like a Lotus

And Both Were Young

Camilla

The Joys of Love
Eight Keys
Suzanne LaFleur*****Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them.  There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor.
When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish.  Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the bar . . .

SUNSHINE STATE AWARD FINALIST!

From the Hardcover edition.
Distress Signal
Lambert, Mary E.*****
Guardians of Ga'Hoole 12: The Golden Tree
Kathryn Lasky*****After the time of the legends, the tale of the Guardians returns to the present in which Soren, the hero of Books 1-6, must train a new king. Old friends, new adventures!

Coryn, Soren, and the Band preside over a new Golden Age of the Great Tree under the subtle influence of the Ember. All seems well, but beneath the prosperity of peace Coryn is tortured by the suspicion that his evil mother, Nyra, is a hagsfiend and that his own blood carries the haggish taint. He wanders afar searching for the truth from hagsfiends themselves - putting the Great Tree in danger. Soren & the Band follow their new king to strange parts to guard him from the consequences of his obsession.
Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens
Patricia Lauber*****Mount St. Helens's powerful explosions in 1980 shook the country for hundreds of miles; its destructive mudflow leveled whole forests, and left behind desolate landscapes. Almost from the moment the volcano quieted down, there has been a slow but steady return of life to the mountain. With Lauber's taut prose and well-edited photographs, the reader relives the eruption and healing. The author begins with scientists' predictions, 123 years before the volcano blew; documents the actual blast; then traces the surviving plant, animal and insect life which continue to develop to this day. Lauber also explains how these survivors created a base on which other life forms could take hold. The full-color photos allow readers to observe the contrasts caused by the eruptions: a peaceful lake becomes a lunar mudhole, green plants grow stubbornly out of cracks in the hard crust. The bookand Mount St. Helensstand as testimony to the tenacity of life. This is a magnificent, awe-inspiring work.
Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens
Patricia Lauber*****Mount St. Helens's powerful explosions in 1980 shook the country for hundreds of miles; its destructive mudflow leveled whole forests, and left behind desolate landscapes. Almost from the moment the volcano quieted down, there has been a slow but steady return of life to the mountain. With Lauber's taut prose and well-edited photographs, the reader relives the eruption and healing. The author begins with scientists' predictions, 123 years before the volcano blew; documents the actual blast; then traces the surviving plant, animal and insect life which continue to develop to this day. Lauber also explains how these survivors created a base on which other life forms could take hold. The full-color photos allow readers to observe the contrasts caused by the eruptions: a peaceful lake becomes a lunar mudhole, green plants grow stubbornly out of cracks in the hard crust. The bookand Mount St. Helensstand as testimony to the tenacity of life. This is a magnificent, awe-inspiring work.
Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens
Patricia Lauber*****Mount St. Helens's powerful explosions in 1980 shook the country for hundreds of miles; its destructive mudflow leveled whole forests, and left behind desolate landscapes. Almost from the moment the volcano quieted down, there has been a slow but steady return of life to the mountain. With Lauber's taut prose and well-edited photographs, the reader relives the eruption and healing. The author begins with scientists' predictions, 123 years before the volcano blew; documents the actual blast; then traces the surviving plant, animal and insect life which continue to develop to this day. Lauber also explains how these survivors created a base on which other life forms could take hold. The full-color photos allow readers to observe the contrasts caused by the eruptions: a peaceful lake becomes a lunar mudhole, green plants grow stubbornly out of cracks in the hard crust. The bookand Mount St. Helensstand as testimony to the tenacity of life. This is a magnificent, awe-inspiring work.
Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens
Patricia Lauber*****Mount St. Helens's powerful explosions in 1980 shook the country for hundreds of miles; its destructive mudflow leveled whole forests, and left behind desolate landscapes. Almost from the moment the volcano quieted down, there has been a slow but steady return of life to the mountain. With Lauber's taut prose and well-edited photographs, the reader relives the eruption and healing. The author begins with scientists' predictions, 123 years before the volcano blew; documents the actual blast; then traces the surviving plant, animal and insect life which continue to develop to this day. Lauber also explains how these survivors created a base on which other life forms could take hold. The full-color photos allow readers to observe the contrasts caused by the eruptions: a peaceful lake becomes a lunar mudhole, green plants grow stubbornly out of cracks in the hard crust. The bookand Mount St. Helensstand as testimony to the tenacity of life. This is a magnificent, awe-inspiring work.
Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens
Patricia Lauber*****Mount St. Helens's powerful explosions in 1980 shook the country for hundreds of miles; its destructive mudflow leveled whole forests, and left behind desolate landscapes. Almost from the moment the volcano quieted down, there has been a slow but steady return of life to the mountain. With Lauber's taut prose and well-edited photographs, the reader relives the eruption and healing. The author begins with scientists' predictions, 123 years before the volcano blew; documents the actual blast; then traces the surviving plant, animal and insect life which continue to develop to this day. Lauber also explains how these survivors created a base on which other life forms could take hold. The full-color photos allow readers to observe the contrasts caused by the eruptions: a peaceful lake becomes a lunar mudhole, green plants grow stubbornly out of cracks in the hard crust. The bookand Mount St. Helensstand as testimony to the tenacity of life. This is a magnificent, awe-inspiring work.
Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens
Patricia Lauber*****Mount St. Helens's powerful explosions in 1980 shook the country for hundreds of miles; its destructive mudflow leveled whole forests, and left behind desolate landscapes. Almost from the moment the volcano quieted down, there has been a slow but steady return of life to the mountain. With Lauber's taut prose and well-edited photographs, the reader relives the eruption and healing. The author begins with scientists' predictions, 123 years before the volcano blew; documents the actual blast; then traces the surviving plant, animal and insect life which continue to develop to this day. Lauber also explains how these survivors created a base on which other life forms could take hold. The full-color photos allow readers to observe the contrasts caused by the eruptions: a peaceful lake becomes a lunar mudhole, green plants grow stubbornly out of cracks in the hard crust. The bookand Mount St. Helensstand as testimony to the tenacity of life. This is a magnificent, awe-inspiring work.
Savvy
Ingrid Law*****Thirteen is when a Beaumont’s savvy hits—and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, Mibs Beaumont is eager to see what she gets. But just before the big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. And now all Mibs wants is a savvy that will save him. In fact, Mibs is so sure she’ll get a powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus with her sibling and the preacher’s kids in tow. After this extraordinary adventure—full of talking tattoos and a kidnapping—not a soul on board will ever be the same.

A Discussion Guide to Scumble and Savvy by Ingrid Law
Mr. Revere and I: Being an Account of Certain Episodes in the Career of Paul Revere, Esq. as Revealed by His Horse
Robert Lawson*****Paul Revere didn't make his famous midnight ride alone. Meet a patriot unlike any other: Scheherazade, the mare who doesn't mind mentioning she was once the fastest and most admired horse in the King's army. But on arrival in America, "Sherry" is quickly let down by her British rider and recruited by Sam Adams to join the Sons of Liberty. Before long, she finds herself teamed with Raul Revere to play a key-if unnoticed-role in the American Revolution. Full of wit and wisdom, this beloved classic presents an unforgettable view to the birth of a nation-straight from the horse's mouth!

Explore this historical time period even further in this new edition of award-winning author Robert Lawson's classic tale, with additional bonus material, including a map of Paul Revere's ride!
Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the Jews
Ellen Levine*****The remarkable story of collective and individual acts of bravery and altruism. Photos, map, bibliography, index.
Ella Enchanted
Gail Carson Levine*****Ella is a girl with a most unusual gift, and her story has charmed readers and critics alike. Now Miramax Films brings this wholly original Cinderella story to the silver screen, complete with princes, ogres, wicked stepsisters, and a fairy-tale ending fit for a princess.
Alexander Graham Bell: Teacher of the Deaf
Juna Loch*****
Doctor Dolittle 2: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
Hugh Lofting*****Doctor Dolittle heads for the high seas in perhaps the most amazing adventure ever experienced by man or animal.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****It’s 1943 Copenhagen and the Jews of Denmark are being “relocated,” so Annemarie Johansen’s best friend, Ellen, moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. When Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission, she must find the courage to save her friend’s life.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****It’s 1943 Copenhagen and the Jews of Denmark are being “relocated,” so Annemarie Johansen’s best friend, Ellen, moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. When Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission, she must find the courage to save her friend’s life.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****It’s 1943 Copenhagen and the Jews of Denmark are being “relocated,” so Annemarie Johansen’s best friend, Ellen, moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. When Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission, she must find the courage to save her friend’s life.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****It’s 1943 Copenhagen and the Jews of Denmark are being “relocated,” so Annemarie Johansen’s best friend, Ellen, moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. When Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission, she must find the courage to save her friend’s life.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****It’s 1943 Copenhagen and the Jews of Denmark are being “relocated,” so Annemarie Johansen’s best friend, Ellen, moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. When Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission, she must find the courage to save her friend’s life.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry*****
The Big Field
Mike Lupica*****Playing shortstop is a way of life for Hutch?not only is his hero, Derek Jeter, a shortstop, but so was his father, a former local legend turned pro. Which is why having to play second base feels like demotion to second team. Yet that?s where Hutch ends up after Darryl ?D-Will? Williams, the best shortstop prospect since A-Rod, joins the team. But Hutch is nothing if not a team player, and he?s cool with playing in D-Will?s shadow?until, that is, the two shortstops in Hutch?s life betray him in a way he never could have imagined. With the league championship on the line, just how far is Hutch willing to bend to be a good teammate?
Heat
Mike Lupica*****The #1 Bestseller!

Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned after his father led the family’s escape from Cuba, Michael’s only family is his seventeen-yearold brother Carlos. If Social Services hears of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care system—or worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no parent to fight for his cause, Michael’s secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources.

Perfect for any Little Leaguer with dreams of making it big—as well as for fans of Mike Lupica's other New York Times bestsellers Travel Team, The Big Field, The Underdogs, Million-Dollar Throw, and The Game Changers series, this cheer-worthy baseball story shows that when the game knocks you down, champions stand tall.
Safe at Home
Mike Lupica*****Nick Crandall feels like he doesn't belong anywhere. He doesn't fit in with his new foster parents. They don't know the first thing about sports - and he's not exactly the model student they want him to be. It's only a matter of time until they realize he's not the right kid for them. And Nick certainly doesn't belong playing varsity baseball. He's only twelve years old! His teammates want a catcher their own age. But Nick needs to prove that he belongs - to his parents, to his team, and to himself.
Safe at Home
Mike Lupica*****Nick Crandall feels like he doesn't belong anywhere. He doesn't fit in with his new foster parents. They don't know the first thing about sports - and he's not exactly the model student they want him to be. It's only a matter of time until they realize he's not the right kid for them. And Nick certainly doesn't belong playing varsity baseball. He's only twelve years old! His teammates want a catcher their own age. But Nick needs to prove that he belongs - to his parents, to his team, and to himself.
Summer Ball
Mike Lupica*****The sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Travel Team!

When you're the smallest kid playing a big man's game, the challenges never stop—especially when your name is Danny Walker. Leading your travel team to the national championship may seem like a dream come true, but for Danny, being at the top just means the competition tries that much harder to knock him off. Now Danny's heading to Right Way basketball camp for the summer, and he knows that with the country's best players in attendance, he's going to need to take his game up a notch if he wants to match up. But it won't be easy. Old rivals and new battles leave Danny wondering if he really does have what it takes to stand tall.
Two-Minute Drill
Mike Lupica*****Chris Conlan is the coolest kid in sixth grade?the golden-armed quarterback of the football team and the boy all the others look up to. Scott Parry is the new kid, the boy with the huge brain, but with feet that trip over themselves. These two boys may seem like an odd couple, but each has a secret that draws them together, and proves that the will to succeed is even more important than raw talent.
The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History
John S. Major*****Silk has long been considered a symbol of wealth and luxury. But thousands of years ago, the production of silk cloth was one of China's most prized secrets. So how did silk become one of the most sought-after materials in the world?

With lavish illustrations and a highly informative text, The Silk Route traces the early history of the silk trade-from the mulberry groves of China to the marketplace in Byzantium-and explores how two of the world's greatest empires were brought together, forever opening the channels of commerce between East and West.
P. S. Longer Letter Later
Ann M. Martin, Paula Danziger*****Best friends Elizabeth and Tara Starr now live in different towns, but they continue their friendship through letters. Paula Danziger writes in Tara's voice, and Ann M. Martin in Elizabeth's voice, in this complex and emotionally rich novel about two friends coping with overwhelming change.
11 Birthdays
Wendy Mass*****This hilarious novel from award-winning author Wendy Mass is now available in paperback!

It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited—-after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together. When Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating iself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . .
The Candymakers
Wendy Mass*****Four gifted twelve-year-olds, including Logan, the candymaker’s son, are set to be contestants in the Confectionary Association’s national competition to determine the nation’s tastiest sweet, but nobody anticipates that a friendship will form between them.
The Candymakers
Wendy Mass*****
Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War
Harry Mazer*****"I WANTED TO SERVE, TO BE PART OF THIS THING MY FATHER HAD GIVEN HIS LIFE FOR. I DIDN'T WANT THE WAR TO END, AND ALL I'D BE ABLE TO SAY WAS, NO I DIDN'T SERVE, I WAS RIGHT HERE THE WHOLE WAR, SAFE IN BAKERSFIELD."
Adam Pelko witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that killed his father, a lieutenant on the USS Arizona. Even though Adam is underage, he defies his mother's wishes and enlists in the Marines. Sent first to boot camp, then to Okinawa, he experiences the stark reality of war firsthand — the camaraderie and the glory as well as the grueling regimen, the paralyzing fear, and death. And at every turn, Adam must confront memories of his father.
In the concluding volume of his World War II trilogy, Harry Mazer masterfully illustrates Adam's journey as he navigates brutal circumstances that no boy should know.
Caterpillar Summer
McDunn, Gillian*****
Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, the Great Migration North
Patricia C. McKissack*****Twelve-year-old Nellie Lee's family moves north to Chicago in search of a better life. Like many other African Americans, they hope to escape the racism of the rural south and take advantage of the opportunities in the city. Instead, they find themselves faced with a more sinister form of prejudice — hatred within there own race.
Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?
Patricia C. McKissack, Frederick McKissack*****This 1993 Coretta Scott King Honor Book chronicles the life of African-American Sojourner Truth, a nineteenth-century preacher, abolitionist, and activist for the rights of African Americans and women. Reprint. PW. SLJ. H.
Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Meg Medina*****Winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal

Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina.

Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.
Anne of Green Gables 1
L. M. Montgomery*****The Cuthberts want to adopt an orphan boy who can help out on the farm. Instead they get Anne, a proud, talkative eleven-year-old girl. Anne stays on the farm and eventually wins their hearts.
Anne of Green Gables 1
L. M. Montgomery*****The Cuthberts want to adopt an orphan boy who can help out on the farm. Instead they get Anne, a proud, talkative eleven-year-old girl. Anne stays on the farm and eventually wins their hearts.
The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea
Sy Montgomery*****It looks like a bear, but isn’t one. It climbs trees as easily as a monkey— but isn’t a monkey, either. It has a belly pocket like a kangaroo, but what’s a kangaroo doing up a tree? Meet the amazing Matschie’s tree kangaroo, who makes its home in the ancient trees of Papua New Guinea’s cloud forest. And meet the amazing scientists who track these elusive animals.   This title has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 4-5, Informational Texts)
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World ... One Child at a Time
Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin*****Make this your next book club selection and everyone saves.
Get 15% off when you order 5 or more of this title for your book club.
Simply enter the coupon code MORTENSONTHREE at checkout.
This offer does not apply to eBook purchases. This offer applies to only one downloadable audio per purchase.

This young readers edition of the worldwide bestseller Three Cups of Tea has been specially adapted for younger readers and updated by Greg Mortenson to bring his remarkable story of humanitarianism up to date for the present. Includes new photos and illustrations, as well as a special interview by Greg’s twelve-year-old daughter, Amira, who has traveled with her father as an advocate for the Pennies for Peace program for children.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World ... One Child at a Time
Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin*****
Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs
Munoz Ryan, Pam
Children of the Red King 1: Midnight for Charlie Bone
Jenny Nimmo*****
Habibi
Naomi Shihab Nye*****The day after Liyana got her first real kiss, her life changed forever. Not because of the kiss, but because it was the day her father announced that the family was moving from St. Louis all the way to Palestine. Though her father grew up there, Liyana knows very little about her family's Arab heritage. Her grandmother and the rest of her relatives who live in the West Bank are strangers, and speak a language she can't understand. It isn't until she meets Omer that her homesickness fades. But Omer is Jewish, and their friendship is silently forbidden in this land. How can they make their families understand? And how can Liyana ever learn to call this place home?
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (The Secret of NIMH)
Robert C. O'Brien*****Could Mrs. Frisby, a tiny mouse, save her family? She would have to go to her worst enemy for help - The Rats!
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (The Secret of NIMH)
Robert C. O'Brien*****Could Mrs. Frisby, a tiny mouse, save her family? She would have to go to her worst enemy for help - The Rats!
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (The Secret of NIMH)
Robert C. O'Brien*****Could Mrs. Frisby, a tiny mouse, save her family? She would have to go to her worst enemy for help - The Rats!
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (The Secret of NIMH)
Robert C. O'Brien*****Could Mrs. Frisby, a tiny mouse, save her family? She would have to go to her worst enemy for help - The Rats!
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell*****In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
Thunder Rolling in the Mountains
Scott O'Dell, Elizabeth Hall*****For ages 9 to 12, RL 5.6

It is the spring of 1877 when fourteen-year-old Sound of Running Feet, daughter of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, sees white people panning gold in the little creek that feeds the Wallowa River, and brings word of them to her father.

"They are the first, but more are on the way," he says. "We are few and they are many. They will devour us."

It is Sound of Running Feet who narrates the story of her tribe's fate. Readers will be gripped as she shares with us her respect for her father, her love for handsome Swan Necklace, and her destiny.
Silverwing: How One Small Bat Became a Noble Hero
Kenneth Oppel*****Shade is a young silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he's determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a fierce storm, he loses the others and soon faces the most incredible journey of his young life. Desperately searching for a way to rejoin his flock, Shade meets a remarkable cast of characters: Marina, a Brightwing bat with a strange metal band on her leg; Zephyr, a mystical albino bat with an unusual gift; and Goth, a gigantic carnivorous vampire bat. But which ones are friends and which ones are enemies? In this epic story of adventure and suspense, Shade is going to need all the help he can find — if he hopes to ever see his family again.
Wonder
R. J. Palacio*****August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

"Wonder is the best kids' book of the year," said Emily Bazelon, senior editor at Slate.com and author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.

Join the conversation: #thewonderofwonder
A Single Shard
Linda Sue Park*****Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters’ village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.
A Single Shard
Linda Sue Park*****Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters’ village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.
A Single Shard
Linda Sue Park*****Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters’ village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.
A Single Shard
Linda Sue Park*****Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters’ village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.
Rosa Parks: My Story
Rosa Parks, Jim Haskins*****Rosa Parks is best known for the day she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. Yet there is much more to her story than this one act of defiance. In this straightforward, compelling autobiography, Rosa Parks talks candidly about the civil rights movement and her active role in it. Her dedication is inspiring; her story is unforgettable. "The simplicity and candor of this courageous woman's voice makes these compelling events even more moving and dramatic." ? Publishers Weekly, starred review
Colder Than Ice
David Patneaude*****Josh isn't happy to be starting at a new school. Maybe it's a chance to be somebody—not so easy for a kid who's been pretty average and is overweight besides. But he is pumped when a cool kid asks hims to play ice hockey.
Colder Than Ice
David Patneaude*****Josh isn't happy to be starting at a new school. Maybe it's a chance to be somebody—not so easy for a kid who's been pretty average and is overweight besides. But he is pumped when a cool kid asks hims to play ice hockey.
Canyons
Gary Paulsen*****Two boys, separated by the canyons of time and two vastly different cultures, face the challenges by which they will become men.
Coyote Runs, an Apache boy, takes part in his first raid. But he is to be a man for only a short time.
More than a hundred years later, while camping near Dog Canyon, 15-year-old Brennan Cole becomes obsessed with a skull that he finds, pierced by a bullet. He learns that it is the skull of an Apache boy executed by soldiers in 1864. A mystical link joins Brennan and Coyote Runs, and Brennan knows that neither boy will find peace until Coyote Runs' skull is carried back to an ancient sacred place.
In a grueling journey through the canyon to return the skull, Brennan confronts the challenge of his life.
Canyons
Gary Paulsen*****
Dogsong
Gary Paulsen*****In Paulsen's Newbery Honor novel, 14-year-old Russel Susskit leads a dog team on an arduous trek across the frozen Alaskan wilderness on a life-altering journey haunted by dreams of an ancient warrior whose life oddly parallels his own.
His people no longer use dog sleds, instead they use snowmobiles; but Oogruk still has an old team of sled dogs, and they've grown fat and lazy. Russell wonders what it was like to run with the dogs, to look at the snow and ice and hear only the swish of runners along the icy crust, to be like his ancestors. To answer his thoughts, he turns to Oogruk who tells him of the old days and the songs of his people. But hearing about it is not enough, so Russell learns to run the dogs and soon takes off across the tundra, replicating journeys that have been made for thousands of years.
Dogsong
Gary Paulsen*****
Soldier's Heart: Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers
Gary Paulsen*****In June 1861, when the Civil War began, Charley Goddard enlisted in the First Minnesota Volunteers. He was 15. He didn't know what a "shooting war" meant or what he was fighting for. But he didn't want to miss out on a great adventure.

The "shooting war" turned out to be the horror of combat and the wild luck of survival; how it feels to cross a field toward the enemy, waiting for fire. When he entered the service he was a boy. When he came back he was different; he was only 19, but he was a man with "soldier's heart," later known as "battle fatigue."
This Side of Wild: Mutts, Mares, and Laughing Dinosaurs
Gary Paulsen*****Longlisted for the National Book Award

The Newbery Honor–winning author of Hatchet and Dogsong shares surprising true stories about his relationship with animals, highlighting their compassion, intellect, intuition, and sense of adventure.

Gary Paulsen is an adventurer who competed in two Iditarods, survived the Minnesota wilderness, and climbed the Bighorns. None of this would have been possible without his truest companion: his animals. Sled dogs rescued him in Alaska, a sickened poodle guarded his well-being, and a horse led him across a desert. Through his interactions with dogs, horses, birds, and more, Gary has been struck with the belief that animals know more than we may fathom.

His understanding and admiration of animals is well known, and in This Side of Wild, which has taken a lifetime to write, he proves the ways in which they have taught him to be a better person.
The Winter Room
Gary Paulsen*****This Newbery Honor Book by master storyteller Gary Paulsen is now available in this After Words paperback edition!

Following the turn of the seasons, eleven year old Eldon traces the daily routines of his life on a farm and his relationship with his older brother Wayne. During the winter, with little work to be done on the farm, Eldon and Wayne spend the quiet hours with their family, listening to their Uncle David's stories. But Eldon soon learns that, although he has lived on the same farm, in the same house with his uncle for eleven springs, summers, and winters, he hardly knows him.
The Doublecross (and Other Things I Learned as a Superspy)
Jackson Pearce*****With a hilarious and charismatic cast of characters, this start to a fresh middle grade action-adventure series is part Spy Kids and all fun!

Everyone in twelve-year-old Hale's family is a spy, going way back. They've all worked for the Sub Rosa Society, an elite organization that's so top secret that new agents aren't recruited; they're born. His parents may be the ultimate spy team at SRS, but Hale isn't your typical stealthy spy—he is, as his mother puts it, "big-boned," and as some of his classmates put it, "fat." Still, he's convinced he will someday be a great field agent. After all, it's his legacy.

But when both his mother and father go missing on a secret mission—likely captured by the SRS's number one enemy—it's Hale's time to step up and (with a little help from his acrobat-cheerleader little sister) save the day.

Don't miss these other books from Jackson Pearce:
The Doublecross
The Inside Job

The Ellie, Engineer series
Ellie, Engineer
Ellie, Engineer: The Next Level
Ellie, Engineer: In the Spotlight
A Long Way From Chicago 1
Richard Peck*****Set during the years 1929–1942, and told in eight engaging episodes, this fresh and funny novel recounts a boy and his sister's annual summer trips to rural Illinois to visit their eccentric grandmother. Grandma Dowdel, a remarkable larger-than-life character, continually astounds her grandchildren with her nonconformist behavior and her gutsy, take-charge attitude.
What happens when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice — two city slickers from Chicago — make their annual summer visits to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town?
August 1929: They see their first corpse, and he isn't resting easy.
August 1930: The Cowgilll boys terrorize the town, and Grandma fights back with a dead mouse and a bottle of milk.
August 1931: Joey and Mary Alice help Grandma to trespass, pinch property, poach, catch the sheriff in his underwear, and feed the hungry — all in one day.
And there's more — much more — as Joey and Mary Alice make seven summer trips to Grandma's, each one funnier and more surprising than the year before.
In the grand storytelling tradition of American humorists from Mark Twain to Flannelly O'Connor, Richard Peck has created a memorable world filled with characters who, like Grandma herself, are larger than life and twice as entertaining. And year round, you are sure to enjoy your stay with them.
A Long Way from Chicago 2: A Year Down Yonder
Richard Peck*****Mary Alice's childhood summers in Grandma Dowdel's sleepy Illinois town were packed with enough drama to fill the double bill of any picture show. But now she is fifteen, and faces a whole long year with Grandma, a woman well known for shaking up her neighbors-and everyone else! All Mary Alice can know for certain is this: when trying to predict how life with Grandma might turn out . . . better not. This wry, delightful sequel to the Newbery Honor Book A Long Way from Chicago has already taken its place among the classics of children's literature.
A Long Way from Chicago 2: A Year Down Yonder
Richard Peck*****Mary Alice's childhood summers in Grandma Dowdel's sleepy Illinois town were packed with enough drama to fill the double bill of any picture show. But now she is fifteen, and faces a whole long year with Grandma, a woman well known for shaking up her neighbors-and everyone else! All Mary Alice can know for certain is this: when trying to predict how life with Grandma might turn out . . . better not. This wry, delightful sequel to the Newbery Honor Book A Long Way from Chicago has already taken its place among the classics of children's literature.
A Long Way from Chicago 2: A Year Down Yonder
Richard Peck*****Mary Alice's childhood summers in Grandma Dowdel's sleepy Illinois town were packed with enough drama to fill the double bill of any picture show. But now she is fifteen, and faces a whole long year with Grandma, a woman well known for shaking up her neighbors-and everyone else! All Mary Alice can know for certain is this: when trying to predict how life with Grandma might turn out . . . better not. This wry, delightful sequel to the Newbery Honor Book A Long Way from Chicago has already taken its place among the classics of children's literature.
A Long Way from Chicago 2: A Year Down Yonder
Richard Peck*****
Odin's Family: Myths of the Vikings
Neil Philip*****Stories about the adventures of Odin, father of the gods, and his children bring out both the comic and tragic elements of the Viking myths and feature the thunder god, Thor, and the frost giant, Loki.
Captain Nobody
Dean Pitchford*****When Newt Newman's football-star brother, Chris, is knocked into a coma during the biggest game of the season, Newt's two best friends keep his mind off of the accident by helping him create the ultimate Halloween costume: Captain Nobody. Newt feels strong and confident in his new getup, so he keeps wearing it after Halloween is over. Soon Newt assumes the role of a hero in a string of exploits that include foiling a robbery and saving a planeload of passengers. But will Captain Nobody be able to save the one person he cares about most?
The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin*****A Newbery Medal Winner

"A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." —Booklist, starred review

  A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, on things for sure: Sam Westing may be dead…but that won’t stop him from playing one last game!

Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
An ALA Notable Book
 

  "Great fun for those who enjoy illusion, word play, or sleight of hand." —The New York Times Book Review

"A fascinating medley of word games, disguises, multiple aliases, and subterfuges—a demanding but rewarding book." —The Horn Book
The Boy Who Saved Baseball
John H. Ritter*****Tom Gallagher is in a tight spot. The fate of the Dillontown team rests on the outcome of one baseball game, winner take all. If Tom's team loses, they lose their field too. But how can they possibly win? Just when everything seems hopeless, a mysterious boy named Cruz de la Cruz rides into town and claims to know the secret of hitting. Not to mention the secrets of Dante Del Gato, Dillontown's greatest hitter ever. Since he walked away from the game years ago, Del Gato hasn't spoken a word to anyone. But now he might be Tom's only hope for saving his hometown. From the award-winning author of Over the Wall and Choosing Up Sides comes this imaginative tale of one boy's struggle to preserve the spirit of the game he loves.
Harry Potter 1: The Sorcerer's Stone
J. K. Rowling*****Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.
Harry Potter 1: The Sorcerer's Stone
J. K. Rowling*****Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.
Harry Potter 2: Chamber of Secrets
J. K. Rowling*****
Harry Potter 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban
J. K. Rowling*****For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."

Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.
Harry Potter: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
J. K. Rowling*****The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers' attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger's new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore.

Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot," "The Fountain of Fair Fortune," "The Warlock’s Hairy Heart," "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump," and of course "The Tale of the Three Brothers." But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

This purchase also represents another very important form of giving: From every sale of this book, Scholastic will give its net proceeds to Lumos, an international children’s charity founded in 2005 by J. K. Rowling. Lumos is dedicated to ending the institutionalization of children, a harmful practice that affects the lives of up to eight million disadvantaged children around the world who live in institutions and orphanages, many placed there as a result of poverty, disability, disease, discrimination and conflict; very few are orphans. Lumos works to reunite children with their families, promote family-based care alternatives, and help authorities to reform their systems and close down institutions and orphanages. www.wearelumos.org
Harry Potter: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
J. K. Rowling*****
Lily's Ghosts
Laura Ruby*****A sinister old house, an intriguing new friend, a fifty-year-old mystery, and a tag-team of disgruntled ghosts force thirteen-year-old Lily to unearth her family's deepest secrets in this multilayered tale that's both hilarious and harrowing, comic and creepy.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment.

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico—she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment.

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico—she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment.

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico—she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment.

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico—she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment.

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico—she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment.

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico—she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Holes
Louis Sachar*****Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
Holes
Louis Sachar*****Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
Holes
Louis Sachar*****Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
Holes
Louis Sachar*****Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
Glory Be
Augusta Scattergood*****Gloriana faces her twelfth birthday in 1964 and struggles with the changes she sees happening around her, but while she struggles to understand the shift in her relationships with her sister–who is about to enter high school–and her best friend, Frankie, Gloriana witnesses tempers rise in a debate over a segregated public pool.
A Series of Unfortunate Events 1: The Bad Beginning
Lemony Snicket*****Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
A Series of Unfortunate Events 2: The Reptile Room
Lemony Snicket*****Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odour.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.

Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 2: The Reptile Room
Lemony Snicket*****Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odour.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.

Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 3: The Wide Window
Lemony Snicket*****Dear Reader,
If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all.If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
A Series of Unfortunate Events 3: The Wide Window
Lemony Snicket*****Paperback: 218 pages Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.; Illustrated. edition (2001) Language: English
A Series of Unfortunate Events 3: The Wide Window
Lemony Snicket*****Dear Reader,
If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all.If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
A Series of Unfortunate Events 4: The Miserable Mill
Lemony Snicket*****I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log. The pages of this book, I′m sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons. I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven′t, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 5: The Austere Academy
Lemony Snicket*****
A Series of Unfortunate Events 5: The Austere Academy
Lemony Snicket*****
A Series of Unfortunate Events 8: The Hostile Hospital
Lemony Snicket*****Dear Reader,

Before you throw this awful book to the ground and run as far away from it as possible, you should probably know why. This book is the only one which describes every last detail of the Baudelaire children's miserable stay at Heimlich Hospital, which makes it one of the most dreadful books in the world.
There are man pleasant things to read about, but this book contains none of them. Within its pages are such burdensome details as a suspicious shopkeeper, unnecessary surgery, an intercom system, anesthesia, heart-shaped balloons, and some very startling news about a fire. Clearly you do not want to read about such things.
I have sworn to research this story, and to write it down as best I can, so I should know that this book is best left on the ground, where you undoubtedly found it.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket.
A Series of Unfortunate Events 9: The Carnivorous Carnival
Lemony Snicket*****When the Baudelaire Orphans finally make it out of Count Olaf's car trunk (from Book the Eighth), they wind up at the horribly perilous Caligari Carnival. Trying to avoid capture but desperate to find out more information about a possible surviving parent, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny pose as circus freaks, only to be humiliated in front of visitors and pushed to the brink of consumption by lions. Fortunately, though, the three discover a few surprises about fortune-telling Madame Lulu, who offers a faint clue about V.F.D. and even the Snicket family itself.
Snicket fans will be in Ninth Heaven. Again, it's a sad state of affairs for the Baudelaires, but there are some fascinating morsels of hope, plus a few small surprises that might help link it all together. With riveting suspense, wicked intentions, and gullible freaks, The Carnivorous Carnival is definitely an installment that can't be missed.
A Series of Unfortunate Events 9: The Carnivorous Carnival
Lemony Snicket*****paperback book
A Series of Unfortunate Events 10: The Slippery Slope
Lemony Snicket*****Like bad smells, uninvited weekend guests or very old eggs, there are some things that ought to be avoided. Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent, and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to alarm its distressed and suspicious fans the world over. The 10th book in this outrageous publishing effort features more than the usual dose of distressing details, such as snow gnats, an organised troupe of youngsters, an evil villain with a dastardly plan, a secret headquarters and some dangerous antics you should not try at home. With the weather turning colder, this is one chilling book you would be better off without. Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 10: The Slippery Slope
Lemony Snicket*****Like bad smells, uninvited weekend guests or very old eggs, there are some things that ought to be avoided. Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent, and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to alarm its distressed and suspicious fans the world over. The 10th book in this outrageous publishing effort features more than the usual dose of distressing details, such as snow gnats, an organised troupe of youngsters, an evil villain with a dastardly plan, a secret headquarters and some dangerous antics you should not try at home. With the weather turning colder, this is one chilling book you would be better off without. Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 10: The Slippery Slope
Lemony Snicket*****Like bad smells, uninvited weekend guests or very old eggs, there are some things that ought to be avoided. Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent, and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to alarm its distressed and suspicious fans the world over. The 10th book in this outrageous publishing effort features more than the usual dose of distressing details, such as snow gnats, an organised troupe of youngsters, an evil villain with a dastardly plan, a secret headquarters and some dangerous antics you should not try at home. With the weather turning colder, this is one chilling book you would be better off without. Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 10: The Slippery Slope
Lemony Snicket*****Like bad smells, uninvited weekend guests or very old eggs, there are some things that ought to be avoided. Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent, and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to alarm its distressed and suspicious fans the world over. The 10th book in this outrageous publishing effort features more than the usual dose of distressing details, such as snow gnats, an organised troupe of youngsters, an evil villain with a dastardly plan, a secret headquarters and some dangerous antics you should not try at home. With the weather turning colder, this is one chilling book you would be better off without. Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 10: The Slippery Slope
Lemony Snicket*****Like bad smells, uninvited weekend guests or very old eggs, there are some things that ought to be avoided. Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent, and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to alarm its distressed and suspicious fans the world over. The 10th book in this outrageous publishing effort features more than the usual dose of distressing details, such as snow gnats, an organised troupe of youngsters, an evil villain with a dastardly plan, a secret headquarters and some dangerous antics you should not try at home. With the weather turning colder, this is one chilling book you would be better off without. Ages 10+
A Series of Unfortunate Events 10: The Slippery Slope
Lemony Snicket*****
A Series of Unfortunate Events 11: The Grim Grotto
Lemony Snicket*****In the 11th and most alarming volume yet in the phenomenally bestselling Series of Unfortunate Events, the intrepid Baudelaire siblings delve ever deeper into the mystery surrounding the death of their parents and the baffling organization of V.F.D.
Finding My Hat
John Son*****In a semi-autobiographical debut novel that is at turns poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, John Son conveys the uniqueness and universality of a Korean-American childhood.

Jin-Han Park's story opens with his first memory: losing his hat to a sudden gust of wind. He never gets it back. But his Uhmmah buys him many more hats, and Jin-Han discovers that he can reinvent himself with a change of headgear, be it a bright red cowboy hat or a cap with earflaps. So he tries on hat after hat, searching for his place in America while clinging to his Korean culture and traditions, keeping them from the wind. Being different isn't always easy. But somewhere between kimchee and corn dogs, Jin-Han will make a place for himself . . .
The Sign of the Beaver
Elizabeth George Speare*****Twelve-year-old Matt is left on his own in the Maine wilderness while his father leaves to bring the rest of the family to their new settlement. When he befriends Attean, an Indian chief’s grandson, he is invited to join the Beaver tribe and move north. Should Matt abandon his hopes of ever seeing his family again and go on to a new life?
The Sign of the Beaver
Elizabeth George Speare*****
Do the Funky Pickle
Jerry Spinelli*****A fast, fun, friendship read from the Newbery-award winning author of Maniac Magee.

Eddie Mott has a problem. He is completely and hopelessly in love with his friend Sunny...and he's way too wimpy to tell her. But the school dance is approaching quickly and Eddie knows it's time to act. He has to find a way to make Sunny notice him...but how? Eddie and Pickles come up with a plan that's sure to attract attention. But the girl who falls for Eddie at the dance isn't Sunny—it's Angelpuss, the girlfriend of the toughest, meanest eighth grader around. Eddie is in big, big trouble—unless he and Pickles can come up with some new moves...fast.
Knots in My Yo-yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid
Jerry Spinelli*****"A master of those embarrassing, gloppy, painful, and suddenly wonderful things that happen on the razor's edge between childhood and full-fledged adolescence" (The Washington Post),  Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli has penned his early autobiography with all the warmth, humor, and drama of his best-selling fiction. From first memories through high school, including first kiss, first punch, first trip to the principal's office, and first humiliating sports experience, this is not merely an account of a highly unusual childhood. Rather, like Spinelli's fiction, its appeal lies in the  accessibility and universality of his life. Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a highly readable memoir— a must-have for Spinelli fans of all ages.  

From the Trade Paperback edition.
Loser
Jerry Spinelli*****Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip."

Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn't know he's not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff's differences show that any name can someday become "hero."
Loser
Jerry Spinelli*****Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip."

Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn't know he's not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff's differences show that any name can someday become "hero."
Report to the Principal's Office!
Jerry Spinelli*****A fast, fun, friendship read from the Newbery-award winning author of Maniac Magee.

It's the first day of school at Plumstead Middle School and already there's trouble. It starts with Sunny, who is determined to do whatever it will take to get herself suspended. Then there's Eddie, who has a three-point plan for fitting in, but still gets beaten up on the morning bus. Salem is all too pleased to witness Eddie's troubles—as a future famous writer, she's drawn to drama. And on top of it all, there's Pickles Johnson, who is just...well...Pickles.
These four sixth graders have only one thing in common. They're all about to report to the principal's office.
Stargirl
Jerry Spinelli*****A modern-day classic and New York Times bestseller that celebrates the power of individuality and personal expression from beloved Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli.

Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’ s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.

Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.

Don’t miss the sequel, Love, Stargirl, and Jerry Spinelli’s latest novel, The Warden’s Daughter, about another girl who can't help but stand out.
 
“Spinelli is a poet of the prepubescent. . . . No writer guides his young characters, and his readers, past these pitfalls and challenges and toward their futures with more compassion.” —The New York Times
Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?
Jerry Spinelli*****The sibling rivalry between twelve-year-old Megin and her older brother Greg intensifies after she ruins his science project and he retaliates by throwing her favorite hockey stick into the pond.
Wringer
Jerry Spinelli*****Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten — the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son. Palmer can't stop himself from being a wringer just like he can't stop himself from growing one year older, just like he can't stand up to a whole town — right? Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli's most powerful novel yet is a gripping tale of how one boy learns how not to be afraid.
When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead*****This remarkable novel holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart.

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.
Dragonology Chronicles 1: The Dragon's Eye
Dugald A. Steer*****"Steer infuses the exciting story with the flavor of a nineteenth-century novel and incorporates dragon lore found in his earlier books. Dragon lovers will be well pleased." —-BOOKLIST

Adventure! Villains! And dragons, dragons, dragons! From the creators of the best-selling Dragonology series, this first volume of the Dragonology Chronicles finds Daniel Cook and his sister, Beatrice, studying with eccentric dragonologist Dr. Ernest Drake. Soon they’re caught up in a race to find the stolen Dragon’s Eye —- a jewel that has the power to reflect the true Dragon Master —- before it is stolen by the evil Ignatius Crook. Working with Dr. Drake (and many friendly dragons), can these young siblings foil Ignatius and recover the Dragon’s Eye?
The Real Thief
William Steig*****Gawain is a loyal and true goose serving as chief guard of the royal treasury. He’d been happy enough with his life at home tending his garden and making sketches of architectural masterpieces. Now he’s being charged with stealing from the treasury. Gawain is certain of his innocence, but he can’t prove it. Will the real thief come forward to save Gawain, or will he live in exile forever?
Roll with It
Sumner, Jamie*****
The Cay
Theodore Taylor*****Phillip is excited when the Germans invade the small island of Curaçao. War has always been a game to him, and he’s eager to glimpse it firsthand–until the freighter he and his mother are traveling to the United States on is torpedoed.

When Phillip comes to, he is on a small raft in the middle of the sea. Besides Stew Cat, his only companion is an old West Indian, Timothy. Phillip remembers his mother’s warning about black people: “They are different, and they live differently.”

But by the time the castaways arrive on a small island, Phillip’s head injury has made him blind and dependent on Timothy.
The Cay
Theodore Taylor*****Phillip is excited when the Germans invade the small island of Curaçao. War has always been a game to him, and he’s eager to glimpse it firsthand–until the freighter he and his mother are traveling to the United States on is torpedoed.

When Phillip comes to, he is on a small raft in the middle of the sea. Besides Stew Cat, his only companion is an old West Indian, Timothy. Phillip remembers his mother’s warning about black people: “They are different, and they live differently.”

But by the time the castaways arrive on a small island, Phillip’s head injury has made him blind and dependent on Timothy.
Grab Hands and Run
Frances Temple*****After his father disappears, twelve-year-old Felipe, his mother, and his younger sister set out on a difficult and dangerous journey, trying to make their way from their home in El Salvador to Canada.
Ghostopolis
Doug TenNapel*****A page-turning adventure of a boy's journey to the land of ghosts and back.

Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.
Surviving the Applewhites
Stephanie S. Tolan*****Jake Semple is a scary kid. Word has it that he burned down his old school and then was kicked out of every other school in his home state. Only weeks into September, the middle school in Traybridge, North Carolina, has thrown him out, too.

Now there's only one place left that will take him — a home school run by the most outrageous, forgetful, chaotic, quarrelsome family you'll ever meet. Each and every Applewhite is an artist through and through — except E.D., the smart, scruffy girl with a deep longing for order and predictability. E.D. and Jake, so nearly the same age, are quickly paired in the family's first experiment in "cooperative education."

The two clash immediately, of course. The only thing they have in common is the determination to survive the family's eccentricities.

In Stephanie S. Tolan's hilarious tale, a local production of The Sound of Music directed, stagecrafted, choreographed, and costumed by Apple-whites — brings the family together and shows E.D. and Jake the value of the special gifts they've had all along.
A Crooked Kind of Perfect
Linda Urban*****Zoe Elias has big musical dreams. A soon as she gets a glossy baby grand piano, she'll be on her way. Trouble is, what Zoe gets is a wood-grained, vinyl-seated, wheeze-bag organ. The Perfectone D-60. How will she ever be discovered as a prodigy when her lesson book is The Hits of the Seventies? Not eve cha-cha beat can make the theme song from The Brady Bunch sound like Beethoven. If you add to that the problem a mom who's always at work, a dad who's afraid to leave the house, and an odd boy who follows her home from school every day, Zoe's big dreams are looking pretty lopsided. But when she enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, Zoe discovers that life is full of surprises - and that maybe a little lopsidedness will help her find what she's really hoping for.
A Crooked Kind of Perfect
Linda Urban*****Ten-year-old Zoe Elias has perfect piano dreams. She can practically feel the keys under her flying fingers; she can hear the audience's applause. All she needs is a baby grand so she can start her lessons, and then she'll be well on her way to Carnegie Hall.             But when Dad ventures to the music store and ends up with a wheezy organ instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note. Learning the organ versions of old TV theme songs just isn't the same as mastering Beethoven on the piano. And the organ isn't the only part of Zoe's life that's off-kilter, what with Mom constantly at work, Dad afraid to leave the house, and that odd boy, Wheeler Diggs, following her home from school every day.             Yet when Zoe enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, she finds that life is full of surprises—and that perfection may be even better when it's just a little off center.
Beauty
Bill Wallace*****A Horse Named Beauty

She was an old horse, but she still had a lot of life in her. And she was the best friend Luke needed after the pain of his parents' divorce and the move to Oklahoma to live with his difficult grandfather. Luke could have had a younger horse, one better able to keep up with a boy's adventures. But it was Beauty that Luke loved. He found himself sharing his hopes, dreams, and fears with the old horse. With Beauty, Luke was finally able to enjoy life again.

Until one night, in a wild storm, Beauty escapes from the corral into a terrible trap, and Luke is faced with the most difficult decision he's ever had to make.
Star Wars: A New Hope - The Life of Luke Skywalker
Ryder Windham*****This book describes the life of Star Wars character Luke Skywalker, covering his childhood in Tatooine through his realization of who his father is and his search for information about Anakin.
Star Wars: The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ryder Windham*****Hermit. Mentor. General. Jedi.

Overlooked as a Padawan, he was to become one of the most revered Masters of all.

Sworn to serve the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, his own apprentice would bring about their destruction.

Powerless to retrieve Darth Vader from the dark side, he would train the only one who could.

NYT bestselling author Ryder Windham brings together Obi-Wan's full life story, from his first meeting with Anakin Skywalker to his final meeting with Darth Vader—and beyond.
Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
Ryder Windham*****The full story of Anakin Skywalker, from his birth in slavery to his death as the powerful Darth Vader, is told for the first time in its entirety by a New York Times bestselling author. Spanning all six films and including the pieces of the story that fill in the gaps, this novel will be a must-have for every fan.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles 1: Dealing with Dragons
Patricia C. Wrede*****Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart. . . .
And bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon . . . and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles 1: Dealing with Dragons
Patricia C. Wrede*****Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart. . . .
And bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon . . . and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles 1: Dealing with Dragons
Patricia C. Wrede*****Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart. . . .
And bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon . . . and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.
Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace
Patricia C. Wrede, George Lucas*****A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... A world is threatened. A young queen must save her people. A dark evil rises again. A young Jedi is discovered. The journey begins.
Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones
Patricia C. Wrede, George Lucas*****The biggest movie event of 2002 in a stellar novelization by acclaimed author Patrica C. Wrede.

Anakin Skywalker is now age eighteen and facing temptations of love, violence, betrayal, honor, and above all, the dark side of the Force.
The Pigman
Paul Zindel*****A Most Unusual Friendship

When sophomores John and Lorraine played a practical joke a few months ago on a stranger named Angelo Pignati, they had no idea what they were starting. Virtually overnight, almost against their will, the two befriended the lonely old man; it wasn't long before they were more comfortable in his house than their own. But now Mr. Pignati is dead. And for John and Lorraine, the only way to find peace is to write down their friend's story — the story of the Pigman.