Library
Mrs. Benton
Collection Total:
2,575 Items
Last Updated:
Sep 8, 2024
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Verna Aardema*****A retelling of a traditional West African tale that reveals how the mosquito developed its annoying habit.
Andy Russell 1: The Many Troubles of Andy Russell
David A. Adler*****Boy, does Andy Russell have troubles! His gerbils escaped in the house, he’s late for school, and he’d planned to ask his parents if they can be his friend Tamika’s new foster family. But when Andy learns that his mother is pregnant, he knows he’ll have to do some really fancy footwork if his family is going to make room for Tamika.
Andy Russell 1: The Many Troubles of Andy Russell
David A. Adler*****Boy, does Andy Russell have troubles! His gerbils escaped in the house, he’s late for school, and he’d planned to ask his parents if they can be his friend Tamika’s new foster family. But when Andy learns that his mother is pregnant, he knows he’ll have to do some really fancy footwork if his family is going to make room for Tamika.
Andy Russell 2: Andy and Tamika
David A. Adler*****Tamika prepares to move in with the Russells temporarily. Meanwhile, Andy makes a surprising new friend—and discovers what family really means.
Andy Russell 5: NOT Wanted by the Police
David A. Adler*****While Andy's neighbors are away, strange things begin to happen in their house. Detective Andy Russell must prove that something suspicious is going on!
Andy Russell 5: NOT Wanted by the Police
David A. Adler*****While Andy's neighbors are away, strange things begin to happen in their house. Detective Andy Russell must prove that something suspicious is going on!
The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
The Magic Half
Annie Barrows*****Miri is the non-twin child in a family with two sets of them—older brothers and younger sisters. The family has just moved to an old farmhouse in a new town, where the only good thing seems to be Miri's ten-sided attic bedroom. But when Miri gets sent to her room after accidentally bashing her big brother on the head with a shovel, she finds herself in the same room . . . only not quite.
Without meaning to, she has found a way to travel back in time to 1935 where she discovers Molly, a girl her own age very much in need of a loving family. A highly satisfying classic-in-the-making full of spine-tingling moments, this is a delightful time-travel novel for the whole family.
Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Ancient Rome and Pompeii (A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House 13: Vacation Under the Volcano)
Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce
Dandelions
Eve Bunting*****Embarking on a new life, Zoe and her family journey west to the Nebraska Territory in the 1800s.
When Zoe and her family arrive at their claim, nothing distinguishes it from the miles and miles of surrounding prairie. Even after they build their soddie, the home can't be seen from any distance. Zoe has never seen Papa so happy or Mama so sad. But when she takes a trip to the small prairie town with Papa, Zoe sees something that might make a difference to their new soddie, and to Mama's life, too.
We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States
David Catrow*****A wonderful picture book that introduces the Preamble to the Constitution in a delightful way with illustrations "even an adult can understand".
Return of the Home Run Kid
Matt Christopher*****Tired of warming the bench, Sylvester Coddmyer III accepts the offer of Cheeko, an ex-ballplayer, to help him improve his game, but Sylvester soon begins to feel that there is something fishy about Cheeko.
Revolting Rhymes
Roald Dahl*****I guess you think you know this story.
You don’t. The real one’s much more gory.
The phoney one, the one you know,
Was cooked up years and years ago. . . .

With his famous wicked humor and the cunning of a big bad wolf, master storyteller and satirist Roald Dahl retells his six favorite fairy tales. Get ready for Dahl’s diabolical version of what really happened to Cinderella, Goldilocks, the Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood.
The Enormous Crocodile
Roald Dahl*****Roald Dahl's classic and hilarious picture book, The Enormous Crocodile. The Enormous Crocodile is a horrid greedy grumptious brute who loves to guzzle up little boys and girls. But the other animals have had enough of his cunning tricks, so they scheme to get the better of this foul fiend, once and for all! "A true genius...Roald Dahl is my hero". (David Walliams). Phizz-whizzing new branding for the world's No.1 storyteller, Roald Dahl! Exciting, bold and instantly recognisable with Quentin Blake's inimitable artwork. Roald Dahl, the best-loved of children's writers, was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. His books continue to be bestsellers after his death in 1990, and total sales are now over 100 million worldwide! Quentin Blake is one of the best-known and best-loved children's illustrators. It's impossible now to think of Roald Dahl's writings without imagining Quentin Blake's illustrations. Look out for the whole collection of wondercrump Roald Dahl books! The Enormous Crocodile; Fantastic Mr Fox; The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me; The Magic finger; The Twits; The BFP; Boy: Tales of Childhood; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator; The Complete Adventures of Charlie and Mr Willy Wonka; Danny the Champion of the World; George's Marvellous Medicine; Going Solo; James and the Giant Peach; Matilda; The Witches; Dirty Beasts; The Minpins; Revolting Rhymes For Teens: The Great Automatic Grammatizator and Other Stories; Rhyme Stew; Skin and Other Stories; The Vicar of Nibbleswicke; and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More.
The Enormous Crocodile
Roald Dahl*****
The Magic Finger
Roald Dahl*****To the Gregg family, hunting is just plain fun. To the girl who lives next door, it's just plain terrible. She tries to be polite. She tries to talk them out of it, but the Greggs go too far, and the little girl turns her Magic Finger on them.
Amber Brown 3: Amber Brown Goes Fourth
Paula Danziger*****Still struggling with her parent's divorce at the start of fourth grade, Amber Brown prepares for the new school year by planning to win a new best friend at any cost. Reprint. AB. J. H.
Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind
Margaret Davidson*****Louis Braille, blinded at age three, was determined to learn and be as much like other people as possible. In the early 1800s disabled children did not go to school; instead, they became outcasts. But Louis was the exception. He relied on his memory, which enabled him to do well — but he still wanted to read. When he was 12, he invented a raised dot alphabet. This alphabet became known as Braille, and is now used around the world
Louis did not use his blindness to disable him, instead he found a way to experience and enjoy life. Fast paced and engaging, this story gives us a man who is an inspiration and wonderful role model, and the reader will be anxious to find out what happens in each of the dilemmas Louis encounters. As a hands-on bonus, the Braille alphabet can be found at the back of the book: readers are asked to close their eyes and read with their fingers.
Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind
Margaret Davidson*****A poignant story of the man who developed the Braille system of printing for the blind.
Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind
Margaret Davidson*****Louis Braille, blinded at age three, was determined to learn and be as much like other people as possible. In the early 1800s disabled children did not go to school; instead, they became outcasts. But Louis was the exception. He relied on his memory, which enabled him to do well — but he still wanted to read. When he was 12, he invented a raised dot alphabet. This alphabet became known as Braille, and is now used around the world
Louis did not use his blindness to disable him, instead he found a way to experience and enjoy life. Fast paced and engaging, this story gives us a man who is an inspiration and wonderful role model, and the reader will be anxious to find out what happens in each of the dilemmas Louis encounters. As a hands-on bonus, the Braille alphabet can be found at the back of the book: readers are asked to close their eyes and read with their fingers.
Hank the Cowdog 43: The Case of the Twisted Kitty
John R. Erickson*****It's winter in the Texas Panhandle, and the ranch is covered in snow and ice.  So when Sally May sets off for town, Hank decides to follow Pete's misguided advice and bravely escorts her car down the slick road.  Before Hank realizes what's happening, Sally May's car skids into a snow drift-and she is angrier than ever before.  And who does she blame but poor Hank!  After consulting with his trusty partner, Drover, Hank decides the only way to win back Sally May's affection is to be on his absolute best behavior.  Will Hank be able to turn over a new leaf and become the well-mannered dog that every owner dreams of?
Hank the Cowdog 50: The Case of the Most Ancient Bone
John R. Erickson*****Hank the Cowdog?Head of ranch security?is on the case in his fiftieth mystery! And this is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill ranch intrigue. No sir, this is a real, honest-to-goodness archaeological adventure! when an old friend of slim?s starts an archaeological dig near the ranch, it doesn?t take long before little Alfred gets caught up in the excitement. And once Alfred manages to get himself invited to the dig, it isn?t long before Hank follows. once there, Hank finds himself face-to-face with the most ancient of bones?a huge bison bone that Hank just knows has been aged to delicious perfection. Hank should be protecting the bone, but can he keep his doggie instincts at bay and uphold his position? or will the most ancient of bones get the best of him?
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Chris Grabenstein*****A New York Times Bestseller

Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.
The Adventures of Beanboy
Lisa Harkrader*****Never underestimate the power of the bean. Tucker MacBean has been drawing comic books almost as long as he’s been reading them. When his favorite comic has a contest for kids, he hopes he has finally found a way to fix his family—all he has to do is create the winning superhero sidekick . . . Introducing “Beanboy”—the first comic book character to truly harness the power of the bean for good. He is strong, he is relentless, he can double in size
overnight (if given enough water).
With thoughtful characterizations and copious comic book illustrations, this laughout-loud novel will have readers rooting for a superhero with true heart.
Maria's Comet
Deborah Hopkinson*****Maria's wish burns as brightly as a star.
Maria longs to be an astronomer and imagines all the strange worlds she can travel to by looking though her papa's telescope. One night Maria gets her chance to look through the telescope. For the first time, she sees the night sky stretching endlessly above her, and her dream of exploring constellations seems close enough to touch.
In this story, inspired by the life of Maria Mitchell, America's first woman astronomer, "viewers will find the cobalt-blue nights, lit with constellations that make imaginary (and actual) pictures in the sky, every bit as attractive as Maria does."
Blackberries in the Dark
Mavis Jukes*****"Austin's visit to his grandmother's is the first since Grandpa died. Austin notices Grandpa's things but feels the emptiness of his absence. This spare story vividly captures the emotions of painful times and shows how they ease with sharing and remembering. Boy and grandfather were close, but boy and grandmother seem destined to be just as close, with Grandpa's memory to bind them. Poignant and perceptive, this has impressive resonance, and readers won't easily shed its warm afterglow."—(starred) Booklist.
Eleanor Everywhere: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt
Monica Kulling*****Even Eleanor Roosevelt was a little girl once. This inspiring Step into Reading tells the true story of how a shy little girl was able to conquer her fears and lead a life full of adventure.

From flying with Amelia Earhart and hosting her own radio show to becoming First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt did it all and became one of the most admired women in the world.
The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A Novel of Snow and Courage
Chris Kurtz*****Flora the pig was born for adventure: “If it’s unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I’m your pig,” she says. The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets her heart on becoming a sled pig. Before she knows it, she’s on board a ship to Antarctica for the most exhilarating—and dangerous—adventure of her life. This poignant novel of a purposeful pig is sure to become a favorite with any young readers who have ever dreamed of exploring the great beyond.
Emmie & Friends 3: Just Jaime
Libenson, Terri
The Story of the Statue of Liberty
Betsy Maestro*****"Written for the youngest audience...the text is very simple yet manages to convey all the major events in Liberty's creation....The full-color watercolors show amazing detail and are extremely rich."—Horn Book.
The Story of the Statue of Liberty
Betsy Maestro*****
Sidewalk Story
Sharon Bell Mathis*****Lilly Etta didn't know the men, but she knew those yellow chairs. They were Tanya's, and they were being taken out of her building. Tanya was being put out - Tanya, her mother, her six brothers and sisters. Their things would be piled on the sidewalk and left there to be had for the taking. It didn't matter if nobody else in the city cared; Lilly Etta did. She knew what friendship was, and she wasn't going to let her friend be thrown out without a fight.
Judy Moody 2: Judy Moody Gets Famous!
Megan McDonald*****Good moods, bad moods, can't-stand-Jessica-Finch moods. Judy Moody is back with her many hilarious moods.

Fans of JUDY MOODY already know that Judy has a mood for every occasion—and this time Judy is in a jealous mood. Jealous of classmate Jessica Finch, that is, who gets her picture on the front page of the newspaper. When Judy sets off in pursuit of her own fame and happiness, watch out! She's so determined, she just might find it, or she might merely become more INFAMOUS than ever. Her latest adventures are sure to put readers in a very Judy Moody mood!
The Magic School Bus: The Wild Whale Watch
Eva Moore*****The Magic School Sub takes the kids deep into the ocean, where they learn all sorts of fascinating facts about whales.
Black Hawk: Frontier Warrior
Joanne Oppenheim*****Traces the life of the Sauk Indian leader who struggled in vain to prevent the Americans from claiming the rich farmland near the Mississippi River in Illinois.
Sequoyah: Cherokee Hero
Joanne Oppenheim*****The "Native American Biographies" series features the stories of famous Native American men and women and their heroic struggles to protect their land and their freedom. These inspirational accounts of the first Americans are effective tools in helping young readers understand and appreciate different cultures. Illustrated throughout.
Magic Tree House Research Guide: American Revolution (A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday)
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce*****Magic Tree House Research Guides are now Magic Tree House Fact Trackers! Track the facts with Jack and Annie!
 
When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday, they had lots of questions. What was it like to live in colonial times? Why did the stamp Act make the colonists so angry? Who were the Minutemen? What happened at the Boston Tea Party? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts. Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discovered in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Barbara Robinson*****Called one of America's favorite Christmas stories, and now a classic television movie,The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has been a favorite of young readers the world over since 1972. Funny, memorable, and outrageous, it is the story of a family of incorrigible children who discover the Christmas story for the first time and help everyone else rediscover its true meaning.
Wayside School 3: Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger
Louis Sachar*****Hooray! Wayside School is Open Again!

All the kids from Wayside School had to spend 243 days in horrible schools while Wayside closed to get rid of the cows (Don't ask!). Now the kids are back and the fun begins again on every floor. Miss Much has prepared a Day on the 30th floor—with dogs and cats and frogs and skunks and pigs, and an orange named Fido causing a terrible commotion. In Mrs. Drazil's class, they're throwing a coffeepot, a sack of potatoes, a pencil sharpener, and a light bulb out the window to see which hits the ground first. But the big surprise is that Mrs. Jewls is expecting a baby—but one named Cootie Face or Bucket Head—and a substitute teacher is coming—and everyone knows what that means... Something strange is going on at the already peculiar Way side School, when Mrs. Jewls leaves her students with a succession of substitute teachers. "Wayside School devotes [will] turn pages eagerly...these additional anecdote about wayside school will surely tickle the funny bones of fans"-School Library Journal
Wayside School 3: Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger
Louis Sachar*****
The Time Warp Trio 7: Summer Reading is Killing Me!
Jon Scieszka*****In Summer Reading Is Killing Me!, illustrated by innovative artist Lane Smith, the boys find themselves trapped in a dreadfully skewed literary world where Joe, the narrator, says "I saw Homer Price being carried by the Headless Horseman. Dracula was dragging Winnie the Pooh in a headlock. Mr. Twit was breaking Harold's Purple Crayon." It becomes the boys' charge to find "The Book" and yank the summer reading list out of it before children's literature is destroyed forever as the "bad" characters knock off the "good" characters and take over the stories. The literary references accelerate to a breakneck pace: "We stepped over a very hungry caterpillar eating his way through a dictionary.... We made our way through a crowd of Robinson Crusoe, a blue moose, Julie with some wolves, a snowman, a plain and tall lady named Sarah, a kid with a hatchet, and a very confused-looking Robin Hood helping Eeyore reattach his tail." Whether or not young readers register every literary allusion is inconsequential—Summer Reading Is Killing Me! is a rollicking, sarcastic, ultraweird, suspenseful adventure that kids will like regardless. And for teachers, parents, and librarians who are deeply enmeshed in kid-erature—it's purely delicious.
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin
Liesl Shurtliff*****This funny fractured fairy tale goes behind the scenes of Rumpelstiltskin. "A most magical feat," writes Newbery Honor-winner Kirby Larson, "Liesl Shurtliff spins words into gold."

In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

A Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection, Rump is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted or Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm.

"Lighthearted and inventive, Rump amusingly expands a classic tale." —Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven.

From the Hardcover edition.
Lily and Miss Liberty
Carla Stevens*****Lily decides to make and sell Lady Liberty crowns in order to raise money to pay for the pedestal on which the famous statue will sit in a work of nineteenth-century urban life. Reprint. K. C.
Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy
Kate Waters*****This bestselling photographic Thanksgiving picture book is now available in paperback!

Samuel Eaton is a young boy living in an early American settlement in the year 1627, and today is the day he will help with his first rye harvest! If he can prove to his father he's up to the task, he will be able to help with all of the harvest. But harvesting rye is even more difficult than he expected. Was he foolish to think he could do a man's work?
Corey's Underground Railroad Diary 2: Flying Free
Sharon Dennis Wyeth*****In this sequel to My America: Freedom's Wings, Corey Birdsong and his family have escaped slavery and the South and found refuge in Canada. This book is part of the re-launch of the My America series.

In Sharon Dennis Wyeth's sequel to My America: Freedom's Wings, Corey and his family have escaped from slavery and the South and are now living in Canada. They own their own land, have made new friends, and Corey gets ready to go to school. But danger still remains across the river in Ohio, where slavecatchers lurk, waiting to capture escaped slaves to bring them back to their former masters. Corey, however, outsmarts them, and brings his friend Mingo to safety in Canada.
Coolies
Yin*****Shek marvels at the new world as he and his brother, Little Wong, arrive in California. Along with hundreds of other workers, the brothers are going to build a great railroad across the West. They plan to save enough money so that their mother and little brothers can join them in America. But as days grow into months, they endure many hardships-exhausting work, discrimination, and treacherous avalanches. Inspired by actual events, this story reveals the harsh truth about life for the Chinese railroad workers in 1865, while celebrating their perseverance and bravery.