Sam Bang And Moonshine (by Evaline Ness)

What danger lies ahead because Sam won’t talk real only moonshine? Moonshine spells trouble for her friend Thomas and her cat, bangs.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (by Eric Carle)

Repetition, reinforcing words, color and animal identification all go together to make this a great book for beginning readers. Easy to memorize building confidence.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (by Bill Martin)

An alphabet story in rhyme. Reads like a chant of the whole alphabet climbing up the coconut tree.

Who Sank The Boat? ( by Pamela Allen)

A rhyming guessing game about which of the five animals sunk the boat.

Sheep In A Jeep (by Nancy Shaw)

With just a few words (sheep, jeep, thud mud, heap, cheap), an amusing story unfolds about a flock of hapless sheep.

Frederick (by Leo Lionni) one of the many Frederick Fables

When winter came, all five field mice nibbled up their supplies. They turned to Frederick and asked about the sunrays and colors and words.

Ira Sleeps Over (by Bernard Waber)

Ira is invited for his first sleepover at Reggie’s house. This creates a dilema for Ira, should he bring his teddy bear?

A good introduction to homophones. "once long ago there were three little dragons" who roared mightily for the good knight to leave his night watch and come ready them for bed.

How To Make An Apple Pie And See The World (by Marjorie Priceman)

Because the market is closed readers will take off around the world to gather the ingredients needed for an apple pie.

Starring First Grade (by Miriam Cohen)

The first grade is getting ready to perform "the three Billy goats gruff." Jim acts out because he doesn't get chosen for the troll role. Find out how it all works out as the show goes on.

Amelia’s Notebook (by Marissa Moss)

Amelia keeps a notebook with words and pictures about her friends, family and school. She records her thoughts and feelings about moving, her old best friend and her new one and about dealing with her older sister.

Agapanthus Hum And The Eyeglasses (by Joy Cowley)

7 brief chapters:

Agapanthus hum is always running and cartwheeling, a real humming whirlwind. She needs to find out what to do with her eyeglasses while flying through the air. Maybe a real acrobat would have the answer?

Fox Be Nimble (by James Marshall):

 Fox All Week, Fox And His Friends,

George Marshall is a genius at writing and illustrating animal characters

Revealing a droll sense of humor in comical situations. In these three short stories, fox the famous, fox the brave and fox on parade, frisky fox will again delight beginning readers.

Bony-Legs (by Joanna Cole) hello, reader!

Bony-legs is a witch who likes to eat little children and who lives deep in the woods in a hut that stands on chicken feet. Sasha unwittingly asks the horrible, bad witch for a needle and thread. A child, just what bony-legs was waiting for! Because of Sasha’s kindness, both the dog and the cat give her excellent advice on how to escape becoming bony-leg’s dinner.

Camille And The Sunflowers-A Story About Vincent Van Gogh (by Laurence Anholt)

Camille, the postman’s son would sit for hours watching Vincent, " the sunflower man" work. This is a wonderful introduction to the life of a famous painter who painted more than 150 pictures, although only one was sold during his lifetime.

Picasso And The Girl With A Ponytail (by Laurence Anholt)

A story about Pablo Picasso and the true story of a young shy girl named Sylvette. He painted many images of the "girl with a ponytail" who gradually became a well-known artist herself.

The Brand New Kid (by Katie Couric)

Being new to a school and especially being new to this country can really be an overwhelming experience. An inspiring story about the courage to reach out and include someone and help them feel less scared and lonely.

Waiting For Wings (by Lois Ehlert)

Vibrant colors and bold illustrations and print show how caterpillars become butterflies. Helpful butterfly and flower identification pages included.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight (by Jane Yolen)

Does a dinosaur stomp his feet, shout and roar, mope, moan and sulk when it’s bedtime? Or does he turn out the light give a big kiss and a hug and get right in bed?

Miss Nelson Is Missing (by James Marshall)

Miss nelson knows how to show her misbehaving class to appreciate her. The substitute, miss viola swamp is a real witch and puts the class to work right away.

Chrysanthemum (by Kevin Henkes)

When Mrs. Chud called roll everyone laughed at Chrysantheum’s name. She dreamed of having a simple short name until the students are introduced to the music teacher, Mrs.. Twinkle.

Eek! Stories To Make You Shriek Creep Show (by Jennifer Dussling)

Kid’s love scary stories and this series offers easy to read with short sentences, simple and repeated words in large type format. Many thrillers just right for first to second grade readers.

Bears In The Night (by Stan and Jan Berenstain)

Out, down, over, around, through and between the woods and up spooky hill go papa bear, mama bear and the children.

Each volume contains a selection of reprinted stories. Using the table of contents readers can choose the story they wish to read

Hooray For The Dandelion Warriors! (by Bill Cosby)

"little bill books affirm the value of friendships and family relationships and encourage children to solve problems fairly and creatively."

Little bill has a hard time accepting girls on the baseball team, especially if they are better players. Choosing a name for the team is also difficult because the boys and girls cannot agree. Coach white knows how to make everyone feel equal and participate as a team.

In A Dark, Dark Room And Other Scary Stories (by Alvin Schwartz)

Seven traditional stories and folktales from around the world. Especially effective if read at night around a campfire.

Teeny Tiny (by Jill Bennett)

"once upon a time there was a teeny tiny woman who lived in a teeny tiny house in a teeny tiny village," and so the story goes.

The Honest-To-Goodness Truth (by Patricia Mckissack)

Libby’s mamma has always told her to "tell the truth and shame the devil."

Libby learns that it is not always wise to blurt out the whole truth and that there is a right way and a wrong way to tell the truth.

Toestomper And The Caterpillars (by Sharleen Collicott)

Even the meanest, rudest and most disgusting of ruffians has his soft spot. After destroying the home of a bunch of caterpillars who then follow him home, toestomper finds himself defending and protecting these fuzzy creatures.

Armadillo Tattletale (by Helen Ketteman)

In the beginning armadillo had ears as tall as a jackrabbits. This allowed him to eavesdrop very well and report back not exactly what was really said. The alligator decides enough of these humongous hissy fits something must be done and he will see to that.

George and Martha (by James Marshall)

George and Martha are friends with many adventures not unlike the frog and toad stories. Five short stories proving the special relationship between these two hippos despite their ridiculous situations.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (by Judi Barrett)

Grandpa is reminded of the tall-tale of the tiny town of chew and swallow.

The illustrations show food falling from the sky, hanging on trees, filling streets and becoming the landscape. Absurd illustrations and text make this original story destined to become a classic.

How The Camel Got His Hump (by Rudyard Kipling)

Once upon a time, when the world was "new-and-all," man used animals to help. Everyone had a job except the camel who refused to join in. The djinn of all the deserts, with his powerful magic, has to intervene and punish the lazy camel.

Never Take A Pig To Lunch And Other Poems About The Fun Of Eating (by Nadine Bernard Westcott)

A savory collection of poems about eating silly things, poems about eating foods we like, poems about eating too much and poems about manners at the table.

2^nd to 3^rd Grade

Chapter book series:

Junie B Jones-Realistic Fiction

Amber Brown-Realistic Fiction

Cam Jansen-Mystery

Beverly Cleary-Realistic Fiction/Fantasy

Horrible Harry-Realistic Fiction

A To Z Mysteries-Mystery

Boxcar Children-Mystery

Maximum Boy-Superhero

There are many titles in this series of Ms. Frizzle’s science class as they take educational field trips. Traveling by the trusty magic school bus students of the frizz learn special lessons. With lot’s of facts to devour they make great reading for those thirsty for information.

Magic Tree House (by Mary Hope Osborne)

Aprox. 73 pages

At least 22 different adventures traveling back in time

Jack and Annie get whisked away back in time via the magic tree house to see what it was like during different periods of history. Each historical period involves daring adventures in which they take part in.

The Dragonling (by Koller)

60 pages.

Derek can’t wait for his first dragonquest. He wants to be like his brother and father who killed the largest and fiercest dragon of all. Derek discovers that the dragons aren’t to be feared as they used to be. He risks his life proving they are friendly.

Pleasing The Ghost (by Sharon Creech)

87 pages.

Dennis get’s a visit from his uncle Arvie. Arvie is a ghost who causes all kinds of mischief, especially when a man comes courting his widow.

One Day In The Alpine Tundra (by Jean Craighead George)

50 pages

One day in the woods, one day in the tropical rainforest

These are excellent nature books written about the ecology of the rainforest, the woods and the alpine tundra. These books chronicle one day in the life of a specific environment and follow the interactions of its flora and fauna.

Seesaw Girl (by Linda Sue Park)

93 pages.

Every girl from a good family in Korea during the seventeenth century is not allowed to go beyond her family’s inner court. Jade blossom yearns to see beyond the high walls of her home and go to the mountains and the marketplace.

The Most Beautiful Place In The World (by Ann Cameron)

57 pages.

Juan’s grandmother raises him in her house with a large extended family. This story will bring tears of sadness and tears of joy as you read about Juan working for his keep and his longing to learn to read and attend school.

Marvin And The Meanest Girl (by suzy kline)

70 pages.

Marvin loves calling people nicknames and has a flair for teasing. While Marvin is busy trying to get even with Lucy he forgets that words can hurt and that his actions may be harmful.

The littles (by John Peterson)

Apx. 80 pages.

A series of books involving the littles family who just so happen to be only a few inches tall with tails. Their adventures are full of danger as they live in the tiny rooms in the walls of the house.

Judy Moody Saves The World (by Megan Mcdonald)

144 pages.

Judy moody is a new spunky heroine who is famous for her many moods. She’s perfect for all the amber brown and Junie b Jones fans.

The White Stallion (by Elizabeth Shub)

54 pages.

Set in 1845, a young girl, Gretchen and her family are heading out west. Gretchen and her horse Anna encounter a magnificent white stallion who becomes very important to them.

The Battlefield Ghost (by Margery Cuyler)

103 pages.

John and his sister Lisa move into a house that is three hundred years old. It is rumored to be haunted with a restless ghost from the revolutionary war. On midnight, January 3, the anniversary of the battle of Princeton, John and Lisa await his appearance hoping they can help him make peace with his past.

Sword Of The Samurai Adventure Stories From Japan (by Eric a. Kimmel)

112 pages.

Entertaining collection of stories about the samurai warriors of ancient Japan. The samurai warriors values and conduct were molded by Shintoism and Buddhism much like Europe’s king Arthur and the knights of the round table who’s code of conduct was shaped by the Christian faith.

The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (by Daniel Pinkwater)

1108 pages.

An uproarious tale about a 266-pound chicken named Henrietta who is raised by the mad scientist professor Mazzocchi. He sells Henrietta to Arthur Bobowicz who is really shopping for a turkey. Henrietta’s antics and the lunacy that follows will keep readers in stitches.

The Best Loved Doll (by Rebecca Caudill)

An old fashioned doll story that still has charm today. Betsy is invited to a party and everyone must bring their favorite doll to be in a contest. Betsy’s doll is over one hundred years old and looks like she has played a lot during her long life. Old dolls can be special too, find out just how special at the party.

Ark In The Park (by Wendy Orr)

77 pages.

Mr. And Mrs.. Noah own the most amazing pet store in the world. Because of their names they built the store like a huge Noah's ark with seven levels. Sophie longs to visit this magnificent store and she does on her birthday. A special friendship evolves where everyone's secret wishes are fulfilled.

Lucky Baseball Bat (by Matt Christopher)

58 pages.

Author matt Christopher is famous for his many sports novels for young readers. Martin desperately wants to prove himself as a baseball player and join the tigers baseball team. His playing improves and his confidence soars with his new "lucky baseball bat." When something happens to that bat will he will be able to continue his winning streak?

Gooney Bird Greene (by Lois Lowry)

88 pages.

The moment gooney bird greene arrives at watertower elementary school it’s obvious she likes to be "right smack in the middle of everything." She is truly an individual who likes expressing herself through her unique wardrobe and unusual lunches. Gooney bird is quite the storyteller, telling "absolutely true stories" revealing the extraordinary in everyday events.

The Magic Finger (by Roald Dahl)

The Stories Huey Tells (by Ann Cameron)

Apx. 90 pages.

A warm friendly chapter book depicting family life and especially that of being a younger brother. Huey likes to show the whole world that he is not just a little kid and that his adventures prove it.

Freckle Juice (by Judy Blume)

47 pages.

Humorous story-a good introduction to more Judy Blume books to come.

"if Andrew had freckles like Nicky, his mother would never know if his neck is dirty." Could there be a recipe for freckles?

The Big Wave (by Pearl Buck)

57 pages.

Kino lives on a farm on the side of a mountain and Jiya lives in a fishing village below. Everyone who lives in this small Japanese village has heard about the big wave. No one imagines the devastation it can cause. While Jiya struggles to overcome his tragedy, " he understands it is in the presence of danger that one learns to be brave, and to appreciate how wonderful life can be."

The Hundred Dresses (by Eleanor Estes)

78 pages.

Wanda is an immigrant with a long funny name. She is also very poor and wears the same old blue dress. Wanda says she has a hundred dresses but no one believes her. Wanda’s special talents get noticed but it is too late.

Shoeshine Girl (by Clyde Robert Bulla)

84 pages.

Ten and ½ year old Sarah Ida is being sent to aunt Claudia's for the summer. Her parents are having trouble coping with the tough spirited Sarah Ida. The shoeshine stand is the only place willing to hire Sarah Ida which turns out to be only the beginning of many surprises this summer holds for her.

Stone Fox (by John Gardiner)

81 pages.

Ten-year-old willy desperately needs $500 to save their farm from the tax collector. He sees a poster for the national dogsled race. Willy enters the race with his dog searchlight. He needs to win the prize money. But, so does the Indian stone fox, who has never lost a race.

Catwings (by Ursula le Guin)

40 pages.

Mrs. Jane tabby’s entire four children have wings. These cats can fly away from a dangerous slum and find a safer place to live. A special day comes for the cats when in the woods they meet…?

The Firework-Maker’s Daughter (by Philip Pullman)

97 pages.

"a thousand miles ago in a country east of the jungle and south of the mountains there lived a firework-maker and his daughter, Lila." Her father holds back the final secret of firework-making saying she is not ready to know. Lila doesn’t agree, so she sets off on a dangerous journey facing down the fire-fiend of Mount Merapi to bring back some of the royal sulfur.

Courage Of Sarah Noble (by Alice Dagliesh)

53 pages.

the inspiring true story of young Sarah noble’s journey through the wilderness, cooking for her father and befriending the Indians. Sarah discovers," that it was not always easy to feel brave inside."

Mr.Popper’s Penguins (by Richard Atwater)

138 pages.

Mr. Popper is a house painter who reads books on exploration. His income isn’t enough to support his people family and his growing penguin family. He comes up with an idea to train his penguins for the stage. This is the exciting part!

Go Fish (by Mary Stolz)

73 pages.

Thomas and his grandfather have a special relationship. They go fishing together at the old pier jutting into the gulf of Mexico. His grandfather tells wonderful stories about, " so back and back, back through the years to Benin, an ancient town in Africa." Hearing these stories are even better than eating crackly brown fried trout.

The Skirt (by Gary Soto)

74 pages.

Miata Ramirez is scared and upset because the folkloric skirt that belonged to her mother is missing. How does she replace the skirt that Her mother made while living in Mexico? What will she wear for the dance folkloric? Strong family ties, friendship and "ethnic pride."

The Mouse Of Amherst (by Elizabeth Spires)

61 pages.

What would it be like sharing a bedroom with the famous poet Emily Dickinson? Preferring to be more than a cheese nibbler and a crumb gatherer, Emmaline, a charming mouse, discovers her true self in her new quarters.

Muggie Maggie (by Beverly Cleary)

70 pages.

Maggie Schultz refuses to learn cursive until she gets in a pickle at school and makes a lot of trips to the principals office.

My Father’s Dragon (by Ruth Stiles Gannett)

77 pages.

The first book in a series of three exciting adventure stories. Elmer sets off on a secret journey to rescue the dragon from wild island and from all the wild animals who live there.

The Ink Drinker (by Eric Sanvoisin)

35 pages.

"my father owns a bookstore. He loves books. He devours them like an ogre." One day of the usual spying on customers, reveals an extremely curious fellow sucking all the ink off the pages of books with a straw!

The Whipping Boy (by Sid Fleischman)

89 pages.

Centuries ago, some royalty did have whipping boys who suffered the punishments meant for the misbehaving prince’s. Jemmy, an orphan boy has been plucked off the streets to serve as the whipping boy for ‘prince brat.’ follow their adventures as they both run away and encounter two dangerous outlaws.

Folk tales: Paul Bunyan/Pecos Bill/Johnny Appleseed/John Henry etc…

Mythology: Mary Pope Osbornes tales from the odyssey book one & two

Greece! Rome! Monsters! (by John Harris)

Fables: Aesop/la Fontaine/Arnold Lobel

Lion witch wardrobe (by C.S. Lewis)

Time warp trio (by Jon Scziesca)

Series of unfortunate events (by Lemony Snickett)

Harry potter (by J.K. Rowlings)

Matt christopher ( sports)

Dealing with dragons (by Patricia Wrede)

Wrinkle in time (by Madeline L’engle)

Little house on the prarie (by Laura I. Wilder)

Chronicles of pyrdian (by Lloyd Alexander)

Indian in the cupboard (by Lynne Reid Banks)

Sideways stories from wayside school (by Louis Sachar)

Nancy drew mysteries (by Carolyn Keene)

Hardy boy mysteries (by Franklin Dixon)

Dear America ( various authors)

My name is America (various authors)

131 pages.

Buddy and his older sister have an incredible adventure back in time to the seventeenth century New England. They discover their ancestors; one a pirate with treasure and one a spirited ten year old girl accused of being a witch.

Julie Of The Wolves (by Jean Craighead George)

170 pages.

Miyax is lost on the north slope of Alaska. She is forced to reflect on her past and to re define her traditional Eskimo ways. A moving survival story of how "Julie" is accepted by a pack of artic wolves and the loving bond between them.

Island Of The Blue Dolphins (by Scott O’dell)

184 pages.

Karena is left behind alone on the island where she waits year after year for a ship to come and take her away. Meanwhile she learns to stay alive fighting her enemies the wild dogs and befriending the blue dolphins who swim in the ocean surrounding this beautiful island in the pacific.

Hatchet (by Gary Paulsen)

191 pages.

Thirteen year old, Brian Robeson is headed for the Canadian wilderness when the single engine plane crashes. He is the sole survivor, left with only the clothes on his back and a hatchet.

192 pages.

Sequel to the Newberry honor winning Incident at Hawks Hill. Seven-year-old Ben MacDonald is escaping a nasty trapper when he ends up on the shores of Lake Winnipeg where he is taken in by a tribe of Métis Indians.

Aweek In The Woods (by Andrew Clements)

190 pages.

Mark moves from New York to New Hampshire and finds life in the country and at a public school to be extremely ordinary. When he decides to open up he accompanies his fifth grade class on a yearly trip to the woods. Things go badly for mark and nothing turns out as planned.

The Incredible Journey (by Sheila Burnford)

148 pages.

A young Labrador Retriever, a Bull Terrier and a Siamese cat set out through the Canadian wilderness. They face many obstacles but together their instincts lead them westward back home to the family they love.

Call of the Wild (by Jack London)

139 pages.

The Alaskan gold rush of the 1900’s was a desperate time for those seeking their fortunes in the frozen Alaskan Klondike. Buck is sold into a harsh life of relentless labor in the cold and brutal north. He fights for survival with "unbreakable spirit."

The Great Turkey Walk (by Kathleen Karr)

197 pages.

Simon green repeats the third grade four times. He may not be book smart be he does have an entrepreneurial spirit. Herding one thousand bronze turkeys from Missouri to Denver, Colorado turns out to be quite a wild west adventure.

The Cay (by Theodore Taylor)

137 pages.

Phillip and his mother are aboard a freighter to the united states when it is torpedoed and he becomes a castaway on a small raft all alone except for stew cat and a very old black west Indian man. Because Phillip’s head injury leaves him blind he becomes dependent on this old man celebrating the "brotherhood of man."

Sign Of The Beaver (by Elizabeth George Speare)

135 pages.

Matt is left alone while his father leaves to bring the rest of the family back to their new cabin in the Maine wilderness. An Indian chief and his grandson save matt from an attack of swarming bees. The two boys become friends and matt is asked to join the beaver tribe and move north.

Island Of The Aunts (by Eva Ibbotson)

281 pages.

There is only one sensible solution for three aunts, Etta, Coral and Myrtle. That is to kidnap some children to help care for the island’s wild assortment of creatures. Eva ibbotson is the author of many thrilling fantasies including: which which, platform 13 and dial a ghost.

A Barrel of Laughs a Vale of Tears (by Jules Feiffer)

180 pages.

Between a king who struggles for the right words and his son who is born without bones just funny bones readers are in for an n entertaining medieval farce. In order to become more levelheaded prince roger is sent on a quest from the forever forest to the dastardly divide through the valley of vengeance over the sea of screams past the mountain of malice and to nearly drown in the vale of tears.

The Castle In The Attic (by Elizabeth Winthrop)

179 pages.

William’s real looking stone and wooden model of a castle complete with a drawbridge, moat and a small knight becomes alive with wizards and magic.

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (by Roald Dahl) all of his books are great and popular!

Half Magic (by Edward Eager)

192 pages.

First in a series of seven books. Jane and her siblings are having a terribly boring summer until she finds the coin on the sidewalk. She wishes something exciting would happen and it does. It turns out the wishes are granted by only half so that you must wish for twice as much as you want.

Ella Enchanted (by Gail Carson Levine)

232 pages.

The Chocolate Touch (by Patrick Catling)

87 pages.

John loved chocolate more than anything else in the world until having the chocolate touch meant more than he bargained for.

Wonderful Flight To The Mushroom Planet (by Eleanor Cameron)

195 pages.

A strange man appears and inspires two boys to build a space ship which takes them to the planet of the mushroom people. The sequel is titled stoway to the mushroom planet.

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (by Bruce Hale)

145 pages.

Imagine trading places with your mother! You’re now the mom and have to meet with the school principal and mom is now the student.

Frindle (by Andrew Clements)

105 pages.

What happens when nick renames the word pen to frindle? Read about the excitement that spreads throughout school and the town.

Harry’s Mad (by Dick King-Smith)

123 pages.

An African gray parrot is not what Harry dreams of inheriting. When you’re hoping for a treasure chest a parrot doesn’t quite cut it. Unless of course, you discover this is no ordinary pet shop parrot but a "first rate chess player, a walking dictionary, and a great new friend."

Sideways Stories From Wayside School (by Louis Sachar)

124 pages.

A crazy mixed up school with classrooms accidentally built one on top of the other. All kinds of funny things happen at wayside school all the way up to the thirteenth floor.

From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (by E.L. Konigsburg)

162 pages.

Brother and sister, Claudia and Jamie decide to run away to somewhere comfy like the metropolitan museum of art. They become involved in an important mystery about a famous Michelangelo statue.

In The Year Of The Boar And Jackie Robinson (by Betty Bao Lord)

169 pages.

In 1947 a Chinese girl comes to America and feels lost until she discovers baseball and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Bridge To Terabithia (by Katherine Paterson)

128 pages.

Jess finds himself sticking up for Leslie, the newcomer, even though she outruns him in the school yard race. Their friendship grows as they discover magic in a secret place until tragedy strikes and changes everything forever.

Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing (by Judy Blume)

120 pages.

Meet Peter Hatcher and his terrible problem known as fudge, his little brother. Fudge causes all kinds of mischief but the final straw is when he gets a hold of Peter’s pet turtle, dribble. Also read superfudge, fudgemania and double fudge.

The School Story (by Andrew Clements)

196 pages.

Follow Natalie and Zoe into the world of publishing. Learn about literary agents, editors and publicity as these two friends submit a manuscript to the juvenile division of a publisher.

Honus & Me (by Dan Gutman)

137 pages.

Joe’s specialty is striking out in baseball. His luck changes when he finds a baseball card of Honus Wagner the star of the 1909 world series.

Babe & Me (by Dan Guttman)

161 pages.

Another baseball card adventure with all the action and baseball lore. This time Joe travels back in time to October 1, 1932 during game three of the Chicago Cubs-New York Yankees world series.

Watsons Go To Burningham-1963 (By Christopher Paul Curtis)

210 pages.

The antics of an African American family living in flint, Michigan. Things change drastically after their visit to grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

A CORNER OF THE UNIVERSE  (by ANN MARTIN )

Hattie’s life turns upside down the summer of her twelve birthday. Her uncle who nobody has ever mentioned before comes home to live with her repressive well-to-do grandparents. Her familiar small town life expands as her friendship develops with her mentally disabled uncle and the circus girl whose family is working here for the summer

217 pgs

A mysterious collection of heirs tries to uncover the circumstances of an eccentric millionaire.

180 PGS

Everyone in the community where Jonas lives is assigned a role for life. When Jonas turns twelve he is singled out to receive special training from the Giver to be the next Receiver of Memory.

THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION (by NANCY FARMER  winner of three prestigious awards)

380PGS

It is a long book but once involved it will become a page-turner. Most people consider Matt a beast.

Being a clone means you are harvested in a cow for nine months. Matt struggles to understand his existence in a corrupt drug empire between Mexico and the United States.

262pgs

Newbery award winning author Avi is a winner again with his latest historical fiction set in fourteenth century medieval England. Declared a "wolf’s head" young Crispin is relentlessly pursued for a crime he did not commit. He encounters a huge man named Bear and together they journey the countryside where terrifying and mysterious episodes await them.

262 PGS

Fabulous book of California history specifically the plight of the Mexican farm workers during the Great Depression. A sudden tragedy shatters Esperanza’s life and her dreams of rising to Mama’s position and presiding over all of El Rancho de las Rosas.

TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE  (by AVI )

210 PGS

In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is on board the ship Seahawk traveling from England to America. When a bitter feud breaks out between the "murderously cruel" captain and the seedy crew Charlotte finds herself in deep danger.

A DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE  (by Robert Newton Peck )

150 PGS

This is a classic celebrating a Shaker boy’s coming of age on a Vermont farm. A story about the joys and hardships of farm life and the sometimes harsh realities we face.

THE UPSTAIRS ROOM  (by Johanna Reiss)

179 pgs

Annie de Leeuw is eight years old and Jewish when the German army occupies Holland. Her sister and her are in grave danger and stay alive by hiding with a Gentile family

THE RED ROSE BOX  136 PGS.  (by Brenda Woods)

This beautifully told story is the recent Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book. Leah and her sister Ruth live in rural Sulphur, Louisiana in 1953. They visit their glamorous aunt Olivia in Los Angeles far away from the cotton fields and the Jim Crow Laws. A disaster occurs back home forcing them to make freedom feel like home.

HOMELESS BIRD 212 PGS.  (by GLORIA WHELAN)

This National Book Award Winner transports the reader back in time to India where a thirteen-year-old girl from a poor family is awaiting a planned marriage and her parents scramble to get a dowry. Koly desperately wants to go to school and learn to read but her family believes school is a waste of time for girls and the money is better spent towards a dowry for a suitable husband. An interesting read about a different society and culture.

A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO (by RICHARD PECK )

Richard Peck is a wonderful storyteller. With strong characterization and a rich sense of place, Joey and his sister spend summers visiting their grandma where everything is as old as grandma including an outdoor privy and no telephone.

128 PGS

Year Down Yonder is the sequel to the Newbery Award winner, A Long Way From Chicago

292 pgs

Florida turns out to be full of surprises for Roy who recently moves there from Montana. Between the bully at school and the mysterious running boy Roy becomes involved in his first environmental cause. A commercial land development is threatening the burrowing owls and someone is using very unusual methods to stop the project.

THE THIEF LORD ( by Cornelia Funke)

345 PGS

Prosper and Bo is running away from their cruel aunt and uncle. They join up with a family of street urchins and live in an abandon theatre. Their leader is a mysterious thirteen year old with lots of secrets and calls himself the "Thief Lord."

THE DOLL PEOPLE   (BY ANNE MARTIN)

256 pgs

The dolls get passed down to generations of children. Find out what happens when the "funcraft dolls" befriend the Dolls family and they form the Selmp detective agency looking for missing persons. A favorite story with a sequel for third to fifth grade girls.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX  (BY Kate DiCamillo)

267 PGS

I knew when I first read this it would be an award winner. The 2004 Newbery winner is the author of the popular Winn-Dixie.

An extremely talented and sensitive mouse is born into a large family. Despereaux would not learn how to nibble on a book he would instead read the stories. He would not learn to scurry but instead he would hear the music no other mouse could hear.

Despereaux travels on a journey that leads to a horrible dungeon and then up into the glittering castle and what happens then? "Reader, it is your destiny."

INDIGO (by ALICE HOFFMAN )

84pgs

A mysterious story of self-discovery by an accomplished storyteller. "Oak Grove is a dry, dusty town haunted by memories of a past flood." Everyone dreads the water-except two brothers with thin webbing between their fingers and toes.