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The Dragon of Trelian From the author of New York Times bestselling picture book, Library Lion, comes a middle grade fantasy dream-come-true: a girl, her dragon, and a nice guy to hang out with. Through the alternating viewpoints of Meg and Calen - a princess and a mage's apprentice - the story is a wild adventure of betrayal, magic, murder, and budding romance. Meg is an extremely likable and strong female character with a breathless quality, who sometimes has more inside of her than she can put a lid on, which makes for wonderful, subtle humor.
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A Thousand Never Evers Coming-of-age story of 12-year-old Addie Ann, in rural Mississippi, in 1963. The racial struggles and the historical detail are woven beautifully throughout the story and don't overwhelm it. Amidst all of that is Addie's story: how she relates to her cat, the best friend who likes the same boy she does, Addie's longing for a first kiss, and most of all - Addie's discovery of her own courage. |
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The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones Prometheus Jones was born on the day of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. When his mother dies, she leaves him a scrap of paper with the name of his father and tells Prometheus to find him. Prometheus’s journey west is full of cowboy adventures and lots of heart. The dialogue, period details, and characters feel completely authentic. This rarely explored topic, handled so beautifully, gives boys a wonderful flavor for what it was like to be a cowboy. |
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Emil and Karl Originally published in Yiddish in 1940. This story of two boys - one Jewish and one not – in Vienna just before WWII, is gutsy. The two nine-year-old boys are on their own as they try to escape. The story respects that children should know what happened during this time and that they can handle it. The specific detailed experiences of the treatment of Jews and those that tried to help them are vivid and heart-wrenching. The story is timeless because it is so honest. |
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The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World Amedeo Kaplan isn’t used to being alone and it doesn’t help that he now finds himself in a new town, a new school and drawn inexplicably to the brainy and somewhat mysterious William Wilcox. William and his mother are masters at selling treasures that once graced the homes of others. When preparing the goods in Amedeo’s eccentric neighbor’s house for sale, the two boys discover more than just used dishes and antique lamps. Together they uncover the rich past of the home's grand dame, Mrs. Zender, and discover that things aren’t always what they appear to be. Treasures can be found in many guises. Reminiscent of E.L Koningsburg’s award winning From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World will not disappoint readers who have come to expect a good story peppered with a bit of art and adventure. The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World is a junior guild library selection appropriate for readers 10-14 and will delight any reader who enjoys the unexpected. |
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The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short Even though Givert is short, very very short, it doesn’t stop his quest to become one of King Arthur’s knights. In the end it is his wit and wisdom that finally attract the king’s attention and without needing to rescue a damsel in distress or fight a fearsome dragon, Givert’s dream comes true and he becomes a knight. His subsequent quests unite a fellow knight with his princess and her kingdom and earn him the nickname Sir Givert the Marvelous, although most still call him Sir Givert the Short… Black and white brush and ink illustrations add sassiness to the text, bringing it to life in a new way as well as providing beginning readers the chance to take a breather from the text. Acclaimed Arthurian author Gerald Morris has also written the Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great and The Squire’s Tales. The Adventures of Sir Givert the Short is a good beginning novel for those just graduating from easy readers, and will appeal to boys. |
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Kaleidoscope Eyes This is a fantastic book that puts a spin on most traditional mysteries. Set in the late 60's in the time of the Vietnam War, three friends, Lyza, Malcolm, and Carolann, set out to solve a mystery Lyza’s grandfather left for her after his death. With the three friends spending all of their time looking for treasure, will their unknowing families get suspicious, or will they eventually have to tell them anyway? With intertwining stories of Vietnam soldiers, hippie protestors, and broken families, this is a great read written in free verse. I would recommend it to boys and girls ages 11-13 who enjoy realistic fiction, with a mix of mystery and historical fiction as well.
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Water Steps Kyna’s spirit is unflappable. She's the kind of kid who bounces through life, seeing the good everywhere she looks. Her one weakness is a deathly fear of water after nearly drowning when she was three years old. Her family died in the boating accident that almost took Kyna’s young life. Her adoptive parents, Mem and Pep, were the people who saved her and had tried to save her family. Mem and Pep are a little quirky and talk a lot about Irish lore, but Kyna isn’t buying their silly stories. Still … summers have a way of changing things. |
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Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog Tango, a Yorkshire Terrier used to the good life, winds up on the coast of Prince Edward Island, confused and injured but finding a wonderful woman named Gustie. Wishing his owner would come to get him, Tango soon realizes that he will have to get back to New York City on his own. As he goes in search of home, with the help of a fox, Beau, and a girl named McKenna, he realizes more about himself than he ever thought he could. I thought this book was a really good read because it always kept me thinking about what was going to happen next, and what the fate of the cute little dog Tango was. I would recommend this book to girls or boys ages 10-12 who like adventure and fiction. |
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A Difficult Boy A gritty story of an Irish teen, Daniel, and a younger boy, Ethan, who struggle to survive life as indentured servants during the early 1800's in Massachusetts. Daniel is automatically thought to be a thief and a liar, because he is Irish. Both boys endure harsh discipline at the hands of the wealthy, and dishonest, man they serve. The boys’ changing relationship and how they come to bond penetrates the heart. The details give the story authenticity and texture. The middle of the story soars, where so many sag. The momentum lasts until the final page of the book. Wonderful.
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Triskellion A mysterious symbol. A village full of secrets. A twin brother and sister who don’t want to be in this out-of–the-way English village, but feel it is their destiny. Add in an ancient grave under a chalk circle, a boy who appears unexpectedly and speaks through mental telepathy and bees that convey hidden messages and extract revenge… and you have a spellbinding, can’t-put-it–down story. Triskellion was inspired by a single fact. In 1997 a body was found near a small English farm dating back to the Bronze Age. As it turns out, DNA testing proved that the man running the farm was a direct descendent of the deceased. The story outlined on the pages of Triskellion follows a similar pattern. A TV crew uncovers an ancient grave containing the bodies of a man and a woman and it soon comes to light that most of the villagers are descendants of this union. But all is not as it seems, and soon more is uncovered about the man from a place farther away than time, his unwelcome union and the origins and power of the triskellion symbol that dominates the village. Peterson has done a wonderful job guiding the suspense and even up to the last page readers will wait on the edge of their seats for all the answers to be revealed. A good read for anyone interested in fantasy, Triskellion will appeal equally to boys and girls. This is Peterson’s first novel for children and I hope will not be his last. |
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The Secret History of Tom Trueheart We grow up hearing fairy tales about princesses in need of rescue, castles climbing with vines and filled with sleeping beauties and beanstalks that reach beyond the clouds. But what if these tales are more than stories fabricated by one storyteller? What if they begin merely as sketchy plot outlines that must be lived through in order to create the story? Ian Beck has embraced this concept in his preteen novel, The Secret History of Tom Trueheart. Twelve year-old Tom is the youngest of the Trueheart clan, the men who are the heroes of the fairy tale adventures and in the end always win the prize. But the writer of the tales in the Story Bureau is tired of never having control of his story’s endings, and he sets about to sabotage the Trueheart clan. When all the brothers go missing, it is up to Tom to finish their stories and rescue them so they can fulfill their missions. Ian Beck is the creator of many picture books for children, and has sold over one million copies of his books worldwide. He is also well known for his illustrations including the cover of Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album. This is his first novel and along with the recently released sequel, Tom Trueheart and the Land of Dark Stories, it will appeal to boys and girls with an interest in fairy tales and a good adventure. |
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Zahrah the Windseeker “When I was born, my mother took one look at me and laughed. “She’s…dada,” said the doctor, looking surprised. “I can see that,” my mother replied with a smile…” Zahrah is different. Not only do vines grow from her hair, but as she approaches her early teen years she discovers she has hidden talents, like flying, and it scares her. When her best friend Dari encourages her to join him on forbidden excursions into the Greeny Jungle, she goes. What unfolds there is exciting and often unexpected and grips the reader in a page turning adventure. Although the first novel for author Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, she is well known for her short stories and holds a PhD in English from the University of Illinois. Nominated for many awards, Zahrah the Windseeker is an excellent choice for pre-teen readers interested in science fiction, stories of adventure and the mysteries of the unknown.
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Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls It is a challenge for the second book in a series to match the magic of the first, but Lynne Jonell has done it in Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls. Her second novel continues the story of Emmy, the evil Miss Barmey, and the talking rodent world that was so artfully and engagingly told in her first novel, Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. Emmy’s former governess, Miss Barmey, has been bitten by the Incredible Shrinking Rat and is now a rat herself with plans to dominate the rodent community. Held captive in her parent’s attic are five little girls, former charges of Miss Barmey’s and now shrunk to 4-inches high. In this tale of adventure the reader joins Emmy, her friend Joe, and the Rat as they attempt to rescue the little girls, save the rodent underground city and once-and-for-all defeat Miss Barmey and foil her evil plans. Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls is one of those rare books you can’t put down. It is a tale of self-discovery, suspense and imagination. Appropriate for elementary age readers, this book would make a wonderful read-aloud in the classroom and will appeal to both boys and girls. |
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Cuss Boys always dream of adventure and the world beyond the familiar life they know and twelve year-old Cuss is no different. He hangs out with his friends, Perks and Skinny, in Roslyn, Washington, learns all he can in school and dreads the day he will have to go work in the mine. But what choice does he have? It is the only work around, and liking school and being able to swear in fourteen languages doesn’t change his future. Or does it… When his brothers identify his sister’s beau as the shyster he is and have to skip town to avoid the repercussions of their revenge, Cuss starts to reconsider his options. The grape train comes through once a year from California and would be the perfect escape to a better life. Cuss is a story about the decisions one must face in life. It is about loyalty to family and friends and following through on dreams. Previously published as Grape Thief, Kristine Franklin’s award winning book is a good read for both boys and girls who enjoy authors like Will Weaver or William Durbin. |
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Bewitching Season Persephone and Penelope Leland are twins who are about to “come out” during their first season in London in 1837. Daughters of a viscount, more familiar with the country than the city, they rely on Ally, Miss Allardyce, their governess, to guide them through unfamiliar experiences. Oh, yes, and Ally also trains their magic skills. In this alternate history, one of the girls is excited about their debut and growing up, and the other is reluctant. The object of the “season” is, after all, to find a suitable husband, and Persy is not ready for that. She’s far more intrigued by exploring her magical powers. This is a top-notch mystery, for Ally is kidnapped and is forced to become part of a plot to kidnap Princess Victoria. The twins do their best to find Ally and foil the plot, with plenty of help from their parents, Ally’s family, and friends the girls meet in the ballrooms and libraries they visit. It is also a satisfying romance novel because in spite of Persy’s reluctance, romance finds her. For a first novel, this one’s a charmer. It’s a well-written novel with a fully drawn cast of characters and a complex plot that will keep readers turning pages into the wee hours of the night. |
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Box Out Written by John Coy Scholastic, 2008 ISBN 9780439870320 John Coy returns to the sports genre for his second young adult novel. Sophomore Liam Bergstrom is both thrilled and nervous about being called up to the boy’s varsity basketball team. Coach Kloss wants to utilize Liam’s height to grab rebounds. Liam becomes concerned first when Darius, a quality player, abruptly quits the team, and then when he learns that Coach and then other players lead prayers in practice and games. Liam is pressured to join a morning Christian group along with every other member of the team. Part of the book examines the issues of religion in public school, but Coy does a masterful job of plotting and moves the novel’s main focus away from this conflict. Liam and Darius are asked to help the girls’ basketball team, which opens up a new world for our protagonist. The girls and their coach – “Call me Jack” - have a totally different approach to teamwork, including sharing philosophy and literature. My favorite passage is when Liam’s father recognizes his son quoting Walt Whitman. “‘I’ve got my own road, Dad. I travel it myself.’ Dad smiles. ‘Whitman. You’ve been reading Whitman?... ‘ He’s one of my favorites,’ Dad says. ‘Mrs. Stabenow is having you read Whitman for English?’ ‘No.’ Liam shakes his head. ‘I’m reading him for basketball.’” The heavy dialogue and subject matter makes this a good choice for both reluctant readers and strong readers who love sports and finding oneself. Chris Crutcher fans will also gravitate towards this book; both Crutcher and Coy are masters at putting the focus on the characters and drawing non-sports fans into the sports genre. |
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Two Moon Princess
Written by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban Tanglewood Press, 2007 ISBN 9781933718125 Andrea lives the life of a princess, but she feels suffocated. She is confident that there is more to life than sewing fancy stitches and polite conversation. Her sisters seem content, but she is not. She wants to explore the world around her freely – and she often does so, much to the King and Queen’s frustration. Her uncle is her confidant, and although he is often gone for long periods of time he always returns with unusual gifts and a warm and understanding heart. Reminiscent of Tamora Pierce’s "Lioness" series, first time author Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban takes the reader on a journey in time and space as we travel with Princess Andrea from her kingdom of knights and castles to the modern world of southern California. The reader quickly discovers that things and people are not always what they seem, and side-by-side with Andrea come to understand the power of choice. Two Moon Princess was inspired by the author’s own transition from the “old world” traditions of Spain to the fast paced life style of California. Two Moon Princess “gives readers the interesting perspective of life in the US through the lens of an outsider,” the publisher writes. This is a book that is hard to put down and will quickly ignite the imaginations of middle grade readers, especially girls seeking adventures of their own. |
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Home of the Brave Written by Katherine Applegate Feiwel & Friends, 2007 ISBN 9780312367657 From the moment the flying boat (airplane) lands in Minnesota, Kek is mystified by this strange place where he must wear a fat shirt (winter jacket) and “soft things like hands” (gloves). In his homeland of Sudan, the horizon stretches, and he can “watch the sun put on his bright pajamas and sink into bed.” There, he helped his father herd their cattle, listened to his father’s songs, and savored moments with his mother and brother, Lual. War and destruction ravaged the life he loved. Kek witnessed the killing of his father and brother, and with his mother, he fled to refugee camps. Separated from her in an attack, he cherishes a piece of her blue and yellow dress as helping people bring him to America where he lives with his aunt and cousin. It is the small farm amidst the suburban hubbub that first catches Kek’s attention, and he begs Dave, the refugee relocation agent, to stop the car. An unlikely sagging, scarred cow bonds immediately with the boy, and he feels a piece of home in this strange land. As he scratches her ears and leans into her, he says, “I stroke her cold, wet coat, and for a moment, I hold all I’ve lost and all I want right there in my hand.” In an effort to earn money (after accidentally using a washing machine to clean his aunt’s dishes), Kek returns to the farm and asks the widowed owner if he can work for her. The lone cow becomes Gol, a word meaning family in Kek’s language, and he cares for her with dedicated kindness. Kek’s worldview and incredible use of language are captivating! Filled with lovely similes and interesting insights into everyday idioms and objects, his words and observations reshaped my thinking about the common things I encounter each day. The foreign season of winter is constantly challenging him. “Much snow makes a home in my boots,” he says one day. To show his manners to Lou, the farm owner, he takes five of the cookies with chocolate pieces that “tease like jewels in sand.” The free-verse delivery of his story makes it perfect for savoring independently or reading aloud. Kek’s experience is not simply that of an immigrant boy looking to be brave in a new situation. He teaches much, of course, of the things challenging a person recently introduced to a place and culture. He also teaches about preserving the valuable parts of one’s own history and culture. But most important, his universal longing to be part of a family, to display bravery and courage, to be accepted, make him just like any young person. His poignant story communicates the shared longings of all young people. |
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Tall Tales Written by Karen Day Wendy Lamb Books, 2007 ISBN 9780375837739 Meg’s family keeps moving because her father is a drunk. Not all the time. When he isn’t drinking he is the father every child wants – but it never stays that way. Now the family is in a new town and Meg craves friendship. She tells elaborate stories to paint a different life for herself. Perhaps others will like her better if she came from an exotic land or had famous relatives; she would. Keeping the stories straight gets tricky, and Meg soon finds herself trying to find a way out of her conflicting tales. It doesn’t take long before she and Grace find a connection that draws Meg even further into her fantasy life of a stress free family. She has found her friend, but that is not enough to erase her fear of the truth. Her brother, Teddy, is beginning to confront their father and things begin to fall apart. Tall Tales is a novel about more than a dysfunctional family. It is about more than a girl who hides from the truth, even to her best friend. It is about friendship and a family’s journey of discovery. Karen Day’s debut novel deals with sensitive issues in a very conversational and non-threatening way, and is very accessible to its target audience (9-12 year old readers). |
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They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths Written by Ray A. Williamson and Jean Guard Monroe Illus by Edgar Stewart Houghton Mifflin, 2007 (reprint) ISBN 9780618809127 Where do the stars come from and why are they there? From the beginning of time, in every part of the world, people have told stories about the stars in an attempt to explain what it means to be human or to personify nature and teach their children how to live in harmony with it. To some stars were sacred spirits or people who once lived on earth. Stars were wives running away from husbands because their breath smelled like onions. Stars were the memory of children who danced too much. Using original notes and manuscripts, Jean Guard Monroe and Ray A. Williamson have compiled a very accessible collection of Native American Star myths in their book They Dance in the Sky. Each star myth comes from a different Native American tribe and includes a brief background of the myth’s history. Universal themes of punishment for wrong doings, ramifications for simple disobedience or escaping to the sky to avoid some earthly trouble are common in these myths, many of which have not been published for the general reader before. Also included are a glossary with the Native American star names and descriptions (and where possible the European star name with the pronunciation), a page of suggested reading, an index with easy access to the stories, and a bibliography for each chapter. They Dance In the Sky is a wonderful way to begin to understand the connection between Native American stories and their relationship to the natural world. This book is a must for any classroom or anyone interested in Native American star myths. |
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The Right before Evie’s mother dies, she tells her daughter a story of an amazingly beautiful garden. But with her death, storytelling and magic disappear. Evie’s dad decides to move to When Evie learns that Alex had a twin brother Adam, a twin who’s still alive, she starts wondering if someone is playing tricks on her. The plot plays some tricks too, interweaving religious allegories to Adam and Eve and the tree of life with fairytale magic. Going’s writing is strongest in the book’s opening, describing Evie and her dad’s journey to, and exploration of, their chilly, desolate new home. Readers will be reminded of another garden in disrepair in The |
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The Castle The Castle Corona moans, sighs, and gurgles through the night as its inhabitants dream and ponder their positions in the kingdom. The King broods over the possibility of thieves in the castle and other things that cause him grief. The Queen muses about the larger issues of life and wonders why people come to her with trivialities. Prince Gianni fantasizes about words and how he can string them together into beautiful phrases. Princess Fabrizia dreams of the lovely fabrics she might wear and the regal things she might do. Prince Vito imagines himself in battle, slashing the air with his sword and accosting any potential intruders. The Royal Family was never content with their position or their possessions. Outside the castle, two orphan peasants, Pia and Enzio, work long hours at difficult tasks for the nasty Master Pangini. Their malevolent master calls them “dirty beetles” and warns them against dreaming about “If only” situations. When the two find a leather pouch marked with the King’s seal in the autumn leaves, its peculiar contents raise their curiosity level, especially when one of the King’s Men calls it “significant.” What is so important about two pieces of red coral, gold medallions, a lock of black hair, and a small piece of parchment (which they could not read)? Their lives become intertwined with the royal family when they are abducted by the King’s Men and taken to the Castle Corona to be the Royal Tasters, tasting the King’s food before he does so that he will not be poisoned. Jumbled amongst the royalty, the peasant children, and the Castle are Ministers of Inventory too numerous to be inventoried, a delightful Wordsmith who entertains with his freshly created stories, and a supporting cast worthy of their own stories. This multi-faceted story does not fit into a genre and lends itself well to being read aloud. It challenges the reader (or listener) to define contentment and wisdom and their sources in life through the minds of numerous engaging characters. |
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Fire, Bed & Bone “We were not, nor would ever be, truly wild. I had known fireside, bed, and bone, Rufus’s pat and his soft look. All of my life up till then had been lived in the village. But still I was no hand-fed house dog. I knew what to do and how to do it.” The year was 1381 and Old Dog quickly carried her pups to the safety of the barn. Then she returned to the cottage, lifted baby Alice from her cradle and hid with her and the two older boys in the pig’s stall. When she knew the soldiers were gone, she ran for help. Once the children were safe, she returned to the barn to find two of her pups missing, killed by a wildcat. Heartbroken, Old Dog took her surviving pup, fled from the village and sought refuge in the woods. Fire, Bed & Bone is so cleverly crafted that the reader will be swept away to another time. The struggles of this heroic dog bring understanding to a momentous time in history. Filled with triumph, tragedy and hope, Branford’s book brings history to life. Written in a mere 116 pages, teachers can assign it without overwhelming their young readers. This is a book for late elementary and early middle school readers. But hey, I loved it and I’m much older than that--- |
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Jabberwocky One of the few assignments I remember in high school was to write a nonsense poem in the style of Lewis Carroll’s classic poem, “Jabberwocky.” It was so much fun to make up words and test their rightness by sound alone! Christopher Myers seeks to engage kids in a flight of fancy as he re-imagines Jabberwocky. Through extensive research, Myers created a theory that Carroll was aware of an ancient game curiously like basketball. The object of this game, played by the Olmecs and the Aztecs, was to send a rubber ball through a stone hoop attached high up on a wall. Myers read Jabberwocky again and again and began to see curious connections to the modern day game of hoops. So the Jabberwock becomes a fierce opponent on the court, challenging the main player to face off in true David and Goliath style. “And, as in uffish thought he stood, the Jabberwock with eyes of flame, came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came! “ There is so much fun to be had with this book. Given Myers’ delightful illustrations, kids can write the definitions of the nonsense words; they can take the favorite pastime: football, double dutch, and make up their own nonsense poem about a big showdown. Jabberwocky is about the playful love of language. Let your students dig in and play. |
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