Rich, descriptive terms fill these pages as fully as the flood that carries Hector away. Though threatened by a dangerous situation, Hector's can-do spirit and resourceful attitude send readers cheering for his success. Quality early chapter writing.

In this gripping medieval page-turner, Roger and his sister Alice are kidnapped and held for ransom in an ancient tower. To escape and find their uncle, the children must summon all their courage and imagination. "Designed as easy-reading material for middle-graders, this has the virtues of an attractive format and illustrations, a fast plot, and even a feminist fillip: Alice is the more intrepid ...

In this companion to "Summer Pony," Ginny finally has the pony she has always dreamed of, and now she and Mokey are looking forward to a winter full of new adventures. Now with all-new illustrations, this classic tale is back in print after more than 20 years.

A nice story that portrays positive sibling dynamics even in the midst of some frustration. When a thoughtful gesture turns into a confusing dilemma for Azaleah, she determines to figure out a solution using her reasoning and deduction skills. A pleasant read.

Who sent an anonymous note to Amber Lee? The secret's in the spit! A new series from the pair that created "Scaredy Cats", this time combining some of the most popular elements of kids' books--mystery, a classroom setting, and simple forensic science with a bit of gross-out factor.

When her dog Rover is accused of tearing up Mrs. Ruston's tomato plants, Noelle investigates with her friend Todd and finds long yellow hairs that may point to the real culprit. B&W illustrations.

Todd hates spiders, but all of Mr. Merlin's third grade class must collect cobwebs for their science unit. When Mr. Merlin says a spider web may hold the clue to tracking down the burglar who stole Todd's beloved baseball cards, Todd decides spiders may not be so bad after all. Illustrations.

Ava, a chocolate Lab with an amazing nose, proved her abilities in rescue drills held at the ski resort. When a real emergency develops, can she and her human friend Nate come to the rescue? Featuring an entertaining mix of storytelling and informative details, the book will especially appeal to young dog lovers.

Being responsible for the safety of others is a big job, but Jax, a livestock guardian dog, is up to the challenge. Coyotes? No problem. Rambunctious puppies? No problem. But then a mountain lion shows up, threatening the sheep Jax protects. A tense showdown ensues, insuring young readers will keep turning the pages as Jax tells his own story. The post-story pages feature interesting information a ...

Narrated by class pets, a squirrel, and a dog, each one giving a distinct personality to the retelling, the story builds in cascade of cause/effect events certain to have readers rolling in laughter. Note: a couple of the animal narrators use the words "pee" and "poop" in their storytelling. These terms are used within humorous narrations and do not seem gratuitous.

Abandoned by his family, Freddie, the canine narrator, is alone on the streets until he meets up with Spike, a watchdog who's not mean enough to satisfy his junkyard-owner master. The two new friends soon face a new danger when their past comes back to threaten them. Illustrations.

Deep in the Alaskan wilds, 9-year-old Rachel dreams of owning and racing a sled dog one day. When her father, who breeds and races huskies, gives her the runt of the litter, Rachel names the puppy Silver and sets out to prove he's a champion.

Since its first publication in 1991, Hannah has been hailed by critics, including the Nat'l Federation of the Blind, as one of the few fine children's books dealing with blindness. It's 1887, and nine-year-old Hannah in confined to her house--until a new teacher comes to town. IRA Teachers' Choice.

It was said of Diva: "…if anything ever happened, no matter how big or small, Diva would yelp and run away. Diva was very good at her job." And of Flea: "A great flaneur (someone who roams the streets to see what there is to see) has seen everything, but still looks for more, because there is always more to discover. Flea was a really great flaneur." So, when the two crossed paths, there was ...

Lawrence’s confidence boost when he finally realizes (with his friend’s help) the best defense against a bully is to accept himself just the way he was made and find joy in it.