Words with Wings is like a jewel box. Each free verse poem poses a thought, quandary, or observation and sparkles with precise word choice, exploration of emotion, irony, or contrast, and delightful metaphor. Each brief facet imaginatively unfolds this poignant story like a series of photographs, calling attention to important details otherwise unnoticed. Collectively these verses applaud teachers ...

At first, radium was a health cure. Then it was the source of timepieces that could be read in the dark. And then it turned deadly. Caught in the history of this radioactive element, young women painted watch faces for manufacturers. As one after another suffers detrimental effects, it becomes obvious that working with radium is dangerous. However, the companies were profiting nicely from its use ...

Madalyn’s family life is stormy. Dad can only find work out of state, and Mom needs to work overtime just to make the ends meet. And Madalyn can’t stay home alone in their unsafe neighborhood or attend her unsafe school. It’s decided! Madalyn must go stay miles from home with her great uncle, Papa Lobo. She is lonely and must make new friends here; friends at school and friends in the neighb ...

This short biography highlights the gentle character of Princess Di. It lays a foundation of her youth and servant’s spirit and how she carried that into her adult life and duties as a Princess. The biographers keep this story to the facts and appropriate for all ages.

Fantasy, yes. But somehow this imaginative novel has feet firmly planted on a solid foundation of Truth. A follower of Christ, L'Engle saw no divide but only connection between the earthly and heavenly realm and was able to articulate biblical truths with complete relevance. Wrinkle in Time readers become fully immersed in fantastical travel, characters who appear to shift based on the demand of t ...

A delightful murder?! Reading this book is like playing the board game, Clue. Readers feel like one of the Red House guests, drawn into searching for clues to solve the murder. Extremely well-written.

Rich with surprise and hilarious adventure, "The Prince And The Pauper is a delight satire of England's romantic past and a joyful boyhood romp filled with the same tongue-in-cheek irony that sparked the best of Mark Twain's tall tales. Two boys, one an urchin from London's filthy lanes, the other a prince born in a lavish palace, unwittingly trade identities. Thus a bedraggled "Prince of Poverty" ...

Engrossing read for middle and high school students!

What happens when individuals discover the world they know is not reality, and that realization places them in a world-changing position? As usual, Haddix uses compelling storytelling to engage readers' minds with significant and fascinating questions, including who to trust and how to strategically discern a means for survival. Young adults, even reluctant readers in the age group, will be enthra ...

"This full-length junior novel should hold a place with the best Civil War fiction for young people. The fighting takes place in the West. . . . A young farm boy joins the Union forces, becomes a scout . . . There is suspense in the telling and many a colorful character".--The Horn Book.

The author of the critically acclaimed SO FAR FROM THE BAMBOO GROVE continues her autobiography, describing the hardships, poverty, tragedies, and struggles of life for her and her two older siblings, living as refugees in post-World War II Japan.

As soon as Anne Shirley arrived at the snug, white farmhouse called Green Gables, she knew she wanted to stay forever. But would the Cuthberts send her back to the orphanage? The first book in a classic series for young readers.

Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole by Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.

Awasin and Jamie, brothers in courage, meet a challenge many mountain men could not endure.When their canoe is destroyed by the fury of the rapids, they must face the wilderness with no food and no hope of rescue.To survive, they build an igloo, battle a towering grizzly bear, track several wolves, slaughter caribou for food and clothing.Two lost huskies they tame bring companionship--and maybe a ...

This compelling story of adventure, romance, and intrigue, set in ancient Egypt, was written by the three-time Newbery Honor and Edgar Award winning author Eloise Jarvis McGraw. Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom in ancient Egypt, under the rule of Queen Hatshepsut. Mara is not like other slaves; she can read and write, as well as speak the language of Babylonian. So, ...

This classic is a powerful story of love, prejudice, and survival. Set during World War II, two survivors--a white boy and an old West Indian man--from a torpedoed American freighter have much to learn from each other when the Germans invade the small island of Curacao.

The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.