This fast-paced tale of two adventurers invites readers on a quest filled with mystery, danger, and a whole lot of excitement. As readers get to know Emily and James, they learn important lessons about choices and consequences, friendship, and what home really means. Whimsy and literary references mixed with technology make this story a modern classic. School drama and family conflict offer authen ...

Urban's bite-sized "chapters" paint just enough detail to reveal a perspective or quirk of each character, making this reading experience a smorgasbord of delightful tastes and textures. This is an uplifting celebration of how lemons become lemonade, for parents just as much as their kids: disappointment confronted with determination can garner reward; crippling insecurities grow weaker with skill ...

This companion to the "New York Times"-bestselling "Football Genius" featuresTim's memorable hero Troy and delves into the flashy world of American sportsmedia, revealing its dark underside.

It is circa 2600 B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia during a terrible drought, and Jomar and Zefa's father must send his children away to the city of Ur because he can no longer feed them. Alone in a strange city, the siblings must put aside old resentments to survive.

When Ann Fay's challenge to recover from polio is compounded by her father's inability to cope with psychological war wounds, Ann Fay's attempts to fix both problems fail miserably. But when she realizes burdens are for sharing and quality relationships require humility and trust, she walks a once-lonely path with help. As she becomes less dependent upon clunky, uncomfortable braces for her polio- ...

This engrossing and thorough biography of an American legend reads like a great story. The author, a black woman who passed away in the 1990's, uses the term "Negro" throughout the book (originally published in 1955), so young readers may need instruction regarding the term's background and use. While many books relate Harriet Tubman's story, this one may retell it the best.

Rich descriptors establish this memoir’s compelling setting so that readers feel the African heat , the desperation of starving families seeking sustenance from dry, barren farmland, and the wind’s power to help a helpless community. Against this backdrop a small, young boy with an insatiable appetite for knowledge lets curiosity drive his desire to help his family and his village. T ...

A songwriter once wrote about being "thankful for a season in your path." This sentiment plays out in this gentle but delightful story of unlikely friendships, the pursuit of dreams, and the return of joy after grief. The characters and the connections between them —both past and presentdemonstrate our need for one another, even when our time together is only for a season.

The hard-hitting plot creates suspense and action that will appeal to reluctant readers. NOTE: Sensitive readers may have difficulty with brief descriptions of organized dog-fighting. However, the book provides great opportunities to discuss problem-solving and decision-making.

This is a story that explores the harbor of safety family can be, regardless of wealth or documentation. But when this family is suddenly ripped apart, the strength of familial roots translates into maturity as a son assumes the role of sibling caretaker, family comforter, and eventually, determined class leader. A well-written, relevant story that instructs with heart and intelligence.

Marting explores loss, grief, and loneliness by interweaving three seemingly disparate stories in alternating chapters. Readers follow heartbreaking and heartwarming moments of a stray dog, the tragedy and restoration of a family who suffers life-changing loss, and the growth of a boy who knows, especially after his best friend moves away, that a dog would fix his sad heart. While the mood is heav ...

What do you do when you read a news account that seems to be about yourself and your siblings? Is this a glimpse at the future? Or is it something else entirely. Again, Haddix uses a unique set-up for her characters to explore interesting and important ideas. Nonstop action will keep readers turning pages and eager to read future titles in this series.

As if typical adolescent angst was not enough, Cash, Bird and Fitch, three seventh-grade siblings, must deal with their parents’ disintegrating marriage too. Each struggles with a quirky personality, unique habits, and bumpy friendships. But reaching across to help each other through these trials brings them to a unique sense of family.

After experiencing racist bullying on her school bus and racist vandalism in her middle school, Junie and her friends of color create a club and plan a school-wide assembly to address the racist issue. Junie’s part is creating a video for the program. She also decides to record her Korean grandparents about their experiences with oppression at the same age. Amid the beginnings of the Korean War ...

This striking 40th anniversary edition of this acclaimed bestseller by Newbery Medalist McKinley brings a beloved classic to a fresh audience. Ideal for fans of Shannon Hale and Gail Carson Levine.

June’s whole concept of home is shaken when her widowed mother and younger sister must move into a homeless shelter. The embarrassment and the struggles are real. The girls must rise early to get to their school. Mother is noncommunicative and June’s greatest joy, playing the viola, is out of the question. So everything is left to June to navigate the waters of the homeless shelter. She alo ...

An imaginative and fun, often hilarious, fantasy adventure! Explores concepts of identity, family, and character while engaging the reader with witty narrator commentary and great storytelling.

Making friends in a new town is quite the chore for 12-year-old Trish who is both a math whiz and a girl baseball player. Being near perfect in both areas give her confidence but it also deters new relationships. However, team losses, baseball injuries and math competitions gone astray prevent Ben from liking her even though they have the very same interests and should be best buddies. Wise Abhi, ...