Young Derek faces multiple end-of-year stresses at once. First, there are annual tests and standardized tests at school with results enhanced by a dare from an ace student. Then there is the pending loss of one of his best friends who is moving to China. And, of course, his Yankees are in the playoffs against the other best team of the league. Dealing with all the stress Derek must remind himself ...

Precious little Jillian suffers from extreme shyness and will talk to only a few, select friends and never in class. Her loving grandmother has always encouraged her to open up to others, but Grandmother died last year. Jillian’s shyness has only worsened. Enter a bold, but sensitive 5th grade teacher! Only she can see Jillian’s intelligence and sensitivity. Throughout the year she brilliantly ...

"Louisa is a young violinist from Toronto. But alas, her professional naturalist parents want her to spend her summer break with her uncle in the Tasmanian bush. Absolutely everything is strange and somewhat frightening from the dilapidated logging-camp home to the native animals including huge spiders. And to add insult to injury, a neighbor boy, Colin, with autistic social issues comes to live w ...

For 25 years, Raskin's Newbery Medal-winning mystery novel has been an enduring favorite and is now reissued with a brand-new jacket by Kevin Hawkes and an Introduction by Ann Durell.

Story features imperfect middle and high-schoolers acting in authentic ways, which provides much to discuss. However, the authentic narrators relate events and perspectives that illustrate the power of kindness. Beautiful, moving, thought-provoking, and unforgettable!

Karen Harrington calls upon her experience with an agoraphobic mother to movingly convey her main character's angst in learning to live well through tragedy and extreme circumstances. Already facing difficult teenage years, Mysti suddenly becomes provider and voice of reason when her mother's agoraphobia strips away her ability to cope. While the text seems to go on without resolution for a good p ...

Grant simply loves to run – around town, with his best bud, Jay, and as a winning member of the school track team. He pounds out the miles until one day he really does pound the pavement – he face-plants just before the finish line! Hurt and embarrassed Grant must rebuild his self-esteem, but his social-media-loving brother has the video and sends it viral across the internet. To regain his co ...

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, ...

Chattana is a fantasy city entirely sustained by the Governor who brought peace long ago. But the price was crippling loss of personal freedoms. Three unlikely preteens begin to question his “law and order” message. Pong is an observant boy who escapes from Namwon prison where he was born and hides in a Buddhist monastery where he learns patience and compassion. Perfectionist Nok is the warden ...

In 1910 West Texas, the last camel of the US Army roams the desert. Zada has lived a long and adventurous life from Turkey to America. She’s made friends with fellow camel racers for the Pasha and with many more camels on a rocky sailing ship. She has lately befriended two kestrels and their hatchlings. But the real adventure begins with a huge sandstorm when the parent birds are blown away. Zad ...

Engrossing read for middle and high school students!

What is Marvel to do? She fears literally everything: school, classmates, being out alone, teachers, global warming, earthquakes, and even that pile of refuse plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean! And now her overwhelming anxieties and accompanying absences are causing her to fail 7th grade. Enter a precious, little fainting goat being abused by a group of jr. high boys. Without hesitation Marvel ...

Two young girls, Lulu and Serena, find themselves alone parked in Dad’s SUV at a campground in Montana. Their mother has recently died of cancer, and their dad is now missing. Lulu is twelve with a strong sense of “stepping up” to problems, but the problem to care for herself and her sister is enormous. Money is limited to $67 and winter is coming. Being new to the area, they don’t have an ...

Based on Tempe Wick's life and the tale of hiding her horse in her house during the coldest winter of the American Revolution, Rinaldi's story poignantly addresses the question of compromising one's loyalty for "victory."

Mr. Carillo, Dublin Elementary School's custodian, does everything to keep the school clean and functional, and he never lets the teachers and students down. Now his helpers, Gracie and Zach, want to do something to show Mr. Carillo how important he is to them. Full color.

Puzzles, games, and an irresistible sense of adventure highlight this sequel to "The Mysterious Benedict Society," in which the fabulous foursome is back with a new mission.

A first-time novelist takes readers on a dazzling adventure that puts friends, family, and foe to the test, as four children go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children can complete. Illustrations.

The Newbery Medal-winning author of "The Tale of Despereaux" returns with this story about a toy rabbit named Edward Tulane. When he becomes lost, Edward takes an extraordinary journey and shows readers a true miracle. Illustrations.