When James drops magic crystals by the peach tree, the toy peach starts growing. Before long, its as big as a house and contains a secret entranceway.

In this Coretta Scott King Honor Book, young Paris isnt thrilled to be in yet another foster home. No matter how hard she tries to fit in, she cant ignore the feeling that she never will--especially in a town thats mostly white while she is half black.

After clearing enough Ohio forest to build a log cabin in 1803, Pa sets off for Pennsylvania to fetch the rest of the family, while brothers Daniel and Will stay behind. But when Pa doesn't return, the boys must survive the winter with only an axe, two knives, a sack of cornmeal, and their ability to improvise.

19th-century England finds Enola Holmes living quietly alone, if secretly, in a small rented room. Her family relationship is complicated, but when her notorious brother, Sherlock Holmes, becomes embroiled in a mystery of his own, Enola chooses to help. Enola's clever disguises serve her well through this harried plot, protecting her true identity in case she crosses her brother's path. Enola's cl ...

Nate Brodie is nicknamed Brady, not only for his arm, but also because he's the biggest Tom Brady fan. When he gets the chance to win a million dollars by throwing a pass through a target at a Patriots game, Nate should be excited, but all he feels is pressure to succeed.

For the answers to many important questions, children should try this "story crammed with baffling word puzzles, a dozen zany characters, uproariously funny situations, and unmitigated slapstick" ("The Horn Book"). Reissue.

Though the writing is a little difficult to follow in places, and some characters aren't as developed as others, the moral and judicial dilemma "kid lawyer" Theodore must address make this a valuable springboard for a quality discussion of justice and problem solving among middle school readers.

In Caitlin's world, everything is black or white. Anything in between is confusing. That's how Caitlin's older brother, Devon, always explained it. But now Devon's dead. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an 11-year-old girl with Asperger's, she doesn't know how.

Thirteen-year-old Rosie Beckett embarks on the adventure of her life when her family takes a trip to the World's Columbian Exposition, a.k.a. the Chicago World's Fair, in 1893. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

A National Book Award Nominee for 2013, A Tangle of Knots is a beautiful story about Cady, an orphan who has a special talent for seeing people and knowing the perfect cake for them. Told from many different perspectives and with many different characters, it takes a little while for the "knot" to be tied but, with a touch of magic, a little mystery, a lot of warmth and humor, and even some great ...

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 ...

Charming free verse vignettes from the childhood of Jacqueline Woodson draw the reader into a life rich with feelings, scents, sounds, and sensations within an African-American family. Mentions of Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights marches and segregated lunch counters provide great points of discussion. However, the focus is simple family times: catching fireflies, church meetings, Saturday night shamp ...

A 1960 Newbery Honor Book Carol Kendall's witty, epic tales about the race of people called the Minnipins are now available as Odyssey/Harcourt Young Classics. Now a new generation of readers can thrill to the adventures of the tiny folk who become mighty heroes. The original interior illustrations by Erik Blegvad and Imero Gobbato have been retained, but vibrant new cover art by beloved illustra ...

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."

This two-time Newbery Medalist delivers an inspiring story of a headstrong girl determined to control her own destiny after her one-room schoolhouse in a remote Colorado town shuts down.

As one of the Amish, Esther feels she sticks out in her plain clothes at public school. She's terrified she may do what her brother did: run away and join the outside world. Illustrations.

Rachel Marsh is a servant in the Boston household of John Adams. But her loyalty to the Adams family is tested by her friendship with a British private who leads his soldiers in firing upon a mob of Boston citizens.