Falmouth Mock Newbery

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

2011-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

From the Publisher: "Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.
Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.” Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town."

Publisher: Random House, 2010, 368 pp.

ANNOUNCING THE WINNER AND HONOR BOOKS

2011-01-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

The four honor books:
One Crazy Summer
Heart of a Samurai
Dark Emperor and other Poems of the Night
Turtle in Paradise

AND THE WINNING TITLE IS:
Moon over Manifest

AND THE WINNER IS....

2011-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today at our Mock Newbery Election, participants from our book group voted for the following:
Winner: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Honor books in ranking order: Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm, Mirror Mirror: a Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer, Candymakers by Wendy Mass, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Stephen Angleberger

Congratulations to the Falmouth Mock Newbery Book Group for your enthusiasm. You guys were awesome.
A big THANK YOU to our ten readers from the community. It made the event that much more special.

Cathy Potter, the school librarian was instrumental in making this whole project a success.

Get ready to start reading the 2011 books for the 2012 Mock Newbery Club.

Announcing the Mock Newbery -- Top 10 List!

2010-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Members of the Falmouth Mock Newbery Book Club nominated their favorite titles for the Top Ten List. Book club members will vote for the book that will become the Falmouth Mock Newbery Winner on Monday, January 3rd after school held at Plummer-Motz.

Here is the Top Ten List (in alphabetical order)
1. Candymakers by Wendy Mass

2. Countdown by Deborah Wiles

3. Keeper by Kathi Appelt

4. Mirror, Mirror: a Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer

5. A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole

6. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

7. Sparky: the Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly Gherman

8. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

9. Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord

10. Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlan

2010-11-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

From the Publisher: "Every school day feels the same for fourth graders Lucy and Henry and Evie and Russell and May. Then Ms. Mirabel comes to their class—bringing magical words and a whole new way of seeing and understanding."

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 128 pp.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

2010-11-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

From the Publisher: "It was February 1, 1960. They didn't need menus. Their order was simple. A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side. Courageously defying the WHITES ONLY edict of the era, four young black men took a stand against the injustice of segregation in America by sitting down at the lunch counter of a Woolworth's department store. Countless others of all races soon joined the cause following Martin Luther King Jr.'s powerful words of peaceful protest. By sitting down together, they stood up for civil rights and created the perfect recipe for integration not only at the Woolworth's counter, but on buses and and in communities throughout the South."

Publisher: Little Brown, 2010, 40 pp.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhoades

2010-11-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

From the Publisher: "Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. She doesn't have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya's visions show a powerful hurricane--Katrina--fast approaching, it's up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm."

Publisher: Little Brown, 2010, 217 pp.

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

2010-11-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

From the Publisher: "What would happen to a fairy if she lost her wings and could no longer fly? Flory, a young night fairy no taller than an acorn and still becoming accustomed to her wings — wings as beautiful as those of a luna moth — is about to find out. What she discovers is that the world is very big and very dangerous. But Flory is fierce and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. If that means telling others what to do — like Skuggle, a squirrel ruled by his stomach — so be it. Not every creature, however, is as willing to bend to Flory’s demands."

Publisher: Candlewick, 2010, 117 pp.

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor

2010-11-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

From the Publisher: "An amazing secret has tumbled off a freight train into Carter, Georgia, and Owen Jester is the only person who knows about it. If he can simply manage to evade his grandfather’s snappish housekeeper, organize his two best friends, and keep his nosy neighbor, Viola, at bay, he just might be in for the summer of a lifetime."

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010, 176 pp.

Emily's Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

2010-11-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

From the Publisher: "Emily Wiggins is poor and timid, without a drop of self-confidence. When she is unexpectedly orphaned, she is left all alone except for her turtle, Rufus.
What in blinkin' bloomers should Emily do? Emily's neighbors, Mrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim, and Mrs. Fire, have the answer: Emily must travel by stagecoach to the home of her honorable aunt Hilda. What a rootin' tootin' grand idea!
But Miss Catchum of the Catchum Child-Catching Services will get a big bonus for delivering Emily to her next of kin, the vicious Uncle Victor. How the ding dong dickens will Emily escape Miss Catchum? It will take all the gumption and cunning of fellow orphan and traveler Jackson to help Emily find her confidence, her conniving spirit, and the true reason Uncle Victor wants to claim her."
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 160 pp.

But how in flippin' flapjacks will Emily outsmart Uncle Victor?

Clementine: Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker

2010-11-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

From the publisher: "It's Clementine's turn to be "Friend of the Week"! She gets to be line leader, collect the lunch money, and feed the fish. Even better, the other kids will make her a booklet, full of the things they value about having her in the class. After reading her friend Margaret's booklet, Clementine begins to get nervous and a little jealous --she has to get a great booklet now. Fortunately, she has a lot of astoundishing ideas for getting the kids to write great stuff about her. Unfortunately, just as she's working on the best one, something terrible happens to her beloved kitten Moisturizer. Worst of all, exactly when she needs a friend the most, Margaret lets her down."

Publisher: Hyperion, 2010, 176 pp.

List #3

2010-11-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

This list has fewer titles than previous lists so that you are able to read more of the titles. Though we urge you to read two books from this list for the December book club meeting, we are also encouraging participants to continue reading from lists #1 and #2. At our December meeting we will be asking for book suggestions for the final list.

Clementine: Friend of the Week
Falling In by Frances
Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester
The Night Fairy
Ninth Ward
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down
Star in the Forest
Word After Word After Word

Reading List #2
Reading List #1

Mock Newbery Book Club information
Book Discussion guidelines

Mock Newbery Book Club- Discussion Guidelines

2010-10-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Use the list below to help you prepare for our book club meeting.

We will use this list to discuss books at our book club meeting.

Characters:

Who is the main character?
What makes the character unique or special?
What is the character’s problem in the story?
Who are other important characters in the story?

Setting:

Where does the story take place?
How is the location important to the story?
When does the story take place?

Plot:

What are some important events?

Be sure not to give away too much information about the events (especially the ending) in case other book club members want to read the book next month.

Author’s style:

What techniques does the author use? (Examples: Use of repetition, use of similes, short sentences, writing in poetic form, etc…)
Who is the narrator of the story?

Presentation:

How is the book organized? What the writing clear and made sense? Was it accurate?

Theme:

What is the theme or message of the story? (Examples of themes are courage, love, prejudice, war, honesty, death, friendship, etc…)

Is it a “distinguished” or excellent book?

What makes this book distinguished or excellent?
Do you think it should win a Newbery Medal? Why or why not?

Reading list #1

Reading list #2

Lafayette and the American Revolution by Russell Freedman

2010-10-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

A chronicle of the life of General Gilbert de Lafayette, a Frenchman who came to the aid in the American Revolution.

Publisher: Holiday House, 2010, 88 pp.

Candymakers by Wendy Mass

2010-10-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew? Logan, the Candymaker's son, who can detect the color of chocolate by touch alone? Miles, the boy who is allergic to merry-go-rounds and the color pink? Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy like it's a feather? Or Philip, the suit-and-tie wearing boy who's always scribbling in a secret notebook?"

Publisher: Little, Brown, 2010, 453 pp.

Betti on the High Wire by Lisa Railsback

2010-10-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Ten-year-old Babo and the other "leftover kids" live on an abandoned circus camp in a war-torn country. Babo believes her circus-star parents will come back for her any day now, so she is not one bit happy when an American couple adopts her. She hates her new name (Betti) and is confused by everything in America. She's determined to run away. But as Betti slowly begins to trust her new family and even makes a friend, she decides maybe she can stay just one more day."

Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 288 pp.

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

2010-10-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way. Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives for some time in New England, and then heads to San Francisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the shogun to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai."

Publisher: Abrams, 2010, 320 pp.

Danger Box by Blue Balliett

2010-10-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "A boy in a small town who has a different way of seeing.

A mischievous girl who won't stay in one place.
A mysterious notebook .
A fire.
A stranger.
A death.
These are some of the things you'll find within The Danger Box."

Publisher: Scholastic, 2010, 320 pp.

A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole

2010-10-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Beneath the crackled and faded painting of a horse, underneath the worn and dusty floorboards of the dining room, lives Celeste, a mouse who spends her days weaving baskets, until one day she is thrust into the world above. Here Celeste encounters danger—and love—unlike any she's ever imagined. She dodges a hungry cat and witnesses the brutality of hunting for the first time. She makes friends with a singing thrush named Cornelius, a talkative osprey named Lafayette, and Joseph, Audubon's young apprentice. All the while, Celeste is looking for a new home. Is her home in the toe of a worn boot? Nestled in Joseph's pocket? Or in the dollhouse in the attic, complete with mouse-size furniture perfect for Celeste? In the end, Celeste discovers that home is really the place deep inside her heart, where friendships live."

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 342 pp.

THE SECOND READING LIST

2010-10-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Read 2 books from this list for the Mock Newbery Book Club meeting on November 18th.

A Nest for Celeste -- Henry Cole
Ballet for Martha -- Jan Greenberg
Betti on the High Wire -- Lisa Railsback
Candymakers -- Wendy Mass
Dancing Pancake -- Eileen Spinelli
Danger Box -- Blue Balliett
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night -- Joyce Sidman
Heart of a Samurai -- Margi Preus
Lafayette and the American Revolution -- Russell Freedman
Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth -- Sandra Dutton
Mysterious Howling: the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place -- MaryRose Wood
Sparky: the Life and Art of Charles Schulz -- Beverly Gherman
Strange Case of Origami Yoda -- Tom Angleberger
Touch Blue -- Cynthia Lord
What Happened on Fox Street - Tricia Springstubb

Reading list #1
Reading list #3
Mock Newbery Book Group information

Mock Newbery Book Club for students in Grades 3- 6

2010-10-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Do you like to read? Do you enjoy talking about books? If so, join the Mock Newbery Book Club run by Mrs. Potter at the Plummer-Motz school and Mrs. C from Falmouth Memorial Library. We will hold three meetings, October 28th, November 18th, and December 16th from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. at the Plummer-Motz Library. Those interested please sign up (forms available from Mrs. Potter and at the Falmouth Memorial Library)

Keep in mind the following expectations:
1. Each member is expected to read at least 2 books from the monthly reading list which will be posted on this blog. (http://falmouthmemocknewbery.blogspot.com/2010/08/first-reading-list-for-2011-mock.html)
2. Members will share their thoughts about the books they read at monthly book club meetings held after school in October, November, December at Plummer-Motz.
3. Members are expected to come to book club meetings prepared. Being prepared means having read 2 books and being willing to share thoughts about the books.
4. Regular attendance at book club meetings is required to ensure the book club is a success.

For those unable to attend the meetings but would like to participate on January 3, 2011 at the Mock Newbery Election, read from the list and post your comments to the blog. We expect all who wish to try guessing the next Newbery winner will have read at least six books from any of the three lists.

Have questions? contact Mrs. Potter or Mrs C.
Happy reading!

Reading List #1

Reading List #2

New list coming

2010-10-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Keep watch because in a few days we will be posting a second list of fifteen (15) titles for reading.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg

2010-10-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Award-winning authors Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan tell the story behind the scenes of the collaboration that created APPALACHIAN SPRING, from its inception through the score’s composition to Martha’s intense rehearsal process. The authors’ collaborator is two-time Sibert Honor winner Brian Floca, whose vivid watercolors bring both the process and the performance to life."
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2010, 48 pp.

Sparky: the Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly Gherman

2010-10-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "As the artist behind the beloved Peanuts comic strip for more than 50 years, Charles Schulz arguably the most famous cartoonist in the world created a colorful cast of characters that continues to bring humor and comfort to millions of readers. In this distinctively designed yet highly accessible book, renowned children's biographer Beverly Gherman traces both the life events that shaped Schulz's art and the various ways in which art influenced his life in return. Acclaimed by artists ranging from Andrew Wyeth to Mo Willems, the artistic elements of Schulz's work are brought to life in a colorful layout and thoroughly explored in an enchanting text that will draw in even the most reluctant readers."
Publisher: Chronicle, 2010, 128 pp.

Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth by Sandra Dutton

2010-10-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Ten-year-old Mary Mae loves to sing hymns with her Granny, go to Sunday School, and learn about trilobites. She has lots of questions about how the earth looked millions of years ago. Trouble is, Mary Mae’s mother thinks it’s wrong to believe the world is that old. Mama believes God created it six thousand years ago and she believes that nobody should teach Mary Mae otherwise. When Mary Mae starts taking her questions to church, asking how God created the earth in six days or how eight people could take care of animals on an ark, Mama puts her foot down: homeschooling. Mary Mae must decide where her loyalties lie: with science and Miss Sizemore, with God and Mama, or somewhere in the middle."
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2010, 129 pp.

Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord

2010-10-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "The state of Maine plans to shut down her island’s schoolhouse, which would force Tess’s family to move to the mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on Aaron, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player who has been bounced from home to home. And Tess needs a plan of her own--and all the luck she can muster. Will Tess’s wish come true or will her luck run out?"

Publisher: Scholastic, 2010, 192 pp.

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

2010-10-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman

2010-10-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where the porcupette eats delicacies—raspberry leaves!—and coos and sings. Come out to the cool, night wood, and buzz and hoot and howl—but do beware of the great horned owl—for it’s wild and it’s windy way out in the woods!"
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2010, 32 pp.

What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb

2010-10-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Mo lives on Fox Street with her dad and little sister, the Wild Child. Their house is in the middle of the block — right where a heart would be, if the street were a person. Fox Street has everything: a piano player, a fix-it man, the city's best burrito makers, a woman who cuts Mo's hair just right, not to mention a certain boy who wants to teach her how to skateboard. There's even a mean, spooky old lady, if ringing doorbells and running away, or leaving dead mice in mailboxes, is your idea of fun. Summers are Mo's favorite time, because her best friend, Mercedes, comes to stay.

Most important, though, Fox Street is where all Mo's memories of her mother live. The idea of anything changing on Fox Street is unimaginable — until it isn't."
Publisher: Blazer + Bray, 2010, 218

Skylar by Mary Cuffe-Perez

2010-10-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "When the wild geese migrate over the little pond with its pink flamingos and clipped grass, Skylar and the others watch with envy. They like their pond, but there is something elegant and brave about being a real wild goose. But they've never flown before, and besides, there's never been a reason to go. Then a lost heron wants the pond geese to take him to Lost Pond, and Skylar thinks it's time for this motley crew to spread their wings and try out the great blue yonder. Adventure awaits . . . but, as they'll soon find out, so does great danger. "
Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 144pp.

Ellie Ever by Nancy Ruth Patterson

2010-10-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Ellie and her mother lost everything in the hurricane: their home, their family business, and, tragically, Ellie’s dad. They get a chance at a new life when Ellie's mom gets a job apprenticing as a farrier and managing a horse farm in Virginia. Ellie has a scholarship to Twin Creeks Preparatory School, where her snobby classmates aren’t friendly at all—until a rumor begins that Ellie is actually a princess! Suddenly Ellie is the school's most popular girl. But what will happen when the truth comes out?"

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010, 128 pp.

A Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo

2010-09-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Sarah promised Marjorie when they were five years old that they would be best friends forever. But that was before seventh grade, when everything changed—everything except Marjorie. While Sarah wants to meet new people and try new things, Marjorie still likes doing the same things they always did. It seems the more time the two girls spend together, the more time Sarah wants to spend apart. How did a promise that was so easy to make become so hard to keep?"
Publisher: Houghton Miffin, 2010, 200 pp.

Fish by Gregory Mone

2010-09-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Fish--nicknamed for his incredible swimming abilities--is a twelve-year-old boy from a poor farming family. After taking a job as a courier for his uncle, Fish is waylaid by pirates, who steal the package he's carrying. He soon learns that it's the key to locating the Chain of Chuacar, a legendary treasure. As he works to earn the trust of Cobb, the fortune-hunting captain of the Scurvy Mistress, Fish learns of a mutiny headed by a nasty pirate called Scab. With time running out to find the Chain, Fish and some fellow shipmates still loyal to Cobb must thwart Scab's dastardly plan."

Publisher: Scholastic, 2010, 256 pp.

The Fizzywhiz Kid by Maiya Williams

2010-09-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "When Mitchell Mathis moves to Hollywood with his academic parents, he soon realizes he’s the only ordinary kid in a school of the powerful and famous. There’s Skywalker Wong, whose parents are special effects gurus. And Julia Jodie Schwartz, named after her agent father’s two highest-earning clients. And Dash Silverman, whose parents write the movies that everyone else seems to have memorized. In an attempt to feel like less of an outsider, Mitch goes to an open casting call, where he ends up being cast in a soda commercial that launches a popular catchphrase. Suddenly he’s on TV, signing autographs, and riding in limos. But when the ad starts getting negative attention and he doesn’t have time for his old friends and interests, fame doesn’t seem like so much fun anymore. He’ll need all his “acting” skills—and the help of his Hollywood-savvy classmates—to figure out how to go back to being a normal kid again."

Publisher: Abrams, 2010, 288 pp.

Justin Fisher Declares War! by James Preller

2010-09-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "At Spiro Agnew Elementary, the fifth graders rule the school. And class clown Justin Fisher rules them all. Or, at least, he did. Justin has always been the funniest kid in school. But this year, his new teacher isn't amused. And when Justin gets in trouble with Mr. Tripp over and over, the other kids turn on him, too. No one wants to be friends with the class troublemaker.
But Justin Fisher isn't going down without a fight."

Publisher: Scholastic, 2010, 144 pp.

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman

2010-08-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Meggy Swann arrives in London with her only friend, a goose named Louise. Meggy's mother was glad to be rid of her; her father, who sent for her, doesn't want her after all. Meggy is appalled by London,dirty and noisy, full of rogues and thieves, and difficult to get around in—not that getting around is ever easy for someone who walks with the help of two sticks.Just as her alchemist father pursues his Great Work of transforming base metal into gold, Meggy finds herself pursuing her own transformation. Earthy and colorful, Elizabethan London has its dark side, but it also has gifts in store for Meggy Swann."

Publisher: Houghton MIfflin, 2010, 167 pp.

The First Reading List for the 2011 Mock Newbery Discussion

2010-08-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the first of three lists we will prepare for this year's Mock Newbery Program at the Falmouth Memorial Library. We will continue to highlight and discuss new books on the blog. These "Top Ten" titles could be the ones we discuss more in depth at our Mock Newbery Discussion to be held this fall.

A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata
Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman
As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
The Hive Detectives by Loree G. Burns
Keeper by Kathi Appelt
Mirror Mirror: a Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer
One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia-Williams
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

Reading List #2
Reading List #3
Mock Newbery Book Club information

SPHDZ by Jon Scieszka

2010-08-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

Book 1 in the Spaceheadz series.
From the Publisher: "Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school. As if that wasn't hard enough, the kids he seems to have made friends with apparently aren't kids at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who have invaded our planet in the form of school children and a hamster. They have a mission to complete: to convince 3,400,001 kids to BE SPHDZ. But with a hamster as their leader, "kids" who talk like walking advertisements, and Michael K as their first convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and pull off their assignment?"

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 160 pp.

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve

2010-07-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Polly Peabody knows her family's world-famous rhubarb farm is magical. The plants taste like chocolate, jewels appear in the soil, bugs talk to her, and her best friend is a rhubarb plant named Harry. But the most magical thing is that every single Monday, at exactly 1:00, it rains. Until the Monday when the rain just stops. Now it's up to Polly to figure out why—and whether her brother's mysterious illness and her glamorous aunt Edith's sudden desire to sell the farm have anything to do with it. Most of all, Polly has to make it start raining again before it's too late. Her brother's life, the plants' survival, and her family's future all depend on it."

Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 358 pp.

Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt

2010-07-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Moxie Roosevelt Kipper has endured thirteen years of being an ordinary girl with an unordinary name. Now that she's entered boarding school, the time is ripe to reinvent herself. She'll become unusual, outlandish, unexpected, sassy—someone worthy of a name like “Moxie.“ But who exactly? From Mysterious Earth Goddess to Hale and Hearty Sports Enthusiast; from Detached, Unique, Coolly Knowing Individual to Assertive Revolutionary Activist, Moxie tries them all, while keeping her true talent for piano-playing a secret. But at boarding school, Moxie isn't the only one who isn't what she claims to be."

Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 256 pp.

Sluggers Blastin' the Blues by Loren Long & Phil Bildner

2010-07-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "The year is 1899, and the Travelin' Nine are barnstorming their way across the good ol' U.S. of A., trying to raise money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt. After jumping off the train to retrieve the baseball, Woody and Griffith find themselves stranded. When they come across a familiar face, they get back on track and Griffith learns just how magical their baseball is. With the Rough Riders down a player, Graham finally gets his chance to play with them and show what he is made of. But he better be careful. There is no telling what the Chancellor is willing to sacrifice in order to use Graham's abilities to his own evil ends. And Ruby is still concerned that there is a mole in their midst and is more determined than ever to find out who is betraying them. With the opportunity to raise the most money yet at the game in New Orleans, they can't afford to let anything get back to the Chancellor. All this and there is still a game to play. Things are about to get rough in the Big Easy!"

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 434 pp.

Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

2010-07-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel."

Publisher: Abrams, 2010, 141 pp.

House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block

2010-07-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "In a little house from another time, with lace curtains in every window and paintings hung in gold doily frames, Wildflower, Rockstar, and Miss Selene live a warm and cozy life. They wear fancy dresses, bake play-dough cakes, and spend their days enjoying one another's company. For the three dolls, life is small but good. But life is not good for Madison Blackberry, the owner of the dollhouse. Her grandmother pays more attention to the dolls than to her. The dolls have one another, but she is lonely in her big, empty apartment. Then one day, as things always do—even for dolls—everything changes."

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 61 pp.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

2010-07-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances. For Franny, as for all Americans, it's going to be a formative year."

Publisher: Scholastic, 2010, 400 pp.

Spies of Mississippi by Rick Bowers

2010-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "The true story of the spy network that tried to destroy the Civil Rights Movement. Author Rick Bowers has combed through primary-source materials and interviewed surviving activists named in once-secret files, as well as the writings and oral histories of Mississippi civil rights leaders. Readers get first-hand accounts of how neighbors spied on neighbors, teachers spied on students, ministers spied on church-goers, and spies even spied on spies."

Publisher: National Geographic, 2010, 128 pp.

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter

2010-07-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Abbie Adams and her family come from a long line of witches, and she’s having a tough time keeping it a secret from her best friend and the rest of her school, especially the day her little brother morphs into a wolf and tries to eat his teacher. That’s also the day her father brings home a kitten. But when Abbie looks into the kitten’s eyes, she realizes there’s a boy in there! He’s under a spell and soon the whole family bands together to rescue him. They are shocked to realize he’s none other than the young Thomas Edison, and if they don’t save him fast, he’ll never change the world with his inventions."
Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 256 pp.

The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier

2010-07-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "The close relationship of a pair of biracial twins is tested when their grandmother enters them in a pageant for African American girls. When Minerva and Keira King were born, they made headlines: Keira is black like Mama, but Minni is white like Daddy. Together the family might look like part of a chessboard row, but they are first and foremost the close-knit Kings. Then Grandmother Johnson calls, to invite the twins down South to compete for the title of Miss Black Pearl Preteen of America. Minni dreads the spotlight, but Keira assures her that together they'll get through their stay with Grandmother Johnson. But when grandmother's bias against Keira reveals itself, Keira pulls away from her twin. Minni has always believed that no matter how different she and Keira are, they share a deep bond of the heart. Now she'll find out the truth."
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 304 pp.

Love Puppies and Corner Kicks by R. W. Krech

2010-07-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "What's a girl to do when Mom and Dad announce that the whole family is moving to Scotland for a yearlong teacher exchange? Can you spell d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r? When Andrea gets there, she finds she and her family are living with the principal and she is being pestered by the ultraweird Jasmin. But then she finds an amazing girls' soccer league and a cute boy named Stewart. Will Andrea's new tough soccer girls accept that she is crushing on a boy from a rival team and not totally devoted to winning a championship?"
Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 213 pp.

Chasing Orion by Kathryn Lasky

2010-06-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Georgie loves science-fiction movies, but she won’t be going to the theater anytime soon. It’s a hot Indiana summer in 1952, and public places from pools to camps are closing to slow the spread of polio. Despite all the headlines, Georgie never thought she’d come as close to the fearful disease as she does when she spies a silver glint in her neighbor’s yard. There she discovers a monstrous, hissing machine, and inside is Phyllis, a girl encased in an iron lung. "I have eighty-seven cubic centimeters of air, but you have the world," Phyllis tells her. Phyllis’s ability to breathe may be limited, but her strength to manipulate is boundless. As Georgie struggles to comprehend this once-gorgeous teenager’s life in a "coffin with legs," Phyllis slowly weaves a web of lies that snare all those around her, including Georgie’s quickly smitten brother. Can Georgie untangle the truth before Phyllis’s deception achieves its inevitable end?"
Publisher: Candlewick, 2010, 368 pp.

Center Field by Robert Lipsyte

2010-06-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Mike has his junior year well under control. He's got a solid group of friends. He's dating Lori, one of the hottest girls in school. And Coach Cody has all but given him the starting spot as the Ridgedale Rangers' varsity center fielder. And then Oscar Ramirez shows up. Oscar is an amazing ballplayer, as talented at the plate as he is in center field, and it's not long before Mike loses control. He's on the bench, he's getting into fights, and he finds himself in weekend detention with Katherine Herold, the most mysterious, abrasive, alluring girl in school. Mike is lost, confused, and looking to Coach Cody to help him get back on track. But the coach has his own set of rules for Mike to play by, and the decisions Mike makes are going to impact more than just the starting lineup."
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 280 pp.

The Best Horse Ever by Alice DeLaCroix

2010-06-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "For Abby, it's a dream come true. She's finally going to have her very own horse: Griffin, a beautiful bay. Abby can't wait to ride, brush, and feed him, and doesn't understand how her best friend, Devon, could be afraid of such a wonderful horse. She certainly could not have guessed that Devon would get so mad at her for saying so. Yet when Griffin arrives, he does seem so awfully big and hard to handle. Can Abby learn to manage her horse and her friendship? "
Publisher: Holiday House, 2010, 80 pp.

Keeper by Kathi Appelt

2010-06-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "To ten-year-old Keeper, this moon is her chance to fix all that has gone wrong...and so much has gone wrong. But she knows who can make things right again: Meggie Marie, her mermaid mother who swam away when Keeper was just three. A blue moon calls the mermaids to gather at the sandbar, and that's exactly where she is headed — in a small boat, in the middle of the night, with only her dog, BD (Best Dog), and a seagull named Captain. When the riptide pulls at the boat, tugging her away from the shore and deep into the rough waters of the Gulf of Mexico, panic sets in, and the fairy tales that lured her out there go tumbling into the waves. Maybe the blue moon isn't magic and maybe the sandbar won't sparkle with mermaids."
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 399 pp.

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

2010-06-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen’s true love to kiss her awake. Joined by one of her father’s guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own."

Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2010, 272 pp.

The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow

2010-06-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

"Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment
of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Cheng." The two girls reveal their findings in journal entries that are colorful and interesting.
Publisher: Abrams, 2010, 208 pp.

This Means War by Ellen Wittlinger

2010-06-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Juliet's longtime best friend, Lowell has suddenly decided it is uncool to be friends with a girl. Friendless, Juliet meets Patsy who suggests a series of tests to prove girls are far superior to boys. Set in 1962 during the thirteen days of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Publisher, Simon and Schuster, 2010, 211 pp.

Justin Case: School, Drool, and other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail

2010-06-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

With plenty of humor,worrywart Justin Krzeszewski, nicknamed Justin Case, shares the trails and good fortune of his year in third grade. Written in diary format and generously peppered throughout with Matthew Cordell's sketches.Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, 2010, 256 pp.

Henrietta Hornbuckle's Circus of Life by Michael de Guzman

2010-06-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "As far as twelve-year-old Henrietta Hornbuckle is concerned, she has the best existence on the planet. She is a clown in a small traveling circus. Everyone she knows, including her parents, are clowns. What Henrietta doesn't know is that this summer big changes are waiting in the wings."
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010, 160 pp.

The Hidden Boy by Jon Berkeley

2010-06-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "You are the lucky winner of a Blue Moon Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure. It'll be the trip of a lifetime! The tour leaves from the Blue Moon office at 11 p.m. sharp. Groups of seven only. No pets."
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 262 pp.

The Nine Pound Hammer by John C. Bemis

2010-06-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "What if John Henry had a son? Twelve-year-old Ray is haunted by the strangest memories of his father, whom Ray swears could speak to animals. Now an orphan, Ray jumps from a train going through the American South and falls in with a medicine show train and its stable of sideshow performers. The performers turn out to be heroes, defenders of the wild, including the son of John Henry. They are hiding the last of the mythical Swamp Sirens from an ancient evil known as the Gog. Why the Gog wants the Siren, they can’t be sure, but they know it has something to do with rebuilding a monstrous machine that John Henry gave his life destroying years before, a machine that will allow the Gog to control the will of men and spread darkness throughout the world."
Publisher, Random House, 2010, 384 pp.

The Blue Shoe by Roderick Townley

2010-06-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "It was only one shoe. It fit no one. But everyone wanted it."
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 272 pp.

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree G. Burns

2010-05-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Without honey bees the world would be a different place. There would be no honey, no beeswax for candles, and, worst of all, barely a fruit, nut, or vegetable to eat. So imagine beekeeper Dave Hackenburg’s horror when he discovered twenty million of his charges had vanished. Those missing bees became the first casualties of a mysterious scourge that continues to plague honey bee populations today. In The Hive Detectives, Loree Griffin Burns profiles bee wranglers and bee scientists who have been working to understand colony collapse disorder, or CCD. In this dramatic and enlightening story, readers explore the lives of the fuzzy, buzzy insects and learn what might happen to us if they were gone."
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2010, 66 pp.

The Dancing Pancake by Eileen Spinelli

2010-05-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "The grand opening of the Dancing Pancake isn't the only new thing in Bindi's life: new friends, a new apartment, maybe even a cute new crush? But there are other changes, like her dad's move to a new city, that have left Bindi confused and wondering: What will happen to my family? Will this new life ever feel normal? Among the unlikely bunch of regulars who form a makeshift community at the diner, Bindi will try to figure out how to be a new version of herself, one pancake and one silly elephant joke (her uncle's specialty) at a time."
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 256 pp.

8th Grade Super Zero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

2010-05-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Ever since a deeply unfortunate incident earlier this year, Reggie's been known as "Pukey" McKnight at his high-intensity Brooklyn middle school. He wants to turn his image around, but he has other things on his mind as well: his father, who's out of a job; his best friends, Ruthie and Joe C.; his former best friend Donovan, who's now become a jerk; and of course, the beautiful Mialonie. The elections for school president are coming up, but with his notorious nickname and "nothing" social status, Reggie wouldn't stand a chance, if he even had the courage to run. Then Reggie gets involved with a local homeless shelter, the Olive Branch. Haunted by two of the clients there—George, a once-proud man now living on the streets, and Charlie, a six-year-old kid who becomes his official "Little Buddy"—he begins to think about making a difference, both in the world and at school. Pukey for President? It can happen . . . if he starts believing."
Publisher: Scholastic, 2010, 272 pp.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

2010-05-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building,..."
Random House, 2010, 208 pp.

Lawn Boy Returns by Gary Paulsen

2010-05-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Six weeks and hundred of thousands of dollars later, life got more complicated. You see, the prizefighter I sponsor, Joey Pow, won a big fight. And a TV interview made me famous. As Arnold says, “Capitalism plus publicity equals monster commerce.” Even my best friends wanted a piece of the action. Meanwhile, some scary guys showed up at Joey’s gym. . ."
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 112 pp.

Warriors in the Crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood

2010-05-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: " In the final months of World War II, the tiny South Pacific island of Saipan provided a vital buffer between Japan and the advancing American troops. Japan vowed to defend thse islands to the last man. Based on historical events, this story unfolds through the eyes of Joseph and his half-Japnese cousin, Kento. Forced to experience the unimaginable horrors of Suicide Cliff, they discover, within themselves, what it means to become warriors."
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2010, 142 pp.

Nature Girl by Jane Kelley

2010-05-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Megan is stuck in the wilds of Vermont for the summer with no TV, no Internet, no cell phone, and worst of all, no best friend. So when Megan gets lost on the Appalachian Trail with only her little dog, Arp, for company, she decides she might as well hike all the way to Massachusetts where her best friend, Lucy, is spending her summer. Life on the trail isn’t easy, and Megan faces everything from wild animals and raging rivers to tofu jerky and life without bathrooms. Most of all, though, Megan gets to know herself—both who she’s been in the past and who she wants to be in the future—and the journey goes from a spur-of-the-moment lark to a quest to prove herself to Lucy, her family, and the world!"
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 256 pp.

Twenty Gold Falcons by Amy Gordon

2010-05-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Aidan and her friends aren't the only ones hot on the trail of gold stashed in a mysterious old building. Aidan hates moving to the city with her mother after her father dies unexpectedly. She mourns her father, misses the farm, and doesn't fit in at her snooty private school. But then she hears about the stash of valuable coins called gold falcons hidden in the Ingle Building. Her hunt unleashes a remarkable chain of events and brings her in touch with unforgettable characters, including smart-aleck elevator operators, an eccentric millionaire, and a mouse that appears to appreciate opera. This novel is filled with danger, rip-roaring fun, and countless surprises."
Publisher: Holiday House, 2010, 240 pp.

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

2010-05-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston. But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuel's parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City."
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 176 pp.

Birmingham Sunday by Larry Brimmer

2010-04-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

Traces the events that led up to the 1963 boming of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed

four African-American girls. Black & white photos complement the text.
Publisher: Calkins Creek, 2010, 48 pp.

Anna Maria's Gift by Janice Shefelman

2010-04-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "When Anna Maria's father, a famous violin maker, dies, she is sent to live in the Pieta, an orphanage in Venice. Though she misses her father, she knows he will always be with her, as long as she has the beautiful violin he crafted for her. Luckily, the Pieta is not just an orphanage—it’s also a renowned music school whose teacher is none other than composer Antonio Vivaldi. When Anna Maria becomes his star pupil, another orphan’s jealousy leads her to throw Anna Maria’s precious violin into the canals. With help from her beloved teacher and new friends, Anna Maria searches Venice’s bridges, streets, and canals, but it seems hopeless. Will Anna Maria ever find her father’s violin?" Publisher: Random House, 2010, 112 pp.

The Everlasting Now by Sara H. Banks

2010-04-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "In depression-era Alabama, Brother Sayre grows up in his family's boarding house with a number of railroad employees who serve as substitute fathers. Brother strikes up a friendship with Champion, the nephew of his family's maid, who has come south from Detroit." Publisher: Peachtree, 2010, 176 pp.

Missing in Action by Dean Hughes

2010-04-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Dirty. Lazy. Good-for-nothing. Jay Thacker is used to hearing himself called names because his dad is half-Navajo. But he's hoping, now that he and his mom have moved to stay with his grandparents because of WWII, that things could be different. Delta is a tiny town in Utah, nothing like Salt Lake, where they used to live. And Jay's grandfather is an elder in the church, a beloved and well-respected man. Jay begins to make friends and even to make some money as he works the fields for his grandfather. There's just one problem: he works alongside a young man named Ken, who's from the camps in nearby Topaz. Which means Ken is a Jap. And Jay's dad, who's been fighting for the navy out in the Pacific, was recently declared Missing in Action." Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 228 pp.

Sports Camp by Rich Wallace

2010-04-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Riley feels like the smallest kid at sports camp. In fact, he is. He just turned eleven in April, but most kids here are twelve, and a few are even thirteen—and gigantic. It’s hard enough for a shrimp like Riley to fit in. He just doesn’t want to be the weak link as his bunk competes for the Camp Olympia Trophy. Riley knows he’s no good at strength and accuracy games like basketball and softball. But when it comes to speed and endurance events, like running and swimming, he’s better than he looks. He’s pretty sure he can place in the top ten—and bring in major trophy points—in the final mile-long swim race across Lake Surprise. But he doesn’t count on being followed by the shadow of Big Joe, the giant vicious snapping turtle of camp lore. Wasn’t that supposed to be a legend?" Publisher: Random House, 2010, 160 pp.

Nuts by Kacy Cook

2010-04-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Nell finds a baby squirrel that has fallen out of its nest. With help from her two younger brothers and an online web site, Nell learns how to care for the squirrels. Nell is willing to do anything to keep her new pets safe, even if it involves telling a few lies."

Publisher: Marshall Cavenish, 2010, 160 pp.

Star in the Forest by Laura Resau

2010-04-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Zitlally's family is undocumented, and her father has just been arrested for speeding and deported back to Mexico. As her family waits for him to return—they’ve paid a coyote to guide him back across the border—they receive news that he and the coyote’s other charges have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom. Meanwhile, Zitlally and a new friend find a dog in the forest near their trailer park. They name it Star for the star-shaped patch over its eye. As time goes on, Zitlally starts to realize that Star is her father’s “spirit animal,” and that as long as Star is safe, her father will be also. But what will happen to Zitlally’s dad when Star disappears?" Publisher: Random House, 2010, 160 pp.

The Very Little Princess by Marion Bauer

2010-04-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Regina is only 3-1/4 inches tall, but she knows from the moment she wakes up in her dollhouse bed that she is a princess. Why else would she have such a lovely pink gown? Why else would she have such golden hair and flawless skin? And why else would she have a four-foot, curly-haired human creature to wait on her? Meanwhile Zoey, that four-foot, curly-haired creature, has always dreamed that someday one of her dolls would come alive. But in her dreams, the doll never ordered her around. The doll didn’t call her a servant. And the doll was a whole lot nicer!"
Publisher: Random House, 2010, 298 pp.

As Easy as Falling off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

2010-04-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "What happens when life throws curveballs, one after another, faster than a guy can blink?" Publisher, Greenwillow, 2010, 368 pp.

Lynn Visible by Julia DeVillers

2010-04-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Lynn Vincent knows all the latest trends and isn't afraid to flaunt her funky style. The problem is, in small-town Pennsylvania, being fashion forward makes Lynn socially backward. And the queen bees at her high school won't let her forget it, especially when her dream of making the IT panel for GlIter Girl—the coolest fashion magazine in teendom—is crushed. But when one of Lynn's unique creations makes it into the hands of a famous designer and onto the runway, it seems that Lynn might finally get her moment in the spotlight." Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 160 pp.

It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder

2010-04-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: 'Twelve-year-old isabel is dying to get out of Oregon. She spends her free time in the library, reading and dreaming about faraway places. When her mom decides to open a cupcake shop in their little town of Willow, Isabel feels just like buttercream frosting to a cupcake stuck. It seems as if it will be another disappointing summer, until Isabel learns of a baking contest. If she can come up with a winning recipe, she might have a chance of competing in the bake-off in New York City! But Isabel's best friend, Sophie, is also entering the contestÑand things always seem to go Sophie's way. To make matters worse, Isabel and her mom don't exactly see eyetoeye on the type of recipe Isabel should enter." Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 256 pp.

Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet

2010-03-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Tashi lives in a tiny village at the foot of the mountains, below the tea plantations where her mother works. When her mother falls ill, Tashi goes alone to the plantation, hoping to earn money for the doctor. But she is far too small to harvest the tender shoots, and her clumsy efforts anger the cruel Overseer. She is desolate, until — chack-chack-chack! — something extraordinary happens. Inspired by a centuries-old legend of tea-picking monkeys, here is a richly told tale full of vivid characters: the heartless Overseer, the enigmatic Royal Tea Taster, and — far away — an empress with a penchant for tea."

Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2010, 56 pp.

The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry

2010-03-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

"Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored with her royal life and the excitement surrounding her sixteenth birthday ball. Doomed to endure courtship by three grotesquely unappealing noblemen, she escapes her fate—for a week. Disguised as a peasant, she attends the village school as the smart new girl, “Pat,” and attracts friends and the attention of the handsome school master. Disgusting suitors, loveable peasants, and the clueless King and Queen collide at the ball, where Princess Patricia Pricilla calls the shots. What began as a cure for boredom, becomes a chance for Princess Patricia Priscilla to break the rules and marry the man she loves."From the Publisher:

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2010, 186 pp.

Big Nate In a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce

2010-03-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Big Nate is in a class by himself!
But things don't always go your way just because you're awesome.
Nate barely survives his dad's toxic oatmeal before rushing off to
school -- minus his lunch.
He body slams the no-nonsense principal.
accidentally insults his least favorite teacher, the horrifying
Mrs. Godfrey (aka Godzilla).
And school has barely started!
Nate keeps his cool. He knows he's destined for greatness.
A fortune cookie told him so."
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 214 pp.

Raymond & Graham: Bases Loaded by Mike Knudson

2010-03-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Best friends Raymond and Graham can't wait to defeat their rival team and win the Little League championship, impressing the girls they like and shaming their school bully in the process. But things don't go exactly as planned . . ." Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 128 pp.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

2010-03-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past. When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine
, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education."
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 218 pp.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

2010-03-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is al
ways recording. She's the smartest kid in her whole school, but no one knows it. Most people, her teachers and doctors included, don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write.Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind, that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but not everyone around her is ready to hear it."
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 295 pp.

The Lost Children by Carolyn Cohagan

2010-03-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Josephine Russing owns 387 pairs of gloves. She's given a new pair every week by her father, a sullen man known best for his insistence that the citizens in town wear gloves at all times. A world away, the children of Gulm have been taken. No one knows where they might be, except the mysterious and terrifying leader of the land: The Master. He rules with an iron fist, using two grotesque creatures to enforce his terrible reign.

When a peculiar boy named Fargus shows up on Josephine's property and then disappears soon afterward, she follows him without a second thought and finds herself magically transported to Gulm. After Fargus introduces her to his tough-as-nails friend Ida, the three of them set off on an adventure that will test everything Josephine has ever thought about the rules of the universe, leading to a revelation about the truth of the land of Gulm, and of Josephine's own life back home."

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 320 pp.

The Firefly Letters: a Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle

2010-03-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

A portrait of early women's rights pioneer Fredrika Bremer and the journey to Cuba that transformed her life.

Publisher: Henry Holt, 2010, 160 pp.

The Wish Stealers by Tracy Trivas

2010-03-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Griffin Penshine is always making wishes. But when a sinister old woman tricks her into accepting a box of eleven shiny Indian Head pennies from 1897, Griffin soon learns these are no ordinary pennies, but stolen wishes." Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 288 pp.

Daniel at the Siege of Boston 1776 by Laurie Calkhoven

2010-03-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Twelve-year-old Daniel Prescott cheered when the Sons of Liberty dumped English tea into Boston Harbor. Then King George sent his soldiers to take over Boston and its port. Now Daniel's home is a city under siege. When his father slips away to join the rebels, Daniel works in the family tavern and eavesdrops on Redcoat officers. He soon learns how to slip across British lines and becomes a messenger and spy, bringing vital news of the enemy to his father, and even to General Washington. To do so puts Daniel's life in danger. But, to a Patriot, liberty is well worth any risk." Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 160 pp.

Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever by Wes Tooke

2010-03-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Louis May doesn't like his new home in White Plains, New York. He doesn't get along with his new stepbrother, who is the best athlete in the neighborhood; he misses his mother, who lives among poets and artists in the East Village; and he just doesn't fit in at his new school. But one thing hasn't changed: Louis still loves the game of baseball and, more than anything, the New York Yankees. So when he gets a chance to be a batboy for the team, to be in the dugout with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, he thinks that life can't get any better. But then Mickey and Roger make that summer of 1961 one of the biggest anyone has ever seen, and Louis gets a front-row seat to their record-setting home-run race. Louis's worst summer ever becomes his best summer ever, and he finds himself learning about much more than just baseball from the two greatest players in the game." Publisher, Simon & Schuster, 2010, 180 pp.

Wishing for Tomorrow: the sequel to A Little Princess by Hilary McKay

2010-03-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Nothing is quite the same at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies since Sara Crewe went away with the Indian gentleman. Lavinia is once again the girls’ leader, but she hungers for a more interesting life. Lottie is still busy making mischief, as is the new neighbor, the red-headed boy. Alice, the new maid, brings a breath of fresh air and slapdash practicality to the school. But Sara is much missed — especially by her best friend, Ermengarde. Can Ermengarde find her own way and be happy? Will she and Sara ever be able to be friends the way they were before? Hilary McKay opens the door to Miss Minchin’s again and invites listeners to take a peek at the new adventures beginning in a beloved tale."

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 273 pp.

Willowood by Cecilia Galante

2010-03-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "There's nothing ten-year-old Lily Sinclair likes about her new life in the city with her single mom. She misses her best friend, who seems to have forgotten her and their secret place, Willowood. She never sees her mom, who's working long hours at her new job. She's managed to make an enemy of the class bully. Mrs. Hiller from across the hall, who takes care of Lily after school, keeps preparing yucky healthy snacks for her. And she can't get her mother to tell her anything about her absent father. Her only source of comfort is her beloved pet gecko, Weemis. Everything changes when Mrs. Hiller introduces Lily to the owner of the Pet Palace, a nearby pet store, and his adult Down's syndrome son, Nate Lily finds herself with an unofficial after school job—and forges a tentative friendship with Nate that's threatened by a dark secret about Nate Lily knows nothing about."
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 272 pp.

Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham

2010-03-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Ludelphia Bennett may be blind in one eye, but she can still put in a good stitch. Ludelphia sews all the time, especially when things go wrong. But when Mama goes into labor early and gets deathly ill, it seems like even quilting won't help. That's when Ludelphia decides to do something drastic—leave Gee's Bend for the very first time. Mama needs medicine that can only be found miles away in Camden. But that doesn't stop Ludelphia. She just puts one foot in front of the other. What ensues is a wonderful, riveting and sometimes dangerous adventure. Ludelphia weathers each challenge in a way that would make her mother proud, and ends up saving the day for her entire town. Set in 1932 and inspired by the rich quilting history of Gee's Bend, Alabama, Leaving Gee's Bend is a delightful, satisfying story of a young girl facing a brave new world." Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 240 pp.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

2010-03-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "In Caitlin's world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That's the stuff Caitlin's older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon's dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger's, she doesn't know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white—the world is full of colors—messy and beautiful."
Publisher, Philomel, 2010, 224 pp.

Falling In by Frances O'Roark Dowell

2010-03-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "When Isabelle starts listening to a buzzing instead of, say, her boring teacher, strange things happen. She gets sent to the principal's office (that's not so strange), but then while awaiting her punishment, she tumbles into an adventure — into another world that's a little bit different, a little bit Hansel & Gretel-y, a little bit like a fairy tale, which would be great, but...did I mention that Isabelle is an unusual dresser? When she shows up in fairy-tale land wearing her favorite high, pointy boots, the fairy-tale people start thinking that Isabelle is a witch — and not just any witch, but the witch!"
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 245 pp.

Stuck on Earth by David Klass

2010-03-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "Ketchvar III’s mission is simple: travel to Planet Earth, inhabit the body of an average teenager, and determine if the human race should be annihilated. And so Ketchvar—who, to human eyes, looks just like a common snail—crawls into the brain of one fourteen year old Tom Filber. The more entangled Ketchvar becomes with humans, the harder it is to answer the question he was sent to Earth to resolve: Should the Sandovinians release the Gagnerian Death Ray and erase the human species for good? Or is it possible that Homo sapiens really are worth saving?"

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2010, 240 pp.

The Line by Teri Hall

2010-03-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line. Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died in the last war. It's a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help." Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 224 pp.

A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata

2010-03-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher: "A boy and his elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam war." Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 216 pp.

Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong

2010-03-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

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From the Publisher: "Twelve-year-old Vonlai knows that soldiers who guard the Mekong River shoot at anything that moves, but in oppressive Communist Laos, there's nothing left for him, his spirited sister, Dalah, and his desperate parents. Their only hope is a refugee camp in Thailand�on the other side of the river."
Publisher: Harper, 2010, 216 pp