Giants Beware!
Claudette, the daughter of the town blacksmith, sets off to slay the local giant
with her best friend and brother in tow.
The One and Only Ivan
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video
Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls
of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever
thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella,
an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and
how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a
well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan
see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change
comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Laugh with the Moon
Thirteen-year-old Clare Silver is stuck. Stuck in denial about her mother’s
recent death. Stuck in the African jungle for sixty-four days without phone
reception. Stuck with her father, a doctor who seems able to heal everyone but Clare.
Clare feels like a fish out of water at Mzanga Full Primary School, where she must
learn a new language. Soon, though, she becomes immersed in her
new surroundings and impressed with her fellow students, who are crowded into a tiny
space, working on the floor among roosters and centipedes.
When Clare’s new friends take her on an outing to see the country, the trip goes
horribly wrong, and Clare must face another heartbreak head-on. Only an orphan
named Memory, who knows about love and loss, can teach Clare how to laugh with
the moon.
Coral Reefs
During an ordinary visit to the library, a girl pulls a not-so-ordinary
book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs,
the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral
cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and
hide there.
Freaky Fast Frankie Joe
When twelve-year-old Frankie Joe's mother is sent to
jail, he is uprooted from his home in Texas to live with the father he has
never met, his father's wife, and his father's four "legitimate" sons in
Illinois. Frankie Joe is miserable. Trying to adjust to his blended family
proves too much to bear, so Frankie Joe hatches a plot to escape on his bike
back home to Texas. For that he needs money, and so Frankie Joe's Freaky Fast
Delivery Service is born. His deliveries win new friends, a place in the rural
Illinois community, and a sense of achievement. But his planned escape is
destroyed by a heartbreaking betrayal, and Frankie Joe needs all of his
incredible resilience and the loving support of his new family to survive the
devastating loss.
Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World
Barnum Brown's (1873-1963) parents named him after the circus icon P.T.
Barnum, hoping that he would do something extraordinary--and he did! As a
paleontologist for the American Museum of Natural History, he discovered the
first documented skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as most of the
other dinosaurs on display there today.
Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus
Kyle is dreading his first trip aboard the school bus. Luckily, his big brother,
James, is a school bus expert. James gives Kyle ten rules for riding the bus
that he absolutely, positively must obey if he wants to avoid getting laughed
at or yelled at, pushed around, or even pounded. During his fateful ride, Kyle
grapples with each unbreakable rule. Along the way, he discovers that the
school bus isn’t so bad, and he may even have a thing or two to teach his brother.
Tua and the Elephant
Ten-year-old Tua—Thai for "peanut"—has everything she
needs at home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, except for one thing she's always
wanted: a sister. In the market one day, Tua makes an accidental
acquaintance—one with wise, loving eyes, remarkable strength, and a very
curious trunk. And when Tua meets Pohn-Pohn, it's clear this elephant needs her
help. Together, the unusual team sets off on a remarkable journey to escape
from Pohn-Pohn's vile captors. From the bustling night market to the hallowed
halls of a Buddhist temple and finally, to the sanctuary of an elephant refuge,
this clever girl and her beloved companion find that right under their noses is
exactly what each has been searching for: a friend.
Looking at Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is one of the first giants of history children are introduced
to, and now Maira Kalman brings him to life with her trademark style and
enthusiasm. Lincoln's legacy is everywhere - there he is on your penny and
five-dollar bill. And we are still the United States because Lincoln helped
hold them together.
Flying the Dragon
Flying the Dragon tells the story of two cousins in alternating chapters.
American-born Skye is a good student and a star soccer player who never really
gives any thought to the fact that her father is Japanese. Her cousin, Hiroshi,
lives in Japan, and never really gives a thought to his uncle's family living in
the U.S. Their lives are thrown together when Hiroshi's family, with his
grandfather (who is also his best friend), have to move to the U.S. suddenly.
Skye resents that she is now "not Japanese enough," and yet the friends she's
known forever abruptly realize she is "other." Hiroshi has a hard time adjusting
to life in a new culture, and resents Skye's intrusions on his time with
Grandfather. Through all of this is woven Hiroshi's expertise, and Skye's
growing interest in, kite making and competitive kite flying, culminating in a
contest at the annual Washington Cherry Blossom Festival.
Waiting For the Magic
When William’s father leaves, his mother promptly goes out and adds four dogs
and a cat to their lives. William’s sure that nothing can fill the hole left by
his father, but the new additions to the family are determined to help. With
his sister, Elinor, and his mother, William will learn that “family” can come
in all shapes and sizes, because sometimes we find love through magic, and
sometimes that magic is all around us.
Whatever After: Fairest of All
Mirror, mirror, on the basement wall . . .
Once upon a time a mirror
slurped up me and my brother, and magically transported us inside Snow White's
fairy tale.
Then we stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple.
Hooray! Or not. If Snow White doesn't die, she won't get to meet her prince or
get her happy ending. Oops.
Now it's up to us to fix Snow White's story.
And then, fingers crossed, find our way home.
Ghetto Cowboy
A street-smart tale about a displaced teen who learns to defend what's
right-the Cowboy Way.
Wonder
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's
probably worse.
August Pullman was born with a facial deformity
that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school.
Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as
an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary
face.
The Humming Room
Hiding is Roo Fanshaw’s special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable
family, she often needs to disappear at a moment’s notice. When her parents are
murdered, it’s her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her
life.
As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle,
who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a
tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming
with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn’t believe in ghosts or fairy stories,
but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild
boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined
to find the truth.
Despite the best efforts of her uncle’s assistants, Roo discovers the house’s
hidden room—a garden with a tragic secret.
family, she often needs to disappear at a moment’s notice. When her parents are
murdered, it’s her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her
life.
As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle,
who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a
tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming
with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn’t believe in ghosts or fairy stories,
but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild
boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined
to find the truth.
Despite the best efforts of her uncle’s assistants, Roo discovers the house’s
hidden room—a garden with a tragic secret.
Glory Be
A Mississippi town in 1964 gets riled when tempers flare at the segregated
public pool.
As much as Gloriana June Hemphill, or Glory as everyone
knows her, wants to turn twelve, there are times when Glory wishes she could
turn back the clock a year. Jesslyn, her sister and former confidante, no
longer has the time of day for her now that she’ll be entering high school.
Then there’s her best friend, Frankie. Things have always been so easy with
Frankie, and now suddenly they aren’t. Maybe it’s the new girl from the North
that’s got everyone out of sorts. Or maybe it’s the debate about whether or not
the town should keep the segregated public pool open.
Jangles: A BIG Fish story
Fishing alone at dusk, a boy feels a tug on his line and comes
face-to-face with the gigantic trout--whose enormous jaw is covered
with so many lures and fish hooks that he jingles and jangles when he swims.
Terrified by the sight, the boy is shocked when Jangles befriends him and
takes him on an adventure to the bottom of the lake.
Walls Within Walls
After their father, a video-game inventor, strikes it rich, the Smithfork
kids move from their cozy Brooklyn neighborhood to a swanky apartment on
Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.
One day Brid, CJ, and Patrick discover an astonishing secret about their
apartment. The original owner, the deceased multimillionaire Mr. Post, long ago
turned the apartment itself into a giant puzzle containing a mysterious book
and hidden panels—a puzzle that, with some luck, courage, and brainpower, will
lead to discovering the Post family fortune. Unraveling the mystery causes them
to race through today's New York City—and to uncover some long-hidden secrets
of the past.
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade
Everyone’s a New Yorker on Thanksgiving Day, when young and old rise early
to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day
Parade. Who first invented these “upside-down puppets”? Meet Tony Sarg,
puppeteer extraordinaire! In brilliant collage illustrations, the award-winning
artist Melissa Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his
genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to
America—the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy’s
Parade.
Bake Sale
Cupcake’s life is pretty good. He’s got his bakery, and his band, and his best
friend, Eggplant. His days are full of cooking, socializing, and playing music.
But lately, Cupcake has been struggling in the kitchen. He’s sure the solution
to all his problems is out there somewhere. But maybe that solution is hiding
closer to home.