Special Collections
Young Reader's Choice Award Winners
- Table View
- List View
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred D. TaylorWinner of the Newbery Medal, this remarkably moving novel has impressed the hearts and minds of millions of readers. Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And it is also Cassie's story--Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.* "[A] vivid story.... Entirely through its own internal development, the novel shows the rich inner rewards of black pride, love, and independence."--Booklist, starred review
By the Shores of Silver Lake
by Laura Ingalls WilderThe fifth book in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s treasured Little House series, and the recipient of a Newbery Honor—now available as an ebook! This digital version features Garth Williams’s classic illustrations, which appear in vibrant full color on a full-color device and in rich black-and-white on all other devices.Laura Ingalls and her family move from the banks of Plum Creek to the wilderness of the unsettled Dakota Territory. Here Pa works on the new railroad until he finds a homestead claim that is perfect for their new home. Laura takes her first train ride as she, her sisters, and Ma come out to live with Pa on the shores of Silver Lake. After a lonely winter in the surveyors' house, Pa puts up the first building in what will soon be a brand-new town on the beautiful shores of Silver Lake. The Ingalls's covered-wagon travels are finally over.The nine Little House books are inspired by Laura’s own childhood and have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America’s frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories.
The Incredible Journey
by Sheila Burnford and Carl BurgerInstinct told them that the way home lay to the west. And so the doughty young Labrador retriever, the roguish bull terrier and the indomitable Siamese set out through the Canadian wilderness. Separately, they would soon have died. But, together, the three house pets faced starvation, exposure, and wild forest animals to make their way home to the family they love. The Incredible Journey is one of the great children's stories of all time--and has been popular ever since its debut in 1961.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood
by Ellen ConfordRelates the experiences of 13-year-old Melanie as she tries to cope with the traumas and pleasures of her first year at summer camp.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
by Ian FlemingChitty Chitty Bang Bang is the story of a magical transforming car that helps a family to foil a group of gangsters. It is the only children's novel by Ian Fleming, the British author best known for the James Bond stories. The novel was dedicated to his son, though Fleming died before it was published. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in ebook form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Mr. Popper's Penguins
by Richard Atwater and Florence Atwater and Robert LawsonMr. Popper has penguins in his fridge, an ice rink in the basement, and a family for whom life will never be the same How many penguins in the house is too many?
Mr. Popper is a humble house painter living in Stillwater who dreams of faraway places like the South Pole. When an explorer responds to his letter by sending him a penguin named Captain Cook, Mr. Popper and his family's lives change forever. Soon one penguin becomes twelve, and the Poppers must set out on their own adventure to preserve their home.
First published in 1938, Mr. Popper's Penguins is a classic tale that has enchanted young readers for generations.
Newbery Medal Honors book
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You
by Barthe DeclementsHelen figures that she'll coast through sixth grade-until she comes face to face with her new teacher, Mrs. Lobb. Strict "Mrs. Blob" rules the class like a sergeant, and Helens' practical jokes make her crack down even more. It wouldn't be so bad if Helen got good grades-but the harder she works, the more she fails. Is Helen going to be stuck in sixth grade forever?
The Great Brain Reforms
by John D. FitzgeraldDuring summer vacation in 1898, J. D. arrives at a means of reforming his older brother, The Great Brain, and ending his career as a swindler.
Homer Price
by Robert MccloskeyWelcome to Centerburg! Where you can win a hundred dollars by eating all the doughnuts you want; where houses are built in a day; and where a boy named Homer Price can foil four slick bandits using nothing but his wits and pet skunk.
The comic genius of Robert McCloskey and his wry look at small-town America has kept readers in stitches for generations!
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
by Ian FlemingWen resourceful inventor Caractacus Pott saves the enormous green roadster from the scrap heap, it doesn't take long for his family to realize that they have a pretty amazing auto. Their day trip to the beach turns into an exciting sea voyage, complete with a secret cave and a gang of ruthless mobsters (who have a giant stockpile of explosives)! The Potts quickly learn that CHITTY CHITTY Bang Bang may be their only hope!
Wait Till Helen Comes
by Mary Downing HahnTwelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse.
But they do—when Helen comes.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
The Dollhouse Murders
by Betty Ren WrightTwelve-year-old Amy knows there is some connection between Aunt Claire's old dollhouse in the attic and a deadly secret from years ago.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Ramona the Pest
by Beverly Cleary and Tracy DockrayRamona Quimby is excited to start kindergarten. No longer does she have to watch her older sister, Beezus, ride the bus to school with all the big kids. She's finally old enough to do it too!
Then she gets into trouble for pulling her classmate's boingy curls during recess. Even worse, her crush rejects her in front of everyone. Beezus says Ramona needs to quit being a pest, but how can she stop if she never was trying to be one in the first place?
Newbery Medal winning author Beverly Cleary expertly depicts the trials and triumphs of growing up through a relatable heroine in Ramona Quimby.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Fountas and Pinnell Level: O
Lexile: 691L - 770L
Reading Recovery: 34
DRA: 34
PM Readers: 24 Silver
Grade: 3
Ages: 8 - 9
Learning A to Z Level: S
Accelerated Reader (ATOS): 3.9 - 5.1
The War with Grandpa
by Robert Kimmel SmithPeter thinks the only way he can reclaim his room is by declaring war on his grandfather.
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, William Allen White Award, Tennessee Children's Choice Book Award, Parents' Choice Award, An IRA-CBC Children's Choice, Mark Twain Award, Young Hoosier Award, South Carolina Children's Book Award, Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, Georgia Children's Book Award.
King of the Wind
by Marguerite HenryHe was named “Sham” for the sun, this golden-red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco’s stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. Although he was swift as the desert winds, Sham’s pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners.This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France, and finally to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned Godolphin Arabian, whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior thoroughbred. Sham’s speed—like his story—has become legendary.
Henry and the Paper Route
by Beverly Cleary and Tracy DockrayNewbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary gives readers a hero they'll relate to--and root for--in this comical and inspiring novel about Henry Huggins's mission to prove himself worthy of his very own paper route.
All the older kids work their own paper route, but because Henry is not eleven yet, Mr. Capper won't let him. Desperate to change his mind, Henry tries everything he can think of to show he's mature and responsible enough for the job. From offering free kittens to new subscribers, to hauling hundreds of pounds of old newspapers for his school's paper drive, there's nothing Henry won't try. But it might just be the irrepressible Ramona Quimby who shows Mr. Capper just how capable Henry is.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine
by Raymond Abrashkin and Jay WilliamsCan Danny program Miniac, a miniature automatic computer, to do his homework for him? His attempts seem to be going well until an old enemy, Snitcher, tries his hand at sabotage.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
by Robert C. O'Brien and Zena BernsteinMrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service.
Newbery Medal Winner
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Henry Reed's Baby-Sitting Service
by Keith RobertsonThis book is actually in the form of a diary or journal. It tells about the different experiences of Henry when he worked as a baby sitter during his summer vacation.
Bunnicula
by James Howe and Deborah Howe and Alan DanielThis book is written by Harold. His fulltime occupation is dog. He lives with Mr. and Mrs. Monroe and their sons Toby and Pete. Also sharing the home are a cat named Chester and a rabbit named Bunnicula. It is because of Bunnicula that Harold turned to writing. Someone had to tell the full story of what happened in the Monroe household after the rabbit arrived.Was Bunnicula really a vampire? Only Bunnicula knows for sure. But the story of Chester's suspicions and their consequences makes uproarious reading.Since its first appearance in 1979, Bunnicula has been a hit with kids and their parents everywhere, selling over 8 million copies and winning numerous awards.
Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace
by Donald J. SobolEncyclopedia Brown has an uncanny knack for trivia. With his unconventional knowledge, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency. But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve some of the most baffling crimes. With ten confounding mysteries in each book, not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but readers are given all the clues as well and can chime in with their own solutions. Interactive and fun--it's classic Encyclopedia Brown!
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Lassie Come-Home
by Eric KnightLassie, the prize dog of a humble household, is sold to a wealthy family when hard times befall her original owners. Taken hundreds of miles away, she does what many collies have done before her, she starts for home so that she can be faithful to a duty--that of meeting a boy by a schoolhouse gate.
There is something epic in Eric Knight's story of this dog and the saga of its weary trek, guided only by instinct. It is told with profound understanding, in moving prose. Marguerite Kirmse's illustrations blend into the spirit of one of the most poignant and best-loved dog stories in the world.
"This is more than a good dog-story; it may well be found, a long time hence, among the dog-stories that do not go out of print." So wrote May Lamberton Becker, reviewing the book in the fall of 1940, when it was published for the first time. Her prediction has been borne out.
The outstanding dog classic of all time, Lassie Come-Home has since appeared in twenty-five languages throughout the world. In 1942 an M-G-M movie based on the book launched the career of Elizabeth Taylor. In the spring of 1978 a new movie version was released, starring James Stewart, Alice Faye and Mickey Rooney and the best-loved dog of all time, the collie Lassie.
The book has been in print continually in various editions since the time of its first publication.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Superfudge
by Judy BlumeSometimes life in the Hatcher household is enough to make twelve-year-old Peter think about running away. His worst problem is still his younger brother, Fudge, who hasn't changed a bit since his crazy capers in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. If you ask Peter, Fudge is just an older -- and bigger -- pain.
Then Peter learns that his mom is going to have a baby and the whole family is moving to Princeton for a year. It will be bad enough starting sixth grade in a strange place and going to the same school as Fudge. But Peter can imagine something even worse. How will he ever survive if the new baby is a carbon copy of Fudge?
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
John F. Kennedy and PT-109
by Richard TregaskisThe author describes the life of John F. Kennedy and his PT-109, focusing on the wreck of his ship and how the crew members were saved.
Old Yeller
by Fred GipsonAt first, Travis couldn't stand the sight of Old Yeller
The stray dog was ugly, and a thieving rascal, too. But he sure was clever, and a smart dog could be a big help on the wild Texas frontier, especially with Papa away on a long cattle drive up to Abilene.
Strong and courageous, Old Yeller proved that he could protect Travis's family from any sort of danger. But can Travis do the same for Old Yeller?
Newbery Medal Honors book
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award