Special Collections
Read Your Way Across the U. S. of A.
Description: Buckle up and hit the road with this collection of middle grade novels. Visit your home state or explore one you've never been to with these novels set all over America. Ages 8 to 13. #kids
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My Friend Flicka
by Mary O'HaraThe first time that Ken McLaughlin sees Flicka galloping past him on his family's Wyoming horse ranch, he knows she's the yearling he's been longing for.
But Flicka comes from a long line of wild horses, and taming her will take more than Ken could ever have imagined.
Soon, Ken is faced with an impossible choice: give up on his beautiful horse, or risk his life to fight for her.
Paint the Wind
by Pam Muñoz RyanA sheltered girl. A wild horse. An unforgettable journey.
Maya lives like a captive. At Grandmother's house in California, everything is forbidden: friends, fun, even memories. And her life is built on lies: lies Grandmother tells her about her dead mother, lies Maya tells to impress or manipulate.
But then she moves to the vast Wyoming wilderness where her mother's family awaits - kind, rugged people who have no tolerance for lies. They challenge Maya to confront the truth about who she is. And a mysterious mustang called Artemisia waits, too. She holds the key to Maya's freedom. But to find it, Maya will have to risk everything, including her life.
By Lizzie
by Mary Eccles and Mark ElliotHow does a smart, spunky kid deal with the trials and tribulations of being a middle child? She writes about it--that's how!
When nine-year-old Lizzie finds her mom's old typewriter in a closet, she decides to try her hand at storytelling: For a full year, she'll type out the tales of her life. That is, if she can find time between being pestered by her baby sister and teased by her older brother.
The middle-child life isn't easy, but if anybody can make it sound like fun, Lizzie can. Her stories of swimming lessons, a yard sale, secret codes, copy cats, and puppy dogs are packed with charm and humor. Even Lizzie's brother is finally forced to agree.
The Year of Billy Miller
by Kevin HenkesAward-winning, nationally bestselling author Kevin Henkes introduces second-grader Billy Miller in this fast-paced and funny story about friendship, sibling rivalry, and elementary school. The Year of Billy Miller includes black-and-white art by Kevin Henkes and is perfect for fans of the Ramona books; Frindle, by Andrew Clements; and the Clementine series.
When Billy Miller has a mishap at the statue of the Jolly Green Giant at the end of summer vacation, he ends up with a big lump on his head. What a way to start second grade, with a lump on your head!
As the year goes by, though, Billy figures out how to navigate elementary school, how to appreciate his little sister, and how to be a more grown up and responsible member of the family and a help to his busy working mom and stay-at-home dad.
Newbery Honor author and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes delivers a short, satisfying, laugh-out-loud-funny school and family story that features a diorama homework assignment, a school poetry slam, cancelled sleepovers, and epic sibling temper tantrums. This is a perfect short novel for the early elementary grades.
A 2014 Newbery Honor Book
A New York Times Bestseller
Child of the Mountains
by Marilyn Sue ShankIt's about keeping the faith.Growing up poor in 1953 in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia doesn't bother Lydia Hawkins. She treasures her tight-knit family. There's her loving mama, now widowed; her whip-smart younger brother, BJ, who has cystic fibrosis; and wise old Gran.
But everything falls apart after Gran and BJ die and mama is jailed unjustly. Suddenly Lydia has lost all those dearest to her.
Moving to a coal camp to live with her uncle William and aunt Ethel Mae only makes Lydia feel more alone. She is ridiculed at her new school for her outgrown homemade clothes and the way she talks, and for what the kids believe her mama did.
And to make matters worse, she discovers that her uncle has been keeping a family secret--about her.
If only Lydia, with her resilient spirit and determination, could find a way to clear her mother's name. . . .
The Night I Freed John Brown
by John Michael CummingsA haunting adventure, a brilliant new author.
Young Josh knows there is something about the tall Victorian House on the Harpers Ferry Hill, the one his father grew up in, that he can't quite put his finger on--ghosts he can't name, mysteries he can't solve.
And his impossible father won't give him any clues. He's hiding something.
And then there's the famous John Brown. The one who all the tourists come to hear about. The one whose statue looms over Josh's house. Why does he seem to haunt Josh and his whole family?
When the fancy Richmonds come to town and move right next door, their presence forces Josh to find the answers and stand up to the secrets of the House, to his father--and to John Brown, too!
The historic village of Harpers Ferry comes alive in this young boy's brave search for answers and a place of his own in this brilliant first novel by John Michael Cummings.
Framed!
by James PontiGet to know the only kid on the FBI Director's speed dial and several international criminals' most wanted lists all because of his Theory of All Small Things in this hilarious start to a brand-new middle grade mystery series.
So you're only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help...What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country? If you're Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both. Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington.
He's learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It's a technique he invented to solve life's little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls.
But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn't little. In fact, it's HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL. Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?
When Audrey Met Alice
by Rebecca BehrensLiving in the White House is like being permanently grounded. Only with tighter security.
When First Daughter Audrey Rose discovers Alice Roosevelt's hidden diary, the White House will never be the same. Because Audrey stops being the perfect "First Daughter" and starts asking herself...
What Would Alice Do?
Seaglass Summer
by Anjali BanerjeeEleven-year-old Poppy Ray longs to be a veterinarian, but she's never had a pet. This summer, she's going to spend a month with her uncle Sanjay, veterinarian and owner of the Furry Friends Animal Clinic on an island off the Washington coast.
Poppy is in for big surprises. She loves tending to the dogs, cats, and even a bird, and she discovers the fun of newborn puppies and the satisfaction of doing a good job. But she learns that there's more to caring for animals than the stethoscope and cotton swabs in her Deluxe Veterinarian First-Aid Kit. She's not prepared for quirky pet owners, gross stuff, or scary emergencies.
With help from a boy named Hawk, a chunk of seaglass, and a touch of intuition, Poppy gains a deeper understanding of the pain and joy of working with animals.
With warmth and humor, Anjali Banerjee tells the story of a resourceful, determined girl who can't wait to grow up, but begins to realize just how much she has left to discover.
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate and Patricia CastelaoIvan 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.
Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.
Newbery Medal Winner
Belle Prater's Boy
by Ruth WhiteWhen Belle Prater disappears, Belle’s boy, Woodrow, comes to live with his grandparents in Coal Station, Virginia. Woodrow’s cousin Gypsy is the town beauty, but she has hidden sorrows and secrets of her own. She wonders how Woodrow can accept his mother’s disappearance when she’s never gotten over her father’s death. That’s when Woodrow tells Gypsy the secret about his mother.
Newbery Medal Honor book
Flying the Dragon
by Natalie Dias LorenziFlying 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.
Full Cicada Moon
by Marilyn HiltonInside Out and Back Again meets One Crazy Summer and Brown Girl Dreaming in this novel-in-verse about fitting in and standing up for what’s right
It's 1969, and the Apollo 11 mission is getting ready to go to the moon. But for half-black, half-Japanese Mimi, moving to a predominantly white Vermont town is enough to make her feel alien. Suddenly, Mimi's appearance is all anyone notices.
She struggles to fit in with her classmates, even as she fights for her right to stand out by entering science competitions and joining Shop Class instead of Home Ec.
And even though teachers and neighbors balk at her mixed-race family and her refusals to conform, Mimi’s dreams of becoming an astronaut never fade—no matter how many times she’s told no.
This historical middle-grade novel is told in poems from Mimi's perspective over the course of one year in her new town, and shows readers that positive change can start with just one person speaking up.
Jane Addams Children’s Book Honors Winner
Return To Sender
by Julia AlvarezAfter Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure.
Tyler isn't sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented?
And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life.
Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico.
Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?
In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
Ghost Horses
by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane FergusonLife-threatening accidents keep plaguing the Landon family as they investigate the mysterious deaths of white mustangs at Zion National Park in Utah.
Even before they get to the park, Jack Landon knows that Ethan Ingawanup spells trouble.
Things start to go awry after Ethan and his sister-two Shoshone kids-are placed in the Landons' care.
The questions begin to mount after Ethan teaches Jack and Ashley the ancient Ghost Dance: Are all the hair-raising events just coincidental? Or is there some strange magic in the dance ritual?
The answers await in the raging waters of a slick-rock canyon called The Narrows.
The afterword by Lyman Hafen of the Zion Natural History Association discusses white mustangs and public lands in Utah.
Palace Beautiful
by Sarah WilliamsWhen sisters Sadie and Zuzu Brooks move to Salt Lake City, they discover a secret room in the attic of their new house, with a sign that reads "Palace Beautiful" and containing an old journal.
Along with their neighbor, dramatic Belladonna Desolation (real name: Kristin Smith), they take turns reading the story of a girl named Helen living during the flu epidemic of 1918.
The journal ends with a tragedy that has a scary parallel to Sadie and Zuzu?s lives, and the girls become obsessed with finding out what happened to Helen after the journal ends.
Did she survive the flu? Is she still alive somewhere? Or could her ghost be lurking in the nearby graveyard?
Sarah DeFord Williams has created a gripping read that covers two time periods, many fantastic characters, and a can't-put-it-down ending, all with delightful, extraordinary prose.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by Jacqueline KellyCalpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.
With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger.
As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing a year of growing up with unique sensitivity and a wry wit.
2010 Newbery Honor Book
Winner of the 2010 Bank Street - Josette Frank Award
Holes
by Louis SacharStanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats.
Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment--and redemption
Newbery Medal Winner
National Book Award
A Snicker of Magic
by Natalie LloydIntroducing an extraordinary new voice---a magical debut that will make your skin tingle, your eyes glisten . . .and your heart sing.
Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.
But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster.
Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.
Last in a Long Line of Rebels
by Lisa Lewis TyreDebut novelist Lisa Lewis Tyre vibrantly brings a small town and its outspoken characters to life, as she explores race and other community issues from both the Civil War and the present day.
Lou might be only twelve, but she's never been one to take things sitting down.
So when her Civil War-era house is about to be condemned, she's determined to save it--either by getting it deemed a historic landmark or by finding the stash of gold rumored to be hidden nearby during the war.
As Lou digs into the past, her eyes are opened when she finds that her ancestors ran the gamut of slave owners, renegades, thieves and abolitionists.
Meanwhile, some incidents in her town show her that many Civil War era prejudices still survive and that the past can keep repeating itself if we let it.
Digging into her past shows Lou that it's never too late to fight injustice, and she starts to see the real value of understanding and exploring her roots.
Prairie Winter
by Bonnie GeisertThe Cresbard school means a lot to sixth grader Rachel Johnson. It means classes with a beloved teacher, important band rehearsals for the upcoming concert in Chicago, and time to hang out with Winnie and Darren and the rest of the town kids.
For a twelve year-old living on a remote prairie farm with no phone, school means connection. And that connection is about to be severed. The most dangerous winter that Rachel has ever known is about to descend on Cresbard, marooning her on the farm and keeping her from the school she so desperately loves.
Then, in a surprising turn of events, Rachel's dad agrees to fly his three oldest daughters to town so they can continue the school year. Rachel will be boarding in a hotel with no parents, no rules, and no chores.
Her choice of desserts every night, two-stepping with Darren Baxter at the school dance . . .will Rachel ever be able to return to farm life after this?
Go Big or Go Home
by Will HobbsA meteorite is hurtling toward the Black Hills of South Dakota. . . .
Brady Steele's love for all things extreme is given a boost when a fireball crashes through the roof of his house. It turns out that Brady's space rock is one of the rarest meteorites ever found.
In fact, a professor from a nearby museum wants to study it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria, hoping to discover the first proof of life beyond Earth.
During a wild week of extreme bicycling, fishing, and caving, Brady discovers he's able to do strange and wonderful feats that shouldn't be possible.
At the same time, he's developing some frightening symptoms.
Could he be infected with long-dormant microbes from space? Is his meteorite a prize . . . or a menace?
Spelldown
by Karon LuddyThirteen-year-old Karlene Bridges is the best speller in her family, her hometown, and maybe even all of Shirley County, South Carolina.
The trouble is, every time she makes it to the final round of a spelling bee, she chokes.
But when Mrs. Harrison, the new Latin teacher, offers to coach her, Karlene's spelling jinx miraculously disappears. The year 1969 is turning out to be her best ever, especially since she develops a surprising crush on her best friend, Billy Ray.
But as soon as Karlene aims to compete in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D. C., her father's drinking begins to spell trouble.
How is a girl supposed to hold her family together, savor her first kiss, and become the best speller in America before the end of eighth grade?
Debut novelist Karon Luddy spells out adolescence with unwavering faith and sass in a novel about big dreams and the people who make them happen.
The Girl from Felony Bay
by J. E. ThompsonI'm not going to lie to you: the last year has been rougher than alligator hide for me and my dad. You see, he's in the hospital in a coma since his accident a year back, wherein he was framed for a terrible crime he didn't commit.
Our home, Reward Plantation, had to be sold to pay off his debt to society, so I'm stuck living with my uncle Charlie, who, even in the few hours a day when hes sober, ain't exactly your ideal parental role model. And I managed to run afoul of Jimmy Simmons, the meanest kid in the sixth grade, and on the last day of school no less.
But things just got a bit more interesting. Turns out the new family that moved into Reward Plantation has a daughter named Bee, who is the same age as I am. And shes just as curious about all the No Trespassing signs and holes being dug out by Felony Bay, in the corner of what used to be my home.
Seems like someones been poking around a mystery that dates all the way back to the Civil War--and it just might be the same someone who framed my dad. I'm Abbey, by the way. Abbey Force. And if it takes all summer, I'm going to find out whats happening out on Felony Bay, and maybe even clear my dads name.
Finding Providence
by AviIt's 1635, and Mary and her family live in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where Mary's father, Roger Williams, is on trial for preaching what was then considered radical ideas about freedom and equality.
When Roger is found guilty, he must escape and travel into the wilderness, where his only hope will be to find his friends the Narragansett Indians.
Avi's account of how Roger Williams founded Providence, Rhode Island, is vividly brought to life by James Watling's evocative pictures.