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Browse by Lexile: 600L - 690L
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La Línea
by Ann JaramilloMiguel has dreamed of joining his parents in California since the day they left him behind in Mexico six years, eleven months, and twelve days ago. On the morning of his fifteenth birthday, Miguel's wait is over. Or so he thinks.
The trip north to the border - la línea- is fraught with dangers. Thieves. Border guards. And a grueling, two-day trek across the desert. It would be hard enough to survive alone. But it's almost impossible with his tagalong sister in tow. Their money gone and their hopes nearly dashed, Miguel and his sister have no choice but to hop the infamous mata genteas it races toward the border. As they cling to the roof of the speeding train, they hold onto each other, and to their dreams. But they quickly learn that you can't always count on dreams - even the ones that come true.
This is the story of many undocumented immigranted to the USA, especially teenagers in search of their parents.
The Parker Inheritance
by Varian JohnsonWhen Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.
So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter's promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?
The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee
by Barry JonsbergCandice Phee isn't a typical twelve-year-old girl. She has more than her fair share of quirks, but she also has the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to make sure everyone around her is happy--which is no easy feat when dealing with a pet fish with an identity crisis, a friend who believes he came from another dimension, an age-old family feud, and a sick mom. But she is on a mission. Her methods might be unique, but Candice will do whatever it takes to restore order to her world and make sure everyone is absolutely, categorically happy again.
Explore Asia (Explore the Continents)
by Bobbie Kalman and Rebecca SjongerThis book explores Asia--the biggest continent in the world. It also talks about its geography, people, famous tourist places and other interesting facts.
Volcanoes on Earth
by Bobbie KalmanDramatic photographs of spewing and flowing lava will capture the attention of any child. in this fantastic new book, children will be excited to learn what a volcano is and what makes it erupt. Simple explanations describe the different kinds of volcanoes, including cinder, cone-shaped, shield, and composite as well as the different kinds of lava and the land formations they create on land and under the ocean. Other topics include the reason volcanoes often erupt during earthquakes, why giant tsunami waves are sometimes created by underwater earthquakes, and how volcanoes are studied in order to predict and prepare for eruptions. Children will also enjoy making their own volcano out of household materials.
Buggy Breakout
by Carolyn Keene and Macky PamintuanThe Princess Mix-Up Mystery and Buggy Breakout have eight-year-old Nancy Drew solves cases with her friends in the Clue Crew!
Camp Creepy
by Macky Pamintuan and Carolyn KeeneThis camp has gone to the dogs!
Nancy and her classmates are entering a model-building contest to win the prize of a lifetime-a chance to spend a week in northern New Mexico! But before Nancy, Bess, and George can even enter their pueblo model, it's been destroyed!
Plus Hannah's been acting very strange recently. Something sinister is definitely afoot. Have the girls angered the Taos Indian spirits by building the model, or is the threat something closer to home?
The Cinderella Ballet Mystery
by Carolyn Keene and Macky PamintuanCan Nancy follow the trail of this fairy tale? Nancy and her friends are going to be in a ballet! After months of taking dance classes, Nancy, George, and Bess will perform in a ballet version of Cinderella!
The Clue Crew is excited to wear fancy costumes and dance on a real stage! Nancy's friend Andrea is going to play the part of Cinderella. And she'll wear special glass slippers just like in the fairy tale!
But when the glass slippers disappear, Nancy is determined to help. Can the Clue Crew uncover Cinderella's slippers before the clock strikes show time?
Pony Problems
by Carolyn KeeneThis pony knows quite a few tricks! A new petting zoo has opened in River Heights. Nancy, George, and Bess can't wait to check it out -- the zoo has the cutest shetland pony named Buttons. And it looks like the Clue Crew won't have to wait very long to get a glimpse of Buttons -- he keeps escaping from his pen and showing up all over town! He's getting pretty famous for eating the flowers in everyone's front lawns. As much as Nancy secretly wishes Buttons would turn up on her lawn, she knows it's important to make sure he stays put. The only trouble is, no one knows how he's getting out. Sounds like it's time for the Clue Crew to saddle up and settle this pony problem!
Hello, Universe
by Erin Entrada Kelly and Isabel RoxasAcclaimed and award-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe is a funny and poignant neighborhood story about unexpected friendships.
Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different, and finding your inner bayani (hero), and it’s perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Thanhha Lai, and Rita Williams-Garcia. In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so that he can concentrate on basketball.
They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find the missing Virgil. Sometimes four can do what one cannot. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.
The acclaimed author of Blackbird Fly and The Land of Forgotten Girls writes with an authentic, humorous, and irresistible tween voice that will appeal to fans of Thanhha Lai and Rita Williams-Garcia.
A New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Newberry Medal
The Land of Forgotten Girls
by Erin Entrada KellyErin Entrada Kelly, the author of the acclaimed Blackbird Fly, writes with grace, imagination, and deepest heart about family, sisters, and friendship, and about finding and holding on to hope in difficult times.
Two sisters from the Philippines, abandoned by their father and living with their stepmother in Louisiana, fight to make their lives better in this remarkable story for readers of Cynthia Kadohata and Rita Williams-Garcia, and for anyone searching for the true meaning of family.
You Go First
by Erin Entrada KellyNewbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s You Go First is an engaging exploration of family, bullying, spelling, art, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships. Her perfectly pitched tween voice will resonate with fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale.
Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different—Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana.
Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling.
But the two have more in common than they think. They’re both highly gifted. They’re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.
Over the course of a week, Charlotte and Ben—online friends connected only by a Scrabble game—will intersect in unexpected ways, as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school.
This engaging story about growing up and finding your place in the world by the Newbery Medal–winning author of Hello, Universe and the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.
A New York Times Bestseller
Horrible Harry and the Birthday Girl
by Amy Wummer and Suzy KlineMary is always neat and organized, while Harry is horribly messy. But even Mary's carefully planned schedule can't help when things go wrong at her own birthday party. The party is supposed to start with the kids from Room 3B taking an exciting train ride, but when their train is delayed not one . . . not two . . . but three times, Mary's plan is completely ruined! She thinks the only thing that can make her feel better is cup after cup of sugary Island Punch--even after her mom tells her to stop. But what Mary doesn't know is that Harry has his own wacky ideas for saving Mary's big day. Can the kids still have fun even when nothing's going the way it's supposed to, or will this be the most horrible birthday ever?
Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise
by Suzy KlineIt's Christmastime, but with Miss Mackle in the hospital, no one feels much like celebrating. Maybe Harry can think of a way to cheer up Miss Mackle and put the holiday spirit back in Room 2B.
Horrible Harry and the Dragon War
by Suzy KlineThere's a war in Room 3B! Horrible Harry and Song Lee are in a fight, and nobody in Room 3B is happy. Harry and Song Lee have been best friends since kindergarten. Song Lee always laughs at Harry's jokes, they both love gross things, and they even got married on the playground in second grade. But ever since Miss Mackle let them work together on a project about dragons, Song Lee hasn't spoken to Harry! Will someone wave the white flag soon and end this war over . . . dragons? .
Horrible Harry and the Dungeon
by Suzy KlineThere's a new rule at South School? If you misbehave, you go to the Suspension Room (or "the Dungeon," as the students of Room 2B call it). The rumors are flying about what actually goes on down there, but Harry won?t be satisfied until he finds out for himself.
Horrible Harry and the Goog
by Frank Remkiewicz and Suzy KlineA secret teacher party is happening in the library, but who is the party for? Harry and Doug plan to find out, but when they discover Harry's pet cat, Googer, skulking around their classroom, they have to catch him before anyone else does! They chase The Goog all over school—even into places students (and cats) aren't allowed. Will the boys capture The Goog without being caught themselves? Or will Harry's cat get him into the most horrible trouble ever? .
Horrible Harry and the Holidaze
by Suzy KlineThe holiday season is here, and the kids in Room 3B are learning about all the different ways people celebrate. In addition to Christmas and Hanukkah, there?s Kwanzaa, Three Kings? Day, Korean New Year, and more. All the talk about holidays has everyone feeling festive. Everyone, that is, except Harry. He doesn?t seem to care about the holidays, the class pet, or even the new student in class. It?s clear that something is bugging Harry?but what could it be? .
Horrible Harry and the Stolen Cookie
by Suzy Kline and Amy WummerThe kids in Room 3B are holding a Sharing and Caring Tag Sale to earn money for charity. Song Lee and Ida are selling friendship bracelets, Doug is selling books, and Sid is selling delicious, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. But something else is on Harry's mind: his grandmother is having money trouble, and Harry wants to help. So he comes up with a plan to raise money for her. The problem is that Harry doesn't realize his plan involves stealing from the class's charity collection! How can Doug stop his friend from becoming a horrible thief? Could the answer come from one of Sid's delicious cookies?
Horrible Harry in Room 2B
by Suzy KlineDoug discovers that though being Harry's best friend in Miss Mackle's second grade class isn't always easy, as Harry likes to do horrible things, it is often a lot of fun. .
Song Lee and the I Hate You Notes
by Suzy KlineSong Lee is the nicest person in Room 3B. That's why no one can figure out why anyone would send her an "I hate you" note. Song Lee takes the first note hard -- tears come to her eyes and she feels sick. But as the notes continue, Song Lee toughens up, and decides to strike back -- with something so gross it's sure to teach the note sender a lesson he or she won't soon forget.
Song Lee in Room 2B
by Suzy KlineHorrible Harry's not the only one who knows how to keep spirits high in second grade! In these rib-tickling new tales from Room 2B, the spotlight turns to the lovable Song Lee. She may be shy, but Song Lee has a big heart and a big silly streak.
Who else would dress up as a cherry tree, wear green clay on her head, or write a whole story about Harry's nose? So here's to more laugh-attacks and good times with the whole gang, in a fresh batch of chapter books by Suzy Kline! Picture descriptions present.
Oranges in No Man's Land
by Elizabeth LairdOranges in No Man's Land tells the riveting story of ten-year-old Ayesha's terrifying journey across no man's land to reach a doctor in hostile territory in search of medicine for her dying grandmother.
Set in Lebanon during the civil war, this story is told by award-winning author Elizabeth Laird and is based on personal, real-life events.
Elizabeth stayed on the green line in Beirut in 1977 in a war-damaged flat with her husband and six-month-old son. Memories of her son sleeping in a suitcase on the floor, taking his first steps on the bullet-riddled balcony, playing with the soldiers on the checkpoint, and her husband racing through no man's land in the buildup to a battle have all inspired this gripping and moving story.
Elizabeth Laird says, "When I wrote Oranges in No Man's Land, I didn't know that Lebanon would be plunged back so soon into a nightmare. Caught up in that nightmare are children like Ayesha and Samar, whose lives political leaders so easily throw away."
Elizabeth Laird has been nominated four times for the Carnegie Medal and has won both the Nestl Smarties Book Prize and the Children's Book Award (UK). Her numerous books, including A Little Piece of Ground (Haymarket Books, 2006), have been published around the world.
A Dog Called Homeless
by Sarah LeanMy name is Cally Louise Fisher and I haven't spoken for thirty-one days. Talking doesn't always make things happen, however much you want them to. When Cally Fisher sees her dead mother, real as anything, no one believes her. So Cally stops talking - what's the point if no one is listening? The only other living soul who sees Cally's mum is a mysterious wolfhound who always seems to be there when her mum appears. But without a voice, how will Cally convince anyone that her mum is still with them, and how will she ever persuade her Dad that the huge silver-grey dog is their last link with her? An outstandingly assured debut novel from a sparkling new talent.
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
The 39 Clues Book 3
by Peter LerangisKid-favorite Peter Lerangis takes on Book 3 in the high-octane 39 Clues series, and it might be the most thrill-packed yet! JOIN ANYTIME TO PLAY FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN! ATTENTION! Amy and Dan Cahill have been located once again, this time in the company of the notoriously unreliable Alistair Oh. Could they have been foolish enough to make an alliance? Spies report that Amy and Dan seem to be tracking the life of one of the most powerful fighters the world has ever known. If this fearsome warrior was a Cahill, his secrets are sure to be well-guarded . . . and the price to uncover them just might be lethal.