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Browse by Lexile: 700L - 790L
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Chloe in India
by Kate DarntonA poignant and delightful story involving class, race, social customs, and a unique friendship that questions them all. Though they're divided by class, language, appearance--you name it--Chloe and Lakshmi have a lot in common. Both girls are new to Class Five at Premium Academy in New Delhi, India, and neither seems to fit in. But they soon discover how extraordinary an ordinary friendship can be and how celebrating our individuality can change the world."Whether describing the heat of a Delhi summer or the emotions of a homesick preteen in a strange land, Darnton gets the details right, bringing characters and story to life and also educating readers about the economic discrepancies rampant in India. Blonde American Chloe's perspective gives Western readers a way into this tale of inequality in a foreign culture."--Kirkus "A solid multicultural offering for middle grade collections."--SLJ "The heart of the story--standing up for others, despite social or economic class--can offer a good discussion for readers and hopefully get them thinking about those around them."--Booklist From the Hardcover edition.
Longbow Girl
by Linda DaviesThe stunningly written start to an exciting new trilogy about a smart, strong, bold girl who travels back in time to protect her family's past and ensure its future using her archery skills.Set in the wilds of the Welsh mountains, the brave and beautiful longbow girl, Merry Owen, discovers a river that takes her back in time to the autocratic kingdom of King Henry VIII. While there she finds she must compete in an archery tournament to save her ancestors' land from being seized by their aristocratic neighbors the de Courcys. Merry's best friend James de Courcy (and heir to the de Courcy wealth) follows her back in time and the two get tangled up in their families' ancient histories. There are forces working against them both in the past and the present. Will they be able to survive their pasts to save their futures?
So Far from Home
by Barry DenenbergCritically acclaimed author Barry Denenberg turns a sharp eye on life for a young Irish immigrant at the Lowell Mill.
Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash
by Wendelin Van DraanenSammy Keyes has three wads of cold hard cash in her hot little hands. An old guy gave them to her. Well, actually, he told her to throw them away. Begged her. With his last dying breath. Which he was taking because Sammy had just scared the life right out of him.
So . . . she's got to get this man some help. She's got to do it without being seen herself. And she's got to figure out how to stash that cash. Aw, c'mon! You'd keep the money too, right? No one ever needs to know. . . . From the Hardcover edition.
Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary
by Wendelin Van DraanenWhat's supposed to be a quiet weekend in the country turns into a crossroads adventure when Sammy and her friends meet Lucinda Huntley walking her 200-pound pig down the middle of the road. She tells them a true tale of the Wild West, a story of tough times, wagon trains, her great-grandma Moustache Mary, and a century-old family feud.
But this feud is hardly ancient history. Past and present collide -- and combust! -- when Mary's pioneer cabin burns to the ground. Sammy thinks the cause of the fire may be a hundred years old, but still, the gas can she finds near the scene of the crime is shiny and new. . . .
Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway
by Wendelin Van DraanenThe bad news: Sammy's made a deadly mistake. The good news: No one knows she did it. The delicious dilemma: Everyone thinks her archenemy Heather is to blame.
Now Heather's in a major jam, and in some ways it's only fair--Heather's pinned more than a few crimes on Sammy. Besides, there are distractions galore to keep Sammy from confessing. Like the end of the school year. And the Farewell Dance. Especially the dance, because she's going with Heather's brother, Casey.
But Sammy knows that the truth has an uncanny way of resurfacing, and when it does, the stench can be more vile than the junior high cafeteria.
Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy
by Wendelin Van DraanenThe elusive Lady Lana (a. k. a. Sammy's mom) ran off to Hollywood nearly a year ago to get "discovered." But when Sammy discovers that her mom has changed her name, dyed her hair, and told everyone she's only 25, she decides Lana needs a little reality check. I mean, it's one thing to have her mom ditch her. But it's another to find out she's created a life for herself where Sammy can't possibly exist.
But Hollywood is a shock. Everyone is pretending here. No one is who or what they seem in this starlet-eat-starlet world. So when a woman is killed in the room next door, Sammy's hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't have a motive . . . including her own mom. .
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
by Wendelin Van DraanenAlthough she's a girl detective starring in a new series, Sammy is not Nancy Drew. She's smart-mouthed & hard-hitting, unpopular at school & on the outs with the law.
Readers follow the sleuth through her saucy first-person narrative as she tries to find a burglar who's made a number of hits in her neighborhood, one of which she witnessed while spying on her neighbors with binoculars.
Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise
by Wendelin Van DraanenSammy knew that getting to know her new rockstar dad on a cruise would be a little uncomfortable. . . . But when the heiress to a perfume empire disappears from the ship, it turns out everyone's in for a rocky ride.
In this penultimate book in the Sammy Keyes mystery series, Wendelin Van Draanen pays homage to the mystery genre. This book is a classic locked-room whodunnit--Sammy Keyes style.
The Sammy Keyes mysteries are fast-paced, funny, thoroughly modern, and true whodunits. Each mystery is exciting and dramatic, but it's the drama in Sammy's personal life that keeps readers coming back to see what happens next with her love interest Casey, her soap-star mother, and her mysterious father.
Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls
by Wendelin Van DraanenIn her newest adventure, junior high detective Sammy Keyes and her friends take a detour through a graveyard on Halloween night and find themselves in the middle of a mystery.
Sammy must figure out how three missing people, two human skulls, and one ghoulish embalmer add up before she winds up six feet under herself!
And school presents its own set of tricks and treats. Sammy knows that a classmate is guilty of beating up a man on Halloween night. Should she obey the law and tell Officer Borsch? Or should she obey the junior high code and keep quiet?
Life and death and truth and justice have never been so tangled up...
Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack
by Wendelin Van DraanenSammy thought she'd seen all the weirdness her town had to offer--and then she met Justice Jack, Santa Martina's very own superhero. Well, really he's just a guy in spandex and a mask who rides around town on a dirt bike, hoping to find some crime to fight.
The old folks in town think he's wonderful. So wonderful that they've asked him to track down Sammy's neighbor Mrs. Wedgewood, who seems to have disappeared--along with a lot of other people's cash. Sammy's friends think Justice Jack is funny and cool. Billy Pratt's even auditioning to be his sidekick!
But Sammy thinks he's kind of . . . lame. He's more of a showstopper than a crime stopper. And when a real mystery comes along, Sammy finds herself right in the middle of it. . . .
Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher
by Wendelin Van DraanenFor junior high detective Sammy Keyes, eighth grade begins with an accusation, an inquisition, and several assorted death threats!
The history teacher, Mr. Vince, is being threatened, which at first seems funny. He's horrible! Every student wants Mr. Vince gone. But as the threats become more serious, the question becomes-who wants him dead and gone?
With her own name near the top of the suspect list, Sammy's determined to get to the bottom of things. But she's distracted by a mother bearing bad news, an almost-boyfriend ducking her calls, and a date with a poofy lavender bridesmaid dress.
This latest Sammy Keyes adventure blends mystery, comedy, and a dusting of fairy tale magic as Sammy takes off her high-tops, puts on some party shoes, and steps into a whole lot of trouble.
Stella by Starlight
by Sharon M. DraperWhen the Ku Klux Klan's unwelcome reappearance rattles Stella's segregated southern town, bravery battles prejudice in this Depression-era tour de force from Sharon Draper, the New York Times bestselling author of Out of My Mind.
Stella lives in the segregated South--in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can't. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn't bothered them for years.
But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something they're never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination.
As Stella's community--her world--is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire. And she learns that ashes don't necessarily signify an end.
The Diamond of Darkhold
by Jeanne DuprauA modern-day classic. This highly acclaimed adventure series about two friends desperate to save their doomed city has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies! Lina and Doon escaped the dying city of Ember and led their people to the town of Sparks. But they soon discover that winter is harsh aboveground. When Doon finds a book with torn pages that hints at a mysterious device from the Builders, it doesn't take much for him to convince Lina to join him for one last adventure in the city of Ember. But what--and who--will they find when they return? Praise for the City of Ember books: Nominated to 28 State Award Lists! An American Library Association Notable Children's Book A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection A Kirkus Reviews Editors' Choice A Child Magazine Best Children's Book A Mark Twain Award Winner A William Allen White Children's Book Award Winner "A realistic post-apocalyptic world. DuPrau's book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more." --USA Today "An electric debut." --Publishers Weekly, Starred "While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description." --VOYA, Starred "A harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred
The People of Sparks
by Jeanne DuprauThe People of Sparks picks up where The City of Ember leaves off. Lina and Doon have emerged from the underground city to the exciting new world above, and it isn't long before they are followed by the other inhabitants of Ember. The Emberites soon come across a town where they are welcomed, fed, and given places to sleep. But the town's resources are limited and it isn't long before resentment begins to grow between the two groups. When anonymous acts of vandalism push them toward violence, it's up to Lina and Doon to discover who's behind the vandalism and why, before it's too late.From the Hardcover edition.
The Prophet of Yonwood
by Jeanne DuprauA prequel to the modern-day classic The City of Ember. This highly acclaimed adventure series has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies! Nickie will grow up to be one of the first citizens of the city of Ember. But for now, she's an eleven-year-old girl whose father was sent away on some mysterious government project. So when the opportunity to move presents itself, Nickie seizes it. But her new town of Yonwood, North Carolina, isn't what she'd anticipated. It's a place full of suspicion and mistrust, where one person's visions of fire and destruction have turned the town's citizens against each other. Nickie explores the oddities around her--her great-grandfather's peculiar journals, a reclusive neighbor who studies the heavens, a strange boy who is fascinated with snakes--all while keeping an eye out for ways to help the world. Or is it already too late to avoid a devastating war?
A Girl Named Disaster
by Nancy FarmerA GIRL NAMED DISASTER is the humorous and heartwrenching story of young girl who discovers her own courage and strength when she makes the dangerous journey from Mozambique to Zimbabwe.
Nhamo is a Shona girl living in a traditional village in Mozambique in 1981. When her family tries to force her into a marriage with a cruel man, she flees. What was supposed to have been a short boat trip across the border into Zimbabwe, where she hoped to find her father, turns into an adventure filled with challenges and danger that lasts a year.
Newbery Honor Book
Yolonda's Genius
by Carol FennerAfter moving from Chicago to Grand River, Michigan, fifth grader Yolonda, big and strong for her age, determines to prove that her younger brother is not a slow learner but a true musical genius.
Young Andrew creates beautiful music on his harmonica despite his reading difficulties, and when the bullies of his Chicago neighborhood destroy his harmonica, his older sister Yolanda struggles to replace it.
Newbery Honor Book
90 Miles to Havana
by Enrique Flores-GalbisWhen Julian's parents make the heartbreaking decision to send him and his two brothers away from Cuba to Miami via the Pedro Pan operation, the boys are thrust into a new world where bullies run rampant and it's not always clear how best to protect themselves.
90 Miles to Havana is a 2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative and a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Happy New Year, Mallory!
by Laurie FriedmanNew Year's Eve is just around the corner and Mallory's camp friends are coming to Fern Falls for a reunion. She can't wait! Mallory and Mary Ann have planned out every last detail for the perfect reunion, but Mallory doesn't count on having a bad stomachache that turns out to be appendicitis. Poor Mallory has to go to the hospital and misses out on the reunion and the New Year's Eve Party. Is this the beginning of the worst year ever, or will her friends find a way to save the day?
Mallory Goes Green
by Laurie FriedmanMALLORY McDONALD IS GOING GREEN! As an official member of the Fern Falls Elementary Environmental Committee, Mallory is super excited to make her school and home more environmentally friendly. She's even selected to be class representative for the all-school Green Fair. But the minute Mallory goes green, everything goes wrong. No one wants her "expert" opinion on how to help the environment. Her classmates don't want to participate in the Green Fair project she's created. And worst of all, by the time the fair rolls around, many of them aren't even speaking to Mallory. Can Mallory find a way to save the planet and her friendships?
Mallory on Board
by Laurie FriedmanDespite her fears of being a "third wheel," Mallory goes on a cruise for the wedding of the mother and father of her two best friends.
Step Fourth, Mallory!
by Laurie FriedmanMallory McDonald enters the fourth grade, but her high hopes for the new school year tumble when she finds herself on the wrong foot of her new teacher. To make matters worse, both she and her best friend are interested in the same boy.
Catwings
by Ursula K. Le Guin and Ken GeistThe bestselling Catwings series!
Mrs. Jane Tabby can't explain why her four precious kittens were born with wings, but she's grateful that they are able to use their flying skills to soar away from the dangerous city slums where they were born. However, once the kittens escape the big city, they learn that country life can be just as difficult!
Lily's Crossing
by Patricia Reilly GiffThis year, as in other years, Lily has planned a spectacular summer in Rockaway, in her family's cozy house on stilts over the Atlantic Ocean. But by the summer of 1944, World War II has changed almost everyone's life. Lily's best friend, Margaret, and her family have moved to a wartime factory town, and worse, much worse, Lily's father is on his way overseas to the war.
There's no one else Lily's age in Rockaway until Albert comes, a refugee from Hungary, a boy with a secret sewn into his coat. Albert has lost most of his family in the war; he's been through things Lily can't imagine. But when they join together to rescue and care for a kitten, they begin a special friendship. For Lily and Albert have their own secrets to share: they both have told lies, and Lily has told a lie that may cost Albert his life.
Newbery Honor Book