Special Collections
District List: ELC-4 Unit 1 Realistic Fiction - MCPS
Description: Montgomery County (MD) Enriched Literacy Curriculum (4). Focus the instruction on narrative elements in realistic fiction texts. Pay attention to how the author develops the main character and how that character interacts with other characters. #mcps
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The Penderwicks Collection
by Jeanne BirdsallA digital collection of the first three Penderwicks novels. With over one million copies sold, this irresistible series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family, from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Jeanne Birdsall, is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager.
Wild Wings
by Gill Lewis and Yuta OnodaThe majestic Osprey is an endangered bird that hasn't been seen in Scotland for years, so when Iona McNair locates an Osprey nest, she's desperate to keep the bird safe from poachers. She shares her secret with her classmate Callum, and the two become friends as they work to save the Osprey they've named Isis. They're able to get the bird tagged by a preservationist, but after Isis flies to Africa for the winter, her signal becomes stagnant, then lost. Spurred by a promise to Iona, who has fallen ill, Callum is determined to track and save Isis, and a leap of faith and the magic of e-mail connects him with a girl in Gambia who can help him make good--in more ways than one. Set against the dramatic landscapes of Scotland and West Africa, this is a timeless tale of hope and friendship--a heartwarming novel infused with the beauty of nature.
Zeely
by Virginia HamiltonElizabeth and her brother live on a farm for a summer—and learn a whole new way of living and dreamingElizabeth likes to invent stories. When she travels to her uncle&’s farm for a summer, she starts by making up new names for herself and her younger brother: &“Geeder&” and &“Toeboy.&” As &“Geeder&” explores the farm on her own and with her brother, she encounters mysteries that capture her imagination, among them a tall, proud woman who looks just like an African queen that Elizabeth has read about in a magazine. Elizabeth spins tales about the people and places around her, but she comes to realize that sometimes the truth is more interesting than make-believe.
The Sea in Winter
by Christine DayIn this evocative and heartwarming novel for readers who loved The Thing About Jellyfish, the author of I Can Make This Promise tells the story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again.
It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions.
Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is not excited for their family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.
But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean?
Rain Reign
by Ann M. MartinWinner of the Schneider Family 2015 Middle School Award
Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose's obsessions, her rules, and the other things that make her different - not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father.
When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose's father shouldn't have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search.
Hearts will break and spirits will soar for this powerful story, brilliantly told from Rose's point of view.
Spider Boy
by Ralph FletcherHumorous story about a boy's adjustment to new surroundings and kids in a new school. Packed with fascinating facts about spiders, the story is told through journal entries and scenes of events. Contains a spider bibliography.
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
by Pablo CartayaSave the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud.
Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL? For Arturo, summertime in Miami means playing basketball until dark, sipping mango smoothies, and keeping cool under banyan trees. And maybe a few shifts as junior lunchtime dishwasher at Abuela’s restaurant. Maybe.
But this summer also includes Carmen, a cute poetry enthusiast who moves into Arturo’s apartment complex and turns his stomach into a deep fryer. He almost doesn’t notice the smarmy land developer who rolls into town and threatens to change it.
Arturo refuses to let his family and community go down without a fight, and as he schemes with Carmen, Arturo discovers the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí.
Funny and poignant, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is the vibrant story of a family, a striking portrait of a town, and one boy's quest to save both, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia.
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
by Janae Marks“Enticing and enthralling.” —Jewell Parker Rhodes
From debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating mystery full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right—even in the face of great opposition. A perfect book for fans of Front Desk and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook!
Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime? A crime he says he never committed. Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family.
Everyone else thinks Zoe’s worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she’s worthy of auditioning for Food Network’s Kids Bake Challenge.But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcus’s conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn’t know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies.