Special Collections
Students Choice
Description: List created by a teacher for high school students to make independent reading choices,
- Table View
- List View
Monsters and Creatures
by Andrew Wheeler and Jim Zub and Dungeons & Dragons and Stacy KingThis introductory guide to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS provides a fun and immersive primer to its beasts and monsters.In this illustrated guide, you're transported to the legendary and magical worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and presented with one-of-a-kind entries for some of its most sinister, foul, and memorable monsters. Featuring amazing illustrations and expert insights on some of D&D's most dangerous monsters, the guide shines a spotlight on the beasts that scare, excite, and cause trouble for adventurers, from creatures that live underground, to those that dwell in the wilderness and boneyards or soar in the sky. In these profiles you will find information on the size of each monster, its danger level, and tips for how to survive an encounter. The perfect entry point for young fans of fantasy eager to become D&D adventurers, this book also features introductory "Encounter" stories so readers can practice the problem-solving skills they'll need to fight these monsters when they play a D&D adventure of their own.
Much Ado About Nothing
by SparkNotesDon’t be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard’s plays accessible and enjoyable.
Muscle Cars
by Stephen EoannouThe stories in Muscle Cars explore the unique and sometimes flawed relationships between men, their families, and their friends. Featuring a diverse cast of inarticulate misfits--including a compulsive body builder obsessed by the death of his brother, a former boxer forced to sell his prized 1946 New York Yankees-autographed baseball, and two boyhood friends who plan to steal Ted Williams' scientifically frozen head--this stand-out debut from Pushcart-nominated Eoannou is a powerful journey through the humor, darkness, and neuroses of the modern American everyman.
My Best Friend Is Invisible
by R.L. StineFrom the New York Times–bestselling Goosebumps series, a boy thinks invisibility is a cool superpower, until an invisible friend inhabits his bedroom.Sammy Jacobs is into ghosts and science fiction. Not exactly the smartest hobby—at least not if you ask Sammy’s parents. They’re research scientists and they only believe in “real” science.But now Sammy’s met someone who’s totally UN-real. He’s hanging out in Sammy’s room. And eating his cereal at breakfast. Sammy’s got to find a way to get rid of his new “friend.” Only problem is . . . Sammy’s new friend is invisible!
Naruto: Kakashi's Story
by Masashi Kishimoto and Jocelyne Allen and Akira HigashiyamaA year has passed since the Fourth Great Ninja War, and Kakashi’s appointment as Hokage looms. But first he heads to the Land of Waves for a dangerous mission rescuing hostages from a top-secret airship. There he confronts a ninja whose heart is frozen by tragedy. Having lost both his friend’s eye and his greatest abilities, can Kakashi protect anyone from his coldhearted foe? What is the true meaning of the Will of Fire gained in the distant heavens? Kakashi finds these answers and more as he enters a new ninja era. -- VIZ Media
New Beginnings
by Lauren BrookeAmy visits her friend Carey and at first assumes that Carey needs help with her unruly horse Mustang. Later, Amy wonders why Carey is surprisingly cold towards both her and the horse.
Out of the Darkness
by Lauren BrookeSince the first day Gallant Prince arrived at Heartland, Amy has had a difficult time reaching the horse. He stays in the back of his stall, pacing anxiously. Amy knows the fear of the stable fire blazes behind Prince's threats, his bared teeth and haunted eyes. When Amy learns Prince's groom was also injured in the fire, she believes he may be the key to Prince's recovery.
The Outsiders
by Se HintonA heroic story of friendship and belonging
No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop.
And he knows that he can count on his friends--true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit.
And when it comes to the Socs--a vicious gang of rich kids who enjoy beating up on "greasers" like him and his friends--he knows that he can count on them for trouble.
But one night someone takes things too far, and Ponyboy's world is turned upside down...
Written over forty-five years ago, The Outsiders is a dramatic and enduring work of fiction. S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published.
Patches
by Ellen MilesNow an Apple TV+ original series! A neglected beagle puppy finds the perfect humans to make him happy in this adorable and educational adventure. Welcome to the Puppy Place—where every puppy finds a home!Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. They have a puppy of their own named Buddy, but they also foster dogs that need help finding new homes. Charles and his friend Sammy are on their way home from school one day when they hear a puppy crying. His name is Patches, and he’s tied up in a garage all by himself. His owners seem to care ABOUT Patches, but they don’t know how to care FOR him. And it’s up to Charles and Lizzie to show them!
A Place to Stand
by Jimmy Santiago BacaThe Pushcart Prize–winning poet&’s memoir of his criminal youth and years in prison: a &“brave and heartbreaking&” tale of triumph over brutal adversity (The Nation). Jimmy Santiago Baca&’s &“astonishing narrative&” of his life before, during, and immediately after the years he spent in the maximum-security prison garnered tremendous critical acclaim. An important chronicle that &“affirms the triumph of the human spirit,&” it went on to win the prestigious 2001 International Prize (Arizona Daily Star). Long considered one of the best poets in America today, Baca was illiterate at the age of twenty-one when he was sentenced to five years in Florence State Prison for selling drugs in Arizona. This raw, unflinching memoir is the remarkable tale of how he emerged after his years in the penitentiary—much of it spent in isolation—with the ability to read and a passion for writing poetry. &“Proof there is always hope in even the most desperate lives.&” —Fort Worth Star-Telegram &“A hell of a book, quite literally. You won&’t soon forget it.&” —The San Diego U-T &“This book will have a permanent place in American letters.&” —Jim Harrison, New York Times–bestselling author of A Good Day to Die
Post Captain
by Patrick O'Brian"Master and Commander raised almost dangerously high expectations, Post Captain triumphantly surpasses them...a brilliant book."—Mary Renault "We've beat them before and we'll beat them again." In 1803 Napoleon smashes the Peace of Amiens, and Captain Jack Aubrey, R. N., taking refuge in France from his creditors, is interned. He escapes from France, from debtors' prison, and from a possible mutiny, and pursues his quarry straight into the mouth of a French-held harbor.
P.S. I Still Love You
by Jenny HanLara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren't. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean's feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that's part of makes it so amazing.
The Puppy Place #14
by Ellen MilesBrrr! It's cold! Snuggle up with a happy husky in this winter adventure. 10-year-old Lizzie Peterson and her family are on an adventurous winter vacation in snowy Vermont when she meets Bear, an adorable husky called lazy and then abandoned by his sled-dog racing team. Lizzie falls in love with Bear, and rescues him when he gets lost during a big snowstorm. Will Lizzie be able to find Bear a home where he is appreciated? When she meets Fern, a young musher, Lizzie goes on the ride of her life--and thinks she may have found the answer.
The Puppy Place #3
by Ellen MilesWelcome to the Puppy Place! This new Little Apple series stars a lovable new puppy in every book! And it's Charles and Lizzie Peterson's job to find every puppy the perfect home. Charles and Lizzie Peterson know a lot about puppies. That's because the Petersons are a foster family for young dogs. Someday, they will have a puppy of their own. Until then, they keep busy helping special puppies find homes. When the Petersons meet Shadow, they know he is very special. He is a cute black Labrador retriever, and he is extremely smart. Everyone agrees that Shadow deserves the best. He will be the perfect puppy for someone. But who will be the perfect owner for him?
The Puppy Place #36
by Ellen MilesWelcome to the Puppy Place--where every puppy finds a home! Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home. Meet Stella, the cutest thing ever, a little Maltese. But why won't she follow any commands? It's Charles who figures out that the little pup is deaf, and learns how to help her become the perfect puppy for someone special!
Seedfolks
by Paul FleischmanOne by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.
Sooner or Later
by Lauren BrookeWhile working at Heartland, Amy finds herself faced with the most difficult decision she's ever had to make.
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson"Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication.
A timeless novel about consent and finding the courage to speak up for yourself, the twentieth anniversary edition of the classic novel that has spoken to so many young adults now includes a new introduction by acclaimed writer, host, speaker, and cultural commentator Ashley C. Ford as well as an afterword by New York Times-bestselling author of All American Boys and Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds. This edition will also feature an updated Q&A, resource list, and essay and poem from Laurie Halse Anderson.
Speediest!
by Steve JenkinsCaldecott Honor winner Steve Jenkins is back with more Extreme Animals, perfect for young readers looking for accessible nonfiction chock full of incredible art. Speediest! will focus on the fastest members of the animal kingdom. Through illustrations, infographics, facts, and figures, readers will see how big each animal is compared to humans, where it lives on the globe, and just how quickly it can move! With his signature art style, Steve Jenkins' Extreme Animals reader series explores nature's truly superlative animals. These readers are fact-packed and span the globe, detailing the astounding abilities of every shape, size, and species. Each installment focuses on amazing and unusual animals, making these nonfiction readers accessible, informative, and fascinating.
Spite fences
by Trudy KrisherMaggie Pugh, thirteen, lives in Kinship, Georgia, where in 1960 there are racially segregated parks, lunch counters, and bathrooms. Maggie is good friends with Zeke, a black man who peddles goods in Kinship. When Zeke is brutally beaten, life changes dramatically for Maggie, who is no stranger to abuse. She uses the camera given her by Zeke to record the truth. Violence. Junior high and older. 1994.
A Summer to Remember
by Lauren BrookeAmy's summer is just underway when Alfredo Escobar, a member of a world-famous polo legacy, contacts her to help with a troubled horse at a luxurious estate in the Hamptons. If Alfredo and his pony, Impala, can't learn to work together, they'll both be in trouble.
Taking chances
by Lauren BrookeAmy's life has drastically changed. She's found herself taking on the huge responsibility of running Heartland, the horse refuge that was her mother¹s life work. The one constant for Amy has been her friendship with Ty, Heartland¹s 17-year-old stable hand. But the arrival of a new hand, Ben, throws everything off balance. By the time Amy realizes she¹s taken Ty for granted, it could be too late. Sequel to "Breaking free", followed by "Come what may". Grades 3-6. 2001.
The Taming of the Shrew
by William Shakespeare and Stephen Orgel and A. R. BraunmullerThe legendary Pelican Shakespeare series features authoritative and meticulously researched texts paired with scholarship by renowned Shakespeareans. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare's time, an introduction to the individual play, and a detailed note on the text used. Updated by general editors Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, these easy-to-read editions incorporate over thirty years of Shakespeare scholarship undertaken since the original series, edited by Alfred Harbage, appeared between 1956 and 1967. With stunning new covers, definitive texts, and illuminating essays, the Pelican Shakespeare will remain a valued resource for students, teachers, and theater professionals for many years to come.This edition of The Taming of the Shrew is edited with an introduction and notes by series editor Stephen Orgel.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.From the Trade Paperback edition.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
by Jenny HanWhat if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them...all at once?
Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved--five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Tomorrow's Promise
by Lauren BrookeWhen Amy meets Daniel, she is stunned by his defensive nature. But she soon comes to realize it's because he doesn't care what others say about his horse, and Amy begins to like his attitude.