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Project Mulberry
by Linda Sue ParkJulia Song and her friend Patrick would love to win a blue ribbon, maybe even two, at the state fair. They've always done projects together, and they work well as a team. This time, though, they're having trouble coming up with just the right plan. Then Julia's mother offers a suggestion: They can raise silkworms, as she did when she was a girl in Korea. <p><p> Patrick thinks it's a great idea. Of course there are obstacles-for example, where will they get mulberry leaves, the only thing silkworms eat?-but nothing they can't handle. <p> Julia isn't so sure. The club where kids do their projects is all about traditional American stuff, and raising silkworms just doesn't fit in. Moreover, the author, Ms. Park, seems determined to make Julia's life as complicated as possible, no matter how hard Julia tries to talk her out of it. <p> In her first novel with a contemporary setting, Linda Sue Park delivers a funny, lively story that illuminates both the process of writing a novel and the meaning of growing up American.
Catherine, Called Birdy (Pathways To Critical Thinking Ser.pathways To Critical Thinking Series)
by Karen CushmanCatherine, a spirited and inquisitive young woman of good family, narrates in diary form the story of her fourteenth year—the year 1290. A Newbery Honor Book.
The Loud Silence of Francine Green
by Karen CushmanFrancine Green doesn't speak up much, and who can blame her? Her parents aren't interested in her opinions, the nuns at school punish girls who ask too many questions, and the House Committee on Un-American Activities is blacklisting people who express unpopular ideas. There's safety in silence. Francine would rather lose herself in a book, or in daydreams about her favorite Hollywood stars, than risk attracting attention or getting in trouble.But when outspoken, passionate Sophie Bowman transfers into Francine's class at All Saints School for Girls, Francine finds herself thinking about things that never concerned her before-free speech, the atom bomb, the existence of God, the way people treat each other. Eventually, Francine discovers that she not only has something to say, she is absolutely determined to say it.Once again, Karen Cushman follows a young woman's progress toward her true self, this time exploring the nature of friendship and the experience of growing up Catholic in an era that is both fascinating and relevant to today's young people. Author's note.
The Presence: A Ghost Story
by Eve Bunting<P>A brutal car accident that claimed the life of her best friend has left seventeen-year-old Catherine in a state of shock and severe depression. She longs to move forward with her life, but feels she can't until she is somehow assured of her friend's forgiveness. On a Christmas visit to her grandmother in Pasadena, a mysterious and handsome stranger approaches Catherine at church claiming that he can put her in touch with her dead friend. <P> Catherine is wary of the stranger's claims and his ghostly appearance but feels he may be the only key to escaping her past. She tells no one of the meeting but is approached by an elderly woman who warns her of the stranger's powers. The woman's teenage diary and eerie rumors surrounding other troubled girls who have disappeared from the church community leave Catherine fearful of the stranger's true intentions. She realizes she must find some way to confront this supernatural presence as well as the ghosts of her past. <P>A classic ghost story from one of Clarion's most distinguished authors. Eve Bunting brings a new edge to the genre of suspense by interweaving contemporary issues with sharp and frightful storytelling.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
by Gary D. SchmidtIt only takes a few hours for Turner Buckminster to start hating Phippsburg, Maine. No one in town will let him forget that he's a minister's son, even if he doesn't act like one. <P><P> But then he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart and sassy girl from a poor nearby island community founded by former slaves. Despite his father's-and the town's-disapproval of their friendship, Turner spends time with Lizzie, and it opens up a whole new world to him, filled with the mystery and wonder of Maine's rocky coast. The two soon discover that the town elders, along with Turner's father, want to force the people to leave Lizzie's island so that Phippsburg can start a lucrative tourist trade there. Turner gets caught up in a spiral of disasters that alter his life-but also lead him to new levels of acceptance and maturity. <P> This sensitively written historical novel, based on the true story of a community's destruction, highlights a unique friendship during a time of change. <P> Newbery Honor book
A Single Shard: A Newbery Award Winner (Middle Grade Cassette Librariestm Ser.)
by Linda Sue ParkIn this Newbery Medal-winning book set in 12th century Korea, Tree-ear, a 13-year-old orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch'ulp'o, a potters' village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potter's craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday.<P><P> When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated -- until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min's irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself -- even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Min's work in the hope of a royal commission... even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard.
Fig Pudding
by Ralph FletcherTake it from Cliff, being the oldest of six kids is not easy under the best of circumstances. Who can be Mr. Reliable all the time? How do you deal with a brother who enjoys sitting under the kitchen table for punishment? Or explain to your sister that she can't divorce herself from the family just because they eat meat? Or figure out what your baby brother wants for Christmas when he asks for a yidda yadda? Told in the first person, each lively, humorous episode from Cliff's fifth-grade year focuses on one of the kids. Together they create a strong, satisfying story of a large, closely knit family.
A Bear Named Trouble
by Marion Dane BauerTen-year-old Jonathan practically lives at the Anchorage Zoo, where his father is a keeper. He loves animals, and even imagines himself inside their bodies, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel.Meanwhile, a young brown bear is wandering through the woods near Anchorage, alone and hungry. One night, while searching for food, the bear crosses paths with Jonathan, who eagerly follows him onto the zoo grounds.But when the bear accidentally kills Mama Goose, Jonathan's favorite zoo creature, the boy loses the empathy he had felt earlier. He wishes that the bear-now nicknamed Trouble-would meet the same fate as his beloved goose, and he impulsively takes steps to make sure that happens.Based on an actual incident, and told in alternating chapters from the bear's and Jonathan's points of view, this is both an involving animal story and a thought-provoking investigation into the consequences of one's actions.
The Midwife's Apprentice: A Newbery Award Winner (Fountas & Pinnell LLI Blue)
by Karen CushmanFrom the author of "Catherine, Called Birdy" comes another spellbinding novel set in medieval England. <P><P> The girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the sharp-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat-who renames herself Alyce-gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something from life: "A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world." <P> Medieval village life makes a lively backdrop for the funny, poignant story of how Alyce gets what she wants. A concluding note discusses midwifery past and present. <P> A Newbery Medal Winner.
The Quest of the Fair Unknown (The Squire's Tales #8)
by Gerald MorrisOn her deathbed, Beaufils's mother leaves him with a quest and a clue: Find your father, a knight of King Arthur's Court. So Beaufils leaves the isolated forest of his youth and quickly discovers that he has much to learn about the world.
The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight (The Squire's Tales #6)
by Gerald MorrisEver since the murder of her mother and guardian, Sarah has been searching for the knight she holds responsible for their death. But vengeance may not be as satisfying as she thought it would be.
A Coming Evil
by Vivian Vande Velde"This well-written . . . fast-paced adventure raises some interesting issues." -School Library JournalLisette Beaucaire was angry when her parents sent her away from Paris that September day in 1940. And although she knew that with the Nazis occupying the city she'd be safer at her aunt Josephine's farm in the Dordogne Valley, Lisette resented her "exile." She'd miss her friends and the excitement of being thirteen and starting a new school. Instead, she'd have nothing to do but amuse her little cousin Cecile. <P><P>That's what Lisette thought, but she soon found out that she wasn't the only visitor at the farmhouse. And then she encountered Gerard, a visitor from a long time ago, who proved to be a valiant ally at a crucial moment.
The Ballad of Sir Dinadan (The Squire's Tales #5)
by Gerald MorrisYoung Dinadan has no wish to joust or quest or save damsels in distress.Can he find honor another way?
Breaking Through
by Francisco JiménezAt the age of fourteen, Francisco Jiménez, together with his older brother Roberto and his mother, are caught by la migra. Forced to leave their home in California, the entire family travels all night for twenty hours by bus, arriving at the U.S. and Mexican border in Nogales, Arizona. In the months and years that follow during the late 1950s-early 1960s, Francisco, his mother and father, and his seven brothers and sister not only struggle to keep their family together, but also face crushing poverty, long hours of labor, and blatant prejudice. How they sustain their hope, their good-heartedness, and tenacity is revealed in this moving, Pura Belpré Honor-winning sequel to The Circuit. Without bitterness or sentimentality, Francisco Jiménez finishes telling the story of his youth.
My Name Is Not Angelica
by Scott O'DellIn this historical novel set in the Virgin Islands of 1733, Raisha escapes from her Dutch "owners" in time to witness the mass suicide of her fellow slaves, who prefer death to recapture.
Thunder Rolling in the Mountains
by Scott O'DellThis powerful account of the tragic defeat of the Nez Perce Indians in 1877 by the United States Army is narrated by Chief Joseph's strong and brave daughter.
The King's Fifth
by Scott O'DellIn this deeply affecting novel Scott O'Dell envelops the reader in the heroic world of the conquistadors-a world that is at once somber and many-colored. Though they may have been ruthless, these steel-helmeted young men of Spain lived their lives on the very edge of eternity with style and uncommon courage.<P><P> Newbery Honor book
Sing Down the Moon: A Newbery Honor Award Winner
by Scott O'DellNewbery Honor BookIn this powerful novel based on historical events, the Navajo tribe's forced march from their homeland to Fort Sumner is dramatically and courageously narrated by young Bright Morning.Like the author's Newbery Medal-winning classic Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell's Sing Down the Moon is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage.
Parsifal's Page (The Squire's Tales #4)
by Gerald MorrisPiers is desperate to become a page to escape the dirty, tedious labor of his father's blacksmith shop. So when a knight arrives announcing that he's on "the quest," Piers begs to go along. Off on a series of adventures he never dreamed possible, Piers and the knight quickly run into difficulties. The knight is slain by Parsifal who is on a quest of his own. Parsifal is unlike anyone Piers has ever met. He doesn't behave "knightly" at all. Slowly, Piers realizes that being a knight has nothing to do with shining armor and winning jousts. And, as their journey continues, they find that to achieve their quest they must learn more than knighthood: they must learn about themselves. The tale of Parsifal has been told more than that of any other knight, but no one has ever told his story quite like Gerald Morris does in his fourth Arthurian novel, another tour de force of humor, action, magic, and, as always, true love.
Princess Ben: Being A Wholly Truthful Account Of Her Various Discoveries And Misadventures, Recounted To The Best Of Her Recollection, In Four Parts
by Catherine Gilbert MurdockCatherine Gilbert Murdock's talents for storytelling and creating strong female characters take a fresh turn in this spirited and sophisticated fairy tale.Benevolence is not your typical princess.With her parents lost to assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia. Starved and miserable, locked in the castle's highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire . . . But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat to her kingdom. Can Ben save the country and herself from foul tyranny?*"[A] deliciously frothy fairy tale."--Horn Book Magazine, starred review*"The wild adventure, intricately imagined setting, memorable characters, and romance will charm readers, especially fans of Gail Carson Levine's Fairest."--Booklist, starred review This ebook includes a sample chapter of WISDOM'S KISS.
Runner
by Carl DeukerWhen a new job falls his way, Chance jumps at the opportunity, becoming a runner who picks up strange packages on a daily route and delivers them to a shady man at the marina. Chase knows how much he will earn-what he doesn't know is how much he will pay.Suspenseful, fast-paced, and timely, this novel avoids easy answers as it examines issues of terrorism and patriotism, fear and courage, and lives of privilege and poverty.This brand new paperback edition includes a Q and A with author Carl Deuker.
Night Hoops
by Carl DeukerNick Abbott and Trent Dawson have nothing in common but basketball. It's sophomore year and Nick is trying to deal with his parents' divorce. He also really wants to be a star on the basketball team. Trent, his neighbor, is angry, and aggressive. The two form an uneasy bond as they quietly practice each night on Nick's backyard basketball court. But as the basketball season progresses, their lives become unexpectedly intertwined. In this story of an unlikely bond, Carl Deuker explores the confusing place between loneliness and friendship, between faithfulness and betrayal. Filled with gripping game play, this is a story about choices.
The Off Season (Dairy Queen Trilogy Ser.)
by Catherine Gilbert MurdockLife is looking up for D. J. Schwenk, star of Dairy Queen. She's made it to eleventh grade, she's reconnecting with her best friend, and she's got a thing going with Brian Nelson. But best of all, she's playing for the Red Bend High School football team-as the first female linebacker in northern Wisconsin.But then the season goes suddenly, horribly wrong: her brother Win is put into the hospital after getting a devastating injury during a game. Once again, D.J. is forced to step up and be there for her family. It's a heavy burden, even for D.J.'s strong shoulders. She'll have to dig deeper than she's ever had to before.
The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf (The Squire's Tales #3)
by Gerald MorrisHer castle under siege by an evil knight who keeps beheading all her would-be rescuers, Lady Lynet realizes the only way to get help is to get it herself. So one night she slips away and strikes out for King Arthur's court where she hopes to find a gallant knight to vanquish the Knight of the Red Lands and free her castle. Gerald Morris's latest Arthurian novel is a highly comic tale of hidden identities, mysterious knights, faeries and enchantments, damsels-in-distress, and true love.
Dairy Queen (Dairy Queen Trilogy Ser.)
by Catherine Gilbert MurdockWhen you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can't help admitting, maybe he's right.When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn't so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won't even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league.When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D. J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.