When she is caught in the backseat of a car with her olderbrother's best friend--Deanna Lambert's teenage life is changedforever. Struggling to overcome the lasting repercussions and thestifling role of "school slut," she longs to escape a life definedby her past. With subtle grace, complicated wisdom and strikingemotion, Story of a Girl reminds us of our human capacityfor resilience, epiphany and redemption.
The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. Suddenly they’re keenly aware of things beyond their block in Queens, things that are happening in the world—like the shooting of Tupac Shakur—and in search of their Big Purpose in life. When—all too soon—D’s mom swoops in to reclaim her, and Tupac dies, they are left with a sense of how quickly things can change and how even all-too-brief connections can touch deeply.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, I wish somebody would stop stealing the goodstuff out of my lunchbag. I guess I wish a lot of other things,too. I wish someday Dad and Bandit would pull up in front in therig ... Dad would yell out of the cab, "Come on, Leigh. Hop in andI'll give you a lift to school."Leigh Botts has been author BoydHenshaw's number one fan ever since he was in second grade. Now insixth grade, Leigh lives with his mother and is the new kid atschool. He's lonely, troubled by the absence of his father, across-country trucker, and angry because a mysterious thief stealsfrom his lunchbag. Then Leigh's teacher assigns a letter-writingproject. Naturally Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, whosesurprising answer changes Leigh's life.
Jeff Greene was only seven when Melody, his mother, left him with his reserved, undemonstrative father, the Professor. So when she reenters his life years later with an invitation to spend the summer with her in Charleston, Jeff is captivated by her free spirit and warmth, and he eagerly looks forward to returning for another visit the following year. But Jeff's second summer in Charleston ends with a devastating betrayal, and he returns to his father wounded almost beyond bearing. But out of Jeff's pain grows a deepening awareness of the unexpected and complicated ways of love and loss and of family and friendship -- and the strength to understand his father, his mother, and especially himself. Jeff's mother, who deserted the family years before, reenters his life and widens the gap between Jeff and his father, a gap that only truth, love, and friendship can heal.
Bradley Chalkers IS the oldest kid in the fifth grade. Hetells enormous lies. He picks fights with girls. No one likeshim—except Carla, the new school counselor. She thinks Bradley issensitive and generous, and knows that Bradley could change, ifonly he weren’t afraid to try. But when you feel like themost-hated kid in the whole school, believing in yourself can bethe hardest thing in the world. . . . Winner of 19 Children’s Choice Awards
Nobody knows what to make of the new boy in Frannie's class.Not only does he look different, but he's kind to everyone, herefuses to fight, and he doesn't even seem to mind when the otherkids nickname him Jesus Boy. But as winter progresses, Frannierealizes that she's starting to see a whole lot of things in a newlight: her brother's deafness, her mother's fear, her friendSamantha's faith, their classmate Trevor's anger, and her owndesire for hope - "the thing with feathers." And it's all becauseof Jesus Boy's differences . . . and his friendship.
Text and photographs show how a family taps the sap from mapletrees and processes it into maple syrup.
The appeal of Beverly Cleary’s stories about the wonderful,blunderful Ramona Quimby has never faded. Each new generation feelsconnected to Ramona’s unique way of looking at the world as shetries to adjust to new teachers, new emotions-and a new sibling!Whether she’s struggling to learn cursive or dealing with YardApe’s teasing, the scrapes she gets herself into are funny andheart-warming, and timeless. And in the end, Ramona’s lively spiritalways shines through. Now, repackaged with lively new art byJacqueline Rogers, all eight of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona titles areavailable in time for D.E.A.R. Month and Beverly Cleary’s 97thbirthday in April! Set includes: Beezus and Ramona Ramona the PestRamona the Brave Ramona and Her Father Ramona and Her Mother RamonaQuimby, Age 8 Ramona Forever Ramona?
"It does a man no good to be free until he learns how tolive." These were the words of Amos Fortune, born the son of a king ofthe At-mun-shi tribe in Africa. When Amos was only fifteen yearsold, he was captured by slave traders and brought to Massachusetts,where he was sold at auction. Although his freedom had been taken,Amos never lost his dignity and courage. He dreamed of being freeand of buying the freedom of his closest friends. By the time hewas sixty years old, Amos Fortune began to see those dreams cometrue. Amos Fortune, Free Man is a Newbery Award winner that isbased on a true story.
At the age of fourteen, Francisco Jimenez, together with hisolder brother Roberto and his mother, are caught by la migra.Forced to leave their home, the entire family travels all night fortwenty hours by bus, arriving at the U.S. and Mexican border inNogales, Arizona. In the months and years that follow, Francisco,his mother and father, and his seven brothers and sister not onlystruggle to keep their family together, but also face crushingpoverty, long hours of labor, and blatant prejudice. How theysustain their hope, their goodheartedness, and tenacity is revealedin this moving sequel to The Circuit. Without bitterness orsentimentality, Francisco Jimenez finishes telling the story of hisyouth.
