A secret world of their own Jess Aaron's greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in thefifth grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to seehis classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first dayof school, a new kid, a new girl, boldly crosses over to the boy'sside of the playground and outruns everyone. That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jessand Leslie Burke become inseparable. It doesn't matter to Jess thatleslie dresses funny, or that her family has a lot of money -- butno TV. Leslie has imagination. Together, she and Jess createTerabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of themreign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the onlylimits. Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jessis able to come to grips with this tragedy does he finallyunderstand the strength and courage Leslie has given him.
Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an absent-minded father,an eighteen foot, half-finished canoe in the living room—welcome tothe North home! Nothing’s surprising at the North residence. Noteven eleven-year-old Sterling’s new pet raccoon. Rascal is only ababy when young Sterling brings him home to join his unusualfamily. The mischievous raccoon and Sterling are partners and bestfriends for a perfect year of adventure—swimming, fishing,exploring the countryside together—until the spring day wheneverything suddenly changes and Sterling realizes he must letRascal go. This heartwarming and delightful memoir of a boy’sfriendship with a wild animal, and his growing awareness of theworld around him, has become a treasured classic. Rascal has takenhis place among literature’s most captivating and endearinganimals.
Carol Kendall's witty, epic tales about the race of peoplecalled the Minnipins are now available as Odyssey/Harcourt YoungClassics. Now a new generation of readers can thrill to theadventures of the tiny folk who become mighty heroes. The originalinterior illustrations by Erik Blegvad and Imero Gobbato have beenretained, but vibrant new cover art by beloved illustrators Tim andGreg Hildebrandt gives the books a new look for a new audience.
Newbery Honor book AFTERNOON OF THE ELVES is now back in paperback with bonus After Words content Sara-Kate is known as the meanest girl in school. Her clothes don't match and her hair's a mess, and she's always stomping around in ugly, giant work boots. But Hillary isn't so sure she believes the rumors about her neighbor. If Sara-Kate is as awful as everyone says, how could she take such good care of the elf village in her backyard? Hillary and Sara-Kate spend entire afternoons fixing the tiny stick houses and miniature Ferris wheel for the elves. But the more time Hillary spends with Sara-Kate, the more mysteries there seem to be. How come they never go inside Sara-Kate's house? And why hasn't Hillary ever seen Sara-Kate's mom? Janet Taylor Lisle's captivating Newbery Honor book explores the magic and mystery of friendship between even the most unlikely of friends.
Minutes before the train pulled into the station inJenkinsville, Arkansas, Patty Bergen knew something exciting wasgoing to happen. But she never could have imagined that her summerwould be so memorable. German prisoners of war have arrived to maketheir new home in the prison camp in Jenkinsville. To the rest ofher town, these prisoners are only Nazis. But to Patty, a youngJewish girl with a turbulent home life, one boy in particularbecomes an unlikely friend. Anton relates to Patty in ways that hermother and father never can. But when their forbidden relationshipis discovered, will Patty risk her family and town for theunderstanding and love of one boy?
The heartbreaking, bitter view of the Civil War as experiencedby Chris Brabson, whose brother is fighting for the "wrong"side.
Fishing. This is it, the big time. Mikey's 13, a deckhandworking on a charter boat in Hawaii. Working for the best skipperanywhere, his stepdad, Bill. Before Bill came along, it was justMikey and his mom. Now they're a real family, and Mikey has alittle brother. He can't believe how lucky he is. And now he'slearning from the best, even though he's only 13. Because Billbelieves in him. And Mikey won't let him down. He loves fishing andbeing out on the boat. But some seas, some fish, and some charterclients are a lot tougher to handle than Mikey ever imagined. TakeErnie and Cal-they chartered Bill's boat for three days and they?reout for the adventure of their lives. Now it's up to Mikey and Billto deliver it. --From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.
Sara’s life has always flowed smoothly, like the gliding swanson the lake, until her little brother Charlie disappears. Then Sarais forced to see her life in a whole new way.
Set in the fourteenth century, the classic story of one boy'spersonal heroism when he loses the use of his legs. Set in thefourteenth century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroismwhen he loses the use of his legs.
Jake Semple is a scary kid. Word has it that he burned downhis old school and then was kicked out of every other school in hishome state. Only weeks into September, the middle school inTraybridge, North Carolina, has thrown him out, too. Now there’sonly one place left that will take him—a home school run by themost outrageous, forgetful, chaotic, quarrelsome family you’ll evermeet. Each and every Applewhite is an artist through andthrough—except E.D., the smart, scruffy girl with a deep longingfor order and predictability. E.D. and Jake, so nearly the sameage, are quickly paired in the family’s first experiment in“cooperative education.” The two clash immediately, of course. Theonly thing they have in common is the determination to survive thefamily’s eccentricities. In Stephanie S. Tolan’s hilarious tale, alocal production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC—directed, stagecrafted,choreographed, and costumed by Applewhites—brings the familytogether and shows E.D. and Jake the value of the spec
In the rugged landscape of early frontier Texas, fourteen-year-old Travis is faced with taking over his family's farm and making a painful, important decision.
Never out of print since its 1944 publication, this tender story offers readers of all ages a timeless message of compassion and understanding. At its heart is Wanda Petronski, an immigrant girl in an American school, who is ridiculed for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. When she tells her classmates that she has one hundred dresses at home, she unwittingly triggers a game of teasing that eventually ends in a lesson for all. In restoring the reproduction of Louis Slobodkin's artwork, this new edition recaptures the original vivid color. And to celebrate the book's enhanced beauty, Helena Estes, the daughter of the author, has written a new letter to readers about the true story behind The Hundred Dresses.
Every summer the men of the Chavez family go on a long anddifficult sheep drive to the mountains. All the men, that is,except for Miguel. All year long, twelve-year-old Miguel tries toprove that he, too, is up to the challenge'that he, too, is up tothe challenge'that he, too is ready to take the sheep into hisbeloved Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Greta had always loved the fog—the soft gray mist that rolledin from the sea and drifted over the village. The fog seemed tohave a secret to tell her. Then one day when Greta was walking inthe woods and the mist was closing in, she saw the dark outline ofa stone house against the spruce trees—a house where only an oldcellar hole should have been. Then she saw a surrey come by,carrying a lady dressed in plum- colored silk. The woman beckonedfor Greta to join her, and soon Greta found herself launched on anadventure that would take her back to a past that existed onlythrough the magic of the fog.
Jancsi is overjoyed to hear that his cousin from Budapest is coming to spend the summer on his father's ranch on the Hungarian plains. But their summer proves more adventurous than he had hoped when headstrong Kate arrives, as together they share horseback races across the plains, country fairs and festivals, and a dangerous run-in with the gypsies. In vividly detailed scenes and beautiful illustrations, this Newbery Award-winning author presents an unforgettable world and characters who will be remembered forever. Two cousins spend an adventurous summer on a ranch on the Hungarian plains.
A reissue of Pam Munoz Ryan's bestselling backlist with a distinctive new author treatment. Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Tigre, a twelve-year-old Mayan boy living in a modern-dayvillage in Yucat?an, must learn to be a man when his father isinjured.
In the valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minlilives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, herfather regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and theOld Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life'squestions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on anextraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask himhow she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assortedcast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including adragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimateanswer. Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of theDog and Year of the Rat , returns with a wondrous storyof adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinesefolklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timelessstory reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz . Her beautifulillustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the textthroughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging bookfor young readers.
Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as hecan remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten––the day he'll takehis place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the dayhe'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It'sone of the first things he learned about himself and it's one ofthe biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringeris an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son. Palmercan't stop himself from being a wringer just like he can't stophimself from growing one year older, just like he can't stand up toa whole town––right? Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli's mostpowerful novel yet is a gripping tale of how one boy learns how notto be afraid.
What was it like to be a slave? Listen to the words and learnabout the lives of countless slaves and ex-slaves, telling abouttheir forced journey from Africa to the United States, their workin the fields and houses of their owners, and their passion forfreedom. You will never look at life the same way again.
