Jessie and Evan Treski have waged a lemonade war, sought justice in a class trial, and even unmasked a bell thief. Now they are at opposite ends over the right to keep secrets. Evan believes some things (such as his poetry) are private. Jessie believes scandal makes good news. When anonymously sent candy hearts appear in Class 4-0, self-appointed ace reporter Jessie determines to get the scoop on class crushes. Views: 44
Aleca Zamm, an ordinary ten-year-old with an extraordinary talent, finds a new friend and has to rescue her Aunt Zephyr from a teleportation crisis in this hilarious third novel in the Aleca Zamm chapter book series.Aleca Zamm knows she's not the only Wonder at school with a magical ability. Third grader Ford Kimble is a Wonder as well. Ford is able to see people as they used to be in the past and as they will be in the future. He can time travel! Well, sort of! Aleca starts hanging out with Ford to discuss their magical abilities, which makes Aleca's best friend, Maria, jealous. Aleca even forgot the first meeting of the Secret Pals Club, Maria and Aleca's new idea for a club that performs secret good deeds for bullied kids! Worse, Maria is onto Aleca's secret of being a Wonder. She definitely suspects something, but Aleca has sworn to Aunt Zephyr that she won't tell anyone about her magical ability. Plus, Aunt Zephyr's ability to teleport is starting to... Views: 44
Science isn't exactly Maeve's favorite subject, but she's still excited to be going to the Sally Ride Science Festival at MIT with her hunky tutor, Matt. Sure, the BSG and her annoyingly brilliant younger brother are going as well, but it's still almost kind of a date, isn't it?The festival gives the BSG a super idea -- an environmental science fair at Abigail Adams Junior High. But plans for a bubble gum factory nearby put Avery and Katani on opposite sides of an environmental issue -- and Avery finds herself in a bubble gum war with the Queens of Mean! Views: 44
Noah Nordstrom has been dissing the religious beliefs of his father, who hosts a popular Christian radio show and whom Noah accuses of spreading hate. When two local gay teens are murdered, Noah's anti-evangelism intensifies--he's convinced that the killer is a caller on his dad's program.Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy. But when he learns that Will is gay, Noah gets a little weirded out. Especially since Will seems really into him. Noah gives Will the brush-off. Meanwhile, the killer is still at large . . . and soon Noah finds the next victim. It's Will.Racked with guilt, Noah decides to investigate. He knows the serial killer is targeting gay teens, but only those who live in foster homes, whose deaths are not that important to society; they are the less-dead. Noah, however, is determined to prove that someone cares. With the help of Will's journal, which he pocketed at the scene of the crime and in which the killer has written clues, Noah closes in on... Views: 44
Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Holm's The Fourteenth Goldfish and Holly Goldberg Sloan's Counting by 7s, this heartfelt, deeply moving middle-grade debut features an offbeat girl who learns that she can remain true to herself while also letting others in.Eleven-year-old Frances is an observer of both nature and people, just like her idol, the anthropologist Margaret Mead. She spends most of her time up on the rocks behind her house in her "rock world," as Alvin, her kindhearted and well-read school bus driver, calls it. It's the one place where Frances can truly be herself, and where she doesn't have to think about her older sister, Christinia, who is growing up and changing in ways that Frances can't understand. But when the unimaginable happens, Frances slowly discovers that perhaps the world outside her rugged, hidden paradise isn't so bad after all, and that maybe—just maybe—she can find connection and camaraderie with the people who... Views: 43
Nicky Flynn's life just got a whole lot harder. His parents are going through a messy divorce, and as a result he's starting a new life, in a new city, in a new school. Now his mom has brought home Reggie, a German shepherd from the animal shelter. At first Nicky isn't sure about Reggie, but soon he discovers that Reggie—who used to be a seeing-eye dog—is a true friend he can rely on. But when Nick tries to reconnect with his dad, he puts everything on the line, including the life of his new best friend.Art Corriveau is a brilliant voice in middle-grade fiction, and How I Got a Life and a Dog is a heartfelt and honest look at the effects of divorce and the wonders of friendship. Views: 43
Are we born with our fears or do we learn them? Why do our fears persist? What purpose does anxiety serve? How common are anxiety disorders, and which treatments are most effective? What's happening in our brain when we feel fear? This Very Short Introductiondraws on the best scientific research to offer a highly accessible explanation of what anxiety is, why it is such a normal and vital part of our emotional life, and the key factors that cause it. Insights are drawn from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology and clinical trials. Providing a fascinating illustration of the discussion are two interviews conducted specifically for the book, with the actor, writer and director Michael Palin and former England football manager Graham Taylor. Views: 43
Watch out, Junie, there's a new kid on the block! It's Freddy Thresher, a first grader who knows it's a jungle out there. A new chapter book series written by an elementary teacher who's seen it all!Freddy Thresher has a problem: a really, really, big problem. He never has anything cool to bring for show-and-tell. This week, his best friend, Robbie, has brought the most amazing artifact to share: a real alligator head. How will Freddy come up with anything as cool as that? Good news! Later that day, he finds something very unusual and exciting. If only he can get it to school without his mom, "The Neat Freak," finding out, Freddy will be the King of Show-and-Tell! Views: 43
Aleca Zamm, an ordinary ten-year-old with an extraordinary talent, is on a mission to find the other Wonder at her school and find out what their special power is in this hilarious follow-up to Aleca Zamm Is a Wonder.Every roller-skating party has its pooper... And for Aleca Zamm, that pooper is Madison, her former best friend and current worst enemy. But Aleca's mom insisted that Aleca invite her entire class to her tenth birthday party at the skating rink—including queen-of-mean Madison! What's even worse? Aleca suspects that Madison knows about Aleca's magical ability to freeze time. And that could mean over-the-top trouble for Aleca and Aunt Zephyr, her kooky teleporting aunt. There's no telling what dangers await if news about their mysterious abilities gets out. Between Aunt Zephyr's risky roller-skating tricks and Madison's threat of spilling Aleca's secret, Aleca is sure that her tenth birthday party will be a total disaster! Views: 42
From a Pulitzer Prize finalist comes a hilarious and heartbreaking novel about a musician climbing back from rock bottom. As winter deepens in snowbound Pollard, Illinois, thirty-something Francis Falbo is holed up in his attic apartment, recovering from a series of traumas: his mother's death, his beloved wife's desertion, and his once-ascendant rock band's irreconcilable break-up. Francis hasn't shaved in months, hasn't so much as changed out of his bathrobe-"the uniform of a Life in Default"-for nine days. Other than the agoraphobia that continues to hold him hostage, all he has left is his childhood home, whose remaining rooms he rents to a cast of eccentric tenants, including a pair of former circus performers whose daughter has gone missing. The tight-knit community has already survived a blizzard, but there is more danger in store for the citizens of Pollard before summer arrives. Francis is himself caught up in these troubles as he becomes increasingly entangled in the affairs of others, with results that are by turns disastrous, hysterical, and ultimately healing. Fusing consummate wit with the seriousness attending an adulthood gone awry, Rapp has written an uproarious and affecting novel about what we do and where we go when our lives have crumbled around us. Sharp-edged but tenderhearted, Know Your Beholder introduces us to one of the most lovably flawed characters in recent fiction, a man at last able to collect the jagged pieces of his dreams and begin anew, in both life and love. Seldom have our foibles and our efforts to persevere in spite of them been laid bare with such heart and hope.** Views: 42
Annie Barrows' bestselling chapter book series, Ivy & Bean, is a classroom favorite and has been keeping kids laughing–—and reading—for more than a decade! With more than 5 million copies in print, Ivy & Bean return with a brand-new book for a new generation!Ivy & Bean are back . . . and they are funnier than ever!Ivy's worried. She's read a lot of books about only children, so she knows that they are sometimes spoiled rotten. They don't share their toys. They never do any work. They scream and cry when they don't get their way. Spoiler alert! Ivy doesn't have any brothers or sisters. That's why she's worried. How can she keep from getting spoiled? She could give away all her clothes, but she'd probably get in trouble. She could give away all her toys, but she likes her toys. There's really only one solution: she needs a baby sister, on the double! Luckily, Ivy and Bean know just where to get one. Views: 42
A date with her past! When nurse Emily Stewart puts herself up for a hospital charity auction, she never expects the winning bidder to be Lucas Cain—her new boss...and ex-husband! Since their marriage crumbled, Emily hasn't wanted to experience such tempestuous passion again. And she's still hiding a heartbreaking secret from Lucas... Yet he's changed during their years apart, and soon a red-hot fling is impossible to resist! Dare she finally open up to Lucas and give their love a second chance? Views: 42
From a Pulitzer Prize finalist comes a hilarious and heartbreaking novel about a musician climbing back from rock bottom. As winter deepens in Pollard, Illinois, 30-something Francis Falbo is holed up in an attic apartment, recovering from a series of traumas: his mother's death, his beloved wife's desertion, and his once-ascendant rock band's irreconcilable break-up. He hasn't changed out of his bathrobe-"the uniform of a Life in Default"-for nine days. All he has left is his childhoom home, whose remaining rooms he rents to a cast of eccentric tenants, becoming increasingly entangled in their lives, with results that are by turns disastrous, hysterical, and ultimately healing. KNOW YOUR BEHOLDER is an uproarious and affecting novel about what we do when our lives have crumbled around us and we must collect the jagged pieces and begin anew. Seldom have our foibles and our efforts to perservere in spite of them been laid bare with such heart and hope. Views: 41
