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EPS |
The Familiars (age 8-11) by Adam Jay Epstein animals ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic Publisher comments: When Aldwyn, a young alley cat on the run, ducks into a mysterious pet shop, he doesn't expect his life to change. But that's exactly what happens when Jack, a young wizard, picks Aldwyn to be his magical familiar. Finally off the tough streets, Aldwyn thinks he's got it made. He just has to convince the other familiars—the know-it-all blue jay Skylar and the friendly tree frog Gilbert—that he's the telekinetic cat he claims to be. But when Jack and two other wizards in training are captured by a terrible evil, it will take all of Aldwyn's street smarts, a few good friends, and a nose for adventure to save the day! title: The Familiars |
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CAL |
Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
(age 8-11) by Laurie Calkhoven adventure ... war ... historical Publisher comments: Twelve-year-old Will wants to be a drummer in the Union army, but he's stuck far from the fighting in his sleepy hometown of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Then the Union and Confederate armies converge on Gettysburg, and suddenly Will and his family are caught up in the battle. |
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GRE |
Max and Me and the Wild West
(age 8-11) by Gery Greer humor ... fantasy ... adventure Catalog: Steve and his friend Max use their time machine to return to the richest, roughest boom town in the old Wild West where they pursue Gentleman John Hooten, the Rhyming Robber of the Rockies. |
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GRE |
Secrets of Dripping Fang Series (age 8-11) by Dan Greenburg humor ... adventure ... spooky Publisher comments: Nobody wants to adopt the Shluffmuffin twins. Wally's feet stink something awful, and Cheyenne is allergic to everything. Then why are the Mandible sisters so eager to take them home? And what sort of old maids would choose to live in a place called Dripping Fang Forest, where zombies wander the woods singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and ten-foot-long glowing slugs want to suck the feet right off your ankles? Would it seem ungrateful of Wally to point out the Mandible sisters' extra arms? Or to question their all-chocolate, all-the-time menu? Or, um, to venture into the cellar, where the twins have been told to NEVER, EVER, EVER go? Yeah, perhaps that last bit was a mistake. Now there's nothing left for the Shluffmuffins to do but run--run for their lives! title: Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days title: The Vampire's Curse title: The Shluffmuffin Boy Is History title: Attack of the Giant Octopus |
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KOR |
Everest Series (age 8-11) by Gordon Korman realistic ... survival ... adventure ... action Publisher comments: Four kids. One mountain. They come from all across America to be the youngest kid ever to climb Everest. But only one will reach the top first. The competition is fierce. The preparation is intense. The challenge is breathtaking. When the final four reach the higher peaks, disaster strikes—and all that separates the living from the dead is chance, bravery, and action. title: The Contest title: The Climb title: The Summit |
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OCO |
The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis
(age 8-11) by Barbara Oconnor realistic ... adventure ... humor Publisher comments: Nothing ever happens in Fayette, South Carolina. That's what Popeye thinks, anyway. His whole life, everything has just been boring, boring, boring. But things start to look up when the Jewell's Holiday Rambler makes a wrong turn and gets stuck in the mud, trapping Elvis and his five rowdy siblings in Fayette for who knows how long. Popeye has never met anyone like Elvis Jewell. Hes so good at swearing he makes Uncle Dooley look like a harp-strumming angel, and he says "So what?" like he really means it. Then something curious comes floating down the creek, a series of boats with secret messages, and it sends Popeye and Elvis into the big world on the hunt for a small adventure. |
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BIR |
Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
(age 8-11) by Betty Birney family ... identity ... adventure When Eben McAllister reads about the Seven Wonders of the World, he longs to escape the small farming community of Sassafras Springs and do some exploring o his own. No one else ever seems to want to leave Sassafras even his best pal, Jeb...and so, for now, Eben figures he's stuck on the farm with Pa and Aunt Pretty until he grows up. All that changes when his pa, tired of Eben's moping, challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras Springs that can stang up to the real Seven Wonders of the World. And if he does? Then Eben will get the adventure he's been craving for ... a trip out West. Eben doesn't reckon he'll have any luck ... he can't think of even one thing that would be called interesting, let alone wonderous, in Sassafras, but he figures he'll give it a try; there's nothing else to do in Sassafras anyway. But what he finds will take him on the adventure of his life. |
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WIL |
The Danny Dunn Series (age 8-11) by Jay Williams humor ... adventure ... math/science/technology Danny Dunn: inventor, technological wizard, headstrong kid... Join Danny and his friends on adventure after adventure. title: Danny Dunn and the Weather Machine title: Danny Dunn on the Ocean Floor |
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SLO |
My Trip to Alpha I
(age 8-11) by Alfred Slote adventure ... science fiction Catalog: Voya-code is the most sophisticated form of interplanetary travel but a young boy finds out it is not without dangers. |
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SLO |
The Space Ship Returns to the Apple Tree
(age 8-11) by Louis Slobodkin adventure ... science fiction Catalog: Eddie and his three-foot friend from the planet Martinea are back together for another summer of adventure. |
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SLO |
My Robot Buddy
(age 8-11) by Alfred Slote adventure ... friendship ... science fiction Jack asked for a robot for his birthday, and his robot buddy, Danny One, brings more surprises than Jack could have wished for. |
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COL |
Gregor the Overlander Series (age 8-11) by Suzanne Collins action ... adventure ... fantasy Publisher comments: When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it...until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever. title: Gregor the Overlander title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods title: Gregor and the Marks of Secret title: Gregor and the Code of Claw title: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane |
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ASC |
Pearl's Promise
(age 8-11) by Frank Asch friendship ... adventure ... mystery With her brother in the clutches of a python in a pet shop, Pearl, a mouse, goes through hair-raising adventures to rescue him. |
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AVI |
The End of the Beginning, Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant)
(age 8-11) by Avi adventure ... voyages/journeys ... authorship Avon the snail has never had an adventure. And adventure, he has heard, is the key to a happy life. So with his new friend Edward the ant, Avon sets out on a journey to find the excitement his life has been missing. |
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FER |
Born to Fly
(age 8-11) by Michael Ferrari adventure ... identity ... historical Publisher comments: Born to Fly tells the story of eleven-year-old tomboy Bird McGill. Ever since she can remember, Bird has loved flying in small propeller airplanes with her mechanic dad. When the local airstrip is turned into a military flight school, Bird is in heaven. But when a young Japanese American student named Kenji Fujita joins Birds class, the entire school seems to be convinced that hes a spy, or at the very least, that he and his uncle want the Japanese to win. Bird is wary of Kenji, not just because hes Japanese, but because he steals her flight-related topic for a school report and leaves her to write about the deadly boring local marsh weed. But on Birds first trip to the marsh, she and Kenji accidentally discover real spy activity in the area. Bird realizes that Kenji is actually a stand-up guy and she and Kenji begin an adventure that will shake the town and may even change the future of the United States. |
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AVI |
Hard Gold: the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859: a Tale of the Old West
(age 8-11) by Avi action ... adventure ... historical Publisher comments: Early Whitcomb's family needs a miracle. Their Iowa farm has been in the family for generations, but a long drought has withered their savings and left them in debt. Meanwhile, the great Chicago and Northwestern Railroad wants their land, and if the Whitcombs can't pay their loans, the local banker, Judge Fuslin, will foreclose and sell the farm as his own. Early's uncle (though he's more like a brother), Jesse, thinks he has the solution: to head West and dig for gold. Early is wild to go with him, as much for the adventure as for the gold. But the journey costs money--more than the boys can afford--and when Jesse flees during the night, after being accused of a robbery, Early doesn't know what to believe. When Jesse sends an electrifying message--that he has found gold, but his life is in danger-- Early knows he must do whatever it takes to find him, even if it means running away and joining a wagon train with a strange family. The journey is dangerous and full of hardships, and the closer the travelers get to their destination, the more ruined lives they encounter--lives consumed by the hunt for gold. Then to his horror, Early learns that Jesse has been accused of another, much bigger crime and has fled to a secret place in the mountains. Somehow, Early must get to him without leading Jesse's pursuers right to his door. And even if he succeeds, Early will still have to make the hardest choice of his life. |
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BLU |
Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters
(age 8-11) by Lesley M. M. Blume adventure ... authorship ... friendship Publisher comments: Eleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists, a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. She surrounds herself with dictionaries and other books to isolate herself from the outside world. But when a glamorous neighbor named Virginia Somerset moves next door with her servant Patel and a mischievous French bulldog named Mister Kinyatta, Cornelia discovers that the world is a much more exciting place than she had originally thought. |
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GUT |
Nightmare at the Bookfair
(age 8-11) by Dan Gutman humor ... adventure ... action Publisher comments: Trip Dinkleman hates to read. Hates, hates, hates it. All he wants to do is play lacrosse. So when the president of the PTA asks Trip to help her out on his way to tryouts, he is not happy. He is even more not happy when a stack of books tumbles onto his head and knocks him out cold. And he is even more not happy when he wakes up and has absolutely no idea where he is. Now all he wants to do is get home. But after encountering a haunted house, aliens, talking animals, and much, much more, he realizes getting home might be just a little bit harder to do than he thought. |
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PRI |
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls
(age 8-11) by Elise Primavera adventure ... magic ... fantasy Franny longs for adventure but can't even do a cartwheel. Pru can do a cartwheel but prefers hiding under her quilt, making up safety tips. Cat has no use for safety tips but supposedly has ESP. And Ivy has had a seven-year string of bad luck, a Jinx that's about to get a whole lot worse. They have nothing in common except for the name of their street. And the fact that they dislike one another. A lot. The four are thrown together when a pair of mysterious ruby-red slippers turns up . . . along with the fashionably mad Cha Cha Staccato, who bears a frightening resemblance to a certain wicked witch. . . . |
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ROD |
The Rondo Series (age 8-11) by Emily Rodda action ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic There are three rules to the old painted, music box: Wind the box three times only. Never shut the box when the music is playing. Never move the box before the music stops. Leo wouldn't dream of breaking these rules, but does his stubborn cousin Mimi listen? She winds the box four times, and suddenly the paintings on its side come to life and a powerful witch is released. Now its up to Leo and Mimi to stop the witch, if only they can find the key to the music box, and the magical world it controls. title: The Key to Rondo |
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GRE |
Cat's Magic
(age 8-11) by Margaret Greaves historical ... adventure Through a cat's magic, Louise meets and rescues some unfortunate forebears from Victorian times. |
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BUL |
A Lion to Guard Us
(age 8-11) by Clyde Robert Bulla adventure ... family ... historical Left on their own in seventeenth-century London, three impoverished children draw upon all their resources to stay together and make their way to the Virginia colony in search of their father. |
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HOO |
The Sign Painter's Secret: The Story of a Revolutionary Girl
(age 8-11) by Dorothy Hoobler adventure ... historical When the Redcoats occupy her house in Philadelphia, young Annie MacDougal finds a way to help General Washington's troops at Valley Forge. |
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UMA |
Solomon Snow and the Silver Spoon
(age 8-11) by Kaye Umansky identity ... adventure ... humor Prepare, dear reader, for the tale of Solomon Snow, his bossy friend Prudence, and the insufferable Infant Prodigy as they set out in search of Solly's rightful inheritance, despite some woeful misadventures along the way. |
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STE |
Far-Flung Adventures (age 8-11) by Paul Stewart math/science/technology ... adventure ... fantasy ... humor Fergus Crane has an almost ordinary life, having lessons taught by rather odd teachers on the school ship Betty Jeanne and helping his mother in the bakery. But then a mysterious flying box appears at the window of his waterfront home and Fergus is plunged headlong into an exciting adventure! The box is followed by a winged mechanical horse that whisks him off to meet his long-lost uncle and his penguin helpers, Finn, Bill, and Jackson. Fergus finds out that his teachers are not quite what they seem: they're actually pirates! Can Fergus and his winged horse save his schoolmates on the far-off Fire Island? And who else will he find there? title: Corby Flood |
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REI |
The Golden Hamster Saga (age 8-11) by Dietlof Reiche humor ... adventure ... brilliant protagonist Freddy is not happy with his boring treadmill life at the pet store. He continaully embarrasses himself in an attempt to get adopted. Freddy believes he will have a more civilized and exciting life as soon as he has a home. After a series of funny misadventures (including encounters with a fierce tomcat and two guinea pigs who speak in Shakespearean couplets) he teaches himself to read and write. He then pens his witty and heartwarming autobiography that tells of his journey to self discovery. A hamster has never been smarter or funnier in telling the tale of his exceptional life. title: I, Freddy title: Freddy in Peril title: Freddy to the Rescue title: The Haunting of Freddy: Book Four in the Golden Hamster Saga |
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PRI |
The Lily Quench Series (age 8-11) by Natalie Jane Prior knights/castles/dragons ... adventure ... fantasy As a family of dragon slayers, the Quenches of Ashby have always been burning successes... until the evil Black Count invades, and the family's fortunes go into a downward spiral. Then a dragon unexpectedly arrives and Lily, the last of the Quenches, is called upon to fight it. Soon she finds herself on a desperate, magical quest to save Ashby from destruction and restore the lost heir to his throne.... title: Lily Quench and the Dragon of Ashby title: Lily Quench and the Black Mountains title: Lily Quench and the Treasure of Mote Ely title: Lily Quench and the Lighthouse of Skellig Mor title: Lily Quench and the Magicians Pyramid title: Lily Quench and the Hand of Manuelo title: Lily Quench and the Search for King Dragon |
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JON |
Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls
(age 8-11) by Lynne Jonell adventure ... fantasy ... friendship ... humor Publisher comments: Emmy Addison is an ordinary girl...almost. If you don't count the fact that her parents are rich (very), her best friend is a boy (and a soccer star), and she can talk to rodents (and they talk back), she's very ordinary indeed. But she hasn't been that way for long. It was only a few weeks ago that Emmy and her friends Ratty and Joe got rid of the evil Miss Barmy, the nanny who had nearly ruined Emmy's life, and the lives of five other girls who went missing. Miss Barmy is now a rat. How much harm can she do? |
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JON |
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
(age 8-11) by Lynne Jonell adventure ... fantasy ... friendship ... humor Publisher comments: Emmy was a good girl. At least she tried very hard to be good. She did her homework without being told. She ate all her vegetables, even the slimy ones. And she never talked back to her nanny, Miss Barmy, although it was almost impossible to keep quiet, some days. She really was a little too good. Which is why she liked to sit by the Rat. The Rat was not good at all . . . Hilarious, inventive, and irresistably rodent-friendly, this is a fantastic first novel from acclaimed picture book author Lynne Jonell. |
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HAM |
Cal and the Amazing Anti-Gravity Machine
(age 8-11) by Richard Hamilton fantasy ... adventure ... science fiction ... humor In this wacky, adventurous chapter book, Cal and his grouchy talking dog, Frankie, discover the joys (and pitfalls) of anti-gravity when they join forces with Cal’s inventive neighbor, Mr. Frout. This hair-raising adventure is a laugh-out-loud romp that lifts one boy’s curiosity about science to a new level! |
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CRI |
The Akiko Series (age 8-11) by Mark Crilley science fiction ... action ... adventure Akiko's always prepared for something out of this world, as she takes on one exciting intergalactic adventure after another. title: Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000 title: Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd title: Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo title: Akiko and the Journey to Toog title: Akiko on the Planet Smoo title: Akiko: The Training Master title: Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor |
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CAR |
Little Fur Series (age 8-11) by Isobelle Carmody adventure ... fantasy ... nature When half-elf, half-troll Little Fur learns that servants of the troll king aim to destroy her beloved trees, she embarks on an ambitious and dangerous journey into the human world in hopes of saving not only the wilderness she calls home, but the very earth spirit itself. title: Little Fur: the Legend Begins |
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BOS |
Series: The Name of This Book Is Secret (age 8-11) by Pseudonymous Bosch mystery ... adventure ... action ... humor Publisher comments: Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret. title: The Name of This Book Is Secret title: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late title: This Book Is Not Good For You title: This Isn't What It Looks Like |
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BON |
The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy (age 8-11) by William Boniface science fiction ... adventure ... action ... humor YIKES! Professor Brain-Drain is on the loose! This supervillain menaces the fine supercitizens of Superopolis, concocting evil-genius schemes and draining everyone's brainpower! (And in this town, there's not a whole lot of that to begin with.) NEVER FEAR! The AMAZING INDESTRUCTO will save the day! He is indestructible! He cannot be harmed by anything! He is the town's greatest superhero! Collect all sixty-four of his trading cards! BUT WAIT! A mystery is afoot in Superopolis. Why is it so hard to get a complete set of the collectible cards? Where is the last card hiding? Who is the real mastermind behind this sinister plot, and what is he planning? Forget the regular superheroes. In a city where everyone is extraordinary, this might just be a job for . . . ORDINARY BOY. title: The Hero Revealed title: The Return of Meteor Boy? |
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BAR |
The Magic Half
(age 8-11) by Annie Barrows adventure ... magic ... family Magic is just a way of setting things right... Miri is the non-twin child in a family with two sets of them ... older brothers and younger sisters. The family has just moved to an old farmhouse in a new town, where the only good thing seems to be Miri's ten-sided attic bedroom. But when Miri gets sent to her room after accidentally bashing her big brother on the head with a shovel, she finds herself in the same room...only not quite. Without meaning to, she has found a way to travel back in time to 1935 where she discovers Molly, a girl her own age very much in need of a loving family. |
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BAG |
Dolphin Diaries (age 8-11) by Ben M. Baglio letters/journal ... animals ... adventure Jody McGrath's dream adventure--a trip around the world with her family, studying dolphins--is threatened by unforeseen circumstances, including a surprise passenger and a sudden storm. title: Into the Blue title: Touching the Waves title: Riding the Storm title: Under the Stars title: Racing the Wind title: Following the Rainbow |
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TIT |
Basil of Baker Street
(age 8-11) by Eve Titus adventure ... mystery Basil--famous sleuth of mousedom--lived in the cellar of Sherlock Holmes' house. A devoted admirer of the great detective, he had learned his craft by listening at the feet of Holmes himself. The Mystery of the Missing Twins was one of the strangest cases in Basil's career. He had only a few crumbs of clues with which to find solutions to such baffling questions as: Who had masterminded the plot? Where were the twins, Angela and Agatha, being kept? |
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SHE |
Spirit of Iron
(age 8-11) by Janice Jordan Shefelman adventure ... historical When Mina learns that Amaya, her Lipan Apache friend, has been kidnapped by a band of marauding Comanches, she disguises herself as a boy and follows the Texas Rangers to search for Amaya. Sequel to "A Paradise Called Texas." |
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LOV |
The Betsy-Tacy Series (age 8-11) by Maud Hart Lovelace adventure ... friendship After Betsy Ray moves into the house across the street from Tacy Kelly, the girls become inseparable livelong friends. title: Betsy-Tacy title: Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill title: Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown title: Betsy in Spite of Herself |
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WOO |
Awfully Short for the Fourth Grade
(age 8-11) by Elvira Woodruff magic ... fantasy ... adventure ... school Noah Murphy carries his plastic "little guys" everywhere. One day, while sitting on the school bus with his younger brother, Jess, Noah makes a wish using magic powder from the toy machine. Noah looks at his little guys--Commander Falcon and Sergeant Gordy and three headless green aliens. "Let them all come to life, all my guys. And let me be their size, so I can have an adventure with them." That's when the bus hits a bump and strange things start to happen. Will the fourth grade at Roosevelt School ever be the same again? |
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KNI |
Lassie Come-Home
(age 8-11) by Eric Knight adventure ... animals A collie undertakes a 1000-mile journey in order to once again meet her former master at the school gate. |
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FLE |
Bandit's Moon
(age 8-11) by Sid Fleischman bigotry ... friendship ... adventure ... historical Newly orphaned, young Annyrose escapes from the villainous O.O. Mary and falls under the protection of a proud and fearless Mexican bandit, regarded as the Robin Hood of the California Gold Rush. Annyrose wants only to search for her older brother who had run off to the gold diggings, but she finds herself galloping beside the celebrated outlaw in his own quest. He is hunting down the last of a band of "Yankee" riffraff who wronged him, an event that turned the innocent young Mexican into an avenging terror of the roads. |
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FAR |
The Warm Place
(age 8-11) by Nancy Farmer adventure ... fantasy ... animals When Ruva, a young giraffe, is captured and sent to a zoo in San Francisco, she calls upon two rats, a street-smart chameleon, a runaway boy, and all the magical powers of the animal world to return to the warm place that is home. |
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HOB |
Sheep
(age 8-11) by Valerie Hobbs adventure ... animals After a fire destroys the farm where he was born, a young border collie acquires a series of owners and learns about life as he seeks a home and longs to fulfill his life's purpose of shepherding sheep. |
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FLE |
The Whipping Boy
(age 8-11) by Sid Fleischman folklore ... humor ... adventure ... growing up A Prince and a Pauper. Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other. |
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EDM |
The Matchlock Gun
(age 8-11) by Walter D. Edmonds war ... adventure ... historical In 1756, during the French and Indian War in upper New York state, ten-year-old Edward is determined to protect his home and family with the ancient, and much too heavy, Spanish gun that his father had given him before leaving home to fight the enemy. |
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KIN |
Harry's Mad
(age 8-11) by Dick King-Smith adventure ... animals Harry's legacy from his great-uncle, a talking parrot, proves to be a much more exciting gift than he ever imagined. |
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IBB |
The Great Ghost Rescue
(age 8-11) by Eva Ibbotson humor ... adventure ... spooky Humphrey is a small ghost with a big problem. His family has lost their home, and they're off to find a new haunting ground. But soon Humphrey and his parents discover that ghosts all over the country are being turned out as dank castles are converted to cheerful tourist hotels. Humphrey knows something must be done to help the homeless ghosts. And with the help of a sympathetic schoolboy named Rick, maybe he can do something to aid all the ghosts of England after all. . . . |
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STE |
Fergus Crane
(age 8-11) by Paul Stewart voyages/journeys ... science fiction ... school ... humor ... adventure Fergus Crane has an almost ordinary life, having lessons taught by rather odd teachers on the school ship Betty Jeanne and helping his mother in the bakery. But then a mysterious flying box appears at the window of his waterfront home and Fergus is plunged headlong into an exciting adventure! The box is followed by a winged mechanical horse that whisks him off to meet his long-lost uncle and his penguin helpers, Finn, Bill, and Jackson. Fergus finds out that his teachers are not quite what they seem ... they're actually pirates! Can Fergus and his winged horse save his schoolmates on the far-off Fire Island? And who else will he find there? |
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COW |
How to Be a Pirate
(age 8-11) by Cressida Cowell adventure ... humor Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is now a pirate in training. The Hairy Hooligan tribe is off on another spine-tingling adventure, to find the long-lost treasure of his ancestor Grimbeard the Ghastly. Braving death, indentured servitude, and the ire of his shipmates, Hiccup proves himself the true heir of Grimbeard. |
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FIT |
The Great Brain Series (age 8-11) by John D. Fitzgerald adventure ... humor ... brilliant protagonist ... enterprise The best con man in the Midwest is only ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. When the Jenkins boys get lost in Skeleton Cave, the Great Brain saves the day. Whether it's saving the kids at school, or helping out Peg-leg Andy, or Basil, the new kid at school, the Great Brain always manages to come out on top ... and line his pockets in the process. title: The Great Brain title: Me and My Little Brain title: The Return of the Great Brain |
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CLI |
Help I'm a Prisoner in the Library
(age 8-11) by Eth Clifford humor ... mystery ... adventure Catalog: Two girls spend an adventurous night trapped inside the public library during a terrible blizzard. |
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BAG |
Animal Ark Hauntings Series (age 8-11) by Ben M. Baglio adventure ... animals ... spooky Mandy and James continue their Animal Ark adventures, but with a spooky twist. title: Stallion in the Storm title: Cat in the Crypt title: Dog in the Dungeon title: Foal in the Fog title: Hound on the Heath title: Wolf at the Window |
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BAG |
Animal Ark Pets Series (age 8-11) by Ben M. Baglio adventure ... animals Mandy and James don't just work with animals at the Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital, they love their pets, too. title: Puppy Puzzle title: Rabbit Race title: Pony Parade title: Gerbil Genius |
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BAG |
Animal Ark Series (age 8-11) by Ben Baglio animals ... adventure Meet Mandy, the daughter of two veterinarians who own the Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital. Whenever an animal is in trouble, Mandy and the vets at the clinic are there to help. title: Kittens in the Kitchen title: Pony on the Porch title: Puppies in the Pantry title: Sheepdog in the Snow title: Kitten in the Cold title: Dolphin in the Deep title: Foals in the Field title: Dog at the Door title: Tabby in the Tub title: Cats at the Campground title: Hound at the Hospital title: Terrier in the Tinsel |
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BRI |
Caddie Woodlawn
(age 8-11) by Carol Ryrie Brink family ... identity ... adventure ... historical Caddie Woodlawn is a real adventurer. She'd rather hunt than sew and plow than bake, and tries to beat her brothers' dares every chance she gets. Caddie is friends with Indians, who scare most of the neighbors...neighbors who, like her mother and sisters, don't understand her at all. |
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AYR |
Silver Dollar Girl
(age 8-11) by Katherine Ayres voyages/journeys ... historical ... adventure Valentine Harper's father has been in Colorado for more than a year seeking his fortune in the Silver Rush. But she's tired of waiting for his overdue return. Aunt Margaret is nice, but Uncle Franklin seems unhappy to have an extra person in the house and Cousin Harold's pranks have been getting meaner. Unfortunately, a girl can't get far on her own in America in 1885. But with a haircut, the right clothes, and a big dose of courage, Vallie Harper just might make it on a journey across the country to look for her father, and pull off an adventure that will change her life. |
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WIS |
Christopher Mouse: the Tale of a Small Traveler
(age 8-11) by William Wise adventure ... friendship ... animals After being sold to an unscrupulous pet store owner, a young mouse lives with several owners and has many adventures, before ending up with an appreciative family. |
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SOR |
Miracles on Maple Hill
(age 8-11) by Virginia Sorensen war ... adventure ... family After her father returns from the war moody and tired, Marly's family decides to move from the city to Maple Hill Farm in the Pennsylvania countryside where they share many adventures which help restore their spirits and their bond with each other. |
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HIL |
Toughboy and Sister
(age 8-11) by Kirkpatrick Hill nature ... adventure ... survival The death of their father strands ten-year-old Toughboy and his younger sister at a remote fishing cabin on the Yukon River near Ruby, Alaska, where they spend a summer trying to cope with dwindling food supplies and hostile wildlife. |
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DIC |
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
(age 8-11) by Kate Dicamillo adventure ... friendship ... voyages/journeys Someone will come for you, but first you must open your heart. Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes' camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle, that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again. |
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DIC |
The Tale of Despereaux
(age 8-11) by Kate Dicamillo princesses ... adventure ... fantasy ... voyages/journeys Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out. |
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AVI |
Perloo the Bold
(age 8-11) by Avi voyages/journeys ... fantasy ... adventure A scholarly, shy member of the rabbit-like Montmers, Perloo is content sipping myrtle tea and reading his history books in his warm burrow. Until the day Perloo's quiet life is interrupted by a mysterious summons from the Montmer leader. What follows is an incredible journey that will take Perloo over snowy mountains, through underground tunnels, and into enemy territory - and will alter history forever. |
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BIR |
The Penderwicks Series (age 8-11) by Jeanne Birdsall friendship ... adventure This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel's sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel's owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures. The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. One thing's for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget. title: The Penderwicks: a Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy title: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street |
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GLE |
Toad Heaven
(age 8-11) by Morris Gleitzman humor ... nature ... adventure Limpy is on a quest to find toad heaven. A place where cane toads won't be blown up with bike pumps or bashed over the head with folding chairs. Limpy's determined to find this place if it takes him the rest of his life, but his plans are waylaid when he's kidnapped by some sinister-looking humans and tossed into a bucket. Will Limpy be able to save cane toads? Will he be able to find toad heaven? First he has to get out of the bucket . . . in this hysterically funny sequel to Toad Rage. sequel: Toad Away |
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GLE |
Toad Rage
(age 8-11) by Morris Gleitzman humor ... nature ... adventure Limpy's family reckons humans don't hate cane toads, but Limpy knows otherwise. He's spotted the signs: the cross looks, the unkind comments, the way they squash cane toads with their cars. Limpy is desperate to save his species from ending up as pancakes. Somehow he must make humans see how fabulous cane toads really are. Risking everything, he sets off on a wart-tinglingly dangerous and daring journey to . . . the Olympics? |
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AND |
M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales (age 8-11) by M. T. Anderson mystery ... adventure ... humor ... science fiction ... authorship What sort of madman would unleash an army of stilt-walking, laser-beaming, thoroughly angry whales upon the world? Who cares! All that matters is that his dastardly plan be foiled. Lucky for Lily Gefelty, her two best friends are the intrepid stars of their own middle-grade series novels: Jasper Dash (better know as the Boy Technonaut) and Katie Mulligan (beloved by millions as the heroine of the Horror Hollow series). It's going to take all their smarts to stop this insane, inane plot from succeeding. Start with the first thrilling tale, Whales on Stilts. title: The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen |
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WAL |
Upchuck and the Rotten Willy
(age 8-11) by Bill Wallace adventure ... friendship ... animals Chuck the cat wants to save his friend Willy from getting caught by the dog catcher, but he is afraid that some new cats in the area will be upset when they find out his best friend is a dog. |
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WRI |
The Wish Master
(age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright adventure ... family Catalog: Certain that his grandfather doesn't want him around, Corby is unhappy when he and his mother go to spend the summer in Wisconsin to help take care of his ailing grandmother, until a local boy takes him to the Wish Master. |
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WRI |
The Ghost of Popcorn Hill
(age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright adventure ... friendship ... spooky Catalog: Martin and Peter love their family's new cabin until they hear ghostly laughter in their room at night. |
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RYA |
Riding Freedom
(age 8-11) by Pam Munoz Ryan adventure ... historical A fictionalized account of Charley (Charlotte) Parkhurst who ran away to California in the mid-1800s disguised as a man, and who eventually became the first woman to vote in the United States. |
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ROD |
Deltora Quest Series (age 8-11) by Emily Rodda action ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic In the first book of this series, Forest of Silence, the evil Shadow Lord is plotting to invade the land of Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands against him is the magic Belt of Deltora with its seven stones of great and mysterious power. In secrecy, with only a hand-drawn map to guide them, two unlikely companions set out on a dangerous quest. Determined to find the lost stones and rid their land of the Shadow Lord, they struggle toward their first goal--the sinister Forests of Silence. title: The Forests of Silence title: The Lake of Tears title: City of the Rats title: The Shifting Sands title: Dread Mountain title: The Maze of the Beast title: The Valley of the Lost title: Return to Del title: Tales of Deltora |
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PEN |
Dumbstruck
(age 8-11) by Sara Pennypacker adventure ... family ... humor When ten-year-old Ivy's parents disappear on the darkest night of the year, she tries to find them with the help of an orphan and her eccentric Aunt Zilpa. |
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NAY |
The Grand Escape
(age 8-11) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor humor ... adventure ... animals It's a scary world out there. If only Marco hadn't read a newspaper article about a ranch and become determined to see one. If only Polo hadn't found himself longing for the mother he barely remembered as a soft-warm-wiggle-purr-milk-tongue. Then the two tabbies might have been content to remain pampered house cats forever. But when their owners leave a door open, Marco and Polo can't resist the temptation to escape to the outside world. |
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HAR |
Star in the Storm
(age 8-11) by Joan Hiatt Harlow adventure ... animals All non-sheepherding dogs have been outlawed from the rocky coastal village where Maggie lives. Unwilling to give up her beloved Newfoundland, Sirius, Maggie defies the law and hides Sirius away. But when a steamer crashes into the rocks during a violent storm and starts to sink with a hundred passengers on board, Maggie faces a difficult choice. She knows Sirius can help rescue the people trapped on the ship, but bringing him out of hiding would put his own life in jeopardy. Is Maggie's brave dog a big enough hero to save the desperate passengers, and himself? |
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AVI |
Poppy
(age 8-11) by Avi survival ... adventure Poppy, a timid dormouse, is a loyal, obedient subject of Ocax, the hoot owl who rules Dimwood Forest--until she sees Ocax devour her fiance. To prove that the intimidating ruler who promised to protect mice is a phony, Poppy embarks on a dangerous and eye-opening quest, which ends with her one-on-one battle with Ocax. sequel: Ragweed |
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MAR |
The Doll People (age 8-11) by Ann Matthews Martin friendship ... adventure ... fantasy Annabelle Doll is eight years old; she has been for more than a hundred years. Not a lot has happened to her, cooped up in the dollhouse, with the same doll people, day after day, year after year...until one day the Funcrafts move in. title: The Doll People title: The Meanest Doll in the World title: The Runaway Dolls |
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ROD |
The Rowan Series (age 8-11) by Emily Rodda magic ... fantasy ... adventure ... knights/castles/dragons Because only he can read the magical map, young, weak and timid Rowan joins six other villagers to climb a mountain and try to restore their water supply, as fears of a dragon and other horrors threaten to drive them back. title: Rowan of Rin title: Rowan and the Ice Creepers title: Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal title: Rowan and the Travelers title: Rowan and the Zebak |
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HEN |
Stormy: Misty's Foal
(age 8-11) by Marguerite Henry enterprise ... adventure ... animals A raging storm slashes across Assateague and Chincoteague islands. Water is everywhere! The wild ponies and the people must battle for their lives. In the midst of the storm, Misty-the famous mare of Chincoteague-is about to give birth. Paul and Maureen are frantic with worry as the storm rages on... will Misty and her colt survive? This is the thrilling story of the hurricane that destroyed the wild herds of Assateague, and how strength and love helped rebuild them. |
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HEN |
Misty of Chincoteague
(age 8-11) by Marguerite Henry enterprise ... adventure ... animals Nobody could capture the Phantom, the wildest mare on the island. Paul and Maureen had their hearts set on owning her. They worked hard to earn the money she would cost. On Pony Penning Day, Paul not only brings in the Phantom, but her newborn colt as well. Can Paul and Maureen possibly earn enough to buy them both? |
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HEN |
King of the Wind
(age 8-11) by Marguerite Henry adventure ... animals This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned Godolphin Arabian, whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior Thoroughbred. Sham's speed, like his story, has become legendary. |
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GAR |
Stone Fox
(age 8-11) by John Reynolds Gardiner adventure ... enterprise Ten-year-old Willy needs to win the big dogsled race in order to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm, but that means beating the huge Indian mountain man, Stone Fox. |
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EAG |
Knight's Castle
(age 8-11) by Edgar Eager magic ... fantasy ... adventure Four cousins, Roger, Ann, Eliza, and Jack, have an extraordinary summer when, after an old toy soldier comes to life, they find themselves transported back to the days of Robin and Ivanhoe. sequel: The Time Garden |
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EAG |
Magic or Not?
(age 8-11) by Edgar Eager magic ... fantasy ... adventure When the family moves to Connecticut, twins James and Laura make new friends and begin a series of unusual adventures after discovering an old well that seems to be magic in their backyard. |
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EAG |
The Well-Wishers
(age 8-11) by Edgar Eager magic ... fantasy ... adventure Six children relate their experiences with an unpredictable old wishing well that involves them in some magical adventures during an eventful autumn. |
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EAG |
Seven-day Magic
(age 8-11) by Edgar Eager magic ... fantasy ... adventure A seven-day book of magic proves to be fractious for five children, who must learn the book's rules and tame its magic. |
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EAG |
Half Magic
(age 8-11) by Edgar Eager knights/castles/dragons ... magic ... fantasy ... adventure Four children looking forward to an ordinary summer enjoy a series of fantastic adventures by double-wishing on an ancient coin. sequel: Magic by the Lake |
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DUB |
The Twenty-One Balloons
(age 8-11) by William Pene Dubois enterprise ... adventure ... voyages/journeys Publisher comments: When Prof. William Waterman Sherman was found adrift in the Atlantic clinging to the debris of twenty-one balloons, all America was rocked with curiosity. |
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BLA |
The Spiderwick Chronicles (age 8-11) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi adventure ... family ... fantasy Publisher comments: The Grace kids (twins Jared and Simon and their older sister, Mallory) move into their great-aunt's creepy old mansion with their mother. Strange goings-on lead them to an old book filled with pictures of fanstastic creatures. It holds clues to recent odd events, and the key to an even bigger mystery: the disappearance of the children's great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick generations before... title: The Field Guide title: The Seeing Stone title: Lucinda's Secret title: The Ironwood Tree title: The Wrath of Mulgarath title: The Nixies Song title: Care and Feeding of Sprites |
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DAH |
James and the Giant Peach
(age 8-11) by Roald Dahl fantasy ... adventure Publisher comments: When James Henry Trotter accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. Then James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit, and when he crawls inside, he meets a bunch of marvelous oversized friends. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the exciting adventure begins! |
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CLE |
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
(age 8-11) by Beverly Cleary adventure Publisher comments: Ralph the mouse ventures out from behind the piney knothole in the wall of his hotel-room home, scrambles up the telephone wire to the end table, and climbs aboard the toy motorcycle left there by a young guest. Thus begins many awesome adventures. sequel: Ralph S. Mouse sequel: Runaway Ralph |
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CLE |
Henry Huggins
(age 8-11) by Beverly Cleary adventure ... animals ... realistic Publisher comments: Henry Huggins feels that nothing very interesting ever happens to him. But from the moment a stray dog in the drugstore begs for a taste of his ice-cream cone and downs it in one gulp, everything is different. Henry names the dog Ribsy and decides to keep him. Before Henry even reaches home with Ribsy he spends all of his money, gets kicked off three buses, and enjoys a hair-raising ride in a police car. And that's only the beginning of Henry's exciting new life! See also the rest of the Henry Huggins series. sequel: Henry and Beezus sequel: Henry and Ribsy sequel: Ribsy sequel: Henry and the Paper Route sequel: Henry and the Clubhouse |
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BAN |
The Indian in the Cupboard
(age 8-11) by Lynne Reid Banks adventure ... magic Publisher comments: It all starts with a birthday present Omri doesn't even want; a small plastic Indian of no use to him at all. But when an old wooden cupboard and a special key bring the unusual toy to life, Omri's Indian becomes his most important secret: precious, dangerous, wonderful, and above all, magical. sequel: The Secret of the Indian |
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ALE |
Time Cat
(age 8-11) by Lloyd Alexander short stories ... historical ... adventure Publisher comments: ``Anywhere, any time, any country, any century,'' Gareth tells Jason. And in the wink of a very special cat's eye, they're off. From ancient Egypt to Japan, the land of young Leonardo da Vinci to the town of a woman accused of witchcraft, Jason and Gareth are whisked from place to place and friend to foe. Full of fun, excitement, and a good dose of history, here's a fantastic tale that grabs the imagination and takes it far and wide, on the adventure of not one but nine amazing lifetimes. |
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OSB |
Tales From the Odyssey (age 8-11) by Mary Pope Osborne adventure ... voyages/journeys ... folklore Publisher comments: When Odysseus must leave his home to fight the Trojan War, he never imagines that he'll be away from his family for so many years. Now, at long last, he is leading his men home across the seas. But many dangers await them ... and none is more terrifying than Polyphemus, the one-eyed giant. title: The One-Eyed Giant title: The Land of the Dead title: Sirens and Sea Monsters title: The Gray-Eyed Goddess title: Return to Ithaca title: The Final Battle |