F GER	Little Women (age 8-11) by Jane Gerver historical ... growing up ... family This retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in nineteenth-century New England.
F 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.
	Samantha: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) growing up ... family ... historical Stories of Samantha, an orphan living with her grandmother in 1904. title: Meet Samantha: an American Girl by Susan S. Adler F ADL title: Samantha Learns a Lesson: a School Story by Susan S. Adler F ADL title: Changes for Samantha: a Winter Story by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Happy Birthday, Samantha!: a Springtime Story by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Samantha Saves the Day: a Summer Story by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Samantha's Surprise: a Christmas Story by Maxine Rose Schur F SCH
F TRI	Molly: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical Stories of Molly and her family during World War II. title: Meet Molly: an American Girl title: Changes for Molly: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Molly!: a Springtime Story title: Molly Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Molly Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Molly's Surprise: a Christmas Story
F SHA	Kirsten: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Janet Shaw growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Kirsten and her family, settling the frontier in Minnesota. title: Meet Kirsten: an American Girl title: Changes for Kirsten: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Kirsten!: a Springtime Story title: Kirsten Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Kirsten Saves the Day title: Kirsten's Surprise: a Christmas Story
F TRI	Felicity: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Felicity and her family, living in Williamsburg during the revolutionary war. title: Meet Felicity: an American Girl title: Changes for Felicity: a Winter Story title: Felicity Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Felicity Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Felicity's Surprise: a Christmas Story title: Happy Birthday, Felicity!: a Springtime Story
F POR	Addy: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Connie Porter growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Addy and her mother, freed slaves living in Philadelphia during the Civil War. title: Meet Addy: an American Girl title: Addy Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Addy Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Addy's Surprise: a Christmas Story title: Changes for Addy: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Addy!: a Springtime Story
F TRI	Josefina: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Josefina and her sisters, in New Mexico before the Mexicn-American War. title: Meet Josefina: an American Girl title: Changes for Josefina: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Josefina!: a Springtime Story title: Josefina Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Josefina Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Josefina's Surprise: a Christmas Story
F YEE	Good Luck, Ivy (age 8-11) by Lisa Yee growing up ... sports ... family Ivy Ling feels invisible. The middle child in a busy Chinese-American household, Ivy's mother has gone back to school to become a lawyer and her father has two jobs to keep the family afloat. And if that's not enough, Ivy's best friend Julie Albright has moved to another part of San Francisco. The only place Ivy feels at home is at gymnastics. But when she learns that the big gymnastics tournament is scheduled for the same day as the annual Ling family reunion, Ivy wrestles with a difficult choice. Gradually, with her brother Andrew's help, Ivy realizes that she can take charge of her life--and make her own luck.
F SEL	To Catch a Mermaid (age 8-11) by Suzanne Selfors humor ... illness/loss ... family ... fantasy ... magic When Boom Broom's mother is swept away by a twister, he doesn't think his life can get any worse. But when he and his sister Mertyle find a baby mermaid who grants unlimited wishes, he thinks his luck has turned--until his sister is hit by the curse of the merfolk.
F MAC	Edward's Eyes (age 8-11) by Patricia Maclachlan illness/loss ... family ... sports Jake is a part of an extraordinary family. He has a life filled with art, music, and long summer nights on the Cape. He has hours and days and months of baseball. But, more than anything in this world, Jake knows he has Edward. From the moment he was born, Jake knew Edward was destined for something. Edward could make anyone laugh and everyone think. During one special year, he became the only one in the neighborhood who could throw a perfect knuckleball. It was a pitch you could not hit. That same year, Jake learned there are also some things you cannot hold.
F KIM	Kaline Klattermaster's Tree House (age 8-11) by Haven Kimmel school ... humor ... family ... illness/loss Kaline Klattermaster LOVES his mom. ADORES his mom. But his mom can be, well, a bit forgetful sometimes. A bit lax. A bit...CRAZY. For instance, she's a bit crazy when she leaves him in the tub for THREE HOURS. Or gives him a chicken leg for breakfast...or forgets that he needs to go to school. AND he's not completely sure his mother understands how time works. She's been even a bit MORE CRAZY since his dad left. So it's a very good thing that the folks in Kaline's tree house are not so crazy. They understand him. They don't mind that he sometimes HAS to play his pretend bugle, and, of course, they are FULL of good advice on how to handle bullies. His mom hints that the tree house is imaginary. Kaline is UNCONVINCED.
F BAT	Being Bee (age 8-11) by Catherine Bateson friendship ... family Bee can't understand what her father sees in Jazzi. Ever since Bee's mom died, she, her dad, and her two guinea pigs, Fifi and Lulu, have been getting along just fine. Now Bee is supposed to welcome Jazzi, with her bangled skirts and her rock-hard scones and her new way of looking at everything. Imagine how Bee feels when her dad invites Jazzi to move in! Life certainly gets more complicated, especially after Bee discovers that there is something big that Jazzi has not told Dad. Yet knowing the secret makes Bee see another side of Jazzi, one that oddly enough makes Bee more comfortable. Full of warmth and humor, this novel looks at loss, trust, and acceptance.
F 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.
F LAF	Worth (age 8-11) by A. LaFaye family ... historical After breaking his leg, eleven-year-old Nate feels useless because he cannot work on the family farm in nineteenth-century Nebraska, so when his father brings home an orphan boy to help with the chores, Nate feels even worse.
F DEY	A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt (age 8-11) by C. Coco DeYoung family ... historical Eleven-year-old Margo Bandini has never been afraid of anything. Her life in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with Mama and Papa and her little brother, Charlie, has always felt secure. But it's 1933, and the Great Depression is changing things for families all across America. One day the impossible happens: Papa cannot make the payments for their house, and the Sheriff Sale sign goes up on their door. They have two weeks to pay the bank, or leave their home forever. Now Margo is afraid--but she's also determined to find a way to help Papa save their home.
F ENG	Holding On (age 8-11) by Diana Engel family ... nature ... the arts Twelve-year-old Thomas, who likes to draw, is dismayed when his mother leaves him with his eccentric great-uncle Tano for an extended visit, until the two of them explore the natural world around the isolated house and work together on a stained glass panel.
F FIS	Understood Betsy (age 8-11) by Dorothy Canfield Fisher growing up ... family Thanks to her loving but over-protective guardian aunts, Betsy is a fearful, self-absorbed, nine-year-old hypochondriac. One of the most terrible items on her long list of fears is the horrid cousins her aunts never mention without shuddering. When her aunts are suddenly no longer able to care for her, Betsy is, incredibly, sent to live with those very relatives. Arriving in Vermont alone and full of trepidation, Betsy is immediately invited by her Uncle Henry to drive the carriage. Steering the fearful horses is just the beginning of her adventures in New England ... and independence. By the novel's end, Betsy has become very fond of the rough but affectionate relatives who eat in the kitchen and expect her to wash her own dishes. When she gets a letter from the aunts inviting her to come home, Betsy must make a difficult choice.
F GRI	Dinosaur Habitat (age 8-11) by Helen Griffith adventure ... animals ... family After twelve-year-old Nathan's pesky younger brother Ryan claims to have found a dinosaur fossil, they are suddenly transported into a misty world where Ryan's toy dinosaurs are alive.
F GRE	Queen Sophie Hartley (age 8-11) by Stephanie Greene family ... friendship It's not easy being a nine-year-old kid in the middle of a busy, gifted family. Especially when the list of things you're good at includes only two items ... "Crying" and "Stopping crying" ... and the list of things you're not good at seems to be getting longer every day. When Sophie's mom suggests that she's good at being kind and just needs a little more practice, Sophie feels hopeful. But being kind to a grouchy old lady or her big sister, Nora, or the weird new girl at school isn't as easy as it sounds. If only Sophie were a queen, she could practice being kind to commoners instead. It would be much more dignified and elegant. And she would finally get to wear her very own diamond tiara. . . .
F KIR	Redcoats and Petticoats (age 8-11) by Katherine Kirkpatrick family ... historical ... war Members of a family in the village of Setauket on Long Island are displaced by the Redcoats and serve as spies for the Revolutionary Army of George Washington.
F LEV	Fire in the Wind (age 8-11) by Betty Levin historical ... family ... adventure ... action One dry October, with wildfires blazing all across the state of Maine, Meg Yeadon keeps having to put out fires of her own-the fights she gets into defending her "backward" cousin Orin and her shy brother Paul. Separated from the grown-ups, Meg and Paul must rely on Orin to help them survive the inferno bearing down on their farm. But what are they to make of the sight of Orin setting fire to the fields himself?
F LIT	Mine for Keeps (age 8-11) by Jean Little school ... illness/loss ... family Sarah Jane Copeland expects special treatment when she returns home after spending five years at a cerebral palsy center, but her family treats her as an able member.
F LIS	Investigators of the Unknown Series (age 8-11) by Janet Taylor Lisle family ... magic ... mystery ... fantasy Angela, Georgina, and Poco are on the lookout for magic in everyday life, and in each volume these three friends find themselves facing the inexplicable. title: The Gold Dust Letters title: Looking for Juliette
F MAC	Mary Margaret and the Perfect Pet Plan (age 8-11) by Christine Kole MacLean family ... humor ... animals Mary Margaret is desperate for a pet. But her father is allergic to almost everything, and her mother is too busy with the new baby coming to focus on finding a hypoallergenic pet for her precocious, nearly-nine-year-old daughter. So Mary Margaret takes matters into her own hands and comes up with some very interesting ideas about how to get a pet.
F MAY	Rock River (age 8-11) by Bill Maynard adventure ... family ... illness/loss Twelve-year-old Luke's summertime adventures along the river are haunted by the memory of his older brother Robert, who died being a daredevil in the same place a year and a half earlier.
F NAY	The Fear Place (age 8-11) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor family ... action ... adventure For Doug's brother, Gordie, the ridge with its spectacular view is a magical, special place, but for Doug, it's The Fear Place. Two years ago, Doug hiked to the ridge during his family's annual camping trip, and he vowed never again to cross the narrow ledge from which the earth dropped away six hundred feet to the canyon below. But now Doug and Gordie are alone in the wilderness. After one of their seemingly endless fights, Gordie has stomped away from their campsite. When Girdle doesn't return, Doug fears the worst. Doug knows he has to go after his brother, and he knows where he will find him. What he can't imagine is the surprising source of the courage to overcome his fears.
F WIL	Elsa, Star of the Shelter! (age 8-11) by Jacqueline Wilson growing up ... family Noisy, brash, and a troublemaker, ten-year-old Elsa uses her loud voice to warn of a fire at the homeless shelter where she lives with her family.
F O'C	How to Steal a Dog (age 8-11) by Barbara O'Connor growing up ... family ... enterprise Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is ``borrow'' the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected.
F GIF	Rat Teeth (age 8-11) by Patricia Reilly Giff illness/loss ... growing up ... family It's bad enough that his parents are divorced and his two front teeth stick out a mile, but when he loses a baseball game to the fourth graders, even a "toughie" like Cliffie feels he has no choice but to run away.
F LOV	A Year Without Rain (age 8-11) by D. Anne Love illness/loss ... family Her mother's death and a year-long drought has made life difficult for twelve-year-old Rachel and her family on their farm in the Dakotas, but when she learns that her father plans to get married again, it is almost more than Rachel can bear.
F MEA	Junebug (age 8-11) by Alice Mead family ... growing up An inquisitive young boy who lives with his mother and younger sister in a rough housing project in New Haven, Connecticut, approaches his tenth birthday with a mixture of anticipation and worry.
F CUT	Spaceman (age 8-11) by Jane Cutler family ... school Gary just can't seem to fit in. He doesn't have any friends, his school work is always sloppy, and his teachers endlessly criticize him. But Gary has a way to escape ... he spaces out. Then one day Gary accidentally hurts someone, and now he's being sent to a new school for kids with different learning styles. Will Gary finally be able to catch up and fit in, or will he remain the Spaceman forever?
F BON	Edwina Victorious (age 8-11) by Susan Bonners family ... letters/journal ... enterprise When Edwina's great-grandaunt and namesake decides to move to a nursing home, Edwina is recruited by her mom to help clean out her aunt's attic. There she discovers a cache of letters from Aunt Edwina, who had been an activist, to various public officials, all requesting improvements in public locations around town. Then Edwina notices a local playground in sorry disrepair and decides to do some letter-writing of her own. She types up her plea, copies her aunt's signature, and mails it to the mayor. Edwina doesnt feel she's being completely underhanded: after all, she is signing her own name, even if the handwriting is forged. And when the mayor responds with fast action (he hopes for a political contribution from Aunt Edwina) Edwina begins writing more letters. But it is only a matter of time before she must reveal her true identity, both to the mayor and to her great-grandaunt.
F BAL	Bristle Face (age 8-11) by Zachary Ball growing up ... family ... friendship ... animals Half-dog, half porcupine in appearance, Bristle Face becomes an outstanding hunting dog and a good friend of the fourteen-year-old orphan boy who adopts him.
F BAW	Humbug (age 8-11) by Nina Bawden family ... friendship When eight-year-old Cora is sent to stay next door with the seemingly pleasant woman called Aunt Sunday, she is tormented by Aunt Sunday's mean-spirited, deceitful daughter, but finds an ally in Aunt Sunday's elderly mother.
F 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. sequel: Magical Melons
F CAS	Chloe in the Know (age 8-11) by Judith Caseley family Chloe's close and caring family supports her when she begins to feel the strain of being the oldest child.
F CAS	Dorothy's Darkest Days (age 8-11) by Judith Caseley illness/loss ... school ... friendship ... family Dorothy's boisterous life with her parents, two brothers, and sister is suddenly changed when something tragic happens to a classmate of hers, but she finds that things eventually do return to normal.
	Girlhood Journeys Collection (age 8-11) adventure ... historical ... family These stories transport you to different periods of history, looking at life through the eyes of a girl living in that time and place. title: Kai: a Big Decision, Africa, 1440 by Sharon Shavers Gayle F GAY title: Kai: the Lost Statue, Africa, 1440 by Sharon Shavers Gayle F GAY title: Juliet: a Dream Takes Flight, England, 1339 by Anna Kirwan F KIR title: Juliet: Midsummer at Greenchapel, England, 1340 by Anna Kirwan F KIR title: Juliet: Rescue at Marlehead Manor, England 1340 by Anna Kirwan F KIR title: Shannon: Lost and Found, San Francisco, 1880 by Kathleen V. Kudlinski F KUD title: Shannon: the Schoolmarm Mysteries, San Francisco, 1880 by Kathleen V. Kudlinski F KUD title: Marie: Summer in the Country, France, 1775 by Jacqueline Dembar Greene F GRE title: Marie: Mystery at the Paris Ballet, Paris, 1775 by Jacqueline Dembar Greene F GRE title: Marie: an Invitation to Dance, France, 1775 by Kathleen V. Kudlinski F KUD title: Isabella: a Wish for Miguel, Peru, 1820 by Shirlee Newman F NEW
F YAR	Tamika and the Wisdom Rings (age 8-11) by Camille Yarbrough family ... illness/loss Tamika finds strength in her family, her friends, and herself as she copes with the murder of her father.
F WIL	Each Little Bird that Sings (age 8-11) by Deborah Wiles friendship ... family ... illness/loss Comfort Snowberger is well acquainted with death since her family runs the funeral parlor in their small southern town, but even so the ten-year-old is unprepared for the series of heart-wrenching events that begins on the first day of Easter vacation with the sudden death of her beloved great-uncle Edisto.
F WAL	Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World (age 8-11) by Mildred Pitts Walter identity ... family ... growing up Suffering in a family full of females, ten-year-old Justin feels that cleaning and keeping house are women's work until he spends time on his beloved grandfather's ranch.
F VAN	How I Survived Being a Girl (age 8-11) by Wendelin Van Draanen humor ... growing up ... family Twelve-year-old Carolyn, who has always wished she were a boy, begins to see things in a new light when her sister is born.
F SOT	The Pool Party (age 8-11) by Gary Soto humor ... identity ... family While helping his father and grandfather work as gardeners in Fresno, California, ten-year-old Rudy sees some differences between his Mexican-American family and the wealthy families that live nearby.
F 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.
F SHR	The Formerly Great Alexander Family (age 8-11) by Susan Shreve identity ... family Ten-year-old Liam is stunned to learn that his perfect family is about to be ruined when his parents announce that they are getting a divorce.
F RUS	First Apple (age 8-11) by Ching Yeung Russell family ... historical A young girl living in a Chinese village in the 1940s tries to find a way to buy an apple, the fruit of rich people, to share with her grandmother.
F ROB	Don't Hurt Laurie! (age 8-11) by Willo Davis Roberts family Laurie's mother is hurting her. Can she escape? Will anyone believe her story?
F RAD	All Joseph Wanted (age 8-11) by Ruth Yaffe Radin family Eleven-year-old Joseph deeply wishes that his mother could learn how to read, since her inability to read directions or street signs has complicated their life considerably.
F PAT	Flip-flop Girl (age 8-11) by Katherine Paterson family ... friendship ... illness/loss Uprooted following the death of their father, nine-year-old Vinnie and her five-year-old brother, Mason, cope in different ways--one in silence--but both with the help of Lupe, the flip-flop girl.
F PAR	Clara and the Hoodoo Man (age 8-11) by Elizabeth Partridge spooky ... illness/loss ... family ... historical When Clara meets the hoodoo man on Red Owl Mountain, she knows she should just take little Bessie by the hand and leave. Momma has always warned Clara that the hoodoo man can put a fix on you. The next day, Bessie becomes dangerously sick. Is it Clara's fault? Is it hoodoo? Based on a true story, this is a vivid picture of rural life in turn-of-the-century Tennessee.
F JOH	The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall (age 8-11) by Tony Johnston humor ... family ... fantasy ... magic ... school Living in the Bloggins School boiler room isn't glamorous, but that's life for Martha Snapdragon, daughter of the beleaguered janitor. Life only gets weirder when Martha realizes bizarre events are afoot at the school. There's the dastardly dealings of evil principal Dr. Klunk and school bully Rufus. There's the dozen dancing eggs and the misbehaving dragons, property of the mysterious science teacher. And then there's the strangest thing of all: a giant golden spoon that simply appears one day, stuck in the wall of the school bathroom. Although everyone tries, only Martha is able to extract the spoon from the wall--an act that leads her to a destiny far beyond her meager life in the boiler room.
F JEN	Out Standing in My Field (age 8-11) by Patrick Jennings family ... friendship ... sports Ty has been named for baseball legend Ty Cobb, but the hero of Jennings' wonderful new novel isn't living up to his namesake's reputation when it comes to The Game. He loves baseball; he just isn't great at it, despite all the efforts of his coach and father, who himself once dreamed of playing in the majors. To complicate matters, Ty's younger sister Daisy is a baseball whiz (as well as the school genius). In this sharply witty, deeply poignant all-American novel, Ty has to figure out just who he's trying to please: his father, his teammates, or himself.
F HER	Kevin Corbett Eats Flies (age 8-11) by Patricia Hermes friendship ... school ... family Kevin and his friend Bailey conspire to prevent Kevin's father from moving himself and Kevin once again. sequel: Heads, I Win
F HAS	Shadows (age 8-11) by Dennis Haseley family Jamie's lonely life with his aunt and uncle in rural West Virginia changes when Grandpa comes to visit and tells him stories using shadow pictures.
F HAA	Uncle Daney's Way (age 8-11) by Jessie Haas enterprise ... family ... animals When his great-uncle Daney comes to live with Cole's family after being crippled in a logging accident, the two work together all summer to find a way to make enough money to buy feed so they can keep Daney's old horse.
F GRE	Koya DeLaney and the Good Girl Blues (age 8-11) by Eloise Greenfield family ... friendship Koya Delaney, an eleven-year-old African-American girl, has trouble expressing anger, until her cousin, a popular male singer, comes to town.
F GRA	Falcon's Egg (age 8-11) by Luli Gray growing up ... family ... magic ... knights/castles/dragons Eleven-year-old Falcon has just found a mysterious egg in Central Park--a dragon's egg, though she doesn't know it yet. And when the egg hatches, magic will hatch with it. Falcon will begin to see her hectic life and eccentric family in a different and altogether more joyous way. After all, when magic comes into someone's life, it comes for a reason.
F AHL	The Better Brown Stories (age 8-11) by Allan Ahlberg family ... adventure ... authorship The Browns are not like other storybook characters; they're bored with their story! So off they go to visit the Writer, demanding more excitement. Less homework. Less housework. No French tests. "We want a better story!" they demand. Instead they get five stories filled with adventure and mayhem.
F AHL	The Giant Baby (age 8-11) by Allan Ahlberg humor ... fantasy ... family A story about a famous doctor, a criminal trial, a kidnapping, a gang of desparate men, a little girl who wanted a brother, and an enormous baby.
F WIL	Love, Ruby Lavender (age 8-11) by Deborah Wiles letters/journal ... illness/loss ... family When Ruby's grandmother, Miss Eula goes to visit her new grandbaby in Hawaii, Ruby is sure that she will have a lonely, empty, horrible summer without her in boring old Halleluia, Mississippi. What happens instead? She makes a new friend, saves the school play, writes plenty of letters to her favorite (and only) grandmother . . . and finally learns to stop blaming herself for her grandfather's death. Not too bad, for a nine-year-old.
F WRI	The Ghosts of Mercy Manor (age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright family ... spooky Catalog: Gwen goes to stay with a foster family, and sees the ghost of a young girl who hides a terrible secret.
F STA	Harry Sue (age 8-11) by Sue Stauffacher growing up ... friendship ... family Harry Sue Clotkin is tough. Her mom's in the slammer and she wants to get there too, as fast as possible, so they can be together. But it's not so easy to become a juvenile delinquent when you've got a tender heart. Harry Sue's got her hands full caring for the crumb-snatchers who take up her afternoons at the day care center, and spending time with her best friend Homer, a quadriplegic who sees life from a skylight in the roof of his tree house. When Harry Sue finds an unlikely confidante in her new art teacher, her ambitions toward a life of crime are sidelined as she comes to a deeper understanding about her past--and future.
F HEN	Sun and Spoon (age 8-11) by Kevin Henkes family ... illness/loss It had been only two months since Spoon Gilmore's grandmother died, but already he was worried that he would forget her. That's why he needed something of Gram's - something special that had belonged to her, something to remember her by. Spoon wasn't quite sure what the something was, though he knew he would know it when he saw it. But Spoon's little sister, Joanie, did not leave him much time to look. She was always following him, demanding attention. Spoon didn't have the time he needed to think, or perhaps he wouldn't have done what he did.
F GLE	Blabber Mouth (age 8-11) by Morris Gleitzman family ... humor An Australian schoolgirl who is unable to speak is embarrassed by her father's outlandish dress and behavior. sequel: Sticky Beak
F FLE	Mr. Mysterious and Company (age 8-11) by Sid Fleischman humor ... family ... voyages/journeys ... magic The adventures of a family of magicians traveling across the western deserts and plains in the 1880s.
F FAR	Do You Know Me (age 8-11) by Nancy Farmer family Although he is continually getting into trouble, Tapiwa's uncle becomes her best friend when he comes to live with her family in Harare, Zimbabwe, after his village in Mozambique is burned by bandits.
F CLE	Socks (age 8-11) by Beverly Cleary humor ... realistic ... friendship ... family ... animals Socks is one happy cat. He lives with a nice young couple called Brickers who play with him, pet him, feed him treats, and always have a warm lap for him to sit in. Then a new baby joins the family Suddenly, the Brickers are sharing their laps and love with Charles William, and Socks is getting into trouble. He runs from a phantom dog, wrestles with Nana's best wig, and fights Old Taylor the tomcat for his territory. But as Charles William grows, Socks discovers that he has a new friend and a new way to be a part of the family.
F BYA	The Summer of the Swans (age 8-11) by Betsy Cromer Byars growing up ... family A teen-age girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally handicapped brother gets lost.
F AVI	The Barn (age 8-11) by Avi family ... historical In an effort to fulfill their dying father's last request, nine-year-old Ben and his brother and sister construct a barn on their land in the Oregon Territory.
F KEL	Lucy Rose Series (age 8-11) by Katy Kelly growing up ... friendship ... family ... school ... letters/journal Here's the thing about Lucy Rose: she has an extremely interesting take on life, and has an extremely lot to do to keep things together. This series is a good friend to have. title: Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing About Me title: Lucy Rose: Big on Plans
F CHE	Shanghai Messenger (age 8-11) by Andrea Cheng identity ... voyages/journeys ... family ... poetry A free-verse novel about eleven-year-old Xiao Mei's visit with her extended family in China, where the Chinese-American girl finds many differences but also the similarities that bind a family together.
F WIL	Scooter (age 8-11) by Vera B. Williams realistic ... family ... friendship Elana is thrilled to be living all the way up on the eighth floor of 514 Melon Hill Avenue, an apartment building in New York City. But with her new life come changes--and challenges. Anything can happen as Elana coasts toward discoveries and surprises in her new home.
F LOW	Sam Krupnik Series (age 8-11) by Lois Lowry growing up ... realistic ... humor ... family Sam Krupnik enters school with some very strong ideas about what he wants to be and how. Fans of this series will enjoy the same author's books about Anastasia, his big sister, as well. title: All About Sam title: Attaboy, Sam! title: See You Around, Sam! title: Zooman Sam
F GAU	My Life Among the Aliens (age 8-11) by Gail Gauthier science fiction ... humor ... family Two brothers begin to wonder if it is their mother's unusual cooking that is attracting the aliens that keep showing up at their house.
F YEP	The Imp That Ate My Homework (age 8-11) by Laurence Yep adventure ... fantasy ... humor ... family Jim teams up with his grandfather, who is known as the meanest man in Chinatown, to defeat a powerful demon.
F YEP	Later, Gator (age 8-11) by Laurence Yep humor ... family Teddy finds that his imagination has gotten him into trouble once more, when he buys his younger brother Bobby an alligator for his birthday.
F 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.
F UCH	A Jar of Dreams (age 8-11) by Yoshiko Uchida bigotry ... identity ... historical ... family Eleven-year-old Rinko grows up in a closely-knit Japanese American family in Northern California during the Depression, a time of great prejudice. sequel: The Best Bad Thing
F TES	Some Kind of Pride (age 8-11) by Maria Testa identity ... family ... sports Eleven-year-old Ruth is the star shortstop in her small Maine town, and now a reporter is coming to interview her for Sports Illustrated magazine. She's at the top of her game. Then she overhears her father in the crowd: ``Real major-league talent. But I can't help thinking what a shame it is that it's all wasted on a girl.'' Suddenly Ruth is doubting herself, her dream, and the game she loves. In search of answers, she looks to those closest to her: her best friend, Ellie, a self-proclaimed feminist; her father, a famous sportswriter; and her mother, a firefighter hero, who died eight years ago. But Ruth knows the truth lies within herself.
F SPI	Loser (age 8-11) by Jerry Spinelli identity ... realistic ... school ... family Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like ``Jabip.'' Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn't know he's not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff's differences show that any name can someday become ``hero.''
F ROC	Strudel Stories (age 8-11) by Joanne Rocklin traditions ... folklore ... short stories ... historical ... family Imagine a cozy kitchen in another time and place. A family is baking apple strudel together. And while they work, they tell each other stories of the past. There are the boy who danced with ghosts, the apple that turned to gold, the greatest baseball moment ever, and the almost-a-disaster day. This warm and touching novel follows a Jewish family through seven generations as they brave war, immigration, and enjoy the simple pleasures of friendship, sports, and a life together.
F 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.
F PEC	The Teacher's Funeral: a Comedy in Three Parts (age 8-11) by Richard Peck family ... humor ... school In 1904 Indiana, 15-year-old Russell Culver is raring to leave his small town. But he has a particularly eventful season of school ahead of him, led by a teacher he never expected--his sister, Tansy.
F PAU	Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day (age 8-11) by Gary Paulsen survival ... humor ... family ... school Molly learns her wacky grandma was coming to spend the day at school with her. Now she's lost her notebook with everything that matters in it, including her homework; has a black eye; has torn her skirt. And it's only 9 a.m. Can things get any worse?
F PAT	A Simple Gift (age 8-11) by Nancy Patterson authorship ... family ... the arts A small-town community theater production based on one of her mother's books brings Carrie a glimpse of her mother's past and a new understanding of giving to others.
F KEN	Circle of Doom (age 8-11) by Tim Kennemore family ... humor ... magic One day, Lizzie Sharp decides to concoct a potion to cast a spell on her family's only neighbors, the unbearable, ancient Potwards. The very next day, Mrs. Potward breaks her hip and the couple disappear forever. It could be just a coincidence, but Lizzie is convinced of her own magical powers, and the temptation to involve both her younger brothers in her ambitious spellmaking plans is irresistible. As one potion leads to another, all three Sharp children become ridiculously entangled in a web of secrets, conspiracies, and misunderstandings.
F JAR	Slump (age 8-11) by Dave Jarzyna growing up ... realistic ... family ... school When thirteen-year-old Mitch finds himself at odds with everyone in his life: brother, sister, friends, teachers, and coach, he worries that the situation will never change.
F HUR	Faraway Summer (age 8-11) by Johanna Hurwitz identity ... friendship ... letters/journal ... family In the summer of 1910, Dossi is surprised and terrified to discover that her sister is sending her to a Vermont farm on a charity-sponsored vacation. The landscape and the people of Vermont are very different from her urban Jewish tenement, but Dossi is enchanted by the big blue sky and the peaceful countryside. She longs to make the daughter of her Christian host family her friend, and she fills a journal with her thoughts, fears, and impressions of a universe very different from her own. And soon Dossi begins to realize that, sometimes, worlds apart are not so far away from each other after all.
F HOL	Paperboy (age 8-11) by Isabelle Holland bigotry ... family ... enterprise In 1881 in New York City, teenaged Kevin O'Donnell, ever conscious of the prejudice against the Irish poor, struggles to support his sick father and young sister by working as a messenger for a prominent newspaper, but finds his job threatened when he is falsely accused of stealing from his employer.
F HES	Just Juice (age 8-11) by Karen Hesse realistic ... school ... family Letters and numbers still don't make sense to Juice Faulstich. She'd rather skip school and spend the day at home in the North Carolina hills. But when the bank threatens to repossess her family's home, Juice faces her first life-sized problem.
F HEN	Words of Stone (age 8-11) by Kevin Henkes illness/loss ... friendship ... family Blaze Werla is having a routine summer. He spends his days alone, wandering around the hill next door, and his nights awake, avoiding the dreams that haunt him. Then a message appears on the side of the hill and Blaze's predictable summer suddenly takes a turn toward the mysterious. By the time he meets outgoing Joselle Stark, Blaze finds himself in entirely new territory, where the unexpected seems almost normal.
F CRE	Ruby Holler (age 8-11) by Sharon Creech voyages/journeys ... family Dallas and Florida have been dubbed the ``trouble twins.'' They have been shuffled between foster families and orphanages all their lives, longing only for a loving place to call home, though mistrustful that one exists for the likes of them. Tiller and Sairy are an eccentric, older couple whose children are grown and long gone, and they're each restless for one more big adventure while their bodies are still spry enough to paddle a river or climb a mountain. Ruby Holler is the beautiful, mysterious place that changes all of their lives forever.
F GIF	Pictures of Hollis Woods (age 8-11) by Patricia Reilly Giff the arts ... friendship ... family A troublesome twelve-year-old orphan, staying with an elderly artist who needs her, remembers the only other time she was happy in a foster home, with a family that truly seemed to care about her.
F WIL	Little House in Brookfield (age 8-11) by Maria D. Wilkes family ... historical Young Caroline Quiner, who would grow up to become Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother, and her family survive their first year without Father in the frontier town of Brookfield, Wisconsin. sequel: Little Town at the Crossroads sequel: Little Clearing in the Woods
F WIL	Little House on the Prairie Series (age 8-11) by Laura Ingalls Wilder family ... historical A family travels from the big woods of Wisconsin to a new home on the prairie, where they build a new life, hewn from the rough prairie and supported by their hopes, dreams, and heart. title: Little House on the Prairie title: Little House in the Big Woods title: By the Shores of Silver Lake title: Farmer Boy title: On the Banks of Plum Creek title: The First Four Years title: The Long Winter title: Little Town on the Prairie title: These Happy Golden Years
F SEI	Mean Margaret (age 8-11) by Tor Seidler humor ... family A pair of newlywed woodchucks, a squirrel, a testy snake, a skunk, a couple of bats, and a family named Hubble have their lives turned topsy-turvy by a tyrannical toddler named Margaret.
F SAC	Call Me Ruth (age 8-11) by Marilyn Sachs identity ... family ... historical The daughter of a Russian immigrant family, newly arrived in Manhattan in 1908, has conflicting feelings about her mother's increasingly radical union involvement.
F PFE	Portraits of Little Women Series (age 8-11) by Susan Beth Pfeffer family ... friendship ... historical Based on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, this charming series shares stories of friendship and sisterhood. title: Portraits of Little Women. Amy Makes a Friend title: A Gift for Amy title: A Gift for Meg title: Portraits of Little Women. A Gift for Beth title: Portraits of Little Women. Amy's Story title: Portraits of Little Women. Beth's Story title: Portraits of Little Women. Jo's Story title: Portraits of Little Women. Meg's Story
F MAC	Arthur, For the Very First Time (age 8-11) by Patricia MacLachlan family ... humor Arthur Rasby is ten years old and having the worst summer of his life. But when he goes to stay with his eccentric Great Aunt Elda and Great Uncle Wrisby on their farm, his world is turned upside down. Arthur's aunt and uncle do things his parents would never do, like singing to their pet pig, and speaking French to a pet chicken. Arthur soon realizes there's a whole world just waiting to be discovered.
F KLI	Letters From Camp (age 8-11) by Kate Klise mystery ... humor ... family ... letters/journal Sent to Camp Happy Harmony to learn how to get along with each other, pairs of brothers and sisters chronicle in letters home how they come to suspect the intentions of the singing family running the camp.
F EST	The Moffats (age 8-11) by Eleanor Estes humor ... family Meet the Moffats. There is Sylvie, the oldest, the cleverest, and-most days at least-the responsible one; Joey, who though only twelve is the man of the house...sometimes; Janey, who has a terrific upside-down way of looking at the world; and Rufus, who may be the littlest but always gets in the biggest trouble.
F EAG	Full Moon Stories: Thirteen Native American Legends (age 8-11) by EagleWalkingTurtle identity ... family ... historical ... short stories Grandpa Iron tells thirteen stories, one for each full moon of the year, that convey some of the traditions and beliefs of Native Americans, particularly his Arapaho people.
F DIT	The Spiderwick Chronicles (age 8-11) by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 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: The Ironwood Tree title: The Wrath of Mulgarath
F DIC	Because of Winn-Dixie (age 8-11) by Kate Dicamillo growing up ... family ... friendship ... animals Publisher comments: Opal spends all one sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of her dog, Winn-Dixie, or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship and forgiveness can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm.
F DAN	Amber Brown Series (age 8-11) by Paula Danziger realistic ... family ... friendship ... growing up Amber Brown faces complications at school, with her friends, and with her family. title: Amber Brown Goes Fourth title: Amber Brown Is Feeling Blue title: Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon title: Amber Brown Sees Red title: Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit title: Forever Amber Brown title: I, Amber Brown title: You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown
F CLE	Beezus and Ramona (age 8-11) by Beverly Cleary humor ... realistic ... family Publisher comments: It is not that Ramona deliberately sets out to make trouble for other people. She simply has more imagination than is healthy for any one person. In this first book of the Ramona series, our heroine establishes herself as one of the strongest and funniest characters in print. sequel: Ramona the Pest sequel: Ramona the Brave sequel: Ramona and Her Father sequel: Ramona Forever sequel: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 sequel: Ramona's World
F ALE	Gypsy Rizka (age 8-11) by Lloyd Alexander family ... humor Catalog: Living alone in her wagon on the outskirts of a small town while waiting for her father's return, Rizka, a Gypsy and a trickster, exposes the ridiculous foibles of some of the townspeople.

Barron Park Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:26 2012 Other themes and genres