F BRO	Thomasina and the Tommyknocker (age 9-12) by Juanita Kennedy Browne folklore ... historical Catalog: A young girl in a California gold mining town in 1892 meets a mythical Cornish creature associated with underground mines and learns a lesson about what it takes to become someone who is truly important.
F BRO	Backbone of the King: the Story of Paka'a and his Son Ku (age 9-12) by Marcia Brown folklore Legends from ancient Hawaii.
F HAN	King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (age 9-12) by Joshua Hanft magic ... knights/castles/dragons ... folklore A specially adapted version of a story of kings and knights in a time of magic, evil and witchcraft.
F IRV	Rip Van Winkle (age 9-12) by Washington Irving spooky ... identity ... folklore The adventures of henpecked farmer Rip Van Winkle who escapes to the hills for a day of hunting. After sleeping for twenty years, he awakens to find a changed world.
F LES	The Old African (age 9-12) by Julius Lester folklore ... historical ... spooky No one on the plantation had ever heard the Old African's voice, yet he had spoken to all of them in their minds. For the Old African had the power to see the color of a person's soul and read his thoughts as if they were words on a page. Now it was time to act ... time to lead his fellow slaves to the Water-That-Stretched-Forever, and from there back to Africa. Back to their home.
F MAC	The Light Princess (age 9-12) by George MacDonald princesses ... magic ... fantasy ... folklore The princess at her christening is cursed by a wicked witch with lightness. She floats blissfully about the castle all day long and, as one can imagine, gets into all sorts of adventures. Gravity, weight, sorrow, suffering ... all of this the princess misses, but with all of these she misses love, for what is love without weight, without falling?
F DIC	A Christmas Carol (age 9-12) by Charles Dickens traditions ... growing up ... folklore ... spooky A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.
F SPR	Tales of Rowan Hood Series (age 9-12) by Nancy Springer folklore ... adventure ... fantasy ... identity Rosemary has nowhere to go when her beloved mother dies. She has never met her father--the outlaw Robin Hood. So she changes her name to Rowan, disguises herself as a boy, and make a perilous journey to Sherwood Forest in search of her lost father. title: Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest title: Outlaw Princess of Sherwood: a Tale of Rowan Hood title: Rowan Hood Returns: the Final Chapter title: Wild Boy: a Tale of Rowan Hood
F CLE	The Nutcracker (age 9-12) by David Clement-Davies traditions ... magic ... folklore Catalog: After hearing how the toy nutcracker that she and her brother received for Christmas got his ugly face, Marie helps break the spell he is under and watches him change into a handsome prince. Illustrated notes throughout the text explain the historical background of the story.
F VOR	The Troll King (age 9-12) by John Vornholt folklore ... fantasy ... magic When a power-hungry sorcerer decides to bridge the Great Chasm and conquer the elves and fairies who live on the other side, he inadvertently enables a gentle troll to reach for a much nobler dream.
F VAN	Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird (age 9-12) by Vivian Vande Velde short stories ... folklore ... humor Presents thirteen twisted versions of such familiar fairy tales as Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
F TOL	Save Halloween! (age 9-12) by Stephanie S. Tolan traditions ... identity ... authorship ... folklore ... school Eleven-year-old Johnna, who is deeply involved in the sixth grade Halloween pageant although her family views it as a celebration of an un-Christian holiday, decides that she must follow her own beliefs.
F SPE	Call It Courage (age 9-12) by Armstrong Sperry adventure ... survival ... folklore Relates how Mafatu, a young Polynesian boy whose name means Stout Heart, overcomes his terrible fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his people.
F SHE	Thor's Hammer (age 9-12) by Will Shetterly adventure ... fantasy ... folklore In 1876 San Francisco, three boys from very different backgrounds are rescued from drowning by a magical ship which takes them on a quest to Asgard, home of the Norse gods.
F SER	Weirdos of the Universe, Unite! (age 9-12) by Pamela F. Service humor ... adventure ... science fiction ... folklore Dedicated weirdos Mandy and Owen accidentally summon up five mythological beings, who need their aid in defending Earth from space invaders.
F SER	The White Stag (age 9-12) by Kate Seredy voyages/journeys ... historical ... folklore Retells the legendary story of the Huns' and Magyars' long migration from Asia to Europe where they hope to find a permanent home.
F SAI	The Little Prince (age 9-12) by Antoine de Saint-Exupery folklore ... voyages/journeys ... fantasy ... science fiction A flier is forced to make a landing in the Sahara Desert where he meets a little prince from a distant asteroid, who describes for the pilot his strange adventures on various planets.
F PUL	I Was a Rat! (age 9-12) by Philip Pullman magic ... folklore ... humor I Was a Rat! So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it's true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of Rodent Delusionâ The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That's what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention, and a bit of magic, to convince the rest of the world.
F MED	Haunts: Five Hair-Raising Tales (age 9-12) by Angela Shelf Medearis folklore ... spooky ... short stories These short ghost stories are based on folk tales, all the more menacing for their familiar themes.
F IRV	The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (age 9-12) by Washington Irving folklore ... spooky A superstitious schoolmaster, in love with a wealthy farmer's daughter, has a terrifying encounter with a headless horseman.
F CHR	Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children (age 9-12) by Arthur Bowie Chrisman traditions ... folklore ... short stories Sixteen original stories reflecting the spirit of Chinese life.
F BAB	The Devil's Other Storybook (age 9-12) by Natalie Babbitt folklore ... humor ... short stories The further exploits of the Devil in his own realm and in the world above are recounted in ten more tales.
F COO	The Boggart (age 9-12) by Susan Cooper folklore ... humor ... spooky ... adventure When Emily and Jess Volnik's family inherits a remote, crumbling Scottish castle, they also inherit the Boggart: an invisible, mischievous spirit who's been playing tricks on residents of Castle Keep for generations. Then the Boggart is trapped in a rolltop desk and inadvertently shipped to the Volniks' home in Toronto, where nothing will ever be the same, for the Volniks or the Boggart. In a world that doesn't believe in magic, the Boggart's pranks wreak havoc. And even the newfound joys of peanut butter and pizza and fudge sauce eventually wear thin for the Boggart. He wants to go home, but his only hope lies in a risky and daring blend of modern technology and ancient magic.
F ARM	Whittington (age 9-12) by Alan Armstrong authorship ... folklore ... family ... fantasy Abby and Ben come to the barn every day to help feed the animals. Abby shares her worry that Ben can't really read yet and that he refuses to go to Special Ed. Whittington the cat and the Lady, the leader of the barnyard animals, decide that Abby should give Ben reading lessons in the barn. It is a balm for Ben when, having toughed out the daily lesson, Whittington comes to tell, in tantalizing installments, the story handed down to him from his nameless forebearer, Dick Whittington's cat: the legend of the lad born into poverty in rural England during the Black Death, who runs away to London to seek his fortune. This is an unforgettable tale about how learning to read saves one little boy. It is about the healing, transcendent power of storytelling and how, if you have loved ones surrounding you and good stories to tell, to listen to, and to read, you have just about everything of value in this world.
F COD	Diary of a Fairy Godmother (age 9-12) by Esme Raji Codell folklore ... fantasy This sassy twist on fairy tales follows the story of Hunky Dory, whose interest in wishcraft instead of witchcraft gets her kicked out of charm school. Now she's determined to follow her heart and become a fairy godmother.
F SIN	Naftali the Storyteller and His Horse, Sus (age 9-12) by Isaac Bashens Singer folklore ... authorship ... short stories ... historical A collection of short stories which explores the humor and life of the people of Poland in a bygone era.
F KEL	The Trumpeter of Krakow (age 9-12) by Eric Kelley adventure ... folklore ... historical A Polish family in the Middle Ages guards a great secret treasure and a boy's memory of an earlier trumpeter of Krakow makes it possible for him to save his father.
F MOR	The Squire's Tale (age 9-12) by Gerald Morris folklore ... identity ... adventure ... knights/castles/dragons In medieval England, fourteen-year-old Terence finds his tranquil existence suddenly changed when he becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest, proving Gawain's worth as a knight and revealing an important secret about his own true identity.
F LEV	Ella Enchanted (age 9-12) by Gail Carson Levine folklore ... fantasy In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.

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