KLI |
43 Old Cemetary Road Series (age 9-12) by Kate Klise humor ... authorship ... letters/journal ... spooky ... mystery Publisher comments: Ignatius B. Grumply moves into the Victorian mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road hoping to find some peace and quiet so he can crack a wicked case of writer's block. But 43 Old Cemetery Road is already occupied by eleven-year-old Seymour, his cat Shadow, and an irritable ghost named Olive. It's hard to say who is more outraged. But a grumpy old ghost just might inspire this grumpy old man--and the abandoned kid? Well, let's just say his last name's Hope. title: Over My Dead Body |
Choose Your Own Adventure Series (age 9-12) authorship ... action ... adventure You decide the outcome of each of these breathtaking adventures. title: By Balloon to the Sahara by Douglas Terman F TER title: The Cave of Time by Edward Packard F PAC title: Escape by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Gorga, the Space Monster by Edward Packard F PAC title: The Green Slime by Susan Saunders F SAU title: Lost on the Amazon by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: The Mystery of Chimney rock by Edward Packard F PAC title: Prisoner of the Ant People by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Space and Beyond by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Space Patrol by Julius Goodman F GOO title: Sunken Treasure by Edward Packard F PAC title: Your Very Own Robot by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Secret of the Ninja by Jay Leibold F LEI title: Terror on the Titanic by Jim Wallace F WAL title: War With the Evil Power Master by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: The Lost Jewels of Nabooti by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: The Brilliant Dr. Wogan by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: The Abominable Snowman by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Tattoo of Death by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Return to Atlantis by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Race Forever by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Journey Under the Sea by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: House of Danger by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Forecast from Stonehenge by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: Beyond Escape! by R. A. Montgomery F MON title: The Case of the Silk King by Shannon Gilligan F GIL title: Struggle Down Under by Shannon Gilligan F GIL title: Cup of Death by Shannon Gilligan F GIL title: Inca Gold by Jim Becket F BEC | |
SNY |
The Bronze Pen
(age 9-12) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder brilliant protagonist ... humor ... friendship ... magic ... family ... authorship Twelve-year-old Audrey Abbott dreams of becoming a writer, but with her father's failing health and the family's shaky finances, it seems there is no room for what her overworked mother would surely call a childish fantasy. So Audrey keeps her writing a secret. That is, until she meets a mysterious old woman who seems able to read her mind. Audrey is surprised at how readily she reveals her secret to the woman. One day the old woman gives Audrey a peculiar bronze pen and tells her to "use it wisely and to good purpose." It turns out to be just perfect for writing her stories with. But as Audrey writes, odd things start happening. Did Beowulf, her dog, just speak to her? And what is that bumping under her bed at night? It seems that whatever she writes with the pen comes true. However, things don't always happen in the way that she wants or expects. In fact, it's quite difficult to predict what writing with the pen will do. Could the pen be more of a curse than a gift? Or will Audrey be able to rewrite the future in the way that she wishes---and save her father's life? |
SCH |
4 Kids in 5-E and 1 Crazy Year
(age 9-12) by Virginia Frances Schwartz letters/journal ... humor ... school ... authorship Told in four voices, this heartfelt and sometimes hilarious story chronicles the ups and downs of a unique group of city kids learning to cope with their complicated lives. |
NAY |
Beetles, Lightly Toasted
(age 9-12) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor humor ... enterprise ... authorship Andy's entering the fifth-grade essay contest stirs his imagination to creative heights as he competes with his know-it-all cousin by making recipes with some unusual food sources and testing them on unaware friends and family. |
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. |
CLE |
Dear Mr. Henshaw
(age 9-12) by Beverly Cleary identity ... friendship ... authorship ... letters/journal In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world. |