F
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
F
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?
F
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.
F
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.
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
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.

Palo Verde Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:34 2012
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