F ROB	Wendy and the Bullies (age 8-11) by Nancy Robinson friendship ... school ... humor Publisher comments: Wendy and Karen are so afraid of bullies that they have a Bully Log which charts bullies' descriptions and behavior patterns, a Bully Map which shows where the bullies hang out, and a Strategic War Room where they dream up fanciful plans to rid themselves of bullies forever.
F CRE	Heartbeat (age 8-11) by Sharon Creech poetry ... growing up ... identity ... friendship ... family Twelve-year-old Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather begins to falter, and her best friend and running partner grows distant.
F VAN	Smart Dog (age 8-11) by Vivian Vande Velde brilliant protagonist ... friendship ... school ... animals Fifth grader Amy Prochenko is wildly unpopular. Then one day Amy meets Sherlock, a dog on the run from a university lab. Sherlock is not like other dogs: He can talk, he's smarter than most of Amy's classmates--and he needs Amy's help. Suddenly Amy's life is full of danger and excitement, and she finds she is becoming, of all things, popular. Best of all, she discovers in Sherlock the sort of friend she's always longed for--and one she must protect no matter what the cost.
F 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. sequel: The Trouble on Janus
F 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.
F CLE	Keepers of the School (age 8-11) by Andrew Clements friendship ... mystery ... school Publisher comments: Benjamin Pratt's school is about to become the site of a new amusement park. It sounds like a dream come true But lately, Ben has been wondering if he's going to like an amusement park in the middle of his town - with all the buses and traffic and eight dollar slices of pizza. It's going to change everything. And, Ben is not so big on all the new changes in his life, like how his dad has moved out and started living in the marina on what used to be the family sailboat. Maybe it would be nice if the school just stayed as it is. He likes the school. Loves it, actually. It's over 200 years old and sits right on the harbor. The playground has ocean breezes and the classrooms have million dollar views. MILLION DOLLAR views. And after a chance — and final — run-in with the school janitor, Ben starts to discover that these MILLION DOLLAR views have a lot to do with the deal to sell the school property. But, as much as the town wants to believe it, the school does not belong to the local government. It belongs to the CHILDREN and these children have the right to defend it Don't think Ben, his friend Jill (and the tag-along Robert) can ruin a multimillion dollar real estate deal? Then you don't know the history and the power of the Keepers of the School. A suspenseful six book series, book one, We the Children, starts the battle on land and on sea. It's a race to keep the school from turning into a ticket booth and these kids are about to discover just how threatening a little knowledge can be. title: We the Children title: Fear Itself
F CLE	Extra Credit (age 8-11) by Andrew Clements school ... friendship ... identity Publisher comments: It isn't that Abby Carson can't do her schoolwork. She just doesn't like doing it. And consequently, Abby will have to repeat sixth grade, unless she meets some specific conditions, including taking on an extra credit project: find a pen pal in a distant country. But when Abby's first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, complications arise. The elders agree that any letters going back to America must be written well, but the only qualified English-speaking student is a boy. And in this village, it's not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So, Sadeed's sister will dictate and sign the letters for him. But what about the villagers who believe that girls should not be anywhere near a school? And what about those who believe that any contact with Americans is...unhealthy? As letters flow back and forth between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of central Asia, across cultural and religious divides, through the minefields of different lifestyles and traditions, a small group of children begin to speak and listen to each other. And in just a few short weeks, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.
F 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.
F DIT	Kenny and the Dragon (age 8-11) by Tony DiTerlizzi knights/castles/dragons ... fantasy ... friendship Publisher comments: What do you do when your new best buddy has been designated a scourge by the community and marked for imminent extermination? Just ask Kenny Rabbit. When the simple folks in the sleepy little village of Roundbrook catch wind that there's a dragon running loose in the countryside, they get the wrong idea and the stage is set for a fight to the death. So it's up to Kenny to give his neighbors front-row seats to one of the best-known battles in history, the legendary showdown between St. George and the dragon, without losing a friend in the fray.
F LOO	Alvin Ho Series (age 8-11) by Lenore Look friendship ... growing up ... school Publisher comments: Alvin Ho is an Asian American second grader who is afraid of everything--elevators, tunnels, girls, and, most of all, school. He's so afraid of school that, while he's there, he never, ever, says a word. But at home he's a very loud superhero named Firecracker Man, a brother to Calvin and Anibelly, and a gentleman-in-training, so he can be just like his dad. title: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things title: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters
F MAD	The English Roses Series (age 8-11) by Madonna friendship Catalog: Four best friends are jealous of a neighbor girl and refuse to have anything to do with her, until they each have a dream in which a fairy godmother shows them what the girl's life is really like. title: The English Roses title: Good-Bye Grace title: A Rose by Any Other Name
F MAS	Princess School Series (age 8-11) by Jane B. Mason princesses ... friendship ... school ... fantasy ... humor Publisher comments: With her feet bare (those glass slippers don't fit) and her second-hand gown splattered with mud (thanks, evil stepsisters), Ella's first day of Princess School is off to a lousy start. If she can only find her fairy godmother before the first class begins, Ella is sure she'll put things right. But her FG is off at a convention and Ella is on her own--she'll have to get through the first weeks of Princess School without any bobbity-boo. Ella is terrified--until she meets silly Snow, spunky Rapunzel, and beautiful, sheltered Rose. She begins to realize that with these friends, Princess School could be a LOT of fun. title: If the Shoe Fits title: Who's the Fairest title: Let Down Your Hair title: Beauty is a Beast title: Princess Charming title: Apple-y Ever After title: Thorn in Her Side
F PAR	Skinnybones (age 8-11) by Barbara Park friendship ... sports ... humor For the smallest kid on the baseball team, Alex “Skinnybones” Frankovitch has a major-league big mouth! But when he brags his way into a pitching contest, this might be one mess that not even Alex can talk his way out of. sequel: Almost Starring Skinnybones
F BRO	No Flying in the House (age 8-11) by Betty Brock friendship ... magic ... fantasy Most little girls have parents to look after them, but not Annabel Tippens. She has Gloria, a tiny white dog who talks and wears a gold collar. And that's not the only thing that makes Annabel different: She can do all kinds of things that other kids can't do, like kiss her own elbow and fly around the house! Could it be true that Annabel is not a little girl at all, but a fairy? Soon Annabel will have to decide. If she chooses to be a fairy, she'll have to say good-bye to Gloria forever. But how can she decide between her newly found magic and her dearest friend?
F DUF	Hey, New Kid! (age 8-11) by Betsy Duffey friendship ... identity ... school Cody's father is an F.B.I. agent, he's got a pet emu, and he's an ace on Rollerblades. At least, that's what Cody tells his class on the first day at his new school. Being Super Deluxe Cody is great, until someone throws a skating party. And suddenly, the game may be up!
F GIF	Have You Seen Hyacinth Macaw (age 8-11) by Patricia Reilly Giff humor ... friendship ... mystery Abby and her friend Potsie work on several mysteries: a mysterious new neighbor, a missing person, a theft, and the unusual actions of Abby's brother.
F KIN	The Merman (age 8-11) by Dick King-Smith friendship ... fantasy While vacationing in Scotland, Zeta meets a rather unusual fellow. He's a terrific swimmer. He chats with seals. And he has a fish tail. Marinus is a merman, definitely not your average summer friend. Who else could teach Zeta everything from swimming to astronomy to French? Everything's an adventure when Marinus is around, and as the summer ends, Zeta knows she'll miss her new friend terribly. Luckily, Marinus has one last surprise in store for her, one that will last a lifetime.
F ROB	Veronica Meets Her Match (age 8-11) by Nancy Robinson school ... friendship Veronica's fervent attempts to gain peer acceptance continue as she claims the new girl as her own special friend.
F ROB	Veronica the Show-off (age 8-11) by Nancy Robinson school ... friendship Although lonely and desperately in need of friends, Veronica overwhelms her new classmates with her outrageous behavior in a bid for attention.
F GRE	Rosy Cole's Great American Guilt Club (age 8-11) by Sheila Greenwald friendship ... school Convinced that she doesn't have any of the things that matter, i.e. trendy clothes and a house in the country, Rosy Cole decides to form a club which will allow her rich friends to give her their surplus clothes, sports gear, and jewelry.
F HAL	Megan's Mare (age 8-11) by Lynn Hall friendship ... animals Eleven-year-old Megan, daughter of a Yorkshire horse trainer, finding she has a special bond with the beautiful problem mare Berry, determines to help her overcome her fear of wooden bridges.
F HUR	The Hot and Cold Summer (age 8-11) by Johanna Hurwitz humor ... friendship Two inseparable ten-year-old boys discover there is room in their friendship for another person and it really doesn't matter that she is a girl.
F KEH	The Richest Kids in Town (age 8-11) by Peg Kehret humor ... friendship ... enterprise New to town and homesick for his old life, fourth-grader Peter teams up with a classmate to earn money for a trip to his old hometown but all their moneymaking schemes have unexpected results.
F MCK	Run Away Home (age 8-11) by Patricia C. McKissack bigotry ... friendship ... historical In 1886 in Alabama, an eleven-year-old African American girl and her family befriend and give refuge to a runaway Apache boy.
F MIL	After Fifth Grade, the World (age 8-11) by Claudia Mills friendship ... school Heidi tries a succession of ways to make her fifth-grade teacher less mean.
F NAY	Eddie, Incorporated (age 8-11) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor friendship ... enterprise Twelve-year-old Eddie decides to go into business for himself with two friends and soon discovers that a business is not a simple thing.
F EIS	The Lexie Series (age 8-11) by Lisa Eisenberg friendship ... humor Whether she's figuring out what to do for the girl scout talent show or planning a birthday party, Lexie is a fourth grader dealing with all the problems and fascinations of everyday life. title: Lexie on Her Own title: Happy Birthday Lexie!
F WIL	The Aurora County All-Stars (age 8-11) by Deborah Wiles friendship ... family ... bigotry ... sports Twelve-year-old House Jackson--star pitcher and team captain of the Aurora County All-Stars--has been sidelined for a whole sorry year with a broken elbow. He's finally ready to play, but wouldn't you know that the team's only game of the year has been scheduled for the exact same time as the town's 200th-anniversary pageant. Now House must face the pageant's director, full-of-herself Frances Shotz (his nemesis and perpetrator of the elbow break), and get his team out of this mess. There's also the matter of a mysterious old recluse who has died and left House a wheezy old dog named Eudora Welty--and a puzzling book of poetry by someone named Walt Whitman. Through the long, hot month of June, House makes surprising and valuable discoveries about family, friendship, poetry . . . and baseball.
F WAR	The Emma Series (age 8-11) by Sally Warner humor ... friendship ... school Emma Mcgraw is slowly making friends at her new school. But when Cynthia calls her weird, emma is shocked. They are supposed to be best friends! In response, Emma decides that Cynthia's new name should be bossy pants, and she tells everyone in the class. Now the entire third grade is trading nicknames. And while it starts out being funny, Emma begins to see the downside of name-calling. But just when she decides it's time for apologies, her teacher makes the most dreaded call of all, the one to everyone's parents. title: Best Friend Emma title: Not-So-Weird Emma title: Only Emma
F MCD	Julie, 1974: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Megan McDonald growing up ... friendship ... historical Julie Albright doesn't want to move away from her San Francisco neighborhood near Chinatown, even if their new apartment is just a few miles away. Moving means leaving her best friend, Ivy, and her pet rabbit, Nutmeg. Worst of all, it means leaving Dad, now that her parents are divorced. Julie tries to make the best of it by joining the school's basketball team, but the coach won't allow girls to play. She learns that it's up to her to make positive changes in her new school--and her new life. title: Meet Julie title: Changes for Julie title: Happy New Year, Julie title: Julie and the Eagles title: Julie tells her story title: Julie's Journey
F KES	The Emily Windsnap Series (age 8-11) by Liz Kessler identity ... friendship ... family ... fantasy This story about a girl who learns she is half mermaid lures readers into a glorious undersea world--an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the power of love. . title: The Tail of Emily Windsnap title: Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep title: Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist title: Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret
F 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?
F 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.
F DOW	From the Highly Scientific Notebooks of Phineas L. Macguire (age 8-11) by Frances O'Roark Dowell humor ... friendship ... math/science/technology Here's what you need to know about Phineas L. MacGuire, boy-scientist extraordinaire, aka Mac: 1. He's allergic to purple, telephone calls, and girls, and can prove it. 2. He's probably the world's expert on mold, including which has the highest stink potential. 3. He does not have a best friend. He does, however, have an un-best friend, who he does not ... repeat, not ... want to upgrade to best friend status. But disaster strikes when his teacher pairs Mac and his un-best friend together for the upcoming science fair. Worse, this un-best friend wants the project to be on dinosaurs, which is so third grade. Worse still, it seems as though everyone else in his class finds the un-best friend as unlikeable as Mac does. But, being a boy-scientist, once Mac notices this, he just might have to do some investigating.... title: Phineas L. Macguire -- Erupts! The First Experiment title: Phineas L. Macguire Gets Slimed
F DAV	The Lemonade War Series (age 8-11) by Jacqueline Davies friendship ... brilliant protagonist ... enterprise ... math/science/technology Evan Treski is people-smart. He is good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart...but not especially good at understanding people. She knows that feelings are her weakest subject. So when their lemonade war begins, there really is no telling who will win...and even more important, if their fight will ever end. title: The Lemonade War title: The Lemonade Crime
F CAR	What a Wimp (age 8-11) by Carol Carrick growing up ... friendship Although his teacher, mother, and older brother are sympathetic, Barney knows he'll have to find his own way to deal with the bully, Lennie.
F CAR	Sarah and the Naked Truth (age 8-11) by Elisa Lynn Carbone identity ... friendship While ten-year-old Sarah faces some challenges after losing most of her hair in a bubble gum accident, her closest friends Christina and Olivia deal with identity issues of their own, and in the end all learn to stand up to others in order to be true to themselves.
F BYA	The Cybil War (age 8-11) by Betsy Cromer Byars friendship ... humor Simon learns some hard lessons about good and bad friendships when his good friend Tony's stories involve him in some very troublesome and complicated situations.
F CHR	Favor for a Ghost (age 8-11) by Matt Christopher animals ... friendship ... spooky When the ghost of his friend Billy returns to beg him to move the grave of his former dog next to his own, Lenny tries to find a way to fulfill the request despite the opposition of the dog's second owner.
F CLE	No Talking (age 8-11) by Andrew Clements friendship ... realistic ... humor ... school The fifth-grade girls and the fifth-grade boys at Laketon Elementary don't get along very well. But the real problem is that these kids are loud and disorderly. That's why the principal uses her red plastic bullhorn. A lot. Then one day Dave Packer, a certified loudmouth, bumps into an idea ... a big one that makes him try to keep quiet for a whole day. But what does Dave hear during lunch? A girl, Lynsey Burgess, jabbering away. So Dave breaks his silence and lobs an insult. And those words spark a contest: Which team can say the fewest words during two whole days? And it's the boys against the girls. How do the teachers react to the silence? What happens when the principal feels she's losing control? And will Dave and Lynsey plunge the whole school into chaos? This funny and surprising book is about language and thought, about words unspoken, words spoken in anger, and especially about the power of words spoken in kindness...with or without a bullhorn.
F KRE	The Wilder Summer (age 8-11) by Stephen Krensky school ... friendship Charlie Wilder is unenthusiastic about summer camp until he sets eyes on Lydia Travers, but getting to know Lydia turns out to be far more complicated than he had ever anticipated.
F 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 in Spite of Herself
F SEI	The Wainscott Weasel (age 8-11) by Tor Seidler nature ... friendship All sorts of creatures live near the Wainscott woods on the South Fork of Long Island, but the most remarkable citizens of this seaside community are the weasels, including Zeke Whitebelly and his boisterous brothers, Bagley Brown, Jr., and Wendy Blackish. This whimsical story about nature and friendship is beautifully illustrated.
F KIN	Martin's Mice (age 8-11) by Dick King-Smith friendship ... humor A farm cat who doesn't want to catch mice keeps a family of them as pets in the barn; but then he is given away to a townswoman and acquires a new perspective.
F KIN	Harriet's Hare (age 8-11) by Dick King-Smith friendship ... science fiction A young girl's life with her father on their farm in England is changed when she befriends a talking hare that is really a shape-changing alien.
F GIL	Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub (age 8-11) by Jamie Gilson friendship ... school The boys and girls in the fourth grade devise a contest to "sink their substitute teacher by making her cry.
F GIL	Hello, My Name Is Scrambled Eggs (age 8-11) by Jamie Gilson friendship ... identity When his folks host a Vietnamese family that has come to settle in their town, Harvey enjoys Americanizing twelve-year-old Tuan.
F 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.
F HUR	Aldo Applesauce (age 8-11) by Johanna Hurwitz identity ... friendship When he and his family move to the suburbs, shy Aldo has difficulty finding new friends, but he soon finds his own way. sequel: Aldo Ice Cream
F GIF	Casey, Tracy and Company Series (age 8-11) by Patricia Reilly Giff friendship ... school Casey Valentine, and her sometimes best friend Tracy, navigate the bumpy road to popularity in this fun series. title: Fourth-Grade Celebrity title: The Girl Who Knew It All
F GUT	The Get Rich Quick Club (age 8-11) by Dan Gutman humor ... friendship ... enterprise We, the members of the Get Rich Quick Club, in order to form a more perfect summer, vow that we will figure out a way to make a million dollars by September. We agree that neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night will prevent us from achieving our stated goal, till death do us part. Gina Tumolo and her Get Rich Quick Club are determined to make their summer pay off. They're going to make a pact and hatch a scheme, and their small-town life will never be the same again.
F WIN	Hank Zipzer Series (age 8-11) by Henry Winkler school ... friendship ... humor Life (and school) isn't easy for Hank, but he always finds a way out of the hilarious situations he finds himself in. title: Niagara Falls, Or Does It? title: I Got a D in Salami title: Day of the Iguana title: The Night I Flunked My Field Trip title: Holy Enchilada! title: Help! Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth Grade! title: Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up? title: The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down title: Barfing in the Backseat title: Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not Me! title: The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk
F STR	Skating Shoes (age 8-11) by Noel Streatfeild friendship ... sports ... identity ... school ... the arts Publisher comments: It's a stroke of great luck when Harriet Johnsons doctor prescribes skating after an illness that has left her feeling frail and listless. For on her very first day at the rink, Harriet meets orphaned Lalla Moore, who is being brought up by her wealthy aunt Claudia to be a skating champion. Although they have little in common, the girls form a fast friendship. Harriet is energized by talented, funny Lalla, and Lalla in turn blossoms under the affection of openhearted Harriet. The girls skate together more and more. But just as Lallas interest in skating starts to fade, Harriets natural talent begins to emerge. Suddenly Lalla and Harriet seem headed in two very different directions. Can their friendship survive?
F CLI	I Hate Your Guts, Ben Brooster (age 8-11) by Eth Clifford friendship ... mystery Catalog: When eleven-year-old Charlie's nine-year-old cousin Ben arrives from Japan with the wrong suitcase to spend a year with him, Charlie is irritated by Ben's genius intelligence, but comes to admire him as the two are drawn into a mystery concerning a handwritten will in Ben's suitcase.
F CLE	Room One: a Mystery or Two (age 8-11) by Andrew Clements friendship ... mystery ... school Catalog: A young boy living in rural western Nebraska investigates the connection between a mysterious face in the window of an empty house and the possible closing of the one-room school he attends.
F CLE	The Report Card (age 8-11) by Andrew Clements friendship ... brilliant protagonist ... school catalog: Fifth-grader Nora Rowley has always hidden the fact that she is a genius from everyone because all she wants is to be normal, but when she comes up with a plan to prove that grades are not important, things begin to get out of control.
F CLE	Lunch Money (age 8-11) by Andrew Clements humor ... friendship ... authorship ... school ... enterprise Catalog: Twelve-year-old Greg, who has always been good at moneymaking projects, is surprised to find himself teaming up with his lifelong rival, Maura, to create a series of comic books to sell at school.
F BUT	The Trouble With Jenny's Ear (age 8-11) by Oliver Butterworth math/science/technology ... friendship ... humor ... enterprise Catalog: Two boys experiment with electronics, and meet with extraordinary results. Jenny can hear people's thoughts!
F BAI	Miss Hickory (age 8-11) by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey adventure ... friendship Miss Hickory is very worried. Her owner has moved to Boston, and how can Miss Hickory survive a harsh New Hampshire winter all alone? After all, she is just a doll whose body is an apple-wood twig and whose head is a hickory nut, and whose house is made out of corncobs. But Miss Hickory has ingenuity, and the help of neighbors like Crow, Bull Frog, and Ground Hog to see her through. And near the end of those cold, dark months, something unexpected happens to Miss Hickory--something even more welcome than the coming of spring.
F DEC	Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade (age 8-11) by Barthe DeClements friendship ... school ... humor It isn't easy to be the new kid, as the fifth graders soon discover.
F 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.
F WIL	The Velveteen Rabbit: or, How Toys Become Real (age 8-11) by Margery Williams friendship ... magic By the time the velveteen rabbit is dirty, worn out, and about to be burned, he has almost given up hope of ever finding the magic called Real.
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 WHI	Charlotte's Web (age 8-11) by E. B. White friendship ... animals ... enterprise Wilbur the pig is desolate when he discovers he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner, until his spider friend Charlotte comes up with a plan to save him.
F WHI	The Trumpet of the Swan (age 8-11) by E. B. White friendship ... growing up ... the arts A voiceless trumpeter swan named Louis, attempting to win the love of a beautiful swan named Serena, learns to play a trumpet stolen for him by his father, and then finds himself far from his wilderness home when he sets out to become a trumpeter and pay his father back.
F SMI	A Taste of Blackberries (age 8-11) by Doris Buchanan Smith friendship ... illness/loss Jamie is special, full of surprises, unpredictable. He can get into trouble, and then out of it. He courts danger, and always escapes. And he has an answer for every impossible question. But when something sudden and terrible happens to Jamie, his best friend has to face the tragedy alone. Now there are questions that not even Jamie could have answered.
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 SPI	Fourth Grade Rats (age 8-11) by Jerry Spinelli school ... humor ... realistic ... friendship Suds faces the transition to fourth grade with a bit of uncertainty, but soon finds that he has what it takes in this funny and touching school story.
F 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.
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 CLE	Otis Spofford (age 8-11) by Beverly Cleary humor ... school ... realistic ... friendship There was nothing Otis Spofford liked better than stirring up a little excitement, particularly at school. A less resourceful teacher than Mrs. Gitler would have found him pretty hard to take. But even Mrs. Gitler did not entirely relish the bullfight at the fiesta arranged for the P.T.A. meeting. Otis was disappointed at not being the toreador, but as the front half of the bull he managed to steal the whole show, to the annoyance of his classmates and his teacher. It was then that Mrs. Gitler suggested that Otis might someday get his comeuppance.
F CLE	Ellen Tebbits (age 8-11) by Beverly Cleary the arts ... school ... realistic ... friendship Ellen was eight years old and wore bands on her teeth. Her best friend had just moved away and she missed her. Still, as she walked to the Spofford School of the Dance one Saturday, she was almost glad she had no best friend. Best friends do not have secrets from each other, and Ellen had a secret she did not want to share with anyone. But by the time the dancing lesson was over (surely the most devastating dancing lesson on record), Ellen had found a best friend and shared her secret. The best friend was Austine, and the secret was that Ellen was wearing woolen underwear. So was Austine!
F BLU	Blubber (age 8-11) by Judy Blume realistic ... friendship ... school Blubber is a good name for her, the note said about Linda. Jill crumpled it up and left it on her desk. But Robby grabbed the note and before long it had gone halfway around the room. That's where it all started.
F 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 at Point Mouette title: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
F 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.
F SPI	Wringer (age 8-11) by Jerry Spinelli identity ... friendship ... nature ... growing up For as long as he can remember, Palmer LaRue has dreaded the day he turns ten, the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide.
F MOR	Kavik the Wolf Dog (age 8-11) by Walt Morey friendship ... nature ... survival ... adventure ... animals Following instinct alone, a wolf-dog embarks on a fantastic journey over 2000 miles from Washington to Alaska to return to the boy who once saved his life.
F LAW	Rabbit Hill (age 8-11) by Robert Lawson friendship ... nature When humans move to the hill, the families already in residence worry about whether they will be good neighbors or not.
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 GIF	Lily's Crossing (age 8-11) by Patricia Reilly Giff war ... illness/loss ... friendship ... historical Every summer Lily and her father go to her family's house in Rockaway, near the Atlantic Ocean. But the summer of 1944 is different. World War II has called Lily's father overseas, Lily's best friend Margaret had to move with her family to a wartime factory town, and Lily is forced to live with her grandmother. But then a boy named Albert, a refugee from Hungary, comes to live in Rockaway. He has lost most of his family to the war. Soon he and Lily form a special friendship, and they have secrets to share. But they have both told lies, and Lily's lie may cost Albert his life.
F COV	Magic Shop Series (age 8-11) by Bruce Coville fantasy ... friendship ... magic ... humor Problems of the real world are nothing compared to the problems stirred up in Mr. Elives' Magic Shop, where young customers leave with more than they bargained for. title: Jennifer Murdley's Toad title: The Skull of Truth title: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher title: The Monster's Ring
F 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
F KON	The View From Saturday (age 8-11) by E. L. Konigsburg realistic ... identity ... friendship ... brilliant protagonist Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.
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 SEL	The Cricket in Times Square Series (age 8-11) by George Selden friendship ... enterprise The adventures of a country cricket who unintentionally arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. title: The Cricket in Times Square title: Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse title: Chester Cricket's New Home title: Tucker's Countryside title: Harry Cat's Pet Puppy
F ROC	How to Eat Fried Worms (age 8-11) by Thomas Rockwell realistic ... friendship ... school ... humor Billy makes a bet, then has to make good on it...fifteen worms in fifteen days. As hilarious as it is disgusting, Billy stands up for what's right in his own way.
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: A Gift for Amy title: A Gift for Meg title: Portraits of Little Women. A Gift for Beth title: Portraits of Little Women. A Gift for Jo title: Portraits of Little Women. Amy's Story title: Portraits of Little Women. Beth's Story title: Portraits of Little Women. Jo's Story
F MAZ	The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes Series (age 8-11) by Anne Mazer friendship ... school This series follows the friendships and foibles of fifth-grader Abby Hayes. title: The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword title: The Declaration of Independence title: Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining title: Everything New Under the Sun title: Good Things Come in Small Packages title: The More, the Merrier title: Out of Sight, Out of Mind title: Reach for the Stars title: Some Things Never Change title: Too Close for Comfort title: Two Heads Are Better Than One title: Look Before You Leap title: Have Wheels, Will Travel title: Knowledge is Power title: That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles title: Now You See It, Now You Don't title: It's Music To My Ears title: Home is Where the Heart Is title: All That Glitters Isn't Gold
F MAR	The Babysitters Club Series (age 8-11) by Ann Matthews Martin friendship ... mystery Members of the Babysitter's Club solve mysteries, repair friendships, and look after their young charges with care and determination. title: Dawn and the Surfer Ghost
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 Not a Crayon title: Amber Brown Sees Red title: Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit title: Forever Amber Brown title: You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown
F DAH	The BFG (age 8-11) by Roald Dahl humor ... fantasy ... friendship Publisher comments: When orphan Sophie is snatched from her bed by a Giant, she fears that he is going to eat her. But as he explains in his unique way of talking, "I is the only nice and jumbly Giant in Giant Country! I is THE BIG FRIENDLY GIANT! I is the BFG." The BFG tells Sophie how he mixes up dreams to blow through a trumpet into the ears of children.
F PET	Matt Christopher's Sports Series (age 8-11) by Stephanie Peters realistic ... friendship ... sports The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the importance of good sportsmanship and playing as part of a team. You'll find all this and more in Matt Christopher's exciting books. title: Lacrosse Firestorm
F CHR	Matt Christopher's Sports Series (age 8-11) by Matt Christopher realistic ... friendship ... sports The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the importance of good sportsmanship and playing as part of a team. You'll find all this and more in Matt Christopher's exciting books. title: The Lucky Baseball Bat title: Catch That Pass! title: Catcher With a Glass Arm title: Centerfield Ballhawk title: Crackerjack Halfback title: The Diamond Champs title: Dirt Bike Racer title: The Fox Steals Home title: Glue Fingers title: Hard Drive to Short title: Ice Magic title: The Kid Who Only Hit Homers title: No Arm in Left Field title: Skateboard Tough title: Snowboard Maverick title: Soccer Halfback title: Top Wing title: Tough to Tackle title: Wild Pitch title: The Winning Stroke title: Long-Arm Quarterback title: Football Fugitive
F MIL	Winnie-the-Pooh Series (age 8-11) by A. A. Milne friendship Catalog: The adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends, in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meets a Heffalump, and Eeyore has a birthday. title: The World of Pooh: the Complete Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner

Walter Hays Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:30 2012 Other themes and genres