CLE |
Troublemaker
(age 8-11) by Andrew Clements identity ... humor ... school Publisher comments: There's a folder in Principal Kelling's office that's as thick as a phonebook and it's growing daily. It's filled with the incident reports of every time Clayton Hensley broke the rules. There's the minor stuff like running in the hallways and not being where he was suppose to be when he was supposed to be there. But then there are also reports that show Clay's own brand of troublemaking, like the most recent addition: the art teacher has said that the class should spend the period drawing anything they want and Clay decides to be extra "creative" and draw a spot-on portrait of Principal Kellings, as a donkey. It's a pretty funny joke, but really, Clay is coming to realize that the biggest joke of all may be on him. When his big brother, Mitchell, gets in some serious trouble, Clay decides to change his own mischief making ways, but he can't seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker. |
ROB |
The Amazing Valvano and the Mystery of the Hooded Rat
(age 8-11) by Mary Robinson mystery ... school ... the arts Catalog: Maria is excited about her plans to perform a magic act in the school talent show until her pet rat, an integral part of the act, is kidnapped. |
FRE |
Fourth Grade Weirdo
(age 8-11) by Martha Freeman humor ... mystery ... school Publisher comments: Dexter is like a square peg in a round hole: he just can't fit in. All the kids in his class enjoy the zany things their teacher Mr. Ditzwinkle does to make learning fun. All except Dexter, the weirdo who prefers the same routine. But when things start disappearing from school, Dexter is surprised that his teacher is suspected. Dexter thinks Mr. Ditzwinkle is odd, but he knows he's not a crook. Can Dexter the weirdo prove it by catching the real thief? |
KOR |
Radio Fifth Grade
(age 8-11) by Gordon Korman authorship ... school ... humor Catalog: Mayhem breaks out in the fifth grade when the Venice Menace bullies his classmates into letting him become a regular guest on "Kidsview," the school's radio program. |
PET |
The Sub
(age 8-11) by P. J. Petersen humor ... identity ... school Catalog: Two friends switch seats when their class has a substitute teacher and find that it isn't so easy to be someone else. |
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. |
VER |
Dragonbreath Series (age 8-11) by Ursula Vernon humor ... fantasy ... school Publisher comments: It's not easy for Danny Dragonbreath to be the sole mythical creature in a school for reptiles and amphibians - especially because he can't breathe fire like other dragons (as the school bully loves to remind him). But having a unique family comes in handy sometimes, like when his sea-serpent cousin takes Danny and his best iguana friend on a mindboggling underwater tour, complete with vomiting sea cucumbers and giant squid. It sure beats reading the encyclopedia to research his ocean report. title: Dragonbreath title: Attack of the Ninja Frogs title: Curse of the Were-Wiener title: Lair of the Bat Monster title: No Such Thing as Ghosts |
PEI |
Big Nate Series (age 8-11) by Lincoln Peirce humor ... school Publisher comments: Aspiring cartoonist Nate Wright is the star of Big Nate, the daily and Sunday comic strip distributed by Newspaper Enterprise Association since 1991. Nate is eleven years old, four-and-a-half feet tall, and the all-time record holder for detentions in school history. He's a self-described genius and sixth grade Renaissance Man. Equipped with only a #2 pencil and the unshakable belief that he is #1, Nate fights a daily battle against overzealous teachers, undercooked cafeteria food and all-around conventionality. He's the original rebel without a clue, alternately abrasive and endearing to classmates and teachers alike. Nate blazes an unforgettable trail through the sixth grade at P.S. 38, earning straight A's in laughs along the way. title: Big Nate Strikes Again title: Big Nate on a Roll title: Big Nate in a Class by Himself |
CRE |
Bloomability
(age 8-11) by Sharon Creech identity ... growing up ... family ... school Thirteen-year-old Domenica Santolina Doone, better known as Dinnie, is accustomed to change. Her family is constantly moving from town to town as her father searches for ``opportunity''. But when her aunt and uncle whisk her far away to an international school in Switzerland, she's not sure she's ready to face this ``opportunity'' alone. |
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. |
AMA |
The Riot Brothers Series (age 8-11) by Mary Amato short stories ... adventure ... humor ... school Orville and Wilbur Riot have no shortage of daily adventures. Sometimes they are undercover detectives. Other times they challenge each other to see who can get the most underwear on his head in exactly thirty seconds. Having trouble keeping up with Wilbur and Orville? Follow the Riot Brother Rule Number 4: Run, do not walk, whenever possible. title: Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life: The Riot Brothers Tell All title: Drooling and Dangerous: the Riot Brothers Return! title: Take the Mummy and Run: The Riot Brothers Are on a Roll |
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 |
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. |
AVI |
Don't You Know There's a War On?
(age 8-11) by Avi growing up ... school ... historical ... war ... humor Publisher comments: World War II is on everyone's mind and in every headline, and Howie Crispers has a hunch that his school principal is a spy. With a little snooping around, Howie finds out something even more alarming. Principal Lomister may not be a spy, but he is plotting to get rid of Howie's favorite teacher. Howie's dad is fighting Nazis overseas, and his mom is working hard to support the war effort, so Miss Gossim is the only person Howie can depend on. With the help of his friends, and a plan worthy of radio show superhero Captain Midnight, Howie intends to save Miss Gossim! |
CLE |
Lost and Found
(age 8-11) by Andrew Clements humor ... identity ... school Publisher comments: Although it's a drag to be constantly mistaken for each other, in truth, during those first days at a new school, there's nothing better than having a twin brother there with you. But on day one of sixth grade, Ray stays home sick, and Jay is on his own. No big deal. It's a pretty nice school, good kids, too. But Jay quickly discovers a major mistake: No one seems to know a thing about his brother. Ray's not on the attendance lists, doesn't have a locker, doesn't even have a student folder. Jay almost tells the school (almost) but then decides that this lost information could be very...useful. And fun. As Ray and Jay exploit a clerical oversight, they each find new views on friendship, honesty, what it means to be a twin, and what it means to be yourself. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and true-to-life, this clever novel is classic Andrew Clements times two: twins! |
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 |
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 |
YEP |
Cockroach Cooties
(age 8-11) by Laurence Yep school ... humor ... action ... realistic Teddy and his little brother Bobby devise strategies using bugs to defeat the school bully. |
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! |
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. |
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. |
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. |
HUT |
Follow That Bus!
(age 8-11) by Pat Hutchins adventure ... school ... mystery Two bank robbers find that a group of second graders visiting a farm are more than they bargained for. |
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. |
PEC |
Hub
(age 8-11) by Robert Newton Peck school ... sports When their teacher enters the annual Chump's Landing Overland Obstacle Bicycle Race, Horrace Hubert and his best friend Spooner Jitwell do everything they can to make sure she wins the silver trophy. |
PRY |
Poison Ivy and Eyebrow Wigs
(age 8-11) by Bonnie Pryor family ... identity ... school Nine-year-old Martin has a busy year in the fourth grade as he tries to find his own identity both at school and among his large and busy family. |
PRY |
Vinegar Pancakes and Vanishing Cream
(age 8-11) by Bonnie Pryor family ... identity ... school Surrounded by siblings who are either athletic, smart, or cute, Martin wonders who he is while enduring a wild camping trip, disasters in the kitchen, and other family escapades. |
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 |
ROB |
The Best Halloween Ever
(age 8-11) by Barbara Robinson traditions ... school ... humor The Herdmans plus Halloween have always spelled disaster. Every Halloween, the six Herdman kids steal candy, spray-paint other kids, and take everything that isn't nailed down. And this year promises to be the same, until the Mayor decides to up and cancel Halloween. True, that means there'd be no Herdman trouble to contend with, but that also means no candy, no costumes, and no trick-or-treating! Is it possible that the Herdmans themselves could make what looks like a horrible Halloween into the best one ever? |
HAR |
Anna's Blizzard
(age 8-11) by Alison Hart school ... survival ... historical Having never excelled at schoolwork, twelve-year-old Anna discovers that she may know a few things about survival when she and her classmates become trapped in their Nebraska schoolhouse in a storm that comes to be known as the Children's Blizzard of 1888. |
GIF |
Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little
(age 8-11) by Peggy Gifford school ... authorship ... humor It wasn't as if Moxy Maxwell hadn't tried to do her summer reading. She and Stuart Little had been inseparable all summer, like best friends. If Stuart Little wasn't in her backpack, it was in her lap . . . or holding up the coffee table . . . or getting splashed when Moxy went swimming. But now it's the end of August, the day before fourth grade. And if Moxy doesn't read all of Stuart Little immediately, there are going to be "consequences." It may look like Moxy is doing nothing, but actually she is very busy with a zillion highly crucial things, like cleaning up her room (sort of) and training her dog and taking a much-needed rest in the hammock. Just look at the pictures her twin brother Mark takes to document it all (they're scattered throughout) and you'll see why it's so difficult to make time for a book about a mouse. Of course our heroine does manage to finish her book, falling so in love with it that she finds herself reading under the covers with a flashlight, late into the night. sequel: Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes sequel: Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Practicing the Piano (but She Does Love Being in Recitals) |
FLE |
The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School
(age 8-11) by Candace Fleming humor ... school An unlikely teacher takes over the disorderly fourth-grade class of Aesop Elementary School with surprising results. |
CHR |
Johnny No Hit
(age 8-11) by Matt Christopher school ... sports Threatened by a beating if he hits against Roy's pitching, Johnny almost loses a ballgame for his team. |
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. |
CHO |
A Very Special Kwanzaa
(age 8-11) by Debbi Chocolate traditions ... school ... folklore Charlie, an African-American fourth-grader, is embarrassed when his class is asked to organize a school-wide Kwanzaa celebration, but as everyone prepares for the festivities, Charlie comes to understand what the holiday is all about. |
SOT |
Off and Running
(age 8-11) by Gary Soto humor ... school When they learn that Rudy Herrera and Alex Garcia, two fifth-grade class clowns, plan to run against them in the school elections, Miata and her friend Ana know that they face a difficult race. |
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. |
MCK |
Fourth Grade Is a Jinx
(age 8-11) by Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna realistic ... school ... family When fourth grader Collette sees her own mother take over the job of teaching her class, life becomes more embarrassing and chaotic than she can stand. |
WAL |
The Trouble With Miss Switch
(age 8-11) by Barbara Brooks Wallace school ... science fiction ... magic Rupert Brown can tell from day one that Miss Switch is no ordinary fifth-grade teacher. Her whole look is about as comfortable as a steel knitting needle! Plus, she's in some serious trouble. It seems that Miss Switch has been condemned by a crazy contraption called a computowitch, and she must come up with some original witchcraft ... or she will be doomed to sweep Witch's Mountain for l50 years. Can great scientist Rupert Brown and his friend Amelia Daley face the computowitch and the Witches' Council, and get their favorite teacher of all time out of this mess? |
VAN |
Benjy the Football Hero
(age 8-11) by Jean Van Leeuwen school ... sports Benjy discovers that brains work better than brawn when it comes to beating the other fourth grade class's football team. |
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. |
GIL |
Do Bananas Chew Gum?
(age 8-11) by Jamie Gilson humor ... school Able to read and write at only a second grade level, sixth-grader Sam Mott considers himself dumb until he is prompted to cooperate with those who think something can be done about his problem. |
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 |
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. |
WHE |
Hannah
(age 8-11) by Gloria Whelan historical ... school Hannah, a nine-year-old in the American West in 1887, would do almost anything to go to school with all the other children in town. But Hannah is blind and her parents keep her at home where she is "safe." Then Lydia Robbin comes to town. She's a strong-willed teacher who accomplishes a small miracle: she convinces Hannah's parents to send her to school. At first Hannah is overjoyed. But she soon learns that there are many obstacles--and people-- that stand in the way of her education. Hannah will need tremendous courage to prove to her classmates, her parents and herself that Miss Robbin was right to believe in her. |
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 |
STE |
Fergus Crane
(age 8-11) by Paul Stewart voyages/journeys ... science fiction ... school ... humor ... adventure Fergus Crane has an almost ordinary life, having lessons taught by rather odd teachers on the school ship Betty Jeanne and helping his mother in the bakery. But then a mysterious flying box appears at the window of his waterfront home and Fergus is plunged headlong into an exciting adventure! The box is followed by a winged mechanical horse that whisks him off to meet his long-lost uncle and his penguin helpers, Finn, Bill, and Jackson. Fergus finds out that his teachers are not quite what they seem ... they're actually pirates! Can Fergus and his winged horse save his schoolmates on the far-off Fire Island? And who else will he find there? |
COV |
I Was a Sixth Grade Alien
(age 8-11) by Bruce Coville science fiction ... school ... humor The aliens have finally made contact! But when the first ambassador from another planet arrives, he insists that his son, Pleskit Meenom, be treated like any other citizen on Earth. Which is why Pleskit has become the first purple kid in Ms. Weintraub's sixth grade class. For Tim Tompkins, who has been waiting his entire life to meet an alien, this is like a dream come true. But when Pleskit invites Tim back to the embassy and they stumble across a plan to sabotage the alien mission, Tim's dream becomes a life-threatening nightmare. |
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? |
STR |
Party Shoes
(age 8-11) by Noel Streatfeild identity ... school ... the arts Publisher comments: Set during and after the second World War, this classic novel tells the story of Selina, who has been sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in the country. When Selina receives a parcel from her godmother in America it causes much excitement among her and her cousins, and, to Selina's delight, the parcel contains a beautiful party dress and a pair of party shoes. But delight turns to dismay when she realizes that she may never have an occasion to wear such a wonderful outfit - until, that is, she and her cousins come up with an idea of organizing a pageant... |
STR |
Theatre Shoes
(age 8-11) by Noel Streatfeild identity ... school ... the arts Publisher comments: Three orphans are forced to enter a theater school by their grandmother, a famous actress. Unable to pay the tuition, they are given scholarships from the now-grown orphans from Ballet Shoes. Will they be able to live up to their patrons' legacies? The children are ready to run away until they discover their hidden talents. |
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. |
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. |
CLE |
The Last Holiday Concert
(age 8-11) by Andrew Clements enterprise ... the arts ... school Publisher comments: It all started when Hart Evans zinged a rubber band that hit Mr. Meinert, the chorus director. Actually, it started before that, when Mr. Meinert learned he was out of a job because the town budget couldn't afford music and art teachers. Mr. Meinert got so mad at Hart that he told the sixth graders he'd had it ... they could produce the big holiday concert on their own. Or not. It was all up to them. What happens when a teacher steps aside and lets the kids run the show? Not what Mr. Meinert would have predicted. And not what Hart Evans would have guessed, not at all. |
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. |
COU |
Frankenbug
(age 8-11) by Steven Cousins science fiction ... humor ... animals ... school Inspired by the movie Frankenstein, bug-lover Adam Cricklestein decides to create a monster bug that will protect him from the school bully, Jeb McAllister. |
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. |
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. |
COD |
Sahara Special
(age 8-11) by Esme Raji Codell growing up ... humor ... authorship ... school Struggling with school and her feelings since her father left, Sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates. |
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. |
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! |
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. |
CHI |
Utterly Me, Clarice Bean
(age 8-11) by Lauren Child mystery ... school ... humor It's not easy to concentrate at school when mysterious things are happening all around you. In fact, Clarice Bean is starting to feel just like her favorite heroine: Ruby Redforr, schoolgirl detective. Clarice and her utterly best friend, Betty Moody, are planning to ace their book project about Ruby and win the class prize, until Betty disappears into thin air, and horrible teacher Mrs. Wilberton teams Clarice up with the naughtiest boy in school. Will her new partner ruin everything? Will Betty ever come back? And what on earth happened to the silver trophy everyone's hoping to win? sequel: Clarice Bean Spells Trouble sequel: Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now |
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.'' |
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. |
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. |
HIL |
The Year of Miss Agnes
(age 8-11) by Kirkpatrick Hill humor ... school Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn't have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard. But Miss Agnes is different. For the first time, Fred and her classmates begin to enjoy their lessons and learn to read and write, but will Miss Agnes be like all the rest and leave as quickly as she came? |
CRE |
Love That Dog
(age 8-11) by Sharon Creech illness/loss ... animals ... authorship ... school ... poetry Jack hate poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, won't stop giving her class poetry assignments, and Jack can't avoid them. But then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more he learns he does have something to say. sequel: Hate That Cat |
SAC |
Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School
(age 8-11) by Louis Sachar humor ... short stories ... school ... math/science/technology Sideways math teasers are Buried in this hilarious collection of stories from Wayside School. sequel: More Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School |
SAC |
Sideways Stories From Wayside School
(age 8-11) by Louis Sachar humor ... school Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways. sequel: Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger sequel: Wayside School is Falling Down |
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. |
ROB |
The Best School Year Ever
(age 8-11) by Barbara Robinson humor ... school The Worst Kids in the History of the World! When anything goes wrong at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, from the hexing of Bus Six to the mysterious disappearance of the kindergarten gerbil, it's sure to have a Herdman behind it. The Herdmans are more than famous-they're outlaws. They smoke cigars, lie, and set fire to things, and that's only when they bother to come to school! Then a school project forces the students to think of compliments for all their classmates-including the Herdmans. Is it possible that behind their outrageous pranks there may be something good about this crazy clan after all? |
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 |
KLI |
Regarding the Fountain
(age 8-11) by Kate Klise mystery ... letters/journal ... humor ... school The Dry Creek Middle School drinking fountain has sprung a leak, so principal Walter Russ dashes off a request to Flowing Waters Fountains, Etc. We need a new drinking fountain. Please send a catalog. Designer Flo Waters responds: ``I'd be delighted...but please understand that all of my fountains are custom-made.'' Soon the fountain project takes on a life of its own, one chronicled in letters, postcards, memos, transcripts, and official documents. sequel: Regarding the Sink: Where, Oh Where, Did Waters Go? sequel: Regarding the Trees: a Splintered Saga Rooted in Secrets sequel: Regarding the Bees: a Lesson, in Letters, on Honey, Dating, and Other Sticky Subjects |
GAR |
Follow My Leader
(age 8-11) by James Garfield realistic ... animals ... school After being accidentally blinded by a firecracker, Jimmy learns to live a normal life with the help of Leader, his seeing eye dog. |
DAH |
Matilda
(age 8-11) by Roald Dahl identity ... brilliant protagonist ... school ... humor Publisher comments: Matilda is a genius. Unfortunately, her family treats her like a dolt. Her crooked car-salesman father and loud, bingo-obsessed mother think Matilda's only talent is as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong in their miserable lives. But it's not long before the sweet and sensitive child decides to fight back. Faced with practical jokes of sheer brilliance, her parents don't stand a chance. |
COV |
My Teacher is an Alien
(age 8-11) by Bruce Coville humor ... fantasy ... school ... science fiction Publisher comments: Susan Simmons can tell that her new substitute teacher is really weird. But she doesn't know how weird until she catches him peeling off his face ... and she realizes that "Mr. Smith" is really an alien! sequel: My Teacher Flunked the Planet sequel: My Teacher Fried My Brains sequel: My Teacher Glows in the Dark |
CLE |
The School Story
(age 8-11) by Andrew Clements authorship ... school ... brilliant protagonist Publisher comments: Twelve-year-old Natalie Nelson has written a powerful school story. It's a short novel called "The Cheater," and her best friend Zoe is certain it should be published. All Natalie has to do is give the manuscript to her mom, an editor at a big publishing house. However Natalie doesn't want any favors from her mom. Spurred into action, Natalie invents a pen name for herself and Zoe becomes a self-styled literary agent. Will the girls succeed? |
CLE |
The Landry News
(age 8-11) by Andrew Clements authorship ... realistic ... school ... brilliant protagonist Publisher comments: Cara Landry is a budding journalist. When she posts a scathing editorial about her burned-out teacher on the bulletin board one afternoon, everything changes. Prodded into action for the first time in years, Mr. Larson challenges his fifth-grade students to create a real newspaper. Soon The Landry News gets more attention than either Cara or her teacher bargained for. |
CLE |
Frindle
(age 8-11) by Andrew Clements brilliant protagonist ... realistic ... school Catalog: When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control. |
AVI |
The Secret School
(age 8-11) by Avi enterprise ... school Publisher comments: More than anything, Ida Bidson wants to become a teacher. To do that, she must finish eighth grade, then go on to high school. But her dream falters when the one-room school in her remote Colorado town shuts down. Her only hope is to keep the school open without anyone finding out. Yet even a secret school needs a teacher. Ida can't be it. Or can she? |
AMA |
The Word Eater
(age 8-11) by Mary Amato fantasy ... magic ... school Catalog: Lerner Chanse, a new student at Cleveland Park Middle School, finds a worm that magically makes things disappear, and she hopes it will help her fit in, or get revenge, at her hated school. |