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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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
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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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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
F
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.''
F
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.
F
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.
F
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?
F
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
F
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
F
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
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
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?
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
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
F
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.
F
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.
F
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
F
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?
F
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.
F
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.
F
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?
F
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.

Walter Hays Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:30 2012
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