F PEN	Clementine and the Family Meeting (age 8-11) by Sara Pennypacker realistic ... humor ... growing up ... family Publisher comments: Clementine's having a nervous breakdown. The FAMILY MEETING! sign is up in her house, and she just knows she's in trouble for something. Has she been too mean to her little brother? Too sloppy? Eating too much junk food? Try as she might to find out what's on the agenda, her parents won't reveal anything before the meeting. As far as Clementine is concerned, the agenda should be something like: "We're getting a gorilla." But no, it's something entirely different. "We're talking about a new baby," says her father. "A brother or sister for you two. What do you think about that?" NO THANKS! is what Clementine thinks. After all, four is the perfect number for a family. There are four sides to a table, not five. Will Clementine learn to make room for one more?
F GER	Little Women (age 8-11) by Jane Gerver historical ... growing up ... family This retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in nineteenth-century New England.
F MUR	Pearl Versus the World (age 8-11) by Sally Murphy growing up ... identity ... authorship Publisher comments: Pearl likes to write poems, but despite the insistence of her teacher, Ms. Bruff, Pearl's poems don't rhyme, and neither does she. She wishes she could grow gills so she could stay underwater in swim class without drowning. And she hasn't a clue why perfect Prudence bumps her desk and sends her pencils flying. Pearl thinks there's no nicer sound than the bell at the end of the day, even though back at home, Granny, always a crucial part of their family of three, sometimes doesn't recognize Pearl, and Mom is tired from providing constant care. In a lyrical novel told with clear-eyed sympathy, humor, and heart, Sally Murphy follows a girl who holds fast to her individuality even as she learns to let go-- and in daring to share her voice, discovers that maybe she's not a group of one after all.
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 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.
F SLO	Matt Gargan's Boy (age 8-11) by Alfred Slote growing up ... family ... sports Catalog: A major leaguer's son feels threatened when a girl tries out for his baseball team and his divorced mother becomes interested in the girl's father.
	Samantha: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) growing up ... family ... historical Stories of Samantha, an orphan living with her grandmother in 1904. title: Meet Samantha: an American Girl by Susan S. Adler F ADL title: Samantha Learns a Lesson: a School Story by Susan S. Adler F ADL title: Changes for Samantha: a Winter Story by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Happy Birthday, Samantha!: a Springtime Story by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Samantha Saves the Day: a Summer Story by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Samantha's Blue Bicycle by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Samantha's Surprise: a Christmas Story by Maxine Rose Schur F SCH title: Samantha's Winter Party by Valerie Tripp F TRI title: Samantha Saves the Wedding by Valerie Tripp F TRI
F TRI	Molly: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical Stories of Molly and her family during World War II. title: Meet Molly: an American Girl title: Changes for Molly: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Molly!: a Springtime Story title: Molly Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Molly Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Molly Takes Flight title: Molly's A+ Partner title: Molly's Surprise: a Christmas Story
F TRI	Kit: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Kit and her family, running a boardinghouse during the Great Depression. title: Meet Kit: an American Girl title: Changes for Kit!: a Winter Story, 1934 title: Happy Birthday, Kit!: a Springtime Story, 1934 title: Kit Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Kit Saves the Day!: a Summer Story, 1934 title: Kit's Surprise: a Christmas Story
F SHA	Kirsten: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Janet Shaw growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Kirsten and her family, settling the frontier in Minnesota. title: Meet Kirsten: an American Girl title: Changes for Kirsten: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Kirsten!: a Springtime Story title: Kirsten Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Kirsten on the Trail title: Kirsten Saves the Day title: Kirsten's Surprise: a Christmas Story title: Kirsten's Short Story Collection
F SHA	Kaya: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Janet Shaw growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Kaya and her family, members of the Nez Perce tribe in the Pacific Northwest in the 1760s.. title: Meet Kaya: an American Girl title: Changes for Kaya: a Story of Courage title: Kaya and Lone Dog: a Friendship Story title: Kaya Shows the Way: a Sister Story title: Kaya's Escape!: a Survival Story title: Kaya's Hero: a Story of Giving title: Kaya's Short Story Collection
F TRI	Felicity: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Felicity and her family, living in Williamsburg during the revolutionary war. title: Meet Felicity: an American Girl title: Changes for Felicity: a Winter Story title: Felicity Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Felicity Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Felicity's New Sister title: Felicity's Surprise: a Christmas Story title: Happy Birthday, Felicity!: a Springtime Story
F POR	Addy: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Connie Porter growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Addy and her mother, freed slaves living in Philadelphia during the Civil War. title: Meet Addy: an American Girl title: Addy Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Addy Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Addy's Little Brother title: Addy's Surprise: a Christmas Story title: Changes for Addy: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Addy!: a Springtime Story title: High Hopes for Addy
F GRE	Rebecca: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Jacqueline Dembar Greene growing up ... family ... historical Publisher comments: Rebecca Rubin is a lively nine-year-old girl growing up in a big Jewish family in New York in 1914. She dreams of becoming an actress, but her parents and grandparents have traditional ideas and don't think young ladies should perform. When Rebecca learns that her cousins in Russia are in great danger and must escape to America, she puts on a show to raise money--until her disapproving grandmother steps in. Unexpectedly, Rebecca finds another way to earn money. But for her plan to work, she'll have to keep it a secret. title: Meet Rebecca: an American Girl title: Changes for Rebecca title: Candlelight for Rebecca title: Rebecca and Ana title: Rebecca and the Movies title: Rebecca to the Rescue
F TRI	Josefina: an American Girl Series (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical Stories about Josefina and her sisters, in New Mexico before the Mexicn-American War. title: Meet Josefina: an American Girl title: Changes for Josefina: a Winter Story title: Happy Birthday, Josefina!: a Springtime Story title: Josefina Learns a Lesson: a School Story title: Josefina Saves the Day: a Summer Story title: Josefina's Surprise: a Christmas Story title: A Reward for Josefina title: Again Josefina
F 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!
F BUR	Queenie Peavy (age 8-11) by Robert Burch growing up ... school Publisher comments: The biggest troublemaker at school and the best shot in Georgia, Queenie Peavey feels she has a right to be angry when her father is thrown in jail. But what would happen if Queenie tried to behave for just one day?
F GOW	Amelia Rules! Series (age 8-11) by Jimmy Gownley family ... growing up ... friendship A collection of comic stories featuring Amelia, who has moved from Manhattan to a small town in the wake of her parent's divorce. Fortunately, Amelia has her fourth-grade friends, the Gathering of Awesome Super Pals, otherwise known as G.A.S.P. title: The Whole World's Crazy title: Amelia Rules!: What Makes You Happy title: Superheroes
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 title: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Scinece Projects, and Other Manmade Catastrophes title: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and other Fatal Circumstances
F MCG	Julia Gillian Series (age 8-11) by Alison McGhee growing up ... friendship Publisher comments: Ten-year-old Julia Gillian knows everything about her quirky neighbors, her Minneapolis neighborhood, even the inscrutable "claw machine" in the back of the corner hardware store. The one thing Julia Gillian doesn't know is how the book she's reading is going to end. It doesn't seem as if it's going to have a happy ending, and that scares her. But Julia learns a little something about fear: sometimes you just have to work through it. And though bad things do happen sometimes, having good friends and family around you makes life a bit less scary - and much more fun. title: Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) title: Julia Gillian and the Quest for Joy
F TRI	Really Truly Ruthie (age 8-11) by Valerie Tripp growing up ... family ... historical American Girl Ruthie Smithens, Kit Kittredge's best friend, now stars in her own book. After Ruthie finds out some bad news about the Kittredges' house while at her father's bank, she must find a way to help the Kittredges reach Kit's Aunt Millie.
F BUC	The Big Wave (age 8-11) by Pearl S. Buck survival ... growing up ... family ... illness/loss Kino lives on a farm on the side of a mountain in Japan. His friend, Jiya, lives in a fishing village below. Everyone, including Kino and Jiya, has heard of the big wave. No one suspects it will wipe out the whole village and Jiya's family, too. As Jiya struggles to overcome his sorrow, he understands it is in the presence of danger that one learns to be brave, and to appreciate how wonderful life can be.
F BRO	Tangles (age 8-11) by Errol Broome growing up ... friendship When she takes money from her neighbor's wallet in order to buy a kitten, Sophie finds that she cannot live with the guilt.
F BYA	The Computer Nut (age 8-11) by Betsy Byars growing up ... math/science/technology ... science fiction ... humor Ten-year-old Kate begins a communication exchange on a computer with someone purporting to be from outer space, who says he is going to pay a visit to Earth soon.
F YEE	Good Luck, Ivy (age 8-11) by Lisa Yee growing up ... sports ... family Ivy Ling feels invisible. The middle child in a busy Chinese-American household, Ivy's mother has gone back to school to become a lawyer and her father has two jobs to keep the family afloat. And if that's not enough, Ivy's best friend Julie Albright has moved to another part of San Francisco. The only place Ivy feels at home is at gymnastics. But when she learns that the big gymnastics tournament is scheduled for the same day as the annual Ling family reunion, Ivy wrestles with a difficult choice. Gradually, with her brother Andrew's help, Ivy realizes that she can take charge of her life--and make her own luck.
F SPI	Summerhouse Time (age 8-11) by Eileen Spinelli family ... growing up Every year a rented pink cottage full of family, swapping stories, and riding waves mean Summerhouse Time for Sophie. Best of all is sharing a room with her favorite cousin and laughing and trading secrets like two happy peas in a cousin pod. Sophie can't wait! But when she asks the now-a-teenager Colleen if she's looking forward to their time together, Colleen just says "I guess so." What? It's the best time of the year, the time they both love. In just a little bit, they will all be together in the cottage on the beach. Will this year be just as wonderful, just like always?
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 LIN	Dumpling Days (age 8-11) by Grace Lin realistic ... growing up ... humor ... identity Publisher comments: This summer, Pacy's family is going to Taiwan for an entire month to visit family and prepare for their grandmother's 60th birthday celebration. Pacy's parents have signed her up for a Chinese painting class, and at first she's excited. This is a new way to explore her art talent! But everything about the trip is harder than she thought it would be--she looks like everyone else but can't speak the language, she has trouble following the art teacher's instructions, and it's difficult to make friends in her class. At least the dumplings are delicious. As the month passes by, Pacy eats chicken feet (by accident!), gets blessed by a fortune teller, searches for her true identity, and grows closer to those who matter most.
F LIN	The Year of the Dog (age 8-11) by Grace Lin realistic ... growing up ... humor ... identity This funny and profound novel tells the story of young Pacy who, as she celebrates the Chinese New Year with her family, discovers this is the year she is supposed to "find herself." sequel: The Year of the Rat
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.
	American Girl Today Series (age 8-11) enterprise ... growing up Stories of modern girls who make things happen. title: Nicki by Ann Howard Creel F CRE title: Thanks to Nicki by Ann Howard Creel F CRE title: Kailey by Amy Goldman Koss F KOS title: Marisol by Gary Soto F SOT title: Jess by Mary Casanova F CAS title: Lindsey by Chryssa Atkinson F ATK title: Mia by Laurence Yep F YEP title: Bravo, Mia! by Laurence Yep F YEP
F BAU	Runt (age 8-11) by Marion Dane Bauer survival ... nature ... growing up ... animals Deep in the Minnesota forest, where only the strong survive, four regular-sized pups ... Leader, Sniffer, Runner, and Thinker ... are pushed into the world. Then one last, very small pup is born into the wolf pack. He is called Runt. From the very start, Runt struggles in the harsh wild world of the wolves. He tries learning along with his brothers and sisters, but makes serious mistakes. It's hard pleasing his father, King, and the other wolves. If only Runt could prove himself to his powerful father and family...
F KIN	Pigs Might Fly: a Novel (age 8-11) by Dick King-Smith enterprise ... humor ... growing up Daggie Dogfoot, the runt of the litter, is in danger. The pigman, who takes all runts from their pens, is coming for him! But Daggie is a pig of remarkable qualities, and he's not about to let the Pigman get him. Instead, he runs away and decides to learn how to fly. But when he tries leaping off a cliff, he discovers another talent, a talent he'll need to save the entire farm.
F WEL	Wingwalker (age 8-11) by Rosemary Wells growing up ... historical Once upon a time in America, half the people lost every dime they ever had. Then the coming of the Dust Bowl hit as hard as a prairie tornado. Reuben, just completing second grade in Ambler, Oklahoma, has grown up knowing the richness of farm life. Now his father, desperate to make ends meet, takes a job as a wingwalker in a traveling county fair. Uprooted from the life he's loved and afraid of his own shadow, Reuben needs a full measure of love and courage to get by.
F GIF	Poopsie Pomerantz, Pick Up Your Feet (age 8-11) by Patricia Reilly Giff growing up ... sports ... the arts Poopsie Pomerantz is sure that ballet lessons will make her slim and graceful. But her friend Tracy Matson makes fun of Poopsie's efforts, saying there's no hope for chubby Poopsie. Tracy is surprised when Poopsie announces she's getting the starring role in her dance school's ballet. And Poopsie's surprised, too, because it's not true! She didn't mean to say that. Now she has to pray that Tracy doesn't come to the ballet, because guess which part Poopsie really has?
F FIS	Understood Betsy (age 8-11) by Dorothy Canfield Fisher growing up ... family Thanks to her loving but over-protective guardian aunts, Betsy is a fearful, self-absorbed, nine-year-old hypochondriac. One of the most terrible items on her long list of fears is the horrid cousins her aunts never mention without shuddering. When her aunts are suddenly no longer able to care for her, Betsy is, incredibly, sent to live with those very relatives. Arriving in Vermont alone and full of trepidation, Betsy is immediately invited by her Uncle Henry to drive the carriage. Steering the fearful horses is just the beginning of her adventures in New England ... and independence. By the novel's end, Betsy has become very fond of the rough but affectionate relatives who eat in the kitchen and expect her to wash her own dishes. When she gets a letter from the aunts inviting her to come home, Betsy must make a difficult choice.
F GRA	The Ugly Princess and the Wise Fool (age 8-11) by Margaret Gray princesses ... growing up ... magic ... humor ... folklore Can a seafaring fairy godmother, a wise fool, and an enchanted hairstyle keep Princess Rose out of trouble? "A very long time ago, when all the countries you've ever heard of were in different places on the map, a princess was born who was not beautiful. She wasn't even remotely pretty, and the whole kingdom was in deep shock about it." Princess Rose doesn't get any prettier as she grows up, but the kingdom does get over its shock. Everyone adores the skinny, buck-toothed princess, and she doesn't mind her appearance-until the handsomest prince in the world comes looking for a bride. Despite warnings from her seafaring fairy godmother and a wise fool named Jasper, reckless Rose wishes for beauty. She gets her wish, and the prince, but finds neither is as nice as she had expected.
F HUR	A Llama in the Library (age 8-11) by Johanna Hurwitz growing up ... humor Fifth-grader Adam Fine thinks that his two llamas will be a hit at the grand reopening of the town's library.
F WIL	Elsa, Star of the Shelter! (age 8-11) by Jacqueline Wilson growing up ... family Noisy, brash, and a troublemaker, ten-year-old Elsa uses her loud voice to warn of a fire at the homeless shelter where she lives with her family.
F WIL	The Worry Web Site (age 8-11) by Jacqueline Wilson growing up ... school ... short stories Six wonderful short stories about the members of Mr Speed's primary school class and their special Worry Website. The website allows everyone in the class to type in their worries anonymously and receive advice from their classmates ... whether they want it or not!
F O'C	How to Steal a Dog (age 8-11) by Barbara O'Connor growing up ... family ... enterprise Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is ``borrow'' the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected.
F GOI	The Liberation of Gabriel King (age 8-11) by K. L. Going growing up ... friendship ... bigotry Gabriel King was a born chicken. Hes afraid of spiders, corpses, loose cows, and just about everything related to the fifth grade. Gabes best friend, Frita Wilson, thinks Gabe needs some liberating from his fears. Frita knows something about being brave she's the only black kid in school in a town with an active Ku Klux Klan. Together Gabe and Frita are going to spend the summer of 1976 facing down the fears on Gabes list. But it turns out that Frita has her own list, and while shes helping Gabe confront his fears, shes avoiding the thing that scares her the most.
F FLE	The Whipping Boy (age 8-11) by Sid Fleischman folklore ... humor ... adventure ... growing up A Prince and a Pauper. Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.
F GIF	Rat Teeth (age 8-11) by Patricia Reilly Giff illness/loss ... growing up ... family It's bad enough that his parents are divorced and his two front teeth stick out a mile, but when he loses a baseball game to the fourth graders, even a "toughie" like Cliffie feels he has no choice but to run away.
F MEA	Junebug (age 8-11) by Alice Mead family ... growing up An inquisitive young boy who lives with his mother and younger sister in a rough housing project in New Haven, Connecticut, approaches his tenth birthday with a mixture of anticipation and worry.
F YOL	The Young Merlin Trilogy (age 8-11) by Jane Yolen magic ... growing up ... fantasy ... folklore A boy is abandoned in the woods of medieval England. A year passes--a year of terror and hunger, of sleeping in trees and foraging for food, of outrunning packs of wild dogs--until one day a falconer captures and tames the boy as he would any passager, a young bird caught in the wild and trained. The falconer adopts the boy and teaches him all of the things he's forgotten, including the boy's true name--and the legacy of magic that will be his when he comes of age. title: Passager: the Young Merlin Trilogy, Book One title: Hobby: the Young Merlin Trilogy title: Merlin: the Young Merlin Trilogy, Book Three
F CUT	Family Dinner (age 8-11) by Jane Cutler realistic ... growing up ... family Great-Uncle Benson prepares exotic food dishes in order to lure Rachel's family to eat meals together.
F COW	How to Train Your Dragon Series (age 8-11) by Cressida Cowell growing up ... humor ... knights/castles/dragons Meet Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir of the Viking chiefdom, but a boy with one very big problem: a hero he is not. How to Train Your Dragon is the riotous story of Hiccup's quest to hunt down the fiercest dragon, bring it into submission, and (hopefully) pass his initiation. Instead, he ends up with the smallest, most ornery dragon ... it's even toothless! Thus begins the hijinx of the world's most lovable, unlikely hero and a most reluctant "beast." title: How to Train Your Dragon title: How to Speak Dragonese title: How to Twist a Dragon's Tale title: A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons title: How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse: the Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III title: How to Break a Dragon's Heart: the Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup the Viking
F TRA	Mary Poppins Series (age 8-11) by P. L. Travers growing up ... magic ... humor ... fantasy An extraordinary English nanny blows in on the East Wind with her parrot-headed umbrella and magic carpetbag and introduces her charges, Jane and Michael, to some delightful people and experiences. title: Mary Poppins title: Mary Poppins Comes Back title: Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane title: Mary Poppins in the Park title: Mary Poppins Opens the Door
F CON	Crazy to Fly (age 8-11) by Martha Orr Conn growing up ... historical Catalog: In 1918, after his first exposure to flying, a young farm boy determines to be a pilot despite his father's bitter opposition.
F DEL	Angel Series (age 8-11) by Judy Delton growing up ... family Although Angel loves her little brother, Rags, dearly, the constant responsibility of caring for him weighs heavily on her young shoulders title: Back Yard Angel title: Angel Bites the Bullet title: Angel in Charge title: Angel Spreads Her Wings title: Angel's Mother's Baby title: Angel's Mother's Boyfriend title: Angel's Mother's Wedding
F BAL	Bristle Face (age 8-11) by Zachary Ball growing up ... family ... friendship ... animals Half-dog, half porcupine in appearance, Bristle Face becomes an outstanding hunting dog and a good friend of the fourteen-year-old orphan boy who adopts him.
F BAN	A Prairie Year (age 8-11) by Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet short stories ... identity ... growing up The year begins with hockey, icefishing, and a snowmobile race. Spring brings renewal: the arrival of piglets, baby chicks in the farm kitchen; and outside, the fields are seeded. In summer, there's a dinosaur park to be visited; a calf is groomed for the fair and wheat tested between grandfather's fingers. In fall, a farm auction becomes a party, trick-or-treating is done by pick-up truck, and Clydesdales are driven by teams competing at the world's great farm fair. The glorious year ends with the arrival of Santa on the main street at night in a pickup truck, while beyond in the dark is the infinite mystery of the prairies.
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 WAL	Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World (age 8-11) by Mildred Pitts Walter identity ... family ... growing up Suffering in a family full of females, ten-year-old Justin feels that cleaning and keeping house are women's work until he spends time on his beloved grandfather's ranch.
F VAN	How I Survived Being a Girl (age 8-11) by Wendelin Van Draanen humor ... growing up ... family Twelve-year-old Carolyn, who has always wished she were a boy, begins to see things in a new light when her sister is born.
F SIE	Doing Time Online (age 8-11) by Jan Siebold growing up ... friendship ... math/science/technology After he is involved in a prank that led to an elderly woman's injury, twelve-year-old Mitchell must make amends by participating in a police program in which he chats online with a nursing home resident.
F HER	Nothing But Trouble, Trouble, Trouble (age 8-11) by Patricia Hermes enterprise ... growing up To prove to her parents that she is grown up enough to babysit, Alex tries to stay out of trouble for two weeks.
F GRA	Falcon's Egg (age 8-11) by Luli Gray growing up ... family ... magic ... knights/castles/dragons Eleven-year-old Falcon has just found a mysterious egg in Central Park--a dragon's egg, though she doesn't know it yet. And when the egg hatches, magic will hatch with it. Falcon will begin to see her hectic life and eccentric family in a different and altogether more joyous way. After all, when magic comes into someone's life, it comes for a reason.
F AHL	The Bear Nobody Wanted (age 8-11) by Janet Ahlberg adventure ... friendship ... growing up Tells the story of a teddy bear who is too proud and self-centred to be loved. It traces his life and his story of rejection, disaster, friends gained and lost, hurt and love, until eventually, transformed by a remarkable life, he becomes a bear truly deserving of a loving owner.
F STA	Harry Sue (age 8-11) by Sue Stauffacher growing up ... friendship ... family Harry Sue Clotkin is tough. Her mom's in the slammer and she wants to get there too, as fast as possible, so they can be together. But it's not so easy to become a juvenile delinquent when you've got a tender heart. Harry Sue's got her hands full caring for the crumb-snatchers who take up her afternoons at the day care center, and spending time with her best friend Homer, a quadriplegic who sees life from a skylight in the roof of his tree house. When Harry Sue finds an unlikely confidante in her new art teacher, her ambitions toward a life of crime are sidelined as she comes to a deeper understanding about her past--and future.
F KON	Altogether, One at a Time (age 8-11) by E. L. Konigsburg realistic ... growing up ... short stories What do you do when your mother makes you invite the most obnoxious kid in your class to your birthday party? Or when you have to wait another thirty-three and a third years to see a shower of stars? Or your parents ship you off to fat camp? Or you have to share your private lunch hour with a girl who's mean to you just because of the color of your skin? In E. L. Konigsburg's funny and perceptive short stories, four young people cope with difficult situations and, in doing so, learn something that changes their lives.
F COD	Vive La Paris (age 8-11) by Esme Raji Codell growing up ... humor ... school Paris has come for piano lessons, not chopped-liver sandwiches or French lessons or free advice. But when old Mrs. Rosen gives her a little bit more than she can handle, it might be just what Paris needs to understand the bully in her brother's life, and the bullies of the world. This companion novel to the award-winning Sahara Special is an affecting look at what it means to be your brother's keeper, and how we hold onto hope when the world seems dark. (Rose-colored glasses optional.)
F 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.
F BYA	The Summer of the Swans (age 8-11) by Betsy Cromer Byars growing up ... family A teen-age girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally handicapped brother gets lost.
F AVI	Tom, Babette, and Simon (age 8-11) by Avi princesses ... identity ... growing up ... short stories Three original stories in which a boy and a cat change places, a young man learns the price of selfishness, and an invisible princess finds herself.
F KEL	Lucy Rose Series (age 8-11) by Katy Kelly growing up ... friendship ... family ... school ... letters/journal Here's the thing about Lucy Rose: she has an extremely interesting take on life, and has an extremely lot to do to keep things together. This series is a good friend to have. title: Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing About Me title: Lucy Rose: Here is the Thing About Me title: Lucy Rose: Big on Plans title: Lucy Rose: Busy Like You Can't Believe title: Lucy Rose: Working Myself to Pieces and Bits
F LOW	Sam Krupnik Series (age 8-11) by Lois Lowry growing up ... realistic ... humor ... family Sam Krupnik enters school with some very strong ideas about what he wants to be and how. Fans of this series will enjoy the same author's books about Anastasia, his big sister, as well. title: All About Sam title: Attaboy, Sam! title: See You Around, Sam! title: Zooman Sam
F DOR	Sees Behind Trees (age 8-11) by Michael Dorris growing up ... historical By turns lyrical, wise, and funny, this compelling novel, set in 16th-century America, tells the story of how one Native American boy turns handicap into an advantage as he crosses the often blurred boundaries between being a child and becoming a man.
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 NAB	The Enchanted Horse (age 8-11) by Magdalen Nabb growing up ... animals ... fantasy A lonely young girl living on a remote farm with her work-obsessed parents cares for an old and battered wooden horse with such devotion that it comes to life.
F MOS	The Amelia Series (age 8-11) by Marissa Moss realistic ... humor ... letters/journal ... growing up Like spending recess with your best friend, Marissa Moss keeps us up to date with everything that's going on in Amelia's life. title: The All-New Amelia title: Amelia Hits the Road title: Amelia Lends a Hand title: Amelia Takes Command title: Amelia Works it Out title: Amelia Writes Again title: Amelia's Family Ties title: Amelia's Notebook title: Amelia's Boredom Survival Guide: First Aid for Rainy Days, Boring Errands, Waiting Rooms, Whatever! title: Amelia's Bully Survival Guide title: Madame Amelia Tells All title: Oh Boy, Amelia!
F LOT	Wings to Fly (age 8-11) by Celia Barker Lottridge identity ... adventure ... historical ... growing up The Ferrier family moved from the United States to Curlew, Alberta, and built a homestead in the middle of the vast prairie. Now 11-year-old Josie has settled into her new home and she dreams about the future. Will Josie be a teacher like Miss Barnett? Will she be like her new friend Margaret's sad mother, who can't bear to unpack her fine English china in the crude sod house that is her prairie home? Or could she learn to fly airplanes like her heroine, Katherine Stinson? As Josie searches for answers, she learns, all too frighteningly, how brutal a prairie winter can be. See also the prequel, Ticket to Canada.
F LOT	Ticket to Canada (age 8-11) by Celia Barker Lottridge identity ... adventure ... historical ... growing up It is 1915. Endless stretches of grassland against a boundless sky are all Sam Ferrier sees when he and his father arrive in Curlew, Alberta, to build a new house for their family. He wonders why his restless father would move them to this lonely, barren place, so different from Iowa. But after the house gets built and the family joins them, Sam gradually discovers that there is much more to the prairie than he realized. The tall grasses hide a mysterious collection of gleaming white skulls. Torrential thunderstorms appear with startling swiftness out of a clear-blue sky. And when one day he finds that his little brother has suddenly disappeared, Sam discovers that this new land can be both awesome and terrifying. Also published as Ticket to Curlew. See also the sequel, Wings to Fly.
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 BLU	Freckle Juice (age 8-11) by Judy Blume growing up ... humor If Andrew had an amazing number of freckles like Nicky, his mother would never know if his neck was dirty. One day after school, Andrew works up enough courage to ask Nicky where he got his freckles. When know-it-all Sharon overhears, she offers Andrew her secret freckle juice recipe, for fifty cents. It's a lot of money, but Andrew is desperate. At home he carefully mixes the strange combination of ingredients. Then the unexpected happens...
F CHR	A Little Princess (age 8-11) by Tracy Christopher growing up ... friendship ... fantasy A simplified, abridged version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic story about a pupil at Miss Minchin's London school, who is left in poverty when her father dies but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor.
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 Feeling Blue title: Amber Brown Is Green With Envy title: Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon title: Amber Brown Sees Red title: Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit title: Forever Amber Brown title: I, Amber Brown title: You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown

Sat Aug 25 11:55:25 2012 Other themes and genres