F WEL	My Havana: Memories of a Cuban Boyhood (age 9-12) by Rosemary Wells identity ... growing up ... historical Publisher comments: "You're always drawing in that notebook of yours," Dino's friend teases. To the small boy, 1950s Havana is alive with color, music, and glamour, and he itches to capture it on paper. When Fidel Castro and the Communist Party take over the Cuban government, Dino's family must move to New York, where the lonely boy pours his heart into making a model of Havana’s archways and balconies, buildings and streets. Rosemary Wells composes a tender ode to an immigrant boy who grew up to be a U.S. architect, while Peter Ferguson's atmospheric paintings evoke two vibrant cities as they were half a century ago.
F LAF	Eight Keys (age 9-12) by Suzanne LaFleur growing up ... identity ... friendship Publisher comments: Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor. When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the bar.
F KEN	Kimchi and Calamari (age 9-12) by Rose Kent school ... family ... identity Publisher comments: There are worse things in the world than being adopted. But right now Joseph can't think of one. Joseph Calderaro has a serious problem. His social studies teacher has given him an impossible assignment: an essay about ancestors. Ancestors, as in dead people you're related to. Joseph was adopted, but the only sure thing he knows about his birth family is that they shipped his diapered butt on a plane from Korea and he landed in New Jersey. How do you write about a family you've never known and at the same time manage all the other hassles that middle school mixes in the pot? What Joseph writes leads to a catastrophe messier than a table of shattered dishes, and self-discovery that will change his life recipe forever.
F BAN	Goodbye, Coolsville! Hello, Nerdtown! (age 9-12) by Jennifer Bancroft illness/loss ... letters/journal ... identity ... family ... growing up Publisher comments: Andi, after the loss of her mother, feels like her world has all but fallen apart. She finds herself constantly being influenced by friends that her dad doesn't approve of. So one day he decides that enough is enough and makes a decision that radically changes their lives. He quits his job and they move out of the city to a small town in the mountains. Andi is horrified! Upon their arrivial at their new home, Andi begins unpacking and discovers her mother's old journal from when she was Andi's age. As she reads the journals, Andi soon begins to realize that her mother experienced some of the same situations.
F MEY	Black Radishes (age 9-12) by Susan Lynn Meyer historical ... war ... identity Publisher comments: Gustave doesn't want to move from the exciting city to the boring countryside, far from his cousin Jean-Paul and his best friend, the mischievous Marcel. But he has no choice. It is March of 1940, and Paris is not a safe place for Jews. When Paris is captured by the Nazis, Gustave knows that Marcel, Jean-Paul, and their families must make it out of the occupied zone. And when he learns that his new friend Nicole works for the French Resistance, he comes up with a plan that just might work. But going into Occupied France is a risky thing to do when you are Jewish. And coming back alive? That is nearly impossible.
F KIM	Crossing Over (age 9-12) by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel magic ... fantasy ... identity ... spooky Catalog: Feeling more comfortable with her developing skills as a medium, eight-grader Kat looks forward to the class trip to Montreal but once there she finds herself confronted by a cast of all new ghosts and a host of other problems.
F WIL	One Crazy Summer (age 9-12) by Rita Williams-Garcia identity ... family ... historical Publisher comments: Set during one of the most tumultuous years in recent American history, One Crazy Summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 in search of the mother who abandoned them.
F BET	My Name Is Brain Brian (age 9-12) by Jeanne Betancourt identity ... friendship ... school Catalog: Although he is helped by his new sixth grade teacher after being diagnosed as dyslexic, Brian still has some problems with school and with people he thought were his friends.
F HAW	Violet Raines Almost got Struck by Lightning (age 9-12) by Danette Haworth identity ... friendship Publisher comments: Spunky, headstrong Violet Raines is happy with things just the way they are in her sleepy backwoods Florida town. She loves going to the fish fry with her best friend, Lottie, and collecting BrainFreeze cups with her good friend Eddie. She loves squeezing into the open trunk of the old cypress tree, looking for alligators in the river, and witnessing lighting storms on a warm summer day. But Violet's world is turned upside down when Melissa moves to town from big city Detroit. All of a sudden Violet's supposed to want to wear makeup, and watch soap operas, and play Truth or Dare! It'll take the help of Violet's friends, her Momma, a few run-ins with lightning, and maybe even Melissa, for Violet to realize that growing up doesn't have to mean changing who you are.
F CRE	Chasing Redbird (age 9-12) by Sharon Creech growing up ... identity ... family ... illness/loss It started out as an ordinary summer. But the minute thirteen-year-old Zinny uncovered the old, overgrown trail that ran through the woods behind her family's house, she realized that things were about to change. Right from the start, Zinny knew that uncovering the trail would be more than just a summer project. It was her chance to finally make people notice her, and to have a place she could call her very own. But more than that, Zinny knew that the trail somehow held the key to all kinds of questions. And that the only way to understand her family, her Aunt Jessie's death, and herself, was to find out where it went.
F LOR	In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (age 9-12) by Bette Bao Lord friendship ... humor ... identity ... sports ... school Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams. Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle happens...baseball. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.
F SLO	Hang Tough, Paul Mather (age 9-12) by Alfred Slote identity ... illness/loss ... sports Paul Mather's a pitcher ... a really good one. His off speed pitch is enough to bowl a kid backward, and his fast ball is pure smoke. There isn't anything he can't throw, from sliders, change-ups, and sinkers to a mean curve ball that breaks at just the right moment. He's pitched no-hitters and perfect games. To Paul, pitching is what you live for and why you live. Lately, though, Paul hasn't been allowed to do much of anything, much less play ball. He's got leukemia, and it's put him into the hospital several times already. His parents are so worried, they've forbidden him to play the game he loves so much. They're afraid that if Paul strains himself his illness may come back a final time...and maybe even take his life. But Paul is a winner. His team needs him, and he won't give up without a fight. Paul Mather is determined to pitch every inning...to keep playing baseball, and to keep hanging tough, no matter what the odds.
F AUC	Pick of the Litter (age 9-12) by Mary Jane Auch humor ... identity ... family An eleven-year-old adopted child realizes that being an only child has its advantages when her mother becomes pregnant after years of sterility.
F BEA	Charley Skedaddle (age 9-12) by Patricia Beatty war ... identity ... historical Publisher comments: In this powerful story, based on real-life Civil War records and memoirs, young Yankee deserter Charley Quinn learns that his flight from his first battle doesn't brand him a life-long coward.
F DOW	The Secret Language of Girls (age 9-12) by Frances O'Roark Dowell identity ... growing up ... school ... friendship Publisher comments: In the old days, when Kate had no interest in romance, she never cared what other people thought. Now, it appeared, love was turning her into a rotten human being. Eleven-year-old Kate Faber wishes she could talk to her best friend, Marylin, about this. But Marylin is no longer her best friend. Or is she? Kate and Marylin were always the kind of best friends who lived on the same block for their entire lives, and who agreed on what kinds of boys were worth kissing and who should be invited to their sleepover. The kind of best friends who didn't need words to talk, but who always just knew. But lately Marylin has started to think that Kate can be a bit babyish. And Kate thinks Marylin is acting like a big snob. Somehow nothing is the same, but secretly Kate and Marylin both wish it could be. sequel: The Kind of Friends We Used to Be
F HAD	The Missing Series (age 9-12) by Margaret Peterson Haddix adventure ... identity ... science fiction Publisher comments: Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, You are one of the missing. The second one says, Beware They're coming back to get you. Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere, and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives. Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying? title: Found title: Sent
F MED	Milagros: Girl From Away (age 9-12) by Meg Medina nature ... identity ... family Publisher comments: Milagros de le Torre hasn't had an easy life: ever since her father sailed away with pirates she's been teased at school and there's the constant struggle for her family to make ends meet. Still, Milagros loves her small island in the Caribbean, and she finds comfort in those who recognize her special gifts. But everything changes when marauders destroy Milagros's island and with it, most of the inhabitants. Milagros manages to escape in a rowboat where she drifts out to sea with no direction, save for the mysterious manta rays that guide her to land. In stunning prose, Meg Medina creates a fantastical world in which a young girl uncovers the true meaning of family, the significance of identity, and, most important, the power of a mother's love.
F GIF	Eleven (age 9-12) by Patricia Reilly Giff realistic ... growing up ... family ... mystery ... identity Publisher comments: Sam is almost 11 when he discovers a locked box in the attic above his grandfather Mack’s room, and a piece of paper that says he was kidnapped. There are lots of other words, but Sam has always had trouble reading. He’s desperate to find out who he is, and if his beloved Mack is really his grandfather. At night he’s haunted by dreams of a big castle and a terrifying escape on a boat. Who can he trust to help him read the documents that could unravel the mystery? Then he and the new girl, Caroline, are paired up to work on a school project, building a castle in Mack’s woodworking shop. Caroline loves to read, and she can help. But she’s moving soon, and the two must hurry to discover the truth about Sam.
F LEV	Underwater (age 9-12) by Debbie Levy growing up ... identity Publisher comments: Twelve-year-old Gabe has ambitions to be the next Jacques Cousteau. . . or Bill Gates . . . or who? Gabe's anxiety about growing up is matched by his fear that he'll be crazy (like his brother). But he finds some relief in his underwater computer game, setting up his own aquarium, and swimming on the local team. Could it be that some things will just take care of themselves?
F MOL	The Book of Lies (age 9-12) by James Moloney adventure ... fantasy ... identity Publisher comments: The newest boy at Mrs. Timmins's Home for Orphans and Foundlings awakes at first light with no name and no memory. But a strange girl who hides among the shadows of the orphanage tells him that a mysterious wizard's creation, the Book of Lies, holds the answers, and then gives him one clue: "Your name is Marcel." With that knowledge, and the help of three new friends, Marcel begins a quest to find the truth about his real identity, a truth that is hidden in the Book of Lies. As Marcel learns more about his past, he realizes that truth can change at any moment and can be manipulated by anyone, and he begins to wonder if the old book's so-called magical truth might be the greatest lie of all.
F WHI	Way Down Deep (age 9-12) by Ruth White mystery ... family ... identity Although Ruby seemed to just appear out of thin air on the steps of the courthouse on the first day of summer in 1944, no one in Way Down Deep, West Virginia, ever worried too much about where the toddler came from. They figured that if Rubys people were dumb enough to lose something as valuable as a child, then that was their problem. So even though Ruby can't help but wonder where she came from, she has led a joyful and carefree life in Way Down Deep, loved and watched over by Miss Arbutus (proprietor of The Roost, the local boardinghouse) the residents of The Roost, and the rest of the town. But when Ruby is twelve, a new family moves to Way Down Deep, and they inadvertently provide enough clues about Ruby's past that she is able to find her own people. Ruby travels from Way Down Deep to the top of Yonder Mountain to learn who she really is, only to find that she is bound to Way Down Deep by something even stronger than family ties: love.
F KEN	Hey, Didi Darling (age 9-12) by S. A. Kennedy identity ... the arts A rock band of junior high girls decides to masquerade as boys to achieve greater success.
F PAR	Archer's Quest (age 9-12) by Linda Sue Park identity ... adventure ... humor In Dorchester, New York, Kevin is doing his homework when suddenly an arrow comes out of nowhere and pins his baseball cap to the wall. The man who shot the arrow claims he fell off a tiger . . . and wound up in Kevin’s room. It’s not long before Kevin realizes that the man, who calls himself Chu-mong, or Great Archer, is no ordinary burglar, but a traveler from far away in both space and time. A visit to the local museum confirms that there was a king named Chu-mong in ancient Korea who was legendary for many accomplishments, including exceptional skill with bow and arrow. Kevin knows little about his own Korean heritage, but he understands that unless Archer returns to his people and his throne, history will be changed forever. And he’s determined to help Archer go back, no matter what it takes.
F GIF	A House of Tailors (age 9-12) by Patricia Reilly Giff enterprise ... identity ... historical SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk. Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her family’s dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family. When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right back to the sewing machine. Why did she ever leave home? Here she is, still with a needle and thread, and homesick to boot. She didn’t know she could be this homesick, but she didn’t know she could be so brave either, as she is standing up to an epidemic or a fire. She didn’t know she could grow so close to her new family or to Johann, the young man from the tailor’s shop. And she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent, and her future.
F CAR	Witch-cat (age 9-12) by Joan Davenport Carris fantasy ... identity ... magic A down-to-earth girl is made to see that she is a witch through the efforts of a magical cat.
F BYA	The Glory Girl (age 9-12) by Betsy Cromer Byars identity ... family ... the arts Anna Glory, the one non-singing member of a gospel-singing family, feels left out, like her misfit Uncle Newt, until the day the family bus is involved in a terrible accident.
F HAW	The Cat That Could Spell Mississippi (age 9-12) by Laura Hawkins identity ... friendship ... school Anxious to prove that she is special at her new school, fourth-grader Linda makes everything more difficult for herself when she cheats on a spelling bee.
F IRV	Rip Van Winkle (age 9-12) by Washington Irving spooky ... identity ... folklore The adventures of henpecked farmer Rip Van Winkle who escapes to the hills for a day of hunting. After sleeping for twenty years, he awakens to find a changed world.
F STE	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (age 9-12) by Robert Louis Stevenson identity ... spooky A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a secret drug of his own creation.
F OLM	The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (age 9-12) by Kathleen Olmstead identity ... spooky An abridged version of the tale by Robert Louis Stevenson of a kind and well-respected doctor who can turn himself into a murderous madman by taking a secret drug he has created.
F MAT	The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (age 9-12) by Joanne Mattern identity ... spooky A retelling of the classic tale by Robert Louis Stevenson of a kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a secret drug of his own creation.
F STE	The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (age 9-12) by Robert Louis Stevenson identity ... spooky A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a secret drug of his own creation.
F WIL	Double Act (age 9-12) by Jacqueline Wilson letters/journal ... family ... growing up ... identity Ten-year-old Ruby and Garnet are identical twins who do everything together. Especially since their mother died three years earlier. They dress alike, wear their hair the same, and sit together in every class. In fact, everything about them is the same--except their personalities. Ruby is funny and outgoing, Garnet is sensitive and shy. Together they're the perfect double act--and that's just the way they like it. But soon the twins' life is turned upside down, and the twins must find a different way to relate to one another.
F MCG	The Moorchild (age 9-12) by Eloise McGraw family ... identity ... fantasy Half Moorfolk and half human, and unable to shape-shift or disappear at will, Moql threatens the safety of the Band. So the Folk banish her and send her to live among humans as a changeling. Named Saaski by the couple for whose real baby she was swapped, she grows up taunted and feared by the villagers for being different, and is comfortable only on the moor, playing strange music on her bagpipes. As Saaski grows up, memories from her forgotten past with the Folk slowly emerge. But so do emotions from her human side, and she begins to realize the terrible wrong the Folk have done to the humans she calls Da and Mumma. She is determined to restore their child to them, even if it means a dangerous return to the world that has already rejected her once.
F IBB	The Star of Kazan (age 9-12) by Eva Ibbotson mystery ... identity Set in pre-World War I Vienna, a young servant girl Annika learns that she is actually an aristocrat whose true home is an ancient castle. There, Annika discovers that all is not as it seems in the lives of her newfound family.
F MCK	The Casson Family Series (age 9-12) by Hilary McKay humor ... identity ... family Publisher comments: The four Casson children, whose mother, Eve, is a fine-arts painter, have all been given the names of paint colors. Cadmium (Caddy), is the eldest; then Saffron (Saffy); Indigo, the only boy; and Rose, the youngest. When Saffy discovers quite by accident that she has been adopted, she is deeply upset, though the others assure her that it makes no difference at all. Saffy is the daughter of Eve's twin sister, who lived in Siena, Italy, and died in a car crash. Grandad brought Saffy, as a very small child, back from Siena. At Grandad's death he leaves something to each of the children. To Saffy, it is "her angel," although no one knows its identity. How Saffy discovers what her angel is, with the help of an energetic new friend, lies at the heart of this enchanting story. Unforgettable characters come alive in often deeply humorous and always absorbing events to be treasured for a long, long time. title: Saffy's Angel title: Forever Rose title: Permanent Rose
F PEC	Here Lies the Librarian (age 9-12) by Richard Peck identity ... humor ... historical Peewee idolizes Jake, a big brother whose dreams of auto mechanic glory are fueled by the hard road coming to link their Indiana town and futures with the twentieth century. And motoring down the road comes Irene Ridpath, a young librarian with plans to astonish them all and turn Peewee's life upside down. Here Lies the Librarian, with its quirky characters, folksy setting, classic cars, and hilariously larger-than-life moments, is an offbeat, deliciously wicked comedy that is also unexpectedly moving.
F SPR	Tales of Rowan Hood Series (age 9-12) by Nancy Springer folklore ... adventure ... fantasy ... identity Rosemary has nowhere to go when her beloved mother dies. She has never met her father--the outlaw Robin Hood. So she changes her name to Rowan, disguises herself as a boy, and make a perilous journey to Sherwood Forest in search of her lost father. title: Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest title: Lionclaw: a Tale of Rowan Hood title: Outlaw Princess of Sherwood: a Tale of Rowan Hood title: Rowan Hood Returns: the Final Chapter title: Wild Boy: a Tale of Rowan Hood
F BYA	After the Goat Man (age 9-12) by Betsy Cromer Byars family ... identity ... growing up Catalog: An overweight, sensitive boy gains the insight and strength to overcome his problems through his search for and discovery of a friend's grandfather, known as the Goat Man.
F BUT	Trading Places With Tank Talbott (age 9-12) by Dori Hillestad Butler school ... humor ... friendship ... identity Publisher comments: When dorky Jason Pfeiffer, who hates to swim, and athletic Tank Talbott, who hates ballroom dancing, trade places, the mismatched pair learn some surprising things about friendship and courage. See also, "Tank Talbott's Guide to Girls".
F CRO	The Great American Elephant Chase (age 9-12) by Gillian Cross voyages/journeys ... identity ... historical ... adventure ... humor In 1881 fifteen-year-old Tad helps a girl in her attempt to get a mighty Indian elephant to friends in Nebraska, while pursued by two unscrupulous villains who wish to take the elephant from her.
F TOL	Save Halloween! (age 9-12) by Stephanie S. Tolan traditions ... identity ... authorship ... folklore ... school Eleven-year-old Johnna, who is deeply involved in the sixth grade Halloween pageant although her family views it as a celebration of an un-Christian holiday, decides that she must follow her own beliefs.
F SMI	Best Girl (age 9-12) by Doris Buchanan Smith identity ... family As she struggles to cope with a difficult mother and finding her place in the world, young Nealy Compton finds solace in the relative solitude and safety beneath her neighbor's porch.
F NAM	Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family (age 9-12) by Lensey Namioka friendship ... identity ... family Yingmei Yang has changed her name to Mary now that she's learning how to be American. It's hard since her family sticks to their Chinese customs. Still, Mary wants to be best friends with popular Holly Hanson. She sees her chance when she adopts one of Holly's kittens. The trouble is that Mary's family can't afford a cat and it could damage their prized musical instruments. To prove her friendship to Holly, Mary must find a way to keep the kitten a secret from her impossible family. It won't be easy!
F NAM	Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers (age 9-12) by Lensey Namioka identity ... friendship ... family Yinglan Yang couldn't care less that her brother and sister have adopted all sorts of American customs. She misses China and doesn't want to fit in here. Her siblings decide that Yinglan needs help making friends in America. That's when they join forces and play matchmaker between Yinglan and Paul Eng, a Chinese American baseball player. They're certain Yinglan will never find out. Or will she?
F SNY	Gib Rides Home (age 9-12) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder identity ... mystery ... historical ... family Gib Whittaker's life at Lovell House Orphanage in the early 1900s is pretty bleak. But along with hours of chores, bad food, and paddlings, the boys do get some schooling, and reading and writing are better than scrubbing floors. Still, Gib's fondest dream is to have a real family. So when Georgie Olson is adopted, Gib can't help being jealous, even when he finds out that the "adoption" really means being farmed out to work as unpaid labor until the age of 18. When Gib himself is farmed out, he arrives at the home he has always dreamed of. But he's soon aware of barely concealed tensions and secrets kept hidden from him. sequel: Gib and the Gray Ghost
F KON	T-backs, T-shirts, Coat, and Suit (age 9-12) by E. L. Konigsburg realistic ... humor ... identity ... friendship Going to Peco, Florida, for the summer to stay with Bernadette is not Chloe's first choice. Or her second or her third. It's her only choice. So it's off to Bernadette's for the summer. Bernadette is Chloe's stepfather's sister. Who gives the unexpected a chance. Just what that means Chloe discovers right away. Everything about Bernadette is unexpected: her dog; her job driving a commissary van that serves sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, and junk food to shipyard and dock workers; her way of teaching Chloe to swim; her ability to skate on Rollerblades; and especially the fact that the unexpected is never unexpected to her, not even the events that follow when some commissary drivers begin wearing T-back swimsuits to work (a way of increasing business) and other groups in Peco decide T-backs should be banned forever.
F HUT	Within a Painted Past (age 9-12) by Hazel Hutchins historical ... adventure ... identity Allison's adventures in the world of one hundred years ago are the biggest test of courage and strength that she has ever faced.
F HAM	Zeely (age 9-12) by Virginia Hamilton identity ... family ... friendship Geeder's summer at her uncle's farm is made special because of her friendship with a very tall, composed woman who raises hogs and who closely resembles the magazine photograph of a Watutsi queen.
F CRE	The Wanderer (age 9-12) by Sharon Creech identity ... adventure ... family ... illness/loss ... voyages/journeys "The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in." Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure and a chance for discovery as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination, and its passengers search for their places in the world.
F BAN	Alice by Accident (age 9-12) by Lynne Reid Banks identity ... family ... school ... authorship It's Just so stupid, asking us to write our life for homework. It's not even a weekend! Alice Williamson-Stone doesn't see how she can write her life story as a class assignment. What's interesting in her life is not the "family and pets" stuff her teacher asked for. Her pets have died, and the only family she has is her mother. Until recently she had a beloved, interfering grandmother--Gene--but she's gone from Alice's life. Besides, as Alice discovered ages ago, she was born by accident, and that's the sort of private thing you don't write about for school. Alice does the assignment but she thinks it's pretty boring, until in doing it she discovers a need to write about her true life--the exciting, complicated, private parts.
F SMI	Bobby Baseball (age 9-12) by Robert Kimmel Smith identity ... enterprise ... sports Ten-year-old Bobby Ellis loves everything about baseball, from the hits to the hot dogs. That's why he calls himself Bobby Baseball! Every day he dreams of becoming a major league pitcher and joining the stars in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And what better place to start his career than right here on his own Kids Club team, the Hawks? But the Hawks' coach happens to be Bobby's father, who has other ideas.
F WOO	The Orphan of Ellis Island (age 9-12) by Elvira Woodruff identity ... family ... historical Left behind on a school trip to Ellis Island, Dominick Avaro, a ten-year-old foster child, travels back in time to 1908 Italy and learns more about migration to America than he ever imagined possible.
F WOJ	Shadow of a Bull (age 9-12) by Maia Wojciechowska identity ... family ... growing up Manolo Olivar has to make a decision: to follow in his famous father's shadow and become a bullfighter, or to follow his heart and become a doctor.
F SLO	Finding Buck McHenry (age 9-12) by Alfred Slote identity ... historical ... sports Eleven-year-old Jason, believing the school custodian Mack Henry to be Buck McHenry, a famous pitcher from the old Negro League, tries to enlist him as a coach for his Little League team by revealing his identity to the world.
F SAC	Someday Angeline (age 9-12) by Louis Sachar identity ... friendship ... brilliant protagonist Nobody understands why Angeline is so smart. But being smart is causing Angeline nothing but trouble. The mean kids in school call her a freak, her teacher finds her troublesome, and even her own father doesn't know what to do with an eight-year-old girl who seems to be a genius. Angeline just wants the chance to be herself and be happy, but it's only when she makes friends who appreciate her that Angeline gets that chance.
F PAU	Harris and Me (age 9-12) by Gary Paulsen identity ... adventure ... friendship This summer will be different. That's for sure. When an eleven-year-old city boy is dropped off to stay on a farm with relatives, he doesn't know what to expect. His cousin Harris soon takes care of that. Harris is rude and crude and finds trouble at every turn. He leads his city cousin into everything from wrestling slippery pigs to catching mice to a daredevil jump out of a barn loft. And that's not all. There are swimming and cowboy movies and enough good food to fill the boys up for days. Farm life is hard but never lonely. Before long, Harris' cousin has found a place where he belongs. If only summer could last forever.
F PAT	The Great Gilly Hopkins (age 9-12) by Katherine Paterson identity ... family ... friendship An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
F SAC	A Pocket Full of Seeds (age 9-12) by Marilyn Sachs survival ... identity ... historical Nicole Nieman has never really thought about being Jewish. Now, with the Nazis occupying France, it is the only thing on her mind. An almost endless stream of refugees comes to stay at their house, and her parents wonder if they too ought to escape over the border to Switzerland or take the chance and wait it out. Then one awful day Nicole comes home from school to find her parents and her sister gone. The Nazis who have taken them are still looking for her. Where can Nicole hide? And will she ever see her family again?
F NAY	The Alice Prequels (age 9-12) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor friendship ... school ... identity ... realistic ... growing up Well, a pet and pierced ears and really long hair would be nice, too ¿ and most of all, Alice wishes she still had a mother. But starting third grade in a new school in a new town can be lonely, especially if the closest thing you have to a friend is weird Donald Sheavers from next door. But even making new friends can't solve all of Alice's problems. Somehow she manages to get into trouble for a stupid lie, and to get on the wrong side of a bullying crossing guard and three snooty girls whom Alice calls "the Terrible Triplets." Will Alice ever feel at home in Takoma Park? This series introduce the younger Alice, leading up to the older series The Agony of Alice. title: Starting With Alice title: Lovingly Alice title: Alice in Blunderland
F MOR	The Squire's Tale (age 9-12) by Gerald Morris folklore ... identity ... adventure ... knights/castles/dragons In medieval England, fourteen-year-old Terence finds his tranquil existence suddenly changed when he becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest, proving Gawain's worth as a knight and revealing an important secret about his own true identity.
F GIF	All the Way Home (age 9-12) by Patricia Reilly Giff identity ... historical ... sports ... friendship ... family Brick Tiernan is devastated when fire destroys his family's apple orchard in Windy Hill, New York, in the summer of 1941. His parents are forced to take jobs in different cities, and Brick is sent to Brooklyn to live with Loretta, a family friend, until the family recovers front their financial loss. Brick feels homesick before he even gets to Brooklyn, but when he meets Martel, Loretta's adopted daughter, he discovers that they have things in common. Both are Dodgers fans, and Martel, who wonders about her real mother, has a mysterious connection to Windy Hill. In the final days of summer, Brick and Martel find a way to return to Windy Hill, where a kind elderly couple help them discover what they are each searching for-a sense of belonging and the real meaning of home.
F TAY	All-of-a-Kind Family Series (age 9-12) by Sydney Taylor identity ... historical ... family Five sisters who live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century enjoy doing everything together, especially when it involves holidays and surprises. But no one can prepare them for the biggest surprise of all in this warm, sincere tale. title: All-of-a-Kind Family title: Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family title: More of All-of-a-Kind Family title: All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown title: All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown
F SAC	There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom (age 9-12) by Louis Sachar identity ... friendship ... school ... humor An unmanageable, but lovable, eleven-year-old misfit learns to believe in himself when he gets to know the new school counselor, who is a sort of misfit too.
F ROD	Freaky Friday (age 9-12) by Mary Rodgers identity ... humor ... adventure ... family Annabel thinks her mom has the best life. If she were a grown-up, she could do whatever she wanted! Then one morning she wakes up to find she's turned into her mother . . . and she soon discovers it's not as easy as it looks! sequel: A Billion for Boris
F PAR	The Kite Fighters (age 9-12) by Linda Sue Park identity ... historical ... family In Korea in 1473, eleven-year-old Young-sup overcomes his rivalry with his older brother Kee-sup, who as the first-born son receives special treatment from their father, and combines his kite-flying skill with Kee-sup's kite-making skill in an attempt to win the New Year kite-fighting competition.
F KON	Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William, McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth (age 9-12) by E. L. Konigsburg realistic ... identity ... friendship Elizabeth is an only child, new in town, and the shortest kid in her class. She's also pretty lonely, until she meets Jennifer. Jennifer is...well, different. She's read Macbeth. She never wears jeans or shorts. She never says ``Please'' or ``thank you.'' And she says she is a witch.
F CUR	Bud, Not Buddy (age 9-12) by Christopher Curtis the arts ... identity ... voyages/journeys ... historical ... family ... brilliant protagonist Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.
F CLE	A Week in the Woods (age 9-12) by Andrew Clements identity ... survival ... adventure ... school The fifth-grade Week in the Woods is a beloved tradition of Hardy Elementary, where Mark Chelmsley (the Fourth) is pretty much killing time before his parents send him off to an exclusive prep school. But then Mark realizes the Week might be a chance to prove to Mr. Maxwell that he's not just another of the slacker kids the teacher can't stand.
F CLE	Dear Mr. Henshaw (age 9-12) by Beverly Cleary identity ... friendship ... authorship ... letters/journal In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
F BLU	Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (age 9-12) by Judy Blume identity ... friendship ... growing up For Margaret, everything is different this year. She's just moved from New York City to the suburbs and is anxious to fit in with her new friends. When the girls form a secret club to talk about private subjects, Margaret is happy to belong. But in Farbrook, everybody joins the Y or the Jewish Community Center. Margaret doesn't have a religion, so what's she supposed to do? Suddenly life is very confusing. Maybe it's all part of growing up, but Margaret could really use some answers.

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