F
HUN
Trail of Apple Blossoms (age 8-11)
by Irene Hunt
nature ... historical
Catalog: Johnny Appleseed's good will and humanity towards all living things is felt by a family settling in the Ohio wilderness.
F
BUS
Circus of the Wolves (age 8-11)
by Jack Bushnell
adventure ... nature ... animals
Kael, a black timber wolf, is captured and performs for a circus, until he has the opportunity to escape.
F
BAU
A Bear Named Trouble (age 8-11)
by Marion Dane Bauer
adventure ... family ... animals ... nature
Based on a true story, this novel is the story of a young boy in Alaska who sets out to get even with the wily bear cub that has accidentally killed the boy's favorite animal.
F
GRA
Adventures With the Parkers Series (age 8-11)
by Mike Graf
nature ... adventure
Twin brother and sister, James and Morgan, embark on adventures with their parents to explore the history, unusual geology, famous sites, plants, and animals of our National Parks.
title: Yosemite: Harrowing Ascent of Half Dome
title: Yellowstone: Eye of the Grizzly
F
WAL
The Legend of Thunderfoot (age 8-11)
by Bill Wallace
adventure ... nature
The day of the Naming is an important one for young roadrunners. That's when roadrunner parents judge the speed, courage, and hunting skill of their offspring and choose fitting names for them. One proud fledgling dreams of being named Muscles, or Dash, or even Hunter. If only he hadn't pursued those three juicy grasshoppers for a final snack. If only he'd remembered his parents' lesson: "Always look before you leap." If only he'd paid more attention to the mouse family that had lost two children to a nearby snake. If only the rattler had given some warning before it struck.... Miraculously, the young roadrunner survives the attack, but not without damage. With their son's feet swollen to such an enormous size, his parents have no choice but to give him the humiliating name of Thunderfoot. It's enough to make a roadrunner wallow in self-pity and give up. But the only thing bigger than Thunderfoot's feet is his heart, and with some not always gentle goading from a wise old gopher tortoise named Berland, he finds the courage to go forward and seek his destiny, and to become the stuff of legends.
F
ORR
Nim's Island (age 8-11)
by Wendy Orr
humor ... friendship ... adventure ... nature ... survival
A girl. An iguana. An island. And e-mail. Meet Nim: a modern-day Robinson Crusoe! She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees, and start a fire with a piece of glass. So she's not afraid when her scientist dad sails off to study plankton for three days, leaving her alone on their island. Besides, it's not as if no one's looking after her; she's got a sea lion to mother her and an iguana for comic relief. She also has an interesting new e-mail pal. But when her father's cell-phone calls stop coming and disaster seems near, Nim has to be stronger and braver than she's ever been before. And she'll need all her friends to help her.
sequel: Nim at Sea
F
BYA
The House of Wings (age 8-11)
by Betsy Cromer Byars
nature ... animals ... family
Left with his grandfather until his parents are settled in Detroit, Sammy learns to respect and love the old man as they care for an injured crane together.
F
CAR
Little Fur Series (age 8-11)
by Isobelle Carmody
adventure ... fantasy ... nature
When half-elf, half-troll Little Fur learns that servants of the troll king aim to destroy her beloved trees, she embarks on an ambitious and dangerous journey into the human world in hopes of saving not only the wilderness she calls home, but the very earth spirit itself.
title: Little Fur: the Legend Begins
title: A Fox Called Sorrow
title: A Mystery of Wolves
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
GEO
There's an Owl in the Shower (age 8-11)
by Jean Craighead George
family ... animals ... nature
Borden's father, Leon, was a logger in the old-growth forests of California. That is, until the spotted-owl lovers interfered. One day, frustrated by his father's unemployment, Borden sets out on a mission of revenge against the spotted owl but returns home with a half-starved owlet instead. The family soon discovers that the owlet, whom Borden names Bardy, loves to take showers and watch late-night TV. Only after the whole family has fallen in love with Bardy do they realize that the conflict between nature and human industry is not so easily resolved.
F
SEI
The Wainscott Weasel (age 8-11)
by Tor Seidler
nature ... friendship
While other young weasels dance under the pines, Bagley thinks about Bridget, the mesmerizing fish who lives in a pond down the brook from his den. Only a true hero can save Bridget from the gruesome death that awaits her, and this is exactly what Bagley, much to his own surprise, proves himself to be.
F
SEI
The Wainscott Weasel (age 8-11)
by Tor Seidler
nature ... friendship
All sorts of creatures live near the Wainscott woods on the South Fork of Long Island, but the most remarkable citizens of this seaside community are the weasels, including Zeke Whitebelly and his boisterous brothers, Bagley Brown, Jr., and Wendy Blackish. This whimsical story about nature and friendship is beautifully illustrated.
F
ENG
Holding On (age 8-11)
by Diana Engel
family ... nature ... the arts
Twelve-year-old Thomas, who likes to draw, is dismayed when his mother leaves him with his eccentric great-uncle Tano for an extended visit, until the two of them explore the natural world around the isolated house and work together on a stained glass panel.
F
YAM
The Call of the Wild (age 8-11)
by Mitsu Yamamoto
historical ... adventure ... nature ... animals
A specially adapted version of Jack London's story of the story of Buck, a young dog snatched away from an easy life in California and transported to the Far North. Buck becomes the strongest and fiercest sled dog in all of Alaska. But deep inside, he feels the urge to be free of man's rule and to heed the call of the wild.
F
TAY
Song of the Trees (age 8-11)
by Mildred D. Taylor
historical ... nature
With the depression bearing down on her family and food in short supply, Cassie Logan isn't sure where her next meal will come from. But there is one thing that she knows will always be there-the whispering trees outside her window. Cassie's trees are a steady source of comfort to her, but they also happen to be worth a lot of money. When Mr. Andersen tries to force Big Ma to sell their valuable trees, Cassie can't just sit by and let it happen. She knows that her family needs the money, but something tells her that they need the trees just as much.
F
HEN
Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West (age 8-11)
by Marguerite Henry
historical ... animals ... nature
A fictional retelling, from the point of view of Annie Bronn Johnston, of how she fought to protect the American wild horse, the mustang, from extinction because of professional killers who chased the horses for personal gain.
F
LIS
The Great Dimpole Oak (age 8-11)
by Janet Taylor Lisle
realistic ... friendship ... nature
The citizens of Dimpole rally together to save an historic oak tree from being cut down, an oak that is as much a part of the town as the citizens themselves.
F
HIL
Toughboy and Sister (age 8-11)
by Kirkpatrick Hill
nature ... adventure ... survival
The death of their father strands ten-year-old Toughboy and his younger sister at a remote fishing cabin on the Yukon River near Ruby, Alaska, where they spend a summer trying to cope with dwindling food supplies and hostile wildlife.
sequel: Winter Camp
F
GEO
Who Really Killed Cock Robin? (age 8-11)
by Jean Craighead George
nature ... mystery
Citizens of Saddleboro are proud to say that theirs is the cleanest town around. So they can't ignore the mysterious death of their mascot, Cock Robin. Some people would like to blame the citizens themselves, but one boy, Tony Isidoro, suspects there's more to the story.
F
GLE
Toad Heaven (age 8-11)
by Morris Gleitzman
humor ... nature ... adventure
Limpy is on a quest to find toad heaven. A place where cane toads won't be blown up with bike pumps or bashed over the head with folding chairs. Limpy's determined to find this place if it takes him the rest of his life, but his plans are waylaid when he's kidnapped by some sinister-looking humans and tossed into a bucket. Will Limpy be able to save cane toads? Will he be able to find toad heaven? First he has to get out of the bucket . . . in this hysterically funny sequel to Toad Rage.
sequel: Toad Away
F
GLE
Toad Rage (age 8-11)
by Morris Gleitzman
humor ... nature ... adventure
Limpy's family reckons humans don't hate cane toads, but Limpy knows otherwise. He's spotted the signs: the cross looks, the unkind comments, the way they squash cane toads with their cars. Limpy is desperate to save his species from ending up as pancakes. Somehow he must make humans see how fabulous cane toads really are. Risking everything, he sets off on a wart-tinglingly dangerous and daring journey to . . . the Olympics?
F
SPI
Wringer (age 8-11)
by Jerry Spinelli
identity ... friendship ... nature ... growing up
For as long as he can remember, Palmer LaRue has dreaded the day he turns ten, the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide.
F
MOR
Kavik the Wolf Dog (age 8-11)
by Walt Morey
friendship ... nature ... survival ... adventure ... animals
Following instinct alone, a wolf-dog embarks on a fantastic journey over 2000 miles from Washington to Alaska to return to the boy who once saved his life.
F
LAW
Rabbit Hill (age 8-11)
by Robert Lawson
friendship ... nature
When humans move to the hill, the families already in residence worry about whether they will be good neighbors or not.

Sat Aug 25 11:55:25 2012
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