ALE |
The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian; Grand Extravaganza, Including a Performance by the Entire Cast of the Gallimaufry-Theatricus
(age 10+) by Lloyd Alexander adventure ... voyages/journeys ... humor ... the arts When he loses his place as fourth fiddler in a noble household, Sebastian sets out into the world to seek his fortune. |
KON |
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
(age 10+) by E. L. Konigsburg realistic ... brilliant protagonist ... humor ... the arts ... identity Publisher comments: "I Prefer Not To...." That's Margaret Rose Kane's response to every activity she's asked to participate in at the summer camp to which she's been exiled while her parents are in Peru. So Margaret Rose is delighted when her beloved uncles rescue her from Camp Talequa, with its uptight camp director and cruel cabinmates, and bring her to stay with them at their wonderful house at 19 Schuyler Place. But Margaret Rose soon discovers that something is terribly wrong at 19 Schuyler Place. People in their newly gentrified neighborhood want to get rid of the three magnificent towers the uncles have spent forty-five years lovingly constructing of scrap metal and shards of glass and porcelain. Margaret Rose is outraged, and determined to strike a blow for art, for history, and for individuality...and no one is more surprised than Margaret Rose at the allies she finds for her mission. |
WOO |
After Tupac and D Foster
(age 10+) by Jacqueline Woodson growing up ... illness/loss ... the arts ... friendship Publisher comments: The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend's lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious. Although all of them are crazy about Tupac Shakur's rap music, D is the one who truly understands the place where he's coming from, and through knowing D, Tupac's lyrics become more personal for all of them. The girls are thirteen when D's mom swoops in to reclaim Dand as magically as she appeared, she now disappears from their lives. Tupac is gone, too, after another shooting; this time fatal. As the narrator looks back, she sees lives suspended in time, and realizes that even all-too-brief connections can touch deeply. |
ABR |
The Echo Falls Mysteries (age 10+) by Peter Abrahams the arts ... action ... mystery Publisher comments: Welcome to Echo Falls, home of a thousand secrets. Ingrid is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least, her shoes are. And getting them back will mean getting tangled up in a murder investigation as complicated as the mysteries solved by her idol, Sherlock Holmes. With soccer practice, schoolwork, and the lead role in her town's production of Alice in Wonderland, Ingrid is swamped. But as things in Echo Falls keep getting curiouser and curiouser, Ingrid realizes she must solve the murder on her own, before it's too late! title: Down the Rabbit Hole title: Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery |
HOR |
The Devil and His Boy
(age 10+) by Anthony Horowitz the arts ... adventure ... action Tom Falconer is in trouble. Pursued by the notorious criminal Ratsey, Tom soon finds himself alone and hungry on the streets of London. Luckily enough, the mysterious Dr. Mobius soon recruits Tom to play an important role in a play to be performed in front of Queen Elizabeth. Tom knows there's something not right about Mobius, but he's willing to take a risk in order to keep his neck out of Ratsey's murderous hands. Little does Tom realize that Mobius's dark secret will trap him in the middle of an international conspiracy, holding the fate of the English empire in his hands. |
KOR |
No More Dead Dogs
(age 10+) by Gordon Korman the arts ... school ... humor Eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to detention attending rehearsals of the school play where, in spite of himself, he becomes wrapped up in the production and begins to suggest changes that improve not only the play but his life as well. |
SNY |
Song of the Gargoyle
(age 10+) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder the arts ... adventure A strange sound awakens thirteen-year-old Tymmon in the dead of night. In a blink of an eye his father, the court jester of Austerneve, is mysteriously kidnapped and the terrified boy must slip away secretly to avoid capture himself. Hiding in the dreaded forest nearby, Tymmon is adopted by a huge, furry, dog-like creature--a gargoyle--who has the loyalty of a dog and the fearsome powers of an enchanted being. Together, hungry, the two make their way to town, where Tymmon earns a living by playing his flute and learns to be happy. At least as happy as he can be without his father. Will he ever find a way to rescue him and be with him again? |
MCC |
Harper Hall Trilogy (age 10+) by Anne McCaffrey folklore ... the arts ... fantasy ... adventure Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet's fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her. title: Dragonsong title: Dragonsinger title: Dragondrums |
GOD |
Listen to the Nightingale
(age 10+) by Rumer Godden friendship ... growing up ... the arts When she wins a scholarship to a famous ballet school, Lottie, an orphan reared by the costume mistress for a London ballet company, is torn between her lifelong dream and her love for other important things her life. |
YEP |
Ribbons
(age 10+) by Laurence Yep identity ... the arts ... family A promising young ballet student cannot afford to continue lessons when her Chinese grandmother emigrates from Hong Kong, creating jealousy and conflict among the entire family. sequel: The Cook's Family |
PAT |
The Master Puppeteer
(age 10+) by Katherine Patterson the arts ... historical ... enterprise Who is the man called Sabura, the mysterious bandit who robs the rich and helps the poor? And what is his connection with Yosida, the harsh and ill-tempered master of feudal Japan's most famous puppet theater? Young Jiro, an apprentice to Yosida, is determined to find out, even at risk to his own life. |
PAR |
A Single Shard
(age 10+) by Linda Sue Park the arts ... voyages/journeys ... historical ... enterprise Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters' village. For a long time he is content living with Crane-man under a bridge barely surviving on scraps of food. All that changes when he sees master potter Min making his beautiful pottery. Tree-ear sneaks back to Min's workplace and dreams of creating his own pots someday. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage. Though the work is long and hard, Tree-ear is eager to learn. Then he is sent to the King's Court to show the master's pottery. Little does Tree-ear know that this difficult and dangerous journey will change his life forever. |
NEL |
Ruby Electric
(age 10+) by Theresa Nelson the arts ... family ... humor ... authorship Ruby is a dreamer, bringing a better kind of reality to the silver screen, at least in her mind. When the lights dim and the world she writes takes over, Ruby comes to see her own life's story more clearly. |
MCC |
The Glorious Adventures of the Sunshine Queen
(age 10+) by Geraldine McCaughrean enterprise ... historical ... the arts Publisher comments: Ever since the magnificent Miss Loucien gave up teaching to join the Bright Lights Theater Company, school days have lacked a certain . . . drama . . . especially for Cissy, who longs for a life in show business, and Kookie, who craves adventure. But when a diphtheria outbreak interrupts the dull routine, Cissy and Kookie are evacuated to the doubtful safety of the Bright Lights¿ summer home¿a shipwrecked paddle steamer on the flooded Missouri River. Thus begins a wild and unpredictable journey downstream serving up grand performances, aggrieved river gamblers, irate lawmen, and perilous races. And when at long last Cissy steps into the limelight, the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. |
HOE |
Una Cuestion de Tiempo
(age 10+) by Michael Hoeye the arts ... mystery ... adventure ... friendship Hermux Tantamoq is an average mouse who works in his watch shop by day and spends his evenings at home. Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to him, but that changes when Linka Perflinger, daredevil aviatrix, drops off her watch to be repaired and steals his heart. But when a shady-looking rat tries to claim the repaired watch instead of Linka, Hermux knows something's gone wrong. Before long, Hermux is entangled in the convoluted schemes of an eccentric cosmetics tycoon, a sinister plastic surgeon, and a squad of ruthless lab rats. Hermux is caught up in a deadly race against time. |
HOE |
Hermux Tantamoq Adventures (age 10+) by Michael Hoeye the arts ... mystery ... adventure ... friendship Hermux Tantamoq is an average mouse who works in his watch shop by day and spends his evenings at home. Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to him, but that changes when Linka Perflinger, daredevil aviatrix, drops off her watch to be repaired and steals his heart. But when a shady-looking rat tries to claim the repaired watch instead of Linka, Hermux knows something's gone wrong. Before long, Hermux is entangled in the convoluted schemes of an eccentric cosmetics tycoon, a sinister plastic surgeon, and a squad of ruthless lab rats. Hermux is caught up in a deadly race against time. title: Time Stops for No Mouse title: The Sands of Time: a [new] Hermux Tantamoq Adventure title: No Time Like Show Time: a Hermux Tantamoq Adventure title: Time to Smell the Roses: a Hermux Tantamoq Adventure |