A Beasty
Story by Bill Martin, Jr. Illustrated
by Steven Kellogg. Harcourt Brace, 1999. $16.00
(Hardcover) ISBN: 015201683X
Bill Martin and Steven
Kellogg have teamed up to create a wonderful
"scary" story for the younger child who doesn't
want to be too scared. They even managed to
make learning color names part of the fun.
Gramps and
the Fire Dragon by Bethany Roberts. Illustrated
by Melissa Iwai. Clarion Books, 2000. $15.00
(Hardcover) ISBN: 0395698499
A bit of imagination
whips up a perfect dragon for this grandfather
and grandson. Only this dragon breaths fire
and the duo has quite a chase before they manage
to outwit the dragon and arrive safely back
home.
Bill and
Pete by Tomie dePaola. PaperStar, 1978.
$5.99 (Paperback) ISBN 0698114000
Tomie de Paola has
created an engaging pair of friends, a crocodile
and his friendly "toothbrush" bird. With its
bright, colorful illustrations, this humorous
story is sure to please the youngest reader.
Bill and
Pete Go Down the Nile by Tomie dePaola.
PaperStar, 1987. $5.99 (Paperback) ISBN 0698114019
Bill and Pete team
up for another adventure. This time they recognize
the "Bad Guy" on their class trip down the Nile.
Silly and fun, readers will enjoy seeing how
Bill and Pete save the day again.
The Adventures
of Taxi Dog by Debra and Sal Barracca.
Illustrated by Mark Buehner. Puffin, 1990. $5.99
(Paperback) ISBN 0140566651
The life of Maxi the
taxi dog is full of adventure and great characters.
Jim the taxi driver finds Maxi, homeless, on
the street and his life has never been the same
since. Wonderful illustrations make this a fun
and engaging story for the youngest reader.
Five Little
Piggies by David Martin. Illustrated
by Susan Meddaugh. Candlewick, 1998. $6.99 (Paperback)
ISBN 076361081X
Martin has turned a
traditional finger rhyme into five short engaging
stories. Why did that piggy go to market? And
what did that piggy have none of? Read the tale,
have a laugh and find out.
Hug
by Jez Alborough. Candlewick, 2000. $14.99 (Hardcover)
ISBN 0763612871
What does every little
one want more than anything? (A hug, of course.)
Follow baby monkey through the jungle, as he
looks for the one who can hug him the best.
Early Elementary
Alice Ramsey's
Grand Adventure by Don Brown. Houghton
Mifflin Co (Trd), 2000. $5.95 (Paperback) ISBN:
0618073167
Set in the early 1900's
Alice Ramsey is the first woman to drive across
the United States by automobile. What makes
this adventure so appealing is that in 1909
there were no roads, only trails over much of
the country. It took her fifty-nine days and
quite an adventure she had.
Rhinos for
Lunch and Elephants for Supper! by Tololwa
Mollel. Illustrated by Barbara Spurll. Houghton
Mifflin Co (Trd), 2000. $6.95 (Paperback) ISBN:
0618051562
In this traditional
Maasai tale, the animals of the forest try,
one by one, to evict a horrible "monster" from
rabbit's cave. A voice booming, " A monster,
a monster! I eat rhinos for lunch and elephants
for supper! Come in if you dare!" always stops
them in their tracks. Who will finally be able
to help rabbit?
In Control
: How to Fly a 747 by Ian Graham. Candlewick
Press, 2000 $7.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0763612782
Here is just the book
for anyone interested in how to fly the 747
airplane. Included are a well illustrated book
on how to fly the plane, a fact filled book
on being a pilot, a poster, your own 747 model
to build, and stickers to decorate your plane.
Altogether this makes for a fascinating look
at what's inside those giant planes.
John Blair
and the Great Hinckley Fire by Joi Nobisso.
Illustrated by Ted Rose. Houghton Mifflin Co
(Juv), 2000. $16.00 (Hardcover) ISBN: 0618015604
In 1894, one of the
most damaging firestorms in history ravaged
through central Minnesota. Read how John Blair
became a hero saving a train full of people
who found themselves unknowingly caught in the
middle of this devastating fire.
Catkin
by Antonia Barber. Candlewick Press, 1994. $6.99
(Paperback) ISBN 156402976X
In this fantasy tale,
the lord and lady of the Little People have
mysteriously abducted a child. Catkin, a small
"golden cat" must use all her strengths to solve
three riddles and free the child from the Little
People's magical kingdom.
Patrick's
Dinosaurs by Carol Carrick. Illustrated
by Donald Carrick. Clarion, 1983. $5.95 (Paperback)
ISBN 0899194028
A great story for any
dinosaur lover. Young Patrick is not quite so
sure that dinosaurs have disappeared. As his
brother Hank fills him in on dinosaur facts,
Patrick is sure there are still a few poking
their heads around.
What Happened
to Patrick's Dinosaurs? by Carol Carrick.
Illustrated by Donald Carrick. Clarion, 1986.
$5.95 (Paperback) ISBN 0899197973
In this colorfully
illustrated follow-up story, Patrick spins his
imagination to explain why all the dinosaurs
disappeared. Wonderfully creative, Patrick weaves
a tale that will leave every reader satisfied.
Middle Grades
Maze
by Will Hobbs. Camelot, 1999. $4.99 (Paperback)
ISBN: 038072913X
At fourteen, Rick Walker's
life has hit a dead end. A way out of this maze
comes in the high deserts and canyons of Utah.
In this high adventure tale of friendship and
lost identity, Rick finds a future.
Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren. Puffin, 1950. $4.99 (Paperback)
ISBN 0140309578
Pippi turns life upside
down and that's just fine for her two new friends,
Tommy and Annika. In Astrid Lindgren's classic
humorous story, Pippi, lives life to her own
tunes much to the dismay of adults.
My Side
of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.
Puffin,1959. $4.99 (Paperback) ISBN0140348107
Living in New York
City, Sam dreamed of surviving all alone in
the woods. One day Sam sets off to make his
dream come true and finds himself in the middle
of an adventure of a lifetime. Could he make
his dream come true? Can he survive all by himself,
living off the land?
Holes
by Louis Sachar. Yearling Books, reprint 2000.
$5.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0440414806
Stanley finds himself
in an adventure that he wouldn't have wished
on his worst enemy. Unjustly sent to a detention
center, Camp Greenwood, Stanley soon finds that
this camp doesn't have a lake or trees. It does
have holes, lots of them. A mystery and a wonderful
cast of strange characters fill out the story,
making this book a best read.
High School
The Pirate's
Son by Geraldine McCaughrean. Scholastic,
1999. $4.99 (Paperback) ISBN: 0590203487
In the early 1700's
three teenagers find themselves sailing away
from England bound for Madagascar and the adventure
begins. Pirates control the seas and one of
these teens is the son of a the most notorious
pirate of all. McCaughrean has created a well-written
story of high adventure.
Come A Stranger
by Cynthia Voigt. Aladdin, 1986. $4.99 (Paperback)
ISBN 068980444X
Cynthia Voigt weaves
a complex, moving story of a young African American
girl and her awakening self-awareness as she
moves into young adulthood. Her family and close-knit
community provide a balance as she encounters
and deals with issues ranging from racism and
prejudice to love.
The Wreckers
by Iain Lawrence. Yearling Book, 1998. $4.99
(Paperback) ISBN: 0440415454
A gripping page turner
from the beginning, The Wrecker, is a high seas
tale of adventure and suspense. Evil lurks in
the village high on the cliffs where folks would
pray and finally lure ships to their death during
stormy weather. Set in the 1700s, John Spencer
finds himself on such a ship. Surviving the
wreck, he must now survive the villagers.
Checkers
by John Marsden. Laureleaf, 1996. $4.99 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0440228603
"It's a miracle
anyone survives to be a teenager. It's a miracle
any teenager survives to be an adult."
This story is about the survival of one such
teen. Sadness and impending doom pervade her
family's high finance story. When the crash
comes, she has to learn to tell her story to
begin to heal.
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