The One and Only Ivan
Publishers Weekly Inspired by a true story, Applegate (Home of the Brave) offers a haunting tale told from the perspective of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who has been confined to a small “domain†of concrete, metal, and glass for 27 years. Joining Ivan at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade are Stella, […]
The Silver Bowl
School Library Journal Gr 5–8—Adventure, magic, subtle romance, betrayal, and monstrous curses take this book far beyond the typical scullery-maid-makes-good tale. Peasant girl Molly sometimes sees things before they happen, a fine enough reason for her unloving and poverty-stricken father to get rid of her. At age seven, she is abandoned at the door of […]
Dragon Castle
Children's Literature Two seemingly unrelated stories intertwine in this compelling fantasy adventure. The first story tells of a boy who is the only one to survive his kingdom's destruction. In the second story, young Prince Rashko is single handedly trying to keep his family's castle from being overtaken by a shady character named Baron Temny. […]
Liesl & Po
ALA Booklist Praise for Before I Fall:“Oliver, in a pitch-perfect teen voice, explores the power we have to affect the people around us in this intensely believable first novel…This is a compelling book with a powerful message and should not be missed.â€
Wild Wings
Publishers Weekly: The worlds of two villages in Scotland and the Gambia intersect through modern technology and the determined efforts of children to save an injured osprey. When 11-year-old Iona moves in with her elderly grandfather, who is considered a "nutter," most children ostracize her. But an unlikely friendship develops between Iona and her classmate […]
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
Overview: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a blind 10-year-old orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher—a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly […]
It's a Dog's Life : How Man's Best Friend Sees, Hears, and Smells the World
Publishers Weekly A wisecracking dog narrates this off-the-cuff look at the “secret life†of his species. Goodman (See How They Run) opens with a brief overview of dogs’ rapport with early humans and their subsequent roles (honed through breeding) as hunters, herders, haulers, and guide dogs. Noting “we take this best friend business very seriously,†[…]
Unusual Creatures
Overview With humor and flair, Michael Hearst introduces the reader to a wealth of extraordinary life-forms. Which animal can be found at the top of Mount Everest, 10,000 feet under the sea, and in your backyard? Which animal poops cubes? Which animal can disguise itself as a giant crab? These fascinating facts and hundreds more […]
Liar & Spy
Kirkus Reviews A seventh-grade boy who is coping with social and economic issues moves into a new apartment building, where he makes friends with an over-imaginative home-schooled boy and his eccentric family. Social rules are meant to be broken is the theme of this big-hearted, delightfully quirky tale, and in keeping with that, Stead creates […]
Small As an Elephant
Kirkus Reviews Eleven-year-old Jack is older than his years; he has to be. His mother, suffering from an unnamed mental disorder, has left him behind again. This time he is in a campground on Mount Desert Island in Maine, far from his Boston home. When he wakes up, there is no sign of his mother—no […]