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The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade
by Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate"Terrifyingly fun! Delivers big thrills and even bigger laughs."--Jeff Kinney, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Diary of a Wimpy KidDiary of a Wimpy Kid meets The Walking Dead in this very funny post-apocalyptic graphic novel for middle-grade readers. The zombies are disappearing. This might seem like a good thing, since zombies eat your brains, but normal human kid Jack Sullivan is suspicious. He keeps hearing an eerie shrieking noise that seems to be almost summoning the zombies--but to where, and for what (probably) foul purpose? Jack, his three best friends (maybe the only people left on Earth), and their pet monster Rover need to get to the bottom of this. Along the way they encounter a lot more than they bargained for, including a giant Wormungulous, a pizza parlor monster hangout, an ancient evil who destroys worlds, and a stereo system that is totally the bomb. Can Jack figure out why the zombies are vanishing . . . before he and his friends are next?From the Hardcover edition.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Waiting for Normal
by Leslie ConnorAddie is waiting for normal.
But Addie's mom has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, jubilation or gloom, her way or no way. All or nothing never adds up to normal. All or nothing can't bring you all to home, which is exactly where Addie longs to be, with her half sisters, every day. In spite of life's twists and turns, Addie remains optimistic. Someday, maybe, she'll find normal.
Leslie Connor has created an inspiring novel about one girl's giant spirit.
Schneider Family Award Winner
Crazy Lady
by Jane Leslie ConlyReceiving less and less attention from his widowed father, Vernon joins with his friends as they ridicule the neighborhood outcasts--Maxine, an alcoholic prone to public displays of crazy behavior, and Ronald, her retarded son. Then the social service decides to put Ronald into a special home, and Vernon finds himself fighting the agency. 1994 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1994 (ALA)
1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
1994 Young Adult Editors' Choices (BL)
1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)
Young Adult Choices for 1995 (IRA)
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate and Patricia CastelaoIvan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home-and his own art-through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.
Newbery Medal Winner
Horrible Harry Bugs the Three Bears
by Suzy KlineHorrible Harry has always loved insects, and he's recently discovered a new favorite: earwigs! When he tries to share his passion for the creepy critters, though, no one but Song Lee will listen to him. So when Miss Mackle assigns the class to act out a fairy tale, Harry takes the opportunity to rewrite the classic "Goldilocks and the Three Bears. " And his version gets everyone in room 3B to pay attention to earwigs. But will the class think his play is hilarious . . . or horrible? As an added bonus, the complete text of Harry's play is included in the back of the book, so readers can perform it, too.
Marvin Redpost
by Louis SacharDoes anybody like being the new kid at school? The new kid, Joe Normal, doesn't, and since his parents are always moving, he is forced to be the new kid again and again. Joe tries to fit in, but the kids never like him. They talk about him behind his back for kissing the flagpole, they laugh out loud at him in class when he doesn't know what an elephant is because he says there aren't many of them in Chicago where he's from.
At recess they don't want to let him in line to play ball and after school they say if he goes home with them to play, their dog will bite him. Marvin agrees that a kid who shakes hands with everyone he meets is weird, but even if it means Marvin's friends will stop playing with him, Marvin decides to take Joe home. Marvin thinks it's hard being the new kid.
Strange things continue to happen when Joe and Marvin go home. Joe is wild about Jell-O, teaches the family to play a new game where they step on paper plates instead of slimy fish, and eats his pizza with a knife and fork, but everyone, even Marvin's teen aged brother, likes Joe. Marvin and Joe become best friends and suddenly the kids at school like Joe, too.
Then why does Joe come to Marvin's house in a big limo driven by soldiers? What does all of this have to do with a giant flying birthday cake with green frosting?
Amber Brown Horses Around
by Paula Danziger and Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy and Anthony LewisThe most colorful chapter-book character is going to camp!
Amber Brown is one happy camper. She and her best friend, Justin, are spending the summer at Camp Cushetunk. Learning to ride Cinnamon, the sweetest horse ever, is so amazing that Amber doesn't even mind shoveling her poop.
Then Amber becomes the target of a series of pranks. Certain she knows who is behind them, Amber and her friends come up with the biggest prank ever to get revenge. But the outcome is not what they expect.
Turns out horsing around can lead to big trouble. But sometimes, Amber is surprised to learn, big trouble can lead to big changes for the better.
Arthur's Teacher Trouble
by Marc BrownArthur is amazed when he is chosen to be in the school's spellathon!
Caleb's Story
by Patricia MaclachlanThe stranger lurking on the Witting family prairie farm turns out to be their long-lost grandfather whose presence along with some prodding from Caleb forces Jacob to deal with his past. Sequel to Sarah Plain and Tall.
Spring According to Humphrey
by Betty G. BirneySpring is in the air, and lots of things are growing--including the Room 26 family!
Signs of spring are very exciting to everyone at Longfellow School. Mrs. Brisbane's class has seen flowers poking out of snow and baby birds hatching, and Just-Joey even brought in tadpoles that are growing into frogs.
It also means Family Fun Night is coming up, and all of the students' families are involved in making amazing activities. Humphrey helps in many ways, of course, but he can't stop wondering about his own family. He doesn't know anything about his mom or dad.
Luckily, all of his wonderful friends help him see that families come in many shapes and sizes, and Humphrey's might be the biggest (and best!) one of all.
Judy Moody, Girl Detective
by Megan McdonaldIt's an honest-to-jeepers mystery! Agent Judy Drewdy sets out to solve the case of the missing puppy when a canine-cop-in-training vanishes into thin air. Judy Moody is in a mood. A sleuthing, Nancy Drew kind of mood. So what's a WBMS (world's best mystery solver) to do? Go find a mystery, that's what! And she doesn't have to snoop for long: when Mr. Chips, a beloved crime-dog-in-training, goes missing, Judy Drewdy and her chums, agents Dills Pickle (Frank), Spuds Houdini (Rocky), and James Madagascar (Stink) find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a reallife, scare-your-pants-off whodunit. Was Mr. Chips stolen by dirty dognappers? And why are chocolate-chip cookies disappearing all over town? Watch out for red herrings--along with clever references to classic Nancy Drew mysteries--as Eagle Eye Moody and company are hot on the case!
Judy Moody Saves the World!
by Megan McdonaldThe mercurial Judy returns - and she's in a mood to take on the world! Get ready for the newest installment in the hilarious Judy Moody series. Rare! Judy Moody did not set out to save the world. She set out to win a contest. A Band-Aid contest. It all started with the Crazy-Strip contest - and the dream that she, Judy Moody, might one day see her very own adhesive-bandage design covering the scraped knees of thousands. But when her "Heal the World" motif merits only an honorable mention, Judy Moody realizes it's time to set her sights on something bigger. Class 3T is studying the environment, and Judy is amazed to learn about the destruction of the rain forest, the endangered species (not) in her own backyard, and her own family's crummy recycling habits. Now she's in a mood to whip the planet into shape - or her name isn't Judy Monarch Moody!
The War that Saved My Life
by Kimberly Brubaker BradleyAn exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War 2, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson's Sons and for fans of Number the Stars. Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada's twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn't waste a minute--she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan--and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother? This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity--a classic in the making.
Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
Nominee for the 2018 Young Reader's Choice Award (Pacific Northwest Library Association)
The Colossus Rises
by Peter LerangisPercy Jackson meets Indiana Jones in master storyteller and 39 Clues author Peter Lerangis’s epic Seven Wonders series.
The Colossus Rises is the first installment of the bestselling five-book series chronicling the story of Jack McKinley, an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die—unless he finds seven magic Loculi that have been hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Young readers will learn all about the history and mysteries of the ancient world while savoring this unputdownable story from first page to last.
Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret
by Wanda Coven and Priscilla BurrisIntroducing Heidi Heckelbeck--a brand-new young chapter-book series with witchy whimsy!Now readers between the ages of five and seven can read chapter books tailor-made for a younger level of reading comprehension. Heavily illustrated with large type, Little Simon's young chapter books let young readers feel like they are reading a "grown-up" format with subject, text, and illustrations geared specifically for their own age groups!Heidi Heckelbeck seems like any other eight-year-old, but she has a secret: She's a witch in disguise. Careful to keep her powers hidden (but excited to use them all the same), Heidi's learning to live like any other kid--who just happens to be witch. And with easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.Heidi and her brother Henry have always been homeschooled--until now. But Heidi is not happy about attending Brewster Elementary, especially not when meanie Melanie Maplethorpe turns Heidi's first day of school into a nightmare by announcing that Heidi is smelly and ruining her art project. Heidi feels horrible and never wants to go back to school--but while sulking in her room at home, she remembers her special medallion and Book of Spells. With a little bit of carefully concealed magic, Heidi might be able to give Melanie a taste of her own medicine....
The Fighting Ground
by AviApril 3, 1778
He may be just thirteen, but Jonathan knows he's ready to go to the war against the British. He can handle a gun. He yearns to battle for glory, just like his brother and cousin.So when Jonathan hears the tavern bell toll, calling men to fight, he runs to join them. He doesn't realize that in just twenty-four hours, his life will be forever altered -- by the war, by his fellow soldiers, and by the terrible choices he must make.
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
The Circus Scare
by Carolyn Keene and Macky PamintuanCome one, come all! The circus is coming to River Heights! The flyers claim this circus will be the biggest and best show around, with the funniest clowns, the cutest animals, and the most daring acrobats.
Nancy and the Clue Crew can't wait to see it! But when the performers are forced to go on without some very important props, Nancy begins to wonder, Is someone clowning around with this circus? She's not sure, but one thing is certain -- what Nancy and the Clue Crew discover proves that the circus really is the greatest show on Earth!
Horrible Harry and the Hallway Bully
by Amy Wummer and Suzy KlineNearly every kid in Room 3B is trying to get picked for the South School Safety Patrol Squad--especially Harry. Harry wants a star badge just like his grandpa's, so he works extra hard to be the perfect student: hanging up his jacket neatly, organizing the crayons in rainbow order, and--his favorite part--cleaning up sticky noodles off the floor after lunch. But Doug thinks someone is taking the power of Safety Patrol too far, maybe even using it to cheat at the Spring Book Fair Raffle! This is Harry's chance to stop the horrible bully and prove that he deserves a special star. Can he do it?
Horrible Harry on the Ropes
by Suzy KlineNormally, Harry loves gym class, and is better than the rest of Room 3B at just about every activity. But he's dreading the newest challenge-the climbing rope-especially since Sid is great at it. At first, Harry isn't even willing to try out the rope. But when a special valentine that Song Lee makes for him goes missing, Harry has to conquer his fears to prove who took it. Will he be able to climb up the rope? Or will his Valentine's Day end horribly?
Horrible Harry and the Drop of Doom
by Suzy KlineIt's the last day of second grade for the kids in Room 2B! Everyone's excited about Song Lee's end-of-the-year party at Mountainside Park. Harry can't wait for the scary rides, so when Sidney dares him to go on the newest one he quickly accepts. But then he realizes that this ride has the one and only horrible thing he hates. Will Sidney show everyone Harry's a yellow canary? And will Harry have to live through third grade at Sid's mercy? As always, Harry's appeal is that he's both gross and vulnerable.
Song Lee and the Leech Man
by Suzy KlineHarry plots revenge against Sidney, the class tattletale, when Miss Mackle's second graders go on a field trip to the pond. Independent readers will enjoy this chapter book, which is written in short, simple, chatty sentences. --Booklist
Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker
by Megan McdonaldSpurred by a new found awareness of false advertising, Stink Moody becomes the proverbial kid in a candy store as his letter-writing campaign yields him heaps of free rewards.
When Stink buys a mammoth jawbreaker that doesn't break his jaw, he writes a letter of complaint to the manufacturer -- and receives a ten-pound box of 21,280 jawbreakers for his trouble!
This unexpected benefit of acing the art of letter-writing in school sure gets Stink thinking. Soon Stink is so preoccupied with getting free stuff sent to him that he overlooks a scribbly envelope in the mail pile -- until his best friend, Webster, starts acting standoffish and looks as mad as a hornet.
Arthur Loses a Friend
by Marc BrownBuster goes away for a month, and Arthur becomes sad and confused when he does not receive even one postcard from him.
Imagination According to Humphrey
by Betty G. BirneyHumphrey's eleventh adventure celebrates stories, writing, and the power of the imagination!
Imaginations are running wild in Mrs. Brisbane's class, but Humphrey is stumped.
His friends are writing about where they would go if they could fly, but Humphrey is HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY right where he is in Room 26.
It's pawsitively easy for Humphrey to picture exciting adventures with dragons and knights in the story Mrs. Brisbane is reading aloud.
He has no trouble coming up with Plans to help his friends and tricks to entertain them.
His imagination even goes a little too far when he wonders if Carlos's imaginary friend might be a ghost.
If only his imagination wouldn't disappear when he tries to write. Luckily, Humphrey likes a challenge, and Mrs. Brisbane has lots of writing tips that do the trick.
Mrs. Cooney Is Loony!
by Jim Paillot and Dan GutmanMrs. Cooney, the school nurse, is a knockout -- and A.J. has a crush on her! But are her charms just a cover for her secret identity as an international spy? Will A.J.'s love for Mrs. Cooney win out over his love for the good old USA?