Special Collections
Browse by Lexile: 500L - 590L
- Table View
- List View
The Chalk Box Kid
by Thomas B. Allen and Clyde Robert BullaA classroom favorite about the power of art and creativity. A new neighborhood. A new school. A lonely birthday. Life isn't easy for nine-year-old Gregory. Then he finds an abandoned chalk factory behind his house. It's a secret place, just for him! Now he can draw anything he imagines on the dark brick walls. What amazing thing will Gregory draw first?
The Creature of the Pines
by Adam Gidwitz and Hatem AlyA fully illustrated, globe-trotting new middle grade fantasy-adventure series about mythical creatures and their cultures of origin, from the Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitor's Tale.
Elliot Eisner isn't exactly excited about starting at a brand-new school in a brand-new town; he'd much rather stay at home and read a book. But things take an unexpected turn when he finds out his weird new teacher, Professor Fauna, has planned a field trip for Elliot's very first day. Along with a new friend--brave, outspoken Uchenna Devereaux--Elliot gets caught up in a secret group of adventurers, The Unicorn Rescue Society, whose goal is to protect and defend the world's mythical creatures.
Together with Professor Fauna, Elliot and Uchenna must help rescue a Jersey Devil from a duo of conniving, greedy billionaires, the Schmoke Brothers. Unicorn Rescue Society is an exciting and hilarious new series about friendship, adventure, and mythical creatures from around the world by Newbery Honor-winning author Adam Gidwitz teamed up with Mixtape Club founders Jesse Casey and Chris Smith, and Hatem Aly, illustrator of The Inquisitor's Tale.
A New York Times Bestseller
Crenshaw
by Katherine ApplegateIn her first novel sinceThe One and Only Ivan, winner of the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience. Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either.
His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.
Nominee for the 2018 Young Reader's Choice Award (Pacific Northwest Library Association)
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
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
Ivy and Bean
by Annie Barrows and Sophie BlackallThe moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hide, quick! Ivy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. Vibrant characters and lots of humor make this a charming - and addictive - introduction to a new series.
Ivy and Bean Bundle Set 1
by Annie BarrowsNew York Times best-selling series of books for children — Ivy + BeanMeet Ivy and Bean, two friends who never meant to like each other: This boxed set, Ivy & Bean's Secret Treasure Box (Books 1-3) is a delightful introduction to these spunky characters. It includes the first three books in the Ivy and Bean series, and a secret treasure-hiding box with a cool surprise inside!Author Annie Barrows talks about her award-winning Ivy + Bean series: One of the big problems of being a kid is that your parents often try to make you play with people you don’t really like. My parents were forever trying to get me to like the kids of their friends. These kids were often weird. I didn’t want to play with them. It was a problem.Ivy and Bean are very different: Bean is loud and wild and goofy. She loves to be involved in games and poke her nose in other people’s business. Ivy is quiet and full of ideas. She spends most of her time learning how to be a witch. Each girl thinks the other one is weird. Each girl thinks she could never be friends with the other. But sometimes opposites can become the best of friends because they’re opposites.Ivy & Bean's Secret Treasure Box (Books 1-3) includes:Book 1: Ivy + Bean: Both girls were sure they would never like each other, but when Bean finds herself in a pickle, Ivy helps out with a magical spell. The results are glorious: Bean’s sister Nancy loses her mind, and Ivy and Bean become forever friends.Book 2: Ivy + Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go: Ivy discovers that there’s a ghost in the girl’s bathroom at Emerson School. What could be cooler? Nothing, until the teachers find out, and Ivy gets in trouble. The girls have to get rid of the ghost, and quick. Potions—and plumbing—come to the rescue.Book 3: Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record: Bean wants to break a world record, but all she seems to be breaking is dishes. Out in Bean’s backyard, Ivy and Bean dig up a pile of ancient bones and discover that they are record-breakers: they’re the youngest paleontologists in the world! The problem is that nobody believes them.If you and your child liked Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House books, and Princess in Black; you'll love Ivy & Bean.
Ivy and Bean Bundle Set 2 (Books 4-6)
by Annie Barrows and Sophie BlackallThis super-cute bundle continues the adventures of spunky second graders, Ivy and Bean. It includes
IVY AND BEAN TAKE CARE OF THE BABYSITTER: What's the worst babysitter you can imagine? Okay, now multiply by a million. Bean's just found out that Nancy is babysitting for the afternoon. After Ivy rescues her from prison, the two girls turn tragedy into opportunity.
IVY AND BEAN: BOUND TO BE BAD: Ivy has decided to become good. Extra-super-duperly good. Bean figures that's a big waste of time--until Ivy explains that if you're really good, animals and birds follow you around. Wow! Animals and birds! Bean's going to be good, too! They're going to be nice; they're going to be sweet; they're going to be kind and generous and--Wait a second! How did they end up muddy, wet, and in trouble?
IVY AND BEAN: DOOMED TO DANCE: Ooops. Ivy and Bean have made a terrible mistake. They thought that ballet meant leaping, kicking, and cool costumes. Instead, it means they're going to have to be The Two Friendly Squids in a ballet the teacher made up. How embarrassing. As disaster looms, the girls come up with a great escape plan. It's an easy plan, a simple plan, a beautiful plan. It only involves a field trip, a couple of sharks, and some weird animals that glow in the dark.
Please note, this book does not have page numbers.
The Berenstain Bears Go To School
by Stan Berenstain and Jan BerenstainSister Bear is worried about going to school until she meets her teachers and finds out how many fun things she will do in her classroom. When Brother Bear decides that school isn't so good, she encourages him, too.
Includes picture descriptions.
This file should make an excellent embossed braille copy.
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.
Mysteries According to Humphrey
by Betty G. BirneyMrs. Brisbane is missing! She just didn't show up in Room 26 one morning and no one told Humphrey why.
The class has a substitute teacher, called Mr. E., but he's no Mrs. Brisbane.
Humphrey has just learned about Sherlock Holmes, so he vows to be just as SMART-SMART-SMART about collecting clues and following leads to solve the mystery of Mrs. Brisbane (and a few others along the way).
Nominated for twenty-four state awards and the winner of seven, the Humphrey series is a hit across the country.
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.
The Magic Finger
by Quentin Blake and Roald DahlWhat happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?To the Gregg family, hunting is just plain fun. To the girl who lives next door, it's just plain horrible. She tries to be polite. She tries to talk them out of it, but the Greggs only laugh at her. Then one day the Greggs go too far, and the little girl turns her Magic Finger on them. When she's very, very angry, the little girl's Magic Finger takes over. She really can't control it, and now it's turned the Greggs into birds! Before they know it, the Greggs are living in a nest, and that's just the beginning of their problems....
Double Fudge
by Judy BlumePart of the classic Fudge series from Judy Blume, bestselling author of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!Fudge is obsessed with money. He’s making his own “Fudge Bucks” and has plans to buy the entire world. But life gets really crazy when Fudge and his older brother, Peter, run into their long-lost relatives, the Howie Hatchers. Now they have to deal with annoying twin cousins and a weird younger cousin, coincidentally named Farley Drexel Hatcher—just like Fudge! Their names aren’t the only similarity, and before long, mini-Fudge is causing just as much trouble as Fudge always has!“As a kid, Judy Blume was my favorite author, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was my favorite book.”—Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling Wimpy Kid seriesLove Fudge, Peter, and Sheila? Read all the books featuring your favorite characters: Tales of a Fourth Grade NothingOtherwise Known as Sheila the Great Superfudge Fudge-a-Mania
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
by Judy BlumeSheila Tubman sometimes wonders who she really is: the outgoing, witty, and capable Sheila the Great, or the secret Sheila, who's afraid of the dark, spiders, swimming, and dogs.When her family spends the summer in Tarrytown, Sheila has to face some of her worst fears. Not only does a dog come with the rented house, but her parents expect Sheila to take swimming lessons! Sheila does her best to pretend she's an expert at everything, but she knows she isn't fooling her new best friend, Mouse Ellis, who happens to be a crackerjack swimmer and a dog lover.What will it take for Sheila to admit to the Tarrytown kids -- and to herself -- that she's only human?
Superfudge
by Judy BlumeSometimes life in the Hatcher household is enough to make twelve-year-old Peter think about running away. His worst problem is still his younger brother, Fudge, who hasn't changed a bit since his crazy capers in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. If you ask Peter, Fudge is just an older — and bigger — pain.Then Peter learns that his mom is going to have a baby and the whole family is moving to Princeton for a year. It will be bad enough starting sixth grade in a strange place and going to the same school as Fudge. But Peter can imagine something even worse. How will he ever survive if the new baby is a carbon copy of Fudge?
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 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.
Arthur and the Best Coach Ever
by Marc Brown and Stephen KrenskyWhen Muffy's father becomes the new soccer coach, the team is happy at first--everyone gets new uniforms and ice cream. But then the kids realize Mr. Crosswire isn't like the old coach, and they begin to wonder if he really cares. Can the players and Coach Crosswire figure out what being a team is all about? Picture descriptions present.
Arthur and the True Francine
by Marc BrownFrancine and Muffy are good friends until Muffy lets Francine take the blame for cheating on a test.
Arthur Goes to Camp
by Marc BrownPoor Arthur. He and the boys can't seem to do anything right at Camp Meadowcroak. Awful food, poison ivy, and losing to the girls in every sport are more than he can take. Arthur plots to run away just as the other campers plot to win the big scavenger hunt against their archrivals at Camp Horsewater. What happens when the two schemes collide makes a rousing finale to a funny, reassuring picture book. Arthur Goes to Camp brings more good laughs and learning to the growing number of Arthur fans.
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.
Arthur Lost and Found
by Marc BrownArthur and Buster take the bus downtown together for the first time to go to Arthur's swimming lesson. During the ride, they fall asleep and miss their stop, winding up on the other side of town. Then they spend all their money on a snack of chocolate winkies and strawberry sodas. Will Arthur and Buster be able to put their heads together and find their way home? With characteristic humor, this Arthur Adventure will keep fans on the edge of their seats until Arthur and Buster make their way home safely.
Arthur's April Fool
by Marc BrownArthur worries about remembering his magic tricks for the April Fool's Day assembly and Binky's threats to pulverize him.
Arthur's Computer Disaster
by Marc BrownArthur wants to play Deep, Dark Sea on the computer every chance he gets. He's hooked! When his mother leaves for work and asks him not to touch the computer, Arthur can't resist the temptation. Disobedience leads to disaster when Arthur and his friend Buster both reach for the mouse -- and the computer screen goes blank! Will Arthur be able to fix the computer before his mom gets home from work? Once again Arthur, D.W., and friends lead us on a hilarious adventure kids won't want to miss.