Special Collections
Browse by Lexile: 700L - 790L
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I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011
by Lauren TarshisA destructive force is about to hit the city of Joplin...Eleven-year-old Dexter has always wanted to see a tornado. So when he gets the incredible opportunity to go storm chasing with the famous Dr. Norman Rays, he has to say yes! Dr. Rays is the host of Tornado Mysteries, the show that Dex and his older brother, Jeremy, watched every night until Jeremy joined the U.S. Navy SEALs and left Joplin. Dex certainly knows how deadly tornadoes can be, but this one isn't heading toward Joplin, and wouldn't it be great to have a brave and exciting story of his own to tell Jeremy when he comes home? But when the tornado shifts direction, Dexter's bravery is about to get seriously tested...
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 2
by Dav PilkeyTra-la-laaa!! The NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling Captain Underpants series is now available in ebook edition, featuring Flip-E-Rama, bonus content, and more!
Just when they thought they were out, it pulls them back in! Our heroes beat the Bionic Booger Boy, but they forgot about those rascally Robo-Boogers. Join George, Harold, Mr. Krupp, Melvin Sneedly, and Sulu the Bionic Hamster on an adventure that will take them into the deepest regions of outer space and back through time to the mysterious and uncharted world of the day before yesterday! It's a monster-mashin', robo-wranglin', time-travelin', brain-switchin', nose-pickin' good time!
Mallory Goes Green
by Laurie FriedmanMALLORY McDONALD IS GOING GREEN! As an official member of the Fern Falls Elementary Environmental Committee, Mallory is super excited to make her school and home more environmentally friendly. She's even selected to be class representative for the all-school Green Fair. But the minute Mallory goes green, everything goes wrong. No one wants her "expert" opinion on how to help the environment. Her classmates don't want to participate in the Green Fair project she's created. And worst of all, by the time the fair rolls around, many of them aren't even speaking to Mallory. Can Mallory find a way to save the planet and her friendships?
Happy New Year, Mallory!
by Laurie FriedmanNew Year's Eve is just around the corner and Mallory's camp friends are coming to Fern Falls for a reunion. She can't wait! Mallory and Mary Ann have planned out every last detail for the perfect reunion, but Mallory doesn't count on having a bad stomachache that turns out to be appendicitis. Poor Mallory has to go to the hospital and misses out on the reunion and the New Year's Eve Party. Is this the beginning of the worst year ever, or will her friends find a way to save the day?
A Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue ParkA Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985.
The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours' walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya's in an astonishing and moving way.
Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan.
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Winner
Trouble Don't Last
by Shelley PearsallEleven-year-old Samuel was born as Master Hackler’s slave, and working the Kentucky farm is the only life he’s ever known—until one dark night in 1859, that is. With no warning, cranky old Harrison, a fellow slave, pulls Samuel from his bed and, together, they run.
The journey north seems much more frightening than Master Hackler ever was, and Samuel’s not sure what freedom means aside from running, hiding, and starving. But as they move from one refuge to the next on the Underground Railroad, Samuel uncovers the secret of his own past—and future. And old Harrison begins to see past a whole lifetime of hurt to the promise of a new life—and a poignant reunion— in Canada.
In a heartbreaking and hopeful first novel, Shelley Pearsall tells a suspenseful, emotionally charged story of freedom and family.
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Facing the Lion
by Herman Viola and Joseph Lemasolai LekutonJoseph Lemasolai Lekuton gives American kids a firsthand look at growing up in Kenya as a member of a tribe of nomads whose livelihood centers on the raising and grazing of cattle. Readers share Lekuton's first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition. They follow his mischievous antics as a young Maasai cattle herder, coming-of-age initiation, boarding school escapades, soccer success, and journey to America for college. Lekuton's riveting text combines exotic details of nomadic life with the universal experience and emotions of a growing boy.
Rain Reign
by Ann M. MartinWinner of the Schneider Family 2015 Middle School Award
Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose's obsessions, her rules, and the other things that make her different - not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father.
When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose's father shouldn't have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search.
Hearts will break and spirits will soar for this powerful story, brilliantly told from Rose's point of view.
Lily's Crossing
by Patricia Reilly GiffThis year, as in other years, Lily has planned a spectacular summer in Rockaway, in her family's cozy house on stilts over the Atlantic Ocean. But by the summer of 1944, World War II has changed almost everyone's life. Lily's best friend, Margaret, and her family have moved to a wartime factory town, and worse, much worse, Lily's father is on his way overseas to the war.
There's no one else Lily's age in Rockaway until Albert comes, a refugee from Hungary, a boy with a secret sewn into his coat. Albert has lost most of his family in the war; he's been through things Lily can't imagine. But when they join together to rescue and care for a kitten, they begin a special friendship. For Lily and Albert have their own secrets to share: they both have told lies, and Lily has told a lie that may cost Albert his life.
Newbery Honor Book
A Tale of Two Tails
by Henry Winkler and Lin OliverHank enters his dog Cheerio in a show, hoping to win the big prize. Unfortunately for Hank, Nick McKelty and his gassy little Chihuahua have the same thing in mind. Will Hank and Cheerio be able to take home the ribbon for Best in Show?
Help! Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth Grade
by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver and Tim HeitzIt's time for the end of year parent-teacher conference, and Hank's in a panic. He's afraid that his teacher is going to tell his parents that he has to repeat the fourth grade. So Hank creates an elaborate scheme to have his parents win an out-of-town trip so they're gone during the conference days.
Of course, the plan backfires. Will Hank have to stay in fourth grade forever?
Lexile Level: 720L
Cat Burglar Caper
by Carolyn Keene and Macky PamintuanEight-year-old Nancy Drew solves cases with her friends in new Clue Crew adventures!
Amber Brown Is Not A Crayon
by Paula Danziger and Tony RossAmber Brown and Justin Daniels are best friends. They've known each other for practically forever, sit next to each other in class, help each other with homework, and always stick up for each other.
Justin never says things like, "Amber Brown is not a crayon." Amber never says, "Justin Time." They're a great team--until disaster strikes. Justin has to move away, and now the best friends are fighting. Will they be able to work it out before it's too late?
Deep-Sea Disaster
by Davy Ocean and Aaron BlechaDive into the world of Harry Hammer, a hammerhead shark with a penchant for (mis)adventure in this fin-tastic start to a chapter book series.
Harry Hammer is a hammerhead shark, although he'd rather be a great white shark, or a tiger shark--anything but himself. But when a class trip to a famous shipwreck almost ends in disaster for Harry and his pals, he realizes the importance of being exactly who he is!
Mall Madness
by Macky Pamintuan and Carolyn KeeneBack-to-school shopping spree!
The Clue Crew is headed to the mall! They are ready to shop till they drop for new school supplies. First stop: the Pencil Box for glittery notebooks. But right away it looks like the girls have a back-to-school mystery on their hands.
Money is missing from the Pencil Box's cash register, and all fingers point to the clerk, Rodger. Rodger is Nancy's neighbor, and she doesn't believe he's a thief. But she'll need to examine the facts first. Good thing she bought a new notebook!
Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary
by Wendelin Van DraanenWhat's supposed to be a quiet weekend in the country turns into a crossroads adventure when Sammy and her friends meet Lucinda Huntley walking her 200-pound pig down the middle of the road. She tells them a true tale of the Wild West, a story of tough times, wagon trains, her great-grandma Moustache Mary, and a century-old family feud.
But this feud is hardly ancient history. Past and present collide -- and combust! -- when Mary's pioneer cabin burns to the ground. Sammy thinks the cause of the fire may be a hundred years old, but still, the gas can she finds near the scene of the crime is shiny and new. . . .
The Littles and the Surprise Thanksgiving Guests (The Littles )
by Joel PetersonThe Little family are small people with long tails, so small they live behind the walls of a house and are never noticed by the people who live there, though they have made friends with the old house cat. It's all Tom and Lucy, the Little children, can do to carry a turkey leg between them. This year they've planned a very special Thanksgiving with aunts and uncles and two tiny families from the country coming to visit. But now they have a very big problemdangerous mice are about to spoil the fun. Can the Littles save their lives and home by driving the mice away and keeping them out? Bookshare has many more books in the Littles series.
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants
by Dav PilkeyWhen Professor Pippy P. Poopypants becomes George and Harold's science teacher, the entire planet is almost overtaken by the mad scientist!
Ungifted
by Gordon KormanDonovan, whose real gift is getting into trouble, finds himself at an academy for gifted students! Donovan is definitely skilled... at getting into trouble. And when one of his thoughtless pranks accidentally destroys the school gym during the Big Game, with the superintendent watching, he knows he's in for it. Suspension at best, maybe expulsion. Either way, a lawsuit and paying for damages.
But through a strange chain of events, his name gets put on the list for the local school for gifted students: the Academy for Scholastic Distinction. Donovan knows he's not a genius, but he can't miss this chance to escape. Now, he has to figure out a way to stay at ASD -- and fit in with the kids there. And who knows, maybe his real gift will come to light. . .
A new story from the master of middle-grade and YA humour Gordon Korman, Ungifted is a funny exploration of the special (and often surprising) talents that make each of us gifted in our own way.
My Family Divided
by Diane Guerrero and Erica MorozBefore landing a spot on the megahit Netflix show Orange is the New Black; before wow-ing audiences as Lina on Jane the Virgin; and before her incredible activism and work on immigration reform, Diane Guerrero was a young girl living in Boston. One day, while Guerrero was at school, her undocumented immigrant parents were taken from their home, detained, and deported. Guerrero's life, which had been full of the support of a loving family, was turned upside down.Reflective of the experiences of millions of undocumented immigrant families in the United States, Guerrero's story is at once heartbreaking and hopeful.
The Other Side of Truth
by Beverley NaidooWill the truth harm them -- or save them?
When Nigeria's corrupt military government kills their mother, twelve-year-old Sade and her brother Femi think their lives are over. Out of fear for their safety, their father, an outspoken journalist, decides to smuggle the children out of Nigeria and into London, where their uncle lives.
But when they get to the cold and massive city, they find themselves lost and alone, with no one to trust and no idea when -- or if -- they will ever see their father again. The Other Side of Truth is a gripping adventure story about courage, family, and the power of truth.
The Milk of Birds
by Sylvia WhitmanThis timely, heartrending novel tells the moving story of a friendship between two girls: one an American teen, one a victim of the crisis in Darfur.
Know that there are many words behind the few on this paper...
Fifteen-year-old Nawra lives in Darfur, Sudan, in a camp for refugees displaced by the Janjaweed's trail of murder and destruction. Nawra cannot read or write, but when a nonprofit organization called Save the Girls pairs her with an American donor, Nawra dictates her thank-you letters.
Putting her experiences into words begins to free her from her devastating past--and to brighten the path to her future. K.C. is an American teenager from Richmond, Virginia, who hates reading and writing--or anything that smacks of school. But as Nawra pours grief and joy into her letters, she inspires K.C. to see beyond her own struggles. And as K.C. opens her heart in her responses to Nawra, she becomes both a dedicated friend and a passionate activist for Darfur.
In this poetic tale of unlikely sisterhood, debut author Sylvia Whitman captures the friendship between two girls who teach each other compassion and share a remarkable bond that bridges two continents.
The Art of Keeping Cool
by Janet Taylor LisleFear permeates the Rhode Island coastal town where Robert, his mother, and sister are living out the war with his paternal grandparents: Fear of Nazi submarines offshore. Fear of Abel Hoffman, a German artist living reclusively outside of town. And for Robert, a more personal fear, of his hot-tempered, controlling grandfather.
As Robert watches the townspeople's hostility toward Hoffman build, he worries about his sensitive cousin Elliot's friendship with the artist. And he wonders more and more about the family secret everyone seems to be keeping from him -- a secret involving Robert's father, a bomber pilot in Europe.
Will Elliot's ability to detach himself from the turmoil around him be enough to sustain him when prejudice and suspicions erupt into violence? And can Robert find his own way to deal with the shocking truth about his family's past?
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
The Apprentice
by Pilar Molina LlorenteA story about a young boy who wishes to become a painter. Even though his father doesnt like that, he is forced to send his child to be apprenticed by Maestro Cosimo de Forli who is jealous of the boy.
Dragon's Gate
by Laurence YepIn 1867, Otter travels from Three Willows Village in China to California -- the Land of the Golden Mountain. There he will join his father and uncle.
In spite of the presence of family, Otter is a stranger among the other Chinese in this new land. And where he expected to see a land of goldfields, he sees only vast, cold whiteness. But Otter's dream is to learn all he can, take the technology back to the Middle Kingdom, and free China from the Manchu invaders.
Otter and the others board a machine that will change his life -- a train for which he would open the Dragon's Gate.
Newbery Medal Honor book