Special Collections
Browse by Lexile: 800L - 890L
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A Hand Full of Stars
by Rafik SchamiExperience a wonderfully complex world of characters and cultures as you explore modern Damascus with a spirited teenage boy.Amid the turmoil of modern Damascus, one teenage boy finds his political voice in a message of rebellion that echoes throughout Syria and as far away as Western Europe. Inspired by his dearest friend, old Uncle Salim, he begins a journal to record his thoughts and impressions of family, friends, life at school, and his growing feelings for his girlfriend, Nadia. Soon the hidden diary becomes more than just a way to remember his daily adventures; on its pages he explores his frustration with the government injustices he witnesses. His courage and ingenuity finally find an outlet when he and his friends begin a subversive underground newspaper.Warmed by a fine sense of humor, this novel is at once a moving love story and a passionate testimony to the difficult and committed actions being taken by young people around the world. This book is not only suited for teenagers, it is also quite exciting to read for adults!
Samir and Yonatan
by Daniella Carmi and Yael LotanSamir, a Palestinian boy, worries about entering a Jewish hospital in Israel for a knee operation because Jewish soldiers are the enemy who killed his older brother. His healing is more than physical. On the children's ward, Yonatan becomes Samir's friend and offers him new ways of thinking.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
by Grace LinIn the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.
Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat, returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.
Newbery Honor book
My Face to the Wind
by Jim MurphySarah Jane Price keeps a diary as a promise to her late father, the former school teacher in Broken Bow Nebraska. She accounts her struggle to gain acceptance as the new teacher even though she is so young. She tells of the harshness of the weather, her trials at balancing relationships between herself and her pupils as well as herself and the rest of the townspeople.
The Whites of Their Eyes
by Andrew Clements and Adam StowerAndrew Clements delivers the latest in his adventure-filled school series. This could be the last great Memorial Day weekend on Barclay Bay, and Ben knows it.
This time next year, he might not be able to stand in the yard of the Oakes School and watch the harbor shake off winter--boats buzzing just beyond the bulkhead and families spreading picnics in the fields.
If the school gets torn down and replaced by an amusement park, the town will never be the same. But that's only if the school gets torn down. Ben and Jill are determined to keep that from happening.
And the evil janitor Lyman has taken note. He's following their every move--and undoing their progress along the way. Good thing Ben and Jill have a secret weapon. (Who knew that annoying Robert Gerritt would be such a spy wiz?)
But Lyman has a secret weapon as well: a vicious guard dog.
These kids are smart, but can they outsmart Lyman--and his beast--as the clock tick, tick, ticks toward total demolition?
Lexile: 810L
Ramona Forever
by Beverly Cleary and Tracy DockrayRamona is back! New and old friends alike will rejoice in Beverly Cleary's latest book about spunky Ramona and the whole Quimby family.
From the minute that Howie Kemp's "rich" Uncle Hobart arrives from Saudi Arabia, things are off to a rousing start. There are new beginnings and discoveries and two very special surprises -- one surprise is big and one is very little.
It's a time of change for all the Quimbys; a time of new joys and little sadnesses, too. There are new worries -- Mr Quimby is worried about finding a teaching job, Ramona is worried they may have to move if he does, and Beezus is worried about her teenage complexion.
And through it all Ramona, a grown up third-grader, remains a sometimes pesty, sometimes brave, sometimes blunderful, but always wonderful Ramona -- forever!
Fountas and Pinnell Level: O
Lexile: 691L - 770L
Reading Recovery: 34
DRA: 34
PM Readers: 24 Silver
Grade: 3
Ages: 8 - 9
Learning A to Z Level: S
Accelerated Reader (ATOS): 3.9 - 5.1
Four-Four-Two
by Dean HughesFrom the author of Soldier Boys and Search and Destroy comes a thought-provoking, action-packed page-turner based on the little-known history of the Japanese Americans who fought with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.
Yuki Nakahara is an American. But it's the start of World War II, and America doesn't see it that way. Like many other Japanese Americans, Yuki and his family have been forced into an internment camp in the Utah desert.
But Yuki isn't willing to sit back and accept this injustice--it's his country too, and he's going to prove it by enlisting in the army to fight for the Allies. When Yuki and his friend Shig ship out, they aren't prepared for the experiences they'll encounter as members of the "Four-Four-Two," a segregated regiment made up entirely of Japanese-American soldiers.
Before Yuki returns home--if he returns home--he'll come face to face with persistent prejudices, grueling combat he never imagined, and friendships deeper than he knew possible.
Nzingha
by Patricia C. MckissackPresents the diary of thirteen-year-old Nzingha, a sixteenth-century West African princess who loves to hunt and hopes to lead her kingdom one day against the invasion of the Portuguese slave traders.
Theodore Boone
by John Grisham"Not since Nancy Drew has a nosy, crime-obsessed kid been so hard to resist." --The New York Times Thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone thought the danger had passed, but he's about to face off against an old adversary: accused murderer and fugitive Pete Duffy. On a field trip to Washington, DC, Theo spots a familiar face on the Metro: Duffy, who jumped bail and was never seen again. Theo's quick thinking helps bring Duffy back to Strattenburg to stand trial. But now that Duffy knows who he is, Theo is in greater danger than he's ever been in before. Even when everything is on the line, Theodore Boone will stop at nothing to make sure a killer is brought to justice. This smart, fast-paced legal thriller for young readers is the newest adventure for clever and determined kid lawyer Theo Boone.From the Hardcover edition.
Trials of Death (Cirque du Freak
by Darren ShanThe trials: seventeen ways to die unless the luck of the vampire is with you. Darren Shan must pass five fearsome trials to prove himself to the vampire clan - or else face the stakes of the Hall of Death. But Vampire Mountain holds hidden threats. Sinister, potent forces are gathering in the darkness. In this nightmarish world of bloodshed and betrayal, death may be a blessing. . .
Allies of the Night
by Darren ShanDarren Shan, Vampire Prince and vampaneze killer, faces his worst nightmare yet -- school! But homework is the least of Darren's problems. Bodies are piling up. Time is running out. And the past is catching up with the hunters fast...
Around the World in 100 Days
by Gary BlackwoodPicking up where Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days left off, Phileas Fogg's teenage son, Harry, is in trouble. He has made a bet that he can drive a steam-powered motor-car around the world in 100 days. So along with a brilliant but shy mechanic, a sly female journalist, and the son of his opponent in the wager, Harry sets off on a race against time. The trip isn't easy, especially with dissension within the group. The question is, will they be able to finish . . . because the stakes are inconceivably high. "A thrilling, thoroughly road-worthy joy ride. " - Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Fun and suspenseful. " - Booklist
Maniac Magee
by Jerry SpinelliJeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.
Newbery Medal Winner
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Junior Award
Afternoon of the Elves
by Janet Taylor LisleIn &“this enchanting story about friendship,&” two fourth grade girls discover a magical world hidden in one&’s backyard (Publishers Weekly). No fourth grader trusts Sara-Kate Connolly. Her boots are dirty, her clothes are weird, and she&’s so maladjusted that the school had to hold her back a grade. But Hillary is her next-door neighbor, and can&’t say no when the unusual loner invites her over to play. In Sara-Kate&’s overgrown backyard, Hillary will find proof of a world of magic—the kind that can only blossom between true friends. Among the rusted car parts and wild plants, a miniature village has sprung up. It has tiny houses made from string, sticks, and maple leaves; a well with a bottlecap for a bucket; and even a little playground with a Popsicle-stick Ferris wheel. But there&’s absolutely no sign of who built this miniature world. To Sara-Kate, the answer is clear—only elves could be responsible for something so enchanted. As she and Hillary watch for their elusive new friends, they learn that friendship, like magic, springs up where you least expect it. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s own collection.
Surviving the Applewhites
by Stephanie S. TolanWill anyone take on Jake Semple?
Jake Semple is notorious. Rumor has it he burned down his old school and got kicked out of every school in his home state.
Only one place will take him now, and that's a home school run by the Applewhites, a chaotic and hilarious family of artists. The only one who doesn't fit the Applewhite mold is E.D.-a smart, sensible girl who immediately clashes with the unruly Jake.
Jake thinks surviving this one will be a breeze... but is he really as tough or as bad as he seems?
Newbery Honor book
Criss Cross
by Lynne Rae PerkinsDebbie is wishing something would happen. Something good. To her. Soon.
In the meantime, Debbie loses a necklace and finds a necklace (and boy does the necklace have a story to tell), she goes jeans shopping with her mother (an accomplishment in diplomacy), she learns to drive shift in a truck (illegally), she saves a life (directly connected to being able to drive, thus proving something), she takes a bus ride to another town (in order to understand what it feels like to be from "elsewhere"), she meets a boy (who truly is from "elsewhere"), but mostly she hangs out with her friends: Patty, Hector, Lenny, and Phil. Their paths cross. Their stories crisscross. And in Lynne Rae Perkins's remarkable book, a girl and her wish grow up.
Newbery Medal Winner
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman and Dave MckeanIn this Newbery Medal-winning novel, Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place — he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings — such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.
Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are being such as ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other.
The Graveyard Book won the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal, and is also a Hugo Award Winner for Best Novel.
I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly
by Joyce HansenIn this latest addition to the Dear America series, Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Joyce Hansen presents the inspiring story of Patsy, a freed girl who becomes a great teacher.
Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man
by Wendelin Van DraanenWhat does Frankenstein have that a skeleton wants? Sounds like a bad Halloween joke. But Sammy Keyes isn't laughing. She's the one who collided with the skeleton while he was making his getaway. And she's the one who discovered Frankenstein tied to a chair with his head twisted around. Someone's taken "trick or treat" way too far.
When Sammy starts to investigate what really happened Halloween night, she's amazed at how many people have something to hide. Of course, Sammy's got a few secrets herself. And more than a few tricks up her sleeve... there has eleven more books in the exciting Sammy Keyes mystery series.
Stage Fright
by Meg CabotMeg Cabot's youngest star is headed for the stage. . .at her school. For parent's night. But still, it's a starring role!The fourth grade puts on a play written by Mrs. Hunter! Allie is sure she will walk away with the most coveted role--that of the princess, naturally-but one of her friends gets the part! What Allie doesn't realize is that the part she does get--that of the evil queen--is actually a better (and bigger) role. But Allie isn't content with just starring in the play. She goes full-on method and borrows some false eyelashes to wear for the play, which (what else is new?) causes a great deal of excited controversy. Allie learns it's not the size of the part, it's the size of the heart that matters.
Ramona the Brave
by Beverly Cleary and Tracy DockrayIn this touching and funny story, the ebullient Ramona, feeling brave and grown-up, enters first grade. Quickly she finds that her new teacher, Mrs. Griggs, appears perplexed by pupils who like to be different. Since Ramona cannot help being different, clearly the two are incompatible.
Nevertheless, Ramona can be counted on to keep things lively. Enraged when Susan copies her wise old owl prepared for Parents' Night and receives praise for it, Ramona rebels. Overcome by guilt and no longer brave, she tries mightily thereafter to please her teacher, but still Mrs. Griggs infuriatingly reports home that Ramona lacks self-control. Only because she is a girl with spunk, to use her father's word, does Ramona's courage return, earning her at last an uneasy truce with the teacher.
Beverly Cleary draws here a portrait of a little girl discovering with astonishment that the way others see her is not always the way she sees herself. In the contrast lie moments of emerging self-knowledge for Ramona and of delicious hilarity for the reader.
Fountas and Pinnell Level: O
Lexile: 691L - 770L
Reading Recovery: 34
DRA: 34
PM Readers: 24 Silver
Grade: 3
Ages: 8 - 9
Learning A to Z Level: S
Accelerated Reader (ATOS): 3.9 - 5.1
The Iron Empire
by James DashnerJames Dashner returns to the New York Times bestselling series!They've sailed on the Santa Maria, defended famous cities from Vikings and Mongols, and come face-to-face with some of the greatest figures in history. Now, at long last, Dak, Sera, and Riq travel back in time to the moment it all began. Their mission: to save the life of young Alexander the Great. But they are not the only time travelers in ancient Greece. An epic battle against their most dangerous foe awaits them . . . and history will be written by the victors.Fix the past. Save the future. It's now or never!
Scythe
by Neal ShustermanA Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Two teens must learn the &“art of killing&” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the &“art&” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own. Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.
Marie Antoinette
by Kathryn LaskyIn 1769, 13-year-old Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, begins a journal chronicling her life at the Austrian court and her preparations for her future role as queen of France.