Special Collections
Accelerated Reader Middle Grade Collection
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Can I Play Too? (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo WillemsMeet Elephant Gerald and Piggie, winners of Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals for There is a Bird on Your Head! and Are you Ready to Play Outside? Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In Can I Play Too? Gerald and Piggie meet a new friend, Snake, who wants to join in a game of catch. But don't you need arms to catch?
The Candy Corn Contest
by Blanche Sims and Patricia Reilly GiffIt's almost Thanksgiving, and Richard Best can't stop thinking about Ms. Rooney's Candy Corn contest. Whoever can guess the exact number of yellow-and-orange candies in the jar on Ms. Roney's desk gets to keep them all. The only problem is Richard has to read a page in a library book for each guess.Smelly Matthew, who sits in front of him, knows they'll never win. "We're the worst readers in the class, " he says. But Richard won't give up. He can already taste those Candy Corns. And before he knows it, he has. Three fat juicy ones.What will Ms. Rooney do when she finds out?From the Trade Paperback edition.
Campfire Mallory
by Laurie FriedmanNine-and-a-half-year-old Mallory's trepidation about going to sleep-away camp is multiplied when she and her best friend are assigned to different cabins, and a new "friend" seems determined to get Mallory in trouble.
Calvin Coconut
by Graham Salisbury and Jacqueline RogersCalvin's dad is a famous pop singer, and he's going to be in a concert on the island! Everyone wants to go.
Dad gave Calvin's mom 10 tickets, and Calvin has to decide who gets the last ticket: teacher's pet Shayla, who has a crush on him (ick!) or Tito the bully?
But much more important: Calvin hasn't seen his dad in four years. And he's never met Dad's new wife. Will Dad still like Calvin now?
Calvin Coconut
by Jacqueline Rogers and Graham SalisburyHawaii boy Calvin Coconut has come up with the best idea ever for his sister Darci's birthday party. But a huge tropical storm hits the islands and threatens everything. It rains and rains. And rains.
The river next to Calvin's house rises high. When Calvin's friend Willy falls into the raging water, Calvin grabs his skiff to save him. As Willy is swept into the bay, Calvin struggles in the wild waves. What happens next shows Calvin what heroes are made of.
Calvin Coconut
by Graham Salisbury and Jacqueline RogersFourth-grader Calvin lives near the beach in Oahu with his mom and little sister. Mom says: “You’re the man of the house. ” But Calvin’s not great at being the man of the house, or taking care of his responsibilities. He’s too busy having fun with his pals, and avoiding Tito, the bully. Trouble Magnetis the first book in a new series for younger readers full of all the fun of growing up in Hawaii. It introduces a wonderful multicultural cast of characters, including Mr. Purdy, who calls his fourth-grade class Boot Camp; Uncle Scoop, who runs the lunch wagon at the beach; Ledward, Mom’s 6'7" boyfriend; and gorgeous, intimidating, 15-year-old Stella-from-Texas, who arrives to be the live-in babysitter—and to step all over Calvin’s turf. From the Hardcover edition.
Calvin Coconut
by Graham Salisbury and Jacqueline RogersCalvin and his Mom's boyfriend, Ledward, are good friends. When Ledward wins plane tickets, he invites Calvin to go on a man trip--they'll fly to Hawaii, the Big Island, for a day, and go deep-sea fishing. Wow!
Calvin's never been on a plane, or any boat but his skiff. What a day--Calvin catches his first big fish, an ono. But that's nothing compared to what happens when Ledward hooks a huge, and very angry marlin that charges the boat!
Calvin Coconut
by Graham Salisbury and Jacqueline RogersCalvin Coconut's fourth grade class meets Benni Obi, a weird and likable new kid. Benny brags about knowing kung fu, wears mirrored sunglasses, eats worms, crickets, and chocolate-covered scorpions, and says all the wrong things to bully Tito. Uh-oh.
Meanwhile, the neighborhood kids and pets clear the road--Calvin's babysitter Stella is learning how to drive. She's got a lead foot. Readers will enjoy the humor in Kung Fooey as Calvin's smarts and courage help him learn something new about standing up for friends, and facing a bully.
Calvin Coconut
by Graham SalisburyCalvin Coconut needs to fix things with Stella—and fast! Stella from Texas is now officially a member of the Coconut household.
As if getting a bossy babysitter isn’t bad enough for Calvin, Stella teases him mercilessly. What’s a nine-year-old boy to do? Calvin decides to “fix” her, and he dumps his neighbor’s cat Zippy on Stella’s bed, knowing she’s allergic.
But when Stella breaks out in hives and misses her first big date, Calvin realizes his “zippy fix” went too far. He’s got to make it up to her, and decides to give her a birthday present. But he has no money. Along with the help of his loyal friends and little sister, Darci, Calvin works hard, and comes up with enough cash to give Stella the best birthday gift ever.
Graham Salisbury’s voice perfectly captures the inner workings of Calvin’s mind, and Jacqueline Rogers’ delightful pictures add zest and humor toThe Zippy Fix.
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.
Buzz Boy and Fly Guy
by Tedd ArnoldThe excitement is jam packed in Fly Guy's newest episode, which features a comic book within the story. Buzz and Fly Guy are superheroes. The dynamic duo must battle a fiery dragon and a band of pirates.
Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow
by James Howe and Eric FortuneThe Monroe house is going mad with excitement. Pete has just won a contest, and the prize is a school visit from none other than M. T. Graves, Pete's idol and the bestselling author of the FleshCrawlers series.
He's even going to stay with the Monroes while he's visiting! Harold and Howie are thrilled, but Chester the cat is suspicious. Why does Graves dress all in black? Why doesn't the beady-eyed crow perched on his shoulder say anything? Why has a threatening flock of crows invaded the backyard? And most worrisome of all: In each of the FleshCrawlers books, why does something bad always happen to the pets?
Suddenly, Graves's interest in all of the animals -- especially Bunnicula -- looks far from innocent. It's up to Chester, Harold, and Howie to find out if M. T. Graves and Edgar Allan Crow are really devising a plot to make their beloved bunny. . . NEVERMORE.
Bunnicula
by James Howe and Deborah Howe and Alan DanielThis book is written by Harold. His fulltime occupation is dog. He lives with Mr. and Mrs. Monroe and their sons Toby and Pete. Also sharing the home are a cat named Chester and a rabbit named Bunnicula. It is because of Bunnicula that Harold turned to writing. Someone had to tell the full story of what happened in the Monroe household after the rabbit arrived.Was Bunnicula really a vampire? Only Bunnicula knows for sure. But the story of Chester's suspicions and their consequences makes uproarious reading.Since its first appearance in 1979, Bunnicula has been a hit with kids and their parents everywhere, selling over 8 million copies and winning numerous awards.
Bull Run
by Paul FleischmanNortherners, Southerners, generals, couriers, dreaming boys, and worried sisters describe the glory, the horror, the thrill, and the disillusionment of the first battle of the Civil War.
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis"It's funny how ideas are, in a lot of ways they're just like seeds. Both of them start real, real small and then... woop, zoop, sloop... before you can say Jack Robinson, they've gone and grown a lot bigger than you ever thought they could."
So figures scrappy 10-year-old philosopher Bud--"not Buddy"--Caldwell, an orphan on the run from abusive foster homes and Hoovervilles in 1930s Michigan. And the idea that's planted itself in his head is that Herman E. Calloway, standup-bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, is his father. Guided only by a flier for one of Calloway's shows--a small, blue poster that had mysteriously upset his mother shortly before she died--Bud sets off to track down his supposed dad, a man he's never laid eyes on. And, being 10, Bud-not-Buddy gets into all sorts of trouble along the way, barely escaping a monster-infested woodshed, stealing a vampire's car, and even getting tricked into "busting slob with a real live girl."
Christopher Paul Curtis, author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, once again exhibits his skill for capturing the language and feel of an era and creates an authentic, touching, often hilarious voice in little Bud.
Newbery Medal Winner and Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Junior Award
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (25th Anniversary Edition)
by Bill MartinA big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck--all parade across the pages of this delightful book.
Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle's flat, boldly colored collages.
Combined with Bill Martin's singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals. Images and Image descriptions available.
A Break with Charity
by Ann RinaldiSusanna desperately wants to join the circle of girls who meet every week at the parsonage. What she doesn't realize is that the girls are about to set off a torrent of false accusations leading to the imprisonment and execution of countless innocent people. Susanna faces a painful choice. Should she keep quiet and let the witch-hunt panic continue, or should she "break charity" with the group--and risk having her own family members named as witches?
Breaking Stalin's Nose
by Eugene YelchinSasha Zaichik has known the laws of the Soviet Young Pioneers since the age of six: The Young Pioneer is devoted to Comrade Stalin, the Communist Party, and Communism. A Young Pioneer is a reliable comrade and always acts according to conscience. A Young Pioneer has a right to criticize shortcomings. But now that it is finally time to join the Young Pioneers, the day Sasha has awaited for so long, everything seems to go awry. He breaks a classmate's glasses with a snowball. He accidentally damages a bust of Stalin in the school hallway. And worst of all, his father, the best Communist he knows, was arrested just last night. This moving story of a ten-year-old boy's world shattering is masterful in its simplicity, powerful in its message, and heartbreaking in its plausibility.
Breaking Stalin's Nose
by Eugene YelchinOne of Horn Book's Best Fiction Books of 2011. Sasha Zaichik has known the laws of the Soviet Young Pioneers since the age of six: The Young Pioneer is devoted to Comrade Stalin, the Communist Party, and Communism. A Young Pioneer is a reliable comrade and always acts according to conscience. A Young Pioneer has a right to criticize shortcomings. But now that it is finally time to join the Young Pioneers, the day Sasha has awaited for so long, everything seems to go awry. He breaks a classmate's glasses with a snowball. He accidentally damages a bust of Stalin in the school hallway. And worst of all, his father, the best Communist he knows, was arrested just last night. This moving story of a ten-year-old boy's world shattering is masterful in its simplicity, powerful in its message, and heartbreaking in its plausibility.
Newbery Medal Honor book
The Breadwinner
by Deborah EllisYoung Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan. Because Parvana's father has a foreign education, he is arrested by the Taliban. The family becomes increasingly desperate until Parvana conceives a plan.
The Bravest Dog Ever
by Natalie Standiford and Donald CookIt is one of the worst storms ever - the snow has not stopped for days and it is 30 degrees below zero. But somehow Balto must get through. He is the lead dog of his sled team. And he is carrying medicine to sick children miles away in Nome, Alaska. He is their only hope. Can Balto find his way through the terrible storm? Find out in this exciting true story!From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Boy Who Cried Shark
by Aaron Blecha and Davy OceanWhen Harry Hammer accidentally sounds the great white shark alarm a few times too many, he ends up in dangerous waters in this fourth Shark School (mis)adventure.
Harry Hammer's all-time hero is the great white shark Gregor the Gnasher. Gregor is a famous action movie-star and the Underwater Wrestling Champion of the World. But not all great whites are like Gregor--most are fierce creatures of the deep. So when Harry sees one near Shark Point, he sounds the alarm and everyone panics!
Turns out it's just an old basking shark, and now everyone is furious. After a couple more minnow-sized mistakes, Harry sees a REAL great white...and it's very hungry. Will anyone believe him this time?
The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation)
by Daniel James BrownThe #1 New York Times bestseller about the Greatest Generation freshly adapted for the next generation. For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington's eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler. At the center of the tale is Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, whose personal quest captures the spirit of his generation--the generation that would prove in the coming years that the Nazis could not prevail over American determination and optimism. This deeply emotional yet easily accessible young readers adaptation of the award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller features never-before-seen photographs, highly visual back matter, and an exclusive new introduction.From the Hardcover edition.