Special Collections
Accelerated Reader Middle Grade Collection
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Biscuit Goes To School
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat SchoriesBrand new readers will love reading about the gentle, and often funny, daily adventures of the adorable family puppy, Biscuit, in these classic emergent readers.
Biscuit Loves the Library
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat SchoriesThere is so much to do--and there are so many friends to see--at the library!
Biscuit Meets the Class Pet
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat SchoriesHop, hop! There's someone new at Biscuit's house--Nibbles, the class pet, has come for a visit. Nibbles likes exploring Biscuit's home and wants to play with all of Biscuit's toys. Biscuit isn't sure if he is ready to share with Nibbles, but soon Biscuit realizes that he likes having a visitor after all! The youngest of readers will be delighted by the story of Biscuit's new friendship in this appealing, easy-to-read adventure. Other book about Biscuit are available in this library.
Biscuit's New Trick
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat SchoriesBiscuit doesn't want to play fetch the ball--until the ball lands in a mud puddle. Then Biscuit can't wait to show off his new trick!
Happy Halloween, Biscuit!
by Alyssa Satin CapucilliWooof! Wooof! Biscuit and the little girl are going trick-or-treating on his first Halloween. What kinds of silly surprises are in store for them? Pull back the flaps to find out!
From Head to Toe
by Eric CarleEncourages the reader to exercise by following the movements of various animals; presented in a question and answer format.
The Very Busy Spider
by Eric CarleThe farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness.
3 Below
by Patrick CarmanCharlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel.
Now that Leo has uncovered a few secrets behind the wacky Whippet Hotel, he'll have to save it!
Leo has explored the zany, wonderful Whippet Hotel from basement to top floor, with trains, flying goats, and mazes (among other things) in between. But even Leo doesn't know every secret of the Whippet - and when he discovers that there's more beneath the hotel than he'd thought, it doesn't take long for more adventures to unfold!
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.
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
by Pablo CartayaSave the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud.
Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL? For Arturo, summertime in Miami means playing basketball until dark, sipping mango smoothies, and keeping cool under banyan trees. And maybe a few shifts as junior lunchtime dishwasher at Abuela’s restaurant. Maybe.
But this summer also includes Carmen, a cute poetry enthusiast who moves into Arturo’s apartment complex and turns his stomach into a deep fryer. He almost doesn’t notice the smarmy land developer who rolls into town and threatens to change it.
Arturo refuses to let his family and community go down without a fight, and as he schemes with Carmen, Arturo discovers the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí.
Funny and poignant, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is the vibrant story of a family, a striking portrait of a town, and one boy's quest to save both, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia.
Gustav Gloom and the People Taker #1
by Adam-Troy Castro and Kristen MargiottaEnter an exciting new world of shadows from Hugo Award nominee Adam-Troy Castro. Meet Gustav Gloom. Fernie What finds herself lost in the Gloom mansion after her cat appears to have been chased there by its own shadow. Fernie discovers a library full of every book that was never written, a gallery of statues that are just plain awkward, and finds herself at dinner watching her own shadow take part in the feast! Along the way Fernie is chased by the People Taker who is determined to take her to the Shadow Country. It's up to Fernie and Gustav to stop the People Taker before he takes Fernie's family. Featuring a unique cover and beautifully dark full-page illustrations by Kristen Margiotta, Gustav Gloom is sure to be a hit with fans who love a little darkness in their lives.
Just a Drop of Water
by Kerry O'Malley CerraEver since he was little, Jake Green has longed to be a soldier and a hero like his grandpa, who died serving his country. Right now, though, he just wants to outsmart-and outrun-the rival cross country team, the Palmetto Bugs.
But then the tragedy of September 11 happens. It's quickly discovered that one of the hijackers lived nearby, making Jake's Florida town an FBI hot spot.
Two days later, the tragedy becomes even more personal when Jake's best friend, Sam Madina, is pummeled for being an Arab Muslim by their bully classmate, Bobby. According to Jake's personal code of conduct, anyone who beats up your best friend is due for a butt kicking, and so Jake goes after Bobby. But soon after, Sam's father is detained by the FBI and Jake's mom doubts the innocence of Sam's family, forcing Jake to choose between his best friend and his parents.
When Jake finds out that Sam's been keeping secrets, too, he doesn't know who his allies are anymore. But the final blow comes when his grandpa's real past is revealed to Jake. Suddenly, everything he ever knew to be true feels like one big lie. In the end, he must decide: either walk away from Sam and the revenge that Bobby has planned, or become the hero he's always aspired to be.
A gripping and intensely touching debut middle grade novel by Kerry O'Malley Cerra, Just a Drop of Water brings the events of September 11, which shook the world, into the lens of a young boy who is desperately trying to understand the ramifications of this life-altering event.
Tortilla Sun
by Jennifer CervantesWhen twelve-year-old Izzy discovers a beat-up baseball marked with the words "Because magic" while unpacking in yet another new apartment, she is determined to figure out what it means. What secrets does this old ball have to tell?
Her mom certainly isn't sharing any, especially when it comes to Izzy's father, who died before Izzy was born. But when she spends the summer in her Nana's remote New Mexico village, Izzy discovers long-buried secrets that come alive in an enchanted landscape of watermelon mountains, whispering winds, and tortilla suns.
Infused with the flavor of the southwest and sprinkled with just a pinch of magic, this heartfelt middle grade debut is as rich and satisfying as Nana's homemade enchiladas.
Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer CholdenkoToday I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here.
There's my sister, Natalie, except she doesn't count. And there are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. Plus, there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it.
The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.
A Newbery Honor Book
Al Capone Shines My Shoes
by Gennifer CholdenkoMoose and the cons are about to get a lot closer in this much-anticipated sequel.
It's 1935. Moose Flanagan lives on Alcatraz with his family, the other families of the guards, and a few hundred no-name hit men, con men, mad dog murderers and a handful of bank robbers too. And one of those cons has just done him a big favor.
You see, Moose has never met Al Capone, but a few weeks ago Moose wrote a letter to him asking him to use his influence to get his sister, Natalie, into a school she desperately needs in San Francisco. After Natalie got accepted, a note appeared in Moose's freshly laundered shirt that said: Done.
As this book begins, Moose discovers a new note. This one says: Your turn. Is it really from Capone? What does it mean? Moose can't risk anything that might get his dad fired. But how can he ignore Al Capone?
Fear Itself
by Andrew Clements and Adam StowerTime is ticking as the countdown to Ben Pratt's school's total demolition continues. Ben has been given a handful of clues that could help them save the school, but they are all written in maritime riddles.
"After five bells sound, time to sit down."
What the heck does that mean? It's hard to know where to begin when Ben and Jill don't even know what they are looking for.
All Lyman, the snake posing as the school janitor, needs to know, though, is that they are looking, and that could mean the end of the 30-million-dollar development deal that pays his salary. (Which, by the way, is MUCH larger than what a typical janitor makes.)
As Lyman lurks in the shadows--and sometimes not in the shadows--Ben and Jill have to add another to-do to their list of things to accomplish in the next twenty-one days: (1) Figure out the clues left by past Keepers of the School groups, (2) figure out how these clues will help them save the school, and (3) stay one step ahead of Lyman. That's the mission...which seems, at times, impossible.
The second book in this riveting and mysterious six-book series is as action-packed as the first one, culminating in a faceoff between Ben, Jill, and Lyman. "After five bells sound, time to sit down" makes for a good riddle, but Ben and Jill also knows when it's time to stand up...for Oakes School and for themselves.
Lexile: 800L
Frindle
by Andrew ClementsIs Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school -- and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Junior Award
We Hold These Truths
by Andrew Clements and Adam StowerTime is almost out for the Keepers of the School in this fifth Keepers adventure from Andrew Clements, the master of the school story.
The Keepers of the School--known to their friends as Ben, Jill, and Robert--have one last chance to save their school before it's torn down to make room for a seaside amusement park.
But their nemeses, Janitors Lyman and Wally, are just as determined to keep the kids out of the way and the demolition on schedule.
One way or the other, this battle is about to come to a head. When all is said and done, will the school still be standing? Or will everything the Keepers have fought for be destroyed?
Lexile: 920L
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
Summerlost
by Ally CondieA tender and compelling contemporary novel for young readers about facing loss and finding friendship, from Ally Condie, international bestselling author of the Matched series.
Sometimes it takes a new friend to bring you home. It's the first real summer since the accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. Cedar and what's left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer.
They're just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival.
Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery.
The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar.
Infused with emotion and rich with understanding, Summerlost is the touching new novel from Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched series that highlights the strength of family and personal resilience in the face of tragedy.
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)
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
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 Meanest Thing to Say
by Bill CosbyThis is another book in the Little Bill Series.
Could Little Bill really find a way to play the name-calling game without any unkind words? Could he really play with just one little word on his lips and a big smile on his face? And what would his classmates think?
This book includes descriptions of the pictures, which adds to its fun.
Other books about Little Bill are available from Bookshare. This file should make an excellent embossed braille copy.
Getting Near to Baby
by Audrey CouloumbisAudrey Couloumbis's masterful debut novel brings to mind Karen Hesse, Katherine Paterson, and Betsy Byars's The Summer of the Swans—it is a story you will never forget.
Willa Jo and Little Sister are up on the roof at Aunt Patty’s house. Willa Jo went up to watch the sunrise, and Little Sister followed, like she always does. But by mid-morning, they are still up on that roof, and soon it’s clear it wasn’t just the sunrise that brought them there.
The trouble is, coming down would mean they’d have to explain, and they just can’t find the words.
This is a funny, sometimes heartbreaking, story about sisters, about grief, and about healing. Two girls must come to terms with the death of their baby sister, their mother’s unshakable depression, and the ridiculously controlling aunt who takes them in and means well but just doesn’t understand children. Willa Jo has to try and make things right in their new home, but she and Aunt Patty keep butting heads. Until the morning the two girls climb up to the roof of her house. Aunt Patty tries everything she can think of to get them down, but in the end, the solution is miraculously simple.
A Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year