Special Collections
Accelerated Reader Middle Grade Collection
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Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss GlasserNancy wants to do an interesting school report on her ancestor. (That's fancy for a family member who lived long ago.) But will she remember to stick to the plain truth?
Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'ConnorA young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for one special night.
Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'ConnorWith the 100th day of school just around the corner, Nancy finds herself utterly stumped. She can't think of anything exciting, special, or imaginative enough to bring in to class to commemorate the day. Just as Nancy begins to lose hope, she finds inspiration from an unexpected source--and learns that even sad events can bring with them a glimmer of beauty.
Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'ConnorWhen Nancy picks flowers for Ms. Glass's surprise party, she is overjoyed--until she discovers an unpleasant surprise of her own! How could Nancy, practically a poison ivy expert, come down with something so unfancy?
In this hilarious new addition to the Fancy Nancy I Can Read series, Nancy realizes that even experts can always learn something new. With her boundless spirit and dynamic flair, Nancy is sure to leave young readers itching for more!
Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'ConnorBeing green is important to Nancy--so important that she wants her family to take care of the Earth morning, noon, and night!
Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'ConnorNancy is all set to wear something special for Pajama Day at school. But when Bree and Clara show up in matching outfits, Nancy feels left out. Will this Pajama Day be as fun as she thought?
Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris
by Jane O'ConnorThere's a new boy in school, and he's from Paris.
Nancy cannot believe her luck. But this Parisian may not be as fancy as Nancy expects!
Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes
by Jane O'ConnorNancy has been having a little trouble paying attention in class--but when it's time to get ready for the school bake sale, she is all ears. With Mom's help, Nancy remembers to follow all of the directions for a delectable batch of cupcakes . . . except for one very important detail!
Young readers will laugh out loud at Nancy's cupcake calamity in this funny I Can Read story!
Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet
by Jane O'ConnorFancy Nancy is ready for the spotlight!
Fancy Nancy and her best friend, Bree, couldn't be more excited about their upcoming dance show. After all, it's all about mermaids--and who knows how to be a fancy, glamorous mermaid better than Fancy Nancy herself? But when another ballerina wins the coveted role of the mermaid, Nancy is stuck playing a dreary, dull tree.
Can Nancy bring fancy flair to her role, even though it isn't the one she wanted? And when disaster strikes right before the big ballet, who will step in to steal the spotlight?
From bestselling duo Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser comes a fancy, frilly ballet story with a lot of heart. Tiny fans will shout "Encore!" Picture descriptions present.
Fancy Nancy and the Too-Loose Tooth
by Jane O'ConnorNancy is about to lose her first tooth, but if she can prevent it from falling out until she arrives at school she will get a special necklace from the nurse.
Fancy Nancy at the Museum
by Jane O'ConnorNancy's class is going on a trip to the museum, and Nancy wants to be extra fancy for the occasion. After a bumpy bus ride, she doesn't feel very well. Luckily for Nancy, her teacher, Ms. Glass, has a few fancy tricks of her own. Nothing can keep Nancy from making this trip magnifique! (That's a fancy French word for great!)
The Fashion Disaster
by Carolyn KeenePaws on parade! River Heights is hosting its first fashion show--for dogs! Proceeds will go to the Rollover Rescue animal shelter.
The Clue Crew is excited because not only will the day be filled with tons of cute pooches, but Nancy's own puppy, Chocolate Chip, will be a model in the show! But of course, there are some bumps along this fashion show's runway when someone steals a special basket of gourmet dog biscuits. They belong to doggy-diva Lola, a fancy poodle who's the star of the show! Can the Clue Crew sniff out this doggy-biscuit burglar?
Father Bear Comes Home
by Maurice Sendak and Else Holmelund MinarikLittle Bear's father is finally coming home from a long fishing trip. Little Bear is very excited to see him--even if he doesn't bring the mermaid Little Bear has been hoping for!
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
Feathers
by Jacqueline Woodson“Hope is the thing with feathers” starts the poem Frannie is reading in school. Frannie hasn’t thought much about hope. There are so many other things to think about. Each day, her friend Samantha seems a bit more “holy.” There is a new boy in class everyone is calling the Jesus Boy. And although the new boy looks like a white kid, he says he’s not white. Who is he?
During a winter full of surprises, good and bad, Frannie starts seeing a lot of things in a new light—her brother Sean’s deafness, her mother’s fear, the class bully’s anger, her best friend’s faith and her own desire for “the thing with feathers.”
Jacqueline Woodson once again takes readers on a journey into a young girl’s heart and reveals the pain and the joy of learning to look beneath the surface.
Newbery Honor book
The Fences Between Us
by Kirby LarsonNewbery Honor author Kirby Larson brings us the first new Dear America diary in years, taking readers through the attack on Pearl Harbor, the start of World War II, and the Japanese incarceration.
With this sweeping tale of life on the World War II homefront, Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson brings her incredible talent to the Dear America series. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, America is finally unable to ignore the wars raging in Europe and Asia any longer. And one girl's entire life is about to change when everything she knows is turned on its head. After the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, where her brother, a navy sailor, is stationed, Piper Davis begins chronicling her compelling journey through one of history's most tragic and unforgettable eras.
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
A Fin-tastic Finish
by Aaron Blecha and Davy OceanHarry Hammer wants to befriend a tiger shark and become a sports legend at Shark Point Scout Camp in this fifth Shark School (mis)adventure.
Harry Hammer has a new hero: Turbo Tex, a gold-medal-winning tiger shark. Maybe Harry can be just like him at Shark Point Scout Camp! Tony, another tiger shark, joins the group right in time for their annual sports camp, and Harry is over the moon.
But Tony doesn't seem to want to be friends. How can Harry change Tony's mind and make his sporting dreams come true?
The Firefly Letters
by Margarita EngleThe freedom to roam is something that women and girls in Cuba do not have. Yet when Fredrika Bremer visits from Sweden in 1851 to learn about the people of this magical island, she is accompanied by Cecilia, a young slave who longs for her lost home in Africa. Soon Elena, the wealthy daughter of the house, sneaks out to join them. As the three women explore the lush countryside, they form a bond that breaks the barriers of language and culture. In this quietly powerful new book, award-winning poet Margarita Engle paints a portrait of early womenâ s rights pioneer Fredrika Bremer and the journey to Cuba that transformed her life.
Firegirl
by Tony Abbott"...there is..." Mrs. Tracy was saying quietly, "there is something we need to know about Jessica..."
From this moment on, life is never quite the same for Tom and his seventh-grade classmates. They learn that Jessica has been in a fire and was badly burned, and will be attending St. Catherine's while getting medical treatments.
Despite her horrifying appearance and the fear she evokes in him and most of the class, Tom slowly develops a tentative friendship with Jessica that changes his life.
Tony Abbott is the author of over 35 books for young readers, including the extremely popular The Secrets of Droon series. In Firegirl he has written a powerful book that will show readers that even the smallest of gestures can have a profound impact on someone's life.
Firelight
by Kazu KibuishiThe unforgetable seventh installment of Kazu Kibuishi's #1 New York Times bestselling series! Emily, Trellis, and Vigo visit Algos Island, where they can access and enter lost memories. They're hoping to uncover the events of Trellis's mysterious childhood -- knowledge they can use against the Elf King. What they discover is a dark secret that changes everything. Meanwhile, the voice of Emily's Amulet is getting stronger, and threatens to overtake her completely.
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. To explore further access options with us, please contact us through the Book Quality link. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
The First Rule of Punk
by Celia C. PérezFrom debut author and longtime zine-maker Celia C. Pérez, The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one’s watching.
There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school—you can’t fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors.
On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School’s queen bee, violates the school’s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process.
Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.
The real Malú loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please).
And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malú finally begins to feel at home.
She'll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself!
Black and white illustrations and collage art throughout make The First Rule of Punk a perfect pick for fans of books like Roller Girl and online magazines like Rookie.
Fishin'
by Aaron Blecha and Davy OceanHarry does some deep sea detective work while investigating the fishy disappearance of his worst enemy in this eighth Shark School (mis)adventure.
Harry Hammer’s all-time favorite TV show is Mike Hammerhead, Shark Detective. The fin-tastic detective never fails to solve under-the-sea ‘who-dunnits’ and now Harry has found himself in similar water when he investigates the disappearance of his worst enemy Rick Reef. Has his nemesis gone missing or gone fishing?!
Fish in a Tree
by Lynda Mullaly HuntA New York Times Bestseller!
The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in.
“Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.”
Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.
Five Creatures
by Emily JenkinsThree humans and two cats. Five creatures live in our house. Three humans, and two cats. Three short, and two tall. Four grownups, and one child (that's me!). In this book of lighthearted comparisons, simple text and warm pictures work together to depict various scenes in a happy household where each member is distinct but also has something inn common with one or more of the others. The fun comes from sorting out the similarities and the differences.