Special Collections
Accelerated Reader Middle Grade Collection
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Flora And Ulysses
by K. G. Campbell and Kate DiCamilloWinner of the 2014 Newbery Medal. Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry -- and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.
Newbery Medal Winner
Flush
by Carl HiaasenBestselling novelist Carl Hiaasen is back with another hysterical mystery adventure for young readers, set in the Florida Keys. You know it's going to be a rough summer when you spend Father's Day visiting your dad in the local lockup. Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor-which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is stuck in the clink. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much-his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate-but Noah's got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all.From the Hardcover edition.
Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl
by Tedd ArnoldFly Guy has a new friend! When Fly Guy meets Fly Girl, he is amazed and smitten.
Fly High, Fly Guy!
by Tedd ArnoldMom and Dad won't let Fly Guy go along on the family road trip because they're afraid he'll get lost. But when Dad accidentally shuts him in the trunk, Fly Guy goes along for the ride.
First Fly Guy gets lost at the picnic site, but he shows up in the garbage can. Then he gets lost at the art museum, but he shows up as part of a modern painting. At the beach, he turns up in a shell, and at the amusement park, on Buzz's hot dog (yuck!). Then, Dad can't figure out how to get home, and the whole family is lost -- until Fly Guy leads the way! Picture descriptions present.
A Flying Birthday Cake?
by Louis Sachar and Amy WummerMarvin and Stuart get to sleep over at Nick Tuffle's house for Nick's birthday. They set out sleeping bags in the Tuffles' backyard. Stuart and Nick fall right to sleep, but Marvin tosses and turns. Then he hears a noise, and something glowing zooms over his head. Is it really a flying birthday cake? Or something else? The next day, a very strange new kid shows up at school. . . .
Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule
by Wendell Minor and Harriette Gillem RobinetMaybe nobody gave freedom, and nobody could take it away like they could take away a family farm. Maybe freedom was something you claimed for yourself. Like other ex-slaves, Pascal and his older brother Gideon have been promised forty acres and maybe a mule. With the family of friends they have built along the way, they claim a place of their own.
Green Gloryland is the most wonderful place on earth, their own family farm with a healthy cotton crop and plenty to eat. But the notorious night riders have plans to take it away, threatening to tear the beautiful freedom that the two boys are enjoying for the first time in their young lives. Coming alive in plain, vibrant language is this story of the Reconstruction, after the Civil War.
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
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.
The Fourteenth Goldfish
by Jennifer L. HolmBelieve in the possible . . . with this "warm, witty, and wise" New York Times bestselling novel from three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm
Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer.
Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far?
Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He's bossy. He's cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie's grandfather, a scientist who's always been slightly obsessed with immortality.
Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth? With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility.
SUNSHINE STATE AWARD FINALIST!
Fourth Grade Rats
by Jerry SpinelliA fast, fun, friendship read from the Newbery-award winning author of Maniac Magee.
Fourth graders are tough. They aren't afraid of spiders. They say no to their moms. They push first graders off the swings. And they never, ever cry.
Suds knows that now that he's in fourth grade, he's supposed to be a rat. But whenever he tries to act like one, something goes wrong. Can Suds's friend Joey teach him to toughen up...or will Suds remain a fourth grade wimp?
Frankenstein's Dog
by R. L. StineThe infamous, Most Wanted Goosebumps characters are out on the loose and they're coming after you! Catch them all undead or alive!
Kat is reluctant to visit her Uncle Vic Frankenstein because of all the rumors about him. People in the small town where he lives say he's a mad scientist like his great-grandfather, Victor Frankenstein, who created a monster that came alive and terrorized the town.
But Kat is relieved to find that even though he lives in a dark, old castle-like mansion, Uncle Vic is a quiet, gentle man, a scientist interested in building robots with artificial intelligence. Also, Kat loves Poochie, Vic's small, adorable, fluffy white dog, funny and playful.
But after an accident occurs in her uncle's lab, strange things begin to happen. Has Kat created a monster? Or is something else responsible for the horror that is unleashed?
Franklin's Surprise
by Sharon Jennings and Paulette BourgeoisFranklin throws a surprise good-bye party for Skunk, but the surprise ends up being on Franklin! This Level 2 first reader contains longer stories, varied sentences, increased vocabulary, more difficult visual clues and some repetition.
Freak the Mighty
by Rodman PhilbrickTwo boys - a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces - forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. (Made into the film, The Mighty. )
Fred and Ted's Road Trip
by Peter EastmanFred and Ted--beloved canine stars of P.D. Eastman's Big Dog . . . Little Dog and son Peter Eastman's Fred and Ted Go Camping and Fred and Ted Like to Fly--are on the move once again in Fred and Ted's Road Trip, the 100th Beginner Book published since Dr. Seuss launched the series in 1957 with The Cat in the Hat.In their latest adventure, Fred and Ted pack a picnic basket, jump in their cars, and hit the open road--but as usual, things don't go as the doggy duo plan. They encounter muddy roads, thunder and lightning, tire-piercing cacti, and overenthusiastic tire inflating that almost sends Fred into orbit! Perfect for P. D. Eastman fans, dog lovers, and families on car trips, this is a beginner reader that harkens back to the best of the Beginner Books edited by the Good Doctor himself.From the Hardcover edition.
Freedom's Wings
by Sharon Dennis WyethCorey Birdsong is a lively young boy in search of freedom in the same country that made an economy of slavery. He and his family are owned by the Hart family of Kentucky. But, when Corey's father, Roland, flees to the North and Corey and his mother follow. Corey records his daily life on the Hart farm with incredible insight and honesty, and later he describes the difficult journey along the "Underground Railroad" to the North to be reunited with his father. With the help of many kind strangers, Corey, his parents, and his new baby sister arrive safely in Canada.
Friendship According to Humphrey
by Betty G. BirneyAfter the holidays, Humphrey is shocked by a big surprise in Room 26-a new class pet!
Humphrey tries to be welcoming, but Og the frog doesn't respond to any of his friendly squeaks or visits (remember, he has a lock-that-doesn't-lock).
Plus, the students are so interested in Og, they almost stop paying attention to Humphrey altogether.
Humphrey doesn't like the mad-bad-sad feelings he's had since Og came, but luckily he still gets to have adventures with different kids on the weekends.
Friendship can be tricky, but Humphrey is an intrepid problem-solver. If any hamster can become buddies with a frog, he can.
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
Frog and Toad All Year
by Arnold LobelGo sledding with Frog and Toad and see what happens when Frog tumbles off and Toad has to steer by himself. See how frog cheers Toad up on a rainy day when it feels as if spring will never come. See why Frog and Toad go to bed happy after raking yards all day even though the wind scatters the leaves all around until it looks as if the leaves were never raked up at all. Toad the ice-cream monster may be the funniest Toad you've seen yet. On Christmas Eve find out how worries can grow and grow even when there's nothing to worry about. Two of the four Frog and Toad books by Lobel have won major awards. In Frog and Toad All Year, the third book in this hilarious series of easy to read chapter books about best friends, children will laugh and cheer at the five stories: one for each season and one about Christmas Eve. The pictures are carefully and humorously described.
Frog and Toad Are Friends
by Arnold LobelFrom writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other--just as best friends should be. Images and image descriptions available.
Frog and Toad Together
by Arnold LobelFrog and Toad are as funny as ever. Bravely they survive an attacking snake and a rock slide, then celebrate by hiding under the covers and in the closet. Toad starts out shouting at his seeds for not growing fast enough, then wears himself out singing for and reading to the seeds because he thinks he has frightened them. Toad finds problems everywhere and his best friend Frog finds solutions. They spend exciting, happy times together as different from each other as popsicles and hot dogs. This is an easy to read first chapter book. The pictures are described.
Newbery Medal Honor book
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.
Fudge-a-Mania
by Judy BlumeFrom Judy Blume, bestselling author of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!Fans young and old will laugh out loud at the irrepressible wit of Peter Hatcher, the hilarious antics of mischievous Fudge, and the unbreakable confidence of know-it-all Sheila Tubman in Judy Blume's five Fudge books. Brand-new covers adorn these perennial favorites, and will entice a whole new generation of Fudge--and Judy Blume--fans."As a kid, Judy Blume was my favorite author, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was my favorite book."--Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling Wimpy Kid seriesFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Fudge-a-Mania
by Judy BlumePart of the classic Fudge series from Judy Blume, bestselling author of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!Peter Hatcher can’t catch a break. His little brother, Fudge—the five-year-old human hurricane—has big plans to marry Peter’s sworn enemy, Sheila Tubman. That alone would be enough to ruin Peter’s summer, but now his parents have decided to rent a summer home next door to Sheila the Cootie Queen’s house. Peter will be trapped with Fudge and Sheila for three whole weeks!“As a kid, Judy Blume was my favorite author, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was my favorite book.”—Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling Wimpy Kid seriesLove Fudge, Peter, and Sheila? Read all the books featuring your favorite characters: Tales of a Fourth Grade NothingOtherwise Known as Sheila the Great SuperfudgeDouble Fudge
Full of Beans
by Jennifer L. HolmNewbery Honor Book Turtle in Paradise is beloved by readers, and now they can return to this wonderful world through the eyes of Turtle's cousin Beans.
Grown-ups lie. That's one truth Beans knows for sure. He and his gang know how to spot a whopper a mile away, because they are the savviest bunch of barefoot conchs (that means "locals") in all of Key West. Not that Beans really minds; it's 1934, the middle of the Great Depression.
With no jobs on the island, and no money anywhere, who can really blame the grown-ups for telling a few tales?
Besides, Beans isn't anyone's fool. In fact, he has plans. Big plans. And the consequences might surprise even Beans himself.
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Gathering Blue
by Lois LowryLois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever.As she did in THE GIVER, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira's plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future.
George and Martha
by James MarshallTwo lovable hippos teach the meaning of friendship in five separate vignettes: "Split Pea Soup," "The Flying Machine," "The Tub," "The Mirror," "The Tooth. " Images and image descriptions available.