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How Do You Lose Those Ninth Grade Blues?
by Barthe DeclementsWill Elsie be able to accept her (beautiful!) new self? Elsie Edwards, star of Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade, is back! She's a whole lot thinner, but not much happier. Sure, she's got a lot of friends now; and she's going out with Craddoc, one of the cutest guys in the whole high school. But even though Elsie looks like "a thin Dolly Parton," she still can't quite believe that Craddoc really likes her. Her insecurity threatens to ruin their relationship. To make matters worse, Elsie's mother just won't realize that Elsie's growing up and doesn't need to be watched over all the time. It all adds up to make ninth grade a lot more trouble than Elsie had counted on.
If We Could Hear The Grass Grow
by Eleanor CraigFrom the book: "Each day I saw more clearly what I wanted. To have a day camp for troubled children. And spend one last summer with my children in this house. A final chance to reweave more smoothly the family ties that bound us." It was a summer that will touch your heart. Now, in the same honest, thoughtful style that made her previous book, P.S. Your Not Listening, so successful, Eleanor Craig, gifted family therapist, teacher, and author, tells the wonderfully moving true story of her experiences running a day camp for emotionally disturbed children at her Connecticut home. If We Could Hear the Grass Grow is a funny, sad, fascinating account of what it's really like to cope and communicate with severely antisocial children on a day-to-day basis, deal with their violence, help ease their pain, and free their astonishing often hidden-capacity for love and sharing. Eleanor Craig shows us how these seemingly unreachable children can be reached and, most important, can achieve remarkable growth when handled by a committed, sensitive teacher. Among her "special kids" are: Rodney, the "Big Man," older than his years, tough, uncontrollably aggressive, and as much in need of love as of discipline. Maria, sweet, undemanding, and troubled, one of a large Hispanic family where the father has a history of manic depression and of being physically abusive. She spends much of her time in fervent prayer. Frankie, overweight and immature, who acts out his mother's agoraphobia by refusing to leave her side, day or night. Adam, abandoned by his young, mentally ill mother, and unable to communicate except in comic book babble.
Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders
by Terry SullivanThis is the story of the investigation and trial of John Wayne Gacy who killed more than 25 young men.
Liar, Liar
by Laurence YepSIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD MARSH WEISS IS famous for being the biggest practical joker in the county, a wise guy with more than a few enemies. So when Marsh is killed in a late-night car crash, his best friend, Sean Pierce, wonders: Was it an accident? True, Marsh's battered old heap had a history of brake trouble. Yet Sean can't help thinking that one of Marsh's vengeful victims might be responsible, and he's haunted by the memory of Russ, the man with the radar eyes. . . . But when Sean sets out to prove his suspicions, he finds his family, friends, and even the police refuse to believe him. Only Marsh's sister, Nora, seems to understand, but soon she too doubts him when Sean's credibility is destroyed by something in his past. Sean is determined to continue the investigation on his own, until, in a shattering climax, he finds he has no choice. Sean must prove that he's found Marsh's killer, or he will be the next victim!
Power Play (Sweet Valley High #4)
by Kate WilliamElizabeth and Jessica in a tug of war.., Chubby Robin Wilson has been following Jessica around for months. First she wanted to be her friend- now she wants to join Pi Beta Alpha, Sweet Valley High's snobby sorority. When Elizabeth, Jessica's twin, nominates Robin for the sorority, Jessica is furious. Robin may be friendly and smart, but she's certainly not beautiful or popular enough to be a Pi Beta. Jessica's determined to find a way to keep Robin out. But Elizabeth is just as determined to make Robin a sorority sister. Soon the twins are locked in a struggle that develops into the biggest power play at Sweet Valley High....
Wendy and the Bullies
by Nancy K. Robinson"This time he has gone too far," Karen said. "This calls for serious action." Wendy and Karen are experts on bullies. Their Bully Map and Bully Log show who the bullies are, where they hang out, and how dangerous they are. But lately the bully problem has been getting worse. And now that Karen is sick and won't be at school for a week, it's up to Wendy, alone, to figure out a way to stop the bullies once and for all. One way or another, this will be a week that Wendy will never forget. For ages 8 through 12, this chapter book shows the realistic problems children have with shyness, fitting in and facing bullies.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
by Gabriel García Márquez Gregory RabassaA man returns to the town where a baffling murder took place 27 years earlier, determined to get to the bottom of the story. Just hours after marrying the beautiful Angela Vicario, everyone agrees, Bayardo San Roman returned his bride in disgrace to her parents. Her distraught family forced her to name her first lover; and her twin brothers announced their intention to murder Santiago Nasar for dishonoring their sister. Yet if everyone knew the murder was going to happen, why did no one intervene to stop it? The more that is learned, the less is understood, and as the story races to its inexplicable conclusion, an entire society--not just a pair of murderers--is put on trial.
The Cooking School Murders (Eugenia Potter Mystery #1)
by Virginia RichThe elite of Harrington, Iowa-- population 4,785--have gathered for an advanced cooking class. But when one of the students is found with her throat slashed, the other chefs--including our Mrs. Potter, home for her yearly visit--are the prime suspects. The weapon? The thin, sharp, six-inch French boning knife displayed in class that evening.... As Mrs. Potter muses: "Everything that happens in New York happens here. The only difference is that here you know the people." Dignified but down-to- earth, proper but never prissy, it is Mrs. Potter who discovers the surprising culprit.
Death Turns a Trick (Rebecca Schwartz Mysteries #1)
by Julie SmithIt's one thing to represent hookers in court and quite another to play piano for fun at a feminist bordello. So when San Francisco attorney Rebecca Schwartz barely escapes a police raid, she has only herself to blame. But it's not over yet. By the time she gets back to her apartment, Rebecca discovers the bludgeoned body of beautiful Kandi, a college student and part-time prostitute. Rebecca is beginning to feel besieged-as indeed she soon is-by a killer. For a nice Jewish girl from staid Marin County, life is becoming much too complicated.
Murder in the Supreme Court (Capital Crimes #3)
by Margaret TrumanThe clerk to the chief justice of the supreme court is discovered, shot in the head in the courtroom. The FBI, The Washington police and the Justice Department investigate. For two of the three, finding the murderer is not their top priority leaving more work for Lieutenant Martin Teller and Susanna Pinscher. The victim, young, handsome, and ambitious, the son of a prominent Washington D. C. psychiatrist, had many enemies including the nine justices, and the women he seduced and discarded and the men who loved them. Heroes, the military, even the President of the United states come under suspicion. Susan and Martin are asking questions from coast to coast about what goes on in bedrooms, offices, the White House and the Supreme Court. The outcome could affect the laws and leadership of the land. Look for other mysteries by Margaret Truman in the Bookshare collection.
The Soap Opera Slaughters (Hilary Quayle Mystery #5)
by Marvin Kaye[From the front flap:] "The plot of the popular daytime soap opera "Riverday" was melodramatic to be sure, but, as detective Hilary Quayle and her sometime lover Gene discover, it's not nearly as tangled-or as deadly-as the drama its stars were acting out in real life. First, the unclad body of the show's head writer is found on the street in front of the television studio. Then the director yells "Action!"-and the leading villainess is poisoned, appropriately enough, in the middle of a deathbed scene. And when the show's producer is discovered lying in a pool of blood with his head bashed in, the cast and crew are suddenly fearing for something besides the show's ratings. Namely their own lives. Before the cameras can roll again, Hilary and Gene must separate fact from fiction-and egos from alter egos -to learn who on "Riverday" is hiding behind a mask of tragedy... and murder." The author puts his highly developed vocabulary to good use in this who-done-it whose outcome is hard to predict.
Wind Child (Aeolis #2)
by R. M. MeluchFrom the book jacket: BORN OF WIND AND WOMAN Daniel East's mother was dead. Laure Lafayette-Remington East, the only person who had ever been able to speak with the Kistraalians, the wind beings who'd called Aeolis their home long before humans transformed it into a paradise planet for the very wealthy. Alive, Laure could have warned the winds about the human weapon that could threaten their very existence. Now Daniel alone remained to carry his mother's message of survival But to accomplish his mission Daniel had to learn how to communicate with the winds. And in the learning, he discovered a ten-thousand-year-old secret that sent him rocketing across the galaxy in search of a living legend which could herald the beginning of a new age or the final extinction of an entire race.... WIND CHILD
Arthur's Funny Money (I Can Read Book #Level 2)
by Lillian HobanThis story is fun and very easy to read. Through all of the silliness it teaches many things about money, counting it, earning it and spending it. Children will see why it helps to know how to count and add and subtract. Arthur and his sister are in for a day filled with surprises from a soap eating dog to a bunch of children demanding to have their toys cleaned for free. Arthur and Violet are a good sister and brother team. Violet has many ideas for her brother and willingly helps him. At the end she plays a little number trick on him and he gives her a sweet reward. Early elementary grade children will learn in an enjoyable way about saving, counting, doing story problems, negotiating, compromising, advertising, getting along with customers and prices that go up and come down. A few pictures have been described by the validator.
Dear Fred
by K. M. PeytonNewmarket in the 1880s: Laura's heart turned over with adoration whenever she caught a glimpse of Fred Archer - dear Fred - the tall, slender young jockey who won the Derby five times and became an idol over a century ago. To Laura's parents, her passionate hero-worship was an embarrassment. The only people who understood her feelings were Uncle Harry and his strange protege, Tiger, a runaway boy with a lithe body and fiery nature who kissed Laura secretly behind the stable door. A carefully researched and moving historical novel placed amont the events surrounding the tragedy that befell England's greatest racing hero, jockey Fred Archer.
Everything We Had: An Oral History of the Vietnam War
by Al SantoliHere is an oral history of the Vietnam War by thirty-three American soldiers who fought it. A 1983 American Book Award nominee.
Hello ... Wrong Number
by Marilyn Sachs"Hello! Is this Jim?" "Yes?" "Jim, this is Angie." "Who?" "Angie Rogers. Betty Lyon's friend. I met you at her party Saturday night." "I don't-" "Listen! I know you were sore because I... I got upset when we were dancing. I just wanted to say I was wrong. I'm sorry." "But I'm not him." "What do you mean? Isn't this Jim?" "Yes, I'm Jim. But not the Jim you want." "Isn't this Jim McCone?" "No." When Angie Rogers called up Jim McCone, she had dialed a wrong number. But that mistake introduced her to someone she was really able to talk to. The question was, what was Jim really like-in person? Would Angie like him- and would Jim like her? Jim's blond with blue eyes and is six feet tall.... He told Angie so himself. Angie's five feet tall, thin, and also has blonde hair and blue eyes .... That's how she described herself to Jim. But Jim and Angie have never actually seen each other. They've only spoken on the phone. Could there be more here than meets the eye - or the ear?
Lester's Turn
by Jan SlepianIn the stunning sequel to Jan Slepian's critically acclaimed first novel, The Alfred Summer. Everything has changed and none of it good as far as 16-year-old Lester is concerned. Worst of all is watching his retarded friend Alfie waste away in the hospital. Lester, himself a cerebral palsy victim, is desperate to save Alfie, and from this desperation is born the daring-- but disastrous--kidnapping attempt. Still determined to rescue Alfie somehow, Lester enlists the aid of his old friend Claire who awakens his desire to love a girlfriend, Claire's new neighbors, Lena, who seems like a movie star, her musical prodigy son Alex; and a young hospital volunteer, generous, endearing, impossibly romantic Tillie-Rose. But even their combined efforts cannot save Alfie. In the ensuing tragedy, Lester is forced to examine the real motives behind "The Alfred Fund" and is finally able to turn to his own future with hope. With honesty and sensitivity, Jan Slepian confronts the problems of disabled youngsters in this witty, powerful coming-of-age novel that explores the many ways we need, use and love others. She shows how teens cling to unrealistic fantasies of their future and of how reality forces them to look at their lives differently. Bookshare has "The Alfred Summer," the tale of Alfie and Lester one happy, challenging, summer when they adventure together to build a boat. Check it out to read more of Lester's story.
Queen for a Day
by Barbara CohenThirteen-year-old Gertie Warshefsky lives with her grandmother and aunts in Brooklyn instead of in an orphanage, a debt Gertie is not allowed to forget. Grandma's constant reminders of Gertie's hopeless parents --"a mother in a lunatic asylum and a ne'er-do- well father out West somewhere 'making his fortune'"-- are made worse by threats that school is a waste of her time. It sometimes seems to Gertie that no one cares for or understands her. The aunts, though only a few years older than she, treat her like their personal maid, and even her best friend's good intentions turn out wrong. How is she to escape this trap that seems to have been laid for her since the day she was born? Gertie's account of her triumph over unfortunate odds is a warm and tender story, spiced with self-effacing humor. The ancient story of Queen Esther's brave stand against Haman, presented at the local religious school's annual Purim celebration, inspires her realization that, despite harsh realities, life is full of hope.
Skychild
by Suzanne MorrisAt two, Ian Maguire is both a beautiful and very gifted little boy, a child that his parents, Monica and Forrest, are justifiably proud of. But Ian is special in other ways. Increasingly unresponsive to the world around him, he is content only when alone, rocking in his crib or playing obsessively with his favorite toy, a pocket mirror of his mother's. Forrest, preoccupied with his high- pressure job, refuses to see anything unusual about his son's behavior, and retreats ever further into his work. Monica, more anxious than even she will admit, finally takes Ian to be tested. The results are shattering. Her son, the doctors tell her, is probably autistic, certainly psychotic, and there is little hope of improvement. Confirming her deepest fears, the diagnosis plunges Monica into an agony of uncertainty and guilt. Is Ian's sickness the consequence of Forrest's remoteness, or must she now reveal a secret about Ian's birth she has kept even from her husband? Confused, her marriage coming apart, Monica sets out to find her own answers. She takes Ian to Galveston Bay, to a place she knew as a child, and, in a startling climax, she discovers the love and understanding they have both needed so badly.
Wind Dancers (Aeolis #1)
by R. M. MeluchTHE MORTS were turning up all over Aeolis, the Eden-like planet named for the unexpected winds which sprang from nowhere and swiftly faded again. But unlike the winds, the Morts didn't just fade away. These unidentifiable corpses--which on closer examination proved far from human--posed a bizarre threat to human control of Aeolis. So the Serviceship Halcyon XLV was dispatched to the planet to solve the secret of the Morts, a secret whispered by winds every day--a secret older than mankind, which could spell the end of human life on the planet...
The Alfred Summer
by Jan Slepian<P>No one understands them- but they understand each other. <P>Lester's smart, handsome, and thoughtful-but he has cerebral palsy, and that's all anyone sees. It's the same for Alfred, Claire, and Myron. Alfred is incredibly honest and kind; Claire pulls no punches; Myron makes sure that everyone is taken care of. On the outside, though, Alfred is "slow," mentally challenged; Claire is a tomboy; and Myron is overweight and clumsy. <P>The four meet and quickly band together, and soon they're working on an amazing project: The Getaway, a full-size boat they're building" in Myron's basement. Can four misfits make something beautiful to show the world? Can they enjoy approval from their parents and kids their age, going out without being made fun of, freedom, laughs and accomplishments other kids seem to take for granted? <P>Alfred's summer is a summer of close calls, hard falls, good times and tough times and life getting more worthwhile and exciting.
Duncton Wood
by William HorwoodDUNCTON WOOD is the story of a society that has lost its spirit and of the remarkable struggle to restore it. It is a novel with a magnificent message for all humankind. The moles who inhabit Duncton Wood once celebrated life in the lush colorful countryside, deeply in touch with their spiritual roots. But now they've succumbed to evil. They must fear their leaders. They no longer worship at the sacred stone. Bracken and Rebecca have the courage to fight for their dream--to lead those of Duncton Wood out of the darkness of tyranny and suffering and into the healing light of touching, of love, of spiritual rebirth. A marvelous mystical adventure, an extraordinary story of devotion and rebellion, DUNCTON WOOD will inspire people everywhere who still believe that goodness and love can triumph over evil.
Encounter at Easton
by AviTo young Elizabeth Mawes and Robert Linnly, runaway indentured servants, Easton Township means hope after a long and terrifying journey northward. With jobs, security, and freedom so near, Elizabeth is suffering from a fever caused by a festering arm wound. She can go no farther. She can't even keep her eyes open. Desperate to save her, Robert asks for help from a gentle but destitute mad hermit woman and seeks employment from a man he feels he can trust. Life is perilous for these children in mid 18th century Pennsylvania. Robert faces danger and hardship at every turn and he and those around him make moral choices which reflect American culture of 250 years ago. As usual the characters and action in Avi's gripping story make it impossible to put the book down until the end.
Line up for Murder
by Marian BabsonThe annual January sale at Bonnard's in London has always been the sale of the year, but this year--Bonnard's one hundredth anniversary sale--promises to be more special than ever before. For weeks, and in all the biggest newspapers in the world, Bonnard's has been advertising its plans to slash the prices on even the most expensive merchandise, and as usual buyers have begun to line up for the sale several days before the doors open. Dorothy Witson, a delightful woman who simply loves to stand on line, arrives five full days before the Bonnard's sale. She has her eye on a refrigerator- freezer for her niece and nephew. But, she is not first on line--she is third. In front of her is a young couple hoping to purchase a furniture set for their living room and a foreigner interested in buying two fur coats which he plans to sell for his own profit. Fed and cheered by their relatives, feted by the publicity-conscious Bonnard management, tolerated if not welcomed on their forays into the neighboring luxury hotel, Dorothy and her companions amusingly pass the time together. But not everyone in line is a zealous bargain-hunter; one of the people waiting for Bonnard's doors to open has murder on his mind. The identities of the killer and the intended victim are Marian Babson's skillfully kept secret as she unfolds the diverse personalities at the head of the line, their reasons--stated and otherwise--for being there, and the sometimes complex relationships that develop among them during the days and nights they spend encamped on the pavement.
The Message in the Sand Dunes (Kay Tracey Mystery #6)
by Frances K. JuddSTRANGE SECRETS. The hurricane tore into the beach before Kay could get indoors. Lightning was striking everywhere. Then it hit the little cottage that belonged to the two old Crowley sisters and the place burst into flames. Kay tried to help them save their things but the sisters panicked. Why? Did their odd behavior have any connection with the robberies in the area ... including the break-in at Kay's own beach cottage? What were the Crowley sisters hiding?