"Meet the Beacon Street Girls...They're real, they're fun-they're just like you!
Who will be the next seventh grade class president at Abigail Adams Junior High? Mr. Popular, Dillon Johnson, is running, and making a lot of promises that are sure to get votes. The Yurtmeister’s in the race, too, but his campaign is a joke, right?
Class president seems like a good place for Avery to start her political career. The trouble is, Katani’s in the race, too. Can the Beacon Street Girls survive the growing tension between these two supercompetitive friends? And who’s tearing down campaign posters and leaving mean notes about the candidates?"
"Aesop, an ancient Greek poet who was sold into slavery in the early sixth century BC, relied on animal stories to convey his key points to his masters in court. Aesop's Fables are classic, memorable morality plays in which amusing animal characters drive home thought-provoking morals to generations of listeners and modern-day audiences. They illustrate what was fundamental to Greek culture, yet their appeal lies in logic we still understand. Translated into countless languages and familiar to people around the world, Aesop's fables never tarnish despite being told again and again."
"From Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Oscar Hijuelos comes an unforgettable journey about identity, choices, and the way in which we all struggle to accept our true selves. In gritty, clear prose, Dark Dude captures New York City in the 1960s-violent, decaying, slouching away from the American dream-and brings to life a character who has no choice but to head out west in search of something better.
Rico didn't say good-bye. He didn't leave a phone number. And he didn't plan on coming back-ever. In the Midwest, Rico could blend in, his light hair and lighter skin disguising his background. He would no longer be the "dark dude," the punching bag for the whole neighborhood. Trading Harlem for Wisconsin, though, means giving up on a big part of his identity. And when Rico no longer has to prove that he's Latino, he almost stops being one. Except that he can never have an ordinary white kid's life, because there are some things that can't be left behind, things that will follow you a thousand miles away. When Rico discovers that picket-fenced apple-pie people can be just as violent and judgmental as the neighbors he left behind, he is forced to swallow an uncomfortable truth: no longer an outsider by his appearance, Rico is still an outsider."
"On that day in 1903, fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom's life changed irrevocably when his parents—Russian immigrants—created the first teddy bear. No longer did the Michtom's gather family and friends around the kitchen table to talk. No longer was Joseph at leisure to play stickball with the guys. No longer were Joseph and his book-loving sister free from watching their pesky two-year-old brother. Now—when it was summer vacation and more than anything Joseph wanted to experience the thrill, the grandeur, the electricity of Coney Island—Joseph worked. And complained. And fell in and out of love. And argued. And hoped that everything would go back to how it used to be. All the while no one let him forget that he was lucky.
Because—'There are other children. The unwanted, the forgotten, the lost ones. They gather under the bridge each night to sit, to talk, to sleep. They know, they know, they know that to everyone beyond the bridge they are invisible. . . .' These are the children who live under the bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge.
Newbery medalist Karen Hesse masterfully entwines Joseph's coming-of-age tale (and that of his big, colorful family) with the heartbreaking stories of the children under the bridge. Riveting historical fiction that is by turns accessible and ornate, very real but with a touch of magical realism. Hesse's extraordinary new novel is an insightful reminder that a life—fragile and precious—can change in a moment.
Brooklyn Bridge is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year."
"Luke, Charla, Will, Lyssa, J.J., and Ian aren't alone on their desert island. They've survived so far -- but now their enemies are closing in. They have only one chance at escaping. Will they make it?"
"Julie is a quiet bookworm. Her best friend Ashleigh, on the other hand, is an 'Enthusiast.' As long as they have known each other, Ash has been obsessed with one thing or another. Now it is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which just happens to be Julie's favorite book. Before Julie knows what hit her, she and Ash are decked-out in 19th-century garb, smelling like mothballs, and crashing the local all-boys prep school formal dance. Their mission is to find their personal Misters Darcy. But when they set their sights on the same young gentleman, their journey into the world of proper English courtship looks like it might cause a broken heart or two. First-time novelist Polly Shulman has earned glowing critical praise for this funny and romantic tale that even Miss Austen herself would be proud of. Jennifer Ikeda's skillful narration perfectly captures both Julie's inner turmoil and Ashleigh's sheer enthusiasm. '[An] involving and often amusing narrative of friendship, courtship, and (of course) true love.'-Booklist, starred review 'A charming romantic comedy.'-School Library Journal 'Several cuts above the usual fare.'-Kirkus Reviews"
"Based on a national survey of hundreds of teenage girls, Jeff Feldhahn and Eric Rice give young men insight into the hearts and minds of teen girls while opening the way to healthier relationships between guys and girls, both now and in their future."
"Generations of people—young and old, male and female—have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott's most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy remain united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.
It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life. While her father, the free-thinking reformer and abolitionist Bronson Alcott, hobnobbed with such eminent male authors as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, Louisa supported herself and her sisters with "woman's work," including sewing, doing laundry, and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing. Little Women brought her lasting fame and fortune, and far from being the "girl's book" her publisher requested, it explores such timeless themes as love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America."
"In G. A. Henty's heroic clash of opposing conviction, Vincent Wingfield, a young spirited teenager and heir to a southern slave plantation, bravely proves his sympathy for brutally treated slaves and becomes a staunch supporter of slaves' rights. But, with the onset of the Civil War, Wingfield's fidelity to the state of Virginia leads him to serve under Robert E. Lee's cavalry and fight for the Confederacy.
Through his courage and readiness, he survives hairbreadth escapes, attempts on his life, and two imprisonments. Henty provides an intriguing insight into the war's famous battles, the characters of Robert E. Lee and his lieutenants, and the vast complexities of the saddest conflict in the history of the United States."
"Since first grade, Christopher Creed has been everyone's favorite freak and weirdo whipping boy. But when he disappears without a trace, leaving behind only a strange e-mail message that might be a suicide note, his quiet town becomes consumed with speculation and finger-pointing. And the longer he remains missing, the more clear it becomes that for most people, finding out what happened to Christopher is much less important than finding someone besides themselves to blame."
"Wave down a taxi and catch a ride! These helpful cars take people where they need to go. Beginning readers will learn how to catch a taxi, how taxis work, and where taxis can take people."
"The Grayson twins are moving to a new town. Again. Although it's a drag to be constantly mistaken for one another, still, during those first days at a new school, there's nothing better than a twin brother. But on day one of sixth grade, Ray stays home sick, and Jay is on his own. And--no big deal. It's a pretty nice school, good kids too. But Jay quickly discovers a major mistake; no one at this school seems to know a thing about his brother. Ray's not on the attendance lists, doesn't have a locker, doesn't even have a student folder. Jay almost tells a teacher, but decides that this lost information could be very...useful. And fun. Maybe even a little dangerous. As these two clever boys exploit a clerical oversight, each one finds new views of selfhood, friendship, learning, and honesty. Entertaining and thought-provoking, this is Andrew Clements at his best."
