4th Grade Reading List
The adventures of Vin Fiz
Cussler, Clive.
New York : Philomel Books, c2006.
J CUS
Ten-year-old twins Casey and Lacey fly an enchanted, antique airplane, named the "Vin Fiz," across the United States and have several daring adventures along the way. Includes historical notes on the real "Vin Fiz," the name of the airplane that made the first transcontinental flight in 1911.
Al Capone does my shirts
Choldenko, Gennifer, 1957-
New York : Puffin Books, 2006, c2004.
J CHO
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.
Almost forever
Testa, Maria.
Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, c2003.
J TES
A young girl describes what she, her brother, and their mother do during the year that her doctor father is serving in the Army in Vietnam.
Among the hidden
Haddix, Margaret Peterson.
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2000, c1998.
J HAD
In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.
Basketball (or something like it)
Baskin, Nora Raleigh.
New York : HarperCollins, c2005.
J BAS
Hank, Nathan, Jeremy, and Anabel deal with the realities of middle school basketball, including family pressure, a series of coaches with very different personalities and agendas, and what it means to be a team--and a friend.
Because of Winn-Dixie
DiCamillo, Kate.
Cambridge, MA : Candlewick Press, 2001, cc2000.
J DIC (pb)
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.
Becoming Naomi Le{226}on
Ryan, Pam Mu{228}noz.
New York : Scholastic Press, c2004.
J RYA
When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.
Being Teddy Roosevelt
Mills, Claudia.
New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, c2007.
J MIL
When he is assigned Teddy Roosevelt as his biography project in school, fourth-grader Riley finds himself inspired by Roosevelt's tenacity and perseverance and resolves to find a way to get what he most wants--a saxophone and music lessons.
The big house
Coman, Carolyn.
Asheville, N.C. : Front Street, c2004.
J COM
When Ivy and Ray's parents are sent to jail, and left in the custody of their parent's accusers, they decide to look for evidence that will "spring" their parents.
Bud, not Buddy
Curtis, Christopher Paul.
New York : Delacorte Press, c1999.
J CUR
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.
The Castle Corona
Creech, Sharon.
New York : Joanna Cotler Books, c2007.
J CRE
Two orphaned peasant children discover a mysterious pouch, the contents of which lead them to the majestic Castle Corona, where their lives may be transformed forever.
Chasing Vermeer
Balliett, Blue, 1955-
New York : Scholastic Press, c2004.
J BAL
When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Children of the lamp
Kerr, Philip.
New York : Orchard Books, c2007.
J KER
Twelve-year-old djinn twins Philippa and John and their friend Dybbuk have further adventures as they travel the world in search of a priceless talisman.
Chocolate fever
Smith, Robert Kimmel, 1930-
New York : Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1978, c1972.
J SMI CC
From eating too much chocolate, Henry breaks out in brown bumps that help him foil some hijackers and teach him a valuable lesson about self- indulgence.
Circle of love
Nixon, Joan Lowery.
New York : Delacorte Press, c1997.
J NIX [CC]
Nineteen-year-old Frances Mary Kelly, herself an orphan train rider six years before, returns to New York and agrees to escort a group of orphans west to find new homes.
Clementine
Pennypacker, Sara, 1951-
New York : Hyperion Books for Children, c2006.
J PEN
While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.
A cool moonlight
Johnson, Angela, 1961-
New York : Dial Books, c2003.
J JOH
Eight-year-old Lila, born with xeroderma pigmentosum, a skin disease that make her sensitive to sunlight, makes secret plans to feel the sun's rays on her ninth birthday.
Crossing Jordan
Fogelin, Adrian.
Atlanta, GA : Peachtree, c2000.
J FOG
Twelve-year-old Cass meets her new African-American neighbor, Jemmie, and despite their families' prejudices, they build a strong friendship around their mutual talent for running and a pact to read Jane Eyre.
The Dark Hills divide
Carman, Patrick.
New York : Orchard Books, c2005.
J CAR
When she finds the key to a secret passageway leading out of the walled city of Bridewell, twelve-year-old Alexa realizes her lifelong wish to explore the mysterious forests and mountains that lie beyond the wall.
Day of tears : a novel in dialogue
Lester, Julius.
New York : Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, c2005.
J LES
Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift over slavery has ripped the Butler household apart. Now, to pay off debts, Pierce Butler wants to cash in his slave "assets", possibly including Emma.
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Cleary, Beverly.
Santa Barbara, Calif. : Cornerstone Books, 1987, c1983.
JLT CLE
Summary: In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
Dragon rider
Funke, Cornelia Caroline.
New York : Scholastic, c2004.
J FUN
After learning that humans are headed toward his hidden home, Firedrake, a silver dragon, is joined by a brownie and an orphan boy in a quest to find the legendary valley known as the Rim of Heaven, encountering friendly and unfriendly creatures along the way, and struggling to evade the relentless pursuit of an old enemy.
Each little bird that sings
Wiles, Deborah.
Orlando, Fla. : Harcourt, Inc., c2005.
J WIL
Comfort Snowberger is well acquainted with death since her family runs the funeral parlor in their small southern town, but even so the ten-year- old is unprepared for the series of heart-wrenching events that begins on the first day of Easter vacation with the sudden death of her beloved great-uncle Edisto.
Emma-Jean Lazarus fell out of a tree
Tarshis, Lauren.
New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, c2007.
J TAR
A quirky and utterly logical seventh-grade girl named Emma-Jean Lazarus discovers some interesting results when she gets involved in the messy everyday problems of her peers.
Fame and glory in Freedom, Georgia
O'Connor, Barbara.
New York : Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, c2003.
J OCO
Unpopular sixth-grader Burdette "Bird" Weaver persuades the new boy at school, whom everyone thinks is mean and dumb, to be her partner for a spelling bee that might win her everything she's ever wanted.
A family apart
Nixon, Joan Lowery.
Toronto ; New York : Bantam Books, c1987.
J NIX
When their mother can no longer support them, six siblings are sent by the Children's Aid Society of New York City to live with farm families in Missouri in 1860.
Frindle
Clements, Andrew, 1949-
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1996.
J CLE
When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.
From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L.
New York : Aladdin Books, 2002, 1998.
J KON
Having run away with her younger brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, twelve-year-old Claudia strives to keep things in order in their new home, and to become a changed person and a heroine to herself.
Gentle's Holler : a novel
Madden, Kerry.
New York : Viking, c2005.
J MAD
In the early 1960s, twelve-year-old songwriter Livy Two Weems dreams of seeing the world beyond the Maggie Valley, North Carolina, holler where she lives in poverty with her parents and eight brothers and sisters, but understands that she must put family first.
Getting air
Gutman, Dan.
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2007.
J GUT
After foiling a terrorist hijacking aboard their airplane, fourteen- year-old Jimmy, his younger sister, and two skateboarding friends crash-land the plane and try to survive in a forest wilderness until help arrives.
Ghost ship : a Cape Cod story
Clark, Mary Higgins.
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2007.
J CLA (PBOR)
While visiting his grandmother on Cape Cod, nine-year-old Thomas encounters a ship's cabin boy from centuries past.
The girls
Koss, Amy Goldman, 1954-
New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, c2000.
J KOS
Each of the girls in a middle-school clique reveals the strong, manipulative hold one of the group exerts on the others, causing hurt and self- doubt among the girls.
Gossamer
Lowry, Lois.
Boston, Mass. : Houghton Mifflin, c2006.
J LOW
While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.
Granny Torrelli makes soup
Creech, Sharon.
New York : Joanna Cotler Books, c2003, 2004.
J CRE
With the help of her wise old grandmother, twelve-year-old Rosie manages to work out some problems in her relationship with her best friend, Bailey, the boy next door.
The great cape rescue
Shalant, Phyllis.
New York : Dutton Children's Books, 2007.
J SHA
Upon entering fourth grade, Fin and his friends think they must stop playing superheroes, until they discover that their game might become real through a magical cape, and the Society of Secret Superheroes is born.
The great Gilly Hopkins
Paterson, Katherine.
New York, NY : Thomas Y. Crowell Co., c1978.
J PAT
An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
Gregor and the Code of Claw
Collins, Suzanne.
New York : Scholastic Press, c2007.
J COL
When twelve-year-old Gregor finally learns the ancient prophecy, which foretells his death, he must gather his courage to defend Regalia from the army of rats, take his mother and sister home safely, and fight his own dark side.
Heartbeat
Creech, Sharon.
New York : Joanna Cotler Books, c2004.
J CRE
Twelve-year-old Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather begins faltering, and her best friend (and running partner) becomes distant.
Henry's freedom box
Levine, Ellen.
New York : Scholastic Press, c2007.
J LEV (PBOR)
A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.
Here lies the librarian
Peck, Richard, 1934-
New York : Dial Books, c2006.
J PEC
Fourteen-year-old Eleanor "Peewee" McGrath, a tomboy and automobile enthusiast, discovers new possibilities for her future after the 1914 arrival in her small Indiana town of four young librarians.
The higher power of Lucky
Patron, Susan.
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2006.
J PAT
Fearing that her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, ten-year-old aspiring scientist Lucky Trimble determines to run away while also continuing to seek the Higher Power that will bring stability to her life.
Holes
Sachar, Louis, 1954-
New York : Dell Laurel-Leaf Books, 2001, c1998.
J SAC
As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.
Hot hand : a Comeback Kids novel
Lupica, Mike.
New York : Philomel Books, c2007.
J LUP
In the wake of his parents' separation, ten-year-old Billy seems to have continual conflicts with his father, who is also his basketball coach, but his quiet, younger brother Ben, a piano prodigy, is having even more trouble adjusting, and only Billy seems to notice.
How to eat fried worms
Rockwell, Thomas, 1933-
New York, N.Y. : Dell Pub. Co., 1984, c1973.
J ROC
A small boy is challenged by a friend to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days for fifty dollars.
How to save your tail : if you are a rat nabbed by cats who really like stories about magic spoons, wolves with snout-warts, big, hairy chimney trolls...and cookies too
Hanson, Mary Elizabeth.
New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, c2007.
J HAN
When he is captured by two of the queen's cats, Bob the rat prolongs his life by sharing fresh-baked cookies and stories of his ancestors, whose escapades are remarkably similar to those of well-known fairy tale heroes.
I am not Joey Pigza
Gantos, Jack.
New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, c2007.
J GAN
Joey's father returns, calling himself Charles Heinz and apologizing for his past bad behavior, and he swears that once Joey and his mother change their names and help him fix up the old diner he has bought, their lives will change for the better.
Iron Thunder : the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac : a CivilWar novel
Avi, 1937-
New York : Hyperion Books for Children, c2007.
J AVI
Accompanied by period illustrations, photographs, and maps, this exciting historical novel follows thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll as he, after his father is killed during the Civil War, finds work at a bustling ironworks to help support his family, which makes him a target of Confederate spies.
Jack Plank tells tales
Babbitt, Natalie.
New York : Michael Di Capua Books/Scholastic, c2007.
J BAB
A failed pirate looking for a new career, Jack turns down every job proposed with a tall tale about that occupation.
Jim Ugly
Fleischman, Sid, 1920-
New York : Greenwillow Books, c1992.
J FLE
The adventures of twelve-year-old Jake and Jim Ugly, his father's part-mongrel, part-wolf dog, as they travel through the Old West trying to find out what really happened to Jake's actor father.
The John Hancock Club
Borden, Louise.
New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, c2007.
J BOR
Third-grader Sean McFerrin wants to be part of the good penmanship club, but it all depends on how well he learns the new cursive writing.
Keeper of the doves
Byars, Betsy Cromer.
New York : Viking, c2002.
J BYA
In the late 1800s in Kentucky, Amie McBee and her four sisters both fear and torment the reclusive and seemingly sinister Mr. Tominski, but their father continues to provide for his needs.
The Landry News : a brand new school story
Clements, Andrew, 1949-
New York, N.Y. : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1999.
J CLE
A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with an editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with disciplinary action as a result.
Lawn boy
Paulsen, Gary.
New York : Wendy Lamb Books, c2007.
J PAU
Things get out of hand for a twelve-year-old boy when a neighbor convinces him to expand his summer lawn mowing business.
Letters from Rapunzel
Holmes, Sara.
New York : HarperCollinsPublishers, c2007.
J HOL
Through a series of letters written to a post office box, twelve- year-old Cadence describes her father's hospitalization for depression, her subsequent problems at school, and her hope that the mysterious recipient will help her find a happy ending.
The liberation of Gabriel King
Going, K. L. (Kelly L.).
New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2005.
J GOI
In Georgia during the summer of 1976, Gabriel, a white boy who is being bullied, and Frita, an African American girl who is facing prejudice, decide to overcome their many fears together as they enter fifth grade.
Lily's crossing
Giff, Patricia Reilly.
New York : Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers c1997, (1999 printing).
J GIF
During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.
A long way from Chicago : a novel in stories
Peck, Richard, 1934-
Thorndike, Maine : Thorndike Press, 2001, c1998.
J PEC
A boy recounts his annual summer trips to rural Illinois with his sister during the Great Depression to visit their larger-than-life grandmother.
Loser
Spinelli, Jerry.
New York : Harper Trophy, 2003, c2002.
J SPI
Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.
Love that dog
Creech, Sharon.
New York : Joanna Cotler Books, c2001.
J CRE
A young student, who comes to love poetry through a personal understanding of what different famous poems mean to him, surprises himself by writing his own inspired poem.
The magic half
Barrows, Annie.
New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books : Distributed to the trade by Holtzbrinck Publishers, c2008.
J BAR
Eleven-year-old Miri Gill feels left out in her family, which has two sets of twins and her, until she travels back in time to 1935 and discovers Molly, her own lost twin, and brings her back to the present day.
Maniac Magee
Spinelli, Jerry.
New York : HarperTrophy, 1992, c1990.
J SPI
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
The misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff
Lethcoe, Jason.
New York : Grosset & Dunlap, c2007.
J LET
When a miserable orphan unknowingly disrupts the balance of power between the magical realms of wishes and curses, he must join forces with the Wishworks Factory to reclaim his errant wish and set things right again.
Mississippi bridge
Taylor, Mildred D.
Dial Bks for Young Readers [c1990].
J TAY
During a heavy rainstorm in 1930s rural Mississippi, a ten-year-old white boy sees a bus driver order all the black passengers off a crowded bus to make room for late-arriving white passengers and then set off across the raging Rosa Lee River.
Mrs. Yonkers is bonkers!
Gutman, Dan.
New York : HarperCollins, 2007.
J GUT
As the new computer lab teacher tries to bring Ella Mentry School into the twenty-first century with her peculiar inventions, second-grader A.J. struggles to survive without sugary snacks when principal Klutz bans junk food.
The music of dolphins
Hesse, Karen.
New York : Scholastic Press, c1996.
J HES [CC]
After rescuing an adolescent girl from the sea, researchers learn she has been raised by dolphins and attempt to rehabilitate her to the human world.
My last best friend
Bowe, Julie, 1962-
Orlando : Harcourt, c2007.
J BOW
After her best friend moves away, fourth-grader Ida May is determined not to make another best friend, despite the efforts of a new girl in her class.
Nory Ryan's song
Giff, Patricia Reilly.
New York : Delacorte Press, c2000.
J GIF
When a terrible blight attacks Ireland's potato crop in 1845, twelve -year-old Nory Ryan's courage and ingenuity help her family and neighbors survive.
Number the stars
Lowry, Lois.
New York : Dell Pub., 1990, c1989.
J LOW
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.
The old Willis place : a ghost story
Hahn, Mary Downing.
New York : Clarion Books, c2004.
J HAH
Tired of the rules that have bound them ever since "the bad thing happened," twelve-year-old Diana ignores her brother's warnings and befriends the daughter of the new caretaker, setting in motion events that lead to the release of the spirit of an evil, crazy woman who once ruled the old Willis place.
On the wings of heroes
Peck, Richard, 1934-
New York : Dial Books, c2007.
J PEC
A boy in Illinois remembers the homefront years of World War II, especially his two heroes--his brother in the Air Force and his father, who fought in the previous war.
Out of the dust
Hesse, Karen.
New York : Scholastic, 1999, c1997.
J HES
In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.
The outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Konigsburg, E. L.
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2004.
J KON
Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her great-uncles have been building in their backyard for over forty years.
The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a veryinteresting boy
Birdsall, Jeanne.
New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, c2005.
J BIR
While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.
Pictures of Hollis Woods
Giff, Patricia Reilly.
New York : Wendy Lamb Books, c2002.
J GIF
A troublesome twelve-year-old orphan, staying with an elderly artist who needs her, remembers the only other time she was happy in a foster home, with a family that truly seemed to care about her.
Pink and Say
Polacco, Patricia.
New York : Philomel Books, 1994.
HF J Picture Books for Older Readers
Say Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, during the Civil War, and their capture by Southern troops.
Poppy
Avi, 1937-
New York : Orchard Books, c1995.
J AVI
Poppy the deer mouse urges her family to move next to a field of corn big enough to feed them all forever, but Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas.
The power of Un
Etchemendy, Nancy.
Chicago, IL : Front Street/Cricket Books, c2000.
J ETC
When he is given a device that will allow him to "undo" what has happened in the past, Gib Finney is not sure what event from the worst day in his life he should change in order to keep his sister from being hit by a truck.
Project Mulberry : a novel
Park, Linda Sue.
New York : Clarion Books, c2005.
J PAR
While working on a project for an after-school club, Julia, a Korean American girl, and her friend Patrick learn not just about silkworms, but also about tolerance, prejudice, friendship, patience, and more. Between the chapters are short dialogues between the author and main character about the writing of the book.
Ragweed
Avi, 1937-
New York, N.Y. : Avon Books, c1999.
J AVI
Ragweed, a young country mouse, leaves his family and travels to the big city, where he finds excitement and danger and sees cats for the first time.
Remembering Mrs. Rossi
Hest, Amy.
Cambridge, MA : Candlewick Press, c2007.
J HES
Although she loves her father, their home in New York City, and third-grade teacher Miss Meadows, Annie misses her mother who died recently.
The report card
Clements, Andrew, 1949-
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2004.
J CLE
Fifth-grader Nora Rowley has always hidden the fact that she is a genius from everyone because all she wants is to be normal, but when she comes up with a plan to prove that grades are not important, things begin to get out of control.
Room one : a mystery or two
Clements, Andrew, 1949-
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2006.
J CLE
Ted Hammond, the only sixth grader in his small Nebraska town's one- room schoolhouse, searches for clues to the disappearance of a homeless family.
Ruby Holler
Creech, Sharon.
New York : Scholastic, [2003], c2002.
J CRE
Thirteen-year-old fraternal twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage but their lives change forever when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler.
Running out of time
Haddix, Margaret Peterson.
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1995.
J HAD
When a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site under unseen observation by heartless scientists, and it's up to Jessie to escape the village and save the lives of the dying children.
Sam I am
Cooper, Ilene.
New York : Scholastic Press, c2004.
J COO
Twelve-year-old Sam, the son of a Jewish father and Christian mother, struggles to understand religion and its role in his family's life during the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays.
Sammy Keyes and the wild things
Van Draanen, Wendelin.
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, c2007.
J VAN
While on her first hiking and camping trip, thirteen-year-old Sammy tries to solve a mystery involving endangered condors while avoiding scorpions, ticks, and embarrassment.
Sebastian, super sleuth
Christian, Mary Blount.
Chicago, J. P. O'Hara, c1974.
J CHR
The adventures of Sebastian the dog as he helps his detective master track down a missing robot.
Sebastian (super sleuth) and the stars-in-his-eyes-mystery
Christian, Mary Blount.
New York : MacMillan Publishing Co., c1987.
J CHR
Mysterious attacks on Chummy the Wonder Dog lead canine detective Sebastian to go undercover as a stunt performer in the making of Chummy's new movie.
Secret identity
Van Draanen, Wendelin.
New York : Alfred A. Knopf : Distributed by Random House, c2004.
J VAN
Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!
Seedfolks
Fleischman, Paul.
[New York] : HarperCollins, c1997.
J FLE [CC]
One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.
Shiloh
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds.
New York : Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1991.
J NAY
When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean- spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.
The (short) story of my life
Jones, Jennifer B.
New York : Walker & Co., c2004.
J JON
With both the help and hindrance of family, his best friend, and the school bully, sixth-grader Michael Jordan copes with romance and the fact that he is, as usual, the shortest one in his class.
Show way
Woodson, Jacqueline.
New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, c2005.
HF J Picture Books for Older Readers
The making of "Show ways," or quilts which once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves, is a tradition passed from mother to daughter in the author's family.
Sideways stories from Wayside School
Sachar, Louis, 1954-
New York : Morrow Junior Books, 1998, c1985.
J SAC
Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each story.
Tadpole
White, Ruth, 1942-
New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, c2003.
J WHI
In rural Kentucky in 1955, Serilda Collins, single mother of four lively girls, discovers that her orphaned nephew is being subjected to brutality.
The teacher's funeral : a comedy in three parts
Peck, Richard, 1934-
New York : Dial Books, c2004.
J PEC
In rural Indiana in 1904, fifteen-year-old Russell's dream of quitting school and joining a wheat threshing crew is disrupted when his older sister takes over the teaching at his one-room schoolhouse after mean old Myrt Arbuckle "hauls off and dies."
The time hackers
Paulsen, Gary.
New York : Wendy Lamb Books, c2005.
J PAU
When someone uses futuristic technology to play pranks on twelve- year-old Dorso Clayman, he and his best friend set off on a supposedly impossible journey through space and time trying to stop the gamesters who are endangering the universe.
Tuck everlasting
Babbitt, Natalie.
New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, l985, c1975.
J BAB
The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing old.
Way Down Deep
White, Ruth, 1942-
New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, c2007.
J WHI
In the West Virginia town of Way Down Deep in the 1950s, a foundling called Ruby June is happily living with Miss Arbutus at the local boarding house when suddenly, after the arrival of a family of outsiders, the mystery of Ruby's past begins to unravel.
Wing nut
Auch, Mary Jane.
New York : Henry Holt, c2005.
J AUC
When twelve-year-old Grady and his mother relocate yet again, they find work taking care of an elderly man, who teaches Grady about cars, birds, and what it means to have a home.
Wringer
Spinelli, Jerry.
New York : HarperCollins, 1998, c1997.
J SPI [CC]
As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.
A year down yonder
Peck, Richard, 1934-
New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, c2000.
J PEC
In 1937, during the Depression, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice is sent to live with her feisty, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois and comes to a better understanding of this fearsome woman.