Tuesday, July 28, 2009






Wishworks Inc by Stephanie Tolan -When he is granted his wish for a dog from Wishworks, Inc., third-grader Max is disappointed to find that his new pet is nothing like the dog of his imagination.








Track Attack by Betty Hicks- Jazz is a born runner who loves being on the school's track team. Her biggest fan is her dad--and that is a problem. He gets over-involved in her training, talks too much to the coach, yells at the track ref, and cheers way too loudly during the meets. How can Jazz tell him to stay away from the track without hurting his feelings?











Extra Credit by Andrew Clements -As letters flow back and forth--between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of Afghanistan, across cultural and religious divides--sixth-grader Abby, ten-year-old Amira, and eleven-year-old Sadeed begin to speak and listen to each other.










A Mystery for Summer by Heather Schultz- Dreams only last so long.. is what the mysterious envelope told Summer Phillips. What was this mysterious envelope and where did it come from? Little did she know, she was about to get a second chance to reunite with Peanut and continue their adventures. She and her best friend, Tiffany, would soon be exploring a new land ... one where anything is possible and the unbelievable actually happens.











Summer Dreams by Heather Schultz Summer Phillips had always dreamed of owning her own horse. Until this summer, that was exactly what it was, a dream. Little did she know, her dream was about to become a reality--a very short, but beautiful reality..."--












Eggs by Jerry Spinelli Mourning the loss of his mother, nine-year-old David forms an unlikely friendship with independent, quirky thirteen-year-old Primrose, as the two help each other deal with what is missing in their lives.







Brenda Berman, Wedding Expert by Jane Zalben
When Brenda's favorite uncle decides to marry, Brenda sees visions of a gold lamé flower-girl's outfit, until Uncle Harry and his bride-to-be show up with her niece. Includes cake, frosting, and punch recipes.










Schooled by Gordon Korman -
Capricorn Anderson had never watched a television show before. He'd never tasted a pizza. He had never even heard of a wedgie. And he had never, in his wildest dreams, thought of living anywhere but Garland Farm commune with his hippie caretaker, Rain. Capricorn (Cap for short) had lived every day of his life on Garland Farm growing fruits and vegetables. He was homeschooled by Rain, the only person he knew in the world. Life was simple for Cap. But when Rain falls out of a tree while picking plums and is hospital-ridden, he has to attend the local middle school and live with his new guidance counselor and her irritable daughter. While Cap knew a lot about Zen Buddhism, no amount formal education could ready him for the trials and tribulations of public middle school.





Canned by Alex Shearer Fergal Banfield, an eccentric lad who collects cans, is surprised to find some unexpected--and even alarming--things in a few of his treasures, and when he meets Charlotte, another collector, they begin an investigation that leads them into dangerous territory.













Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone In a small, Virginia town, sixth-grader Jessie Lou Ferguson has a crush on the hugely popular Conrad Parker Smith, and when he suddenly develops a medical problem and the teacher asks Jessie Lou to help him, they become friends, to her surprise




Ancient Rome and Pompeii by Mary Pope Osborne What was it like to be a gladiator? How many people died in the destruction of Pompeii? How did Roman children spend their days? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Ancient Rome and Pompeii. This is the nonfiction companion to Vacation Under the Volcano (Magic Tree House #13).









Baseball's Greatest Hitters by S.A. Kramer Brief profiles of such hard-hitting baseball players as Barry Bonds, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodrigues, Albert Pujols











Dinosaur Days by Joyce Milton
Brief and simple descriptions of the various kinds of dinosaurs that roamed the earth millions of years ago.













Dolphins! by Sharon Bokoske : Introduces dolphins and their physical characteristics, behavior, social structure, intelligence, and interaction with humans.










Oh Say can you Say Di-no-saur All about Dinosaurs by Bonnie Worth
The Cat in the Hat makes another surprise appearance at Dick and Sally's house-only this time he makes his entrance riding atop a brachiosaurus! The Cat is off, along with Dick and Sally, millions of years back in time to see how fossils were created. Then it's on to a tour through the Cat's own Super Dino Museum--a fabulous place where the correct pronunciation of a dinosaur's name wins you a peek at the real living thing! Beginning readers will love exploring the prehistoric world of dinosaurs with the Cat in the Hat as their guide!





You are Weird Your Body's Peculiar Parts and Funny Functions by Diane Swanson
Tackles the weird questions about the human body that everyone's curious about including goose bumps, vampire fangs, eccentric eyeballs, wiggling ears, recyclable muscles, extra toes, and other mysteries.




Pharaoh's Boat by David Weitzman
With poetic language and striking illustrations, Weitzman tells the story of how one of the greatest boats of ancient Egypt came to be built- and built again. In the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the most skilled shipwrights in all of Egypt are building an enormous vessel that will transport Cheops, the mighty pharaoh, across the winding waterway and into a new world. Pharaoh's boat will be a wonder to behold, and well prepared for the voyage ahead. But no one, not even the Egyptian king himself, could have imagined just where the journey of Pharaoh's boat would ultimately lead.




Camping Day by Patricia Lakin Sam, Pam, Will and Jill are crocodile friends with a camping plan but not much know-how. They get lost on their way to the campsite, get attacked by a swarm of bees, get all mixed up while trying to assemble their tent, and then get so frightened by nighttime shadows that their campout is in danger of fizzingout.But all ends well, as it always does for this happygo- lucky crew




Yes Day! Amy Rosenthal No matter how silly the requests, there is one day a year when kids always receive positive answers: Can I have pizza for breakfast? Yes! Can we have a food fight? Yes! Can I stay up really late? Yes! This day is simply called Yes Day and it's the best day of the year.Amy Krouse Rosenthal's simple text coupled with Tom Lichtenheld's delightful illustrations will send kids on a journey into their wildest wishes. With humor and appreciation for life's little pleasures, Yes Day! captures the excitement of being a kid.




Tiny and Hercules by Amy Schwartz
Five fast and funny chapters of the lives of two rather unusual friends: Tiny, an elephant with a fear of ice skating and a newfound love of knitting, and Hercules, a mouse with a heart of gold and a desire to learn to paint. As different as can be, somehow together they make the perfect team. Young readers setting out on their own with books will cheer for this funny and touching duo.




Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore Eeyore's birthday has its ups and its downs.






The Dragon's Scales by Sarah Albee When a hot-tempered dragon seizes the local bridge, the people of Berryville are cut off from their supply of beloved strawberries until they can correctly answer three questions related to weight. The grownups of the town are stumped, but one very smart little girl saves the day with some facts she learned in school.






Glasses for D.W. by Marc Brown D.W. wants to wear glasses, just like her big brother, Arthur. After Arthur explains that without his glasses a hat looks like a bat and some string looks like a ring duck, D.W. sets out to prove that everything looks funny to her, too. Finally, Arthur finds a way to make his sister see the situation a bit more clearly.








Abigail Spells by Anna Alter
Can Abigail spell her way to the top? Abigail is good at many things. She can dance the cha-cha, make up stories to tell her best friend, George, and strike a fabulous pose. But there is one thing she loves to do most of all: Abigail loves to s-p-e-l-l. When her school announces the annual spelling bee, Abigail spends her days practicing with the help of George, but things don't go according to plan. Can George convince Abigail that winning isn't everything? Anna Alter's gentle text, which contains fun words to spell throughout, and gorgeous illustrations make for a perfect match in this endearing story of friendship.






Wake up, Sun! by David Harrison When Dog wakes up early, in the middle of the night, he launches all the other farm animals in a worried search for the missing sun.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009


Inside-Out Grandma a Hanukkah Story - Inside-out clothes remind Grandma of her son, which in turn reminds her of how much her son looks like Grandpa Reuben. And that reminds her of...






Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books - Gilbert's excitement over starting first grade turns to worry that the teacher will be mean, the work too hard, and his classmates too unfriendly, but throughout the day there are pleasant surprises.





Light the Lights - Every December, Emma and her family celebrate two special holidays--Hanukkah and Christmas. Warm, color illustrations help families who honor both festive days.










Five Brave Explorers - Follows five explorers: Mae Jemison, space traveler; Esteban, who discovered Arizona and New Mexico; James Beckwourth, who developed the American West; Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, founder of the city of Chicago; and Matthew Henson, the first African American to reach the North Pole.







Friendship Crafts -Instructions for making a variety of crafts that can be used as gifts, including beaded earrings, T-shirt pillow, sun visor, hanging flower basket, etc.

Monday, July 20, 2009



Dolphin Diaries- Leaving the Shallows - After weeks at sea, Jody and her family have arrived at Hervey Bay, off the coast of Australia. There, Jody befriends a gorgeous pink-and-white dolphin named Dawn. Jody notices a neighborhood tourist operation isn't keeping the dolphins' interest in mind and, as a result, Dawn becomes ill. Will Jody be able to convince them to change their ways before its too late?








Report to the Principal's Office by Jerry Spinelli- Four totally different kids have only one thing in common--they're all about to report to the principal's office.









Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman A love-struck mermaid named Aquamarine supplies adventure and insights to two twelve-year-old girls, life-long friends who are spending their last summer together before one of them moves away.






Magic Attic Club was born when Alison and her three best friends Heather, Keisha and Megan found a golden key that unlocked a neighbor's attic. They discovered a trunk full of wonderful costumes and a mirror that transported them into the past, to a party where they were the guests of honor. Once back home, they formed the Magic Attic Club, and promised to share all of their adventures with each other.











Friday, July 17, 2009





Thomas and the Magic Railroad - Thomas the Tank Engine makes a perilous trip to bring back Lady, the Golden Engine, and restore the Magic Railroad to life.







The Wonderful O by James Thurber- Relates what happened when an evil sea captain banished the letter O from the island Ooroo.







Pooh's Grand Adventure- The Search for Christopher Robin -Christopher Robin leaves a note for Pooh and friends telling them he has to go to school. In a misunderstanding, they believe he has gone to "skull," and they set off on a grand journey to rescue him.






Rollo and Tweedy and the Ghost at Dougal Castle - Lord Dougal asks the detective Tweedy and his assistant Rollo to solve the mystery of the ghost haunting Dougal Castle.






Cardinals, Robins and other Birds - Describes the natural habitat, physical characteristics, and behavior of several common birds, including American goldfinches, European starlings, and Carolina wrens.