Readers Advisory

							Abbott, Tony. Firegirl.
When Jessica, horribly disfigured by a car fire, enters Tom Bender’s seventh grade classroom at
St. Catherine’s school, she triggers a connection with Tom that changes his perception of himself
and his friends.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: burn victims, body image, burns,
scars, school stories, friendship, and healing.


Cummings, Priscilla. A Face First.
This is the story of how twelve-year-old Kelley copes with the third-degree burns to one hand
and half of her face as a result of a car accident.

Ellis, Deborah. I Am a Taxi.
Sometimes Tom listens too much to his friend Jeff, but he never gets into the trouble Diego does
when his friend convinces him to make a little easy money so he can support his family living in
a Bolivian prison.

Ferber, Brenda A. Julia’s Kitchen.
When eleven-year-old Cara’s mother and younger sister die in a household fire, Cara discovers
that healing the emotional scars inside her will take perseverance, hope, and hard work.

Howe, James. The Night Without Stars.
Eleven-year-old Maria goes to the hospital for open-heart surgery and becomes friends with
―monster man,‖ a young boy who has been badly disfigured by a fire.

Jackson, Donna. In Your Face.
The chapter on ―Saving Faces‖ provides much information about various surgical procedures
that now can restore damaged facial features.

Janeczko, Paul B. Worlds Afire.
This series of poems gives voice to many of those involved in a circus fire in 1944. The topic
involves an actual a historical event, although this book is fiction.

Levin, Betty. Fire in the Wind.
Jessica’s fire takes place before Firegirl begins. In this book, fire is central as are the family
members affected by it.

Lord, Cynthia. Rules.
Learning to live with someone who is different can be a challenge, as it is sometimes for
Jessica’s parents. It is a challenge a lot of the time for Catherine, who has mixed feelings about
her autistic brother, David.

Mackall, Dandi Daley. Larger-Than-Life Lara.
When Lara, a new student, walks into her classroom for the first time, all eyes turn to her. She is
not disfigured like Jessica; she is really fat. Her short time at the school has a profound effect on
the students and teachers alike.

McKissack, Patricia. A Friendship for Today.
The year is 1954, and when Rosemary enters a new school she sticks out as much as Jessica
does: Rosemary is the only black child on her new campus.

Murphy, Jim. The Great Fire.
Deftly connecting multiple first person accounts, Murphy presents the horror that was the Great
Chicago Fire of 1871.

Newth, Mette. The Dark Light.
Jessica remains with her family when she is disfigured in the fire; Tora however, is disfigured by
leprosy and is exiled to a hospital in 19th century Norway. In spite of her bleak existence, she
learns to read and positively affects those around her.

O’Dell, Kathleen. Agnes Parker . . . Girl in Progress.
As she begins sixth grade, new girl in school Agnes Parker, must learn to make friends and deal
with the school’s bully.

Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia.
Like Tom Bender, Jess Aarons befriends a new girl in school who turns out to have a profound
affect on his life.

Rostkowski, Margaret. After the Dancing Days.
Set in a small town near Kansas City in the aftermath of World War I, thirteen-year-old Annie’s
friendship with Andrew, a young soldier who has been horribly burned by mustard gas, helps her
deal with her favorite uncle’s death.

Schmidt, Gary D. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy.
In the early part of the twentieth century, Turner Buckminster, against the wishes of his father
and townspeople, befriends a real outsider: Lizzie Bright, whose community of former slaves
threatens a scheme for a new resort.

Seuling, Barbara. Robert and the Happy Endings.
Like Jessica, Taylor is both a new student in class and one who stands out: Taylor is deaf.
Robert Dorfman and his best friend Paul try to figure out how to make Taylor feel welcome.

Twomey, Cathleen. Beachmont Letters.
During World War II, seventeen-year-old Eleanor, a girl permanently scarred by a fire that killed
her father, continues a correspondence begun as a school project with a soldier being trained to
go overseas.

Warner, Sally. This Isn’t About the Money.
Both Janey and her younger sister, YoYo, survive a car crash that kills their parents, however,
Janey will need extensive plastic surgery on her face.

Woodworth, Chris. Georgie’s Moon.
Georgie, like Jessica, hides a secret about her past, and when she moves to a new school that
secret becomes both easier and harder to keep.

Yep, Laurence. When the Circus Came to Town.
This fictionalized story, based on real events, takes place in Whistle, Montana in the early-
twentieth-century. Ten-year-old Ursula hides in her room after smallpox leaves her face pitted
and scarred.
Bauer, Marion Diane. The Blue Ghost.
While visiting her grandmother, Liz learns about her family’s history when she encounters a blue
ghost and steps back in time to answer a call for help.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: ghosts, family history, time
travel, haunted houses, pioneer life, girls and their grandmothers.


Creech, Sharon. Pleasing the Ghost.
Dennis has been seeing a lot of ghosts since his father died. One ghost in particular, his eccentric
Uncle Arvie, needs his help. But exactly what does Uncle Arvie mean when he says ―pin
mailer‖?

Cuyler, Margery. The Battlefield Ghost.
When fourth grader John and his sister Lisa move into an old house in Princeton, New Jersey,
they find it haunted by the ghost of a Hessian soldier from the Revolutionary War. The siblings
try to reunite him with the ghost of his beloved horse.

Defelice, Cynthia. The Dancing Skeleton.
Aaron Kelly’s bones won’t stay in their grave; they get up, come into his old home, and haunt his
wife, who is busy looking for a nice, kind new husband to replace the contrary, and very dead,
Aaron.

Douglas, Ann. The Family Tree Detective.
Using colorful cartoon graphics, the author guides youngsters through an investigation of their
family heritage, including charts and graphs to fill in their family tree.

Fenner, Carol. Snowed in with Grandmother Silk.
Spending almost two weeks with his very formal Grandmother Silk sounds like a prison sentence
to Ruddy. But when they get stranded during a snowstorm, he sees a joyful and loving side of
her that makes the ordeal a memorable adventure.

Fleischman, Sid. The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story.
Reversing Liz’s situation, young Buddy Stebbins travels back in time, with both pirates and
witch trials, to ask his ancestors for help as he and his older sister try to pay their debts after their
parents’ death.

Francaviglia, Riccardo and Margherita Sgarlata. My Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-
Grandfather…Was a Warrior!
Unlike Liz’s ancestor, Mark’s is not a ghost. His Viking grandfather appears one morning while
Mark is getting ready to go to school. Together they spend the day discovering how much they
have in common across the generations.

Gorman, Jacqueline Laks. Ghosts.
This informational book about the history of paranormal activities introduces young readers to
the world of the supernatural, describing what people believe about ghosts and citing examples
of various spectral sightings. Expansive back matter, photographs, and drawings complement
the clearly written text.

Johnston, Tony. The Ghost of Nicholas Greebe.
Here is a ghost looking for all of his bones, particularly a leg-bone, that a whaler used to whittle
a carving. This bone travels far and wide. Does Nicholas finally find it?

Lasky, Katherine. My Island Grandma.
Like Liz, Abbey spends every summer with her grandmother on an island, and even though she
sees her grandma at other times of the year, it’s the time spent on the island that binds the two
together.

Medearis, Angle Shelf. Haunts: Five Hair-raising Tales.
Medearis draws on folklore and her family for these five scary stories, which take place in Texas.

Polacco, Patricia. The Graves Family.
This haunted house doesn’t feature any ghosts, just a very eccentric family trying to fit into their
new neighborhood. Disasters seem to thwart their best intentions until their home is spotted by
famous home decorator Christopher Joel.

Potter, Ellen. Olivia Kidney.
Liz talks with the ghost of her ancestor, Olivia Kidney talks to ghosts in her new apartment
building. She wants to believe that with the ghosts’ help she can communicate with her recently
dead brother.

Precek, Katharine Wilson. The Keepsake Chest.
The ghosts in this story are represented by the items found in a chest in the attic of an old Ohio
farmhouse. Meg hates Ohio and wishes her family could return to the fast paced life they had in
Denver. But when she finds the old chest and learns the history of the area she begins to see the
beauty of her new home.

Smith, Jancie Lee. There’s a Ghost in the Cloakroom. (Also published as: The Christmas
Ghost)
Adam Joshua and his classmates really don’t believe in ghosts, but the strange goings on in the
cloakroom make them wonder just what is going on. Also recommended, another light-hearted
look at make believe hauntings: Robert and the Back-To-School Special.

Stanley, Diane. Joining the Boston Tea Party.
Twins Liz and Lenny join their grandmother for several adventures as they travel back in time;
this one takes them behind the scenes during a crucial point in American history.

Summers, Lori. The Ghost Hunter’s Handbook.
This pocket size handbook provides tongue-in-cheek guidance for those searching for ghosts.

Taylor, Maureen A. Through the Eyes of Your Ancestors.
More in depth and serious than the Family Tree Detective, this guide to family history describes
the use of common genealogical sources such as immigration and military service records. She
also suggests researching family heritage via themes like pets, recipes or handwriting.

Tunis, Edwin. Colonial Living.
Readers know little of how Liz¹s ancestors lived. Here, Tunis details the life of Colonial
America including cooking, building houses, and making products such as furniture, clothes, and
silver objects.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House in the Big Woods.
Laura lives a similar life to that of the Blue Ghost in a log cabin in the woods of Wisconsin.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Show Way.
Soonie, sold as a slave when she was seven, learns to make quilts. Her skill is repeated by
granddaughter after granddaughter until her now-living relative (Jacqueline Woodson) tells the
story of each generation; the artist weaves the words into secret images into quilts.

Wright, Betty Wren. A Ghost in the Family
In a companion book to The Ghost Comes Calling and Too Many Secrets, this mystery finds
Chad staying at a boarding house in Milwaukee, one haunted by a panther, a Mummy, and many
strange occurrences.
Borden, Louise. The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the Netherlands.
In the winter of 1941, a ten-year old Dutch boy, Piet Janssen, tests his courage and ice skating
skills by outsmarting German soldiers when he leads two children over the icy canals to
Belgium.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: World War II and the
Netherlands, speed skating, children keeping secrets from the government, courage, and heroes.


Adler, David. Hiding From the Nazis.
Lore’s family fled Germany to Holland to escape the Nazis. When the German army invades
Holland, Lore is sent to live with strangers in the countryside in hopes of keeping her safe.

Adler, David. A Picture Book of Anne Frank.
Watercolor illustrations, based on real photographs, greatly enhance this delicate and moving
retelling of Anne Frank’s experiences.

Attema, Martha. Daughter of Light.
Ria’s father is hiding in Dutch countryside, her mother’s baby is due any day, and conditions in
town are deteriorating. Will Ria’s dangerous visit to the mayor convince him to turn the
electricity on, thereby overriding the Nazi’s decision, help her family in time?

Barron, T.A. The Hero’s Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life.
Most would agree that Piet is a hero. Barron asks readers to think about heroes, giving numerous
examples from both history (Ruby Bridges) and literature (Merlin) that showcase heroic lives in
times of crisis.

Borden, Louise. The Little Ships: The Heroic Rescue at Dunkirk in World War II.
In 1940, hundreds of individuals sailed across the English Channel to rescue those stranded in
Dunkirk. This story tells of one young girl and her part in that heroic day. Also recommended
by the same author: The Journey that Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of
Margaret and H. A. Rey.

Brimner, Larry Dave. Speed Skating.
This ―true book‖ introduces speed skating, including the history of the sport and the first world
championship skating race in 1889 in the Netherlands.

DeCapua, Sarah E. Netherlands.
This book provides a basic introduction to the history, land, and people of the Netherlands.
Photographs of people skating on frozen canals and a discussion of the German occupation are
included.

Deedy, Carmen Agra. The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark.
How do you keep your Jewish citizens safe? Hide them in full sight of the enemy. That is what
the King of Denmark does during the Nazi occupation in this legendary story from World War
II.
Dodge, Mary Mapes. Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates.
Published in 1865, this old-fashioned story of Hans and his silver skates shows the importance of
skating in the life of nineteenth century Hollanders. Today it continues to delight readers with its
story of a virtuous family with the courage to pursue their dreams.

Fleming, Candace. Boxes for Katje.
Rosie, a girl from Indiana, sends a relief box to Katje in war torn Olst, Holland. The girls begin
a correspondence and Rosie’s community provides support and goodwill to Katje’s town. This
gentle picture book was inspired by actual events from the life of the author’s mother.

Hesse, Karen. The Cats in Krasinski Square.
In a fictionalized story based on real events during World War II, a heroic young girl and her
sister thwart a Gestapo operation by releasing cats to divert the tracking dogs and smuggle food
into the Warsaw Ghetto.

Hoestlandt, Jo. Star of Fear, Star of Hope.
In 1942 nine-year-old Helen lived in France. Her best friend, Lydia, had to wear a yellow star,
and strange people kept coming in and out of her apartment house. One night the police take
Lydia, and the others, away.

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars.
Annemarie has to be very brave to help her family hide her best friend, Ellen Rosen, from the
Nazis and their attempt to relocate the Jews in Denmark.

McSwigan, Marie. Snow Treasure.
Although written as a novel, this story describes the true-life courage of a group of Norwegian
children who participate in a dangerous mission to hide and protect their town’s gold during the
Nazi occupation.

Oppenheim, Shulamith Levey. The Lily Cupboard.
Miriam is sent from the city to stay in the country with a Dutch family during World War II. As
German soldiers approach, her bunny jumps from her arms. Can she catch her pet and reach
safety in the lily cupboard in time?

Patz, Nancy. Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat?
When Patz visited the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, she saw among the exhibits a
single hat, a hat that once belonged to a Jewish woman who was unnamed. Patz wonders about
her in this tribute to all heroes and heroines of that time.

Polacco, Patricia. The Butterfly.
Monique has to be very brave when her aunt hides a family in their basement as part of the
French resistance during World War II. This story is based on actual events in the author’s
family’s life.

Serrailler, Ian. The Silver Sword (also titled Escape from Warsaw).
Three homeless children leave Warsaw, Poland during the Second World War and make their
way to Switzerland; a dangerous journey that they believe will be rewarded when they are
reunited with their parents.

Skarmeta, Antonio. The Composition.
Like Piet, Pedro knows that there are secrets about the government he doesn’t understand,
especially when he is asked to write a composition retelling what his parents talk about at night.
What should he do?

Spalding, Andrea and Alfred Scow. Secret of the Dance.
When the Canadian government forbids the Aboriginal people from having ceremonies, young
Alfred Scow thinks he is going on a fishing trip with his family. But the trip turns into
something more as his family defies governmental rule.

Waber, Bernard. Courage.
This gentle picture book demonstrates the types and meanings of courage in everyday life as well
as in the face of real or perceived danger.

Zee, Ruth Vander. Erika’s Story.
A baby is thrown from a train bound for a concentration camp during World War II. A
courageous German woman finds the pink bundle and raises Erika as her own.
Couloumbis, Audrey. The Misadventures of Maude March.
Orphans Maude and Sallie head across the frontier to search for their uncle, and their rip-roaring
exploits -- including horse theft, bank robbery, and murder -- begin to resemble the plots of the
dime novels Sallie loves to read.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: outlaws, orphans, tomboys,
American West, frontier life, and historical fiction.


Auch, Mary Jane. Journey to Nowhere.
While traveling by covered wagon to the Genesee County, NY, wilderness in 1815, eleven-year-
old Remembrance experiences a number of hardships including being separated from her family.

Avi. Emily Upham’s Revenge.
Fascinated by dime novels, Emily tries to use them as models for solving a bank robbery during
the summer of 1875.

Avi. True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.
During an 1832 transatlantic crossing, Charlotte Doyle, 13, finds herself the only female
passenger among a mutinous crew and a cutthroat captain.

Couloumbis, Audrey. Maude March on the Run!
A sequel to The Misadventures of Maude March, Maude and Sallie continue their Wild West
adventures as Maude runs from the law.

Cushman, Karen. Rodzina.
This is a first-person account of Rodzina, a Polish American girl in 1881, and her adventures on
the orphan train going west from Chicago to California.

Fleischman, Sid. Bandit's Moon.
Set in the days of the California Gold Rush, young Annyrose is rescued from the evil O.O. Mary
by the Mexican bandit Joaquin Murieta and his band of outlaws. Annyrose teaches Joaquin, a
Robin Hood character, to read.

Frederick, Heather Vogel. The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed.
Recently widowed, Captain Goodspeed brings his children, Patience and Tad aboard his whaling
ship. Patience’s mathematical talent saves the day when part of the crew mutinies.

Hahn, Mary Downing. The Gentleman Outlaw and Me -- Eli: A Story of the Old West.
Disguised as a boy, twelve-year-old Eliza Yates runs off to Colorado in search of her missing
father. She meets and joins forces with the Gentleman Outlaw.

Hunt, L. J. The Abernathy Boys.
This fictional account of a real life incident chronicles the adventures of two brothers traveling
on horseback through Texas in the early part of the twentieth century.
Karr, Kathleen. The Great Turkey Walk.
Fifteen-year-old Simon Green decides to make his fortune by herding 1,000 turkeys from
Missouri to Denver, Colorado, in hopes of selling them at a profit.

Moeri, Louise. Save Queen of Sheba.
How can one older brother possibly take care of his sister after surviving an Indian raid yet
finding themselves stranded on the frontier?

McCully, Emily Arnold. An Outlaw Thanksgiving.
Based on a historical Thanksgiving banquet Butch Cassidy had for his friends in the late 1890’s,
Clara and her mother unexpectedly share Thanksgiving dinner with the outlaw after their train is
snowbound.

Nixon, Joan Lowery. A Family Apart.
The ―Orphan Train‖ series tells the story of six siblings who are transported by the orphan train
from New York to St. Joseph, Missouri in 1860. The first book focuses on Frances, the eldest of
the six Kelly children.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Adaline Falling Star.
Adaline Falling Star, the daughter of frontier scout Kit Carson and his Arapaho wife, runs away
from the prejudice and cruelty of her cousin’s family in St. Louis to search for her missing father
in Colorado.

Paulsen, Gary. The Legend of Bass Reeves.
When running from the law, Maude and Sallie should be thankful that they never bumped into
Bass Reeves, a U. S. Marshal who ―always got his man.‖

Roberts, Willo Davis. Jo and the Bandit.
Set in post-Civil War Texas, Jo witnesses a stagecoach robbery and becomes involved with the
youngest outlaw.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Riding Freedom.
In this fictionalized biography of Charley (Charlotte) Parkhurst, the heroine disguises herself as a
boy to escape from an orphanage. She continues the masquerade throughout her life as a stable
boy, stagecoach driver, and rancher during the Gold Rush era of California.

Sachar, Louis. Holes.
Meet Stanley Yelnats, one of a group of modern juvenile outlaws, who spends his incarceration
at Camp Green Lake, a center that holds outlaws all of its own.

Schlitz, Laura Amy. A Drowned Maiden’s Hair.
When the Hawthorne sisters suddenly adopt her, little does Maude know that she will be right in
the middle of an early twentieth century con game.

Springer, Nancy. Rowan Hood, Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest.
In this story of Robin Hood's daughter, Rosemary disguises herself as a boy and becomes an
outlaw when her mother is murdered.
Dowell, Frances O’Roark. Chicken Boy.
Tobin, usually a loner, becomes friends with Henry and gets involved helping Henry raise
chickens, which allows Tobin an escape from his disconnected father, delinquent siblings, and a
troublesome grandmother.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: grandmothers, self-esteem,
bereavement, chickens, birds, family life, and school projects.


Auch, Mary Jane. Wing Nut.
Grady learns about maintaining a purple martin colony, auto mechanics, and trust from a cranky
elderly man.

Clifford, Eth. The Remembering Box.
Every week Joshua listens to his grandmother’s stories from ―the old country.‖ These stories
pass on the family’s memories and traditions and help him accept her death.

Creech, Sharon. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup.
While cooking and sharing family stories, Granny helps Rosie work out her problems with her
best friend.

George, Jean Craighead. Charlie’s Raven.
When Charlie hears a Teton Sioux legend that ravens have curing powers, Charlie steals a baby
raven from its nest, hoping it will cure his grandfather.

Grunwell, Jeanne Marie. Mind Games.
Seventh graders in the Mad Science Club decide to work together on a science fair project about
ESP.

Henkes, Kevin. Words of Stone.
Blaze is still grieving over his mother’s death when Joselle anonymously writes his mother's
name and the word orphan with stones on the hillside. Later, they become friends. Also
recommended by the same author: Olive’s Ocean.

Jukes, Mavis. Blackberries in the Dark.
During Austin’s visit with his grandmother following his grandfather’s death, they recall their
last visit together picking blackberries.

Kennedy, Marlane. Me and the Pumpkin Queen.
When eleven-year-old Mildred decides she will grow the biggest giant pumpkin in Circleville,
Ohio, she realizes that the project teaches her much about family, friendship, grief, and the
gumption it takes to grow one giant pumpkin.

Korman, Gordon. The Chicken Doesn’t Skate.
A conflict occurs when Henrietta the chicken, the key link to Milo's science project on the food
chain, becomes the hockey team's mascot and their only chance for a winning season.
Park, Barbara. Mick Harte Was Here.
Narrated by Phoebe Harte, she remembers her younger brother Mick and his sudden death in a
bicycle accident.

Park, Linda Sue. Project Mulberry.
At first, Julia, a Korean American girl, is reluctant to do a silkworm project for the state fair with
her friend Patrick because she wants a more American project. However, her attitude changes as
the silkworms grow.

Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia.
When Leslie’s family moves into a farmhouse down the road from Jesse, they develop a unique
give-and-take friendship. Then Leslie dies in an accident and Jesse must come to terms with his
grief.

Patron, Susan. The Higher Power of Lucky.
When her mother dies of cancer and her absentee father imports his first wife to look after her,
Lucky embarks on a twelve step program to help her understand the life around her.

Paulsen, Gary. Lawn Boy.
Cutting lawns may not seem as complicated as raising chickens, but when the young narrator
receives a lawnmower from his grandmother, little does he know the outrageous twists and turns
his life is about to take as one of his clients invests his money in the stock market, sponsors a
boxer, and helps him become an entrepreneur.

Peck, Richard. A Year Down Yonder.
A sequel to Long Way from Chicago, this time Mary Alice is on her own with her grandmother
for a year-long stay in rural Illinois during the 1937 recession.

Pinkwater, Daniel. The Hoboken Chicken Emergency.
Desperate to bring back a fowl for Thanksgiving dinner, Arthur gets a 260-pound super chicken
named Henrietta.

Ritter, John H. Choosing up Sides.
Luke is at odds with his fundamentalist preacher father over his dream to play baseball, which as
a sport, is forbidden by their religion.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Becoming Naomi Léon.
After years of dreaming that her mother would return, her actual appearance does not go as
Naomi had dreamed. Her mother has ulterior motives for wanting Naomi, and neither Gram nor
younger brother Owen is a part of her mother’s new plan.

Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday Wars.
Holling Hoodhood has his own special school project during his seventh grade year in 1967. He
must learn to deal with his teacher, a woman he is convinced hates him.
White, Ruth Ann. Way Down Deep.
Nestled in an Appalachian valley, the town of Way Down Deep gives home to many strange
inhabitants, including Ruby June, who searches for her parents and finds a mean grandmother
instead.

Wiles, Deborah. Love, Ruby Lavender.
When Ruby Lavender’s grandmother spends the summer in Hawaii, nine-year-old Ruby learns to
adjust to her absence by writing daily letters, taking care of chickens, befriending the niece of the
new fourth-grade teacher, and finally coming to terms with her grandfather's death. Also
recommended by the same author: Each Little Bird That Sings.
Freeman, Martha. Who Stole Halloween?
While trying to solve a mystery involving missing cats, Alex reluctantly lets his friend Yasmeen
talk him into allowing his cat Luau become a decoy to catch the culprit.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: cats, Halloween, ―petnapping‖,
ghosts, haunted houses, mysteries and detective stories.


Abrahams, Peter. Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery.
Eighth grader Ingrid Levin-Hill, "a habitual noticer of little things," finds herself caught in a
police investigation following the murder of an eccentric lady.

Adler, David A. Cam Jansen and the Catnapping Mystery.
―Little Tiger‖ has been catnapped and Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to find the
missing pet cat and catch the thief.

Balliett, Blue. Chasing Vermeer.
Petra and Calder, twelve-year-old classmates, team up to piece together clues from pentominoes,
mysterious books, secret codes, and riddles to solve the mystery of a missing painting and
develop their friendship. Followed by The Wright 3.

Colfer, Eoin. Half Moon Investigations.
Twelve-year-old detective, Fletcher, a.k.a. Half Moon, is hired by April Devereux to investigate
the Sharkey brothers. Events take a wrong turn and Half Moon has to go undercover before the
mystery is solved.

Coville, Bruce. The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed.
The ghost of a crying child convinces ghost experts, Nina and Chris, that Mrs. Watson’s run-
down house is haunted; they are determined to unravel the connection between the ghostly child
and the lost painting.

Erickson, John R. The Case of the Halloween Ghost.
Hank the Cowdog and his cowardly sidekick, Drover, investigate strange and spooky happenings
on Halloween night.

Estes, Eleanor. Ginger Pye.
The Pye family is heartbroken when their puppy, Ginger, disappears. Eventually, the Pye
children uncover the mystery and a full-grown Ginger is returned home.

Freeman, Martha. Who is Stealing the Twelve Days of Christmas?
This mystery introduces Alex, Yasmeen, and Luau as they investigate who is stealing the
neighborhood’s outdoor Christmas decorations.

Griffin, Peni R. The Ghost Sitter.
When Charlotte and her family move, she discovers a young girl, who does not realize that she is
now a ghost, who haunts their new home.
Kehret, Peg. Don’t Tell Anyone.
Suspense abounds in this mystery involving stray cats, embezzlement, hit and run accidents,
kidnapping and a hot air balloon ride.

Kehret, Peg. The Stranger Next Door.
This story is told in part from Pete the Cat’s point of view. Alex and his clever pet figure out the
mystery behind neighborhood fires and vandalized street signs.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. The Grand Escape.
Two house cats, Marco and Polo, escape to the outside world and are given three challenging
tasks by the local tomcat.

Nixon, Joan Lowery. Ghost Town: Seven Ghostly Stories.
This is a collection of seven spooky short stories placing contemporary young people in
American ghost towns.

Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game.
An unlikely assortment of characters and potential heirs must solve the mystery of an eccentric
millionaire’s death before claiming their inheritance.

Roberts, Willo Davis. Hostage.
Kaci thinks her new neighborhood is nice and safe until the day she forgets her allergy medicine.
She returns home to retrieve it and surprises burglars who take her hostage. When a nosy older
neighbor is also captured, the two must work together to outwit the criminals.

Roberts, Willo Davis. Pawns.
With her parents dead, Teddi moves in with a next-door-neighbor, who has a startling family
mystery that she and Teddi must solve.

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. The Trespassers.
Despite rumors that the ghost of a young girl haunts the Hutchinson family mansion, Neely and
her little brother, Grub, continue to explore the abandoned home. This eerie connection to the
house is strengthened when Hutchinson relatives move in.

Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery.
While on a search for her mother, Enola, the much younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, becomes
involved in solving the disappearance of a young marquess.

Stanley, Diane. The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine.
Franny discovers that devoted readers of the Chillers Series develop some strange behaviors;
first they all eat Jelly Worms, then they act like snakes. In this literary mystery, Franny tracks
down the strange author to uncover a chilling threat.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief.
In the first of a series of mysteries starring girl sleuth Sammy Keyes, Sammy discovers a
burglary in process and then must solve the crime so she won’t be removed from her
grandmother’s care.

Wright, Betty Ren. Crandall's Castle.
Charli’s uncle has purchased a rundown mansion to turn into a bed-and-breakfast. While helping
to get it ready for business, Charli and Sophia become aware of a ghostly presence.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Double Identity.
Twelve-year-old Bethany’s parents suddenly leave her with an unknown aunt; then Bethany
learns of a dead sister who looked exactly like Bethany. Now Bethany must discover the truth
about herself.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: cloning, identity, secrets,
medical ethics, suspense stories, and science fiction.


Abrahams, Peter. Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery.
Ingrid Levin-Hill, an eighth-grade Sherlock Holmes lover, discovers steroids are behind some
―secrets‖ in her neighborhood, but just as she is about to do something about it, she is kidnapped.

Anderson, M. T. Whales on Stilts!
Three middle-school students team up to save the world from a villain using an army of mind-
controlled whales on stilts with laser-beam eyes.

Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting.
When Winnie meets the Tuck family, she realizes she can have a future of everlasting life. Does
she take it?

Christopher, John. When the Tripods Came.
This prequel to the Tripods Trilogy tells the story of how the Tripods brainwashed humans with
their hypnotic Caps.

Clements, Andrew. Things Not Seen.
One day Bobby discovers he is invisible and doesn’t know how to fix the problem. His parents,
in fear of what would happen if the media found out, instruct him to keep his invisibility a secret.

DuPrau, Jeanne. City of Ember.
This story is set in the underground, post-holocaust city of Ember, a community that is suffering
from frequent blackouts, food shortages, and where the instructions for getting out have been
forgotten. On Assignment Day, Lina and Doon both get jobs that lead them to the Unknown
Regions.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden.
Set in a future of shortages and deprivation, a totalitarian government enforces a ―two children
only‖ policy. For Luke, an illegal third child, this has meant a lifetime of hiding from the brutal
Population Police.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Escape from Memory.
Under hypnosis, fifteen-year-old Kira unearths buried memories of a mysterious land called
Crythe, where memory is more important than happiness.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Running Out of Time.
Jessie, 13, believes that the year is 1840 when a diphtheria epidemic hits her village. While
seeking medical help, Jessie discovers her home is actually a 1996 tourist site under scientific
observation.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Turnabout.
Melly and Anny Beth, nursing home residents, unwittingly agree to participate in a genetic
experiment. When the injection to stop the ―un-aging‖ process goes awry they find themselves
in a fight for their lives.

Korman, Gordon. Chasing the Falconers.
After Aiden and Meg Falconer's parents, respected criminologists, are convicted of passing
classified information to enemies, the siblings believe they can prove their parents’ innocence.

Lasky, Kathryn. Star Split.
In 3038, Darci, a genetically enhanced human, discovers that her parents are part of an
underground movement to save the human race from genetic enhancement technology.

L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time.
Meg must search through time and space to rescue her father from the evil It.

Lowry, Lois. The Giver.
In a future where there is no war or poverty, Jonas is given his lifetime assignment at the annual
Ceremony of Twelve from the Committee of Elders. Jonas is named the Receiver of Memory,
which requires him to receive all the memories of their world.

MacHale, D. J. The Merchant of Death.
Bobby Pendragon discovers that he is not your average teenage jock but a Traveler – a hero
traveling through time and space. His first assignment is in an alternate dimension rescuing a
group of people from slavery.

Miller, Kirsten. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City.
Ananka and Kiki, and their team of precocious Irregulars, explore the Shadow City, the
subterranean labyrinth of rooms and streets under New York's subway system.

Nicolson, Cynthia Pratt. Baa!: The Most Interesting Book You’ll Ever Read About Genes and
Cloning.
Using a mixture of facts and anecdotes, the author gives an overview of genes and cloning.

Roberts, Willo Davis. The Girl with the Silver Eyes.
Katie’s big glasses hide her most prominent feature, her silver eyes. When her mother becomes
involved with a new boyfriend, she senses danger and looks for others with the same condition.

Stahler, David. Truesight.
Living in Harmony Station, thirteen-year-old Jacob is blind, as (he believes) are all others on the
colony. But when he begins to gain physical sight, he also begins to ―see‖ that Harmony Station
isn’t the Utopia he thought it was.
Wasserman, Robin. Chasing Yesterday #1: Awakening.
In this first installment of a proposed trilogy, JD finds herself the victim of a violent act, but her
amnesia prevents her from knowing what happened, who her parents are, and even who she is.
As she searches for answers, everyone she meets appears suspect.
Kadohata, Cynthia. Weedflower.
When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, the American government forces twelve-year-old
Sumiko and her family to leave their California flower farm and live in a Japanese interment
camp in Poston, Arizona.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: Pearl Harbor, Japanese
Americans, internment camps, and forced moves.


Cheaney, J. B. My Friend the Enemy.
Hazel’s favorite neighbor Jed asks her to keep watch when he is shipped out to fight in World
War II. When she finds a scrap of paper with Japanese writing in the woods, Jed’s father asks
Hazel to keep a very big secret.

Cooper, Michael L. Fighting for Honor: Japanese Americans and World War II.
This is an in-depth look from the Japanese American perspective of World War II, focusing on
those who served in the US Armed Forces.

Doyle, Brian. Mary Ann Alice.
Mary Ann Alice, living in Canada in 1926, also finds she and her family will be relocated when a
proposed dam will destroy their home and community.

Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-kira.
In her Newbery Medal winning debut, Kadohata writes of a Japanese family adjusting to a new
home and the loss of a family member.

Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea.
Eleven-year-old Dewey also experiences an intense isolation during the Second World War
when she and her father are isolated at Los Alamos as he works on developing the atomic bomb.

Meyer, Carolyn. White Lilacs.
Wartime is not the only time that whole communities have been forcibly displaced. Based on
actual events in North Texas, the African-American residents of Freedomtown are forced to
move when the white citizens want to build a park.

Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us.
When, like Sumiko, a young Japanese boy is forced on an internment camp during WWII, he and
other internees form a baseball team that gives them a sense of purpose.

Mochizuki, Ken. Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story.
While some Japanese fought the allies and others in the US were sent to Internment Camps,
Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania, single-handedly helped thousands of Polish citizens
escape the Nazis.

Noguchi, Rick and Deneen Jenks. Flowers from Mariko.
This picture book tells the story of a Japanese-American family trying to rebuild itself after being
released from an internment camp. When her father has a hard time finding work, Mariko’s
flower garden lifts his spirits.

Patneaude, David. Thin Wood Walls.
Like Sumiko, eleven-year-old Joe Hanada endures a Japanese internment camp, but he does so
while his brother fights with US troops abroad.

Sakurai, Gail. Japanese American Internment Camps.
This Cornerstones of Freedom book provides an easy-to-read account of the experiences from
the internment camps beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor to the Civil Liberties Act of
1988 and the first $20,000 payment to surviving internees in 1990.

Say, Alan. Home of the Brave.
This haunting picture book explores the desolation and helplessness the relocated Japanese-
Americans may have felt during their stay at an internment camp through the eyes of a man after
a kayaking accident.

Say, Allen. Music for Alice.
Sumiko has to abandon her beloved flowers when she enters the internment camp. However,
Alice and her husband are saved from imprisonment by flowers when they volunteer to settle on
the Oregon desert where they eventually establish a successful gladiola flower bulb farm.

Salisbury, Graham. Eyes of the Emperor.
Eddy Okubo wants to join the Army so he hides his age and enlists. While on a pass from boot
camp, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, just miles from his home, and changes his life forever.
The events in this book, suggested for older readers, are based on actual events from World War
II.

Salisbury, Grahan. Under the Blood-Red Sun.
Tomi and his friends live for baseball but the attack on Pearl Harbor disrupts their lives. Tomi’s
father and grandfather are taken away and he must become the man in the family and baseball
must wait.

Stanley, Jerry. I am an American: A True Story of Japanese Interment.
This book follows the life of Shiro Nomura who was a senior in high school when he forced to
live in an internment camp.

Tanaka, Shelley. Attack on Pearl Harbor: True Story of the Day America Entered World War
II.
Through first hand accounts, this book provides background information to the war that
disrupted Sumiko and her family’s life.

Tsuchiva, Yukio. Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War.
The terrible cost of war on humans and animals forms this story about the elephants in the Tokyo
zoo who died slow deaths when US bombs fell on the city.
Wolff, Virginia Euwer. Bat 6.
In 1949, after the war is over, prejudice against Japanese-Americans runs high as is highlighted
in this tale of a girls’ softball team that numbers among its players Aki, newly returned from an
internment camp, and Shazam, whose father served at Pearl Harbor.

Yoo, Paula. Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds.
Just like Sumiko, Sammy Lee, an Olympic Gold medalist for diving in 1948, faces the prejudice
and racism directed against Asian-Americans during and after the Second World War.
Kehret, Peg. The Ghost’s Grave.
Josh is spending the summer at his Aunt Ethel’s house. He encounters a peacock that may be his
Aunt Florence and a ghost whose body is buried with a mysterious box of cash.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: ghosts, supernatural, suspense
stories, thieves, and treasure chests.


Arnold, Louise. Golden & Grey: An Unremarkable Boy and a Rather Remarkable Ghost.
Grey Arthur has yet to find his calling as a ghost. Tom Golden doesn’t fit in at school. Things
start to look up for Tom when Grey reveals that he has become Tom’s invisible friend. The
pair’s humorous adventures continue in Golden & Grey: The Nightmares That Ghosts Have.

Barrett, Tracy. Cold in Summer.
Ariadne meets May, an odd girl who wears old-fashioned clothes. Later, while working on a
class project, Ariadne realizes that May is the ghost of a child who disappeared in the 1850s.

Carris, Joan Davenport. A Ghost of a Chance.
Inspired by the local tales surrounding Blackbeard’s mansion, Punch and his friends organize a
treasure hunt and have a frightening midnight encounter.

Cassidy, Sylvia. Behind the Attic Wall.
Maggie is a ―problem‖ child, having been thrown out of a number of boarding schools. When
she goes to live with her great aunts, however, she begins to hear voices she believes the house is
haunted.

Conrad, Pam. Stonewords: A Ghost Story.
Going back into time to meet Zoe Louise, present day Zoe discovers sinister secrets about herself
and about Zoe Louise.

DeFelice, Cynthia. The Ghost of Fossil Glen.
When hunting for fossils, Allie almost falls from a cliff, but a strange voice calms her. Soon
Allie discovers that this voice belongs to a young girl, murdered four years earlier and who
wants her killer found. Other stories about Allie include: The Ghost of Cutler Creek and The
Ghost and Mrs. Hobbs.

Delaney, Michael. The Great Sockathon.
The ghost of Eliza Baker contacts Sabrina to save the 275-year-old rotting Gilead tree she has
haunted for seventy years. Sabrina and her friends decide to collect unmatched socks to raise
money to purchase a tree brace to save the tree from being cut down.

Fleischman, Sid. The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story.
Traveling back in time to 1692, Buddy finds himself aboard a seventeenth-century pirate ship
captained by a distant relative, Captain Crackstone

Fleischman, Sid. Ghost in the Noonday Sun.
Twelve-year-old Oliver Finch is kidnapped by pirates because of his ability to see ghosts.

Hahn, Mary Downing. Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story.
While visiting his great-aunt in the family's ancestral home, eleven-year-old Drew opens a door
to the past and meets Andrew, a distant relative.

Hahn, Mary Downing. Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story.
When Molly and Michael meet their new stepsister, they try to befriend her, but she hides dark
secrets about her past, secrets only a ghost that inhabits their new home really understands.

McKissack, Patricia. The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural.
Thirty minutes before the sun sets is the most haunting of times, and the perfect setting for this
collection of ghost stories.

McNish, Cliff. Breathe: A Ghost Story.
Jack has always been sensitive to his surroundings and when he and his mother move into an old
house he finds he can communicate with the resident ghosts. However, one malevolent ghost
threatens to separate Jack from his mother and an intense, frightening struggle ensues.

Penn, Audrey. Mystery at Blackbeard’s Cove.
The ghosts of Mrs. McNemmish and her ancestor, Blackbeard, help a group of children recover
buried treasure.

Reiche, Deitlof. Ghost Ship.
Vicki solves the mystery involving her ancestor, the quartermaster for the Storm Goddess, a local
ship from 230 years ago.

Ruby, Laura. Lily’s Ghosts.
Lily, 13, resolves to solve a family mystery from the past that involves her great-uncle's summer
home.

Seabrook, Brenda. The Vampire in My Bathtub.
When Jeff moves to a new home he discovers it is haunted by all kinds of creatures that go bump
in the night, most notably a vampire, Eugene, who wants revenge on his evil cousin.

Wallace, Barbara. Ghosts in the Gallery.
Newly orphaned, Jenny arrives at Graymark House only to be told that it is not her ancestral
home.

Wright, Betty Ren. Christina’s Ghost.
When Christina keeps seeing the ghost of a young boy, she and her Uncle Ralph work together to
lay the ghost to rest.

Wright, Betty Ren. Haunted Summer.
When Abby receives a music box from her aunt, an angry ghost tries to reclaim it.
Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog.
Grace in the only Taiwanese-American girl in her class until Melody arrives. She and Grace
become friends throughout the ―Year of the Dog‖ as Grace grows in her cultural identity.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: Taiwanese Americans, Chinese
zodiac, new girls in school, writing, and finding your talent.


Choi, Sook Nyul. Halmoni and the Picnic.
In this picture book, Yunmi’s grandmother has just arrived from Korea and is overwhelmed until
Yunmi invites her to chaperone the class picnic. Her classmates help Halmoni feel welcome in
the United States and strengthen Yunmi’s appreciation of her Korean heritage, just as Pacy’s
appreciation for her culture grows through her friendship with Melody.

Christelow, Eileen. What Do Authors Do? and What Do Illustrators Do?
Let this pair of books take youngsters through the process of writing and illustrating books, and
see first-hand how children’s book authors and illustrators work.

Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw.
To complete a school assignment, Leigh Botts writes letters to Mr. Henshaw, telling him about
his life and difficulties adjusting to life with his newly single mother.

Clements, Andrew. The School Story.
Pacy’s book wins fourth place in the writing contest but what would happen if her story actually
got published? Natalie’s mother is an editor for a book publisher but she doesn’t want any
special treatment for her story. So she invents a pen name, and with her best friend as her agent,
attempts to get her story published.

Grindley, Sally. Dear Max.
Max wants to become an author, and begins a correspondence with his favorite one, D. J. Lucas.

Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. Celebrating Chinese New Year.
Join Ryan Leong and his family as they celebrate the Chinese New Year with special foods,
dances, and customs.

Kimmel, Eric. The Rooster’s Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac.
Centipede, Rooster, and Dragon vie for positions as years in the Chinese Zodiac calendar.

Leedy, Loreen. Look at My Book: How Kids Can Write and Illustrate Terrific Books.
This how-to book details the steps children can take to create their own books.

Lombard, Jenny. Drita My Homegirl.
There is a new girl in Maxie’s class, Drita from Kosovo. Told in alternating chapters, the girls
overcome their cultural differences and become, like Pacy and Melody, best friends.

Look, Lenore. Ruby Lu, Brave and True.
Life on 20th Avenue South is wonderful if you are Ruby Lu. However, when Ruby’s mother
suggests Chinese school for Saturdays, will it spoil everything wonderful in her life? Ruby Lu’s
adventures continue in Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything.

Marsden, Carolyn. The Gold-Threaded Dress.
The connection with The Year of the Dog comes through cultural heritage. A young Thai-
American girl so desperately wants to fit in with her friends, that she risks harming an exquisite
ceremonial dress.

Marsden, Carolyn. Silk Umbrellas.
Although Pacy doesn’t face the new year full of change, Noi, an eleven year old Thai girl does.
Her father loses his farming job and her sister has to work in a factory. Noi doesn’t want to join
her sister, but what will she have the courage to follow her dream to paint umbrellas?

Namioka, Lensey. Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family.
The Yangs are invited to their first Thanksgiving dinner with their neighbors, the Connors. Also
invited is Holly, a popular girl with whom Mary (Yang the third) yearns to be friends. Can a
kitten help Mary overcome her impossible family and cultural differences and win Holly’s
friendship? Also recommended are Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear, Yang the Eldest
and His Odd Jobs, and Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers.

Stevens, Janet. From Pictures to Words: A Book About Making a Book.
Pacy isn’t the only writer who has been stricken by writer’s block. Famous author and illustrator
Janet Stevens takes the reader through the process she follows as she comes up with ideas for her
own books.

Tucker, Kathy. The Seven Chinese Sisters.
Grace Lin illustrates this folktale-like book. Sisters number one through six each have a special
talent, the last sister is still a baby. Readers will enjoy the tale as sister number seven discovers
her talent: storytelling.

Venolia, Jan. Write Right! What You Need to be a Writing Powerhouse.
This nuts and bolts handbook is easy to use. Chapters on grammar, punctuation, organization,
and style, are included.

Whitfield, Susan. The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
In this folktale, the animals are summoned by Buddha to keep him company and to have the
honor of a year named after them.

Wong, Janet S. Apple Pie 4th of July.
Pacy is worried that she may be too American after meeting new friends at the Taiwanese-
American summer convention. She need not worry like the Chinese-American girl in this
picture book; on the 4th of July, everyone wants to eat Chinese food and apple pie!

Yee, Lisa. Millicent Min, Girl Genius.
Millie is about the same age as Pacy and also is looking for new friends. However Millie has a
genius IQ and is about to enter her last year of high school. She is not shy about her intelligence
but hides it with a new friend her age who helps her learn the importance of trust in a friendship.
A companion book, Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time, is also recommended for older readers.

Young, Ed. Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac.
This darkly colored folktale not only explains which animals are represented in the Chinese
calendar but also why cat and rat are enemies. An author’s note describes personality traits
attributed to each birth year.
Markle, Sandra. Outside and Inside Mummies.
Using new scientific methods, researchers are learning about mummies from the inside out. X-
rays, CT scans, and computers help scientists solve the mysteries about people who lived and
died in ancient times.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: mummies, antiquities, tombs,
ancient Egypt, archaeology, ―history detectives‖ and scientific investigations.


Buell, Janet. Ice Maiden of the Andes.
This is part of a series that includes Greenland Mummies, Bog Bodies, and the Ancient
Horsemen of Siberia. Each title examines the ancient remains of a specific culture and describes
the methods used to make that analysis.

Bunting, Eve. I am the Mummy Heb-Nefert.
In lyrical prose, Heb-Nefert narrates a description of her life and death in ancient Egypt.

Climo, Shirley. The Egyptian Cinderella.
A beautiful Greek slave girl’s lost rose-red slipper causes an Egyptian pharaoh to seek her as his
queen.

Cole, Joanna. Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt.
Leading a tour group in Egypt, Ms. Frizzle travels back to in time to learn about ancient
Egyptian civilization, including the process of mummification.

Curry, Jane Louise. The Egyptian Box.
Tee finds a mysterious Egyptian shabti box in her uncle’s antique store. When her brother goes
on the internet to translate the hieroglyphics from the box strange things begin to happen.

Getz, David. Frozen Man.
In 1991 a pair of hikers found a body in the Italian Alps. They thought he was the victim of
murder, but his past was more mysterious than they suspected: he was over 5,000 years old.
Also recommended by the same author: Frozen Girl.

Gregory, Kristiana. Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile.
In a fictional diary, Princess Cleopatra records her life in the Egyptian court and her hopes to
survive to become Queen of Egypt some day.

Kramer, Stephen P. Hidden Worlds: Looking through a Scientist’s Microscope.
Working with electron microscopes, photographer Dennis Kunkel has magnified pictures of dust
mites, and other creatures, neatly tinted to accentuate body features. This book takes you behind
the scenes of microscopy and the role of the technical equipment in research.

Lattimore, Deborah Nourse. The Winged Cat: A Tale of Ancient Egypt.
A young servant girl and a High Priest travel to the Netherworld's Hall of Judgment to determine
who is telling the truth about the death of the sacred cat Bast.
Lewis, J. Patrick. Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses.
Lewis’s epitaphs pay homage to the dearly departed from various occupations. Here’s one for an
actress: ―Movie actress Holly Gooden,/Duller than vanilla puddin’,/Tried to act but simply
couldn’t./Holly would but Hollywoodn’t.‖

Logan, Claudia. The 5,000-year-old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt.
A fictionalized account of Dr. George Reisner's excavation at Giza, Egypt, in 1925, told through
young Will Hunt's postcards to a friend, journal entries, information-filled sidebars, and actual
photographs from the expedition.

McGraw, Eloise Jarvis. The Golden Goblet.
Set in ancient Egypt around 1400 B.C., this Newberry Honor book tells the story of young
Ranofer’s struggle to become a master goldsmith like his father.

Markle, Sandra. ―Outside and Inside‖ series.
In addition to mummies, this series explores alligators, bats, birds, big cats, dinosaurs, giant
squid, kangaroos, killer bees, etc. Each book has detailed, full-color photographs, many of them
magnified with color enhanced close-ups.

Mason, Jane B. and Sarah Hines Stephens. The History Channel Presents: The Dead, the
Doomed, and the Buried.
Proving that fact is stranger, and often more interesting, than fiction, the authors briefly explore a
number of strange facts from history, including tidbits about the Tower of London, grave
robbers, and death rituals.

Sabuda, Robert. Tutankhamen’s Gift.
Sabuda uses artwork true to 14th-century, B.C. to illustrate a fictionalized account of the
boyhood of Tutankhamen.

Scieszka, Jon. Tut, Tut.
When Anna plays with the magical time travel book and travels to the land of pyramids, the
―Time Warp Trio‖ must follow her back in time to rescue her.

Sloan, Christopher. Bury the Dead: Tombs, Corpses, Mummies, Skeletons & Rituals.
A history of funeral rites and burial practices from prehistory to today, including location maps,
time line, colorful diagrams, realistic artwork, and an array of clear, color photos.

Steer, Dugald. Egyptology: Search for the Tomb of Osiris, Being the Journal of Miss Emily
Sands, November 1926-.
This is the travel journal of a fictional character, Emily Sands, an amateur Egyptologist who
went missing in 1926 during the search for the lost tomb of Osiris.

Stewart, David. You Wouldn't Want to be an Egyptian Mummy: Disgusting Things You'd Rather
Not Know!
Packed with facts about the process of embalming and mummification, this gives a historically
accurate (and gory) depiction of an Egyptian burial.

Turner, Ann. Maia of Thebes: 1463 B.C.
In ancient Thebes, during the reign of Hatshepsut, Maia relies on her skills as a scribe to survive.

Williams, Mark London. Ancient Fire.
By accident, twelve-year-old Eli Sand, a boy from 2019, travels to fifth-century Alexandria,
Egypt.
Montgomery, Claire and Monte. Hubert Invents the Wheel. Go back five thousand years
and meet Hubert, a boy with big dreams and a wild imagination. He’s constantly experimenting
and inventing, while his father, Gorp, wants him to join the family hauling business.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: the Stone Age, Ancient
Mesopotamia, inventions, and wheels.


Barretta, Gene. Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin.
Hubert is not the only old-time inventor whose products are still in use today. The author
describes the modern application on one side of the page (Now) and Franklin’s version on the
other (Ben).

Briggs, Raymond. Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age.
Like Hubert, Ug has a dream and parents who just don’t understand. Ug is desperate to find
something to replace his stone trousers. Is the wooly mammoth skin the answer?

Craig, Ruth. Malu’s Wolf.
Like Hubert, Malu receives little support for her idea: raising an orphaned wolf. Malu’s
prehistoric tribe views animals only as a source of food. She persists in her attempt to tame the
wolf and her efforts eventually bring understanding and acceptance for the first domesticated
animal.

Deedrick, Tami. Mesopotamia.
This book provides basic information, in an easy to read format, for the setting of Hubert’s life
and times.

Haduch, Bill. Go Fly a Bike! The Ultimate Book about Bicycle Fun, Freedom, & Science.
Hubert invented one wheel; the bicycle uses two, and today there are about one billion of them in
existence. This book explores their history, science, and contributions to society.

Jennings, Richard W. Stink City.
Using a sense of humor similar to Hubert’s narrator, Leigh Ann describes the outlandish events
that lead a smelly, catfish bait producer through a whale of a tale.

Keller, Charles. Driving Me Crazy: Fun-On-Wheels Jokes.
This joke collection features gems like: Why did the man put his car in the oven? He wanted a
hot rod. Or this groaner: What do you call a person who sells mobile homes? A wheel-estate
dealer.

Kurtz, Jane. Bicycle Madness.
In the late nineteenth century, Lillie gains friendship and help with a spelling bee from a
neighbor, Frances Willard, who braves criticism to speak about women’s rights and learns to ride
a bicycle.

Landau, Elaine. The Assyrians. The Babylonians. The Sumerians.
These volumes comprise the Cradle of Civilization series, providing basic background
information for Hubert’s world of ancient Mesopotamia.

Livingston, Myra Cohn. Roll Along: Poems on Wheels.
Hubert might never imagine that his invention could be used for so many products, but these
poems celebrate all kinds of vehicles – all on wheels.

Locke, Ian. The Wheel and How it Changed the World.
Everyone is aware how the wheel changed transportation. However, did you realize that the
wheel has changed the art world, communications, war, and diversions? The wheel is
everywhere.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. Gilgamesh the Hero.
A retelling, based on seventh century BC Assyrian clay tablets, of the wanderings and adventures
of the god-king Gilgamesh who ruled Mesopotamia in about 2700 BC and of his faithful
companion Enkidu.

Moss, Carol. Science in Ancient Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia is known as the cradle of civilization. Science and technology also have their roots
in this region. Read about how these peoples first studied the human body, developed
mathematics, classified animals, and invented the wheel.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Season of the Sandstorms.
Guided by a magic rhyme, Jack and Annie travel to ancient Baghdad (in Iraq, formerly known as
Mesopotamia) on a mission to help the Caliph disseminate wisdom to the world.

Priceman, Marjorie. My Nine Lives by Clio.
This is supposed to be the journal of a cat recounting all nine of the lives she has lived and her
remarkable effect on history, beginning in Mesopotamia in 3000 BC and ending in Wisconsin in
1995.

Scarry, Huck. On Wheels.
Peter Pebble, a caveman version of Where’s Waldo, and his dog travel through time in this
pictorial history of the invention of the wheel and its many uses. Sledges and onagers, like
Hubert’s, appear on the second page.

Scieszka, Jon. Your Mother is a Neanderthal.
The Time Warp Trio is traveling again, this time back to the Stone Age where they hope they
can avoid math homework, introduce all sorts of modern devices, and become famous. But how
will they return home, if books haven’t been invented yet?

St. George, Judith. So You Want to Be an Inventor.
This book presents some of the characteristics of inventors by describing the inventions of
people such as Alexander Graham Bell.

Stanley, Diane. A Time Apart.
Hubert lives in the Stone Age. Would he find life in the Iron Age modern and futuristic? Ginny
finds life in the Iron Age re-enactment village difficult, made even more so due to separation
from her ill mother and being across the Atlantic Ocean with the father she barely knows.

Thimmesh, Catherine. The Sky’s the Limit.
The short chapters in this book feature girls and women who have invented or made significant
discoveries.

Tomecek, Stephen. What a Great Idea! Inventions That Changed the World.
Hubert may have invented the wheel, but Tomecek contends that an axle is the true life changing
invention. This book profiles forty-four other historic inventions, explaining how they work and
describing their origins and impact
Naylor, Phylllis Reynolds. Roxie and the Hooligans.
―Don’t panic‖ is Roxie’s golden rule of survival. But it’s not an easy task as she confronts
playground bullies, is dumped with the garbage, and encounters a duo of murderous thieves.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: survival, bullies, adventures, and
hiding from criminals.


Clements, Andrew. Jake Drake, Bully Buster.
Jake feels he has been a bully magnet since the first days of preschool. He thinks his bully
magnet days are over when he starts fourth grade, but then Link Baxter moves to town.

Cox, Judy. Mean, Mean Maureen Green.
Due to a change in bus routes, Mean Mean Maureen Green now rides the same bus as Lilley.
Luckily the new kid Adam also rides her bus; together they team up and try to outwit the class
bully.

Crisp, Marty. My Dog, Cat.
Abbie is the new kid in town and his name, short for Abbot, attracts the attention of the town
bully. Abbie dreams of a big black dog to help protect him. He thinks his prayers are answered
when he is called on to baby-sit his aunt’s dog. But how can a tiny dog with the name of Cat
help him overcome the bully, and more importantly, win his love and affection?

Curry, Jane Louise. The Great Smith House Hustle.
Bullies aren’t always found on the elementary school playground. Grandma Smith is in danger
of losing her house, but her grandchildren save the day by uncovering a long-standing real estate
scam.

Cuyler, Margery. Weird Wolf.
Roxie may have inherited the family trait for getting out of trouble, but Henry’s inherited the
family trait of becoming a werewolf, and he’s got to do everything he can to reverse his
condition.

Grunsell, Angela. Bullying.
Roxie eventually overcomes the school bullies through means of an accidental adventure. Read
this book for practical advice and tips on how to deal with bullies in the everyday world.

Jacobson, Jennifer Richard. Andy Shane and the Very Bossy Dolores Starbuckle.
Andy learns to get along with the class smart aleck and her intimidating ways with a little help
from his very smart grandmother.

Krensky, Stephen. Louise Takes Charge.
Jasper returns to school from summer break bigger and badder than ever. Taking a cue from her
project on the Egyptian pharaohs, she and her classmates band together to change Jasper’s
bullying ways.
Lovell, Patty. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.
When Molly leaves the comfort and support of her grandmother and friends for a new town and
school, she finds herself the victim of the school bully.

Loy, Jessica. Follow the Trail.
Roxie could have found this former TBA master list book useful, had she known she would end
up on an adventure of survival on the island. The chapters on setting up camp, hiking and
tracking, and sounds of nighttime would have been especially helpful for Roxie and the
Hooligans.

Mackall, Dandi Daley. Larger-Than-Life Lara.
When Lara, a grossly overweight fourth grader enters her class, Laney knows she will no longer
be the target of bullies; they will aim their attacks at Lara. However, Lara has an interesting
response to the teasing, which changes her classmates’ attitudes.

McKay, Hilary. Indigo’s Star.
Older readers may sympathize with Indigo: it is Monday and all he has to look forward to is
another head flushing from the class bullies. Things start to change when Tom, a boy from the
United States, enrolls in school and impacts Indigo’s life with his devil-may-care attitude.

Moss, Marissa. Amelia’s Bully Survival Guide.
Amelia writes about the problems that she faces in her life—mainly science class and a bully that
tries to take advantage of her. Also recommended: Amelia Takes Command.

Pennypacker, Sara. Clementine.
Like Roxie, she’s got plenty of spunk and she gets in plenty of trouble, like cutting her best
friend’s hair. But, like Roxie, she learns to cope, or as Clementine says: ―OK, fine.‖

Polacco, Patricia. Mr. Lincoln’s Way.
Sometimes the best way to deal with a bully is to try to bring out the bully’s hidden interests.
That is what Principal Lincoln does with ―Mean Gene‖ in an attempt to curb his angry ways.

Seuling, Barbara. Robert and the Lemming Problem.
Robert Dorfman doesn’t like being made fun of because his tennis shoes are different from those
of his classmates, but his solution leads to a lot of pain and blisters.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Secret Identity.
Nolan Byrd is sick of being picked on by bullies, and with the help of his trusty computer gets
back at his nemesis by setting up a revealing website.

Warner, Sally. Super Emma.
Jared is bullying in class again and from out of nowhere comes a voice saying ―Quit it you big
bully!‖ The voice belongs to Emma and she now has to live down the name Super Emma and
win back her best friend, who is embarrassed to be rescued by a girl.

Wojciechowski, Susan. Beany and the Meany.
When Beany is stuck with Kevin as a partner in a science project, she discovers that her biggest
problem is not the school assignment, but is instead to get along with the class bully.

Yep, Laurence. Cockroach Cooties.
Brothers Teddy and Bobby are being tormented by Arnie-zilla, the school bully. With the help
of an entomologist neighbor and a cockroach named Hercules, they formulate a plan to declare
peace.
Nolan, Lucy. Down Girl and Sit: On the Road.
Down Girl gives a dog’s-eye account of several outings – from generously providing her owner
with a smelly fish to savoring the discomfort of her nemesis, Here Kitty Kitty at the vet’s office.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: dog humor, the canine
perspective, and travel with pets.


Byars, Betsy. Tornado.
Down Girl and Sit travel in a car, Tornado travels in a doghouse sent flying across the county
during a summer storm.

Christelow, Eileen. Letters From a Desperate Dog.
Emma has a hard time dealing with her human, George. She turns to Dear Queenie, the canine
advice columnist of the Weekly Bone, for help.

Crisp, Marty. Everything Dog: What Kids Really Want to Know About Dogs.
Questions have been collected from children across the country, ranging from ―Do dogs cry?‖ to
―Can people eat dog food?‖ to ―Why do dogs like people?‖ Answers are provided informally, in
an approachable format.

Fine, Anne. The Diary of a Killer Cat.
Down Girl’s nemesis, Here Kitty Kitty has nothing on Tuffy. Is it his fault they think Tuffy’s a
killer cat? Or is he just misunderstood by his people?

Fine, Anne. Notso Hotso.
Anthony is definitely more particular about his personal hygiene than Down Girl or Sit. But they
don’t have a bad case of mange. Anthony knows how to make the best of a bad situation, and, as
he says, how to ―keep my head high and ponder inner beauty.‖

Friedman, Sharon and Irene Shere. In the Doghouse!
Who can resist jokes like ―What’s a dog’s favorite dessert? Pup-cakes.‖ This joke collection
will have you howling.

George, Jean Craighead. How to Talk to Your Dog.
Down Girl tells us her story, but what if your dog could really talk? This colorful guide
combines drawings and photos of the author to illustrate the different ways dogs communicate.

Hinton, S. E. The Puppy Sister.
When Aleasha the pup arrives at her new home, Nick, the boy of the family states that he would
rather have a sister or brother. Can Aleasha become the sister of his dreams?

Jennings, Patrick. Faith and the Electric Dogs.
Down Girl gets to ride in a car, Eddie travels in a rocket named Peahen. Eddie narrates his
adventures with Faith and her attempt to leave Mexico, where she has been unhappy.
Kimmelman, Leslie. In the Doghouse.
The traveling pooch in this easy reader is named Bo. When he eats all of his young owner’s
popsicle she orders him to the doghouse. But Bo runs away and has to face life on his own.

Lowry, Lois. Stay! Keeper’s Story.
More sophisticated readers will enjoy Keeper’s life story as he searches for his little sister and
develops a passion for pasta and poetry.

MacLachan, Patricia. Three Names.
The reader needs to look closely at the illustrations to find Down Girl’s and Sit’s real names.
Great-grandfather recounts his childhood with his dog, Three Names, who accompanied him to
school on the prairie.

Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Speaks.
Although the canine doesn’t narrate this story, she does have a lot to say. When Martha eats
alphabet soup, the letters go to her brain and come out as words the people can understand. Read
more Martha adventures in Martha Calling, Martha Blah Blah, Martha and Skits, and Martha
Walks the Dog.

Miller, Sara Swan. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog.
Down Girl and Sit would enjoy these short stories written from a dog’s point of view, perfect for
a puppy bedtime story. Also available: Three More Stories You Can Read to Your Dog.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. The Grand Escape.
Down Girl and Sit are accustomed to being on the road to adventure. Marco and Polo have been
house cats all their lives and have never ventured outside the house. One day Mr. Neal leaves
the door open and they are on the road to adventure as well.

Pomerantz, Charlotte. The Outside Dog.
In this easy reader, Merisel convinces her abuelito that a friendly stray dog would make a good
addition to their family.

Rosen, Michael J., editor. Speak!: Children’s Book Illustrators Brag About Their Dogs.
This collection of 43 humorous and reflective anecdotes recall each illustrator’s favorite dog
moments.

Snow, Alan. How a Dog Really Works.
Down Girl’s owner, Rruff, could benefit from reading this book, a tongue-in-cheek instruction
manual illustrated with intricately detailed drawings of a dog and its parts.

Vande Velde, Vivian. Smart Dog.
What would happen if Down Girl could speak and Rruff could understand her? Amy finds
Sherlock, a dog who can speak, and vows to help keep him safe from the university lab that
wants him back.

Voight, Cynthia. The Rosie Stories.
Just like Down Girl and Sit don’t understand why they are frequently in trouble, Rosie feels she
is often misunderstood. She waits patiently for breakfast, guards the fort, and joins the family
for an exercise video, always on the edge of good canine behavior.
Osborne, Mary Pope. Pompeii: Lost and Found. Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen.
Osborne and Christensen ask readers to become archaeologists, imagining the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE and interpreting the daily life of this very ―modern‖ ancient
Roman town.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: antiquities, volcanoes,
archaeology, ancient Rome, ―history detectives‖ and scientific investigations.


Ancona, George. Murals: Walls That Sing.
From prehistoric cave paintings and ancient frescoes like those found in Pompeii, this photo-
essay details the lush community paintings that are murals.

Balit, Christina. Escape from Pompeii.
Tranio and his friend Livia flee their homes in ancient Pompeii as Mt. Vesuvius erupts. They
stow away aboard a Greek cargo ship that sails out to sea while lava buries the city.

Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top: A Book About Volcanoes.
Ms. Frizzle's class takes the Magic School Bus on a special field trip to explore an underwater
volcano.

Dean, Arlan. Terra-cotta Soldiers: Army of Stone.
This book reveals how archaeologists study the site of 8,000 clay soldiers guarding the burial
ground of third-century B.C.E. emperor Qin Shi Huangdi to learn more about ancient Chinese
civilization.

Deem, James M. Bodies from the Ash.
In this well-researched photo-essay, Deem explains what happened when Mt. Vesuvius erupted -
- and how the results of this disaster were discovered hundreds of years later. Photographs
featuring the plaster casts and skeletons of people in their death throes help readers to envision
life in Pompeii.

Denenberg, Barry. Atticus of Rome: 30 B.C.
Captured by Roman soldiers, Atticus is sold into slavery. Later, he uncovers a plot to murder the
emperor.

Kehret, Peg. The Volcano Disaster.
While working on a school project, Warren and Betsy are transported back to the eruption of the
Mount St. Helens volcano in 1980.

Kimmel, Eric A. The Two Mountains: An Aztec Legend.
In this retelling of the Mexican legend explaining the formation of the two mountains
overlooking the Valley of Mexico, the son of the sun god and the daughter of the moon goddess
disobey the sun god. They are turned into mortals as punishment, and later, transformed into two
mountains.
Lawrence, Caroline. Pirates of Pompeii.
Mount Vesuvius has just erupted and Flavia discovers that children at a refugee camp are
disappearing.

Lourie, Peter. Hidden World of the Aztec.
The history of the Aztec civilization is told through the discoveries made at the archaeological
digs at the Great Temple in modern-day Mexico City and at the Pyramid of the Moon in
Teotihuacan.

O’Meara, Donna. Into the Volcano.
A volcano researcher describes active volcanoes around the world.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Vacation Under the Volcano.
Annie and Jack visit Pompeii just before Vesuvius is about to erupt to find a Roman scroll. The
Magic Tree House research guide, Ancient Rome and Pompeii: A Nonfiction Companion to
Vacation Under the Volcano, is also recommended.

Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Lost City of Pompeii.
The destruction of Pompeii in the year 79 AD by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and its
subsequent uncovering almost 1700 years later is clearly described. Details of life in the Roman
Empire are shown in photographs, reproductions, timelines and sidebars..

Peters, Lisa Westberg. Earthshake: Poems From the Ground Up.
A collection of twenty-two short poems all inspired by geology, including pieces on lava, strata,
fossils, geodes, and plate tectonics.

Prior, Natalie Jane. The Encyclopedia of Preserved People: Pickled, Frozen, and Mummified
Corpses from Around the World.
This book is an overview of people around the world whose bodies have been preserved up to
the present day with a section including techniques (such as DNA testing), tools (CAT scans),
and topics (ancient diseases).

Rice, Melanie and Christopher. Pompeii: The Day a City was Buried.
The last days of Pompeii are described in typical DK Publishing style.

Scieszka, Jon. See You Later, Gladiator.
The ―Time Warp Trio‖ are transported to ancient Rome and forced to fight as gladiators.

Tanaka, Shelley. The Buried City of Pompeii: What It Was Like When Vesuvius Exploded.
This description of the events during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius from the viewpoint of a
fictional character, a caretaker on a wealthy family's estate, gives information on the geological
details of the eruption and the archaeological excavations as well as life in first-century Pompeii.
Schubert, Leda. Ballet of the Elephants.
In the early 1940s, John Ringling North, Igor Stravinsky, and George Balanchine collaborated to
create an unusual circus act -- elephants in pink tutus partnering with beautiful ballerinas to
perform the Circus Polka.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: elephants, ballets and ballet
dancers, circus and circus performers.


Arnold, Katya. Elephants Can Paint, Too!
This true story describes how Katya Arnold trains elephants to paint.

Bildner, Phil. Twenty-One Elephants.
During a trip to the circus, Hannah asks P. T. Barnum if his 21 elephants could march across the
Brooklyn Bridge to prove its safety. Twenty-one Elephants and Still Standing by April Jones
Prince also deals with the same subject.

Chaconas, Dori. Dancing with Katya.
Katya has always dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but a bout with polio apparently curbs those
dreams as Katya finds even walking difficult.

Fleischman, Paul. Sidewalk Circus.
Watch the magic of a circus, the great Garibaldi Circus to be exact, unfold in this book without
words.

Fleischman, Paul. The White Elephant.
When a cruel prince gives Run-Run a white elephant, an animal that must be cared for but not
work, the young orphan uses all his wits not only to keep the elephant, but also to break free of
the prince.

Frith, Margaret. Hooray for Ballet!
In order to fulfill a class assignment, Elizabeth visits her uncle, who is a ballet dancer in New
York. Interspersed with her explanation of Swan Lake are photographs of Elizabeth, her theater
ticket, and photographs (alongside her own drawings) of the performance.

Helfer, Ralph. The World’s Greatest Elephant.
This story chronicles the life long friendship of elephant trainer, Bram Gunterstein, and his
elephant, Modoc.

Kehret, Peg. Saving Lilly.
After finding out about animal cruelty in circuses, sixth-grader Erin Wrenn and her best friend,
David, attempt to save the life of an elephant named Lilly, who is about to be sold to a hunting
preserve.

Krementz, Jill. A Very Young Dancer.
Glossing over some everyday discomforts and disappointments, this photo-essay follows a young
dancer as she practices for a special performance.

Langton, Jane. The Mysterious Circus.
Set in the present-day community around Walden Pond, the three Hall siblings work together to
stop the building of a Henry Thoreau theme park across from their home.

Lasky, Kathryn. Dancing Through Fire
Inspired by the painter Degas, a young ballerina studies at the Paris Opera Ballet School in the
midst of the Franco-Prussian War. Marie in Fourth Position: The Story of Degas’ “The Little
Dancer” by Amy Littlesugar, is another book dealing with a young ballerina modeling for
Degas.

Littlesugar, Amy. Clown Child.
Olivia and her father are clowns in a small traveling circus, but she dreams of settling down in
one place.

Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff. When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals.
This science book explores the various emotions that exist throughout the animal kingdom.

McMahon, Patricia. Dancing Wheels.
Dancers of all ages and abilities rehearse and perform in the Dancing Wheels dance company of
Cleveland.

Prelutsky, Jack. Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant.
Dancing elephants may be a little strange, but no more so than these concoctions Prelutsky
dreams up by crossing two unrelated items, such as an umbrella and an elephant.

Priceman, Marjorie. Emeline at the Circus.
A field trip to the circus sounds like fun, until Emeline’s teacher starts laying down the rules.
But, Emeline manages to escape the boring parts and wind up smack dab in the middle of center
ring.

Seuss, Dr. If I Ran the Circus.
Morris McGurk wants to create a circus and thus become Circus McGurkus, but his plans
involve an unsuspecting partner.

Siegel, Siena Cherson. To Dance.
―Dancing fills a space in me,‖ reports Siena who chronicles the joys, hardships, pain, and
importance of dancing in her life even though that dancing takes some unexpected turns.

Sweeney, Joan. Bijou, Bonbon & Beau: The Kittens who Danced for Degas.
Elephants aren’t the only animals who can dance. Read about the kittens who danced for the
famous artist Edgar Degas.
Van Allsburg, Chris. Probudit!
Often the circus will have side shows with hypnotists. Here’s what happens when two boys try
to imitate one and the disasters, or maybe not, that occur.

Venezia, Mike. Igor Stravinsky.
This easy to read biography features the author’s trademark cartoon illustrations, accompanied
by photographs, of the life and times of the composer of the music for the Circus Ballet.
Skye, Obert. Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo.
Leven Thumps, a boy with a power to change the future, begins a mission to save the dreams of
humankind and the land of Foo from the evil Sabine.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: quests, fantasy, magical
creatures, and dreams.


Abouzeid, Chris. Anatopsis.
Princess Anatopsis, Ana to her friends, doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps and run
Amalgamated Witchcraft; she would rather become a knight-errant like her father. But will her
overwhelming magical skill be enough to win the important competition and make her tutor
proud? He, however, has ulterior motives and Ana must make a life changing decision to follow,
or not follow, her dream.

Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony.
Foo is not the only place with a secret underground world. In The Lost Colony, after losing the
battle to control Ireland 1000 years ago, all the fairies moved underground—all the fairies, that
is, except the Demons. The Demons have been living in Limbo and waiting for the perfect time
to exact their revenge on humans. That time is now.

Collins, Suzanne. Gregor the Overlander.
Gregor learns of a secret passageway into another world filled with strange beings. Like Leven,
he is enlisted against his wishes to battle evil and save the world. Both boys are told they hold
the only power to prevent the end of the world. The series continues with Gregor and the
Prophecy of Bane, Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods and Gregor and the Marks of
Secret. The final episode in the Underland Chronicles, Gregor and the Code of Claw, will be
available May 1, 2007.

Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. The Conch Bearer:
Twelve-year-old Anand embarks on a quest to return a mystical, magical conch shell to its
rightful place; this trip will take him hundred of miles from home and change him forever. The
sequel is also recommended: Mirror of Fire and Dreaming.

DuPrau, Jeanne. The City of Ember.
Trying to help their families, two children leave home when resources become scarce,
discovering an unusual secret about their city. The saga continues in People of Sparks. A
prequel, The Prophet of Yonwood, sheds light into how the city of Ember came to be.

Fletcher, Susan. Alphabet of Dreams.
Young Babak has an unusual gift: he can dream for strangers. His sister Mitra is reluctant to use
his gift for profit but she yearns to reunite with her family in ancient Persia. Will their travels
with the Magus, who is following a mysterious star, bring them closer to their family or will it
bring them even more troubles?

Funke, Cornelia. Dragon Rider.
Firedrake, a young dragon, embarks on a quest to find dragon sanctuary, the Rim of Heaven.
Firedrake is accompanied on his travels by two unlikely companions, Ben, an orphan human
boy, and Sorrell, a grumpy fairy; together the trio faces numerous fantastic adventures.

Juster, Norman. The Phantom Tollbooth.
Here’s an adventure that sends a young boy, Milo, into strange, uncharted territory, the land of
Dictionopolis. While his adventures aren’t life threatening, the adventure is indeed in the quest.

Kerr, P.B. The Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure:
Twelve-year-old twins discover they are descended from djinn and, with the help of their uncle,
learn how to use their extraordinary powers to fight evil. Also recommended, two sequels: The
Blue Djinn of Babylon and Cobra King of Kathmandu.

LaFevers, R. L. The Forging of the Blade.
This shorter fantasy book introduces Kenric, the hero of the Lowthar’s Blade trilogy, as he
searches the Grimwood for his lost blacksmith father. Will he find him before the evil Lord
Mordig forces the captive blacksmiths to forge a legendary sword that will enable him to become
king? Kenric’s adventures continue in Secrets of the Grim Wood and the True Blade of Power.

L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time.
Charles Wallace, always considered ―different‖, his sister, Meg, and their older friend, Calvin,
journey through time and space to find Meg and Charles’s father.

Lewis, C. S. Chronicles of Narnia series
Seven books comprise this classic fantasy series wherein talking animals and mythical creatures
abound and good triumphs over evil.

Lowry, Lois. Gossamer.
Leven is charged with saving dreams, Littlest and Fastidious are charged with bestowing dreams
on the sleeping. Like Leven, the dream givers face frightening monsters as they shape the
dreams and lives of their sleeping charges.

Mull, Brandon. Fablehaven.
Fablehaven is a wildlife refuge where all the mystical creatures go to prevent their extinction.
All is not peaceful in Fablehaven, however. Kendra and her brother, Seth soon find it is up to
them to save not only Fablehaven, but their entire family.

Pullman, Philip. The Scarecrow and His Servant.
When Jack flees his home, which, along with his family, has been destroyed by soldiers, he
meets up with a scarecrow and together they set off for fame and fortune.

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief.
In this fast paced action adventure novel, Percy Jackson is unaware he is the son of an Olympic
god. Falsely accused of stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt, Percy travels cross country fighting gods
and monsters from Greek mythology, trying to clear his name and return peace to Mount
Olympus. Percy’s adventures continue in The Sea of Monsters and The Titan’s Curse (to be
available soon).

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter series.
Leven comes from a disheartening family situation just like Harry Potter. Both boys face
similar trials and tribulations as they battle good vs. evil in their journey towards self-identity.

Thompson, Kate. The New Policeman.
No one in J. J. Liddy’s quiet Irish town seems to have enough time. When J. J. asks his mother
what she wants for her birthday, she replies: ―More time.‖ Can he buy time? Does time exist in
another dimension?

Whitlock, Dean. Sky Carver.
Thomas is unhappy in his family, he will never live up to their expectations and become the great
painter his father was. What he longs to do is carve. When a magical branch, that appears to
allow Thomas to control the weather, falls into his hands, he embarks on a journey which will
eventually lead him to his true calling.

Yep, Laurence. The Tiger’s Apprentice
With the help of a tiger, a monkey, and a dragon, Tom must keep a magic talisman safe from
falling into evil enemy hands. The saga continues with Tiger’s Blood and Tiger Magic.
Stanley, Diane. Bella at Midnight.
Written in multiple voices, this Cinderella tale chronicles Bella’s magical quest to save her
kingdom from war and warn her childhood friend, Prince Julian, of the threat against his life.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: quests, knights, princesses, fairy
tales, magic, prophecies, adaptations, medieval romances, and Cinderella.


Bernstein, Nina. Magic by the Book.
A magical library book takes Anne, Emily, and Will on adventures into their favorite books
where they meet Robin Hood, giant bugs, and a villain from Tolstoy's War and Peace.

Buckley, Michael. The Sisters Grimm. Book One: Fairy-tale Detectives.
Abandoned by their parents, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are sent to live with a grandmother they
thought was dead and learn they are descended from the famous Grimm brothers. They are
immediately plunged into a mystery with a host of fairy tale characters. The series continues
with Book Four to be available April 15.

Carey, Janet. Dragon’s Keep.
Princess Rosalind knows her destiny: she is the one to restore her family’s claim to the throne.
But, Rosalind is born with a serious flaw; one finger is a perfectly formed dragon claw. How
will anyone want to marry her and help her meet her destiny? Recommended for mature readers.

Codell, Esme Raji. Diary of a Fairy Godmother.
When witch in training Hunky Dory is thrown out of witch school, she decides to follow her
dream of becoming a fairy godmother where she can use magic to grant wishes.

Coombs, Kate. The Runaway Princess.
When Princess Margaret’s father, the King, needs some extra capital to keep his kingdom going,
he decides to stage a contest for Margaret’s hand. But the princes are a sorry lot, their tasks a
little slippery, and the outcome always in doubt.

Ensor, Barbara. Cinderella (As If You Didn’t Already Know the Story).
This is a first person updated retelling of the Cinderella story that reveals what happens to the
characters after the wedding.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just Ella.
Ella refuses to marry Prince Charming in this coming-of-age continuation of the Cinderella story.

Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted.
In this fractured fairy tale based on the Cinderella story, Ella struggles against the gift of
obedience that forces her to obey any command given to her.

Levine, Gail Carson. Fairest.
Aza has the most beautiful voice in the country, but unfortunately she is not very attractive. Fate
leads her to the royal wedding and her gifted singing finds her the job as Queen Ivi’s lady in
waiting. What will she do however, when she is tempted to enhance her own appearance with
the queen’s secret to remaining the fairest in the land?

McKinley, Robin. Beauty.
Here’s Beauty and the Beast like you’ve never see it: full of romance, danger, and fear.

McKinley, Robin. Spindle’s End.
Cursed by an evil fairy at birth, Rosie is raised in the countryside, able to speak with animals and
apprenticed to the local blacksmith and unaware of her royal heritage. When the fateful birthday
arrives, she does not need a prince charming to save herself or the sleeping village from
destruction.

Napoli, Donna Jo. Bound.
In this Chinese version of the Cinderella tale, Xing Xing has no hope for an advantageous
marriage. The family’s hopes rest on her half-sister, with her newly bound feet and beauty. The
back cover copy may attract boys to this title.

Pullman, Philip. I Was a Rat.
This is the story of Roger, a scruffy orphan, who appears at the house of an elderly couple
insisting he was a rat. Did he really miss the midnight deadline playing soccer while awaiting
Cinderella’s departure from the ball?

Quindlen, Anna. Happily Ever After.
Kate has two loves, baseball and fairy tales. She’s got great sports skills, but still wonders what
it would be like to be a princess. One day, she finds out, with many a surprise about where the
grass is greener.

Roos, Stephen. Recycling George.
Here’s a reverse on the Cinderella story. George, whose absent father leaves him with a sister
who really doesn’t want him, is taken in by the wealthiest family in his small town. Should he
stay or leave?

Scholastic, various authors. The Royal Diary series.
Enter the lives of many different real-life princesses from around the world. Each book begins
with fictional diary entries of the princess, followed by informative back matter including
portraits or photographs, family trees, and highlights from her adult life.

Temple, Frances. The Ramsay Scallop.
Set in the 13th century, orphan Eleanor of Ramsay and her betrothed Thomas, journey to Spain.
On the way they meet the people of the times and through these encounters learn their true
feelings for one another.

Tunnel, Michael O. Wishing Moon.
Aminah, an orphaned street child, sees her luck change after getting hit on the head with
Aladdin’s lamp. However, instead of using the genie’s powers to benefit herself, she uses it to
help others. Suspense, romance, and an exotic locale add to the fairy tale flavor of this story.
Whipple, Laura. If the Shoe Fits: Voices from Cinderella.
Cinderella's story is retold through narrative poems from multiple points of view.
Taylor, Gaylia. George Crum and the Saratoga Chip.
Teased as a child, George Crum could turn feisty. When he became a chef, a fussy customer
insisted her French fries weren’t crisp, so feisty George whipped up a new creation: the potato
chip.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: famous and lesser know African
Americans, inventors, cooking, restaurants, potatoes, and snack foods.


Adler, David A. A Picture Book of George Washington Carver.
This African American was a famous scientist and inventor of everyone’s favorite snack: peanut
butter!

DeFelice, Cynthia. One Potato, Two Potato.
When an old couple, so poor ―they dug one potato from their little garden every day and called it
breakfast, lunch, and supper,‖ find a magic pot that replicates every thing they put in it, they
began to think about what happiness really is.

Englart, Mindi Rose. How do I Become a …? Chef.
This career guide highlights the basics of becoming a chef, including some of the more mundane
aspects of a chef’s duties: learning to take inventory, food safety, and academics.

Gibbons, Gail. Marge’s Diner.
In her bright, easy to read style, Gibbons takes the reader through a typical day at Marge’s Diner.

Gold, Rozanne. Kids Cook 1-2-3.
Using just three ingredients for every different recipe, Gold introduces young chefs to the world
of cooking from soup to nuts. Also recommended: The Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook.

Greenstein, Elaine. Ice-Cream Cones For Sale!
The many possibilities for who receives credit for inventing the ice cream cone are explored.

Harper, Charise Mericle. Imaginative Inventions.
Beginning with the potato chip, the author describes the origin of 14 everyday items in verse and
colorful illustrations.

Hopkinson, Deborah. Fannie in the Kitchen.
Fannie Farmer, author of one of the most celebrated cookbooks ever, got her start as a cook in a
Victorian home, and it takes all of her culinary skills to win over the young members of the
family who, at first, resent her presence.

Hughes, Meredith Sayles and E. Thomas Hughes. The Great Potato Book.
This compendium of potato information references George Crum and his Saratoga chip more
than once. Potato lore and trivia is presented in a humorous way featuring illustrations by G.
Brian Karas. Also included are songs, jokes and Mr. Potatohead!
Ketteman, Helen. Luck with Potatoes.
A down-on-his-luck farmer decides to try one more crop: potatoes. Something very strange is
going on with the potatoes and it isn’t their giant size.

Kurzweil, Allen. Leon and the Champion Chip.
Leon is in heaven when the new science teacher says the sixth grade will devote the entire school
year to studying his most favorite thing, potato chips. But will what he learns about chips and
the scientific process be enough to help him to rid the Classic School of its bully, Henry
Lumpkin?

Lasky, Kathryn. Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker.
Madam C.J. Walker, daughter of slaves, became one of the most famous African American
inventors when she developed a line of hair care products to combat her own hair loss.

Lester, Julius. Black Cowboy, Wild Horses: A True Story.
This African American gained fame, like George, doing what he loved best. Bob Lemmons was
a legendary tracker, whose exploits included single-handedly bringing in a huge herd of cattle.

Lobel, Anita. Potatoes, Potatoes.
In this folktale like story, two brothers on opposing sides of a war fondly remember their
childhood and hope that their mother’s potato garden will bring an end to the conflict.

Maze, Stephanie. I Want to Be a Chef.
George Crum found guidance from a friendly chef he met while hunting. Aspiring chefs will
find much information regarding careers in the culinary arts in this book filled with live action
photographs of chefs plying their trade around the world.

McCully, Emily Arnold. Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E Knight Became an Inventor.
Do you take potato chips in a brown paper lunch bag? Read how inventor Margaret E. Knight
invented the paper bag maker and her legal battle for the patent after someone stole her idea.

Meltzer, Milton. The Amazing Potato: A Story in Which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie
Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Wars, Famines, Immigrants, and French Fries All Play a Part.
Everything you want to know about the history of potatoes, from its origins in South America to
its popularity on dinner tables around the world.

Murphy, Jim. Weird and Wacky Inventions.
Each invention diagram is accompanied by three guesses for the use of the item, with the correct
description on the following page. Included are some inventions that could be used around the
home and kitchen.

Schonberg, Marcia. I is for Idea: An Inventions Alphabet.
Many inventions are described with both a short verse and longer expository paragraphs.

Towle, Wendy. The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor.
Unlike George, Elijah McCoy was successful in school, but had to go to Scotland to pursue a
formal training in engineering. Despite his education, he could only find work as an oilman for
the railroad in post-Civil War America. He invented a device to make his job easier, yet he may
be best known for being the man for which the saying ―the real McCoy‖ is based.
Yep, Laurence. The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906..
Henry, the son of a wealthy banker, and Chin, the son of the Chinese houseboy, describe the
1906 earthquake in alternating chapters. When a firestorm breaks out, both boys discover the
true meaning of heroism.

Other books that have one of more of these connective threads: earthquakes, natural disasters,
San Francisco, and Chinese immigrants.


Chippendale, Lisa A. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.
This in-depth study of the earthquake and the resulting fires covers not only the historical and
scientific aspects of the disaster but also the social and economic ramifications. Jill McCaffrey,
one of the national chairmen for the American Red Cross, introduces the book.

Fletcher, Susan. Walk Across the Sea.
Are the Chinese immigrants really heathens to be run out of town as her stubborn father
believes? Eliza struggles to obey her father and avoid the Celestials. When Wah Chung risks his
life to save hers Eliza knows that she cannot ignore her new friend in his time of need.

Gregory, Kristiana. Earthquake at Dawn.
Based on the experiences of a young photographer who lived through the San Francisco
earthquake of 1906, this novel features her photos and excerpts of a 32 page letter written by one
of the main characters.

Hatkoff, Isbella, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paul Kahumbu. Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a
Remarkable Friendship.
A baby hippo, displaced in the 2004 tsunami, adopts a tortoise as his mother, and shows that
even animals are driven to unusual acts of compassion and heroism during natural disasters.
Also recommended: Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship.

Hopkinson, Deborah. Into The Firestorm: A Novel of San Francisco, 1906.
Nicholas Dray runs away from a Texas orphanage and heads for San Francisco. Just as Nick
finds a job and friends, the earthquake hits and he must choose between running again or helping
his new neighbors.

Karwoski, Gail. Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906.
Jacob’s father won’t allow his son to keep a stray dog. Yet the dog proves worthy during the
famous earthquake. Quake finds and saves a Chinese boy and accompanies Jacob and San on
their journey to reunite with their families.

Kehret, Peg. Earthquake Terror.
Using a modern setting, Bluebonnet author Kehret follows twelve-year-old Jonathan and his
sister as they deal with the terror of an earthquake on a remote island.

Landau, Elaine. Heroine of the Titanic: The Real Unsinkable Molly Brown.
Molly Brown, survivor of both the San Francisco earthquake and the Titanic disaster, shows the
grit and determination that helped make her a modern heroine.

Lee, Milly. Landed.
Sun, who travels from his native China to join his father in San Francisco, shows one side of
immigration: the painstaking examinations he must pass before landing in the United States.

Levine, Ellen. If You Lived at the Time of the San Francisco Earthquake.
Chock full of details about daily life after the earthquake, such as finding housing, clothing,
food, and mail service, this book adds a ―you were there‖ perspective for modern readers.

McGrath, Barbara Barbieri. The Storm: Students of Biloxi, Mississippi Remember Hurricane
Katrina.
Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast as surely as the 1906 earthquake destroyed San
Francisco. Children caught in the storm voice their own harrowing experiences and feelings.

Murphy, Jim. Blizzard: The Storm That Changed America.
San Francisco had fire in 1906; New York had snow in the great blizzard of 1888. Murphy
traces the sacrifices and conditions of many individuals, both survivors and victims, caught in the
great storm. Also recommended by the same author: The Great Fire.

Myers, Anna. Stolen by the Sea.
Maggie is trying to contain her jealousy; her father is paying a lot of attention to Felipe, who
comes from the orphanage in Galveston to work in the garden. They are left alone with an
elderly housekeeper when her father takes her mother to Houston to check on a troublesome
pregnancy. They must work together when the hurricane of 1900 strikes.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Earthquake in the Early Morning.
Join Jack and Annie as the Magic Treehouse transports them to San Francisco and allows them a
first-hand look at the 1906 earthquake.

Osborne, Mary Pope. New York’s Bravest.
Set a few years before the San Francisco earthquake and resulting firestorm, legendary firefighter
Mose Humphreys’s heroism in New York takes on the qualities of a tall tale while also showing
the conditions under which firemen worked.

Reiss, Kathryn. Paper Quake: A Puzzle.
Violet finds mysterious letters which seem to be addressed to her, even though they are dated
1906. Is she receiving messages from the past or just having nightmares about her school
project, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?

Sandler, Martin W. America’s Great Disasters.
Short chapters cover disasters in many forms, including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the
eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and the end of the Civil War.

Simon, Seymour. Earthquakes.
Seymour Simon and the Smithsonian Institute have collaborated to update Simon’s previous
effort on earthquakes. It features basic information presented in Simon’s classic style with full
page photographs and easy to read text.

Tanaka, Shelley. A Day That Changed America: Earthquake!
Drawing extensively on memories of four of the earthquake survivors, Tanaka presents personal
and multiple points of view about the event. The book also includes tangential topics such as
firefighting and a detailed map.

Yep, Laurence. Dragonwings.
Moon Shadow Lee leaves his home in China to join his father in San Francisco, where he finds
prejudice, kindness, hard work and, the realization of his own dreams.