Sunday, November 25, 2012

A Long Walk to Water

From Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park, an emotional novel based on a true story.

Nya goes to the pond to fetch water for her family. She walks eight hours every day.

Salva walks away from his war-torn village. He is a “lost boy” refugee, destined to cover Africa on foot, searching for his family and safety.

Two young people . . . two stories.

One country: Sudan.

This true story follows two pathways—one unfolding in 2008 and one in 1985—with one hopeful message: that even in a troubled country, determined survivors may find the future they are hoping for.



11 Birthdays

It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited -- after all, 11 is so different from 10. 

But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are angry at each other and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together. 

When Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating iself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . . 


Extra Credit

It isn’t that Abby Carson can’t do her schoolwork. She just doesn’t like doing it. And in February a warning letter arrives at her home. Abby will have to repeat sixth grade—unless she takes on an extra-credit project to find a pen pal in a distant country. Seems simple enough. But when Abby’s first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, the village elders agree that any letters going back to America must be written well. In English. 

But as letters flow back and forth—between these very different places, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.

Dying to Meet You

The Klise sisters have done it again. This quick reading book tells the story of a grumpy children's author trying to produce his 13th book. 

It all takes place in an old mansion which is home to a young boy, his cat, and a ghost named Olive. But Olive is not just any ghost. She was once a children's author who never got published. 

 The characters have names that will help but put a smile on your face. For example, the book editor was named, Paige Turner.  Check out this book today!