Barnum Brown's (1873-1963) parents named him after the circus icon P.T.
Barnum, hoping that he would do something extraordinary--and he did! As a
paleontologist for the American Museum of Natural History, he discovered the
first documented skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as most of the other
dinosaurs on display there today.
An appealing and fun picture book biography, with zany and stunning
illustrations by Boris Kulikov, BARNUM'S BONES captures the spirit of this
remarkable man.
When William’s father leaves, his mother promptly goes out and adds four dogs
and a cat to their lives. William’s sure that nothing can fill the hole left by
his father, but the new additions to the family are determined to help. With his
sister, Elinor, and his mother, William will learn that “family” can come in all
shapes and sizes, because sometimes we find love through magic, and sometimes
that magic is all around us.
When Cole’s mom dumps him in the mean streets of Philadelphia to live with the
dad he’s never met, the last thing Cole expects to see is a horse, let alone a
stable full of them. He may not know much about cowboys, but what he knows for
sure is that cowboys aren’t black, and they don’t live in the inner city. But in
his dad’s ’hood, horses are a way of life, and soon Cole’s days of skipping
school and getting in trouble in Detroit have been replaced by shoveling muck
and trying not to get stomped on. At first, all Cole can think about is how to
ditch these ghetto cowboys and get home. But when the City threatens to shut
down the stables— and take away the horse Cole has come to think of as his own—
he knows that it’s time to step up and fight back. Inspired by the little-known
urban riders of Philly and Brooklyn, this compelling tale of latter -day cowboy
justice champions a world where your friends always have your back, especially
when the chips are down.
Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.
As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.
Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room--a garden with a tragic secret.
Inspired by The Secret Garden, this tale full of unusual characters and mysterious secrets is a story that only Ellen Potter could write.
Thirteen-year-old Clare Silver is stuck. Stuck in denial about her mother’s
recent death. Stuck in the African jungle for sixty-four days without phone
reception. Stuck with her father, a doctor who seems able to heal everyone but
Clare. Clare feels like a fish out of water at Mzanga Full Primary School,
where she must learn a new language. Soon, though, she becomes immersed in her
new surroundings and impressed with her fellow students, who are crowded into a
tiny space, working on the floor among roosters and centipedes. When
Clare’s new friends take her on an outing to see the country, the trip goes
horribly wrong, and Clare must face another heartbreak head-on. Only an orphan
named Memory, who knows about love and loss, can teach Clare how to laugh with
the moon. Told from an American girl’s perspective, this story about how
death teaches us to live and how love endures through our memories will capture
the hearts of readers everywhere.
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably
worse. August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that, up
until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th
grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary
kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face.
WONDER, now a New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas
Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon
switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These
perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy,
compassion, and acceptance.
In a world where bullying among young
people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and
hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness”
—indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple
courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who
proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
Walls Within Walls is an appealing mystery novel. You will need to find a
comfortable place to begin reading this novel because chances are, you will
become completely absorbed in the storyline, you will be compelled to finish it
without putting it down!
This is a children's novel written for 3rd - 6th
graders, but as an adult (and teacher) I found it captivating! Walls within
Walls is on the Bluebonnet list for the 2013-2014 school year.
I highly suggest
you read this nail-bitting mystery.
