Poppy (Horn Book Award, 1996) Avi Paperback $4.50 Order now		An engaging plot and colorful characters make this book, by one of contemporary children's writing's most beloved and acclaimed authors, a real treat for young readers. The story centers around a predatory and territorial owl named Mr. Ocax, and two intrepid mice (Poppy and Ragweed) who commit the ill-advised act of crossing into his kingdom without permission, a deed of daring which only one of them would survive. Poppy, the lone survivor spends the rest of the book trying to escape the watchful eyes and formidable appetite of Mr. Ocax. The School Library Journal calls this book "richly visual, subtly humorous, skillfully laden with natural history . . . A thoroughly enjoyable book."

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery (Newbery, 1993) Russell Freedman Paperback $10.95 Order now		A real stand-out in the genre of children's non-fiction, this remarkable photobiography bravely and beautifully captures the life of one of the most fascinating and accomplished women in American history. As The Horn Book Magazine said, "At last children have a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt equal to its subject! The author has created a sensitive portrayal; it captures the spirit of the woman . . .Young readers. . .will find inspiration, hope, and guidance . . ." This book is a great tool for teaching 1930's and 40's American history. Highly recommended.

Shiloh (Newbery 1992) Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Paperback $4.99 Order now		In the tradition of Sounder and Where the Red Fern Grows, this "boy and his dog" story, which takes place in rural West Virginia, gives the reader "a moving and powerful look at the best and worst of human nature." (Booklist). It tells the heart-warming and heart-wrenching story of eleven year-old Marty Preston and the furry object of his pity and affection, the dog he calls Shiloh. When Marty first sees the dog, a young beagle on the road by the old Shiloh schoolhouse, he knows he is being abused by his owner. And when the dog shows up at his house, and he is forced to return him to his abusive master, it breaks the boy's heart. He vows to do whatever it takes to save Shiloh's life. A moving, gripping story of friendship and devotion.

Maniac Magee (Newbery 1991, Horn 1990) Jerry Spinelli Paperback $4.95 Order now		"Legends are made, not born." So reads the cover of Jerry Spinelli's award-winning novel about a tattered, dirty-faced, twelve year-old runaway who became the stuff of folklore in the small Pennsylvania town of Two Mills. Almost immediate upon his auspicious arrival in the town, people began to talk. He was born in a dump, he hit the first-ever "frogball" for an inside-the-park homerun bunt, his stomach is a cereal box, and his heart is a sofa spring, he routinely scores 49 touchdowns when he plays football against high school boys. The line between truth and myth is drawn and redrawn again and again for Jeffrey Lionel Magee, the boy they call "Maniac." But when all is said and done, story told and the truth sifted from the legend, the people of Two Mills are left with Maniac's bravest and most enduring feat, the bringing together of two separate worlds: the town's East and West Ends. This is a clever, skillfully told story about a clever, skillfully told story, and about what it means to be a legend, and a hero.

Number the Stars (Newbery 1990) Lois Lowry Paperback $4.99 Order now		Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark during World War II, Number the Stars is a sensitively told, remarkable story about enduring friendship and reluctant heroism in the face of impending danger. At the center of the book are young Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen. When it is discovered that the Nazis plan to "relocate" all Danish Jews, Annemarie and her family decide to take in Ellen as one of their own, to protect her from an horrendous fate. It works for a time, and then Annemarie is forced to go on a dangerous mission; she must be willing to do the thing she thought people only did in stories: risk her own life for that of another. Beautifully and simply rendered, memorable and triumphant, Number the Stars is a great way to teach children about this very painful and horrible time in world history.

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Newbery 1986) Patricia MacLachlan Paperback $3.95 Order now		The New York Times calls this book "An exquisite, sometimes painfully touching tale." Short, sweet, and moving, Sarah, Plain and Tall packs hundreds of pages of heartbreak, hope, and love into a mere 57 pages. This is a simple story, simply told, centering around a motherless prairie family whose father sends away for a new bride. Losing their mother one day after the birth of the younger brother, Caleb, Anna and Caleb hope for a return to the joy of the days before their mother died, when laughter and singing filled the house. When they are told of this new woman from Maine, Sarah, who is coming to stay with them and may become their new mother, they pin all of their hopes and dreams on her. This is a sad, beautiful, and ultimately joyous story of the power of hope and possibility of new life.

The Westing Game (Newbery 1979, Horn 1978) Ellen Raskin Paperback $4.99 Order now		Part word game, part detective story, part solve-it-yourself mystery, Ellen Raskin's clever book follows along as sixteen people, each one the potential heir to the vast estate of Samuel W. Westing, must figure out who murdered their potential benefactor in order to collect the $200 million prize. From the great beyond, the murdered multi-millionaire leads these people into blizzards, burglaries, and bombings to solve a murder mystery for which only two people hold all the clues: the Westing heir and the reader. The Horn Book calls The Westing Game "a fascinating medley of word games, disguises, multiple aliases, and subterfuges - a demanding but rewarding book." Great fun.!

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Newbery 1977) Mildred D. Taylor Paperback $4.99 Order now		A book of singular grace, wisdom, and pride, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells captures the saga of the Logans, a black family living in the rural south during the depression. In the face of Klan night riders and burnings, economic deprivation, and racial humiliation, the Logans fight to keep their land, their greatest source of courage and pride. It is a novel about the power of family and the importance of calling something your own. The characters are real and vividly drawn, the plot is masterful and suspenseful, and the language is true, eloquent and poignant. A wonderful book, prefaced by a very moving author's note in tribute of her father, a master storyteller. Fortunately for us, Mildred Taylor has inherited her father's power to move through words.

M.C. Higgins, the Great (Newbery 1975, Horn 1975) Virginia Hamilton Paperback $4.50 Order now		Sitting atop his beloved pole -- the only thing he ever won -- Mayo Cornelius Higgins lets his mind wander, back to the things his Daddy told him about unions, steel working, and strip mines, and forward to the day when he and his family can out from under the shadows of the mines and the mountain of rubble that could one day fall and bury his home. And then one day he thinks he sees his out: two strangers who bring with them to Sarah's Mountain the possibility of a new life. One is the "dude" that can make M.C.'s mother a famous singer, and the other has a kind of freedom M.C. has never even dreamed of. But, as M.C. must discover, the grass is not always greener and things are not always what they seem.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Newbery 1968) E.L. Konigsburg Paperback $4.99 Order now		When twelve year-old Claudia Kincade decided to run away from the monotony and injustice to which she was subjected daily, she had it all planned out. Since she didn't like discomfort, she'd run to a beautiful, indoor place: the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And since she had very little money, she'd bring her "rich" younger brother, Jamie with her. She wouldn't be gone long, just long enough to give her parents time to miss her and appreciate her, but once she arrives at her new home, and the novelty of settling in begins to wear off, she discovers she feels the same as she did at home. Not what she had in mind. Then there's the beautiful statue, whose creator she is determined to discover. Her one lead, the statue's former owner, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, is her only hope -- to find the maker of the statue and to finally get home. ALA Booklist calls this book "Fresh and crisply written with uncommonly real and likable characters."

The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Newbery 1959) Elizabeth George Speare Paperback $5.50 Order now		Set in Puritanical colonial Connecticut in the seventeenth century, this vividly rendered and detailed historical novel engages the reader from the very first sentence and does not let go until the tale is told. The plot centers around an orphaned English girl called Kit Tyler, who must leave her adopted home in Barbados to live with her aunt and uncle in their stern Puritan community of Wethersfield. A true "fish out of water," Kit has trouble adjusting to the bleak, colorless life of colonial America, and feels like a caged tropical bird who has flown to the wrong destination. Longing for her lovely island home, the only place where she feels free to be herself is in the meadows, where she spends a lot of time with the old Quaker woman called the Witch of Blackbird Pond. Yet her relationship and her life become imperiled when her friendship with the "witch" is discovered and she herself is accused of witchcraft. A fascinating, compelling story, and a window back to the earliest days of the American experience. Another wonderful resource for teachers and parents.

Amos Fortune, Free Man (Newbery 1951) Elizabeth Yates Paperback $4.99 Order now		Deftly chronicling the true story of an African king who is sold into slavery in Massachusetts and dreams his whole life of obtaining freedom for himself and his friends, Yates's book is a wonderful and compelling parable of determination, dignity, and courage. What is more, it provides parents and teachers with an entertaining and informative teaching tool about American slavery. This a book full of crucial facts and valuable lessons, most importantly Amos' own maxim: "It does a man no good to be free until he learns how to live." A truly exceptional book about a truly extraordinary man.

The Matchlock Gun (Newbery 1942) Walter D. Edmonds Paperback $4.99 Order now		This American classic, like most of Edmond's books, is set in the colorful Mohawk Valley and the Black River canal in New York State. A true adventure story, The Matchlock Gun takes place during the French and Indian War. It tells the story of a young family of Dutch origin, living in the Mohawk Valley during a time of great turmoil and danger. When the father, a militiaman named Teunis, must go on duty, he leaves his wife, son, and daughter behind to protect their home, hoping that they will not come in contact with their Indian enemies. But on a fateful night, their homestead is infiltrated and Edward, the eldest boy is forced to defend his home with the cumbersome and complicated Spanish gun, the matchlock gun. Fast-paced and engaging, the book is filled with rich and wonderful charcoal illustrations by Paul Lantz, which really make the story come alive.