Best of
Middle-Grade

2005

Adventures with Waffles


Maria Parr - 2005
    And there is never an ordinary day when you've got a best friend like Lena. Hardly a day passes without Trille and Lena inventing some kind of adventure that often ends in trouble. Whether it's coaxing a cow onto a boat or sledding down the steepest and iciest hill with a chicken, there is always a thrill--and sometimes an injury--to be had. Trille loves to share everything with Lena, even Auntie Granny's waffles. But when Lena has to move away and Auntie Granny leaves the world, it sometimes seems like nothing will ever be right again. The warmth of friendship and the support of family suffuse this lightly illustrated novel, proving that when times are tough, a little taste of sweetness can make all the difference.

Midnight


Erin Hunter - 2005
     The wild cats of the forest have lived in peace and harmony for many moons but a doom that will change everything is coming. Strange messages from their warrior ancestors speak of terrifying new prophecies, danger, and a mysterious destiny. All the signs point to young warrior Brambleclaw as the cat with the fate of the forest in his paws. But why would the son of wicked cat Tigerstar be chosen to be a hero? And who are the other cats mentioned in the prophecy? All Brambleclaw knows for sure is that the strength and courage of the greatest warriors will be needed now, as the quest to save the Clans begins. ...and shake the forest to its roots.

A Mango-Shaped Space


Wendy Mass - 2005
    No one knows, and Mia wants to keep it that way. But when trouble at school finally forces Mia to reveal her secret, she must learn to accept herself and embrace her ability, called synesthesia, a mingling of the senses.

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy


Jeanne Birdsall - 2005
    Best of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, the perfect companion for their adventures. Icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is less pleased with the Penderwicks than Jeffrey, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Is that any fun? For sure the summer will be unforgettable.

King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution


Steve Sheinkin - 2005
    This isn't one of them." What it is, instead, is utterly interesting, antedotes (John Hancock fixates on salmon), from the inside out (at the Battle of Eutaw Springs, hundreds of soldiers plunged into battle "naked as they were born") close-up narrative filled with little-known details, lots of quotes that capture the spirit and voices of the principals ("If need be, I will raise one thousand men, subsist them at my own expense, and march myself at their head for the relief of Boston" -- George Washington), and action, It's the story of the birth of our nation, complete with soldiers, spies, salmon sandwiches, and real facts you can't help but want to tell to everyone you know.King George: What Was His Problem? is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Midnight Rider


Joan Hiatt Harlow - 2005
    Hannah recently lost her mother, and now her only comfort is her horse, Promise. But when her money-hungry aunt sells the horse and then indentures Hannah to the Boston family of a British general, Hannah vows to retrieve Promise at all costs, and join the fight for freedom. In Boston, as disagreements between the Whigs and the Tories run high and Americans prepare for revolution, not only does Hannah begin secret meetings with the Sons of Liberty disguised as a boy, but she is also reunited with Promise. Together with her beloved horse, Hannah takes a bold step to join the fight for freedom and sets off on a dangerous mission. Will she and Promise succeed?

The Crazy Man


Pamela Porter - 2005
    Her family has fallen apart. When her beloved dog, Prince, chased a hare into the path of the tractor, she chased after him, and her dad accidentally ran over her leg with the discer, leaving her with a long convalescence and a permanent disability. But perhaps the worst thing from Emaline's point of view is that in his grief and guilt, her father shot Prince and then left Emaline and her mother on their own.Despite the neighbors' disapproval, Emaline's mother hires Angus, a patient from the local mental hospital, to work their fields. Angus is a red-haired giant whom the local kids tease and call the gorilla. Though the small town's prejudice creates a cloud of suspicion around Angus that nearly results in tragedy, in the end he becomes a force for healing as Emaline comes to terms with her injury and the loss of her father.In the tradition of novels such as Kevin Major's Ann and Seamus and Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust, novelist and poet Pamela Porter uses free verse to tell this moving, gritty story that is accessible to a wide range of ages and reading abilities.

Bronze and Sunflower


Cao Wenxuan - 2005
    However, the days are long, and the little girl is lonely. Then she meets Bronze, who, unable to speak, is ostracized by the other village boys. Soon the pair are inseparable, and when Bronze's family agree to take Sunflower in, it seems that fate has brought him the sister he has always longed for. But life in Damaidi is hard, and Bronze's family can barely afford to feed themselves. Can the little city girl stay here, in this place where she has finally found happiness?A classic, heartwarming tale set to the backdrop of the Chinese cultural revolution.

Chasing the Falconers


Gordon Korman - 2005
    The Falconers are facing life in prison - unless Aiden and Meg can follow a trail of clues to prove their innocence. The problem? They're trapped in a juvenile detention center. Until they escape one night - and find themselves on the run, both from the authorities and from a sinister attacker who has his own reason to stop them. The Falconers must use their wits to make it across the country - with plenty of tests along the way.THE CHASE IS ON.

Listening for Lions


Gloria Whelan - 2005
    But when influenza strikes down her missionary parents, she is left vulnerable prey to her family's wicked neighbors. Surrounded by greed and lies, Rachel is entangled in a criminal scheme and sent to England, where she is forced into a life of deception. Like the lion, she must be patient and strong, awaiting the moment when she can take control of her own fate—and find her way home again at last.

Magical Magix


Ellie O'Ryan - 2005
    But when Flora gets stuck in the black mud swamp, the Winx Club will need to pull together to defeat the witches from Cloud Tower!

NIrV, Kids' Quest Study Bible: Real Questions, Real Answers


Anonymous - 2005
    The NIrV Kid’s Quest Study Bible is a great resource for kids eager to learn more. • Over 500 real questions and answers from kids • Quest Challenges help kids apply the Bible’s teachings to their own lives by pointing to Scripture • Book introductions help explain what each book of the Bible is about • A dictionary and subject guide help kids find what they’re looking for • Fresh, colorful design with cartoons makes the Bible fun to look at and use • The complete NIrV translation—the NIV for kids! Real Questions, Real Answers. Isn’t it exciting to discover the world, ask how things work, and learn about God and the Bible? Now, your questions can be answered in the NIrV Kid’s Quest Study Bible. This Bible includes over 500 real questions and real answers from real kids like you. You’ll also enjoy the book introductions, subject index, and dictionary making it easier to find important information about the Bible. With cartoons and a bright, colorful design, reading and using the Bible will be fun. General Editor Rick Osborne is a bestselling author and speaker committed to equipping parents and churches to reach and teach children. He was a key contributor in the development of the Luke 2:52 series and wrote The Legend of the Christmas Tree published by Zonderkidz. Hey Grownups! This Bible has an edition for adults too! The popular Quest Study Bible contains in-text notes and articles answering nearly 7,000 of the most commonly asked questions about specific Bible passages. Developed by the editors at Christianity Today International, along with over 100 respected Bible scholars and pastors, this engaging and straightforward study Bible guides adults in their understanding and application of Scripture.

Do You Know the Monkey Man?


Dori Hillestad Butler - 2005
    Somewhere.A fateful decision sets into motion a chain of events and confrontations that will change Samantha's and her family's lives forever. As she sets out to find her father and discover what really happened the day her sister was presumed drowned, she uncovers painful secrets that threaten to destroy her family all over again.Dori Butler's dramatic, suspenseful, and sensitive story will draw readers into one family's crisis unwittingly brought on by an adolescent girl's search for the truth.

What Are Friends For


Ellie O'Ryan - 2005
    Bloom might look like an ordinary Earth girl, but everyone in the realm of Magix knows she's fairy special! And when she teams up with the rest of the Winx Club and the Specialists from Red Fountain, there's no way the Witches from Cloud Tower can win!

Makeover Magic


Kelly McKain - 2005
    Girls everywhere will identify with her bra-size embarrassment, parent troubles, best-friend dilemmas and secret crush crises. Synopsis The geeky new girl at school is a target for bullies, so Lucy decides to help out by giving her a cool makeover. But making a new friend sometimes means losing an old one...

The Fairy-Tale Detectives


Michael Buckley - 2005
    After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers


Lee Edward Födi - 2005
    . . For over a thousand years, the Box of Whispers has guarded the most precious treasure in the Land of Een. But when the box is suddenly stolen, young Kendra Kandlestar finds herself swept away on a magical adventure where doors speak in riddles, plants cast dangerous spells, and strange creatures lurk in every shadow. With only a handful of enchanted carrot seeds to help her, will Kendra be able to overcome these perils and find the fabled chest? There’s only one way to find out: peer inside the Box of Whispers and discover a world of magic, monsters, and mystery!

Ellie's Chance to Dance


Alexandra Moss - 2005
    For Ellie, ballet isn't just a dream, it's become a way of life. She's danced for almost as long as she can remember and started ballet lessons when she was four. Now Ellie is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime-a chance to audition for a spot to dance with the Royal Ballet. But Ellie knows that even if she won a place, it would mean moving to London and leaving her ill-stricken mother behind with no one to care for her. When the day of the audition finally arrives, Ellie must decide between pursuing her dreams or sacrificing her goals of joining the Royal Ballet to be with her mother. What will Ellie do?

Goosebumps Haunted Boxed Set (Goosebumps, 13 Books)


R.L. Stine - 2005
    Includes:Monster BloodThe Curse of the Mummy's Tomb The Haunted Mask The Werewolf of Fever Swamp One Day at HorrorlandDeep Trouble The Scarecrow Walks At Midnight Ghost Beach Attack of the Mutant How I Got My Shrunken Head Bad Hare Day Say Cheese and Die -- Again! How To Kill A Monster

Second Watch


Karen Autio - 2005
    One misfortune after another nibbles at the savings. Still, bit by bit, the coins keep falling into the coffee-tin bank. Saara's hopes rise higher and higher. But why does her beloved Papa scold and storm and talk of looking forward, not back, whenever she mentions the trip? A travelling year, Uncle Arvo predicted. But not the kind of travelling anyone could have foreseen. Before the year is up, Saara will have learned, not so much about where she has come from, as about how far it is possible for her to go. Second Watch is based on true details of Finnish immigrant culture and the sinking of the great Empress of Ireland. Over the eight years that this Canadian Pacific steamship sailed the Atlantic Ocean, it transported more than 117,000 passengers to Canada. The sinking of the Empress on May 29, 1914, remains Canada's worst maritime disaster during peacetime. Of 1,477 passengers and crew on board, 1,012 were lost-more passengers than in the sinking of the Titanic. Yet the Empress of Ireland and its fate remain little known to most Canadians. Autio's novel, the first work of juvenile fiction to feature the Empress of Ireland, is set in 1914 in the Finnish immigrant community within Port Arthur (now part of Thunder Bay). Young readers will be drawn into eleven-year-old Saara's world. They will travel with her as she navigates a challenging time in her life at home-and as she boards the Empress of Ireland on May 28, 1914.

Cry in the Dark (Black Cats)


Dee Shulman - 2005
    Ben breaks into the empty house next door and discovers a family of children suffering at the hands of their drunk and abusive father. Ben has to befriend someone from the family's own time to contact their relatives and rescue them, hence a combination of modern sleuthing and contemporary letter-writing to achieve the desired end.

Stage Fright (Nick Zone - Danny Phantom)


Erica David - 2005
    Will he debunk the curse of Macbeth, or will it be curtains for Danny?

The Middle Sister


Bonnie Glover - 2005
    . . ."The middle of three sisters, Pamela is a quiet, thoughtful girl with a huge hole in her life-the space her father used to fill before her mother kicked him out. Occasionally, Pamela conjures up Kwai Chang, David Carradine's character, from the Western action series Kung Fu, to give her spiritual guidance and advice she would normally turn to her parents for. But with her father gone, her mother has fallen into a pit of confusion and mental disarray. So it is up to Pamela and her sisters, Nona and Theresa, to run the household.When their money runs out, the family must leave their beloved East New York house and move to the projects. It is a change that will alter their lives forever-and even wise Kwai Chang cannot alter their destiny. But as Pamela discovers, "Everyone searches. The real challenge is in the finding and the keeping."In this powerful literary debut, vividly set in the 1970s, Bonnie Glover has written a marvelous story about a young black woman struggling to define her identity-and make her family whole.

Police Dogs


Frances E. Ruffin - 2005
    Young readers will learn about the emergence of dogs in television and film. With vivid full-color photographs and exciting narratives, Hollywood Dogs captivates kids with details on how dogs are trained to work with their human partners--and ultimately steal the show!

How High Can We Climb?: The Story of Women Explorers


Jeannine Atkins - 2005
    Philibert Commerson, a physician turned naturalist for the King of France. When Dr. Commerson is invited to participate in a long, exploratory sea voyage, collecting specimens, Jeanne wants to go, too. The only way is to disguise herself as a boy and steal aboard the ship. This is how Jeanne Baret becomes the first woman to sail around the world. Such determination characterizes each of the twelve women profiled here ? including Josephine Peary, Sylvia Earle, Junko Tabei, and Ann Bancroft. They come from across the globe, and their lives span about 240 years. Their accomplishments are real and their stories ? enhanced by thoughts and dialogue imagined by the author to bring them to life ? are contained within a framework of known facts.These tales of sailors, cavers, mountain climbers, deep-sea divers, and other explorers, combined with Dusan Petricic's clever pictures, will inspire a new generation of dreamers.

Rosie the Riveter


Christine Petersen - 2005
    history.- A proven, best-selling series that has been redesigned and completely rewritten.- Includes lots of background information about WWII.