Book picks similar to
On the Line by Jake Maddox


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night-at-the-book-fair
realistic-fiction
character-trait

Hang Tough, Paul Mather


Alfred Slote - 1973
    His off speed pitch is enough to bowl a kid backward, and his fast ball is pure smoke. There isn't anything he can't throw, from sliders, change-ups, and sinkers to a mean curve ball that breaks at just the right moment. He's pitched no-hitters and perfect games. To Paul, pitching is what you live for and why you live.Lately, though, Paul hasn't been allowed to do much of anything, much less play ball. He's got leukemia, and it's put him into the hospital several times already. His parents are so worried, they've forbidden him to play the game he loves so much. They're afraid that if Paul strains himself his illness may come back a final time...and maybe even take his life.But Paul is a winner. His team needs him, and he won't give up without a fight. Paul Mather is determined to pitch every inning...to keep playing baseball, and to keep hanging tough, no matter what the odds.

What Is the Super Bowl?


Dina Anastasio - 2015
    The final showdown between the two best football teams in the NFL attracts some of the biggest musicians to perform at the half-time show. But the Super Bowl is more than just a spectacle – it’s a high-stakes game to win the championship and claim a place in history. Go back in time and relive all the magic from years past – from excruciating fumbles to game winning plays.

Chocolate-Covered Ants


Stephen Manes - 1990
    "Right on target".--Booklist. Manes is the bestselling author of Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday and Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days.

The Paint Brush Kid


Clyde Robert Bulla - 1995
    He isn't really anyone's uncle--he's their friend. So when he begins to tell the story of his life, Gregory has an idea. He will paint a story of Uncle Pancho's life. A gem of a book! The story goes straight to the heart. Reading level 3. Black and white illustrations.

Dear Whiskers


Ann Whitehead Nagda - 1948
    Every fourth grader is writing letters to a second grader--in mouse character. Most of her classmates think it's fun, but Jenny can't think of much to say. When she fails to get an answer from her second grader, Sameera, Jenny is embarrassed and angry. Soon Jenny discovers the reason behind Sameera's silence: she doesn't speak English. At first Jenny is mad that her project is a flop. But later she sees how hard it is for Sameera in her new country. Will Jenny decide to use her project to help the new girl fit in? Or will she trade her in for another second grader?

The Fourth Stall


Chris Rylander - 2008
    It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming.Or at least it was, until one particular Monday. It starts with a third grader in need of protection. And before this ordeal is over, it's going to involve a legendary high school crime boss named Staples, an intramural gambling ring, a graffiti ninja, the nine most dangerous bullies in school, and the first Chicago Cubs World Series game in almost seventy years. And that's just the beginning. Mac and Vince soon realize that the trouble with solving everyone else's problems is that there's no one left to solve yours.

Wake Up Missing


Kate Messner - 2013
    Sarah, an Upstate New York girls’ hockey team stand-out... Ben, a horse lover from the Pacific Northwest...And Cat, an artistic bird watcher from California. The four have nothing in common except for the head injuries that land them in an elite brain-science center in the Florida Everglades. It’s known as the best in the world, but as days pass, the kids begin to suspect that they are subjects in an experiment that goes far beyond treating concussions….and threatens their very identities. They’ll have to overcome their injuries – and their differences – to escape, or risk losing themselves forever.

The Never Girls Collection #1


Kiki Thorpe - 2013
    This attractive box contains the first four Never Girls adventures: "In a Blink, The Space Between, A Dandelion Wish, " and "From the Mist." Illustrations.

Step into the Spotlight! (Amazing Stardust Friends #1)


Heather Alexander - 2015
    With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!Meet the amazing Stardust Girls -- Marlo, Bella, Carly, and Allie! They all live and work at the Stardust Circus. Marlo, the new girl, is eager to make friends. The other girls welcome her and she tries everything to fit in -- trapeze, tightrope walking, juggling, and even dog training -- all with hilarious results. Marlo wants to shine in the spotlight, but what will her special talent be? With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this glittery series is full of sparkle and friendship!

The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13


Honest Lee - 2017
    Linda LaCrosse wins the lottery, she shares her winnings with her class--giving each student over a BILLION DOLLARS!You might think this was nice, but it was not. It was a terrible idea! With great money comes horrible allergies, steep taxes, exploding volcanoes, and other problems. As the students of Classroom 13 are about to learn, winning the lottery is not always lucky. (One way to avoid bad luck is to give all of that money to charity. Make checks payable to Honest Lee.)The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13 is the first in a new chapter book series of hilarious stories about a rather unlucky classroom. Each story is full of humor, action, and fun, and will prompt hours of conversation among friends, families, and classrooms.

Einstein the Class Hamster


Janet Tashjian - 2013
    He knows lots of cool facts about science, art, and history—maybe even more than their sleepy teacher, Ms. Moreno. The class has a chance to compete in a trivia game show contest. But how can they get ready for the contest if Ms. Moreno keeps taking naps instead of teaching? More important, how can Einstein help the class prepare for the contest when the only kid who can hear him is Ned?Janet and Jake Tashjian team up again in this hilarious new series starring the lovable walking encyclopedia, game show–obsessed Einstein.

Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever


Wes Tooke - 2010
    He loves the purity of the sport, the sound of the crack of a bat, and the smell of freshly cut grass in the stadium. And more than anything, he loves the New York Yankees. So when he becomes a bat boy for the team during the summer of 1961, it is a dream come true. Lucky gives readers baseline box seats to one of the most memorable seasons in sports history, and as Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris compete in their legendary home-run race, Louis learns that the heroes he looks up to can teach him life lessons that will change him forever.

Mallory on the Move


Laurie B. Friedman - 2004
    Her room is too small and the girl next door is mean. But Joey lives next door, too. Even though he doesn't paint his toes, he tells jokes, helps teach her cat to do tricks, and shows her how to skateboard. Mallory's having so much fun she forgets the pact she made with Mary Ann never to make friends with a boy next door. But, when Mary Ann comes to visit, what will Mallory do? Will she have to choose between her best friend and her new friend?

The World According to Humphrey


Betty G. Birney - 2004
    That’s what Humphrey was told when he was first brought to Room 26. And boy, is it true! In addition to having FUN-FUN-FUN in class, each weekend this amazing hamster gets to sleep over with a different student, like Lower-Your-Voice-A.J. and Speak-Up-Sayeh. Soon Humphrey learns to read, write, and even shoot rubber bands (only in self-defense, of course). With lots of friends to help, adventures to enjoy, and a cage with a lock-that-doesn’t- lock, Humphrey's life is almost perfect. If only the teacher, Mrs. Brisbane, wasn’t out to get him!Boys and girls can't help falling in love with Humphrey!

Room One: A Mystery or Two


Andrew Clements - 2006
    How can his school in the little town of Plattsford stay open next year if there are going to be only five students? Out here on the Great Plains in western Nebraska, everyone understands that if you lose the school, you lose the town. But the mystery that has Ted's full attention at the moment is about that face, the face he sees in the upper window of the Andersons' house as he rides past on his paper route. The Andersons moved away two years ago, and their old farmhouse is empty, boarded up tight. At least it's supposed to be. A shrinking school in a dying town. A face in the window of an empty house. At first these facts don't seem to be related. But Ted Hammond learns that in a very small town, there's no such thing as an isolated event. And the solution of one mystery is often the beginning of another.