Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World


Ashley Herring Blake - 2018
    Ivy feels invisible and ignored in the aftermath of the storm--and what's worse, her notebook filled with secret drawings of girls holding hands has gone missing.Mysteriously, Ivy's drawings begin to reappear in her locker with notes from someone telling her to open up about her identity. Ivy thinks--and hopes--that this someone might be her classmate, another girl for whom Ivy has begun to develop a crush. Will Ivy find the strength and courage to follow her true feelings?

Tom and the Journey


Stephen Matthews - 2018
    Tom had worked towards it, but when the newest member of his Hearth was threatened, things took a different turn. With his Hearth and those he trusted, Tom set out on a journey, an adventure, to find the fields of salt and the place of Canee’s dreams, an Eden. The journey took them to places where they made new friends and staved off many animal attacks. Then they found what everyone thought of as an Eden, an idyllic place that had all they wanted, and they set about settling. Then the winter came and with it some strangers, some of whom were anything but welcome.

Kitty McKenzie's Land: Book 2


AnneMarie Brear - 2014
    Yet, when she believes her dreams will never be attained, she is shown that sometimes life can be even better than what you wish for. Kitty McKenzie is gifted land in the far north of New South Wales. Life at the northern property is full of hardships as she learns how to become a successful landowner. However, Kitty’s strength of will and belief in herself gives her the courage most women of her time never realize they have. A decided thorn in her side is the arrogant and patronizing Miles Grayson, owner of the adjourning run. He wants her gone so he can have her land, but he wants her even more.

Escaping the Amazon


Alex De Bruyn - 2018
    Decades prior, Papillon and Dreyfus contemplated the same thoughts of escape. Following a boyhood dream and quest for glory, de Bruyn joined the French Foreign Legion. To thwart desertion, he was shipped off to a backwater French colony in the Amazon, serving in the elite jungle unit, the 3e REI. Given a false identity, de Bruyn proved himself an extraordinary legionnaire. But well into his first contract, he became disenchanted by life in a rogue army where one was ordered to kill upon demand. Without a passport, de Bruyn decided to risk his life and escape modern-day Devil’s Island by sea. In the process, he dodged local gangs, drug kingpins, and was falsely imprisoned. Finally, in a rickety dinghy, during hurricane season, he commenced his suicidal attempt to cross the Atlantic. Half-drowned and dying of thirst, de Bruyn was prepared to lose his life, but in the divine process of surviving, he found it. This is his white-knuckle account of pain, glory, and redemption.

Derick (Delta Forces Book 3)


Elizabeth Lennox - 2020
    Colonel Derick Matlock is extremely good at finding people who are hiding. So when his new neighbor moves into the house next door, he recognizes the signs that she’s hiding. But from what?As he helps her learn to trust again, Derick can’t stop the desire from flaring between the two of them. But as Derick starts to understand the lovely woman who calls herself Carrie, he is more positive that she is hiding something. She’s also stealthier than he’d thought possible, curvier than he’d imagined and…stronger and more wounded than anyone should be.So how can he convince Carrie to trust him…before it’s too late? He knows that she’s in danger. Will she come to him for help? Or is she determined to fix this problem on her own?

The Jim Corbett Omnibus, Volume 1


Jim Corbett - 1975
    Mostly alone, he would traverse the hills and jungles of India, hunting his quarry using blood trails, examining pug marks and following broken twigs and branches, often putting himself at risk. Later, he became a conservationist, taking up the cause of the endangered royal Bengal tiger.This comprehensive volume contains some of Jim Corbett’s best-known books and short stories, from The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, a gripping tale of a notorious leopard, to the fascinating stories in Man-eaters of Kumaon and The Temple Tiger. Showcasing Corbett’s acute awareness of jungle sights and sounds and enlivened by his descriptions of village life, this is a must-read for those interested in wildlife and tiger tales.

The Secret of the Mansion


Julie Campbell - 1948
    But then a millionaire's daughter moves into the next-door mansion, an old miser hides a fortune in his decrepit house, and a runaway kid starts hiding out in Sleepyside!"

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate


Jacqueline Kelly - 2009
    With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger.As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing a year of growing up with unique sensitivity and a wry wit.

The Firework-Maker's Daughter


Philip Pullman - 1995
    Lila's learned from her father almost all there is to know about making fireworks. But he's held back the final secret, the most dangerous one, saying Lila's not ready to know. Not to be deterred, the headstrong girl enlists the help of her friend Chulak, and discovers that anyone who wants to be a true Firework-Maker must face down the Fire-Fiend of Mount Merapi, and bring back some of the Royal Sulphur. So Lila sets off fearlessly, ready to face pirates and demons and anything else that gets in her way.

Pollyanna


Eleanor H. Porter - 1913
    Despite a difficult start, Pollyanna's exuberance and positivity affect everyone who meets her, and she spreads joy and love wherever she goes. But when tragedy strikes, Pollyanna finds her optimistic attitude tested, and she must learn to find happiness again.A heartwarming tale that has become one of the most loved children's stories of all time, Eleanor H. Porter's 1913 best-seller—the first in a long series of Pollyanna novels by the author and other writers—is a beautiful story with a powerful moral message.

The Romeo and Juliet Code


Phoebe Stone - 2011
    A boy with brown sugar eyes. And then , a mysterious letter.Felicity's glamorous parents have a secret. When they leave her with distant relatives in Maine, far away from the battles of WWII, Felicity hopes they won't be gone for long. Her new Uncle Gideon hides things. Her Aunt Miami is star-crossed. And Derek, a kid her age, refuses to leave his room. But Felicity needs Derek's help. Gideon is getting coded letters from Felicity's parents, and she's sure they're in trouble. Can Felicity crack the code, heal the family and save her parents, all while surviving her first crush? It's a tall order for a small girl, but Felicity is up for the challenge.

Time Travelling with a Hamster


Ross Welford - 2015
    Once when he was thirty nine and again four years later when he was twelve.The first time had nothing to do with me. The second time definitely did, but I would never even have been there if it hadn’t been for his ‘time machine’…”When Al Chaudhury discovers his late dad’s time machine, he finds that going back to the 1980s requires daring and imagination. It also requires lies, theft, burglary, and setting his school on fire. All without losing his pet hamster, Alan Shearer…

The Doll People


Ann M. Martin - 2000
    Nothing much has changed in the dollhouse during that time, except for the fact that 45 years ago, Annabelle's Auntie Sarah disappeared from the dollhouse without a trace. After all this time, restless Annabelle is becoming more and more curious about her aunt's fate. And when she discovers Auntie Sarah's old diary, she becomes positively driven. Her cautious family tries to discourage her, but Annabelle won't be stopped, even though she risks Permanent Doll State, in which she could turn into a regular, nonliving doll. And when the "Real Pink Plastic" Funcraft family moves in next door, the Doll family's world is turned upside down--in more ways than one! Fans of The Borrowers and Stuart Little will love this exciting story of adventure and mystery. The relationship between the two doll families, one antique, one modern, is hilariously, wonderfully drawn. The Funcrafts are reckless and raucous, with fearlessness born of their unbreakable plastic parts. The Doll family is reserved and somewhat prim, even though they occasionally break into '60s tunes like "Respect" in their sing-alongs. Annabelle is a heroine with integrity and gumption. Ann Martin (The Babysitters Club series) and Laura Godwin create a witty, intriguing tale, illustrated with humor and a clever eye for detail by Brian Selznick. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter

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.

Ballet Shoes


Noel Streatfeild - 1936
    But when they vow to make a name for themselves, they have no idea it's going to be such hard work! They launch themselves into the world of show business, complete with working papers, the glare of the spotlight, and practice, practice, practice! Pauline is destined for the movies. Posy is a born dancer. But practical Petrova finds she'd rather pilot a plane than perform a pirouette. Each girl must find the courage to follow her dream.