Book picks similar to
Cleared for Action!: Four Tales of the Sea by Stephen W. Meader
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Beyond a Misty Shore
Lyn Andrews - 2011
For sisters Sophie and Maria, though, the upheaval is just beginning. For they have no choice but to leave their beloved home on the Isle of Man. It is a huge wrench for eighteen-year-old Maria, who can't forget Hans Bonhoeffer, a young Austrian, interned on the island during the war. For widowed Sophie, Liverpool offers a new beginning with her daughter Bella. She has no room for distractions - until she falls in love with Frank Ryan, a man married to a woman who, although she doesn't love him, has no intention of letting him go. Without the men they love, will the sisters ever find happiness?
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Trenton Lee Stewart - 2007
(And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?This tenth anniversary edition of The Mysterious Benedict Society includes over thirty pages of bonus materials that will delight old and new fans alike.
Meet Samantha: An American Girl
Susan S. Adler - 1986
Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's Samantha befriends a servant girl named Nellie who moves in next door. The girls become fast friends, though their lives are different.
Struggling Upward, Or, Luke Larkin's Luck
Horatio Alger Jr. - 1868
Relates the adventures of Luke Larkin, a poor boy of the nineteenth century, who perseveres against many odds and gains success.
Water Sky
Jean Craighead George - 1987
Could this be happening! Had he just seen a whale with a white tail? Was it now going to give itself to him, as Vincent had said?Lincoln still could not believe it. He had had only one thing in mind when he made the long trip from Massachusetts to Barrow, Alaska, and that was to find his Uncle Jack. He thought Vincent Ologak, an Eskimo whaling captain, could tell him where to find him, for Vincent was the man Uncle Jack had planned to see when he went to Alaska to help save the bowhead whale from extinction.But Vincent Ologak cannot or will not give Lincoln a straight answer. As far as he is concerned, Lincoln is there for a very different purpose from the one he himself imagines: A whale is coming to Lincoln, a whale that will end two years of waiting and suffering for Vincent's people.Nothing in Lincoln's past experience quite prepares him for the whaling camp at Barrow. Here ice is a living presence and the temperature is so cold that spilled water hits the ground as ice balls. Here for the first time he meets young Eskimos-especially Unpik, with whom he falls deeply in lovewhose strong identification with their Eskimo culture leads Lincoln to question his own identity. But above all else it is Vincent Ologak's vision of him that teaches Lincoln more than he has ever learned anywhere before.Jean Craighead George blends masterfully observed nature scenes and a wry story of first love in one of her most appealing and moving novels.Life in today's New England hasn't prepared Lincoln for the ways of an Alaskan whaling camp. But it's there that he draws strength from an Eskimo captain's vision of him and his connection with Nukik, the whale that gives itself to Lincoln and the people of Barrow. ‘Beautifully written, with a fine blend of Eskimo ritual and modern science.' 'SLJ. Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1987 (NSTA/CBC)Children's Books of 1987 (Library of Congress)1988 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)
Princess Callie and the Totally Amazing Talking Tiara
Daisy Piper - 2011
So she knows her life has gone crazy when she passes a note to her best friend: “Lewis—something strange happened to me this morning.I got a message in my Alpha Bits that said I was a princess and I had to help this place called Albion in their fight against an evil queen. C. P.S. Dad says you can come for pizza tonight." On her quest to stop a bloodthirsty queen, Callie will have to steer a near-sighted dragon, decipher an ancient riddle, and learn to command a tiara that talks back! And to save this magical world she only just discovered, Callie must risk more than she ever thought possible..."Princess Callie and the Totally Amazing Talking Tiara is rip-roaring, side splitting good fun! It’s a modern day fairy tale filled with magic, laughter, and a delightful cast of characters that will sweep you off your feet.Debut author Daisy Piper has created a charming and loveable young heroine who will steal your heart and keep you smiling from the first page to the last, in this classic tale of an everyday girl who discovers she can be and do so much more than she ever imagined possible. Readers will cheer from the rooftops for Callie, and will eagerly await the next instalment in this fresh and exciting new series." -USA Today betselling author Julianne MacLeanLook for the other books in this series:Book One - PRINCESS CALLIE AND THE TOTALLY AMAZING TALKING TIARABook Two - PRINCESS CALLIE AND THE FANTASTIC FIRE BREATHING DRAGONBook Three - PRINCESS CALLIE AND THE RACE FOR THE RUBY CUP
Willa of the Wood
Robert Beatty - 2018
Steal without a trace.Willa, a young night-spirit, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work--the day-folk kill whatever they don't understand--but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.When Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to escape. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her day-folk enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it?As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is, facing deadly force with the warmest compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart.
8 Exciting Middle Grade Novels
Paul Moxham - 2015
Many of the novels are the first in a series, so if you like these stories, you’ll be able to click through to the sequels. Whether you're aged 9-12 or an adult that just loves a good story, we hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them. The Mystery of Smugglers Cove by Paul Moxham When twelve year old Joe and his two younger sisters visit Smugglers Cove for the summer holidays, they get caught up in a thrilling adventure that is beyond their wildest imagination. B: or How the Bogeyman Didn't Save Christmas by Jessie G Talbot Christmas is steamrolling the holidays and they're angry. Then Santa really makes trouble. It's up to the Bogeyman to save the right jolly old elf, three innocent families, and Christmas itself in his own fantastic way. Or, y'know, not... The Fisherman’s Son by Marilyn Peake A fantasy novel about the adventures of Wiley O’Mara. On the back of a magical dolphin, the twelve-year-old rescues six boys trapped in an ancient city under the sea. Along the way, he fights both The Beast in the Forest and a Fire Beast guarding the city of old. The Emerald Quest by Renee Pawlish A long-lost emerald, a missing treasure map, and a wealthy villain combine for an action-packed adventure! Angus Adams: The Adventures of a Free-Range Kid by Lee Winter As a free range kid, Angus is allowed to do things other kids his age aren’t. But when he’s accused of stealing an iPhone from school, Angus must use everything he’s got to catch the real thief, clear his name, and outwit the seriously bad dudes hot on his tail! Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds by Dale Kutzera When aliens invade, Andy McBean is a kid on the run! Join Andy in this modern retelling of the science fiction classic as he rescues his friends, meets an alien, finds his family, and saves the world. Angels Club by Courtney Vail When a malnourished horse shows up as a rescue, Jacinda, a bullied girl takes it on as a project horse, and the horse's sweet nature inspires her to spread kindness around to make a positive difference in the world. Fire by David L Dawson What happens when a girl without magic, in a world brimming with it, has the chance to be the person she always wanted to be? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure for fans of Harry Potter and Peter Jackson.
Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims
Rush Limbaugh - 2013
In this book, he is transported back to the deck of the Mayflower.
The Swiss Family Robinson
Johann David Wyss - 1812
But things do not turn out as they had expected. The sole survivors of a terrible shipwreck, they wash ashore to learn that the danger has only begun. Their new world will test their courage, cleverness, endurance, and faith as they struggle to survive and create a civilization of their own in the wilderness. Note: This Townsend Library classic has been carefully edited to be more accessible to today's students. It includes a brief author's biography and an afterword that provides important context about the work.
How to Train Your Dragon
Cressida Cowell - 2003
Can Hiccup do it without being torn limb from limb?Join his adventures and misadventures as he finds a new way to train dragons--and becomes a hero. This action-packed, hilarious, and perfectly illustrated novel is a modern classic beloved by millions across the globe.
A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home
Henry Cole - 2010
She lives alone, quietly weaving baskets with creative flair under the floor boards of the Oakley Plantation. However, Celeste’s world turns upside down with the arrival of the great naturalist John James Audubon and his assistant Joseph, who have come to study and paint the birds of the Louisiana bayou. Their arrival coincides with Celeste’s sudden displacement from her home below to a guest room upstairs. There she watches young Joseph struggle to create the backgrounds for Audubon’s bird paintings. As the two homesick souls strike up a friendship, the mouse secretly puts her artistic skills to good use; she simultaneously helps Joseph improve his compositions while aiding the wounded birds that Audubon captures for his studies. Nearly every page of author-illustrator Henry Cole's fine novel combines text and remarkable drawn images to tell the story of a mouse in need of a home of her own from the tiny creature's unique vantage point.
Sarah Whitcher's Story
Elizabeth Yates - 1971
As the long days pass, the searchers grow desperate, but Sarah's father's trust in God holds firm.
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Patricia MacLachlan - 1985
Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?This children's literature classic is perfect for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books, historical fiction, and timeless stories using rich and beautiful language. Sarah, Plain and Tall gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love.