The Duchess Bakes a Cake


Virginia Kahl - 1955
    The Duchess put many things into the cake, adding the yeast six times for good measure. So the cake rose, and the Duchess with it - and how were they to get her down again?It is Gunhilde, the youngest of the daughters, who suggests a happy solution.This charming story, with its lively pictures and delightful combinations of words is fun for children - and fun for adults to read aloud.

Dark Night


Dorothée de Monfreid - 2007
    . . tiger . . . and crocodile?!Little Felix is all alone, walking home through the forest when he hears a spooky howling and spots a wolf approaching! His luck turns from bad to worse when a tiger scares away the wolf and a crocodile scares away the tiger! Can something as small as a rabbit help Felix scare away the wild things prowling the woods? This empowering picture book is perfect for any child who’s ever wanted to turn the tables on scary beasts lurking at night.

The Girl Who Cried Wolf


Robert Ferrigno - 2013
    Her father is unreachable, dodging subpoenas about his hedge fund. Her badass boyfriend is on the hunt. One of the environmentalists secretly prefers a Ferrari over a Prius. Then there's the heiress herself, held prisoner deep in a dense forest near Seattle. She's tougher, smarter and more tenacious than anyone expected, demanding freshly brewed espresso, flirtatiously pitting her kidnappers against each other and making maps of the area on a dog-eared Greenpeace flyer. When she makes her break for freedom, the green dream turns into a nightmare.

Boris and the Snoozebox


Leigh Hodgkinson - 2007
    But suddenly--STAMP, STAMP, scribble, scribble--the box is taped up and zoomed off to doorsteps all over the earth and beyond Every time Boris drifts off to sleep, someone opens the box and wakes him up. Beady eyes peek inside and loud voices shout, This is NOT what I ordered! I DON'T want this cat! (They want a prickly plant...giant teapot...or remote-controlled space butterfly.) This quirky cat tale proves there's no place like a loving home--especially if that home happens to have a plumpish pillow perfect for snooooooozing!

Sitti's Secrets


Naomi Shihab Nye - 1994
    Once, Mona went to visit her. The couldn’t speak each other’s language, so they made up their own. They learned about each other’s worlds, and they discovered each other’s secrets. Then it was time for Mona to go back home, back to the other side of the earth. But even though there were millions of miles and millions of people between them, they remained true neighbors forever.

Worst. Holiday. Ever


Charlie Higson - 2020
    He just hope he comes back at all . . .

Resistance to Magic


Peter Glenn - 2020
    Will it kill her too?The amulet Sariah found buried in the mines looked liked her ticket out of her half-starved backwater life. The pendant was surely very valuable. The assassin who tried to steal it apparently agreed.Now all she wants is revenge. Or at least justice.With a little help from a friendly mystic she learns about magic. Only with its help does she stand a chance to vanquish the forces that destroyed her life.She hates magic. But will her thirst for vengeance drive her into magic’s open arms?

The Call of the Wild


Archie Oliver - 1998
    Kidnapped, beaten and starved, Buck becomes a legend when he is shipped to the snowy northern goldfields to work as a sled dog.Buck's companions have become almost as famous. There's Spitz, the dog that Buck must fight for the leadership of the pack, the one-eyed Sol-leks, the tragic Curly, Dave, Joe, Pike, Dub and Dolly. And there's John Thornton, the new master who Buck comes to love.Yet Buck knows that one day he must leave the human world, for his ancestors are telling him to answer the call of the wild.

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Scholastic Literature Guides)


Terry Cooper - 1997
    Each guide includes an author biography, background information, summaries, thought-provoking discussion questions, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

The Year of the Sawdust Man


A. LaFaye - 1999
    Living in the small town of Harper, Louisiana with a mama as free-spirited as hers has led to lots of gossipy small talk and mean rumors. But now Mama is gone, and all the townsfolk can talk about is who she might have run off with.Nissa's memories of the Sundays her mama would come home smelling of sawdust lead her to suspect some of the rumors could be true. Did her Mama go away with The Sawdust Man? And if so, does it mean she's never coming back?

Penguin Bloom


Chris Kunz - 2021
    But you can't. And that's what happened to us.Penguin Bloom tells the true story of Sam Bloom, a young mother whose world is turned upside down after a near-fatal accident leaves her unable to walk. Sam's husband, her three young boys and her mother are struggling to adjust to their new situation when an unlikely ally enters their world in the form of an injured baby magpie they name Penguin. The bird's arrival is a welcome distraction for the Bloom family, eventually making a profound difference in the family's life.

Gnosis


John Walker - 2018
     Technology has allowed humanity to take to the stars. Earth’s first step toward exploring the unknown universe begins with a surge of hope followed by the sting of a surprise attack. Just as their most advanced ship embarks on its maiden voyage, aliens assault the unprepared fleet, making a play for an ancient technology the human race has relied upon for all major advances. This sudden meeting proves humans are not the only sentient beings in the vastness of space and it quickly becomes clear they will need to thwart the plans of their new enemies. If they do not, our first foray into the unknown could well be our last.

Girltopia


Hilary Rogers - 2018
    She even hates it when others get into trouble. But when every single man and boy in the city are struck down by a mysterious illness, Clara realises this is no time to be worrying about being good. It's time for a daring rescue mission! Maybe the boys and men will just wake up, Clara thinks. Maybe everything will go back to normal. Clara didn't know how wrong she was. Only one thing is for sure - the girls are in charge!

All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel


Phoebe Stone - 2003
    So Fiona practices by herself and attracts the attention of the dance teacher. But when her sister, Wallace, disappears, Fiona risks the dance audition and the acceptance she has worked so hard to get and finally finds her place in her family in her life.

Daniel Radcliffe: No Ordinary Wizard


Grace Norwich - 2005
    Since the age of eleven, Daniel has been the face of Harry Potter, bringing the beloved character and his hair- raising adventures to life on the big screen. Though sometimes it might seem like Daniel and Harry are one and the same, when Daniel takes off those famous round glasses he has a style that is entirely his own. From his favourite bands to his favourite cartoon, find out everything you ever wanted to know about this young star: how Dan got cast as Harry, what life is like on the set, and how he spends his time when he's not battling the dark arts.