Beyond the Mango Tree


Amy Bronwen Zemser - 1998
    The water leve rises, above my naked feet, past my ankles. I wait ...It has been this way since Sarina's family moved to Liberia from Boston eight months ago. Her mother ties her to the mango tree in their front yard, terrified of losing her. It's never for long, and Sarina knows her mother doesn't mean to hurt her. But things just seem to get harder the longer her family stays in this country so far from home.On good days, when Sarina's mother is feeling better, she sets her daughter free. On bad days, Sarina dangles her feet in the puddles and mud until dusk, waiting for someone to rescue her, wishing for the one thing her mother fears most: a friend.Then one day Sarina meets Boima, a Liberian boy, and he becomes Sarina's cherished secret. He takes her to places outside her dirty yard, and shows her the ocean, the trees, and the people of Liberia. Together they discover what friendship really means ... and that there is a world of joy, hunger, and hope waiting just beyond the mango tree.2000-2001 Georgia's Picture Storybook Award & Georgia's Children's Book Award Masterlist

The Boy on Cinnamon Street


Phoebe Stone - 2012
    She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't. And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect. Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?Phoebe Stone tells the winning story of the spring when 7th grader Louise Terrace wakes up, finds the courage to confront the painful family secret she's hiding from - and finally get the boy.

Toby Wheeler: Eighth-Grade Benchwarmer


Thatcher Heldring - 2007
    No coaches, no practices, just nonstop action with his best friend, JJ, at his side. But lately JJ's been acting like he's too busy for Toby, and Toby knows it will only get worse once basketball season begins at their junior high. That's because JJ is the star of their school team, while Toby is just an ordinary gym rat.When Coach Applewhite offers Toby a chance to join the team, Toby's eager to prove he can keep up with JJ. But then the coach announces the lineup, and Toby's hopes of playing ball with JJ are history: he's an eighthgrade benchwarmer! Befriending the coach's daughter only makes matters worse. Now the only way Toby will get in the game is if he starts thinking like a team player, on and off the court.

Math Candy


Katrina Streza - 2011
    They have a lot to learn but when they visit Mr. Candor's Candy Store, math concepts suddenly seem fun and tasty. In this book, educator Katrina Streza focuses on major math concepts such as addition, units of measurement, estimation, money, sorting, multiplication and comparison. Kids see the real-life application of math and enjoy the fun and engaging stories. Math Candy features 7 short chapters with black and white illustrations and is a good bridge for beginning readers or as a read-aloud. Make sure you check out all the Candy School Chapter Books: 1. Math Candy 2. Grammar Candy 3. Map Candy 4. Science Candy 5. History Candy

Messi vs. Ronaldo: The Greatest Rivalry


Luca Caioli - 2015
    In doing so, they sparked a rivalry like no other; Messi vs Ronaldo.The seasons that have followed have been truly spectacular, the battle for supremacy increasing in profile and intensity all the while. Their styles, personalities and footballing allegiances continue to divide opinion, but their dominance of the record books has now put one claim beyond debate - this is football's greatest ever head-to-head.Acclaimed football writer Luca Caioli draws on invaluable testimonies from those closest to the two stars, with exclusive insights from friends, families, teammates and managers, to tell the inside story of this fascinating rivalry.

A Rambler Steals Home


Carter Higgins - 2017
    She travels year-round in an RV with her father and younger brother, selling Christmas trees during the cold months and burgers and fries during baseball season. Derby always did prefer grease splatters to hauling trees, so she’s excited that summer will take her back to small town Ridge Creek, the Rockskippers, her best friend, and her surrogate mom, June. But this summer, a tragedy has changed Ridge Creek—and as Derby tries to help those she loves, long-held secrets are revealed. This warm-hearted southern debut is perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Sheila Turnage.

Red Cell


John Kalkowski - 2010
    After winning a baseball game with an innovative toss of a rosin bag, he catches the interest of a chief operative of the Homeland Security's Analytic Red Cell. Employing the creative problem solving of philosophers, futurists, and Hollywood movie writers, this intelligence unit is seeking any original ideas about anticipating terrorist plots.As a recent surge of terrorist activity undermines these fresh insights, the operative banks on the notion that Will's youthful imagination, unclouded by the premise of "it can't be done," may provide the key insight they need and seeks to secretly exploit Will's unhindered "out of the box" thinking.Unaware of the magnitude of danger surrounding him, Will uncovers something he wasn't supposed to discover--a connection between a television advertisement and a master terrorist plot. Narrowly surviving, he alone foils a bombing at Wrigley Field. Uncertain about the knowledge he now holds, he has to figure out the terrorists' next target. Will just doesn't realize...it's him.

Surrounded By Sharks


Michael Northrop - 2014
    That's how it all started. When Davey wakes, just as the sun is rising, he can't wait to slip out of the crammed hotel room he's sharing with his family. Leave it to his parents and kid brother to waste an entire day of vacation sleeping in! Davey heads straight for the beach, book and glasses in hand, not bothering to leave a note. As the sparkling ocean entices him, he decides to test the water, never mind that "No Swimming" sign. But as the waves pull him farther from shore, Davey finds himself surrounded by water -- and something else, too. Something circling below the surface, watching, waiting. It's just a matter of time.

Love Double Dutch!


Doreen Spicer-Dannelly - 2018
    That is, until her mother breaks the news. Kayla has to spend the summer at her aunt's house in North Carolina while her parents work out their problems . . . or decide to call it quits.Kayla does not feel at home in the South, and she certainly doesn't get along with her snooty cousin Sally. It looks like her Jump-off dreams are over.Hold the phone! Turns out, double Dutch is huge in the South. She and Sally just need to find two more kids for a team. And a routine. And the confidence to stand up to the double Dutch divas who used to be Sally's BFFs. Time to show those Southern belles some Brooklyn attitude!

RG3: The Promise


Dave Sheinin - 2013
    He seemed pointed toward stardom, but would it be in basketball, his true favorite, or maybe in track, where he qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials as a hurdler? As for playing football, the only sport that really mattered in Griffin’s small Texas town, first he had to overcome his mother’s objections to the violence and danger—which he did by making a “Pinkie Promise” with her that no one would catch him. Eventually, he began to realize that all of his remarkable talents—unrivaled speed, pinpoint accuracy, exceptional intelligence, single-minded drive—combined into a potent force that few quarterbacks could rival. What followed seemed almost destined: a football scholarship to Baylor University, three exceptional seasons capped by winning the Heisman Trophy, and the 2012 draft—where Griffin, as the second overall pick, became the franchise quarterback for one of the oldest and most storied football teams in the country.In RG3: The Promise, Washington Post reporter Dave Sheinin provides an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Griffin’s first year in the NFL, from his record-breaking first game to the frightening knee injury that ended the Redskins’ playoff hopes. An award-winning journalist himself, Sheinin has reported on Griffin’s rookie season every step of the way, and now has written a unique, intimate look inside the transformation of one of the NFL’s brightest young stars.

Quarterback Sneak


Jake Maddox - 2008
    Instead of working with the team, Malik is just showing off. Anton has to fix the problem fast, before the quarterback ruins everything!"

The Secret Life of Amanda K. Woods


Ann Cameron - 1998
    Eleven-year-old Amanda Woods is discovering that the person other people think she is and the person she really is are not the same.

Treasure Hunters


James Patterson - 2013
    But after their parents disappear n the job, the kids are suddenly thrust into the biggest treasure hunt of their lives. They'll have to work together to defeat dangerous pirates and dodge the hot pursuit of an evil treasure hunting rival, all while following cryptic clues to unravel the mystery of what really happened to their parents--and find out if they're still alive.

Fight Game


Kate Wild - 2007
    His mission: to save other street children from the terrible fate the Pit has in store for them. Freedom thinks he can trust Java, his newfound friend, with his secret life. If only he knew that this high-spirited, upper-class girl has a secret of her own....

Something Invisible


Siobhán Parkinson - 2006
    And fish. Although he's not so sure about everything else--especially girls, or little sisters, or stepdads. But an unlikely friendship with eccentric Stella Daly helps him figure out some of it. That is until a tragedy changes everything, even the way he thinks about himself. Something Invisible is a warm and quirky, sharply observed story of family, friendship, loyalty and loss.