Book picks similar to
Field Tripped by Allan Woodrow


middle-grade
friendship
classroom-library
character-building

City of Thieves


Alex London - 2021
    But in the city of Drakopolis, humans domesticated them centuries ago. Now dragons haul the city’s cargo, taxi its bustling people between skyscrapers, and advertise its wares in bright, neon displays. Most famously of all, the dragons battle. Different breeds take to the skies in nighttime bouts between the infamous kins—criminal gangs who rule through violence and intimidation.Abel has always loved dragons, but after a disastrous showing in his dragon rider’s exam, he's destined never to fly one himself. All that changes the night his sister appears at his window, entrusting him with a secret...and a stolen dragon.Turns out, his big sister is a dragon thief! Too bad his older brother is a rising star in Drakopolis law enforcement...To protect his friends and his family, Abel must partner with the stolen beast, riding in kin battles and keeping more secrets than a dragon has scales.When everyone wants him fighting on their side, can Abel figure out what's worth fighting for?

Code Name Badass: The True Story Of Virginia Hall


Heather Demetrios - 2021
    Did this shero have second thoughts after a terrible accident left her needing a wooden leg? Please. Virginia Hall was the baddest broad in any room she walked into. When the State Department proved to be a sexist boys’ club that wouldn’t allow her in, she gave the finger to society’s expectations of women and became a spy for the British. This boss lady helped arm and train the French Resistance and organized sabotage missions. There was just one problem: The Butcher of Lyon, a notorious Gestapo commander, was after her. But, hey—Virginia’s classmates didn’t call her the Fighting Blade for nothing.So how does a girl who was a pirate in the school play, spent her childhood summers milking goats, and rocked it on the hockey field end up becoming the Gestapo’s most wanted spy? Audacious, irreverent, and fiercely feminist, Code Name Badass is for anyone who doesn’t take no for an answer.

Fashion Academy


Sheryl Berk - 2015
    (Their motto, "We are SEW FAB"). But when her daring fashion and stellar grades turn the Fab A-listers green with envy, Mickey discovers that standing out doesn't always make it easy to fit in. So when friendly classmate JC comes up with a plan to help Mickey fit in, she decides to take the ultimate fashion risk-ditch her personal style for good.One mega makeover later, pink-haired Mickey Williams mysteriously disappears, and the trendy, blonde "Kenzie Wills" shows up on the FAB scene, blending with the other students in a way Mickey never could. But when Mickey starts to lose herself to "Kenzie," she's not sure that fitting in is worth cutting herself down to size...

The Homemade Stuffing Caper


John V. Madormo - 2012
    And his favorite books have always been mysteries. So when Charlie dons his father's old trench coat--the one his mother thought she brought to Goodwill--and a fedora that should have suffered the same fate, he thinks solving mysteries will be as easy as pie. But then Charlie is presented with a big case. A huge one. That involves the entire town. And Charlie needs more than just smarts to crack this case. He'll need his friend Henry, their client Scarlet, and a class bully who turns out to have some surprising secrets of his own.

Little Pearl


Martin Widmark - 2015
    After an icy tumble, Grace wakes up in an amazing world where she is as tiny as a bug.As she explores, Grace meets incredible creatures, both delightful and dangerous. Then she hears a familiar tune: could it be her lost brother?This intriguing, beautiful tale of wonder and sibling love has echoes of Alice in Wonderland in its surreal, atmospheric setting. Martin Widmark's vivid story is brought to life for young children through spectacularly imaginative illustrations by Emilia Dziubak. Martin and Emilia are the USBBY-honored creators of The House of Lost and Found.

Pie


Sarah Weeks - 2011
    IT, a story about family, friendship, and...pie!When Alice's Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world-famous pie-crust recipe. Or does she? In her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her extraordinarily fat, remarkably disagreeable cat, Lardo . . . and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice.Suddenly, the whole town is wondering how you leave a recipe to a cat. Everyone wants to be the next big pie-contest winner, and it's making them pie-crazy. It's up to Alice and her friend Charlie to put the pieces together and discover the not-so-secret recipe for happiness: Friendship. Family. And the pleasure of doing something for the right reason.With Pie, acclaimed author Sarah Weeks has baked up a sweet and satisfying delight, as inviting as warm pie on a cold day. You'll enjoy every last bite.

Scat


Carl Hiaasen - 2009
    She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance. And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. And Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther before they really begin to see the big picture. That's life in the swamp, kids.From the Hardcover edition.

Three Times Lucky


Sheila Turnage - 2012
    White Read-Aloud Honor book.A hilarious Southern debut with the kind of characters you meet once in a lifetimeRising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her "upstream mother," she's found a home with the Colonel--a café owner with a forgotten past of his own--and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known.Full of wisdom, humor, and grit, this timeless yarn will melt the heart of even the sternest Yankee.

Ali-A Adventures: Game On!


Ali-A - 2017
    Can he defeat the end-of-game boss and save the day? With a little help from his fans and a very special dog named Eevee, he's going to give it his best shot!

Emerson Barks


Liza Woodruff - 2016
    But when his bark scares one of his neighborhood friends into hiding, Emerson's girl Eva must forbid him from barking altogether. Can Emerson adjust to a life in silence? Or will he find a way to put his powerful bark to good use?A charming dog story that shows how good intentions can triumph over mistakes.

College Girl: A Memoir


Laura Gray-Rosendale - 2013
    Offering present-day reflections alongside the fresh, hopeful voice of the twenty-year-old student she once was, Laura Gray-Rosendale tells the story of her near destruction and her family's disintegration, but also one of abiding friendships and shining hope. In the end, College Girl is also a story about stories, and a meditation on memoir itself.Gray-Rosendale writes in a tone that is simply unforgettable--gritty, humorous, and raw. Artfully written and devoid of self-pity, College Girl is a rich story of triumph, hope, and survival.

My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog


Tommy Greenwald - 2015
    His self-involved older sister and workaholic Mom think he needs to stop obsessing already! But when his Dad finally allows Jimmy to get a puppy before school starts, everything changes and Jimmy has something new to focus on: his amazing dog, Abby who seems to have some very unusual habits. She sleeps all day but is wired at night, and she runs from the garlic kelp biscuit made by Jimmy's strange new babysitter Mrs. Cragg. There's just something different about Abby. Could she possibly be...a vampire? Jimmy's best friend Irwin thinks Jimmy's being ridiculous, but then when Abby uncovers a real crime in progress and helps him become friends with an actual, human girl, even Irwin has to admit that perhaps Abby might have some super powers after all.

Into the Clouds: The Race to Climb the World's Most Dangerous Mountain


Tod Olson - 2020
    Roped together, these teams of men face perilously high altitudes and battering storms in hopes of reaching the summit. As each expedition sets out, they carve new paths along icy slopes and unforgiving rock, creating camps on ledges so narrow they fear turning over in their sleep.But disaster strikes -- in 1939, four men never make it down the mountain. Fourteen years later, a man develops blood clots in his legs at 25,000 feet, leaving his team with no safe path off the mountain. Into the Clouds tells the stories of the men whose quest to conquer a mountain became a battle to survive the descent.

Absolutely Almost


Lisa Graff - 2014
    He has never been the tallest. Or the best at gym. Or the greatest artist. Or the most musical. In fact, Albie has a long list of the things he's not very good at. But then Albie gets a new babysitter, Calista, who helps him figure out all of the things he is good at and how he can take pride in himself.

Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger


Anita Silvey - 2016
    His amazing career as singer, songwriter, and banjo player spanned seven decades, and included both low points (being charged with contempt of Congress) and highlights (receiving the Kennedy Center Honor from President Clinton). An activist and protester, Seeger crusaded for the rights of labor, the rights of people of color, and the First Amendment right to let his voice be heard, and launched the successful campaign to clean up the Hudson River. Archival photographs and prints, source notes, bibliography, index.