My Teacher Is an Alien


Bruce Coville - 1989
    But she doesn't know how weird until she catches him peeling off his face -- and realizes that "Mr. Smith" is really an alien! At first no one will believe her except Peter Thompson, the class brain. When Peter and Susan discover Mr. Smith's horrible plans for their classmates, they know they have to act fast. Only they can get rid of their extraterrestrial visitor -- and save the rest of the sixth-grade class from a fate worse than math tests!

Betsy-Tacy


Maud Hart Lovelace - 1940
    So when a new family moves into the house across the street, Betsy hopes they will have a little girl she can play with. Sure enough, they do—a little girl named Tacy. And from the moment they meet at Betsy's fifth birthday party, Betsy and Tacy become such good friends that everyone starts to think of them as one person—Betsy-Tacy.Betsy and Tacy have lots of fun together. They make a playhouse from a piano box, have a sand store, and dress up and go calling. And one day, they come home to a wonderful surprise—a new friend named Tib.Ever since their first publication in the 1940's, the Betsy-Tacy stories have been loved by each generation of young readers.

My Friend Flicka


Mary O'Hara - 1941
    He loses saddle blankets and breaks reins...but then comes the worst news yet: a report card so bad that he has to repeat a grade. How can you tame the dreamy mind of a boy who stares out of the window instead of taking an exam? Enter Flicka, the chestnut filly with a wild spirit. Over the course of one magical summer, both will learn the meaning of responsibility, courage, and, ultimately, friendship.

The Music of Dolphins


Karen Hesse - 1996
    When she is eventually spotted on an unpopulated island off Cuba, she is an adolescent and seems hardly human to her rescuers. Mila is taken to a child study center in Boston. Eager to please, she makes rapid progress in language and social skills. With her recorder, Mila finds she can even make music like the dolphin songs she yearningly remembers. But the more Mila discovers about what it means to be human--the locked doors, the rules, the betrayals--the more she longs for her watery home and gentle dolphin family. In an emotionally wracking conclusion, she returns to the world where her ears never want for song. Where, although she cannot stand on her tail or jump the waves, she is part of the music of dolphins.

The Phantom Tollbooth


Norton Juster - 1961
    For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .

Chocolate Fever


Robert Kimmel Smith - 1972
    He likes it bitter, sweet, dark, light, and daily; for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks; in cakes, candy bars, milk, and every other form you can possibly imagine. Henry probably loves chocolate more than any boy in the history of the world. One day-it starts off like any other day-Henry finds that strange things are happening to him. First he makes medical history with the only case of Chocolate Fever ever. Then he finds himself caught up in a wild and hilarious chase, climaxed by a very unusual hijacking!

The Island of Dr. Libris


Chris Grabenstein - 2015
    Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there’s Dr. Libris’s private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s almost as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life! But that’s impossible . . . isn’t it?

Meet Kaya


Janet Beeler Shaw - 2002
    Her father warns her that the horse isn't ready, but when a pesky boy insults Steps High, Kaya accepts his challenge to race. As they ride, Kaya loses sight of her little brothers. Her carelessness earns her a nickname that her friends won't let her forget.

Nancy Drew: #1-64


Carolyn Keene - 2006
    Now, for the first time, you can purchase all sixty-four classic Nancy Drew titles in one complete set!#1: The Secret of the Old Clock#2: The Hidden Staircase #3: The Bungalow Mystery #4: The Mystery at Lilac Inn #5: The Secret of Shadow Ranch #6: The Secret of Red Gate Farm #7: The Clue in the Diary #8: Nancy's Mysterious Letter #9: The Sign of the Twisted Candles #10: Password to Larkspur Lane #11: The Clue of the Broken Locket #12: The Message in the Hollow Oak #13: The Mystery of the Ivory Charm #14: The Whispering Statue #15: The Haunted Bridge #16: The Clue of the Tapping Heels #17: Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk #18: Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion #19: The Quest of the Missing Map #20: The Clue in the Jewel Box #21: The Secret in the Old Attic #22: The Clue in the Crumbling Wall #23: Mystery of the Tolling Bell #24: The Clue in the Old Album #25: The Ghost of Blackwood Hall #26: The Clue of the Leaning Chimney #27: The Secret of the Wooden Lady #28: The Clue of the Black Keys #29: Mystery at the Ski Jump #30: The Clue of the Velvet Mask #31: The Ringmaster's Secret #32: The Scarlet Slipper Mystery #33: The Witch Tree Symbol #34: The Hidden Window Mystery #35: The Haunted Showboat #36: The Secret of the Golden Pavilion #37: The Clue in the Old Stagecoach #38: The Mystery of the Fire Dragon #39: The Clue of the Dancing Puppet #40: The Moonstone Castle Mystery #41: The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes #42: The Phantom of Pine Hill #43: The Mystery of the 99 Steps #44: The Clue in the Crossword Cipher #45: The Spider Sapphire Mystery #46: The Invisible Intruder #47: The Mysterious Mannequin #48: The Crooked Banister #49: The Secret of Mirror Bay #50: The Double Jinx Mystery #51: Mystery of the Glowing Eye #52: The Secret of the Forgotten City #53: The Sky Phantom #54: The Strange Message in the Parchment #55: Mystery of Crocodile Island #56: The Thirteenth Pearl #57: The Triple Hoax #58: The Flying Saucer Mystery #59: The Secret in the Old Lace #60: The Greek Symbol Mystery #61: The Swami's Ring #62: The Kachina Doll Mystery #63: The Twin Dilemma #64: Captive Witness

The Eleventh Hour


Graeme Base - 1988
    But a mystery is afoot, for in the midst of the games, music, and revelry, someone has eaten the birthday feast. The rhyming text and lavish, detailed illustrations each provide clues, and it's up to the reader to piece them together and decide whodunit! "The fun of poring over the pictures is matched by the enjoyment derived from the textwitty, ingenious verses." -- Publishers Weekly Graeme Base is the author of many award-winning books for children, including Animalia (Puffin), The Sign of the Seahorse, and most recently, The Discovery of Dragons.

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy


Jeanne Birdsall - 2005
    Best of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, the perfect companion for their adventures. Icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is less pleased with the Penderwicks than Jeffrey, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Is that any fun? For sure the summer will be unforgettable.

The Secret School


Avi - 2001
    To do that, she must finish eighth grade, then go on to high school. But her dream falters when the one-room school in her remote Colorado town shuts down. Her only hope is to keep the school open without anyone finding out. Yet even a secret school needs a teacher. Ida can't be it. . . . Or can she?In the spirit of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Newbery Medal winner Avi creates an inspiring story of a headstrong girl determined to control her own destiny.

Horton Hears a Who!


Dr. Seuss - 1954
    Original music and sound effects complement the retelling. An exclusive paperback edition of the book is packaged with the audio cassette. Cassette running time: approx. 20 min.

A Pocket for Corduroy


Don Freeman - 1978
    These favorite titles are ready for another generation of children to love.

The Star of Kazan


Eva Ibbotson - 1999
    Instead she celebrates her Found Day, the day a housemaid and a cook to three eccentric Viennese professors found her and took her home. There, Annika has made a happy life in the servants' quarters, surrounded with friends, including the elderly woman next door who regales Annika with stories of her performing days and her countless admirers - especially the Russian count who gave her the legendary emerald, the Star of Kazan. And yet, Annika still dreams of finding her true mother. But when a glamorous stranger arrives claiming to be Annika's mother, and whisks her away to a crumbling, spooky castle, Annika discovers that all is not as it seems in her newfound home...