Book picks similar to
Oonawassee Summer by Melissa Forney


children-s-books
young-adult
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natalie-recommends

Black Beauty


Eleanor Graham Vance - 1977
    

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess


Meg Cabot - 2015
    Brought up by her aunt's family in New Jersey, book-and-music-loving Olivia feels out of place in their life of high fashion and fancy cars. But she never could have imagined how out of place she really was until Mia Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia, pops into her school and announces that Olivia is her long-lost sister. Olivia is a princess. A dream come true, right? But princesses have problems too.In FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCESS a new middle grade series, readers will see Genovia, this time through the illustrated diaries of a spunky new heroine, 12 year old Olivia Grace, who happens to be the long lost half-sister of Princess Mia Thermopolis.The original Princess Diaries series sold over 5 million copies in the US (15 million worldwide), spent 82 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, and inspired two beloved films.

The Lost Wagon


Jim Kjelgaard - 1955
    Every member of the family will enjoy this tale of wagon trains, cowboys, settlers, love, romance, and did I mention wagons?

The Name of This Book Is Secret


Pseudonymous Bosch - 2007
    As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

Candara's Gift


Jasper Cooper - 2006
    Although the book is normally classed as a children's book for ages 9-11 or 9-12, the books are actually loved by both children and adults alike!----------------------------------------Life in the Kingdom of Gems is shattered when a stranger enters the kingdom at night. He has an evil desire to conquer the kingdom and steal the magical Candara Gems.But he meets unexpected resistance in the form of Prince Seph and Princess Amalek. Together with several companions they find that they are the only ones who are still free to fight...----------------------------------------- You can be rest assured that this is one of those children's books that will keep you entertained and enthralled for the entire length of the book and that you will be eager to continue reading the other books in the trilogy.

The Secret Lake


Karen Inglis - 2011
    A page-turning time travel adventure for ages 8-11. UK bestseller now enjoyed by thousands of young readers. When Stella and her younger brother, Tom, move to their new London home, they become mystified by the disappearances of Harry, their elderly neighbour's dog. Where does he go? And why does he keep reappearing wet-through? Their quest to solve the riddle over the summer holidays soon leads to a boat buried under a grassy mound - and a tunnel that takes them to a secret lake. Who is the boy rowing towards them? Why is he so terrified? And whose are those children's voices carried on the wind from beyond the woods? Stella and Tom soon discover that they have travelled back in time to their home and the children living there almost 100 years earlier. Here they make both friends and enemies, and uncover startling connections with the past and present...

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer


John Grisham - 2010
    . . and he’s only thirteen years oldMeet Theodore BooneIn the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.Brimming with the intrigue and suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer will keep readers guessing and pages turning.

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims


Rush Limbaugh - 2013
    In this book, he is transported back to the deck of the Mayflower.

Flunked


Jen Calonita - 2015
    Gilly wouldn't call herself wicked, exactly...but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly's a pretty good thief (if she does say so herself).Until she gets caught.Gilly's sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella's Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there's more to this school than its heroic mission. There's a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder just how good these bad guys really are?

Agnes Parker... Keeping Cool in Middle School


Kathleen O'Dell - 2007
    The halls are hectic, the unspoken rules are baffling, and the eighth-grade boys are one big gang of bullies. Agnes' best friend Prejean has jumped in and decided to run for class president, but Agnes would rather try to be invisible. That'll be especially difficult now that Prejean has asked Agnes to be her campaign manager. And then there's the problem of Aram, a boy in Agnes' art class who seems to have a crush on her. He's smart and funny, and Agnes feels comfortable with him. But is he such an odd duck that she'll seem odd by association? O'Dell creates some of the liveliest characters in recent fiction, said VOYA of Agnes Parker . . . Girl in Progress. And here, those characters face the exciting, nerve-racking rite of passage that is seventh grade. It makes for Kathleen O'Dell's most genuine, endearing book yet. Who better to introduce readers to middle school than the funny, warmhearted Agnes, who can't be invisible even when she tries.

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.

The Secret of the Old Clock


Carolyn Keene - 1930
    To the surprise of many, the Topham family will inherit wealthy Josiah Crowley's fortune, instead of deserving relatives and friends who were promised inheritances. Nancy determines that a clue to a second will might be found in an old clock Mr. Crowley had owned and she seeks to find the timepiece. Her search not only tests her keen mind, but also leads her into a thrilling adventure.

The Lost Prince


Frances Hodgson Burnett - 1915
    Twelve-year-old Marco knows he is being trained for something, but he isn't sure what. All his life he has traveled with his father in secrecy, learning many languages and the ways of a gentleman, but forbidden to speak about their country of origin, Samavia. Samavia has been fraught with war for the last 500 years, ever since the prince mysteriously disappeared. But now, there is hope that peace may come at last, as it has been rumored that a descendant of the lost prince may have been found.

Lost Goat Lane


Rosa Jordan - 2004
    Things can't get much worse at home. Her mother works long hours to make the mortgage payments on their tiny farm. Her older brother Justin talks about running away, and her younger brother Chip has a way of getting into trouble when Kate is supposed to be minding him. Now Kate faces a long, hot, boring Florida summer with no friends and nothing to do but chores. The day Kate's goat Sugar runs away, things start to get more interesting - and a lot more complicated. She and her brothers meet the Wilsons, a tight-knit African American family. Kate is drawn to Ruby, the Wilsons' glamorous grown daughter who has returned home from New York City. Ruby hasn't got much time for white trash but the two eventually form an unlikely bond as partners in Ruby's fledgling candy business. And as Kate begins to spend more time with Ruby, she awakens to the undercurrents of prejudice that run through their small town.

Ricky


Eric Walters - 2002
    Ricky's an eighth grader with an amazing menagerie of animals that includes dogs, cats, rats, squirrels, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, grouse, groundhogs, iguanas, budgies, and a three-foot-long alligator called Ollie. It's no wonder, then, that he's a big fan of his science teacher, Mr. Johnston, who has even more animals in his classroom, including Bogart, a pet boa constrictor. When vandals wreck Mr. Johnston's classroom, leading to Bogart's death, Ricky and his best friend Augie decide that it's up to them to put things right. Their plan is to surprise Mr. Johnston with a new snake with the financial help of every kid in the school. But keeping the plan a secret isn't easy when you're dealing with a six-foot boa! Ricky is a thoroughly engaging contemporary novel that will have particular resonance with boys. Walters looks at some pretty serious issues--including how to cope with the death of a parent, the nature of friendship, learning disabilities, and teen violence--but, as always, he has a light, quirky touch and a strong sense of plot. In an afterword, Walters explains his part in his latest fiction, which will delight readers interested in what inspires their favourite writers. (Ages 8 to 12) --Jeffrey Canton