Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin: An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.

14 Copies [K-3, Rd. Lvl: 1.9, AR N/A, Lexile: AD530] CES Lib.

Five Creepy Creatures by Judith Stamper: A collection of easy-to-read stories about creepy creatures. Includes a section of jokes.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, AR 2.6 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 310] CES Lib.

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown: Relates the humorous adventures of Stanley, a little boy who wakes up flat (four feet tall, about a foot wide, and half an inch thick) after a bulletin board falls on him during the night.

28 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 3.2, AR 3.2 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: AD550] 18 copies in CES Lib., 10 copies at Rural Center

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel: Presents five tales about the adventures of best friends Frog and Toad.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.4, AR 2.9 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 400] CES Lib.

Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel: Five further adventures of two best friends as they share cookies, plant a garden, and test their bravery.

9 Copies, VHS Tape [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.9, AR 2.9 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 400] CES Lib.

Have You Seen Bugs? by Joanne Oppenheim: Describes a variety of bugs in rhyming verse.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, AR 3.8 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: AD790] CES Lib.

Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps by Cynthia Rylant: Henry worries about what will happen to his big dog Mudge during their visit to his grandmother's house in the country.

15 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.4, AR 2.6 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 540] CES Lib.

Henry and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon by Cynthia Rylant: In the autumn Henry and his big dog Mudge watch the leaves turn, meet with some Halloween spooks, and share Thanksgiving dinner.

15 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.5, AR 2.3 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 380] CES Lib.

How to Be Polite to Giants and People: This is a Green Giant Picture Book to teach kids about manners.

28 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, N/A] CES Lib.

Junie B., First Grade (at last!) by Barbara Park: Junie B. thinks first grade is a flop when her kindergarten friend Lucille prefers the company of twins Camille and Chenille and Junie B. needs glasses.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.7, AR 2.6 MG 1 pts., Lexile: 250] CES Lib.

Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal by Barbara Park: Lucille invites Junie B. and her friend Grace to sleep over at her very rich nana's house, where everything is beautiful, expensive, and breakable.

14 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.6, AR 2.8 LG 1 pt., Lexile: 380] CES Lib.

Kick, Pass and Run by Leonard Kessler: After observing a boy's football game, a group of animals organizes its own teams and game.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.1, AR 1.7, LG 0.5, Lexile: 140L] CES Lib.

Little Critter's Joke Book by Mercer Mayer: A selection of jokes for young boys and girls.

14 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, N/A] CES Lib.

Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish: As Amelia Bedelia helps Mrs. Rogers prepare for Christmas, she bakes a date cake with a calendar in it and stuffs the children's stockings with turkey stuffing.

24 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 1.7, AR 2.1 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 220] CES Lib.

Miss Nelson has a Field Day by Harry Allard: The notorious Miss Swamp reappears at the Horace B. Smedley School, this time to shape up the football team and make them win at least one game.

8 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 3, AR 3.0 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 390] CES Lib.

Miss Nelson is Back by Harry Allard: When their teacher has to go away for a week, the kids in room 207 plan to "really act up."

8 Copies, VHS Tape [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 3.5, AR 2.7 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 320] CES Lib.

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard: When their teacher has to go away for a week, the kids in room 207 plan to "really act up."

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 3.1, AR 2.7 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 340] CES Lib.

Morris's Disappearing Bag: a Christmas story by Rosemary Wells: Everyone in Morris's family is pleased with his Christmas present but Morris.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.2, AR 2.4 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 360] CES Lib.

Peanut Butter and Jelly: a play rhyme by Nadine Westcott: Rhyming text and illustrations explain how to make a peanut butter jelly sandwich. Includes instructions for accompanying hand and foot motions at the end of the book.

5 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 1.7, AR N/A, Lexile: N/A] CES Lib.

Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish: Amelia Bedelia, who knows very little about baseball, stands in for a sick player during a game.

13 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd. Lvl: 2.8, AR 2.3 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 220] CES Lib.

Snakes by Patricia Demuth: Provides an introduction to snakes, describing their general characteristics, discussing the variety of snakes, and looking at where they live, how and what they eat, and how they protect themselves from enemies.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd Lvl: 2.9, AR 2.9 LG 0.5 pts.] CES Lib.

Strega Nona: an old tale by Tomie DePaola: When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

15 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, Rd Lvl: 4.4, AR 3.9 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: AD660] CES Lib.

When the Fly Flew In by Lissa Peters: Although a young child puts off cleaning the bedroom because all the family's pets are asleep there, the sudden arrival of a zooming fly mysteriously gets the job done.

23 Copies [Int. Lvl: K-3, AR 2.6 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: AD710] CES Lib.

Int. Lvl: 3-6

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danzinger: Her third grade year is a sad time for Amber, because her best friend Justin is getting ready to move to a distant state.

8 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.8, AR 3.7 MG 1 pt., Lexile: 720] 5 copies at Rural Center, 3 copies at CES.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix: In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

27 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.8 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 800] 21 copies in 8th Gr. LA Classroom, 6 copies in Lib.

Bandit's Moon by Sid Fleischman: Twelve-year-old Annyrose, left behind when her brother joins the Gold Rush, escapes the unscrupulous woman with whom she is staying and sets out on a grand adventure with the notorious bandit Joaquin Murieta and his band of outlaws.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd Lvl: 4.5, AR 4.2 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 690] CES Lib.

Berenstain Bears at the Teen Rock Cafe by Stan Berenstain: When recent acts of shoplifting at the mall make store owners suspicious of the bear cubs who hang out there, the cubs decide to find out who the real shoplifters are.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 4.2 LG 2 pts., Lexile: 610] CES Lib.

Berenstain Bears Media Madness by Stan Berenstain: When Bear Country School is allowed to run a television station, the cubs become very involved and neglect their studies.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 4.4 LG 1 pts., Lexile: 620] CES Lib.

Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson: The six mean Herdman kids lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.

(Mrs. Stalder's novel unit) 40 Copies, CD, DVD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.1, AR 5.1 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 930) 15 copies in CMS Lib., 25 copies in 6th Gr. LA classroom

The BFG by Roald Dahl: Kidsnatched from her orphanage by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts with him a plan to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.

31 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.8 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 720] 24 copies in 7th Gr. LA classroom, CD in CES Lib., 7 copies @ Rural Center

Black Whiteness: Admiral Byrd alone in the Antarctic: An account of Admiral Richard Byrd's stay alone in a small shack during an Antarctic winter.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.5, AR 4.4 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 650] CES Lib.

Blossom Promise by Betsy Byars: In the aftermath of a big flood in Alderson County, the Blossom family continues coping in their rare family style.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.5, AR 4.1 MG 4 pts., Lexile:620] Rural Center

Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner: Four orphaned children run away and live in a boxcar, until they are found by their grandfather. Includes a biography and photographs of the author.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 2.1, AR 3.9 LG 2 pts., Lexile: 490] CES Lib.

Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar:  David receives a curse from an elderly woman he has helped his schoolmates attack, and he learns to regret his weakness in pandering to others for the sake of popularity before new friends and a very nice girl helps him to be a stronger, more assertive person.

31 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.4, AR 4.0 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 570] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Bunnicula: a rabbit-tale of mystery by Deborah Howe: Though scoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire.

27 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.2 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 700] CES Lib.

Burning Questions of Bingo Brown by Betsy Byars: A boy is puzzled by the comic and confusing questions of youth and is worried by disturbing insights into adult conflicts.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 4.1 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 630] Rural Center

Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz: Ten-year-old Ann overcomes loneliness and learns to appreciate the importance of her role in settling the wilderness of western Pennsylvania.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.5, AR 5.1 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 860] Rural Center

Carolina Crow Girl by Valerie Hobbs: After eleven-year-old Carolina begins to make decisions for herself and no longer feels constrained by her mother, she is able to let her pet crow fly free.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 4.3 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 620] CES Lib.

Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop: A gift of a toy castle, complete with silver knight, introduces William to an adventure involving magic and a personal quest.

29 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.0, AR 4.9 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 750] 25 copies in 6th Gr. LA classroom, 4 copies in Lib.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White: Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

(Mrs. Krinhop class read) 33 Copies, DVD, CD, Teacher's Guide [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.4, AR 4.4 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 680] CES Lib.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl: Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.

27 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 4.8 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 810] CES Lib.

Chocolate Touch by Patrick Caitlin: A boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.5, AR 4.7 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 770] CES Lib.

Cockroach Cooties by Laurence Yep: Teddy and his little brother Bobby devise strategies using bugs to defeat the school bully.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 3.7 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 440] CES Lib.

Coyote Autumn by Bill Wallace: After moving to the country, thirteen-year-old Brad, who has always wanted a dog, adopts a motherless coyote.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.5, AR 4.1 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 600] CES Lib.

Crash by Jerry Spinelli: Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.

34 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.6, AR 3.6 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 560] 30 Copies in 7th Gr. LA Classroom, 4 copies in Lib.

Dave At Night by Gail Carson Levine: When orphaned Dave is sent to the Hebrew Home for Boys where he is treated cruelly, he sneaks out at night and is welcomed into the music- and culture-filled world of the Harlem Renaissance.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.6, AR 3.6 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 490] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary: In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.

13 Copies, Teacher's Guide [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.9 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 910] CES Lib.

Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli: A crippled boy in fourteenth-century England proves his courage and earns recognition from the King.

18 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 6.2, AR 6.2 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 990] 7th Gr. LA classroom

Egypt's Game by Zilpha Snyder: A group of children, entranced with the study of Egypt, play their own Egypt game, are visited by a secret oracle, become involved in a murder, and befriend the Professor before they move on to new interests, such as Gypsies.

45 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 6.4, AR 6.4 MG 7 pts., Lexile: 1010] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.

58 Copies, Audiocassette, DVD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.6, AR 4.6 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 670] CMS Lib.

Family Tree by Katherine Ayres: While trying to construct her family tree for a school assignment, eleven-year-old Tyler discovers her Amish heritage and other secrets about her family's past.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 3.7 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 580] CES Lib.

Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Carlson: An old tramp, adopted by three fatherless children when their mother hides them under a bridge on the Seine, finds a home for mother and children and a job for himself.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.7 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 680] Rural Center

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume: Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents.

(Mrs. Krinhop class read) 27 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.6, AR 3.1 MG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 370] CES Lib.

Frindle by Andrew Clements: When he decides to turn his fifth-grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.

12 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.8, AR 5.4 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 830] CES Lib.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: Two suburban children run away from their Connecticut home and go to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where their ingenuity enables them to live in luxury.

44 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.7 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 7000] 12 Copies in 6th Gr. LA Classroom, 28 Copies in the CES Lib., 4 Copies @ Rural Center

Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume: Pete describes the family vacation in Maine with the Tubmans, highlighted by the antics of his younger brother Fudge.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.9, AR 3.3 LG 3 pts., Lexile: 490] 7 copies at Rural Center, 3 copies in Lib.

George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz: Having the same name and birthday as George Washington, a young boy wants everything else in his life just as Washington had it, but he cannot find out what Washington ate for breakfast.

16 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.1, AR 4.1 MG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 710] CES Lib.

Ghost of Fossil Glen by Cynthia DeFelice: Allie knows it's not her imagination when she hears a voice and sees in her mind's eye the face of a girl who seems to be seeking Allie's help.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.9 MG 5 pts, Lexile: 710] CMS Lib.

Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry: A most unusual new student who loves to be the center of attention entertains her teacher and fellow second graders by telling absolutely true stories about herself, including how she got her name.

27 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.9, AR 3.9 LG 2 pts., Lexile: 590] CES Lib.

Gracie's Girl by Ellen Wittlinger: As she starts middle school, Bess volunteers to work on the school musical in hopes of fitting in, but when she and a friend get to know an elderly homeless woman, Bess changes her mind about what is really important.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.2, AR 4.9 MG 7 pts., Lexile: 740] CES Lib.

Guests by Michael Dorris: Moss and Trouble, an Algonquin boy and girl, struggle with the problems of growing up in the Massachusetts area during the time of the first Thanksgiving.

8 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.2, AR 5.2 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 850] CES Lib.

Hailstones and Halibut Bones: Adventures in Color by Mary O'Neill: Presents twelve poems that reflect the author's feelings about various colors.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.4, AR 4.4 MG 0.5 pts., Lexile: N/A]

Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise by Suzy Kline: When their teacher ends up in the hospital, the members of class 2B find a way to include her in their holiday celebration.

16 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.5, AR 2.9 LG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 470] 3 copies in CES Lib., 13 copies at Rural Center

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell: To win a bet, Billy has to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days.

38 Copies, DVD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.5, AR 3.5 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 650] 20 copies @ CES Lib., 18 Copies @ Rural Center

Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain by Robert Burch: Tough times in rural Georgia during the Depression take a lively turn when spirited Ida Early arrives to keep house for the Suttons.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 6.2, AR 4.8 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 720] Rural Center

Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Banks: A nine-year-old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a little key for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life in the cupboard and befriends him.

44 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5, AR 4.6 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 780] 28 copies @ CES Lib., 16 copies @ Rural Center

Judy Moody Declares Independence by Megan McDonald: After learning about the American Revolution on a family trip to Boston, Judy Moody makes her own Declaration of Independence and tries to prove that she is responsible enough to have more freedoms, such as a larger allowance and her own bathroom.

28 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.6, AR 3.4 LG 2 pts., Lexile: 590] CES Lib.

Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka: One minute they're looking at pictures of knights in the book, a birthday gift from Joe's magician uncle, the next minute they're battling fire-breathing dragons. Will Joe, Fred, and Sam escape death?

15 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.1, AR 3.8 MG 1 pt., Lexile: 630] CES Lib.

Landry News by Andrew Clements: A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with an editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with disciplinary action as a result.

27 Copies, CD, Teacher and Student Guides [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 6.1, AR 6.0 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 950] CES Lib.

Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davis: Evan and his younger sister, Jesse, react very differently to the news that they will be in the same class for fourth grade and as the end of summer approaches, they battle it out through lemonade stands, each trying to be the first to earn 100 dollars. Includes mathematical calculations and tips for running a successful lemonade stand.

25 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.1, AR 4.1, LG 4.0, Lexile: 630L] CES Lib.

Loser by Jerry Spinelli: Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.

(Mrs. Gentry Novel Unit) 22 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.8, AR 4.3, MG 5pts., Lexile: 650L] 13 Copies at Blue Ridge, 9 Copies in Library 

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli: After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

33 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.7 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 820] 30 Copies in 7th Gr. LA classroom, 3 in Lib.

Mary on Horseback: three mountain stories by Rosemary Wells: Tells the stories of three families who were helped by the work of Mary Breckinridge, the first nurse to go into the Appalachian Mountains and give medical care to the isolated inhabitants. Includes an afterword with facts about Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service she founded.

8 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.5, AR 4.2 LG 1 pt., Lexile: 660] CES Lib.

Matilda by Roald Dahl: Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

20 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.2, AR 5.0 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 840] 17 Copies in 7th Gr. LA classroom, 3 copies in Lib.

Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park: Thirteen-year-old Phoebe recalls the death of her younger brother Mick in a bicycle accident, which might not have been fatal had he been wearing his helmet, and how she and her family reacted to the tragedy.  Closes with an appeal to bikers to wear protective bicycle helmets.

13 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.6, AR 4.5 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 730] CMS Lib.

Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars: Tom dislikes spending the summer on his aunt's farm until he discovers a black fox in the forest and tracks her to her den.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 6, AR 4.9 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 970] Rural Center

Midnight Horse by Sid Fleischman: Touch enlists the help of The Great Chaffalo, a ghostly magician, to thwart his great-uncle's plans to put Touch into the orphan house and swindle The Red Raven Inn away from Miss Sally.

5 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.4, AR 4.2 MG 1 pt., Lexile: 680] Rural Center

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry: Paul and his sister Maureen's determination to own a pony from the herd on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among the ponies rounded up for the yearly auctio

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 5.3 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 750] 6 copies at Rural Center, 3 copies in Lib.

Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary: The adventures of a boy and a little mouse who wants to ride his toy motorcycle.

32 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.6, AR 5.1 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 860] 24 copies in CES Lib., 8 copies at Rural Center

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater: The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

27 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.6, AR 5.6 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 910] CES Lib.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert O'Brien:With nowhere else to turn, a field mouse asks the clever escaped lab rats living under the rosebush to help save her son, who lies in the path of the farmer's tractor, too ill to be moved.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.1, AR 5.1 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 790] 6 copies at Rural Center, 3 copies in Lib.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman: Eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to detention attending rehearsals of the school play where, in spite of himself, he becomes wrapped up in the production and begins to suggest changes that improve not only the play but his life as well.

30 Copies, Teacher’s Guides [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.5 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 610] CMS Lib.

Not-Just-Anybody Family by Betsy Byars: With a young brother in the hospital, a grandfather in jail, and their mother traveling with a rodeo, Maggie and Vern try to settle family problems.

48 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.6 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 690] 7th Gr. LA classroom

Oh the Places He Went: A story about Dr. Seuss by Maryann Weidt: Tells how a boy became the creator of some of the most loved children's books of all time.

(Mrs. Stalder Novel Unit) 35 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.8, AR 5.8 MG 1 pt., Lexile: 900] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse: In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.

25 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd Lvl: 5.3, AR 5.3 MG 3 pts, Lexile N/A] Book is written in prose, CMS Lib.

Peter Pan (Great Illustrated Classics) adapted by Marian Leighton: An adaptation of J. M. Barrie's story of the three Darling children who embark on an adventure in Neverland with Peter Pan, the boy who will not grow up.

25 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 4.6 MG 2 pts., Lexile: N/A] CES Lib.

Philip Hall Likes Me, I reckon Maybe by Bette Greene: Eleven-year-old Beth thinks that Philip Hall likes her, but their on-again, off-again relationship sometimes makes her wonder.

14 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.0, AR 5.0 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 900] Rural Center

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren: Escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey--but without any parents--at the edge of a Swedish village.

23 Copies, CD, VHS Tape [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.2, AR 5.2 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 870] CES Lib.

Pinballs by Betsy Byars: Three lonely foster children learn to care about themselves and each other.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 3.8 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 600] 7th Gr. LA Classroom

Private Notebook of Katie Roberts, Age 11 by Amy Hest: In a series of journal entries and letters to a pen pal, Katie relates her feelings about her father's death in World War II, her mother's remarriage, and the family's move from New York City to Texas.

13 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 3.5 MG 1 pts., Lexile: 590] CES Lib.

Return of Santa Paws by Nicholas Edwards: Patricia and Gregory can't wait to fly in their uncle's plane, but when it crashes they know they need to find help fast, so they follow their dog until he leads them to safety.

17 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.7 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 730] Rural Center

Road to Paris by Nikki Grimes: Inconsolable at being separated from her older brother, eight-year-old Paris is apprehensive about her new foster family but just as she learns to trust them, she faces a life-changing decision.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.3, AR 4.3 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 700] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Ruthie's Gift by Kimberly Bradley: Just before the beginning of World War I, eight-year-old Ruthie, who lives with her parents and six brothers on a farm in Indiana, wishes for a sister and tries to behave like the lady her mother wants her to be.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, AR 3.5 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 520] CES Lib.

Sable by Karen Hesse: Tate Marshall is delighted when a stray dog turns up in the yard one day, but Sable, named for her dark, silky fur, causes trouble with the neighbors and has to go.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.2, AR 3.8 MG 1pt., Lexile: 690] CES Lib.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr: Hospitalized with the dreaded atom bomb disease, leukemia, a child in Hiroshima races against time to fold one thousand paper cranes to verify the legend that by doing so a sick person will become healthy.

33 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.6, AR 4.1 MG 1 pt., Lexile: AD500] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan: When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.

30 Copies, VHS Tape [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.4, AR 3.4 MG 1 pt., Lexile: 560] CES Lib.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.

23 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.4, AR 4.4 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 890] 14 copies in CES Lib., 9 copies @ Rural Center

Small Steps: The year I got polio by Peg Kehret: The author describes her battle against polio when she was thirteen and her efforts to overcome its debilitating effects.

34 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.2, AR 5.2 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 890] 31 Copies in 6th Gr. LA classroom

Stone Fox by John Gardiner: Little Willy hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.

47 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.0 MG 1 pt., Lexile: 550] 29 Copies in CES Lib., 18 Copies @ Rural Center

Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars: A teenage girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally retarded brother gets lost.

20 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.9 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 830] 8 Copies in 7th Gr. LA classroom, 2 in Lib., 10 copies at Rural Center

Tales of a fourth grade nothing by Judy Blume: Peter finds his demanding two-year-old brother an every increasing problem.

16 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 3.8, AR 3.3 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 470] CES Lib.

Tornado by Betsy Byars: As they wait out a tornado in their storm cellar, a family listens to their farmhand tell stories about the dog that was blown into his life by another tornado when he was a boy.

22 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd Lvl: 3.5, AR 3.2 LG 1 pt., Lexile: 500] 14 copies in CES Lib., 8 copies at Rural Center

Trolls by Polly Horvath: Eccentric Aunt Sally comes from Canada to babysit the Anderson children while their parents are on a trip to Paris and every night the bedtime story adds another piece to a very suspect family history.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd Lvl: 5.4, AR 5.4 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 810] CES Lib.

Trouble River by Betsy Byars: When he builds his raft, a twelve-year-old boy never dreams that it will serve as the sole means of escape for him and his grandmother when hostile Indians threaten their prairie cabin.

14 Copies, Audiocassette [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.4, AR 4.9 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 770] Rural Center

Trumpet of the Swans by E. White: Louis, a voiceless Trumpeter swan, finds himself far from his wilderness home when he determines to communicate by learning to play a stolen trumpet.

13 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.4, AR 4.9 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 750] Rural Center

Velveteen Rabbit by Marge Williams: By the time the velveteen rabbit is dirty, worn out, and about to be burned, he has almost given up hope of ever finding the magic called Real.

(Mrs. Goldsmith Novel Unit) 28 Copies, VHS Tape [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.8, AR 4.9 LG 1 pt., Lexile: AD820] 1 copy in Lib. / 27 Copies in 8th gr. LA classroom

Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues by Harriette Robinet: Twelve-year-old Alfa Merryfield, his older sister, and their grandmother struggle for rent money, food, and their dignity as they participate in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott in the summer of 1956.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.1 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 550] CES Lib.

War Horse by Michael Morpugo: Joey the horse recalls his experiences growing up on an English farm, his struggle for survival as a cavalry horse during World War I, and his reunion with his beloved master.

(Mrs. Elliott's Novel Unit) 30 Copies, DVD, CD [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.9, AR 5.9 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 1090] 8th Gr. History Classroom

War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith: Upset that he has to give up the room he loves to his grandfather, Pete decides to declare war in an attempt to get it back.

14 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.5, AR 3.9 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 640] 7th Gr. LA classroom

The Well by Mildred Taylor: In Mississippi in the early 1900s, ten-year-old David Logan's family generously shares their well water with both white and African-American neighbors in an atmosphere of potential racial violence.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.3 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 760] Rural Center

Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman: A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws.

54 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd Lvl: 3.9, AR 3.9 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 570] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Why Don't You Get A Horse, Sam Adams?: A brief biography of Samuel Adams describing his activities in stirring up the revolt against the British and how he was finally persuaded to learn to ride a horse.

28 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.6, AR 5.7 MG 0.5 pts., Lexile: 800] CES Lib.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio: Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunts and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

(Mrs. Frieze class read) 27 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.8 MG 11pts., Lexile: 730] Mrs. Frieze classroom

Words of Stone by Kevin Henkes: Busy trying to deal with his many fears and his troubled feelings for his dead mother, ten-year-old Blaze has his life changed when he meets the boisterous and irresistible Joselle.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 5.0, AR 5.0 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 770] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill: Ten-year-old Fred (short for Frederika) narrates the story of school and village life among the Athapascans in Alaska during 1948 when Miss Agnes arrived as the new teacher.

(Mrs. Krinhop class read) 10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.2, AR 4.5 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 790] CES Lib.

Zooman Sam by Lois Lowry: Four-year-old Sam's appearance as a zookeeper at his nursery school's Future Job Day leads him to a number of exciting activities and discoveries, including reading.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 3-6, Rd. Lvl: 4.1, AR 4.1 MG 4 pts, Lexile: 620] CES Lib.

Int. Lvl: 5-8

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt:  It is set in southern Illinois where Jethro Creighton, an intelligent, hardworking boy, is growing into manhood as his brothers and a beloved teacher leave to fight in the Union and Confederate armies.

18 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.6, AR 6.6 MG 10 pts., Lexile: 1100] CHS Lib.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Gray Vining: The adventures of an eleven-year-old boy in 13th century England as he searches for his father and his dog.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.5, AR 6.5 MG 9 pts., Lexile: 1030] CES Lib.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko: A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.

20 Copies, CD, Teacher's Guide [Int Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl 3.5, AR 3.5 MG 7 pts, Lexile 570] CMS Lib.

Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker by Cynthia DeFelice: After his family dies of consumption in 1849, twelve-year-old Lucas becomes a doctor's apprentice.

8 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.5, AR 5.2 UG 5 pts, Lexile: 830] CMS Lib.

Bearstone by Will Hobbs: A troubled Indian boy goes to live with an elderly rancher whose caring ways help the boy become a man.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 5 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 780] 7th Gr. LA Classroom

Bell Prater's Boy by Ruth White: Gypsy and her cousin Woodrow become close friends after Woodrow's mother disappears. Both sixth-graders feel deserted by their parents -- Gypsy discovers that her father committed suicide -- and need to define themselves apart from these tragedies.

17 Copies, Audiocassette [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.4, AR 4.4 UG 5 pts., Lexile: 760] CMS Lib.

Bertrand's Quest by Carole Wilkinson: Fact Meets Fiction in this book that mixes the facts of being a knight in the middle ages with the story of a boy named Bertrand who dreams of becoming a knight - against his father's wishes.

23 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, AR 5.3 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 720] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Birthday Room by Kevin Henkes: When twelve-year-old Ben visits his uncle in Oregon, he feels caught in the strained relationship between his mother and her brother while he also begins to accept himself as an artist.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.2, AR 5.0 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 750] CES Lib.

Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen: A fictionalized account of the true life journey made by nine-year-old Mary Ellen Todd and her family from their home in Arkansas westward over the Oregon Trail in 1852.

(Mrs. Elliott Novel Unit) 30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.1, AR 5.3 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 830] 8th Gr. History classroom

Boys in the Boat: the true story of an American team's epic journey to win gold at the 1936 Olympics by Gregory Mone: Nine working-class boys from the American West who competed at the 1936 Olympics in rowing. The team was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler.

(Mrs. Frieze Novel Unit) 102 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.9, AR 6.9 MG 9 pts., Lexile: 1000L] 9th Grade LA

Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen: Instead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author's book Hatchet, this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and hatchet.

41 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.2, AR 5.9 MG 5pts., Lexile: 1140] 11 copies at Rural Center, 30 copies in Lib.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson: The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

83 Copies, CD, DVD [Int Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.6, AR 4.6 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 810] 13 copies in CMS Lib., 60 copies in 6th Gr. LA classroom, 10 copies at Rural Center

Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis: Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

29 Copies [Int Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.0, AR 5.0 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 950] 25 copies in 6th Gr. LA classroom

Bullying in Schools by Paul Langan: Stories and information about bullying in schools.

42 Copies [N/A, Lexile: 960] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink: Eleven-year-old Caddie Wooddlawn, growing up on the Wisconsin frontier in the mid-nineteenth century, baffles her family and the neighbors by her complete lack of interest in the womanly arts, preferring tomboy activities instead.

11 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.0, AR 6.0 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 890] Rural Center

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry: Relates how Mafatu, a young Polynesian boy whose name means Stout Heart, overcomes his terrible fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his people.

37 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.2, AR 6.3 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 830] 24 copies in CMS Lib., 13 copies at Rural Center

The Cay by Theodore Taylor: When the freighter they are traveling on is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.

62 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.0 AR 5.3 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 860] 14 Copies in CMS Lib., 48 Copies in 6th Gr. LA Classroom

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: A classic story by Charles Dickens about a miser who learns the meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.

16 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.7, AR 6.7 MG 5 pts., Lexile: HL600] 7th Gr. LA classroom

Christmas Spurs by Bill Wallace: Nick is changed by his younger brother Jimmy's slow death from leukemia, but a small private miracle at Christmastime helps him accept Jimmy's fate and go forward with renewed faith.

19 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, AR 4.6 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 720] CES Lib.

Come Sing Jimmy Jo by Katherine Patterson: When his family becomes a successful country music group and makes him a featured singer, eleven-year-old James has to deal with big changes in all aspects of his life, even his name.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.7 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 760] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata: A young soldier in Vietnam bonds with his bomb-sniffing dog.

22 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.9 MG 9 pts., Lexile: 730]

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs: Fifteen-year-old Victor Flores journeys north in a desperate attempt to cross the Arizona border and find work in the United States to support his family in central Mexico.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.4, AR 4.3 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 670] 28 Copies in 7th Gr. LA classroom, 2 in Lib.

Daniel's Story by Carol Matas: Daniel, whose family suffers as the Nazis rise to power in Germany, describes his imprisonment in a concentration camp and his eventual liberation.

27 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.8, AR 4.9 MG 5 pts., Lexile N/A] CMS Lib.

Daphne's Book by Mary Downing Hahn: As author Jessica and artist Daphne collaborate on a picture book for a seventh-grade English class contest, Jessica becomes aware of conditions in Daphne's home life that seem to threaten her health and safety.

37 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.1, AR 4.2 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 710] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Esperanza Rising by Pam Ryan: Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression.

8 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.2, AR 5.3 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 750] CMS Lib.

Everyone's Else's Parents Said Yes by Paula Danzinger: Matthew cannot resist the temptation to play practical jokes on his older sister and all the girls in his class at school, so by the time of the big party for his eleventh birthday they have all declared war on him.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 4.3 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 790] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullally Hunt: Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.2 AR 3.7, MG 7pts., Lexile: 550] 

Fire Pony by W. R. Philbrick: Eleven-year-old Roy lets himself find a loving family and a new home on the horse ranch which he and his older half-brother happen to come upon.

6 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.1, AR 4.9 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 1010] CES Lib.

Five Children and It by by E. Nesbit: While their parents are away, some English children unearth a Sand-fairy that is forced to grant their wishes. There is only one problem--the wishes come undone at sunset.

5 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.7, AR 5.7 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 570] Rural Center

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen: In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.

(Mrs. Stalder Novel Unit) 23 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.9, AR 4.8 UG 8 pts., Lexile: 720] 6th Gr. LA classroom, 3 Copies in CMS Lib.

Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher: Rachel, having chosen to be mute following the sudden death of a classmate, shares responsibility with the other sixth-graders who decide not to report that the substitute teacher failed to show up.

25 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.8, AR 3.9 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 590] CES Lib.

Freak the Mighty by W.R. Philbrick: At the beginning of eighth grade, Max, who has a learning disability, and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces they make a powerful team.

18 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.5, AR 5.5 UG 5 pts., Lexile: 1000] CMS Lib.

Gift of the Magi and other stories by O. Henry: Presents ten short stories by nineteenth-century American author O. Henry, including "The Last Leaf," "Springtime à la Carte," and the title work about the Christmas sacrifices of a young married couple.

10 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.1, AR N/A, Lexile: 940] Rural Center

The Giver by Lois Lowry: Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

(Mrs. Goldsmith novel unit) 64 Copies, CD, Teacher's Guide [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.7, AR 5.7 MG 7 pts.; Lexile: 760] CMS Lib/8th Gr. LA classroom

Gossamer by Lois Lowry: While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.

8 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.8, AR 4.4 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 660] CMS Lib.

Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park: Fourteen-year-old Jake recalls how he has spent the last four years of his life watching his grandfather descend slowly but surely into the horrors of Alzheimer's disease.

5 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.3, AR 4.5 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 680] CES Lib.

Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr: In 1860, a somewhat simple-minded fifteen-year-old boy attempts to herd one thousand turkeys from Missouri to Denver, Colorado, in hopes of selling them at a profit.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.8, AR 4.5 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 700] 7 copies @ CES Lib., 5 copies @ Rural Center

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen: After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

40 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.7, AR 5.7 MG 7 pts., Lexile: 1020] 31 copies at CMS Lib., 9 copies at Rural Center

Hidden by Helen Frost: Years after Darra Monson's father stole a minivan with Wren Abbott hiding in the back, the girls come face to face at summer camp and together they try to work through what happened to them and the impact it had on their lives.

(Mrs. Stalder Unit) 27 Copies, Homework Pack [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.2, AR 3.9 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 670] 25 copies in CS, 2 copies in CMS Lib.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool: Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas, where he grew up, and where she hopes to find out some things about his past.

16 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 5.3 MG 12 pts., Lexile: 800] 1 copy Lib. shelf

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George: A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

45 Copies, Audiocassette, Teacher's Guide [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 5.2, AR 5.2 MG 6 pts., Lexile 810] CMS Lib.

Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Giff: When a terrible blight attacks Ireland's potato crop in 1845, twelve-year-old Nory Ryan's courage and ingenuity helps her family and neighbors survive.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.3 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 600] CES Lib.

Numbering All the Bones by Ann Rinaldi: Thirteen-year-old Eulinda, a house slave on a Georgia plantation in 1864, turns to Clara Barton, the eventual founder of the American Red Cross, for help in finding her brother Neddy who ran away to join the Northern war effort and is rumored to be at Andersonville Prison.

17 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.5, AR 4.2 MG 5 pts., Lexile 600] CMS Lib.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry: In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

74 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.5, AR 4.5 MG 4 pts.; Lexile 670] 20 Copies in CMS Lib. 54 Copies in 6th Grade LA Classroom

Old Yeller by Fred Gibson: In the late 1860s in the Texas hill country, a big yellow dog and a fourteen-year-old boy form a close, loving relationship.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.0, AR 5.0 MG 5 pts., Lexile 910] CMS Lib.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia: In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

25 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.6, AR 4.6 MG 7 pts., Lexile: 750] CMS Lib.

Perilous Road by William Steele: Fourteen-year-old Chris, bitterly hating the Yankees for invading his Tennessee mountain home, learns a difficult lesson about the waste of war and the meaning of tolerance and courage when he reports the approach of a Yankee supply troop to the Confederates, only to learn that his brother is probably part of that troop.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 4.7, AR 4.7 UG 5 pts., Lexile: 750] CMS Lib.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor: An African-American family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand.

(Mrs. Goldsmith Novel unit) 25 copies, Teacher's Guide, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 5.7, AR 5.7 MG 10 pts., Lexile: 920] 8th Grade LA Room

Search for the Shadowman by Joan Nixon Lowery: While working on a genealogy project for his seventh grade history class, Andy Bonner becomes determined to solve the mystery surrounding a distant relative who was accused of stealing the family fortune.

29 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.5, AR 4.9 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 780] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare: Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

45 Copies, 1 e-book, VHS [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 4.9, AR 4.9 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 770] 29 Copies in 7th Gr. LA Classroom, 16 Copies in CMS Lib.

So B. It by Sarah Weeks: After spending her life with her mentally disabled mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 5.2, AR 5.0 MG 6 pts., Lexile: 860] 7th Gr. LA classroom

Soup by Robert Peck: The adventures and misadventures of two boys growing up in a small Vermont town.

51 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.6, AR 4.4 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 740] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Sounder by William Armstrong: Angry and humiliated when his sharecropper father is jailed for stealing food for his family, a young black boy grows in courage and understanding with the help of the devoted dog Sounder.

30 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 5.3, AR 5.3 MG 3 pts, Lexile: 900] 21 copies at CMS Lib., 9 Copies at Rural Center

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: At first the students at Arizona's Mica High School are captivated by Stargirl Caraway's unusual, carefree behavior; however, she is soon shunned for everything that makes her unique in this story that pits individuality against conformity.

19 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 4.1, AR 4.2 UG 6 pts., Lexile: 590] CMS Lib.

Stick and Whittle by Sid Hite: In 1872, while journeying from Texas to Kansas, a Civil War veteran named Melvin meets a sixteen-year-old orphan, another Melvin, and they give each other nicknames and become partners and traveling companions on an exciting adventure.

7 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, AR 6.1 MG 7 pts., Lexile: 880] CES Lib.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage: Washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, Mo LoBeau, now eleven, and her best friend Dale turn detective when the amnesiac Colonel, owner of a café and co-parent of Mo with his cook, Miss Lana, seems implicated in a murder.

26 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, AR 3.9 MG 9 pts., Lexile: 560L] CMS Lib.

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen: Fifteen-year-old Cole, trying to avoid prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.

33 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 5.3 MG 9 pts., Lexile: 670] 28 Copies in 7th Gr. LA classroom, 5 in Lib.

Tracker by Gary Paulsen: Only thirteen, John must track a deer in the Minnesota woods for his family's winter meat, and in doing so finds himself drawn to the doe who leads him and coming to hate his role as hunter.

29 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 5.8 AR 5.3 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 1010] CMS Lib.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit: The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older.

62 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.4, AR 5.0 MG 4 pts., Lexile: 770] 48 Copies in 7th Gr. LA Classroom, 4 Copies in Lib., 10 Copies at Rural Center

Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt: During the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of the value of the world he lives in.

30 Copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 5.9 AR 5.9 MG 12 pts., Lexile: 990] CMS Lib.

When Pigs Fly by June Wood: Thirteen-year-old Buddy Rae and her best friend Jiniwin do everything together--taking care of Buddy's slow younger sister, "parenting" egg babies, talking about boys, and dealing with Buddy's family move to a farm outside Turnback, Missouri.

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, AR 5.9 MG 8 pts., Lexile: 770] CES Lib.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Holt: During the summer of 1971 in a small Texas town, thirteen-year-old Toby and his best friend Cal meet the star of a sideshow act, 600-pound Zachary, the fattest boy in the world.

48 Copies, CD, DVD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 4.5, AR 4.5 UG 6 pts., Lexile 700] CMS Lib.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.

122 Copies, CD, DVD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 6.4, AR 4.9 MG 11 pts., Lexile: 700] 116 Copies in 7th Gr. LA Classroom, 6 Copies in Lib.

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame: An illustrated retelling of the escapades of Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger, four animal friends who live along a river in the English countryside.

12 Copies [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 8.2, AR 8.2 MG 11 pts., Lexile: 1140] 9 copies at Rural Center, 3 copies in Lib.

Witness by Karen Hesse: A series of poems express the views of various people in a small Vermont town, including a young black girl and a young Jewish girl, during the early 1920s when the Ku Klux Klan is trying to infiltrate the town.

34 Copies, Teacher's guide on CD, Cassette [Int. 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.1, AR 5.0 MG 2 pts.,] CMS Lib.

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy: In 1939, the Germans invaded the town of Lodz, Poland, and moved the Jewish population into a small part of the city called a ghetto. As the war progressed, 270,000 people were forced to settle in the ghetto under impossible conditions. At the end of the war, there were about 800 survivors. Of those who survived, only twelve were children. This is the story of one of the twelve.

31 copies, CD [Int. Lvl: 5-8, Rd Lvl: 5.2, AR 4.3 MG 3 pts., Lexile: 710] CMS Lib.

Zlata's Diary by Stacie Dreibrodt: The diary of a thirteen-year-old girl living in Sarajevo, begun just before her eleventh birthday when there was still peace in her homeland.

29 Copies, Teacher's Guide [Int Lvl: 5-8, Rd. Lvl: 4.0, AR 4.3 MG 5 pts, Lexile: 640] CMS Lib.

Int. Lvl: 6-8

In Care of Cassie Tucker by Ivy Ruckman: When her teenage cousin moves in with her family on their Nebraska farm in 1899, eleven-year-old Cassie learns a lot, including the meaning of "heathen" and "bigot."

9 Copies [Int. Lvl: 6-8, Rd. Lvl: 5.5, AR 4.7 MG 5 pts., Lexile: 700] CMS Lib.

Int. Lvl: YA

Acorn People by Ron Jones: Relates the experiences of a group of children with severe physical disabilities during a summer spent at camp.

(Mrs. Goldsmith Novel Unit) 20 copies [NonFiction, Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl. 6.8, AR 5.6 UG 2 pts., Lexile: 720] 8th Gr. LA classroom, 3 copies in CMS Lib.

Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: The adventures of a mischievous young boy and his friends growing up in a Mississippi River town in the nineteenth century.

29 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, AR 8.1 MG 12 pts., Lexile: 930] 25 Copies in 7th Gr. LA Classroom, 4 Copies in Lib.

Angel Experiment by James Patterson: After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "bird kids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.

24 Copies, CD [Int Lvl: YA, AR 4.6 MG 11 pts, Lexile: 700] CMS Lib.

Banner in the Sky by James Ullman: Sixteen-year-old Rudi dreams of being the first to climb the Citadel, the highest mountain in Switzerland.

21 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.1 AR 5.1 MG 11 pts., Lexile: 680] CMS Lib.

Born Blue by Han Nolan: Janie was four years old when she nearly drowned due to her mother's neglect. Through an unhappy foster home experience, and years of feeling that she is unwanted, she keeps alive her dream of someday being a famous singer.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, AR 4.9 UG 10 pts., Lexile: 920] 6th Gr. LA classroom

Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne: Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence.

(Mrs. Goldsmith's Novel Unit) 15 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.8, AR 5.8 UG 7 pts., Lexile: 1080] 8th Gr. LA classroom, 1 copy in CHS Lib.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: A satirical novel about the Utopia of the future, when babies are decanted from bottles and the great Ford is worshipped.

45 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 7.5, AR 7.5 UG 11 pts., Lexile: 870] CHS Lib.

Burning Up by Caroline B. Cooney: When a girl she had met at an inner-city church is murdered, fifteen-year-old Macey channels her grief into a school project that leads her to uncover prejudice she had not imagined in her grandparents and their wealthy Connecticut community.

33 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.0, AR 5.0 UG 8 pts., Lexile: 720] 30 copies in 6th Gr. LA Classroom, 3 in Lib.

Chocolate War by Robert Cormier: A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive and arousing the wrath of the school bullies.

30 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.9, AR 5.4 UG 8 pts., Lexile: 820] CHS Lib.

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Burns: Grandpa Blakeslee marries a young milliner just three weeks after Granny Blakeslee has gone to her reward. Young Will is boggled by this act but becomes the newlyweds' conspirator and confidant; meanwhile he does some growing up on his own.

3 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.3, AR 5.3 UG 22 pts., Lexile: 930] CHS Lib.

Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank: Anne Frank was just an average girl until she, along with her family, was forced by the German army into hiding. There they remained until August 4, 1944, when the Grune Polizei made a raid and everyone was sent to German and Dutch concentration camps. This is her diary of her experience living as a Jew in Germany during World War II.

57 Copies [Nonfiction, Int Lvl: YA, Rd Lvl: 6.5, AR 6.5 MG 14 pts, Lexile: 1080] 15 copies in CMS Lib., 42 in Mrs. Erickson's room

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: Charlie Gordon, born with an unusually low IQ, must face his gradual return to his former state when the astounding results of an experimental surgery that increased his intelligence prove to be only temporary.

29 Copies, CD, Teacher’s Guide, Puzzle Pack [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.9, AR 5.8 UG 13 pts., Lexile: 910] CMS Lib.

Maze Runner by James Dashner: Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape. 

20 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, AR 5.3 UG 15 pts., Lexile: 770] 18 Copies CMS Lib., 2 Copies at HS

Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: Rivalry between rich and poor gangs in 1960s Oklahoma leads to the deaths of three teenagers and intense soul-searching for one of the youths involved, a sensitive fourteen-year-old writer named Ponyboy.

(Mrs. Goldsmith Novel Unit) 105 Copies, DVD [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.1, AR 4.7 UG 7 pts., Lexile: 750] 100 copies in 8th Gr. LA classroom, 5 copies in Lib.

Shane by Jack Schaefer: Shane rides into a Wyoming valley in 1889 and becomes involved in a feud between big cattle dealers and homesteaders.

28 Copies, VHS, Teacher's Guide [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd lvl: 5.5, AR 5.5 UG 7pts., Lexile: 870] CMS Lib.

Slave Dancer by Paula Fox: Kidnapped by the crew of an Africa-bound ship, a thirteen-year-old boy discovers to his horror that he is on a slaver and his job is to play music for the exercise periods of the human cargo.

11 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 6.0, AR 6.0 MG 6 pts, Lexile: 970] CMS Lib.

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes: Two boys, one German and one American, are eager to join their respective armies during World War II, and their paths cross at the Battle of the Bulge.

26 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.9, AR 5.4 MG 7 pts., Lexile: 820] CMS Lib.

Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen: Eager to enlist, fifteen-year-old Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat.

21 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.7, AR 5.7 MG 2 pts., Lexile: 1000] 4 copies in Lib. collection

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls: In rural Oklahoma at the turn of the century, fourteen-year-old Jay Berry Lee discovers a tree full of monkeys, a find that leads to a summer that teaches him about life.

(Mrs. Goldsmith Novel Unit) 40 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 5.9, AR 4.8 MG 13 pts., Lexile: 810] 2 copies in Lib., 38 copies in 8th Gr. LA classroom

Voices of the Holocaust Project: Oral history testimonies by Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.

(Mrs. Goldsmith Novel Unit) 28 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA] 8th Gr. LA Classroom

War Between the Classes by Gloria Miklowitz: Seventeen-year-old Emiko, brought up in a strict Japanese-American family, is in love with handsome blond Adam, although she realizes her old-fashioned father expects her to find a Japanese husband.

20 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, Rd. Lvl: 6.1, AR 4.6 UG 5 pts., Lexile: 710] 6th Gr. LA Classroom

Whirligig by Paul Fleischman: While traveling to each corner of the country to build a whirligig in memory of the girl whose death he caused, sixteen-year-old Brian finds forgiveness and atonement.

103 Copies [Int. Lvl: YA, AR 4.9 UG 5 pts, Lexile: 990L] Mrs. Frieze Classroom

Int. Lvl: AD

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: Huck, in flight from his murderous father, and Jim, in flight from slavery, pilot their raft down the Mississippi River in search of freedom.

100 Copies [Int. Lvl: AD, AR 6.6, MG, 18 pts, Lexile: HL230L] Mrs. Frieze Classroom

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: An adolescent boy, knowing he is about to be dropped by his school, spends three days and nights in New York City.

52 Copies [Int. Lvl: AD, AR 4.7 UG 11 pts., Lexile: 790]

Different Seasons by Stephen King: Different Seasons (1982) is a collection of four novellas, markedly different in tone and subject, each on the theme of a journey. The first is a rich, satisfying, non-horrific tale about an innocent man who carefully nurtures hope and devises a wily scheme to escape from prison. The second concerns a boy who discards his innocence by enticing an old man to travel with him into a reawakening of long-buried evil. In the third story, a writer looks back on the trek he took with three friends on the brink of adolescence to find another boy's corpse. The trip becomes a character-rich rite of passage from youth to maturity.

18 Copies [Int. Lvl: AD, Lexile: 890] (each novella has a different AR test) CHS Lib.

Human Comedy by William Saroyan: The place is Ithaca, in California's San Joaquin Valley. The time is World War II. The family is the Macauley's -- a mother, sister, and three brothers whose struggles and dreams reflect those of America's second-generation immigrants.. In particular, fourteen-year-old Homer, determined to become one of the fastest telegraph messengers in the West, finds himself caught between reality and illusion as delivering his messages of wartime death, love, and money brings him face-to-face with human emotion at its most naked and raw.

31 Copies, VHS Tape [Int. Lvl: AD, AR 5.8 UG 8 pts., Lexile: 760] CHS Lib.