CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2010
"Readers may well find themselves wondering the same. (Fiction. 9-12)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2010
"Mary Mae is a memorable character—spunky but not defiant—whose search for truth drives the narrative. (Fiction. 8-12)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2009
"Readers will finish this witty, deftly crafted debut novel rooting for "Callie Vee" and wishing they knew what kind of adult she would become. (Historical fiction. 10-14)"
"Mother was awakening to the sorry facts: My biscuits were like stones, my samplers askew, my seams like rickrack."
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2009
"Zoë Royster, peer to the literary heroines she so loves, is as memorable in her own way as the Great Gilly Hopkins, Opal Buloni and Anne Shirley. (Fiction. 9-12)"
After the death of her mentally ill mother, Zoë—tart-tongued and valiant—is adopted by her paternal uncle, artist Henry Royster, and with his help moves toward a more conventional life.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2009
"This sure-to-please adventure for middle-grade readers is a promising new direction for the prolific nature writer. (Fiction. 8-11)"
After a wild ride down I-95 with their unpredictably violent father, Sandy and Jack Casperin find themselves in the Florida Keys, far from home.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2008
"Gritty and engaging. (Fiction. 9-12)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2007
"Readers will learn much about horses, and even those who know nothing about them will cheer as Maya learns to walk, jog, lope and gallop. (glossary, websites, bibliography) (Fiction. 9-13)"
Wide open space changes people, as 11-year-old Maya discovers in this novel of a young girl's growth from sheltered grandchild to independent young woman.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 10, 2006
"Episodic enough to be read aloud, this should have wide appeal. (Fiction. 9-12)"
Because of his brother's critical illness, John Hawkins's mother says the family dog must go.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 6, 2006
"Loss settles on the page with a longing that only time and reflection can heal, and that only a top-notch writer can create. (Fiction. 9-12)"
Looking back to the summer of 1960 when he was ten, Nick relates the story of Marcy, a baby mockingbird he rescued and nurtured into saucy confidence.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2006
"Touching and heartwarming. (Fiction. 11-14)"
In the hands of a less-talented author, the story of a half-wild dog and the heartbroken girl who tames him might have descended into saccharine sentimentality.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 1, 2005
"Tobin's own blossoming, through friendship, and the rediscovery of his family, and the love for and of his chickens, is entirely satisfying—just right. (Fiction. 10-14)"
Seventh-grader Tobin has pretty much flown under the radar most of his life, only stealing a paper clip now and then to prove his relationship to the rest of his juvenile-delinquent family.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2004
"A remarkable intergenerational tale with the beautiful landscape of the Grand Teton Mountains as a backdrop. (Fiction. 9-13)"
George delivers another inspiring story in which nature plays a profound role in the life of a child.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 10, 2002
"If the ending is somewhat predictable, it is also entirely satisfying—Hoot is, indeed, a hoot. (Fiction. 10-14)"
The straight-arrow son of a maybe-federal agent (he's not quite sure) turns eco-terrorist in this first offering for kids from one of detective fiction's funniest novelists.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2000
"A real gem. (Fiction. 9-12)"
A 10-year old girl learns to adjust to a strange town, makes some fascinating friends, and fills the empty space in her heart thanks to a big old stray dog in this lyrical, moving, and enchanting book by a fresh new voice.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 1995
"As in Henkes's other novels (and in contrast to his picture books), the glacial, evenly modulated plot requires patient readers; the reward is a cast of good-hearted, strongly individual characters moving through a simply told but multilayered story, rich in imagery and feeling. (Fiction. 11-13)"
A slow, meaty story of an autocratic father and his strong- minded daughter looking for ways to break through the reserve that keeps them from expressing their mutual love and respect.
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