Books for Readers 8-12

Clever Chuan devises a simple way for his father to quickly and accurately count all the warlord�s treasure.

Ghost stories from the Capital of Silicon Valley have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know a ghostly bride stalks the corridors of the Sainte Claire Hotel? Or that a spectral janitor still carries out his duties at Overfelt High School? Can you believe that at the La Forêt Restaurant, long-dead miners from the New Almaden are rumored to appear in rooms they once called home? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see San Jose forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

A May/June 2000 BookSense ’76 Selection

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

In China, a beautiful ceramic tile lies shattered on the ground, and the artist who dropped it is sentenced to the land’s worst punishment. The fierce warlord will execute the artist unless some wise person can put the seven pieces back together. That person will then be invited to live in the castle. Both locals and strangers from far away wait their turns for a chance to solve the warlord’s puzzle.

After learning why these people are waiting to enter the castle, a peasant boy convinces his poor but wise father to join the line. This little boy starts them off on the first step to solving the puzzle—entering the contest.

Ghost stories from America’s most infamous prison have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky island of Alcatraz!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know a ghost nurse wanders the halls in search of prisoners to heal? Or that nobody has ever escaped from Alcatraz…and lived to tell the tale? Can you believe Cell 14D is haunted by a mysterious, red-eyed monster? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Alcatraz and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from America’s “Jewel of the Sierras” have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky shores of Lake Tahoe!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know Tahoe has a lake monster named Tessie? Or a prehistoric flying beast roaming the skies? Can you believe you might bump into ghostly legends like Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe—and even Elvis!—just hanging around your hotel?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Lake Tahoe, and have you sleeping with the light on!

Ghost stories from Southern California have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to spooky Southern California!   

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is home to ghostly movie stars? Or that some ghosts get to spend eternity at Disneyland, “The Happiest Place on Earth?” Can you believe spirits from all over have turned Silver City into a literal Ghost Town?  

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Southern California, and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Welcome to Los Angeles! Parent and child golden retrievers tour Los Angeles, California in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, Los Angeles! join the pair as they visit Universal Studios, make instruments at the children's museum, and see animals at the zoo! Along the way, ride a pony at Griffith Park, eat a taco on Olvera Street, and catch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl! For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: Los Angeles combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the City of Angels, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing ’til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: Los Angeles is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

What L.A plant fits in your hand?

A palm tree!

Fun Factoid: The iconic Los Angeles palm tree is actually a native of India or Southeast Africa.

Welcome to San Francisco! Parent and child Pelicans explore The City by the Bay in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, San Francisco! join the pair on their fun-filled visit to this famously foggy city as they ride cable cars up steep hills, shop on Fisherman's Wharf, and cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Along the way they eat fortune cookies in Chinatown, look up at the redwood trees in Muir Woods, and make some new friends at the San Francisco Zoo! For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Welcome to San Diego! Parent and child Pandas tour America's Finest City in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, San Diego! join the pair as they visit the beach, spend the day at Balboa Park, tour the Bay on a boat, and discover tide pool creatures at Cabrillo National Monument. Along the way they stop for tacos in Old Town, ride a roller coaster, wave to sea lions, watch hang gliders, and end their day roasting marsh-mallows on Coronado Island! For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Chuan helps readers learn about ratios to craft puppets.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about San Francisco’s interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know that San Francisco was one of the most popular places to secure a fortune during the Gold Rush? Or that you can still visit Alcatraz, the country’s most secure Federal prison, to this day? From the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, to the Mexican-American War, Super Cities!: San Francisco covers it all, and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this city great. Stroll along Pier 39, explore Chinatown, and try delicious chocolate at Ghirardelli Square, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of San Francisco!

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: San Francisco combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the Golden Gate City, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing ’til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: San Francisco is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

Judge: Why did the painting from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art get sent to Alcatraz?
Jury: It was FRAMED!

COMEDY GOLD! The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has been declared “One of the Modern Wonders of the World!” Nearly two miles long, it is one of the most photographed bridges in the world. The span-tastic Golden Gate was built to withstand 90-mile-per-hour winds and magnitude 8.0 earthquakes! 

All is calm in the warlord�s palace, and the artist�s apprentice Chuan sits with his friend Jing Jing, watching the sunset, when an invading army approaches. Jing Jing comes up with an ingenious solution using Chuan�s knowledge of calculating area as well as his handmade paper and ink to frighten the troops into leaving.

The warlord�s presence is requested at the emperor�s banquet in two weeks, but he is sixteen days away by horseback. Using their math skills, ingenuity, and the wind, Chuan and Jing Jing reach the warlord�s camp and encourage him to use their sailing cart to travel to the feast. The Warlord�s Messengers is the sixth book in the acclaimed Warlord�s Series, and includes directions for making your own windsock as well as suggestions for velocity-related math activities.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door.

Learning about Yosemite's interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Ghost stories from the Grey Ghost herself have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The RMS Queen Mary’s famous haunted history comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Meet Little Jackie, the ship’s most playful ghost, see Winston Churchill, who hangs out at the restaurant, and explore the spectral vortex in the first-class pool. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.