Juvenile Fiction

Kelsi Fairgate, a fourth grader and only child living on a ranch in the middle of Texas, awaits the end of the school year. When her parents bring in an orphan lamb from a pasture, her prospects for the summer look up. Kelsi and her friend, Ampara, run into some serious rattlesnake trouble one day. The lamb saves Kelsi, but then it is the girls’ turn to try to save the lamb!

Let the GHOUL times roll!

Henry can’t wait for his field trip to the French Quarter, New Orleans’ oldest—and spookiest!—neighborhood. Not only will he and his best friend, Lily, find some cool facts for their local history project, they’ll get to eat delicious beignets while they’re at it. (Yum, y’all.) 

But inside historic Meredith Mansion, they find way more than they bargained for—including paintings that move, a possibly haunted music box, and one VERY grumpy ghost! Along with their friends, Henry and Lily will have to follow the creepy clues, explore mystical signs and symbols, and uncover an old family secret that someone may still be guarding, even from beyond the grave! And if they can’t . . . it could be the last field trip any of them ever take.

Allons, let’s go, down to the swamp! 

Lost and far from home, the smallest alligator down the bayou must navigate a world full of misunderstandings and surprises. Along the way, he encounters a host of colorful characters—some who fear him, others who offer help, and all who teach him that being different isn't so bad after all. P.S. A tiny cat head silhouette is hidden on every page—happy hunting! 

From the author and illustrator of Scrim on the Run!

Every Sunday, Mike and Yvette could be found sitting on the porch listening to Pop recount stories of growing up near the Catahoula swamp. Tall tales of creatures that could only live in nightmares…an old hag with long, boney fingers, a tree that comes to life, and a wild girl who keeps “toe-kens” from her human encounters. Tall tales, yes, and none of them true…right?!

Yet when the family outing to visit Tante Nana, deep in the backwoods of Catahoula goes awry, Yvette soon discovers that strange things happen where the black trees grow.

A tale familiar to 1,000s of New Hampshire school children told and illustrated by locals Eric Pinder & T.B.R. Walsh.

Stray cat Nin drifts from house to house until he meets a meteorologist named Mark. Then Nin begins his greatest journey yet—to the top of Mount Washington. Follow Nin to a land where the wind howls, snow swirls and wild bears roam. At the Mount Washington Observatory, Nin learns that the best friends—and a wonderful home—can be found anywhere, even high above the clouds.

Captain Dare, the fearsome pirate captain, invites children of all ages on this exciting, interactive adventure to find a secret treasure. Children repeat the orders of Captain Dare as they wade through crocodile-filled lagoons and sneak past dangerous snake pits. Through a jungle and up a cliff, children must travel with the captain to find a treasure more special than gold-a treasure trove of books.

A boy from the swamp, content with a simple existence, is encouraged by a mysterious alligator to explore another side of life.

Although the boy is reluctant to trust his strange new friend, a curious fascination compels him to accept the invitation. He ventures beyond the confines of his quiet swamp, learning much about the outside world and even more about himself.

This colorfully illustrated rhyming board book teaches your littles about the great state of Texas.

From the size of the skies to the height of Aunt Birdee's hair, we all know it's bigger there!

"A small gem of a story." —Kirkus

Dwindling water supplies have driven desperate cattlemen to snip fences in order to water their herds—targeting thirteen-year-old Jesse's farm several times. When a lone drifter arrives in town, he's quickly hired to work the farm. Jesse suspects the man is more than just a hired hand and is determined to uncover his mysterious secret. This Society of School Librarians International Honor Book includes an author's note and bibliography.

Where in the world can children hear jazz, gospel, and blues and eat shrimp po� boys and strawberry snowballs? Jazz Fest in New Orleans!

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.

Chuan helps readers learn about ratios to craft puppets.

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.

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

Twelve-year-old Gracie Watson is unusually—some might even say morbidly—excited about her upcoming move to Savannah, one of the most haunted cities in the country.

Gracie isn’t one to make friends with the living, but she quickly bonds with a graveyard groundskeeper’s son, who vows to help her on her quest. Together, they set out to find the ghost of another Gracie Watson, who happens to be buried at Bonaventure Cemetery. Like any great adventure, what they find is nothing like what they expected.

One day, a little old lady decides to bake a Gingerbread Man. But he turns out to be not just any Gingerbread Man--this one has special powers, like the ability to fly. He flies to a bakery and helps save the other baked goods from a crazed macaroon, in this hilarious picture book for young readers.