Young Readers Fiction

Eleven-year-old Simon and his friends are disappointed with the lack of funding at Booker T. Washington School—there’s no AC, only one space for school activities, and the money for extracurricular programs is getting cut. Desperate to save Maria’s beloved debate team, the crew start a petition to grab the attention of the local community and show they deserve to have the same opportunities as everyone else.

There is nothing more important than the time we spend together, learning to see the world through each other’s eyes. From counting constellations to imagining shapes in fluffy clouds to hiking great canyons or jumping into the ocean, the special moments between a mother or father and their child are some of the most memorable and precious in our lives. Inspired by the majesty of nature all around us, I Loved You First is a gently whimsical celebration of parental love and a companion to Jenna and Barbara’s New York Times bestselling children's books Sisters First and Love Comes First.

No Better Friend tells the incredible true story of Frank Williams, a radarman in Britain's Royal Air Force, and Judy, a purebred pointer, who met as prisoners of war during World War II. Judy, who became the war's only official canine POW, was a fiercely loyal dog who sensed danger - warning her fellow prisoners of imminent attacks and protecting them from brutal beatings. Frank and Judy's friendship, an unbreakable bond forged in the worst circumstances, is one of the great recently unearthed stories of World War II.

Mrs. Z’s class is holding a variety show, and everyone has signed up to demonstrate their special skill! Everyone that is, except Ayana Ndoum. She’s good at reading, but someone’s already reciting a poem out loud. She’s good at synchronized swimming, but they can't get a pool onstage. What could her act be? Before she can figure it out, she has an even bigger problem to deal with: Why is her dad at school?

In every school there are bullies. In every town there are local legends and their scary stories. In the small town of Cokerville, 11 year old Tyler and his friends have to deal with both, but they come to realize that the local legend of a haunted Indian burial ground is much more than just imagination.

When Cat overhears a conversation about a diamond hidden somewhere in the theatre, she's determined to find the treasure. Ably assisted by Pedro, a musician in the company orchestra, she is thrust into a world of drama and intrigue, where she encounters Covent Garden street gangs, boxing matches, theatre riots and spectacular stage productions. En route, she learns a lot about who she is, and who her real friends are.

Eighteen-year-old Devon longs for two things: The stars, and the boy she fell in love with last summer. When Ashton breaks Devon's heart at the end of the most romantic summer ever, she thinks her heart will never heal again. But over the course of the following year, Devon finds herself slowly putting the broken pieces back together. Now it's senior year and she's determined to enjoy every moment of it, as she prepares for a future studying galaxies. That is, until Ashton shows up on the first day of school. Can she forgive and open her heart to him again?

Elise carries a notebook full of tallies. Each page marks a day spent at her new public school. Each stroke of her pencil marks a word spoken - a word that can't be taken back. Five tally marks isn't so bad. Two is pretty good. But zero? Zero is perfect. Zero means no wrong answers called out in class, no secrets accidentally spilled, and no conversations to agonize over at night when sleep is far away. But now months have passed, and Elise isn't sure she could speak even if she wanted to

Growing up in a remote part of Alaska, Ivan and September Crane know that autumn is an unpredictable season - days of clear blue skies can give way to fierce, sudden storms in a blink. They know the trouble signs: changes in the wind, the temperature, or even the color of the dawn. But somehow, this time, left alone when their fisherman father is delayed at sea, even their keen sense of their surroundings and the lessons they've been taught fail them.

Twelve-year-old House Jackson, star pitcher and team captain of the Aurora County All-Stars, has been sidelined for a whole sorry year with a broken elbow. He's finally ready to play, but wouldn't you know that the team's only game of the year has been scheduled for the exact same time as the town's 200th-anniversary pageant. Now House must face the pageant's director, full-of-herself Frances Shotz (his nemesis and perpetrator of the elbow break), and get his team out of this mess.

Werther es un joven de carácter sensible y pasional que se enamora perdidamente de Charlotte, una mujer que se halla comprometida a otro hombre. Werther es un hombre apuesto que suscita el interés de muchas otras mujeres, pero él está enamorado de Charlotte, quien no lo ama, y a pesar del intenso dolor que le causa el amor no correspondido, Werther desarrolla una amistad íntima con ella.

Ellen’s mother has struggled with depression before, but not like this. With her father away fighting in World War II and her mother unable to care for them, Ellen’s only option is to reach out to her cold, distant aunt Pearl. Soon enough, city-dwelling Ellen and her mother are shepherded off to the countryside to Aunt Pearl’s home, a neat little cabin at the base of Snowden Mountain. Adjusting to life in a small town is no easy thing: the school has one room, one of her classmates smells of skunks, and members of the community seem to whisper about Ellen’s family.

In his early 20s now, Rusty finally leaves Dehra and books a passage to England, dreaming of writing and selling his novel abroad. First in Jersey, and then in in London, he works as a clerk by day and writes in the evenings. Eventually, the novel is finished, and Rusty even finds a publisher. But this, he discovers, does not mean his book will see the light of day soon. But London has many adventures in store for Rusty. Strolling down Baker Street, he runs into Sherlock Holmes, is accosted by Rudyard Kipling, and has an escapade in the Chinese quarter!

Life hasn't been great for Jeff Hicks. After years at his beloved St. Catherine's, he's forced to spend eighth grade in the public middle school, which he hates. He's no longer speaking to his former best friend, Tom Bender, because of "that burned girl" Jessica Feeney. But worst of all, his family is changing, and it's not for the better. When his mom comes home announcing that she's lost her job, Jeff begins to worry about things far beyond his years.

In the small town of Alcolu, South Carolina, in 1944, 12-year-old Ella spends her days fishing and running around with her best friend Henry and cousin Myrna. But life is not always so sunny for Ella, who gets bullied for her light skin tone, and whose mother is away pursuing a jazz singer dream in Boston. So Ella is ecstatic when her mother invites her to visit for Christmas. Little does she expect the truths she will discover about her mother, the father she never knew, and her family's most unlikely history.

Raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the heart of Jim Crow, Dovey Johnson Roundtree felt the sting of inequality at an early age and made a point to speak up for justice. She was one of the first Black women to break the racial and gender barriers in the US Army when women were barely allowed to serve; a fierce attorney in the segregated courtrooms of Washington, DC; and a minister in Black churches, where women had never before had the chance to speak.

1776. The early days of the Revolutionary War. It supposedly began with Thomas Hickey, a private in the Continental Army, and New York governor William Tryon. In an astonishing power grab, they plotted to kill Hickey's boss: a man by the name of George Washington. In the end, Hickey was caught, brought to trial, and found guilty. It would seem he became the first person in the new nation to be executed for treason.

The Compton Cowboys are a group who grew up in the city where Kendrick Lamar and Serena Williams were raised; a city portrayed in the media as ground zero for gang violence. But in 1988, with the creation of the Compton Junior Posse, a youth program set on a horse ranch in the middle of Compton, these men and women found a safe space.

Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha (listed in alphabetical order out of fairness) have been friends since kindergarten. Now they're in their senior year, facing their biggest fears about growing up and growing apart. But there's more than just college on the horizon. One of these girls is destined to become the president of the United States. The mystery, of course, is which girl gets the gig.

Written by an outstanding scholar in simple, eloquent language, this wonderfully contemporary retelling will draw youngsters in with superb dialogue, and vivid description. The skillful blending of Shakespeare's own lines with modern language enhances children's involvement and comprehension. There's background on Shakespeare and the play; answers to FAQs such as "Isn't Juliet too young to be married?" and a "Who's Who" of the characters. Young Reader's Shakespeare is a powerful visual and reading experience.