
Like its predecessor The Birchbark House, this long-awaited sequel is framed by catastrophe, but the core of the story, which is set in 1850, is white settlers’ threats to the traditional Ojibwe way of life. Omakayas is now nine and living at her beautiful island home in Lake Superior. But whites want Ojibwe off the island: Where will they go? In addition to an abundance of details about life through the seasons, Erdrich deals with the wider meaning of family and Omakayas’ coming-of-age on a vision quest. — Booklist
The Game of Silence

How did a poor boy named Ehrich Weiss became the famous escape artist, Harry Houdini? The author, best known for his original tall tales and novels, demonstrates his ability to tell a spellbinding true story and shares his appreciation for the mystery of magic.
Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini

Run Run is a young elephant handler – a mahout – who lives in old Siam with his beloved elephant, Walking Mountain. When the boy and his elephant accidentally insult a spiteful prince, Run Run turns the prince’s “gift that is a curse” — a sacred white elephant — into a blessing. Their riveting story is told by a Newbery Medal-winning author.
The White Elephant

Folks who live near the Mississippi River know that it’s magic. When mysterious things begin to happen in the riverside town of Blue Wing, Claire and her nasty cousin, Duke, set off on an adventure to find answers. The clever plot blends fantastical elements and unique characters, as unexpected as the turns in the river, in this rich novel for accomplished readers.
Horns and Wrinkles

Henry and Chin both live in San Francisco, both are about eight years old, both adore “penny dreadfuls,” and both survive the 1906 earthquake. Chapters alternate between Henry and Chin’s narrations to provide a look at what happened in very different parts of the city on that fateful day. The story of destruction and survival is told from the perspective of two young boys.
The Earth Dragon Awakes

Scieszka has collected short stories with special appeal to guys; after all, they were written by guys! In this collection, readers will learn about guys who write for guys who read &mdash and love to laugh (and occasionally get grossed out), including a Scieszka family story.
Guys Write for Guys Read

Three pairs of siblings, sent to a summer camp that helps brothers and sisters get along, must unite to overcome an adversary at Camp Happy Harmony. The mystery unfolds through letters, memos, Post-It notes, and delightful illustrations in this offbeat story with puzzle-like appeal.
Letters from Camp: A Mystery

The third in a suspenseful trilogy, the Bones and their new friends battle dangers — from rat creatures to their own personal tragedies. The author creates a mysterious and complex world as the setting for this dark, gripping drama.
Bone: Eyes of the Storm

Otis Spofford likes to stir up a bit of excitement at home and in his third grade class; nothing awful, of course, just enough to keep things interesting. But he meets his match when he teases Ellen Tebbits and gets his comeuppance!
Otis Spofford

Henry Huggins is a regular kid who longs for some excitement in his otherwise normal – and he thinks boring life. When it arrives in the form of a scrawny dog he names Ribsy, the adventures and laughs begin!
Henry Huggins

A young boy, Leigh, begins writing letters to a famous author, Mr. Henshaw, revealing what’s going on in his life — like his parents’ divorce — as he gradually matures and finds his place in the world. Leigh’s voice is plausible and poignant.
Dear Mr. Henshaw

At just over 5 feet tall, no one thought Mamie Johnson, also known as “Peanut” because of her size, would become a baseball star. But she sure could pitch! The author collaborated with the actual Mamie Johnson to tell the riveting — and real — story of how Peanut Johnson became one of three women to play professionally in the Negro Baseball League.
A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson

Named “Ugly” by the other ducks but loved by his mother, the big, gawky, and awkward bird has a tough go of it until he finds his real identity as a swan. This novelization of Hans Christian Andersen’s now classic tale of “the Ugly Duckling” is richly told with details of Tasmania and other parts of Australia.
Ugly

While on a family vacation in California, the Gridleys stay in an old hotel where a mouse named Ralph finds a toy motorcycle and meets Keith, the youngest Gridley. Thus begins a friendship and a memorable adventure of a mouse on a motorcycle. Ralph’s adventures continue in Ralph S. Mouse (1982).
The Mouse and the Motorcycle

A rich, sonorous voice with a hint of an English accent makes Kipling’s tales of the jungle come to life all over again in this retelling of Just So Stories.
Just So Stories

More than just delicious food comes from Granny Torrelli’s kitchen. The recipes for friendship and family are there in abundance for Rosie and her pal Bailey as they listen to Granny’s timeless tales.
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

This spiral-bound book opens like a detective’s pad, holding the insight, advice, humor, and recipes of elementary-aged gecko sleuth, Chet. With comments inserted by Chet’s mockingbird friend Natalie, this cheeky, funny, pun-filled pad-folio can be used by itself, but may also lead young readers to other Chet Gecko mystery novels.
Chet Gecko’s Detective Handbook (and Cookbook): Tips for Private Eyes and Snack Food Lovers

Meet the “stair and step” girls, Ella, Henny, Charlotte, Sarah, and Gertie who live with their parents on the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the nineteenth century. Though the girls lived long ago, their fears as well as their triumphs are a celebration of everyday doings and remain as fresh today as when the girls were first introduced more than 50 years ago.
All-of-a-Kind Family

Eight-year old Joe is about to become a big brother when he meets Mika from planet Eljo, where children hatch out of eggs and life in general is quite different from what Joe knows. The importance of questioning everything, from what’s a pancake to religious beliefs, makes this gentle story fun to read as well as eye-opening.
Hello, Is Anybody There?

The adventure of Christopher Robin, his friends, Pooh (“the bear of very little brain”), and the other animals in the Hundred Acre Wood remain as fresh as Milne’s language and Shepard’s line illustrations, presented here on sturdy, cream-colored pages. The narrator’s voice of the audio book is well-matched for the tone of A. A. Milne’s writing.
Winnie-the-Pooh

Despite coming from different backgrounds, fifth-graders Jess and Leslie develop a deep friendship. Together they create an imaginary place where they alone rule as king and queen. This Newbery Medal book is told with humor and sensitivity and is filled with the joy of friendship, the pain of losing it, and the hope of healing.
Bridge to Terabithia

When Aunt Tiger Lil comes to Chinatown, she and Lily, her niece and namesake, prepare for the New Year’s celebration, solve the mystery of a stolen pearl necklace, and help a sweatshop worker. Humor is used in this lively mystery with likable characters in an authentic setting.
Case of the Goblin Pearls (Chinatown Mystery, No. 1)

The classic story of friendship and how a spider named Charlotte saves Wilbur, a small pig, from certain death with words in a web is now more than 50 years old. Nonetheless, it remains as fresh as the day it was first written.
Charlotte’s Web

Teddy discovers he has protective instincts when he sees his younger brother, Bobby, being bullied. How Teddy overcomes the bully without fists, acquires a pet cockroach named Hercules, and starts a new friendship creates a gently humorous story. Teddy and Bobby were introduced in Later, Gator (Hyperion, 1997).