Preller, James.
THE COURAGE TEST
New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 4.4
ISBN 1250093910
Will doesn’t have any choice, he does not want to go camping but, his father drags him along anyway. He wanted to play baseball this summer. Instead, he’s following the route that Lewis and Clark took as they explored the wilderness. Boring!! However, Will senses something isn’t right. Why did his father decide on this trip so suddenly? The trip isn’t all bad. He meets exciting strangers, has a few thrills. Thrills like whitewater rapids, high mountain cliffs and a bear. That bear was scary! What do you do when you meet an angry bear? Will finds out about courage. A little courage may help you out during life’s little tests. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award nominee, 2018)
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/SE5GuIMNQ19LW
Clary, Julian.
THE BOLDS
New York : Carolrhoda Books, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 5.0
ISBN 1512404403
The Bolds are your typical family-- two parents, two children. They have a nice house, both parents have good jobs and they love to have fun. They love to laugh. There is one small difference--they are hyenas. They have fur and keep their tails tucked in tight. For years they have pretended to be humans but now their neighbors are getting suspicious. Are the Bolds really the Bolds? Don’t you think they act like… um…you know like … animals? What can they do but to try and act normal. Surprise encounters, new friends and with a little luck maybe all of this will blow over. Let’s hope the Bolds will come out on top. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award nominee, 2018)
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/y0jdvRfi4dfW8
McDonough, Yona Zeldis.
THE BICYCLE SPY
New York : Scholastic, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 5.8
ISBN 0545850959
Marcel loves to ride his bicycle through the streets of his town in France. He makes bread deliveries for his parent’s bakery. Marcel dreams of riding in the Tour De France, a famous bike race. But, since the German occupation of his country, all races have been cancelled. There are soldiers everywhere, stopping people with their checkpoints and questions. Marcel is stopped everyday as he makes his deliveries. Then, during one of his trips, Marcel learns that his family is in danger. His parents are members of the French resistance, a group dedicated to defeating the Germans. Marcel’s bike rides became more risky by the day, and soon he will have to ride to save many more lives than just his own. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award nominee, 2018)Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/TKF5MycIGaA3k
Leveen, Tom.
SHACKLED
New York : Simon Pulse, 2015
IL YA
ISBN 1481422499
Pelly struggles with mood
swings and anxiety. She has trouble being in public and has
tried for years to overcome her issues. They stem back to
six years ago when she and her best friend were little.
They were playing a game of hide and seek in a department store.
And Tara disappeared. Pelly blames herself and has been
trying to cope ever since. She now works part time in a
coffee shop and takes classes online. When she thinks she
sees Tara at the shop, her world starts spinning. No one
believes her that it was Tara. After all, everyone assumes
she died years ago. As Pelly continues to investigate, she
is joined by another employee of the coffee shop. This
girl really couldn't have been Tara, could it?
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/h07vQ9VJgnqL0
Lehrhaupt, Adam.
I DON'T DRAW, I
COLOR!
New York : Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017
IL K-3, RL 1.4
ISBN 148146275X
Do you like to draw? Do you like your drawings? The
boy in this book doesn't like what his drawings look like.
He can't draw a car or a puppy or a person. But he loves to
color.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/N5TAwDHRCodu8
Lakin, Patricia.
SKATEBOARDS
New York : Aladdin, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.5
ISBN 1481448331
Do you have a skateboard? Do you know how they are made? Lakin takes you through the history of skateboarding and introduces you to the craftsmanship involved in creating a skateboard. Meet Jake Eshelman who created Side Project Skateboards and builds customized boards.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/iLVAcBHsO4BdV
Lakin, Patricia.
SKATEBOARDS
New York : Aladdin, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.5
ISBN 1481448331
Do you have a skateboard? Do you know how they are
made? Lakin takes you through the history of skateboarding
and introduces you to the craftsmanship involved in creating a
skateboard. Meet Jake Eshelman who created Side Project
Skateboards and builds customized boards.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/iLVAcBHsO4BdV
Lakin,
Patricia.
BICYCLES
New York : Aladdin, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.5
ISBN 1481448960
Do you have a bicycle? Did you ever really look at it to
figure out how it was made? That is what this book looks
at. Start by looking at the history of the bicycle and
then move on to learning about bicycle maker Aaron
Dykstra. This is a fascinating look at bicycles and how
they are engineered.
https://spark.adobe.com/video/G2NPisOWONUlq
Kirby, Lee.
SUPER TURBO VS. THE FLYING NINJA SQUIRRELS
New York : Little Simon, 2016
IL K-3, RL 3.8
ISBN 1481488880
Whew. That was a tough one. But Turbo and the Superpet Superhero League has defeated Whiskerface and his rat. Time for some relaxation, right? Wrong. While the class pets are patrolling the classrooms, Turbo sees something fly across the room. But it isn't just something. It is a flying ninja squirrel. Here we go again.
SUBJECTS: Hamsters -- Fiction.
Pets -- Fiction.
Superheroes -- Fiction.
Podcast:
https://spark.adobe.com/video/xhLR7COxsfu1W
Khan, Hena.
AMINA'S VOICE
New York : Salaam Reads, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.6
ISBN 1481492063
Amina and Soojin have been best friends for a long time but now
things are changing. They are in middle school and Soojin
is including Emily in their group. This throws Amina for a
loop since Emily has always been so mean to them. As she
gets to know Emily, she doesn't seem so bad. But to add to
the changes in her life, Amina's uncle from Pakistan has come to
stay with them for a few months. And Soojin is becoming an
American citizen and talking about changing her name. Why
can't things just stay the same?
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/jO2drNhZf9oaS
Keane, David.
WHO WANTS A TORTOISE?
New York : Knopf, 2016
IL K-3, RL 2.9
ISBN 0385754175
I have wanted a puppy my whole life. I have done everything I can to get ready. But when I open the box on my birthday, it is not a puppy. It is a tortoise. Who wants a tortoise? They don't do much. They don't fetch or even greet you when you get home. I don't think I'll ever like this stupid tortoise. Do you?
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/98U1DVkD6JfiH
Joyce, William.
BENTLY & EGG
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017
IL K-3, RL 3.6
ISBN 1481489496
Bently is a little frog who
has only one good friend in life. Every day, Kack Kack the
duck comes to see him and they sing and look at Bently's
drawings. When she stopped coming to see him, Bently went to
find out what was wrong. Well, Kack Kack had laid an egg and now
spends her time sitting in her nest. Bently doesn't see
what is so great about the egg. When Kack Kack asks him to
watch the egg for her, it is stolen by a young boy who thinks it
is an Easter egg. Will Bently be able to get the egg
back? Will it be safe?
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/W0Dv3gxmS53sG
Jones, Tayari. LEAVING ATLANTA
New York : Warner Books, 2002
IL YA
ISBN 0446528307
Three children growing up in
Atlanta in 1979 find their world complicated by unimaginable events. We
meet LaTasha. Social dynamics are changing and girls she thought were
her friends are treating her badly. When Jashante shows some interest
in her, she is really torn about what is going on. Then there is
Rodney, too weird to have any friends. He is the brunt of jokes and is
usually seen by himself reading. The last part of the story is told by
Octavia -- too black and too outspoken. She tries to be nice to other
students but she still finds herself sitting alone in the lunchroom
while kids call her names. All the kids are also going through issues at home. When the child murders begin, the kids' lives get even harder.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/uzQ2V2oVTus8b
Jeter, Derek.
FAIR BALL
New York : Jeter Children's/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 5.3
ISBN 1481491482
Inspired by Derek Jeter's childhood, this book tells the story of a time in his life where baseball, school and friends dominate. Derek's baseball team is playing in the finals and he is very determined to win. His friends on the team don't seem as dedicated. As a matter of fact, his best friend Dave almost seems like he no longer wants to be Derek's friend. What is going on? Derek learns that the world isn't always fair.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/PcRu66tq0oPGj
Jenkins, Emily.
A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG
New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017
IL K-3, RL 1.4
ISBN 0553498053
A greyhound and a groundhog. Can you picture them in your head? A big,
graceful dog and a squat little rodent. They don't really have anything
in common. But can they be friends? In this beautifully illustrated
book, we can feel the joy of the friendship between two very different
creatures.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/5PhNIu3nJnKay
Hudson, Katy.
THE RUNAWAY EGG
New York : Random House, 2017
IL K-3, RL 2.2
ISBN 0553523201
Do you have a younger sister or brother? Did your mom ever ask you to watch him for a few minutes to keep him safe? How did you feel about that? Well, Chick isn't happy about it. The egg is rather boring and doesn't do anything but sit there. When the egg begins to crack and runs away, Chick does all he can to catch the runaway egg.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/92YgqkEqomP7B
Gravett, Emily.
TIDY
New York : Simon &
Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017
IL K-3 RL 3.0
ISBN 1481480197
Pete the badger is a neat
freak. He just can't stand messy things. So he
spends his days cleaning up the forest. But he realizes
that the trees keep dropping leaves so maybe he needs to get rid
of the trees. And then what will happen? See if you
think Pete is a little too neat.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/1bbVNdcHK7R5P
Crow, Sara.
EVEN SUPERHEROES HAVE TO SLEEP
New York : Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2015
IL K-3, RL 4.0
ISBN 0399558063
Everybody needs to sleep. Even superheroes. And doctors, and princesses, and astronauts. What other jobs do people do? And who else needs to sleep?
Cronin,
Doreen.
DARK SHADOWS : YES, ANOTHER
MISADVENTURE
New York : Atheneum
Books, 2017
IL K-3, RL 3.0
ISBN 1481450492
The Chicken Squad is back and all set for a new adventure.
This time they are on their way to the farm to meet family.
Of course they are not all excited about this. But it should
be a lot of fun, right? When they get to the farm, things
are a bit strange. There are lots and lots of chickens
waiting for them. They line up to introduce themselves. But
what is that shadowy creature lurking near the car?
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/nMBLsZHxiikLu
Catanese, P. W.
THE THIEF AND THE BEANSTALK
New York : Aladdin, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 5.5ISBN 1481476327
Nick reluctantly joins a group of thieves. He is alone and
cold and hungry and Finch, the head of the group, offers
friendship and food in exchange for Nick working with the
guys. When Finch tells him the plan, Nick thinks this is
crazy. Finch believes the story of Jack and the Beanstalk
and thinks he has found Jack's house. He plans to have Nick
climb into the window and then open the door for the rest of the
thieves. Well, it turns out that maybe there was some truth
to the tale and Nick finds himself repeating some of the
mistakes from the past.
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/r9k75rrks3d3O
THE COURAGE TEST
