ReboundBy Kwame Alexander It’s 1988, and 12-year-old Charlie Bell is going through some hard times.  His father has passed away, and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.  Neither does his mother.  When Charlie gets caught stealing, his mother reaches the end of her rope and sends Charlie to his grandparents’ house in Washington […]

Poison Is Not PoliteBy Robin Stevens It’s 1935 and 14-year-old Daisy Wells has returned from boarding school to her British country estate for the holidays.  This year, her best friend, Hazel Wong, has accompanied her. Although Hazel is from Hong Kong, she attends school in Britain.  Because it’s 1935, she is one of very few […]

the goldfish boy        The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson Matthew Corbin is 12 years old and lives in a quiet cul-de-sac with his parents. Matthew has stopped going to school because he suffers from severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). He continually cleans his room and washes his hands so much that the skin is raw. Matthew […]

Wolfie & FlyBy Cary FaganIllustrations by Zoe Si Renata Wolfman (a.k.a. Wolfie) is a loner.  She has her own ideas about how things should be done and friends just get in the way. One day she finds a giant refrigerator box just lying around.  She decides to build a submarine.  After adding a porthole, a […]

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected PackageBy Kate DiCamilloIllustrated by Chris Van Dusen “Eugenia Lincoln was a practical person, a sensible person.  She did not have time for poetry, geegaws, whoop-de-whoops, or frivolity.” (p. 1) When an unexpected package arrives, Eugenia’s world gets a little off-kilter.  Her sister, Baby, is thrilled.  Even the neighbours, Frank, Mrs. […]

The Infamous Ratsos Are Not AfraidBy Kara LaReauIllustrated by Matt Myers Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to build an arcade – not a video game arcade, but the kind you find at a carnival.  They decide that if they get to work clearing out a vacant lot, they can transform it into the Big City […]

Big Foot and Little FootBy Ellen PotterIllustrations by Felicita Sala Hugo is a young Sasquatch who lives in the North Woods.  His home is in Widdershins Cavern, where a community of Sasquatches lives.  They have stores, a barber shop, a post office, and a school. The Sasquatches enjoy leaving their cavern from time to time […]

Howard Wallace, P.I.By Casey Lyall Howard Wallace is a twelve-year-old middle schooler.  He’s a bit awkward and doesn’t have many friends.  However, Howard does have skills that bring people to him; he is a private investigator – one of the best.  And although he is often hired for rather minor investigations – such as locating […]