A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff

Giff, Patricia Reilly.
A HOUSE OF TAILORS
New York : Wendy Lamb Books, 2004.
IL 3-6
ISBN 0385908792


Going to America? No, this can't be true. Dina's older sister is supposed to be the one going. That was before Dina got into trouble with the soldiers. And now Dina is going to New York City. Her dream had always been to escape the drudgery of her mother's sewing shop. She just knows when she gets to the uncle's house in America that there will be no more sewing for her. She will live a life of luxury. But life in Brooklyn in the 1870s is not as she imagines. And worse than anything is the sight of the sewing machine in the uncle's small apartment. The rug under it is worn almost through -- a sure sign of the many hours of work done on that old machine. And Dina is the one expected to use it. She makes up her mind then and there to find a way to earn her passage back to Germany and her family. If she must sew, she would be happier back home. What will life hold for 13-year-old Dina?

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner

Gardner, Sally.
I, CORIANDER
New York : Dial, 2005
IL 5-8, RL 6.5
ISBN 0803730993

When the silver shoes arrived, Coriander knew they were meant for her. Coriander is a young girl growing up in seventeenth century England . Coriander is the privileged daughter of a wealthy merchant. When Coriander's father flees political enemies, she is left with an evil stepmother and mean preacher. Through the magic of the slippers, Coriander travels to the golden land. In the fairy world, Coriander discovers that her real mother was a fairy princess. Can Coriander find a powerful hidden object and restore the fairy world along with the real world from which she came? (New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2007)

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Flanagan, John.
THE RUINS OF GORLAN
New York : Philomel Books, 2005
IL 5-8, RL 5.8
ISBN 0399244549

Will is nervous about “choosing day”. Who will choose him as their apprentice? He would love to be a knight, but instead, he winds up as a ranger’s apprentice. The rangers are a secretive group that protects the kingdom from evil and crime. Will soon learns that becoming a ranger is much more difficult and dangerous than he ever imagined. The last apprentice was killed in training, now its Will’s turn to try. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2007)

The Sloppy Copy Slipup

DiSalvo, DyAnne
THE SLOPPY COPY SLIPUP
New York : Holiday House, 2006.
IL 3-6, RL 5.9
ISBN 0823419479

Fourth-grader Big Hig knows he will get detention from his teacher when he doesn’t hand in his homework, the first draft of a story. He thinks it is worth a try to find excuses for his failure and soon finds that his class, his teacher and even the principal look forward to the next installment in a personal story that is truly Big Hig’s to tell. It might even be worth writing down to complete the assignment. Listen to his tale of woe and life when you read “The Sloppy Copy Slipup”. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face

Beekman's Big Deal by Michael De Guzman

De Guzman, Michael.
BEEKMAN'S BIG DEAL
New York : Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004.
IL 5-8, RL 4.0
ISBN 0374306729

When asked by the Headmaster of Chance Academy to state his personal philosophy of life, Beekman O’Day responds, “To stay in one place as long as I can”. You see, Beekman has had enough moving around for a whole lifetime, fourteen homes and nine schools in his twelve years. Beekman’s dad is always looking for the great business deal to come along, and when it doesn’t, they move to yet another apartment or rented room somewhere in Manhattan. His dad is always saying, “Think big, live big”, but it looks like his latest scheme isn’t working and he’s looking to bail again. Beekman takes a gamble on his own one big deal and finds a way, with the help of some eccentric neighbors, to make them grow some roots. Does he succeed? Read “Beekman’s Big Deal” to find out. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2007)

The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

Carman, Patrick.
THE DARK HILLS DIVIDE
New York : Orchard, 2005.
IL 3-6, RL 6.7
ISBN 0439700930

Alexa is the 12 year old daughter of a mayor of one of the four walled cities. She has wanted to find out what is beyond the walls and why they were built. Just as Warvold, the architect of the walls and leader of Birdwell, is about to tell her, he dies. She has the courage to take the key from around his neck and unlock the door to the forests and mountains outside. She learns there is a conspiracy headed by someone in power inside the castle and evil forces outside who are going to invade the walled cities. A small elf/gnome-like man who lives beyond the walls leads Alexa to talking animals and a complex code that she must decipher in order to save her city. See if you can figure out who the “bad guy” is before he is revealed. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2007)

Shakespeare's secret by Elise Broach

Broach, Elise.
SHAKESPEARE'S SECRET
New York : Holt, 2005.
IL 5-8, RL 6.1
ISBN 0805073876

Oh, hello, you’re new, aren’t you?” the teacher said, smiling. “I’ll introduce you to the rest of the class. Let’s see, your name is…” Mrs. Vanderley studied the attendance roster, pursing her lips. Here we go, thought Hero. “It’s Hero,” she
said, her voice ringing in the quiet classroom. “Hero Netherfield.” “Hero?” said a red-haired girl in the front row. “Hey, that’s my dog’s name.” A split second later the classroom erupted in laughter. Two boys in the back began whistling and slapping their jeans, calling, ”Here, Hero, here, girl!” Someone else yelled, “Watch out, she’s not housebroken!” Hero hurried across the room and slid into the empty seat, her heart filled with despair. There was no way the dog joke would end here. It was exactly the kind of mindless label that stuck to a person like glue. In this class, in this school, she would always be the girl named after a dog.

Hero hates the name her parents gave her—right out of a Shakespeare play---and she hates having to start in at another new school. But her life looks up when an elderly neighbor enlists her aid in solving the mystery of the disappeared “Murphy Diamond”. It’s valued at nearly 1 million dollars, and rumor has it that the thief hid it somewhere in Hero’s house! And another thing---the coolest boy in the eighth-grade seems awfully interested in helping Hero solve the mystery---why? And will this help her chances of fitting in with the other sixth-graders at Ogden Elementary, or hurt them? (New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2007)

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

Birdsall, Jeanne.
THE PENDERWICKS : A SUMMER TALE OF FOUR SISTERS, TWO RABBITS, AND A VERY INTERESTING BOY
New York : Knopf, 2005.
IL 3-6, RL 5.6
ISBN 0375931430

When our story begins, Batty is still only four years old. Rosalind is twelve, Skye eleven, and Jane ten. They're in their car with Mr. Penderwick and Hound. The family is on the way to Arundel and, unfortunately, they're lost.
"It's Batty's fault," said Skye.
"It is not," said Batty.
"Of course it is," said Skye. "We wouldn't be lost if Hound hadn't eaten the map, and Hound wouldn't have eaten the map if you hadn't hidden your sandwich in it."
"Maybe it's fate that Hound ate the map. Maybe we'll discover something wonderful while we're lost," said Jane.
"We'll discover that when I'm in the backseat for too long with my younger sisters, I go insane and murder them," said Skye.

Rosalind, who was sitting in the front seat with Mr. Penderwick, turned around and gave Skye her oldest-sister glare. It wouldn't do much, Rosalind knew. After all, Skye was only one year younger than she was. But it might quiet her long enough for Rosalind to concentrate on where they were going. They really were badly lost.

It’s vacation time, and the Penderwick sisters and their dad will be staying in a cottage in the Berkshires for the summer. They do manage to find it, but Arundel isn’t quite the cottage they were expecting. It’s located on a grand estate, with a mansion next door. Add a mysterious boy glimpsed in a window, a handsome young groundskeeper and a bad-tempered bull and things are bound to get interesting! Join the Penderwick sisters for a bit of adventure, a bit of mystery, a bit of growing up, and a lot of fun. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2007)

Coastwatcher by Elise Weston

During World War II, the war was being fought in Europe, Africa and in Asia. But those who lived along the coast of the United States kept watch to be sure that the enemy was not sneaking into the country. One of those who voluntarily keep watch is Hugh. Even though his sister has lost interest in watching and his cousin Tom doesn't seem to want to help, Hugh spends part of each day with his binoculars staring out at the waters near his South Carolina home. One day he sees it. Out in the water. He is sure it is a periscope from a submarine. But no one will believe him. Has he just been spending so much time watching that he is imaging this?

Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

Young Tom is the seventh son of the seventh son. There is no inheritance for the seventh son. There is just one thing that a seventh son can do and that is to be apprenticed to a tradesman. And Tom is following that route. His mother has chosen a very unusual apprenticeship for him. He is to work or the village spook. Now the spook is not the most popular man in town. As a matter of fact, he has no friends. It is a very lonely life. The spook is in charge of protecting the villagers against ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties. Tom is not sure that he is cut out for this life. But it his duty to learn what he can. He very quickly finds himself disobeying the Spook's warnings and gets himself into trouble by mistakenly freeing the witch Mother Malkin. Can he right this wrong? Or will catastrophe ensue?