Marisol's journey resonates with anyone struggling with courage, as she navigates her fears and learns to embrace her inner strength. The narrative highlights themes of empowerment and resilience, encouraging readers to confront their challenges. Through her experiences, Marisol inspires others to find bravery within themselves, making this story a powerful testament to personal growth and self-discovery.
In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kind hearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball. They aren't friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms
Marisol and her best friend Jada love to ride their bikes, except when they have to ride past a dangerous beast they call Daggers, but when Daggers gets loose, Marisol unexpectedly rescues him, conquering one of her biggest fears
In Chapel Spring, Louisiana, twelve-year-old Apple Yengko navigates the challenges of middle school while holding onto her belief that everyone has three interesting facts worth discovering. Her unique perspective, however, sets her apart from her peers, leading to feelings of isolation. As she grapples with being an outcast, the story explores themes of identity, friendship, and the quest for connection in a world that often values conformity over individuality.
Recognized with multiple prestigious awards, this book has garnered acclaim from various literary organizations and publications. It features engaging storytelling that resonates with young readers, blending themes of adventure and personal growth. The narrative is enriched by well-developed characters who navigate challenges, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking. Its broad recognition highlights its impact and relevance in children's literature, appealing to educators and parents alike.
Every day in the small town of Fawn Creek is exactly the same—until Orchid Mason arrives. From Newbery medallist Erin Entrada Kelly comes a contemporary school story about friendship, family, deception, and being true to yourself.
A Newbery Honor Book • BookPage Best Books • Chicago Public Library Best Fiction • Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee • Horn Book Fanfare • New York Times Notable Children’s Book • School Library Journal Best Book • Today Show Pick • An ALA Notable Book “A 10 out of 10 . . . Anyone interested in science, sibling relationships, and friendships will enjoy reading We Dream of Space.”—Time for Kids Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly transports readers to 1986 and introduces them to the unforgettable Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas in this pitch-perfect middle grade novel about family, friendship, science, and exploration. This acclaimed Newbery Honor Book is a great choice for readers of Kate DiCamillo, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Rebecca Stead. Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. Cash, who loves basketball but has a newly broken wrist, is in danger of failing seventh grade for the second time. Fitch spends every afternoon playing Major Havoc at the arcade on Main and wrestles with an explosive temper that he doesn’t understand. And Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of being NASA’s first female shuttle commander, but feels like she’s disappearing. The Nelson Thomas children exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project—they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways. Told in three alternating points of view, We Dream of Space is an unforgettable and thematically rich novel for middle grade readers. We Dream of Space is illustrated throughout by the author.
"Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard named Peppina ... but she's way too scared to climb it. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe"-- Provided by publisher
Abandoned by their father and living in poverty with their heartless stepmother in Louisiana, two sisters from the Philippines, twelve-year-old Sol and six-year-old Ming, learn the true meaning of family.
Twelve-year-old Lalani Sarita takes on the impossible task of traveling to the legendary Mount Isa, towering on an island to the north. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest -- how can a timid young girl in a tiny boat survive the epic tests of the archipelago?