One-of-a-kind Mallie


Book Description

Mallie is so tired of being an identical twin, she could scream! To everyone in Cedarville, she's just the second half of Hallie and Mallie, the adorable pair. Mother sews them matching dresses, and their teacher has even assigned them the same poem to recite together at the school picnic. It may look as if the twins are the same child twice, but inside, Mallie feels as different as the Gypsies who have set up camp nearby. If only her family and her best friend, Ruthie, understood. Mallie's summer will bring more than its share of struggle and disappointment. But with the help of a surprising new friend and the joy of a secret hobby, it may also bring its share of discovery and wonder. It just may be "one of a kind. Tender, lively, and rich in details of Midwestern life during World War I, this is a charming companion to the acclaimed novel B>Ruthie's Gift. Mallie is an endearing, memorable heroine in an exuberant tale of individuality and the comfort of family.




Over the Moon (Scholastic Gold)


Book Description

The highly anticipated new novel from Natalie Lloyd, the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic! Twelve-year-old Mallie knows better than to dream. In Coal Top, you live the story you're given: boys toil in the mines and girls work as servants. Mallie can't bear the idea of that kind of life, but her family is counting on her wages to survive.It wasn't always this way. Before the Dust came, the people of Coal Top could weave starlight into cloth. They'd wear these dreaming clothes to sleep and wake up with the courage to seek adventure . . . or the peace to heal a broken heart. But now nothing can penetrate Coal Top's blanket of sorrow.So when Mallie is chosen for a dangerous competition in which daring (and ideally, orphaned) children train flying horses, she jumps at the chance. Maybe she'll change her story. Maybe she'll even find the magic she needs to dream again.But the situation proves even more dangerous when Mallie uncovers a sinister mystery at the heart of Coal Top's struggles -- a mystery some powerful people will do anything to protect.




The Opposite of Fate


Book Description

Who gets to choose? When a young woman emerges from a lengthy coma-like state she must face the decisions that were made about her body--without her consent--in this powerful novel of reclamation and hope. Twenty-one-year-old Mallie Williams--scrappy, headstrong, and wise beyond her years--has just landed on her feet following a tumultuous youth when the unthinkable happens: she is violently assaulted. The crime leaves her comatose, surrounded by friends and family who are hoping against hope for a full recovery. But soon Mallie's small community finds themselves divided. The rape has left Mallie pregnant, and while some friends are convinced that she would never keep the pregnancy, others are sure that a baby would be the only good thing to come out of all of this pain. Who gets to decide? How much power, in the end, do we have over our own bodies? Mallie, her family, and her town find themselves at the center of a media storm, confronting questions nobody should have to face. And when Mallie emerges from the fog, what will she think of the choices that were made on her behalf? The Opposite of Fate is an intense and moving exploration of the decisions we make--and don't make--that forever change the course of our lives.




A Snicker of Magic (Scholastic Gold)


Book Description

Introducing an extraordinary new voice---a magical debut that will make your skin tingle, your eyes glisten . . .and your heart sing. Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster. Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.




The Problim Children


Book Description

With a dash of Lemony Snicket, a dollop of the Addams Family, and a hearty dose of adventure, New York Times bestselling author Natalie Lloyd introduces a new series about seven strange and adventurous siblings who tackle problems together—even when their new neighbors try to tear them apart. Filled with mystery, humor, and adventure, the first book in this new trilogy is an unforgettable tale of adventure, family, and finding the courage to face any problem heart-first. When the Problim children’s ramshackle bungalow in the Swampy Woods goes kaboom, the seven siblings—each born on a different day of the week—have to move into their grandpa’s bizarre old mansion in Lost Cove. No problem! For the Problim children, every problem is a gift! But rumors about their family run rampant in the small town: tales of a bitter feud, a hidden treasure, and a certain kind of magic lingering in the halls of #7 Main Street. Their neighbors, the O’Pinions, will do anything to find the secrets lurking inside the Problim household—including sending the seven children to seven different houses on seven different continents!




Ruthie's Gift


Book Description

Set in a small Indiana farming community at the start of World War I, this is the heartwarming and gently humorous story of Ruthie, an 8-year-old tomboy who develops a stronger sense of self and selflessness during a particularly dramatic year in her life: the year her sixth brother is born, the year she makes her first friends (twin girls), the year she almost dies of pneumonia, the year the war takes one of her brothers from her. Rich in setting and brimming with lovable characters, Ruthie's Gift is a thoroughly satisfying story of family and identity.




For Freedom


Book Description

Based on interviews with the real Suzanne David, this story of World War II heroism relates how a teenage Suzanne, training to become an opera singer, is recruited as a secret courier by an organizer in the French Resistance.




Halfway to the Sky


Book Description

After her brother dies and her parents get a divorce, twelve-year-old Dani sets out to hike the whole Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine on her own, but her mother soon figures out where she is and the two of them make the "journey" together.




Hummingbird


Book Description

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book From the bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic comes a heartfelt story about a girl who -- armed with her trusty, snazzy wheelchair -- refuses to let her brittle bone disease stand in the way of adventure Twelve-year-old homeschooled Olive is tired of being seen as "fragile" just because she has osteogenesis imperfecta (otherwise known as brittle bone disease) so she's thrilled when she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Elementary. Olive can't wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she's always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in. Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It’ll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true. When it becomes clear that she can't solve the mystery on her own, Olive teams up with some unlikely allies who help her learn the truth about the bird. And on the way, she just might learn that our fragile places lead us to the most wonderful magic of all...




Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America


Book Description

The bestselling classic biography of Jackie Robinson, America's legendary baseball player and civil rights activist, told from the unique perspective of an insider: his only daughter. Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving biography of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball -- and taught his children that the only measure of life is the impact you have on others lives'. Promises to Keep is the story of Jackie Robinson's hard-won victories in baseball, business, politics, and civil rights. It looks at the inspiring effect the legendary Brooklyn Dodger had on his family, his community ... his country. Told from the unique perspective of Robinson's only daughter, this intimate and uplifting book includes photos from the Robinson family archives and family letters never published before. Jackie Robinson is one our great national heroes. Promises to Keep reminds us what made him a champion -- on and off the field!