Twelve-year-old Barney Willow gets his wish to be a cat but soon discovers that not all felines are cute and cuddly–some are downright evil–and his life is in grave danger, but his missing father may be able to help.
To Be a Cat
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
Shadow Girl
This novel for ages nine and up is the story of a resilient young girl who struggles as the daughter of an alcoholic father and an absentee mother. Left alone to fend for herself for days at a time, she is observed by a kind and compassionate saleswoman at the mall she retreats to every day after school to avoid going “home.” The saleswoman gains her trust and takes action into her own hands by reporting the girl’s situation to social services. She is placed in foster care, where she dreams of being reunited with her dad, despite the deprivations in her life with him. The relationship between the girl and her foster mother is painful, and the girl’s spirit disintegrates. Eventually, the saleswoman “adopts” the girl into her caring family, whose love and support enable her, finally, to believe in herself.
Who Cut The Cheese?
Nilly, Lisa, and Doctor Proctor are too busy inventing things to watch TV, and everyone says they’re missing out on the hot singing competition. But then Nilly and Lisa notice that their friends and family are acting really weird. And the only people acting weird…are the ones watching TV.
What’s going on is WAY bigger than a singing competition. It could mean the end of the world.
Or a silent but deadly could save everything!
Neil Flambé and the Crusaders Curse
The sudden disappearance of fifteen-year-old Neil Flambé’s skills as a world-class chef leads to the closing of his restaurant, a cook-off to save his reputation, and the discovery of a dark curse that has plagued Flambé cooks for centuries.
Curse Of The Chupacabra
Professor Rosa Medina, a folklorist researching the ChupaCabra, goes to Mexico to track down recent sightings of the creature which kills its victims, particularly goats, by sucking their brains out.
The Lightning Dreamer
In free verse, evokes the voice of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, a book-loving writer, feminist, and abolitionist who courageously fought injustice in nineteenth-century Cuba. Includes historical notes, excerpts from her writings, biographical information, and source notes.
Join the discussion of The Lightning Dreamer as well as other books set in Cuba on our My Take/Your Take page.
Precocia: The Sixth Circle of Heck
Following sentencing in the court of Judge Judas, eleven-year-old Milton and his older sister Marlo find themselves in Precocia, the circle of Heck for kids that grow up too fast.
Black Flame
A compelling novel set in Tibet, Mongolia, and China, about the adventures of a fiercely powerful yet lovable Tibetan mastiff. Kelsang is just a tiny puppy when his mother dies after a vicious fight with a snow leopard. As he grows he becomes a prize sheepdog, roaming the northern Tibetan grasslands with his master Tenzin. But one day visitors ply Tenzin with drink and convince him to sell his beautiful, purebred dog. In no time Kelsang finds himself chained up in the back of a jeep traveling far from everything he knows. A series of adventures take Kelsang from the streets of Lhasa to brief refuge with an elderly painter and finally to his new master Han Ma, who inspires his love and loyalty. Through it all Kelsang longs for the freedom of the grasslands. Black Flame proudly takes its place among much-loved classic dog stories.
The Mystery
When the old man who lives in Rourke Castle dies mysteriously, troubletwister twins Jack and Jaide Shield find themselves drawn into a search for something hidden in the castle–something that The Evil wants desperately–but they have no idea what it is they seek.
The Vine Basket
Life has been hard for fourteen-year-old Mehrigul, a member of the Uyghur tribal group scorned by the Chinese communist regime, so when an American offers to buy all the baskets she can make in three weeks, Mehrigul strives for a better future for herself and her family despite her father’s opposition.