Intermediate (ages 9-14)

Material appropriate for intermediate age groups

The Elephant’s Tale

Martine and her grandmother discover that they might lose Sawubona, their African game reserve, to the sinister Reuben James. But a prophecy from Grace rouses Martine and her best friend, Ben, into action. To find the truth and save the reserve, Martine and Ben must stow away in an airplane, which strands them in the desert, thwart Mr. JamesA’s creepy henchman, and rescue a herd of very special elephants from the dangerous Moon Valley. The adventure also leads the kids to answers about MartineA’s destiny. Jemmy, the white giraffe, and Khan, the last leopard, are alongside Martine and Ben as the Secret Valley reveals its mysteries in this satisfying conclusion to the series that began with the #1 ChildrenA’s BookSense Pick, The White Giraffe.

Cleopatra Rules!

Good. Evil. Dangerous. Glamorous. Will the real Cleopatra please stand up? Almost everything we know about the last queen of Egypt came from her enemies the Romans. Now its time to meet the real Cleopatra, a ruler more complex, brilliant, and powerful than we ever knew. Cleopatra didn’t just rock the boat when she became queen at seventeen. She rocked the world with brilliant alliances that kept her in power and in control. When Mark Antony tried to put Egypt under his thumb, she negotiated for and won more territory than any Egyptian ruler had snagged in generations. Cleopatra didn’t just play by the rules. She made them up as she went along. She bowed to no one, including Octavian the future Caesar Augustus who never missed an opportunity to pump out anti-Cleopatra propaganda. The queen of Egypt has fascinated the world for thousands of years. It’s time to find out why.

The Death-Defying Pepper Roux

Having been raised believing he will die before he reaches the age of fourteen, Pepper Roux runs away on his fourteenth birthday in an attempt to elude his fate, assumes another identity, and continues to try to outrun death, no matter the consequences.

Shapeshifters: Tales from Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Using poetry and prose, Mitchell retells 34 of Ovid’s versions of the Greek myths. Through his elevated tone and poetic yet highly readable language, the author conveys the majesty of these myths. The softly realistic illustrations add to the appeal of this excellent introduction to classical mythology.

The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy

An alcoholic mother, a distracted father, a best friend who spends all his time with his new “girlfriend,” and three relentless schoolyard bullies: Prinny Murphy’s past, present, and future certainly are “tense.” Adding to her misery, she still can’t read well enough to escape from remedial lessons with the dour Mrs. Dooks. But when a kindly substitute teacher introduces her to LaVaughn’s inner-city world in the free verse novel, Make Lemonade, Prinny discovers that life can be full of possibilities – and poetry.  

Departure Time

Departure Time is the amazing journey of a girl in two stories. The girl in the hotel with the fox and the rat, and the girl whose father travels a lot, who suggests they write a story together, a story about talking animals. She doe sn’t wan to. She is angry with him, because he can’t make it home in time for her birthday.

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark

Skip, an eleven-year-old runaway, becomes friends with Billy, a homeless man, and together they flee a war-torn Australian city with six-year-old Max and camp out at a seaside amusement park, where they are joined by Tia, a fifteen-year-old ballerina, and her baby.

The Boy Who Could Fly

Having grown up in a miserable home for abandoned children, a young boy jumps at the chance to exchange places with the mysterious, flying “loblolly boy,” but once he takes on this new identity, he discovers what a harsh price he must pay.

The Rabbit Problem

In Fibonacci’s Field, Lonely and Chalk Rabbit meet, snuggle together, and then spend a year trying to cope with their ever-increasing brood and the seasonal changes that bring a new challenge each month. Presented in calendar format with one pop-up illustration and other special features.

Once

Once I escaped from an orphanage to find my Mum and Dad. Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house. Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh. My name is Felix. This is my story.