Ibby’s Magic Weekend

When straight-arrow Ibby visits her two troublemaking cousins in their chaotic country house, she learns of an old box of magic tricks they found hidden in the attic. Ibby thinks magic is nothing but sleight of hand until her cousin Francis shrinks to the size of her thumb! The trio gets into all sorts of hijinks, from levitating to turning invisible. Then they uncover the mystery of Uncle Godfrey, a professional magician who disappeared years ago. After some sleuthing, the kids decide Godfrey’s Vanishing Act must have gone wrong.

Snake and Lizard

Snake is elegant, calm and a little self-centered, while Lizard is exuberant and irrepressible. Through a series of small (and not so small) adventures, the two friends bicker, compete with each other, go into business and finally, end up as lifelong friends.

Tibet

This book examines the lives and times of the Tibetan people, their cultural complexities, the country’s astonishing geography, and its economic and political status.

Luxembourg

This book discusses the geography, history, government, economy, and customs of Luxembourg, the smallest of the Benelux countries.

Mines of the Minotaur

When an unknown entity forces Connie to create destructive storms, the head of the Chartmouth Chapter for the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures rescinds Connie’s membership, leaving her on her own to discover what is happening.

The Children of the Ecuadorean Highlands (World’s Children)

Two separate chains of the Andes Mountains stretch through Ecuador, and almost half of Ecuador’s people live in the highlands of these mountains. The author/photographer of Riders Up! ( C. 1992) takes readers on a journey through the beautiful Ecuadorean highlands, as seen through the eyes of its children.

Beyblade Official Handbook

The Beyblade Official Handbook is a power-packed, all-in-one guide to the sport, the TV characters, teams, all the Bit Beasts and their fighting styles. It includes trivia, tips and tools to become a serious Beyblade competitor.

Drita, My Homegirl

A poignant story about the difficulties of leaving everything behind and the friendships that help you get through it. Fleeing war-torn Kosovo, ten-year-old Drita and her family move to America with the dream of living a typical American life. But with this hope comes the struggle to adapt and fit in. How can Drita find her place at school and in her new neighborhood when she doesn’t speak any English? Meanwhile, Maxie and her group of fourth-grade friends are popular in their class, and make an effort to ignore Drita. So when their teacher puts Maxie and Drita together for a class project, things get off to a rocky start. But sometimes, when you least expect it, friendship can bloom and overcome even a vast cultural divide.

This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.

Elephants And Golden Thrones: Inside China’s Forbidden City

A rare look inside one of the wonders of the world, published in time for the 2008 Olympics in ChinaFor five hundred years, the Forbidden City was the seat of power of China’s emperors. Given rare access to this vast and beautiful complex, Trish Marx and Ellen B. Senisi explore its secrets in full-color photographs and lively, meticulously researched stories. From a grand procession of elephants to the golden nail guards that protected the emperor’s three-inch nails, details large and small bring this fortress to life for young armchair travelers. With contributions from the Palace Museum (the official museum of the Forbidden City), this is a definitive guide and the only book on the subject available for young readers.

Worlds of Words

International Collection of Children’s and Adolescent Literature

Intermediate (ages 9-14)