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.
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
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.
Keeper
An enthralling story of a poor and gawky kid who mysteriously becomes the world’s greatest goalkeeper — a seamless blend of magic realism and exhilarating soccer action.”And you found it, this thing you were looking for?”It was darker now, and the city below Faustino’s office was a jazzy dance of neon signs and traffic. The big man went to the window and looked down at it all, spreading his large hands on the glass. “No,” he said. “It found me.”When Paul Faustino of LA NACION flips on his tape recorder for an exclusive interview with El Gato — the phenomenal goalkeeper who single-handedly brought his team the World Cup — the seasoned reporter quickly learns that this will be no ordinary story. Instead, the legendary El Gato (“The Cat”) quietly narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in a mythic corner of the South American rain forest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach the gangly boy the most thrilling secrets of the game. Combining vivid imagery and heart-stopping action, this evocative, strikingly ethereal novel about loyalty, passion, and magic will haunt readers, regardless of their love for soccer, long after the story is ended.
Remember World War II: Kids Who Survived Tell Their Stories
Remember World War II: Kids Who Survived Tell Their Stories is told from three different perspectives: the war in Europe, in the Pacific, and the U.S.
The Awful Pawful
When Jack and Foxie return from vacation, they can tell that something terrier-able is wrong in Doggeroo.Why are all the dogs in Doggeroo hiding under their beds? Who – or what – has scratched their noses? Why are they so terrier-fied?It’s a case for the dog with the nose that knows. But soon, Jack is hiding under his bed, too.
The Penalty
Paul Faustino, known as the best soccer journalist in the business, reluctantly investigates the disappearance of 18-year-old Ricardo, a soccer prodigy known as “El Brujito,” while in alternate chapters a slave in old San Juan becomes a powerful voodoo priest.