Language Arts Governor's Cup
Maya Angelou
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", A Harlem Renaissance period poet; wrote a poem for Bill Clinton's inauguration.
Emily Dickenson
"I heard a Fly Buzz-when I died" Important American poet, spent most of life secluded in her father's home. Depressed & obsessed with death. Only seven of her one-thousand, seven-hundred seventy-five poems were published
Walt Whitman
"Oh Captain, My Captain", about Abraham Lincoln and his assassination while watching the play "Our American Cousin". Initially a printer and a journalist , had a difficult time achieving recognition, wrote mainly free verse poetry, rejected regular meter and rhyme, celebrated love, individualism, democracy and equality.
Edgar Allen Poe
"The Raven" U.S. Poet, critic, and short-story writer who was orphaned at an early age and was raised by the Allen family. Famous for short stories & his poetry is widely acclaimed for its "music of words" and flowing, sensitive lyricism
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"The Song of Hiawatha"-- an epic poem. Became a professor, worked at Harvard, famous for narrative poems, which created romantic American legends through simple, storytelling verse, which is still read widely with pleasure today
T.S. Eliot (Thomas Stearns)
"The Waste Land" American-born English writer,criticized chaos and squalor of modern life, expressed belief in tradition and life of the spirit.
A Scandal in Bohemia
1st Sherlock Holmes short story King Wilhelm hires Sherlock Holmes to prevent Irene Adler from publishing several damaging photos.
Rossum's Universal Robots
1920 science fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek; begins in a factory that makes artificial people, called roboti, from synthetic organic matter. They are not exactly robots by the current definition of the term; these creatures are closer to the modern idea of cyborgs, androids or even clones, as they may be mistaken for humans and can think for themselves. They seem happy to work for humans at first but a robot rebellion leads to the extinction of the human race.
After Tupac and D Foster
2009 Newbery Honor Book Based on three girls: two black eleven year old girls, Neeka and the anonymous narrator, and D Foster, who was of mixed race and had just moved into Neeka and the narrator's neighborhood in Queens, New York. This story also contains a backdrop of a dead rapper, describing events and experiences in his life during the mid 1990s, such as run-ins with the cops and events that foreshadowed his death.
Stephen King
20th Century American Horror author; Born in Portland, Maine; Many of his stories are based in fictional Maine towns. Novels: Cujo, Carrie, It, The Tommyknockers, The Shining, 11/22/63 (recently turned into a tv series by Hulu), The Dark Tower Series Also wrote the novellas "The Body" (the basis for the film "Stand By Me"), "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" (the basis for the film "Shawshank Redemption"), & "The Green Mile" (movie of the same name).
W.B. Yeats
20th Century Irish poet; Won the Nobel Prize in 1923; his verse reflected a pessimism about the political situation of his country. Important Works Include: The Tower The Wild Swans at Coole The Second Coming
The Sign of the Four
2nd Sherlock Holmes novel Miss Mary Morstan arrives at 221B, Baker Street to request help with the mystery of her missing father, her anonymous gifts of pearls and a letter requesting her to meet an unknown person that evening. Her father has died after discovering treasure in India. He was murdered by a man who was promised a share of the treasure but did not receive it. 4 men agreed to split the treasure but go split up instead. Watson gets engaged and married to Mary.
The Caballero's Way
A 25-year old desperado called the Cisco Kid, lives in the Texas-Mexico border region. He kills for sport and is responsible for at least eighteen deaths. His girlfriend falls in love with the local lawman who has come looking for the Cisco kid. They have an affair and she tells the lawman she will send a messenger with how to kill the Kid. The Kid overhears this and sends a message to the lawman pretending to be the messenger. The message says that the Cisco kid will be dressed like a woman and his girlfriend will be dressed like a man as part of the escape plan. The lawman takes the bait and kills the person wearing women's clothes...which is not the Kid, but the woman he loves.
H.G Wells
A British writer of the 19th and 20th centuries who framed our perspective of the future through science-fiction. Studied biology & taught science. Books: The Time Machine; War of the Worlds; The Island of Dr. Moreau; The Invisible Man; The First Men in the Moon.
Haiku
A Japanese form of poetry, consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables
The Cop and the Anthem
A New York City hobo named Soapy sets out to get arrested so that he can be a guest of the city jail instead of sleeping out in the cold winter. Despite efforts at petty theft, vandalism, disorderly conduct, and "mashing" with a young prostitute, Soapy fails to draw the attention of the police. Depressed, he pauses in front of a church, where an organ inspires him to clean up his life—and is ironically charged for loitering and sentenced to three months in prison.
Flotsam -- 2007
A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam--anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep.
Verb
A verb tells what the subject does. There are action verbs and being verbs. Example: The dog ran to his master. In this example RAN is the verb. There can be 1 or more verbs in a sentence.
Foil
A character that shows qualities that are in CONTRAST with the qualities of another character with the objective to highlight the traits of the other character. May also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference between two things.
Show Way
A children's picture book by American author Jacqueline Woodson with illustrations by Hudson Talbott. It recounts the stories of seven generations of African-Americans and is based on the author's own family history. 2006 Newbery Honor book
I, Robot
A collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950 and were then compiled into a book. The stories are woven together by a framing narrative in which the fictional Dr. Susan Calvin tells each story to a reporter in the 21st century. Although the stories can be read separately, they share a theme of the interaction of humans, robots, and morality, and when combined they tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history of robotics.
Idiom
A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.
Conjunction
A conjunction is used to connect on set of words with another set of words. Example: I will go to the co-op, but Marcia will go to the market. In this example BUT is the conjunction.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
A family in the countryside has been haunted by a legendary dog who has supposedly killed every generation of the family. One family member is killed and the next of kin gets a threatening note. Holmes discovers that Mr. Stapleton, an heir to the family's wealth, has killed the family members ahead of him so he can get his wealth.
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated (such as "crown" for "royalty").
Limerick
A five line poem in which lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Usually humorous.
Cinquain
A five-line poem or stanza that follows a specific pattern of syllables. The first line has two syllables, the next has four, then six, then eight, and the fifth line has two again.
Lord of the Flies
A group of English boys is being evacuated during a war and their plane crashes on a remote island. The boys then have to survive on their own, electing Ralph as their leader. But what begins as an organized society, quickly falls apart as the boys struggle for power.
Animal Farm
A group of animals mount a successful rebellion against the farmer who rules them, but their dreams of equality for all are ruined when one pig seizes power; novella; dystopian animal fable. "All Animals are Equal" later: "but some are more equal than others" Allegory for the Bolshevik Revolution.
Red Herring
A kind of fallacy that is an irrelevant topic introduced in an argument to divert the attention of listeners or readers from the original issue. In literature, this fallacy is often used in detective or suspense novels to mislead readers or characters or to induce them to make false conclusions.
Allen Ginsberg
A leading figure in the beat movement of the 1950s, which expressed the social and literary non-conformity of artists, poets, and writers. Most famous poem is "Howl" (a 3 page rant against America), which captures of this era.
Synecdoche
A literary device in which a part of something represents the whole or it may use a whole to represent a part.
This is Not My Hat -- 2013
A little fish admits to stealing a hat from a bigger fish while he was sleeping. The cocky little fish thinks the other fish won't know what happened and won't notice his hat is gone....yeah right!
The Hello, Goodbye Window -- 2006
A little girl visits her Nanna and Poppy. They watch stars, play games, and when she takes a nap she says "nothing happens until I get up." She also spends time looking out the window with her grandparents.
Matilda
A little girl who is treated unfairly and smart, who gains love with her teacher. And has a mean principle. Written by Roald Dahl
Noun
A noun is the name of a person place or thing or idea. Example: Daniel Ethan is crying. In this example DANIEL ETHAN is a noun.
The Three Pigs -- 2002
A twist on a classic fairy, the three protagonists take a ride on a paper airplane out of their own story and visit the worlds of other classic tales.
Ode
A poem usually addressed to a particular person, object or event that has stimulated deep and noble feelings in the poet
Officer Buckle and Gloria -- 1996
A policeman is dedicated to teaching schoolchildren important safety tips, such as never put anything in your ear and never stand on a swivel chair. The problem is, his school assemblies are dull, dull, dull, and the children of Napville just sleep, sleep, sleep. That is, until the police dog is invited along! Stealthily pantomiming each safety tip behind the officer's back, the dog wins the children's hearts. Meanwhile the officer assumes the cheers and laughter are all for him.
Preposition
A preposition is a word that shows relationship between a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Example: Susanna just walked past Roy. In this example PAST is the preposition.
Pronoun
A pronoun takes the place of a noun. Example: I will walk to the Barn. In this example I is the pronoun.
Anecdote
A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person
Feathers
A sixth grade girl named Frannie growing up in the '70s. One day an unexpected new student causes much chaos to the class because he is the only white boy in the whole school. The book examines what it was like to grow up right after segregation had been outlawed, how all people are equal, and that hope is everywhere. The book was a Newbery Honor winner in 2008.
Paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
Of Mice and Men
A story about two friends trying to "make a stake" during the Great Depression. George and Lennie want to own their own ranch, but encounter many obstacles that stand in their way. Lennie is mentally handicapped and is eventually killed by his brother, George, to prevent worse things from happening.
The House in the Night -- 2009
A young girl is given a golden key to a house. The book is a bedtime verse about the light in a house during the night.
Adjective
Adds to a noun. It modifies a noun. An adjective can also describe another adjective. Example: Inge is very strong. In this example VERY & STRONG is the adjective because it describes Inge .
Adverb
Adds to a verb. It modifies a verb. An adverb can also describe another adverb. Example: Joshua swam quickly even though he was only two. In this example QUICKLY is the adverb because it describes swam, the verb.
The People Could Fly
African American Folk Tale About African Americans who could fly, but lost the ability when they became slaves. Old man Toby help the people who get whipped, and they all fly away. Written by Virginia Hamilton
Walter Dean Myers
African American author of young adult literature. He has written over fifty books, including novels and nonfiction works. He has won the Coretta Scott King Award for African American authors five times. Books: "Monster", "Scorpions", "Lockdown", "Autobiography of My Dead Brother", "Fallen Angels", "Glory Field", "Hoops"
Langston Hughes
African-American from Harlem, NYC. Wrote during period called the Harlem Renaissance
Toni Cade Bambara
African-American writer & activist; Her first book was "Gorilla, My Love", a collection of first-person narrative short stories, mostly about a young African-American girls named Squeaky who cares for her family. She refers to her work as "upbeat fiction" Famous Short Stories: "Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird" (about a black family on food stamps being filmed by white cameramen), "The Lesson" (Miss Moore takes Sylvia & a friend to FAO Schwartz Toy Store to teach a lesson about income inequality) "Raymond's Run" (Squeaky givers up running to take care of her older brother, Raymond, who has a disability)
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
After a gang of men assaults a drunk man in the streets, a hat and goose is left behind. In the goose, they find a precious stone that belonged to the Countess of Morcar, which had been stolen 5 days ago. A man named Ryder had stolen the stone and fed it to a goose to hide the stone...then lost the goose.
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley; In this book, a utopia is created and the government gives people a pill to live in a certain way that makes them forget the bad things. A commentary on how we live in a similar way that as we are "drugged" by our possessions and we do not realize we are servants to our society.
2010 Sibert Medal Winner When America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. Author: Tanya Lee Stone
Almost Astronauts
Frankenstein
Alternately named "The Modern Prometheus"; Victor Frankenstein creates an unnatural monster when he discovers the secret of life.
An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge
Ambrose Bierce. Peyton Farquhar, a plantation owner in his mid-thirties, is being prepared for execution by hanging from an Alabama railroad bridge during the American Civil War. He dreams of his family and then makes a harrowing escape. In the end, the we find out he never really escaped, its all a dream as he is hanged.
Daniel Keyes
American Science-Fiction author; Flowers for Algernon, The Minds of Billy Milligan, The Fifth Sally
Jacob Abbott
American author of children's books; Best known for his "Rollo Books" (Rollo at Work, Rollo at Play, Rollo in Europe, etc.) which tell of a young boy traveling the world with his uncle George; also wrote "Lucy Books", "Juno Books", and "Harper Stories."
Orson Scott Card
American author was the first man to ever win the Hugo and Nebula awards two years in a row, 1986 and 1987 Most famous work: Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead Other Work: The Tales of Alvin Maker
Edgar Allen Poe
American author, poet, & literary critic; Inventor of the detective genre (created a character called C. Auguste Dupin); known for his stories of mystery and macambre. Famous Works: "The Raven"; "The Bells", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Pit and the Pendullum", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Murders in the Rue Morge."
Ray Bradbury
American fantasy, science fiction, horror and mystery fiction writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and for the science fiction and horror stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles (1950) and The Illustrated Man (1951).
Ezra Pound
American modernist poet; worked for an editor in England helping publish the works of his great contemporaries. Later became disgusted by America & Europe after WWI and supported Mussolini & Hitler. Important Works: Ripostes, Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920) the unfinished 120-section epic, The Cantos
Nathaniel Hawthorne
American novelist of the Romanitc period; descendant of Purtains; wrote about the dark side of humanity. Famous works: "The Scarlett Letter" & "The House of the Seven Gables"
Dorothy Parker
American poet, short story writer, critic, and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks and eye for 20th-century urban quirks. "A Telephone Call" "Good Souls" "Song of Perfect Propriety" "One perfect rose"
Orson Scott Card
American science-fiction novelist; His novel "Ender's Game" (about boys who attend Battle School, where they learn to fight in space and must defeat the buggers) & its sequel "Speaker for the Dead" won the Hugo & Nebula Awards in back-to-back years. Practices the Mormon faith.
Stephen Vincent Benet
American short story author & novelist. Wrote a novel length poem about the Civil War titled "John Brown's Body" -- won a Pulitzer in 1929. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" & "By the Waters of Babylon" Seven Brides for Seven Brothers A Western Star -- unfinished poem on the settling of the US -- won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize.
Kurt Vonnegut
American writer noted for his dry, satirical novels and frequently used postmodern elements of fantasy and science fiction to highlight the horrors and ironies of 20th-century civilization. Survived the bombing of Dresden while serving in WWII. Famous works: Slaughterhouse Five; Breakfast of Champions; Cats Cradle; Harrison Bergeron (short story)
Henry James
American writer who lived in England. Wrote numerous novels around the theme of the conflict between American innocence and European sophistication/corruption. Famous for his novels "Washington Square", "The Portrait of a Lady", & "Daisy Miller", and his short story "The Turn of the Screw."
Herman Melville
American writer whose experiences at sea provided the factual basis of Moby-Dick, considered among the greatest American novels. Also wrote short stories like "Bartlby the Scrivner."
Jesse Stuart
American writer, school teacher, and school administrator who is known for his short stories, poetry, and novels as well as non-fiction autobiographical works set in central Appalachia. Born and raised in Greenup County, Kentucky, Relied heavily on the rural locale of northeastern Kentucky for his writings. Named the poet laureate of Kentucky in 1954. "The Thread That Runs So True" "Taps for Private Tussie" & "Mongrel Mettle"
Kate Wiggin
An American educator and author of children's stories, most notably the classic children's novel Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. She started the first free kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878 (the Silver Street Free Kindergarten). With her sister during the 1880s, she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. She devoted her adult life to the welfare of children in an era when children were commonly thought of as cheap labour.
Jack Kerouac
An author that many considered the father and leader of the beat generation, who held many meetings in San Francisco to discuss life events and stories. He started many unconventional styles of writing and behaviors, commonly writing spontaneously with no changes until the entire length was finished. He promoted an open approach to life and a style of living that was very fluid, with no preordained path. Most famous work: On the Road
A Sick Day for Amos McGee -- 2011
An elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, he wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him.
Connotation
An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning
Motif
An image, sound, action or other figures that have a symbolic significance and contributes toward the development of theme. Often appears over and over.
Interjection
An interjection is used to express sudden or strong feeling. Example: Wow! That 11 year old girl raises chickens. In this example WOW is the interjection.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur C. Clark; Wrote the book with filmmaker Stanley Kubrick and released the book AFTER the film. The Discovery One is traveling to Saturn and controlled by a computer named the Hal 9000; the computer turns on the humans aboard the craft.
Miracle's Boys
At twenty-two years old, Ty'ree, the oldest of three brothers, is now caring for his younger siblings. Lafayette, twelve, is still grieving and blames himself for not being able to save his mother, who died from an insulin shock two years earlier; and Charlie, fifteen, has just returned from Rahway Home for Boys where he has been imprisoned for the last two years after being convicted of armed robbery. Ty'ree and Lafayette have built a stable, if quiet, relationship and are comforted by predictable daily routines. Charlie introduces an element of chaos, negativity, and hostility, to which neither of his brothers is able to relate. In response, they begin talking to each other in a way they have not been able to previously. They fear for Charlie and want to help him overcome his anger and grief. In attempting to help Charlie, they end up working through their grief together as well. The story is told almost exclusively through dialogue with little action actually taking place. 2001 Coretta Scott King Winner
2012 Sibert Winner When young and old rise early to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first invented these "upside-down puppets"? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire! In brilliant collage illustrations, the award-winning artist Melissa Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America—the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy's Parade. Author: Melissa Sweet
Balloons over Broadway
Jo's Boys
Beginning ten years after Little Men, this story revisits Plumfield, the New England school still presided over by Jo and her husband, Professor Bhaer. Jo remains at the center of the tale, surrounded by her boys—including rebellious Dan, sailor Emil, and promising musician Nat—as they experience shipwreck and storm, disappointment and even murder. Written by Louisa May Alcott
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith; the account of a girl growing up in the tenements of turn-of-the-twentieth-century Brooklyn. An early socially conscious novel, the book examines poverty, alcoholism, gender roles, loss of innocence, and the struggle to live the American Dream in an inner city neighborhood of Irish American immigrants. The book was enormously popular and became a popular film directed by Elia Kazan.
2002 Sibert Winner The story of men, women, and children who defied landlords and searched empty fields for scraps of harvested vegetables and edible weeds to eat, who walked several miles each day to hard-labor jobs for meager wages and to reach soup kitchens, and who committed crimes just to be sent to jail, where they were assured of a meal. It's the story of children and adults who suffered from starvation, disease, and the loss of family and friends, as well as those who died. Illustrated with black and white engravings, it's also the story of the heroes among the Irish people and how they held on to hope. Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Black Potatoes
2013 Sibert Medal Winner The book traces the origin and development of the first atomic weapon. It follows the development of the atomic bomb from the discovery of nuclear fission through the Nazi heavy water manufacture to the Manhattan Project and the attempts of the Soviet Union to steal the bomb design, finishing at the dropping of the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Author: Steve Sheinkin
Bomb
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Born in Scotland; worked as a doctor before beginning a career as an author. Most famous for 4 novels & 56 short stories about Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson.
The Luck of Roaring Camp
Bret Harte. The story is about the birth of a baby boy in a 19th-century gold prospecting camp. The boy's mother, Cherokee Sal, dies in childbirth, so the men of the camp must raise him themselves. Believing the child to be a good luck charm, the miners christen the boy Thomas Luck. Afterwards, they decide to refine their behavior and refrain from gambling and fighting. At the end of the story, however, Luck dies in a flash flood.
A.A. Milne
British author; most famous for his two books about Christopher Robin & Winnie the Pooh. Based those stories on his son and his stuffed toys. Books were illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Adapted Kenneth Grahame's novel "The Wind in the Willows" into a stage play titled "Toad of Toad Hall."
Douglas Adams
British comic writer whose works satirize contemporary life through a luckless protagonist dealing with things that they cannot control Best known for the mock science-fiction series known collectively as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Agatha Christie
British mystery writer; famous for a character named Miss Jane Marple (an elderly woman who acts as an amateur detective). Wrote a murder mystery play titled "The Mousetrap" which run continuously since 1952, making it the longest running play ever. Famous novels: Murder on the Orient Express; And Then There Were None.
Arthur C. Clarke
British science writer argued the World War II rocket technology had advanced to the point where satellites could be launched into orbit around the Earth AND that we could use satellites to relay radio/television signals around the world 20 years before it happened. Most famous work: 2001: A Space Odyssey Other Works: Against the Fall of Night; Childhood's End; Rendezvous with Rama
In vivid poems, the author shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child's soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson's eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. Author: Jacqueline Woodson Sibert Honor Book
Brown Girl Dreaming
Harrison Bergeron
By Kurt Vonnegut. All people are given handicaps so no one is smarter or prettier than anyone else, and when the title character breaks free from the handicaps he is killed, and his parents see it on T-V, but don't remember why they're crying because of their handicaps.
A Sound of Thunder
By Ray Bradbury. In the year 2055, time travel has become a practical reality, and the company Time Safari Inc. offers wealthy adventurers the chance to travel back in time to hunt extinct species such as dinosaurs. A hunter named Eckels pays $10,000 to join a hunting party that will travel back to the late Jurassic Era, on a guided safari to kill a T-Rex. When he returns to modern times, the world is slightly different (things spelled differently, different politicians win races). Turns out Eckels killed a butterfly while in past & the butterfly effect has occurred.
The Veldt
By Ray Bradbury. Two children, Peter & Wendy Hadley, live with their parents in the "Happylife Home" -- an automated smart house. They become fascinated by their virtual nursery which can turn the room into any place they can imagine. Their parents feel like they are losing their identity because of the house and decide to move to the country. The kids beg to return to the virtual nursery one last time, lock their parents in the room set on African Veldt. Their parents get eaten by lions and the kids get to stay in the house.
The Lottery
By Shirley Jackson. A mysterious town-wide lottery takes place in which the winner is stoned to death. Mrs. Hutchinson "wins."
Moby-Dick
Captain Ahab sails the Pequod on a mission of revenge. He is out to capture and kill the whale who took his leg. He is blind with rage and destroys his ship and crew in his thirst for blood.
Carl Sandburg
Chicago. Famous for his biography about Abraham Lincoln, Pulitzer Prize winner, left school at age 13, fought Spanish American War at age 20
Sylvia Plath
Credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for her two published collections, The Colossus and Other Poems and Ariel. She also wrote The Bell Jar, a semi-autobiographical novel published shortly before her death. In 1982, she won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for The Collected Poems.
Uncas
Chingachgook's son, he is the youngest and last member of the Indian tribe known as the Mohicans. A noble, proud, self-possessed young man, Uncas falls in love with Cora Munro and suffers tragic consequences for desiring a forbidden interracial coupling. Serves as Natty Bumppo's adopted brother and friend.
Karel Kapek
Czech writer; writings focused on how technological innovations encourage man to rebellion; coined English word "robot" Works: Rossum's Universal Robots; An Atomic Phantasy; The Absolute at Large
A Ball for Daisy -- 2012
Daisy is a puppy who loves her ball. She loves playing with it and when one day her owner takes her to the park, the ball comes along. A playful romp with another dog turns disastrous when Daisy's ball pops and she is heartbroken.
Smoky Night -- 1995
Daniel and his mother learn the value of getting along with their neighbors during the LA riots. Picture storybook, racial issues
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams; Parody of science fiction The series follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, the last human following the destruction of the Earth by the Vogons (a race of unpleasant and bureaucratic aliens) to make way for an intergalactic bypass. Dent's adventures intersect with several other characters: Ford Prefect (who named himself after the Ford Prefect car to blend in with what was assumed to be the dominant life form, automobiles), an alien from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse, Zaphod Beeblebrox; the depressed robot Marvin the Paranoid Android; and Trillian, formerly known as Tricia McMillan, a woman Arthur once met at a party and the only other human survivor of Earth's destruction.
The Speckled Band
Doyle's favorite Sherlock Holmes story. A young woman named Helen Stoner contacts Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson for aid in foiling the villainous plans of her stepfather, Grimesby Roylott. Her stepfather used a venemous snake to kill his stepdaughter and tried to kill Helen as well -- all for greed. The snake then kills Roylott at the end & Holmes feels responsible but doesn't care too much because Roylott was a bad man.
A blend of story and art chronicling Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the people. Tackles the failures of the federal and local governments and captures the incredible devastation of the terrible storm. Author: Don Brown 2015 Honor Book
Drowned City
The Masque of the Red Death
Edgar Allan Poe. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball within seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a plague victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. Prospero dies after confronting this stranger, whose "costume" proves to contain nothing tangible inside it; the guests also die in turn.
The Black Cat
Edgar Allen Poe. The alcoholic narrator accidentally murders his wife after she prevents him from killing Pluto, his pet, whose eye the narrator had earlier gouged out.
Tarzan of the Apes
Edgar Rice Burroughs; an orphan boy, is adopted by apes in this classic adventure novel that led to more than 20 sequels.
A true Renaissance man, the title figure was the first American celebrity. In pictures and text, master artist Robert Byrd documents his numerous and diverse accomplishments, from framing the Constitution to creating bifocals. Author: Robert Byrd Sibert Honor Book
Electric Ben
Catharsis
Emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress. Greek for cleansing.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
English poet, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. "Kubla Khan", "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
Rudyard Kipling
English writer and poet; wrote about the "white man's burden" as the duty of European and Euro-American peoples to bring order and enlightenment to distant lands. Was born in India during British colonial control. Famous works: The Jungle Book; Rikki-Tikki-Tavi; Just So Stories
Aldos Huxley
English writer; known for dark satire; Most famous work is Brave New World -- a dark look at the future of society negatively impacted by science. Other Works: Chrome Yellow; Antic Hay; Point and CounterPoint.
Hubris
Excessive pride or self-confidence
Rapunzel -- 1998
Fairy tale story about a girl who was locked up in a tower and she had long hair.
E.E. Cummings
Famous for his innovations in language, punctuation, and typography -- wrote only in lower case letters.
Hyperbole
Figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor -- "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!"
A Study in Scarlett
First Sherlock Holmes Novel Scotland Yard asks Holmes to assist in solving a case where a man has been poisoned by not robbed and the word RACHE is written on the wall in blood. Later another man was stabbed to death. The arrest a cab driver who admits to the crime, but knows he won't go to jail because he has an aneurysm that could kill him at any moment.
The Deerslayer
First of Leatherstocking Tales chronologically, last published Natty Bumppo's background and his beginnings. The Prequel to the other stories.
James Fenimore Cooper
First truly American novelist known for stories about Indians and the frontier life Created the character of Natty Bumpo in "The Leatherstocking Tales" Noted Masterpiece: The Last of the Mohicans
Stanza
Fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
Carl Hiaasen
Florida author & columnist for the Miami Herald. Has been writing novels since the 1980s, fiction for both adults and adolescent readers. These books tend to feature preservation and conservation messages. Popular books include: Hoot, Flush, Scat, Chomp, & Skink- No Surrender.
Jules Verne
French author; father of science-fiction. Works: Journey to the Center of the Earth; From the Earth to the Moon; Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea; Around the World in Eighty Days
Tells the story of Jose Guadalupe Posada, the artist behind the highly stylized calaveras -- skeletons doing everyday activities -- associated with the Day of the Dead. Author: Duncan Tonatiuh 2016 Sibert Winner
Funny Bones
The Wednesday Wars
Gary D. Schmidt; Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn't like Holling—he's sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to contend with? A bully demanding cream puffs; angry rats; and a baseball hero signing autographs the very same night Holling has to appear in a play in yellow tights! As fate sneaks up on him again and again, Holling finds Motivation—the Big M—in the most unexpected places and musters up the courage to embrace his destiny, in spite of himself.
1984
George Orwell; (which is is the pen name for Eric Arthur Blair), announced an insane world of dehumanization through terror in which the individual was systematically obliterated by an all-power elite; key phrases: Big Brother, doublethink, Newspeak, the Ministry of Peace...Truth...Love Recently regained status as the #1 best seller in 2017.
Animal Farm
George Orwell; Allegory against Communism. Tells about a group of animals who mount a successful rebellion against the farmer who rules them, but their dreams of equality for all are ruined when one pig seizes power.
1984
George Orwell; Predicted a future world full of dehumanization through terror in which individuality and privacy was systematically taken away by an all-power elite; key phrases: Big Brother, doublethink.
Personification
Giving an object or animal is human feelings, thoughts, characteristics, or attitudes.
The Necklace
Guy de Maupassant. Woman borrows some jewels from a friend to make he feel prettier & happier when going to a party. She then loses the jewels and frantically tries to replace the expensive jewelry by selling all of her possessions. She lives in poverty for years and one day tells her friend what had happened, explaining why she was living in poverty. Her friend reveals that the original necklace was a fake and completely worthless.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
H.G. Wells; The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat who is left on an island run by a mad scientist who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection. Deals with a number of philosophical themes, including pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, human identity, and human interference with nature
The Little Match Girl
Hans Christian Anderson. A poor girl is freezing to death and afraid to go home because her father will beat her for not selling matches. She instead lights the matches to stay warm, and sees many beautiful holiday images. She has a vision of her grandmother reminding her that a shooting star means someone is dying and going to heaven. She then sees a shooting star and is reunited with her grandmother.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel showing the horrors of slave life, made instant success and made people want to join abolitionist movement.
Golem -- 1997
Hebrew word for shapeless man. According to Jewish legend, the renowned scholar and teacher Rabbi Loew used his powers to create a Golem from clay in order to protect his people from persecution in the ghettos of 16th-century Prague.
The Turn of the Screw
Henry James; Gothic ghost story; Widely recognized as one of literature's most gripping ghost stories, this classic tale of moral degradation concerns the sinister transformation of two innocent children into flagrant liars and hypocrites. The story begins when a governess arrives at an English country estate to look after Miles, aged ten, and Flora, eight. At first, everything appears normal but then events gradually begin to weave a spell of psychological terror.
Bartleby the Scrivner
Herman Melville. Satire of the business world. An unnamed lawyer hires a new legal aid to help copy paperwork by hand, hoping his calm attitude will rub off on his other employees. He begins as a hard working fellow, but suddenly decides he would "prefer not to" do his work....creating all kinds of problems in the office.
The Scarlett Letter
Hester Prynne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the scarlet letter "A" on her clothes. She is being punished for adultery. Hester's husband, a scholar much older than she is, sent her ahead to America, but he never arrived in Boston. The consensus is that he has been lost at sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester has apparently had an affair, as she has given birth to a child. She will not reveal her lover's identity, however, and the scarlet letter, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy.
The book is a study of a paramilitary organization of children dedicated to furthering the aims of the Third Reich, and is organized around interviews with 12 former members and their experiences in the organization. Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti Sibert Honor Book
Hitler Youth
M.C. Higgins the Great
How will M.C. save his family's home on Sarah's Mountain from strip miners? Great-great grandmother Sarah, was born on the mountain, and M.C. is not willing to give it up without a fight. When two strangers enter his life, M.C. realizes his own identity and begins to take control of his destiny. Written by Virginia Hamilton
Limerick
Humorous five-line poem in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme and the third and fourth lines rhyme - AABBA Form
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear -- 2016
In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England... And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin.
Number the Stars
In 1943, during the Nazi occupation in wartime Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns first hand about the cruelties of war when her family helps her Jewish friend Ellen Rosen. In a daring escape, Annemarie and Ellen must risk all that they hold dear. Written by Lois Lowry
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers -- 2004
In 1974, French aerialist Philippe Petit threw a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and spent an hour walking, dancing, and performing high-wire tricks a quarter mile in the sky.
Mirette on the High Wire -- 1993
In this picture book set in 19th-century Paris, a child helps a daredevil who has lost his edge to regain his confidence. Many traveling performers stay at Madame Gateaux's boarding house, but Mme.'s daughter Mirette is particularly taken with one guest--the quiet gentleman who can walk along the clothesline without falling off. Mirette implores the boarder to teach her his craft, not knowing that her instructor is the "Great Bellini" of high wire fame. After much practice the girl joins Bellini on the wire as he conquers his fear and demonstrates to all of Paris that he is still the best
Thomas Pynchon
Involved with postmodernism and neo-realism. In his world everything serious has its silly aspects, while bits of trivia and foolery are suddenly elevated. Known for dense, overly long and complex novels . Entropy The Crying of Lot 49 Gravity's Rainbow
Bram Stoker
Irish writer who created the famous Gothic novel, Dracula in the late 1800s. Other notable works The Snake's Pass The Lair of the White Worm Camilla
Nightfall
Isaac Asimov short story; The fictional planet Lagash is located in a stellar system containing six suns, which keep the entire planet continuously illuminated; total darkness is unknown, and as a result, so are all the stars outside the planet's stellar system.
Locomotive -- 2014
It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America's brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.
James and the Giant Peach
James escapes from his miserable life with two nasty aunts and becomes a hero to his new insect family, including Miss Spider, the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the Centipede Written by Roald Dahl
Penny From Heaven
Jennifer L. Holm; It's 1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. But nothing's that easy in Penny's family. For starters, she can't go swimming because her mother's afraid she'll catch polio at the pool. To make matters worse, her dog, Scarlett O'Hara, is sick. Her favorite uncle is living in a car. Her best friend is turning into a criminal. And no one will tell Penny the truth about how her father died.
Turtle in Paradise
Jennifer L. Holm; This book profiles an eleven-year-old protagonist who moves in with distant relatives after her mother gets a housekeeping job. She plays with her cousins, unravels family secrets, and searches for buried treasure in Great Depression-era Key West, Flo
Little Men
Jo, now married to her professor, and presiding as the harried but happy mistress over the Plumfield Estate School home to a small group of needy boys, relatives, and sons. Written by Louisa May Alcott
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck; The story follows the fortunes of a poor family as they travel from the Dust Bowl region to California. based on the Great Depression.
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck; They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own.
Rebecca of Sunnybrooke Farm
Kate Douglas Wiggin; Rebecca Rolena Randall is sent to live with her to Stern aunts at the title location.
Kitten's First Full Moon -- 2005
Kitten sees the moon in the sky and thinks it is a bowl of milk. She wants to get to it and goes through many funny attempts to try to get to the moon. Children can relate to the book if they have ever really really wanted something, but could never quite get to it.
Daniel Defoe
Known as the father of the English novel; wrote more than 500 books. Most famous novel: Robinson Crusoe.
Slaughterhouse Five
Kurt Vonnegut; the story of Billy Pilgrim, a decidedly non-heroic man who has become "unstuck in time." He travels back and forth in time, visiting his birth, death, all the moments in between repeatedly and out of order.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Lawyer Atticus Finch is raising two children, Scout & Gem, all by himself. Scout narrates the story, and struggles with her place in the world -- she's a tomboy in a society that expects a lady. The two children meet Boo Radley, a kind and mysterious man who never leaves his home. Boo becomes a hero after saving the kids from danger.
Epic
Long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
Epic Poem
Long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero
A clever guidebook that encourages readers to observe and wonder about the birds around them. The author presents plenty of relevant information while sharing her clear enthusiasm for the subject. Accompanied with bright illustrations on every page, the text introduces topics such as birds' distinctive colors, shapes, feathers, sounds, habitats, behavioral traits, migration, and classification. Author: Annette LeBlanc Cate Sibert Honor Book
Look Up!
Haiku
Major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of nature or one of the seasons.
Gone With the Wind
Margaret Mitchell; romantic drama and the only novel written by Margaret Mitchell. The story is set in Jonesboro and Atlanta, Georgia during the American Civil War and Reconstruction[1] and follows the life of Scarlett O'Hara, the daughter of an Irish immigrant plantation owner.
Eve's Diary
Mark Twain. A comic short showcasing the battle of the sexes. Tells about the life of the first woman in a first person perspective.
Pudd'nhead Wilson
Mark Twain; The setting is the fictional Missouri frontier town of Dawson's Landing on the banks of the Mississippi River in the first half of the 19th century. David Wilson, a young lawyer, moves to town and a clever remark of his is misunderstood, which causes locals to brand him a "__________________" (meaning nitwit). His hobby of collecting fingerprints does not raise his standing in the townsfolk's eyes, who see him as an eccentric and do not frequent his law practice. Mark Twain's satire humorously and pointedly lambasts everything from small-town politics and religious beliefs to slavery and racism.[2]
A Wrinkle in Time
Meg Murray and her brother Charles Wallace enter a strange world in search of their father. They are led in this search by a strange being who takes them through a "ttesseract". Once there, they discover an evil force which will take a special power that they possess to defeat it. Written by Madeleine L'Engle
The Wind in the Willows
Mole has a sudden case of spring fever, gives up on his house-cleaning, and wanders in the fields and meadows. He finds himself by a river and meets the Water Rat, who invites Mole into his boat, something else he has never seen before. A world of friendships, the joy of carefree wandering, of picnicking, and playing has opened for Mole. Half way through the book, the Mole, the Water Rat and the Badger go to Toad Hall to try to help their friend Mr. Toad who has a bad habit of reckless driving. Toad has quite a few adventures. His irresponsible living and extravagance lead to the loss of his home to the barbaric stouts and weasels. The four friends go to battle to regain Toad Hall. The book ends with a banquet where all the friends rejoice at Toad's return.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Mr. Fox is on the run! The three meanest farmers around are out to get him. Fat Boggis, squat Bunce, and skinny Bean have joined forces, and they have Mr. Fox and his family surrounded. What they don't know is that they're not dealing with just any fox-Mr. Fox would never surrender. Written by Roald Dahl
House of the Seven Gables
Nathaniel Hawthorn; A gloomy New England mansion provides the setting for this classic exploration of ancestral guilt and its expiation through the love and goodwill of succeeding generations. Based on a home that Hawthorne's family owned because of the Salem Witch Trials. Built over an unquiet grave, the house carries a dying man's curse that blights the lives of its residents for over two centuries. Now Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon, an iron-hearted hypocrite and intellectual heir to the mansion's unscrupulous founder, is attempting to railroad a pair of his elderly relatives out of the house. Only two young people stand in his way — a visiting country cousin and an enigmatic boarder skilled in mesmerism.
Robert Frost
New England poet, wrote about nature, "The Road Not Taken", "Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening" [The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.]
William Sydney Porter
O'Henry's Real Name
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Originally a transcendentalist; later rejected them and became a leading anti-transcendentalist. He was a descendant of Puritan settlers. Novels: "The Scarlett Letter", "The House of the Seven Gables", "Twice Told Tales" Short Stories: "Young Goodman Brown", "The Maypole of Merry Mount",
The Invention of Hugo Cabret -- 2008
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card; In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut--but the title character is drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.
Couplet
Pair of rhyming lines
2014 Sibert Medal Winner Tells about a once abundant bird that came perilously close to extinction in the 1960s due to centuries of foreign exploration and occupation, development, and habitat destruction. Susan Roth & Cindy Trumbore recount the efforts of the scientists a Recovery Program to save the birds and ensure their future. Woven into the birds' story is a brief history of Puerto Rico itself, from before the first human settlers to the present day. Authors: Susan Roth & Cindy Trumbore
Parrots Over Puerto Rico
Saki
Pen name of British short-story writer Hector Hugo Munro (aka H. H. Munro). British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirize Edwardian society and culture. He is considered a master of the short story, and often compared to O. Henry "The Interlopers" "The Open Window" "The Toys of Peace" "The Storyteller"
O. Henry
Pen name of William Sydney Porter; known for his short stories and twist endings. First collection of stories was titled "Cabbages and Kings" Famous tales: "The Gift of the Magi", "The Ransom of Red Chief", & "The Retrieved Reformation"
Ballad
Poem that tells a story and often has a musical quality to it...often about love.
Narrative
Poem which tells a story or has a plot
Jack Prelutsky
Poet; has written more than 50 poetry collections, including "Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep", "It's Halloween", "The Mean Old Mean Hyena", and "Something BIG Has Been Here". Collaborated with Dr. Seuss on Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!
Free Verse
Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
Free-verse
Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
Mary O'hara
Raised animals on a ranch in Wyoming, almost lost everything during the Great Depression. Many of her stories deal with life on the ranch and raising animals, like horses. Most famous novel is My Friend Flicka. Other Notable Works: Thunderhead, Green Grass of Wyoming, Flicka's Friend.
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury; Presents a future American society where books are outlawed and firemen burn any house that contains them. The plot that takes place in a futuristic America, a firefighter (Guy Montag) decides to buck society, stop burning books, and start seeking knowledge; themes: censorship, knowledge vs. ignorance, religion as a knowledge giver
John Christopher
Real name: Samuel Youd; British Science-Fiction writer; "The Death of Grass" and a young-adult sci-fi series about aliens conquering the human race using three-legged walking machines called tripods in The Pool of Fire & The White Mountains
Esther Forbes
Received a Pulitzer Prize for History with her book "Paul Revere and the World He Lived In. She also won a Newbery Medal for her novel "Johnny Tremain"
Meter
Rhythmical pattern or the arrangement and number of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem.
The Moustache
Robert Cormier. Mike decides to visit his aging grandmother, his grandmother has an illusion that Mike was her husband, not her grandson (all because of his new facial hair). Mike goes along with it so that his grandmother dies in peace, never shares experience with his parents.
All the King's Men
Robert Penn Warren (an author from KY); Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this classic book is generally regarded as the finest novel ever written on american politics. It describes the career of Willie Stark, a back-country lawyer whose idealism is overcome by his lust for power.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Scottish author; wrote many classic adventure novels including: "Kidnapped", "Treasure Island" & "Strange Case of Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde"
2006 Sibert Medal Winner When the Union blockade of all ports in the South stopped supplies from reaching the Confederate Army, Horace L. Hunley decided to create a submarine that would be able to sneak up on enemy ships and blow them up. After many years of trial and error, the H. L. Hunley actually succeeded in sinking the USS Housatonic in February of 1864. But the submarine never returned to port, and her crew perished in the Charleston Harbor. This is a finely crafted account of the Hunley from its inception to the modern archaeological quest to exhume her from the water. It is divided into chronological chapters complete with pictures, maps, and primary sources. Half of the book discusses the construction and design of the submarine, in addition to its practice runs and its first and only mission. The second half consists of the process of locating and excavating the Hunley, as well as piecing together the puzzle of exactly what happened on that fateful night in 1864. The archaeological process is well documented in both words and pictures, and the conclusions are interesting and even surprising. Author: Sally M. Walker
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine
The Last of the Mohicans
Set during the French and Indian War The novel is primarily set in the upper New York wilderness, detailing the transport of the two daughters of Colonel Munro to a safe destination at Fort William Henry. Among the caravan guarding the women are the frontiersman Natty Bumppo, Major Duncan Heyward, and the Indians Chingachgook and Uncas 2nd book published -- 2nd in chronology
Calloway's Code
Set during the Russo-Japanese War, which was current news in his day, it tells the tale of a war correspondent determined to sneak a scoop past the Japanese censors. While the censors may not have understood North American slang and common journalistic cliches, his solution remains both sneaky and apt -- and totally baffling to its recipients, until a young journalist finally guesses what was meant and saves the day.
The Split Cherry Tree
Set in the rural hills of Kentucky in the 1930s, young Dave Sexton finds himself trapped between the modern world that demands an education and his father's past where hard work may have held more value than "book learning." A conflict arises when he is punished by his teacher, and Dave's father Luster has to make a determination about the value of education.
The Red-headed League
Sherlock Holmes takes the case of Jabez Wilson, a businessman who feels that he's been duped. The group he joined paid him four pounds a week to go to their office for four hours a day and copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica in longhand. Wilson does this for seven weeks, up until the group is disbanded. Sherlock realizes that Spaulding just wanted Wilson out of the shop so that he could dig a tunnel into the nearby bank. Sherlock waits in the vault to apprehend Spaulding.
Lyric Poem
Short poem in first person point of view that expresses an emotion, idea, or describes a scene
Lyric
Short poem of song-like quality
The Pathfinder
Shows Natty and his love for a young woman. She is soft and kind and a good woman -- she seems to have made Natty lose track of his place in the wilderness. She falls for someone else and he returns to the wilderness where he belongs. Sequel to Last of the Mohicans. 4th published, 3rd chronological
The Duplicity of Hargraves
Sixty-eight-year-old Major Pendleton Talbot and his practical spinster daughter Lydia move to Washington D.C. The Talbots have fallen from their aristocratic past in the South before the American Civil War and are now quite poor. The pair stay at a boarding house in the nation's capital. There they become acquainted with Henry Hopkins Hargraves, an ambitious actor in vaudeville. Hargraves is seemingly spellbound by the Major's tales of his happier past (of which he is writing a book). Eventually, the Talbots become behind on their rent. The Major seeks the help of their congressman in getting his book published, but to little avail. The impractical Major spends their last two dollars on play tickets. Lydia is dismayed, but seeing as the money has been spent, goes to see the play with her father. They are shocked to see Hargraves impersonating her father on stage. When Hargraves comes to see the Major to offer him financial help, the Major informs him that he saw the actor's performance and is highly offended. He refuses to accept any money, even though he and Lydia are almost destitute. Just when the father and daughter's situation is most bleak, "an old colored man" appears and tells the Talbots that he was once one of Talbot's slaves. He has prospered and wants to repay an old family debt. Major Talbot accepts the payment. Later Lydia received a letter from Hargraves, explaining that he played the ex-slave. She hides the letter from her father.
Tuesday -- 1992
Slowly and quietly, a few fat frogs begin hovering over a swamp, riding lily pads like magic carpets. Gradually, the flying fleet grows in momentum and number, sailing over the countryside and into an unsuspecting town. These frogs know how to have fun--startling the occasional bird, waving webbed feet at late-night snack-eaters, and even changing the channels on a sleeping granny's television. As day breaks, the frogs lose their lily pads, head back to the pond, and wait impatiently for their next scheduled departure.
Anachronism
Something that is not in its correct historical time; a mistake in chronology, such as by assigning a person or event to the wrong time period
The Prairie
Telsl of Natty Bumppo's last year of life and the dying American frontier. 3rd published, last chronological
Joe and Bob Switzer were very different brothers. Bob was a studious planner who wanted to grow up to be a doctor. Joe dreamed of making his fortune in show business and loved magic tricks and problem-solving. When an accident left Bob recovering in a darkened basement, the brothers began experimenting with ultraviolet light and fluorescent paints. Together they invented a whole new kind of color, one that glows with an extra-special intensity. Author: Chris Barton Sibert Honor Book
The Day-Glo Brothers
The Twits
The Muggle-Wumps, a family of clever pet monkeys, get even with their captors: the ugliest, meanest, most disgusting people on the planet. They get even by gluing their furniture to the ceiling. Written by Roald Dahl
2015 Sibert Winner For shy young Peter, books were the best companions -- and it wasn't long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn t write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time. This elegant book celebrates the joy of learning and the power of words. Author: Jen Bryant
The Right Word
2008 Sibert Medal Winner A memoir of the author's life under the Communist rule of Czechoslovakia, the oppression he faces, and his dreams of leaving for America. The book mentions adult topics such as Laika, Prague Spring, and Plastic People of the Universe. Author: Peter Sis
The Wall
Little Women
The four March sisters (Amy, Jo, Beth, Meg) in 19th century New England struggle with poverty, juggle their duties, and their desire to find love. Written by Louisa May Alcott
So You Want to Be President? -- 2001
The basic theme is that anyone can be president: a fat man (William Howard Taft) or a tiny man (James Madison), a relative youngster (Teddy Roosevelt at 42) or oldster (Ronald Reagan at 69). Presidential hobbies, sports, virtues, and vices all get a tongue-in-cheek airing, perfectly matched by political-cartoon style of caricature painting.
Denotation
The dictionary definition of a word
Poetic Justice
The idea that virtuous and evil actions are ultimately dealt with justly, with virtue rewarded and evil punished. When characters "get what they deserve" in the end of a story.
George Orwell
The pen name for Eric Arthur Blair; an English novelist and journalist. His work is marked by intelligence and wit, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and belief in democratic socialism. He wrote 1984 and Animal Farm
The Grapes of Wrath
The story follows the fortunes of a poor family (The Joads)as they travel from the Dust Bowl region to California. Based on the Great Depression
The Cask of Amantallado
The story is set in an unspecified Italian city, the protagonist, Motressor believes he has suffered a thousand slights and injuries at the hand of his friend. Montressor invites -- rather tricks --his friend, Fortunato, into tasting some wine stored back at his pallazo in the wine cellar.
The Pioneers
The story takes place on the rapidly advancing frontier of New York State and features an elderly Natty Bumpo, Judge Marmaduke Temple of Templeton; and his daughter Elizabeth Temple, The story begins with an argument between the judge and Bumppo over who killed a buck. Their argument showcases the quickly changing frontier of New York and the changing lifestyle of the people (from frontiersmen to city folk). Chingachgook dies, representing fears of the race of natives, and Natty vanishes into the sunset. 1st Published, 4th chronological
A Retrieved Reformation
The tale of safecracker Jimmy Valentine, recently freed from prison. He goes to a town bank to case it before he robs it. As he walks to the door, he catches the eye of the banker's beautiful daughter. They immediately fall in love and Valentine decides to give up his criminal career. He moves into the town, taking up the identity of Ralph Spencer, a shoemaker. Just as he is about to leave to deliver his specialized tools to an old associate, a lawman who recognizes him arrives at the bank. Jimmy and his fiancée and her family are at the bank, inspecting a new safe, when a child accidentally gets locked inside the airtight vault. Knowing it will seal his fate, Valentine opens the safe to rescue the child. However, much to Valentine's surprise, the lawman denies recognizing him and lets him go.
Gooney Bird Greene
There's never been anyone like her at Watertower Elementary School. What other new kid comes to school wearing pajamas and cowboy boots one day and a polka-dot t-shirt and tutu on another? The main character has to sit right smack in the middle of the class because she likes to be in the middle of everything. She is the star of story time and keeps her teacher and classmates on the edge of their seats with her "absolutely true" stories. Written by Lois Lowry
Natty Bumppo
This fictional frontiersman is the main character in historical novels by James Fenimore Cooper. He is also known as Hawkeye, the child of white parents, who grew up with Native Americans. He is trapper and legendary frontiersman. The natives call him Deerslayer.
Black and White -- 1991
This is a collection of four unrelated stories, each occupying a quarter of every two-page spread, and each a slight enough tale to seem barely worth a book--a boy on a train, parents in a funny mood, a convict's escape and a late commuter train.
Grandfather's Journey -- 1994
This is a story of a man who traveled from Japan to the United States and the emotions and feelings of homesickness he experiences. When he is in one country he longs for the other and vice versa.
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend -- 2015
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again. He sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name!
The Jungle
Upton Sinclair; This 1906 work pointed out the abuses of the meat packing industry. The book led to the passage of the 1906 Meat Inspection Act.
Our Town
Thornton Wilder; Play divided into three acts: "Daily Life" (Professor Willard and Editor Webb gossip on the everyday lives of town residents); "Love and Marriage" (Emily Webb and George Gibbs fall in love and marry); and "Death" (Emily dies while giving birth, and her spirit converses about the meaning of life with other dead people in the cemetery). A Stage Manager talks to the audience and serves as a narrator throughout the drama, which is performed on a bare stage.
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China -- 1990
Three sisters, Shang, Tao, and Paotze, who are staying home alone, are endangered by a wolf. The girls outwit the wolf in this version. Chinese Little Red Riding Hood
Deborah Hopkinson pieces together the story of a fateful April night, drawing on the voices of survivors and archival photographs. Author: Deborah Hopkinson Sibert Honor Book
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster
Alliteration
Use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse "She Sells Sea Shells by the Sea Shore"
After Twenty Years
Two friends make arrangements to meet at a restaurant at a specific time 20 years later. Bob shows up and chats with a police officer about why he is there and who he is waiting for. Later, a man shows up claiming to be Bob's friend Jimmy Wells. Bob realizes that he is not Jimmy...and the man admits to being an undercover cop who is there to arrest him. He gives Bob a note saying that the police officer he met earlier was Jimmy Wells...his old friend...who recognized Bob as a wanted man from several warrants issued in Chicago.
Chingachgook
Uncas's father, he is one of the two surviving members of the Mohican tribe. Natty Bumppo's old and best friend.. Also known as Le Gros Serpent— The Great Snake— because of his crafty intelligence.
Sonnet
Verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme -- Shakespeare wrote many of these.
Sonnet
Verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme, often about love.
2009 Sibert Medal Winner The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. Most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about the unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else: play ball. Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. What makes this book so outstanding are the dozens of full-color oil paintings -- breathtaking in their perspectives, rich in emotion, and created with affection for these lost heroes of our national game. Author: Kadir Nelson
We Are the Ship
Meet the Austins
When a family friend suddenly dies in a plane crash, the Austins open their home to an orphaned girl, Maggy Hamilton. The Austin children—Vicky, John, Suzy, and Rob—do their best to be generous and welcoming to Maggy. Vicky knows she should feel sorry for Maggy, but having sympathy for Maggy is no easy thing. Maggy is moody and spoiled; she breaks toys, wakes people in the middle of the night screaming, discourages homework, and generally causes chaos in the Austin household. Written by Madeleine L'Engle
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
What happens when the five luckiest children in the entire world walk through the doors of Willy Wonka's famous, mysterious chocolate factory? What happens when, one by one, the children disobey Mr. Wonka's orders? The nasty are punished and the good are deliciously rewarded. Written by Roald Dahl
Good Wives
When "Little Women" came to its last chapter Meg was engaged and the other three March girls, Beth, Jo and Amy, were at the threshold of young-womanhood. "Good Wives" opens three years later, with Meg and her family happily preparing for her marriage to John Brooke. Written by Louisa May Alcott
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat -- 2000
When Joseph's favorite overcoat gets old and worn, he makes a jacket out of it. When the jacket is more patches than jacket, Joseph turns it into a vest. When the vest's number is up, Joseph makes a scarf. This thrifty industry continues until there's nothing left of the original garment. But clever Joseph manages to make something out of nothing.
My Friend Rabbit -- 2003
When Mouse lets his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind.
The Sound and the Fury
William Faulkner; A Southern family on the decline crumbles completely when one of his members has a child out of wedlock. Family falls into financial ruin, loses its religious faith and the respect of the town of Jefferson, and many of them die tragically. Title taken from Macbeth.
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Willy Wonka might be a genius with chocolate, but Charlie and his family don't trust his flying skills one bit. And right now, he's at the helm of a giant glass elevator that's picking up speed and hurtling through space — with Charlie and the entire Bucket family stuck inside! Roald Dahl's sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Snowflake Bentley -- 1999
Wilson Bentley was fascinated by the six-sided frozen phenomena, and once he acquired a microscope with a camera, his childhood preoccupation took on a more scientific leaning. Bentley spent his life taking countless exquisite photographs (many that are still used in nature photography today), examining the tiny crystals and their delicate, mathematical structures.
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate sounds -- "Boom" "Crash" "Pow"
Cormac McCarthy
Writes in a Southern Gothic and American Western genre...often features some supernatural events or elements. Known for sparse use of punctuation saying "no need to blot up the page with weird little marks." The Road (Won Pulitzer) No Country for Old Men Blood Meridian All the Pretty Horses
Crispin: The Cross of Lead -- 2003
Written by Avi In 14th century England, Crispin, known as "Asta's Son", an orphan, is accused of murder, flees and takes up with a juggler named Bear, who becomes his protector and teacher. Relentlessly pursued by Crispin's enemies, the pair flees to solve the mystery of his identity and fight the injustices of feudalism.
Bud, Not Buddy -- 2000
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis About a boy named Bud whose mom died when he was six. Takes place in 1936 in Flint, Michigan. We read about Bud's experience in a foster home. Bud has been in numerous foster homes and has had good experiences and bad experiences. Here we will read about his experience in the Amos family.
Moon over Manifest -- 2011
Written by Clare Vanderpool Abilene Tucker's father sends her to spend the summer with a friend while he works on the railroad. Along with her friends Lettie and Ruthanne, she finds a cigar box full of mementos and investigates a spy called the Rattler.
Kira-Kira -- 2005
Written by Cynthia Kadohata Two sisters lie on their backs, watching the stars and repeating the Japanese word for "glittering" - "kira-kira." Like this quiet opening scene, Kadohata's tenderly nuanced novel glitters with plain and poignant words that describe the strong love within a Japanese American family from the point of view of younger sister Katie. Personal challenges and family tragedy are set against the oppressive social climate of the South during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Missing May -- 1993
Written by Cynthia Rylant After the death of her mother, Summer went from one relative's house to another until she met and fell in love with Uncle Ob and Aunt May from West Virginia. Once there, she also met an unusual cast of whirligigs and a strange neighbor boy named Cletus. This is a story of how true love between human beings can surpass all physical and spiritual barriers.
The View from Saturday -- 1997
Written by E.L. Konigsburg Charts the ties that bind four members of an extraordinarily successful 6th-grade academic team.
Walden; or, Life in the Woods
Written by Henry Thoreau. A novel of how Thoreau built a cabin ion Walden pond near Concord, MA.
Dead End in Norvelt - 2012
Written by Jack Gantos About an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town
Maniac Magee -- 1991
Written by Jerry Spinelli The main character is an orphan raised by his feuding aunt and uncle until he runs away at age eight. He finds his way to Two Mills, Pa., where his legend begins after he scores major upsets against Brian Denehy, the star high school football player, and Little League tough guy, John McNab. In racially divided Two Mills, the Beales, a black family, take him in, but despite his local fame, community pressure forces him out and he returns to living at the zoo. Park groundskeeper Grayson next cares for the boy, but the old man dies and Maniac moves into the home of the McNabs, who are convinced a race war is imminent. After a showdown with his nemesis, Mars Bar, the protagonist bridges the gap between the two sides of town and finally finds a home
The Midwife's Apprentice -- 1996
Written by Karen Cushman In medieval England, the girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the sharp-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat-who renames herself Alyce-gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something from life.
Out of the Dust -- 1998
Written by Karen Hesse In this series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo tells the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures - 2014
Written by Kate DiCamillo Comic book fan and natural-born cynic Flora Belle Buckman and Ulysses, a flying, superhero, poetry-writing squirrel, join forces to overcome Ulysses' arch-nemesis, Flora's mother and encounter a quirky cast of characters. Through poignant, laugh-out-loud episodes, this homage to comic books is a testament to the power of love.
The Tale of Despereaux -- 2004
Written by Kate DiCamillo Welcome to the story of a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives.
The One and Only Ivan - 2013
Written by Katherine Applegate Ivan's transformative emergence from the "Ape at Exit 8" to "The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback," comes to life through the gorilla's own distinct narrative voice, which is filled with wry humor, deep emotion and thought-provoking insights into the nature of friendship, hope and humanity.
The Crossover - 2015
Written by Kwame Alexander Twelve-year-old narrator Josh Bell uses the rhythms of a poetry jam to emulate the "moving & grooving/popping and rocking" of life on the basketball court with his twin brother, J.B. This powerful novel in verse paints an authentic portrait of a closely-knit family on the brink of crisis. Swish! This book is nothing but net!
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village -- 2008
Written by Laura Amy Schlitz Thirteenth-century England springs to life using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of village and manor; from Hugo, the lord's nephew, to Nelly, the sniggler. Schlitz's elegant monologues and dialogues draw back the curtain on the period, revealing character and relationships, hinting at stories untold. Explanatory interludes add information and round out this historical and theatrical presentation.
A Single Shard -- 2002
Written by Linda Sue Park Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to make the delicate ceramics himself.
Number the Stars -- 1990
Written by Lois Lowry In 1943, during the Nazi occupation in wartime Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns first hand about the cruelties of war when her family helps her Jewish friend Ellen Rosen. In a daring escape, Annemarie and Ellen must risk all that they hold dear.
The Giver -- 1994
Written by Lois Lowry Set in a future which is, at first, presented as a utopian society and gradually appears more and more dystopian; the novel follows a boy named Jonas through the twelfth year of his life.
Holes -- 1999
Written by Louis Sachar Stanley Yelnats didn't steal the shoes. Really. But the judge doesn't believe him. So Stanley winds up in Camp Green Lake, Texas. It's not a camp. It's not green. It's not a lake. It's a place for bad boys. Stanley is forced to dig holes. And by digging holes, he discovers himself.
Criss Cross -- 2006
Written by Lynne Rae Perkins Follows the lives of four 14-year-olds in a small town, each at their own crossroads. This ensemble cast explores new thoughts and feelings in their quest to find the meaning of life and love.
The Graveyard Book -- 2009
Written by Neil Gaiman The tale of Nobody Owens, a child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.
Shiloh -- 1992
Written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor When Marty Preston comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it's love at first sight -- and also big trouble. It turns out the dog belongs to Judd Travers, who drinks too much, has a gun -- and abuses his dogs. When the young dog runs away from Judd to Marty, Marty just has to hide him and protect him from Judd. But Marty's secret becomes too big for him to keep to himself, and it exposes his entire family to Judd's anger.
When You Reach Me -- 2010
Written by Rebecca Stead Twelve-year-old Miranda encounters shifting friendships, a sudden punch, a strange homeless man and mysterious notes that hint at knowledge of the future. These and other seemingly random events converge in a brilliantly constructed plot.
A Year Down Yonder -- 2001
Written by Richard Peck Mary Alice's childhood summers in Grandma Dowdel's sleepy Illinois town were packed with enough drama to fill the double bill of any picture show. But now she is fifteen, and faces a whole long year with Grandma, a woman well known for shaking up her neighbors-and everyone else! All Mary Alice can know for certain is this: when trying to predict how life with Grandma might turn out . . . better not. This wry, delightful sequel to the Newbery Honor Book "A Long Way from Chicago" has already taken its place among the classics of children's literature.
Walk Two Moons -- 1995
Written by Sharon Creech After her mother leaves home suddenly thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.
The Higher Power of Lucky -- 2007
Written by Susan Patron Lucky, age 10, lives in tiny Hard Pan, California (population 43), with her dog and the young French woman who is her guardian. With a personality that may remind some readers of Ramona Quimby, Lucky, who is totally contemporary, teeters between bravado--gathering insect specimens, scaring away snakes from the laundry--and fear that her guardian will leave her to return to France. Looking for solace, Lucky eavesdrops on the various 12-step meetings held in Hard Pan (of which there are plenty), hoping to suss out a "higher power" that will see her through her difficulties.
Brown Girl Dreaming
Written in verse form. 2014 Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King, and National Book Award Winner. Discusses the Woodson's life growing up in South Carolina & New York during the 60s and 70s.
Isaac Asimov
Wrote over 500 books, most famous for "Nightfall", (considered best sci-fi story of all time). Wrote many stories about robots and created the Law of Robotics, introduced in "Runaround." Famous books: Foundation; Foundation and Empire; Second Foundation; I, Robot; The Robots of Dawn
Shel Silverstein
Wrote songs sung by Loretta Lynn & Johnny Cash before writing children's poems with cartoonish illustrations. "A Light in the Attic" "Where the Sidewalk Ends" "The Giving Tree"
Elegy
a mournful poem -- typically mourning the loss of someone who has died.
Cadence
a rhythm, progression of sound The rising and falling of the voice when reading a literary piece. In poetry, it is the momentary changes in rhythm and pitch.
Ballad
a song or song-like poem that tells a story
Tragic Flaw
a trait in a character leading to his downfall and the character is often the hero of the literary piece. This trait could be the lack of self-knowledge, lack of judgment and often it is hubris.
Double Entendre
a word or phrase having a double meaning, especially when the second meaning is risque
Patricia MacLachlan
is a bestselling female U.S. children's author. She is best known for winning the 1986 Newbery Medal for her book Sarah, Plain and Tall. Kindred Souls Waiting for the Magic White Fur Flying
The Giver
it is set in a future society which is at first presented as a utopian society and gradually appears more and more dystopia. The novel follows a boy named Jonas through the twelfth year of his life. Written by Lois Lowry
The Lion & the Mouse -- 2010
the majestic king of the jungle saved by the determination and hard work of a humble rodent; the courageous mouse and the lion who must rise above his beastly nature to set his small prey free.