Wish

Wish
Author: Barbara O'Connor
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2016-08-30
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0374302731

From award-winning author Barbara O'Connor comes a middle-grade novel about a girl who, with the help of the dog of her dreams, discovers the true meaning of family.

Charlie’s Birthday Wish

Charlie’s Birthday Wish
Author: Rene Micka
Publisher: Better Day Books
Total Pages: 12
Release: 2015-07-31
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0692499431

Winner of the New Apple Award 2015, an award for Excellence in Independent Publishing. Charlie’s Birthday Wish, has light-hearted rhyme with an anti-bullying message, told from the point of view of the antagonist, Charlie. Charlie bullies his way into a crisis when he alienates his friends with his unkindness, just as his birthday quickly approaches. Charlie sets out to change his fate before he finds himself alone at his own party. In the end, he experiences the power of forgiveness and learns that friendships must be earned.

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis
Author: Barbara O'Connor
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Total Pages: 159
Release: 2009-09-15
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1429947926

Nothing ever happens in Fayette, South Carolina. That's what Popeye thinks, anyway. His whole life, everything has just been boring, boring, boring. But things start to look up when the Jewells' Holiday Rambler makes a wrong turn and gets stuck in the mud, trapping Elvis and his five rowdy siblings in Fayette for who knows how long. Popeye has never met anyone like Elvis Jewell. He's so good at swearing he makes Uncle Dooley look like a harp-strumming angel, and he says "So what?" like he really means it. Then something curious comes floating down the creek—a series of boats with secret messages—and it sends Popeye and Elvis into the big world on the hunt for a small adventure. With a healthy helping of humor and the signature Southern charm that has captivated children and critics alike, Barbara O'Connor's newest tale is a heartwarming look at the joy that can come out of being a Royal Rule Breaker, and learning to find one's own adventures. This title has Common Core connections.

The Seventh Wish

The Seventh Wish
Author: Kate Messner
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2017-06-13
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1681194317

When Charlie Brennan goes ice fishing on her town's frozen lake, she's hoping the fish she reels in will help pay for her dream: a fancy Irish dancing dress for her upcoming competition. But when Charlie's first catch of the day happens to be a talking fish offering her a wish in exchange for its freedom, her world quickly turns upside down, as her wishes go terribly and hilariously wrong. Just as Charlie is finally getting the hang of communicating with a magical wishing fish, a family crisis with her older sister brings reality into sharp focus. Charlie quickly learns that the real world doesn't always keep fairy-tale promises and life's toughest challenges can't be fixed by a simple wish . . . Acclaimed author Kate Messner expertly weaves fantasy into the ordinary, in an important story of self-reliance and hope that will open readers' eyes to the wonders and challenges of their world.

How to Steal a Dog

How to Steal a Dog
Author: Barbara O'Connor
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2009-04-27
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0374706794

Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don't do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you're in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it. Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is "borrow" the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected. With unmistakable sympathy, Barbara O'Connor tells the story of a young girl struggling to see what's right when everything else seems wrong. How to Steal a Dog is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.

A Whole New Ballgame

A Whole New Ballgame
Author: Phil Bildner
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2015-08-18
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0374301301

A school, sports, and friendship story perfect for fans of Mike Lupica's Comeback Kids.

The Wild Way Home

The Wild Way Home
Author: Sophie Kirtley
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2020-07-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1526616270

'So good I read it twice' - Hilary McKay, author of The Skylarks' War 'This thrilling time-slip adventure oozes magic and heart' - Bookseller EDITOR'S CHOICE When Charlie's longed-for brother is born with a serious heart condition, Charlie's world is turned upside down. Upset and afraid, Charlie flees the hospital and makes for the ancient forest on the edge of town. There Charlie finds a boy floating face-down in the stream, injured, but alive. But when Charlie sets off back to the hospital to fetch help, it seems the forest has changed. It's become a place as strange and wild as the boy dressed in deerskins. For Charlie has unwittingly fled into the Stone Age, with no way to help the boy or return to the present day. Or is there? What follows is a wild, big-hearted adventure as Charlie and the Stone Age boy set out together to find what they have lost – their courage, their hope, their family and their way home. Fans of Piers Torday and Stig of the Dump will love this wild, wise and heartfelt debut adventure.

How I Became a Spy

How I Became a Spy
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2019-02-12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0399557067

From the award-winning author of The Great Trouble comes a story of espionage, survival, and friendship during World War II. Bertie Bradshaw never set out to become a spy. He never imagined traipsing around war-torn London, solving ciphers, practicing surveillance, and searching for a traitor to the Allied forces. He certainly never expected that a strong-willed American girl named Eleanor would play Watson to his Holmes (or Holmes to his Watson, depending on who you ask). But when a young woman goes missing, leaving behind a coded notebook, Bertie is determined to solve the mystery. With the help of Eleanor and his friend David, a Jewish refugee--and, of course, his trusty pup, Little Roo--Bertie must decipher the notebook in time to stop a double agent from spilling the biggest secret of all to the Nazis. From the author of The Great Trouble, this suspenseful WWII adventure reminds us that times of war call for bravery, brains and teamwork from even the most unlikely heroes.

101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married

101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married
Author: Charlie Bloom
Publisher: New World Library
Total Pages: 146
Release: 2010-09-24
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1577313453

With the divorce rate soaring at a dizzying 60 percent, young couples and experienced partners may lack the skills and understanding to sustain a committed relationship. Linda and Charlie Bloom present 101 nuggets of wisdom that deliver practical guidance and make it clear that regardless of past experience anyone can develop the basic strengths, skills, and capacities needed for a great relationship. Each lesson is presented as a simple, one-sentence thought followed by an explanation using real-life examples. This book demonstrates how couples can enrich their own relationships by working through love's challenges.