Children's Books for Parents and Teachers » 9th Grade (Age 14)

A Christmas Carol

admin — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:16:54 +0000

One of the best-loved and most quoted stories of “the man who invented Christmas”-English writer Charles Dickens-A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since. Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn’t like… and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill. Experience a true Victorian Christmas with Barbour’s tenth anniversary Value Book edition-now on quality stock!

A Little Princess

admin — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:03:11 +0000

Ostracized by the envious and less-privileged girls at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies, seven-year-old Sara Crewe is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies, leaving her penniless and alone in the world. The story of how Sara’s fortunes change again, and how she discovers the true meaning of family, is a tale that has delighted children since its initial publication in 1905.

A Smart Girl’s Guide to Friendship Troubles

cindy — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:41:24 +0000

How do you speak up when you’re afraid of hurting your friend’s feelings? What do you do after a really big fight? What if your friend leaves you for the popular crowd? Inside you’ll find tips, quizzes, and real-life stories that can help solve a girl’s most common friendship troubles. When your friendship’s in trouble, you need help — fast. Here’s the advice you need to get through the tough times and help you decide how to deal with friendship dilemmas

A Wind in the Door

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:22:26 +0000

Meg Murry can’t help but be worried when her six-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, announces there are dragons in the vegetable garden. He’s so bright and so different from other kids, he’s getting bullied at school, and he is also strangely, seriously ill. But Charles Wallace is right about the dragons—actually a friendly entity who has come to help Charles Wallace fight his sickness. Meg and her friend Calvin O’Keefe join the dragon on a terrifying, wonderful journey into galactic space—where they must battle the forces of evil to save Charles Wallace and themselves.

A Wrinkle in Time

admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:20:06 +0000

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg’s father, who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

Abarat

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:36:43 +0000

It begins in the most boring place in the world: Chickentown, U.S.A. Candy Quackenbush lives in Chickentown, her heart bursting for some clue as to what her future might hold. When the answer comes, it’s not one she expects. Out of nowhere comes a wave, and Candy, led by a man called John Mischief (whose brothers live on the horns on his head), leaps into the surging waters and is carried away. Where? To the ABARAT: a vast archipelago where every island is a different hour of the day, from the Great Head that sits in the mysterious twilight waters of Eight in the Evening, to the sunlit wonders of Three in the Afternoon, where dragons roam, to the dark terrors of Gorgossium, the island of Midnight, ruled over by the Prince of Midnight himself, Christopher Carrion. As Candy journeys from one amazing place to another, making fast friends and encountering treacherous foes — mechanical bugs and giant moths, miraculous cats and men made of mud, a murderous wizard and his terrified slave-she begins to realize something. She has been here before. Candy has a place in this extraordinary world: she is here to help save the Abarat from the dark forces that are stirring at its heart. Forces older than Time itself, and more evil than anything Candy has ever encountered. She’s a strange heroine, she knows. But this is a strange world. And in the Abarat, all things are possible.

Across Five Aprils

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:13:31 +0000

The unforgettable story of young Jethro Creighton, who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War, by the Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly. An impressive book both as a historically authentic Civil War novel and as a beautifully written family story.

Brian’s Return

admin — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:04:53 +0000

For more than a decade, readers and reviewers everywhere have praised Gary Paulsen’s exciting stories about brave Brian Robeson. In the Newbery Honor book Hatchet, 13-year-old Brian was stranded in the Canadian wilderness with only the clothes on his back and a hatchet to help him survive. The River brought 15-year-old Brian back to the wilderness for a government project — where he was left with a wounded partner and a rapid river to navigate. An alternative sequel, Brian’s Winter, posed the question: What if Brian had not been rescued? Now comes Brian’s Return — the final, gripping conclusion to Paulsen’s extraordinary saga.

Castle

admin — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 05:26:01 +0000

The word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.

Catching Fire (Hunger Games Series #2)

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:23:19 +0000

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Cathy’s Key: If Found Call (650) 266-8202

cindy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:14:22 +0000

Cathy has finally settled her curiosity about Victor—her off and on boyfriend—and his mysterious past. Suffice it to say that dating an immortal is far from easy! But now Cathy is stumbling across a trail of evidence pertaining to her own family—secrets about her father and the circumstances surrounding his death. Having an immortal boyfriend is sure to come in handy as her investigation continues, considering Cathy’s father is still alive. . . . Complete with evidence photos and a sixteen-page teaser for the third book, Cathy’s Key is sure to please!

Deep Dish

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:04:12 +0000

Chef extraordinaire Gina Foxton doesn’t expect anything to be handed to her on a platter. After years of hard work, the former runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion is now the host of her own local Georgia public television show called Fresh Start, and she’s dating the show’s producer.

But when her show gets canceled, and she catches her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with the boss’s wife, Gina realizes that she’s meant for bigger and better things. The Cooking Channel is looking for its next star, and Gina is certain that she fits the bill. Trouble is, the execs also have their eye on Mr. “Kill It and Grill It” Tate Moody, the star of a hunting, fishing, and cooking show called Vittles. Tate is the ultimate man’s man, with a dog named Moonpie and a penchant for flannel shirts. Little does Gina know, though, that she and Tate are soon to embark on the cook-off of their lives.

Dragonwings (Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1903)

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:10:49 +0000

Will Windrider take to the skies? Moon shadow is eight years old when he sails from China to join his father, Windrider, in America. Windrider lives in San Francisco and makes his living doing laundry. Father and son have never met. But Moon Shadow grows to love and respect his father and to believe in his wonderful dream. And Windrider, with Moon Shadow’s help is willing to endure the mockery of the other Chinese, the poverty, the separation from his wife and country’even the great earthquake’to make his dream come true.

Eulalia! (Redwall #19)

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:42:50 +0000

Lord Asheye of Salamandastron has a prophecy: A new Badger Lord must take his place and reign over the legendary badger fortress. But who is this young warrior who shuns both armor and sword? And how is he to be found? Mad Maudie, a feisty haremaid of the Long Patrol, is just the one to track him down. Meanwhile, the unsuspecting future Badger Lord has been captured by a scurrilous group of Sea Raiders led by the infamous fox, Vizka Longtooth, who intends on conquering Redwall Abbey. It is up to our young hero to defend Redwall so that he may fulfill his destiny as leader of Salamandastron.

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English

admin — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:25:32 +0000

Using the letters of the Spanish alphabet, Ada has written 27 poems that appear in both Spanish and English. These poems honor the lives, experiences, and culture of the Spanish-speaking people who work the farmland of the American West. Silva’s vivid paintings reflect his Mexican heritage and his life as a child working on farms.

Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered

admin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:21:32 +0000

A young city boy is sent to spend the summer on his aunt and uncle’s farm. Though he has lived many places over the years, he has never experienced anything like farm life . . . and he has never met anyone like Harris, his daredevil of a cousin. If the two of them can survive wrestling three-hundred-pound pigs and mouse-hunting with toothless old Louie’s fire-spitting pet lynx–which, unlike his master, has plenty of teeth–they just might make it through the summer!

Harry Potter: Tales of Beedle the Bard

admin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:51:35 +0000

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter. The stories are accompanied by delightful pen-and-ink illustrations by Ms. Rowling herself, featuring a still-life frontispiece for each one. Professor Dumbledore’s commentary—apparently written some eighteen months before his death—reveals not just his vast knowledge of Wizarding lore, but also more of his personal qualities: his sense of humor, his courage, his pride in his abilities, and his hard-won wisdom. Names familiar from the Harry Potter novels sprinkle the pages, including Aberforth Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and his forebears, and Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or “Nearly Headless Nick”), as well as other professors at Hogwarts and the past owners of the Elder Wand. Dumbledore tells us of incidents unique to the Wizarding world, like hilariously troubled theatrical productions at Hogwartsor the dangers of having a “hairy heart.” But he also reveals aspects of the Wizarding world that his Muggle readers might find all too familiar, like censorship, intolerance, and questions about the deepest mysteries in life. Altogether, this is an essential addition to our store of knowledge about the world and the magic that J. K. Rowling has created, and a book every true Harry Potter fan will want to have for their shelves.

Hatchet (Brian’s Saga Series #1)

admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:56:50 +0000

Brian Robertson, sole passenger on a Cessna 406, is on his way to visit his father when the tiny bush plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness. With nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present, Brian finds himself completely alone. Challenged by his fear and despair — and plagued with the weight of a dreadful secret he’s been keeping since his parent’s divorce — brian must tame his inner demons in order to survive. It will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed.

Holes

admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:58:28 +0000

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys “build character” by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:21:25 +0000

Shannon Lanier was in the first grade when he stood up in class and announced that Thomas Jefferson was his ancestor. No one believed him because he was black. In 1998, when Lanier was 19, DNA evidence proved he truly was a descendant of Jefferson’s. This is his story and his family’s story as told through interviews, photographs, and family trees. The various voices provide fascinating details and tie together nine generations of Jeffersons.

Jellicoe Road

admin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:42:03 +0000

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn’t a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:25:03 +0000

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Kennedy Assassinated! The World Mourns

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:23:41 +0000

Wilborn Hampton was only a cub reporter at United Press International in Dallas when he answered the phone and heard these fateful words: “Three shots fired at the motorcade!” This is his account of how reporters collected the facts for the news story about Kennedy’s assassination. Black-and-white photos and Wilborn’s voice bring to life the shock and grief felt by Americans that day.

Little Women

admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:28:56 +0000

One of American Literature’s most loved novels, this is a story of family, of hope, of dreams, and of growing up as four devoted sisters search fro romance and find maturity in Civil-War era 19th century New England.

Mad Dog (Starlight Animal Rescue Series #2)

admin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:54:22 +0000

Meet 16-year-old Dakota Brown. She used to love all things “horse” until she lost everything, including hope. The minute she sets foot on her foster parents’ farm—Starlight Animal Rescue—she plans her escape. But can an “impossible” horse named Blackfire and this quirky collection of animal lovers be the home she’s always dreamed of?

Starlight Animal Rescue: Where problem horses are trained and loved, where abandoned dogs become heroes, where stray cats become loyal companions. And where people with nowhere to fit in find a place to belong.

Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly

admin — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:27:56 +0000

Another important black leader who struggled for civil rights is Malcolm X. Historic quotes, rich prose, and striking paintings make this picture biography a gem–and one that underscores the possibility of overcoming bad times.

Malcolm X lived in difficult times – when some thought that black people were inferior to white people. But Malcolm believed that black people should stand up for their rights and he preached this belief everywhere he went. His message became popular because it was one of hope and pride. But it also became dangerous, because some people didn’t agree with him. In 1965, one of these people shot and killed him. Even though his life was cut short by hatred, Malcolm X’s ideas still affect people of all races. Here is his amazing story.

Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail

admin — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:17:25 +0000

As the math education crisis in this country continues to make headlines, research continues to prove that it is in middle school when math scores begin to drop-especially for girls-in large part due to the relentless social conditioning that tells girls they “can’t do” math, and that math is “uncool.” Young girls today need strong female role models to embrace the idea that it’s okay to be smart-in fact, it’s sexy to be smart!

It’s Danica McKellar’s mission to be this role model, and demonstrate on a large scale that math doesn’t suck. In this fun and accessible guide, McKellar-dubbed a “math superstar” by The New York Times-gives girls and their parents the tools they need to master the math concepts that confuse middle-schoolers most, including fractions, percentages, pre-algebra, and more. The book features hip, real-world examples, step-by-step instruction, and engaging stories of Danica’s own childhood struggles in math (and stardom). In addition, borrowing from the style of today’s teen magazines, it even includes a Math Horoscope section, Math Personality Quizzes, and Real-Life Testimonials-ultimately revealing why math is easier and cooler than readers think.

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

admin — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:17:57 +0000

There’s one last chance to save the world in MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the closing chapter of James Patterson’s thrilling trilogy. The time has arrived for Max and her winged “flock” to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of “Re-evolution”–a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race…and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them–but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?

Miles to Go

jen — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:45:44 +0000

In Miles to Go, Miley offers an honest, humorous, and often touching story of one girl’s coming-of-age–from private moments with her pappy to off-roading with her dad, Billy Ray, to her run-ins with mean girls. Miley talks about suffering through drama and heartbreak and coming out the other end unscathed (relatively). And now for the first time, she will discuss itall-the milestones still left to reach (driver’s license! voting!), dreams to live out (travel to Asia! find true love!), and the lessons to be learned (remembernig to enjoy every moment!). This is a truly unique look inside the world of one of today’s biggest and brightest stars as she tackles looking back and moving forward.

My Father’s Dragon

admin — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:34:49 +0000

When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and underappreciated baby flying dragon, he stows away on a ship and travels to Wild Island to rescue the dragon.