Intermediate

Introverted Bicycle has lived most of her life at the Mostly Silent Monastery in Washington, D.C. When her guardian, Sister Wanda, announces that Bicycle is going to attend a camp where she will learn to make friends, Bicycle says no way and sets off on her bike for San Francisco to meet her idol, a famous cyclist, certain he will be her first true friend. Who knew that a ghost would haunt her handlebars and that she would have to contend with bike-hating dogs, a bike-loving horse, bike-crushing pigs, and a mysterious lady dressed in black. Over the uphills and downhills of her journey, Bicycle discovers that friends are not such a bad thing to have after all, and that a dozen cookies really can solve most problems.

It's 1955, and Benjamin Burrows and Janie Scott are trying to live a safe, normal life in America. It's not easy, when they have the power to prevent nuclear disaster, and sinister forces are circling. Soon the advice of a mysterious, unscrupulous magician propels Janie and Benjamin into danger, and toward the land of the dead. Meanwhile, their friend Jin Lo washes up on a remote island where an American spy is stationed, and finds herself on the trail of a deadly threat in China. But she's on the other side of the world--how can Janie and Benjamin reach her? The triumphant finale in the trilogy that began with Maile Meloy's bestselling, critically acclaimed The Apothecary, and continued in its captivating sequel, The Apprentices, The After-Room is full of enchantment and heart, with Ian Schoenherr's stunning illustrations throughout.

Fourth grade stinks. Fourth grade is when everything you do embarrasses you. Fourth grade is when everyone knows you're a blunderbuss whether it's part of your name or not.

Alice's older brother Lester is always tricking her into believing his made-up stories are true. It's not her fault she's so gullible! Plus, he's a really good liar. But that doesn't help when she finds herself in a mess because of something he's invented.

She can't seem to do anything else right, either. She sneezes beans at the lunch table, gets trapped in her own snow cave, and is forced to sing--even though she can't carry a tune--in front of her whole grade. And that's nothing compared to the trouble she's about to get herself into next. Alice is just about ready to chalk fourth grade up as the worst year ever!

In this quirky and heartfelt middle-grade debut, a girl determined to free her mother from wrongful imprisonment discovers saving grace in the form of her estranged aunt, an ornery silent nun.

Twelve-year-old Ruby Clyde Henderson's life turns upside down the day her mother's boyfriend holds up a convenience store, and her mother is wrongly jailed for assisting with the crime. Ruby and her pet pig, Bunny, find their way to her estranged Aunt Eleanor's home. Aunt Eleanor is an ornery nun who lives in the midst of a peach orchard on Paradise Ranch. With a little patience, she and Ruby begin to get along--but Eleanor has secrets of her own, secrets that might mean more hard times for Ruby.

Ruby believes that she's the only one who can find a way to help heal her loved ones, save her mother, and bring her family back together. But being in a family means that everyone has to work together to support each other, and being home doesn't always mean going back to where you came from. Corabel Shofner's Almost Paradise is a big-hearted middle grade novel about trust, belonging, and the struggles and joys of loving one another.

A Margaret Ferguson Book

Praise for Almost Paradise

"One undersized but indomitable tomboy tackles tough issues with wry humor as she attempts to create the home and family for which she yearns. Ruby's folksy precociousness and determination are as endearing as her realization that the world is not perfect and that love comes in pieces. . . . Rich in Southern flavor, loaded with biblical references and even a scattering of Dickens quotes: a rollicking read." --Kirkus Reviews

Along with his sidekick, Richie the Powerbeagle, he protects the people of Franklin Street from chaos, mayhem, evil, and low tire pressure on their cars.

But when he attempts to rescue a damsel in distress from sadness, instead, he finds a powerful, unlikely friendship.

This perfect jewel of a book by Printz Honor Award-winning Craig Silvey will hold all readers in its irresistible power.

The Animal Inn is an all-inclusive pet resort/hotel/center/spa for animals from dogs to rabbits, cats to ducks, parrots to lizards. From doggie and kitty daycare, to grooming, and group play--you name it, and the Animal Inn has it.

The Inn is run by the Tyler family along with their pets Leopold, the Macaw; Fuzzy and Furry, the gerbils; dogs Dash and Coco; felines Shadow and Whiskers; and a rollicking horde of animal visitors.

There are spooky shadows, creepy crawling critters, and spine chilling sounds all around the Animal Inn! Could it be haunted? The animals are in for a fur-raising adventure!

The spirit of Anne is alive and well in Mariah Marsden's crisp adaptation, and it's a thrill to watch as the beloved orphan rushes headlong through Brenna Thummler's heavenly landscapes. Together Marsden and Thummler conjure all the magic and beauty of Green Gables. Like Anne herself, you won't want to leave.
-- Brian Selznick, author/illustrator of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" and "The Marvels"

The magic of L.M. Montgomery's treasured classic is reimagined in a whimsically-illustrated graphic novel adaptation perfect for newcomers and kindred spirits alike.

When Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide to adopt an orphan who can help manage their family farm, they have no idea what delightful trouble awaits them. With flame-red hair and an unstoppable imagination, 11-year-old Anne Shirley takes Green Gables by storm.

Anne's misadventures bring a little romance to the lives of everyone she meets: her bosom friend, Diana Barry; the town gossip, Mrs. Lynde; and that infuriating tease, Gilbert Blythe. From triumphs and thrills to the depths of despair, Anne turns each everyday moment into something extraordinary.

Are you ready for Ivy Pocket? A darkly whimsical and wickedly funny tale of a twelve-year-old maid of no importance who finds herself at the very heart of a conspiracy involving mischief, ghosts, and murder. School Library Journal says, "Fans of . . . Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events will love Ivy Pocket's zany adventures." Featuring extensive black-and-white interior art by Barbara Cantini.

Ivy Pocket is a walking disaster, at every turn enraging and appalling the aristocrats she works for. But our protagonist doesn't see herself that way at all. In fact, she's convinced that she's rather wonderful, perfectly charming, and extremely talented. When Ivy finds herself abandoned and penniless in Paris, she has no idea how she will get back to England. Fate intervenes when Ivy is called to the sickbed of a dying duchess and is charged with delivering a spectacular (and possibly cursed) diamond necklace to Matilda Butterfield on her twelfth birthday. From that moment on, Ivy Pocket is propelled towards her remarkable destiny in a surprising adventure full of intrigue, villains, mayhem, and misunderstandings. ALA Booklist calls Anyone but Ivy Pocket "A droll chapter book with a Victorian setting and a one-of-a-kind protagonist."

But remote Lull is not as boring as it seems. Strange things are sighted in the woods, a dangerous infestation of hex creeps throughout the town, and a mysterious magical visitor arrives with his eye on her.

With every spirit banished, creature helped, and spell cast, Arianwyn starts to get the hang of being a witch -- even if she's only an apprentice. But the worst still lies ahead. For a sinister darkness has begun to haunt her spells, and there may be much more at stake than just her pride... for Arianwyn and the entire land.