Elementary

Here are five things Soledad knows to be true:
*What happened to Amelia was her fault.
*Evil Vea will never be her mother. Ever.
*Manny is a good friend. Maybe even the best.
*She'll do anything to protect her little sister Ming.
* Louisiana is not the same as the Philippines. Not even close.

Have you ever wondered what your dogs are thinking? What they’re feeling? Now you finally can! The answers will surprise and delight you as scientist and dog-owner Alexandra Horowitz explains how our four-legged friends perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other quirky animal, the human.

April Pulley Sayre’s wry, quirky storytelling tone shines from the warning on the first page (“This is a S-L-O-W book. Do not read it while surfing, water skiing, or running to escape giant weasels.”) right through to the glossary at the end. In between, readers will explore an astounding variety of information about all things slow—in nature, geology, art, outer space, etc. Throughout, The SLOWEST Book EVER playfully encourages readers to slow down and savor everything.

There's an old yellow dog wandering around town, and you can bet that eleven-year-old Callie--fearless, a little stubborn, and a lot nosy--is gonna figure out who he belongs to. But her sleuthing causes her to cross paths with Wendell, a white boy her very same age. As the two try to find the old dog's owner, their segregated town doesn't take kindly to their new friendship.

Welcome to Rock Island, where time stands still.

The Fletchers are back on Rock Island, home of all their best summer memories. But from the first day of vacation, it's clear that this year, things have changed. And Sam, Jax, Eli, and Frog Fletcher can't quite believe their eyes.

FIRST, a giant fence is blocking their beloved lighthouse, which has always been open to the public. Why is it closed? And what is the For Sale sign doing there?

There was never anything calm about Vincent. Her sisters used to say that she had a bee chasing her. Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950), known as Vincent, was an acclaimed American poet who came to embody the modern, liberated woman of the Jazz Age. From the fiery energy of her youth to the excitement and acclaim of her early adulthood in New York and Paris, to the demands of living in the public eye, Vincent’s life was characterized by creativity, hard work, and passion.

Have you ever wondered how experts train a gorilla? Or what design features make a great gorilla habitat? Did you know that some gorillas can solve problems on giant touch-screen computers?

Filled with facts and photos, Gorillas Up Close takes us into the world of gorillas. Explore the differences between gorillas in zoos and in the wild with the gorilla family troop in Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Readers will delight in the similarities gorillas share with humans while finding out more about these incredible animals.

It's Rafe Khatchadorian's first day at Hills Village Middle School, and it's shaping up to be the worst year ever. He has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix, but luckily he's got an ace plan for the best year ever--if only he can pull it off. With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class--5,000 points! Running in the hallway--10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm--50,000 points!

It's summertime and everyone is heading off to camp. For kids with special Talents, the place to be is Camp Atropos, to sing songs by the campfire, practice for the Talent show, and take some nice long dips in the lake. But what the kids don't realize is that they've been gathered for a reason--one that the camp's director wants to keep hidden at all costs.

There is a ship, a navy ship. It is called the USS New York. It is big like other navy ships, and it sails like other navy ships, but there is something special about the USS New York.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, a steel beam from the World Trade Center towers was given to the United States Navy.

The beam was driven from New York to a foundry in Louisiana.

Metal workers heated the beam to a high, high temperature.

Chippers and grinders, painters and polishers worked on the beam for months.

In this enthralling book, Newbery Medalist Russell Freeman provides a succinct account of perhaps the most puzzling and controversial of America's wars. Describing how a superpower caught up in 1950s cold war politics became increasingly enmeshed in a conflict over 8,000 miles away, he then explains why twenty years later and exit was so difficult. In words and photographs, he chronicles the unfolding events in Vietnam and at home as increasing numbers of young men were sent into the jungles to fight.

Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini’s life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn’t seem concerned; she’s busy figuring out the best way to spend the “leap second”—an extra second about to be added to the world’s official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being “secret sisters” to not talking at all.

"'The lead role of Maria in The Sound of Music goes to ..."
I could practically hear her say "Dara Palmer." This was going to be my big break! But what really came out of my teacher's mouth was "Ella Moss-Daniels."
My heart went huuuuggggggghhhhht.

Dara Palmer longs for stardom-but when she isn't cast in her middle school's production of The Sound of Music, she get suspicious. It can't be because she's not the best. She was born to be a famous movie star. It must because she's adopted from Cambodia and doesn't look like a typical fraulein. (That's German for girl.)

Front door locked,
kitchen door locked,
living room windows closed.
Nobody in the closet,
nobody under the beds.

Still, Maggie is worried. Ever since she started middle school, she sees injustice and danger everywhere--on the news, in her textbooks, in her own neighborhood. Even her best friend seems to be changing.

Maggie believes it is up to her, and only her, to make everything all right. Can she come up with a plan to keep everyone safe?