Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman and Judy Pedersen

Arraying different voices like threads on a loom, Fleischman (Bull Run) weaves a seamless tale of the advent of a garden in urban Cleveland and how it unites a community. Here Fleischman slips with equal ease into the voices of a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl grieving for the father she never knew; a retired peace activist; a shopkeeper from Delhi; a dedicated British nurse; a 39-year-old Korean widow and crime victim hesitantly rejoining the world; a pregnant Mexican teenager; and seven other equally diverse characters. Fleischman carefully adds texture upon texture, crafting his story with wry humor and lustrous imagery: dead leaves reappear as the winter snows melt away "like a bookmark showing where you'd left off"; beans inadvertently uprooted are laid back in the ground "as gently as sleeping babies." The story's quiet beauty unfurls effortlessly--and lingers after the final page has been turned. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

Arraying different voices like threads on a loom, Fleischman (Bull Run) weaves a seamless tale of the advent of a garden in urban Cleveland and how it unites a community. Here Fleischman slips with equal ease into the voices of a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl grieving for the father she never knew; a retired peace activist; a shopkeeper from Delhi; a dedicated British nurse; a 39-year-old Korean widow and crime victim hesitantly rejoining the world; a pregnant Mexican teenager; and seven other equally diverse characters. Fleischman carefully adds texture upon texture, crafting his story with wry humor and lustrous imagery: dead leaves reappear as the winter snows melt away "like a bookmark showing where you'd left off"; beans inadvertently uprooted are laid back in the ground "as gently as sleeping babies." The story's quiet beauty unfurls effortlessly--and lingers after the final page has been turned. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Deathwatch by Robb White

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The Wave by Tod Strasser

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Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Gr 6-9 This wonderful novel by Jerry Spinelli is equally wonderful in translation. Spinelli's famously quirky character, Stargirl Caraway, descends like a force of nature on Mica Area High School, carrying a ukulele on her back. Stargirl is a true original, both naïve and eccentric, with a core of goodness and magic. The novel's narrator, Leo Borlock, tells the story of Stargirl's impact on the kids at school as she does astonishing things, like cheer for the opposing team at a basketball game. Leo begins to fall in love with Stargirl as he watches her perform small acts of kindness and recognizes her unique way of seeing the world. On the other hand, Stargirl's antics begin to backfire, and the popularity she initially enjoyed among her classmates soon turns into resentment. The translation captures Spinelli's poetic language perfectly, particularly in the final chapter, in which a grown-up Leo reflects back on all the events that took place at Mica Area High. The translators wisely refrain from attempting to translate Stargirl's name, as its straightforward simplicity will be apparent to readers of any language. Recommended for all libraries and bookstores. Tim Wadham, Maricopa Cty. Lib. District, Phoenix, AZ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Upon the head of the goat : a childhood in Hungary, 1939-1944 by Aranka Siegal

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Golden compass by Philip Pullman

If Pullman's imagination dazzled in the Victorian thrillers that culminated with The Tin Princess, in this first volume of a fantasy trilogy it is nothing short of breathtaking. Here Earth is one of only five planets in the solar system, every human has a daemon (the soul embodied as an animal familiar) and, in a time similar to our late 19th century, Oxford scholars and agents of the supreme Calvinist Church are in a race to unleash the power that will enable them to cross the bridge to a parallel universe. The story line has all the hallmarks of a myth: brought up ignorant of her true identity, 11-year-old Lyra goes on a quest from East Anglia to the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate Roger and her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel. Deceptions and treacheries threaten at every turn, and she is not yet certain how to read the mysterious truth-telling instrument that is her only guide. After escaping from the charming and sinister Mrs. Coulter, she joins a group of "gyptians" in search of their children, who, like Roger, have been spirited away by Mrs. Coulter's henchmen, the Gobblers. Along the way Lyra is guided by friendly witches and attacked by malevolent ones, aided by an armored polar bear and a Texan balloonist, and nearly made a victim of the Gobblers' cruel experiments. As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra's adventures. 100,000 first printing; $250,000 ad/promo. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

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Switching well by Peni R. Griffin

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Love among the walnuts by Jean Ferris

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