A Christmas Carol (set of 7)

by Charles Dickens

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.

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A Countess Below Stairs (set of 10)

by Eva Ibbotson

After the Russian Revolution turns her world upside down, Anna, a young Russian countess, has no choice but to flee to England. Penniless, Anna hides her aristocratic background and takes a job as a servant in the household of the esteemed Westerholme family. Anna is overwhelmed by her new duties, and her instant attraction to Rupert, the handsome Earl of Westerholme. To make matters worse, Rupert appears to be falling for her, too. Anna finds it increasingly difficult to keep her secrets from unraveling; and then there's the small matter of Rupert's fiancée.

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A Crooked Kind of Perfect (set of 14)

by Linda Urban

Written for junior readers

Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ, instead, finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life.

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A Little Princess (two sets of 10)

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Sara Crewe, a pupil at Miss Minchin's London school, is left in poverty when her father dies but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 2- May 7, 2013

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A Separate Peace ( set of 7)

by John Knowles

Gene Forrester looks back fifteen years to a World War II year in which he and his best friend Phineas were roommates in a New Hampshire boarding school. Their friendship is marred by Finny's crippling fall, an event for which Gene is responsible and one that eventually leads to tragedy.

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A. Lincoln (set of 10)

by Ronald C. White, Jr.

Everyone wants to define the man who signed his name “A. Lincoln.” In his lifetime and ever since, friend and foe have taken it upon themselves to characterize Lincoln according to their own label or libel. In this magnificent book, Ronald C. White, Jr., offers a fresh and compelling definition of Lincoln as a man of integrity–what today’s commentators would call “authenticity”–whose moral compass holds the key to understanding his life. Through meticulous research of the newly completed Lincoln Legal Papers, as well as of recently discovered letters and photographs, White provides a portrait of Lincoln’s personal, political, and moral evolution. White shows us Lincoln as a man who would leave a trail of thoughts in his wake, jotting ideas on scraps of paper and filing them in his top hat or the bottom drawer of his desk; a country lawyer who asked questions in order to figure out his own thinking on an issue, as much as to argue the case; a hands-on commander in chief who, as soldiers and sailors watched in amazement, commandeered a boat and ordered an attack on Confederate shore batteries at the tip of the Virginia peninsula; a man who struggled with the immorality of slavery and as president acted publicly and privately to outlaw it forever; and finally, a president involved in a religious odyssey who wrote, for his own eyes only, a profound meditation on “the will of God” in the Civil War that would become the basis of his finest address. Most enlightening, the Abraham Lincoln who comes into focus in this stellar narrative is a person of intellectual curiosity, comfortable with ambiguity, unafraid to “think anew and act anew.” A transcendent, sweeping, passionately written biography that greatly expands our knowledge and understanding of its subject, A. Lincoln will engage a whole new generation of Americans. It is poised to shed a profound light on our greatest president just as America commemorates the bicentennial of his birth.

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Abigail & John (Set of 14)

by Edith B. Gelles

The marriage of John and Abigail Adams is one of the most extraordinary examples of passion and endurance that this country has ever witnessed. Theirs was a unique union, one based on mutual respect and ambition, intellect and equality. Using their letters, Abigail & John provides an inspirational portrait of a couple who weathered the trials of a revolution, and in so doing paved the way for the birth of a nation.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 24-May 24, 2013

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Amazing Grace (set of 10)

by Eric Metaxas

Traces the life story of the English abolitionist from his birth, to the religious conversion that led to his life of activism, to his twenty-year fight to abolish the British slave trade, and his role in ending slavery in the British colonies.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 26-May 31, 2013

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Around the World in Eighty Days (set of 6)

by Jules Verne

In 1872 Phileas Fogg wins a bet by traveling around the world in seventy-nine days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-seven minutes.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 19-May 4, 2013

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Austenland (set of 10)

by Shannon Hale

Because her obsession with Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice," is ruining her love life, Jane Hayes is delighted when she gets the chance to take a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women.

Reserved or Checked Out: March 7-April 22, 2013

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Barefoot Heart (set of 8)

by Elva Trevino Hart

The author, born in south Texas to Mexican immigrants, provides an account of her life growing up in a family of migrant farm workers, and tells how she overcame the disadvantages of her youth to attend college and earn a master's degree in computer science/engineering.

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Bella at Midnight (set of 9)

by Diane Stanley

Raised by peasants, Bella discovers that she is actually the daughter of a knight and finds herself caught up in a terrible plot that will change her life and the kingdom forever.

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Black Boy (set of 7)

by Richard Wright

The author relates his life as an African American growing up in the South during the Jim Crow years.

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Borning Room, The (set of 9)

by Paul Fleischman

Written for junior readers.

Lying at the end of her life in the room where she was born in 1851, Georgina remembers what it was like to grow up on the Ohio frontier.

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Camel Bookmobile, The (set of 7)

by Masha Hamiltion

From Publishers Weekly
Hamilton's captivating third novel (after 2004's The Distance Between Us) follows Fiona Sweeney, a 36-year-old librarian, from New York to Garissa, Kenya, on her sincere but naïve quest to make a difference in the world. Fi enlists to run the titular mobile library overseen by Mr. Abasi, and in her travels through the bush, the small village of Mididima becomes her favorite stop. There, Matani, the village teacher; Kanika, an independent, vivacious young woman; and Kanika's grandmother Neema are the most avid proponents of the library and the knowledge it brings to the community. Not everyone shares such esteem for the project, however. Taban, known as Scar Boy; Jwahir, Matani's wife; and most of the town elders think these books threaten the tradition and security of Mididima. When two books go missing, tensions arise between those who welcome all that the books represent and those who prefer the time-honored oral traditions of the tribe. Kanika, Taban and Matani become more vibrant than Fi, who never outgrows the cookie-cutter mold of a woman needing excitement and fulfillment, but Hamilton weaves memorable characters and elemental emotions in artful prose with the lofty theme of Western-imposed "education" versus a village's perceived perils of exposure to the developed world.

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Cheaper by the Dozen

by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.

Humorous tale of family of twelve children being raised by very different parents.

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City Boy (set of 8)

by Herman Wouk

'City Boy' spins a hilarious and often touching tale of an urban kid's adventures and misadventures on the street, in school, in the countryside, always in pursuit of Lucille, a heartless redhead personifying all the girls who torment and fascinate pubescent lads of eleven.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 8-May 6, 2013

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Cry, The Beloved Country

by Alan Paton

Cry, the Beloved Country is a beautifully told and profoundly compassionate story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, set in the troubled and changing South Africa of the 1940s. The book is written with such keen empathy and understanding that to read it is to share fully in the gravity of the characters' situations. It both touches your heart deeply and inspires a renewed faith in the dignity of mankind. Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic tale, passionately African, timeless and universal, and beyond all, selfless.

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Dandelion Wine (set of 7)

by Ray Bradbury

In a small town in 1928, a twelve-year-old boy savors the magic of childhood and the wonders of summer.

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Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue (set of 8)

by Julius Lester

Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift over slavery has ripped the Butler household apart. Now, to pay off debts, Pierce Butler wants to cash in his slave "assets", possibly including Emma.

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Each Little Bird that Sings (set of 10)

by Deborah Wiles

Written for junior readers.

Comfort Snowberger is well acquainted with death since her family runs the funeral parlor in their small southern town, but even so the ten-year-old is unprepared for the series of heart-wrenching events that begins on the first day of Easter vacation with the sudden death of her beloved great-uncle Edisto.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 2- May 7, 2013

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Ella Enchanted (set of 15)

by Gail Carson Levine

Written for Junior readers

In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.

Reserved or Checked Out: May 8-June 12, 2013

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Escape from Home, book 1 in Beyond the Western Sea Series (set of 9)

by Avi

In December 1850, the dark hours before dawn make 12-year-old Patrick OConnell shiver. He lives with his mother and older sister in a wet and drafty shack. Patrick has been the man of the family ever since Da, his father, sailed from Ireland to America. But now he has a problem he cant solve: there isnt enough money to pay the rent. Suddenly, the village priest pounds on their door. He brings a bank draft with a letter from Da telling them to come to America. Soon Patrick and his family set off for Liverpool to board a ship. They think their problems are finally over, until Patrick meets some helpful strangers who are more than eager to help him care for his new fortune.

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Faith Club, The (set of 6)

by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner

From Publishers Weekly
In the wake of 9/11, Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent, sought out fellow mothers of the Jewish and Christian faiths to write a children's book on the commonalities among their respective traditions. In their first meeting, however, the women realized they would have to address their differences first.

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Finding Fish (set of 7)

by Antwone Fisher

Antwone Fisher tells the story of his life, from his birth to a prison inmate to his success as a screenwriter in Hollywood, discussing his childhood and teen years in foster homes, his stint in the Navy, his attempts to find his mother and father, and the determination that led him to create the life of his dreams.

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Hot Lunch (set of 10)

by Alex Bradley

Written for junior readers.

When Molly and Cassie are assigned to work in the kitchen as a punishment for their food fight, they realize that the only way they are going to be released from the duty is to cooperate and learn to cook. Includes some recipes.

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In Search of Mockingbird (set of 10)

by Loretta Ellsworth

Written for junior readers.

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Erin receives her long-dead mother's diary, which reveals that she too revered Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" and wanted to be a writer, and Erin impulsively decides to take the Greyhound bus from St. Paul, Minnesota to Monroeville, Alabama, to visit the reclusive author.

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Jane Eyre (set of 10)

by Charlotte Bronte

A young governess finds romance, mystery, and heartbreak when she accepts a position in the home of the brooding and arrogant Mr. Rochester.

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Kiki Strike (set of 10)

by Kristen Miller

Written for junior readers.

Life becomes more interesting for Ananka Fishbein when, at the age of twelve, she discovers an underground room in the park across from her New York City apartment and meets a mysterious girl called Kiki Strike who claims that she, too, wants to explore the subterranean world.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 15-Aug. 30, 2013

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Leanin' Dog, The (Two sets of 8)

by K.A. Nuzum

Written for junior readers.

In wintry Colorado during the 1930s, eleven-year-old Dessa Dean mourns the death of her beloved mother, but the arrival of an injured dog and the friendship they form is just what they need to change their lives forever.

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Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The (set of 7)

by C.S. Lewis

Written for junior readers.

Four English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

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Listen! (set of 9)

by Stephanie S. Tolan

Written for junior readers.

During her solitary convalescence from a crippling accident, twelve-year-old Charley finds a wild dog, and the arduous process of training him leads her to explore her feelings about her mother's death two years earlier.

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Madonnas of Leningrad, The (set of 6)

by Debra Dean

As a young woman, Marina worked as a museum guide at the Hermitage in Leningrad. When war broke out and the Germans invaded the city, Marina and her comrades were tasked with removing the museum's priceless treasures and storing them safely away. During the 900 days of siege, the city residents faced devastation, starvation, and cold. The Hermitage's basement became Marina's refuge. The empty picture frames gracing its exhibition halls contained echoes of its former art, providing a distraction that helped Marina survive the horrors of war. Now living in Seattle, Marina is an elderly woman who is sinking into dementia. About to attend her granddaughter's wedding, her past overtakes the present and she is living in a muddled world of war, beauty, and the struggle for survival.

Reserved or Checked Out: available

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Max Lucado Christmas Collection

by Max Lucado

This collection includes three stories:  An Angel's Story, The Christmas Candle, and the Christmas Child.

Reserved or Checked Out: available

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Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee (Two sets of 8)

by Charles J. Shields

"Without direct input from his subject, the author's extensive research combines sources in local-history collections, interviews and correspondence with Lee's acquaintances, and Internet resources to piece together the details of the writer's life. Starting with Lee's childhood in Monroeville, AL, Shields depicts the people and events that inspired To Kill a Mockingbird's characters. A picture develops of a girl who would face down any bully, a nonconformist whose sorority roommates kicked her out after one semester but who made an impact on the campus with her presence, a woman with a wicked sense of humor and a writer with a voice and themes of prejudice and justice that resonate. Students and curious fans alike will find material here to further their understanding of her work and life. Extensive source notes and a student-friendly bibliography are included."  test test From School Library Journal

Reserved or Checked Out: April 15-May 20, 2013

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Nancy and Plum (set of 20)

by Betty MacDonald

"Nancy and Plum" was first published in 1952. It is a story Betty told her daughters, Joan and Anne, each night at bedtime, making it up as she went along. It is a delightful old fashioned Christmas story about two sisters, Nancy, 10 and Plum, 8, whose parents died in an accident. Their surviving relative is Uncle John, a wealthy bachelor with little patience or time for children. He puts the girls in Mrs. Monday's Boarding School in Heavenly Valley, persuaded by Mrs. Monday's promises and unctuous manner. But Mrs. Monday is an ogre who pampers her niece, Maribelle, and persecutes the other girls in her custody. Of the two sisters, Plum is the spunky one, leading Nancy on forays for food and initiating their running away. Plum like that more famous orphan, ,Annie, is brave, innovative and energetic. There are lovely characters who are sympathetic and help the girls: Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, who find the girls on their farm and rescue them; Miss Waverly, the school teacher; Miss Appleby, the librarianl and Old Tom, the caretaker at the orphanage. For contrast their is Miss Gronk the Sunday school teacher, who shares the role of villianess with Mrs. Monday.

Reserved or Checked Out: Available

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Northanger Abbey (set of 10)

by Jane Austen

Catherine Morland's sentimental illusions about life and love crumble as she enters into adulthood and encounters the politics, pitfalls, and machinations of Bath society.

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Once Upon a Marigold (set of 7)

by Jean Ferris

A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.

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Palace Beautiful (set of 10)

by Sarah DeFord Williams

Written for junior readers. After her move in 1985 to Salt Lake City, thirteen-year-old Sadie finds a journal in a hidey-hole in the attic, and along with her sister and new friend she reads about the influenza epidemic of 1918.

Reserved or Checked Out: March 27-May 1, 2013; May 2-June 6, 2013

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Peace Like a River (set of 6)

by Leif Enger

Eleven-year-old Reuben shares the story of how his father, trying to raise his sons alone in 1960s Minnesota, takes their family on a quest to find Reuben's older brother, who has been charged with murder.

Reserved or Checked Out: Feb. 15-April 30, 2013

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Peter and the Starcatchers (Two sets)

by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 24-May 29, 2013

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Pride and Prejudice (set of 10)

by Jane Austen

In early nineteenth century England, a spirited young woman copes with the suit of a snobbish gentleman as well as the romantic entanglements of her four sisters.

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Princess Academy (set of 10)

by Shannon Hale

While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.

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Rhett Butler's People (set of 7)

by Donald McCaig

Rhett Butler's People chronicles the life of Rhett Butler well before his infamous love affair with Scartlett O'Hara. The novel follows a young Butler from his twenty-first birthday until almost the moment he meets the woman of his dreams. The story examines his life and what it took to be a man of integrity during a critical and complicated time in American history.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 8-May 13, 2013

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Rules (Set of 15)

by Cynthia Lord

Written for junior readers.

Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic.

Reserved or Checked Out: May 1-June 5, 2013

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Seedfolks (set of 15)

by Paul Fleischman

One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.

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The Blue Jay's Dance: A Memoir of Early Motherhood (Set of 10)

by Louise Erdrich

Louise Erdrich's first major work of nonfiction, The Blue Jay's Dance, brilliantly and poignantly examines the joys and frustrations, the compromises and the insights, and the difficult struggles and profound emotional satisfactions the acclaimed author experienced in the course of one twelve–month period—from a winter pregnancy through a spring and summer of new motherhood to her return to writing in the fall. In exquisitely lyrical prose, Erdrich illuminates afresh the large and small events that every parent will recognize and appreciate.

Reserved or Checked Out: Available

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The Breadwinner (set of 15)

by Deborah Ellis

Written for junior readers.

Because the Taliban rulers of Kabul, Afghanistan, impose strict limitations on women's freedom and behavior, eleven-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so that her family can survive after her father's arrest.

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The Doll People (two sets of 10)

by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin

Written for Junior readers

A family of porcelain dolls that has lived in the same house for one hundred years is taken aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn't follow The Doll Code of Honor.

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The Girl Who Could Fly (set of 15)

by Victoria Forester

Written for junior readers. When homeschooled farm girl Piper McCloud reveals her ability to fly, she is quickly taken to a secret government facility to be trained with other exceptional children, but she soon realizes that something is very wrong and begins working with brilliant and wealthy Conrad to escape.

Reserved or Checked Out: May 1-June 5, 2013

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To Kill a Mockingbird (set of 10)

by Harper Lee

Written for teen/adult readers.

Classic Pullitzer prize winner where eight-year-old "Scout" Finch tells of life in a small Alabama town where her father is a lawyer.

Reserved or Checked Out: Available

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Two Princesses of Bamarre, The (set of 7)

by Gail Carson Levine

Written for junior audiences.

With her adventurous sister, Meryl, suffering from the Grey death, meek and timid Princess Addie sets out to find a cure.

Reserved or Checked Out: Available

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Wish Giver, The (set of 7)

by Bill Brittain

Written for junior readers.

When a strange little man comes to the Coven Tree Church Social promising he can give people exactly what they ask for, three young believers-in-magic each make a wish that comes true in the most unexpected way.

Reserved or Checked Out: April 23-May 28, 2013

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