New Releases by Jane Leslie Conly

Benjamin Franklin Orville is a boy who wants for nothing. He has his own pony, and he''s caught the eye of the charming girl next door. He doesn''t have a care in the world--until the day his mother sends him to market to get a chicken for dinner. Suddenly Benjy is caught up in a scuffle, kidnapped with a group of immigrants, and forced to work aboard the Ella Dawn--one of the most ill-reputed oystering vessels in Baltimore. He tries to plead his case, but his captors are unimpressed by Benjamin''s way with language. Soon the boy knows only hard work and hunger, a little bit of German, and a whole lot about injustice. It''s more of an education than he ever got at home. And along with a growling stomach and aching muscles, he also experiences the joys of the sea--a gentle rhythm that rocks him to sleep at night and freedom he never felt between the fancy walls of his home. Will Benjamin ever see home again? And if he does, will he know what to do there?

Impetuous (Impy) Roach and his pals Shiny and Demo are pests. Or so the humans would have you think. They''re young roaches, after all. The adult roaches don''t seem to care much about their contributions either--at least not in important matters that concern the fate of their colony. But Pop''s Diner, the roaches'' only home for generations, is in danger of being shut down because of financial burdens, and Impy, Shiny, and Demo can''t help but butt in. It''s a good thing they do. The meddling of this tiny, pesky crew may just save the day in the end.

The further adventures of the intelligent young rat Racso and his friends Chistopher and Isabella as they try to ensure the survival of their secret community in Thorn Valley after its accidental discovery by two human children.

I''m afraid, but I can''t call Mom or Dad, ''cause Jerry might wake up. If I try to tell Shannon, she puts a pillow over her head, ''cause she doesn''t like to talk about Mr. Healy. She says remembering him makes her sad. "Charlie," he whispers. I''m afraid. In the dark night, I feel like I''m at sea, in that little boat Mr. Healy used to talk about. That''s why I''m writing this down. If you''re listening, I hope you''ll listen close. I''m not making any of it up. He whispers in my ear, "Watch out." A new novel from a Newbery Honor author Summer has just begun, and thirteen-year-old Charlie and her younger brother, Jerry, anticipate spending the lazy days roaming their working-class Baltimore neighborhood. That is, until Jim Chalmers, a strange man who used to live nearby, enlists their help in solving the murder of their neighbor Mr. Healy. As Charlie learns more about Mr. Healy''s death, she struggles to protect her innocent younger brother from the realities of gangs and drugs, and to help him make that difficult transition from childhood to adolescence.

となりのブロックにいるんだよ、やっかいな親子がさ。アル中でキレっぱなしの母親と、知恵おくれの息子と。初めはみんなといっしょに悪さをして、からかってた。...なのに、いつのまにか、友だちになってたんだ!ニューベリー賞オナー・ブック。

Earth isn’t just another planet—it might be a place to call home In Oluu’s world, the young are programmed to take advice from the Wise Ones, load it into their systems, and follow it. Oluu does not always run so smoothly, and the Wise Ones worry about her carelessness. In spite of these concerns, Oluu is given a chance to redeem herself when she is sent on a research mission to Earth. This time, however, she must follow rules, or face the consequences. Oluu takes on several different forms while she begins to learn about life on Earth. When she first meets Molly Harkin, she is an energetic Border collie, and although Molly tries to look out for her new and unusual dog friend, Oluu gets into trouble before long and must choose a new form. She spends time as a bird, and, to Molly’s delight, as a pony. But no matter which form she takes, Oluu can’t seem to help attracting dangerous attention. When a boy named Jack becomes a little too interested in a certain pony, Molly doesn’t know whether she’ll ever see either of them again.

To help her deal with her separation from her family, worry about her mother''s serious operation, and suspicions about a new friend''s abusive father, twelve-year-old Dawn creates an imaginary world while spending the summer of 1958 with her great-aunt and uncle in rural North Carolina.

Nachdem ihr Vater die Familie verlassen hat, verbringen Shana und Cody die Sommerferien in einer Blockhütte am Fluss. Doch statt Idylle erwarten die Geschwister aufregende Abenteuer. Vor allem, als sie den alten Ranger Henry kennenlernen.

When two brothers steal a rabbit from a back yard in the rich part of town, the incident brings about their collision with other children from a background very different from their own.

A sister and brother spend a largely unsupervised summer in a cabin near a river, where they befriend an elderly man with much to teach them and where they try to come to terms with their parents'' failing marriage and make decisions about their own futures.

Increasingly alienated from his widowed father, Vernon joins his friends in ridiculing the neighborhood outcasts''Maxine, an alcoholic prone to outrageous behavior, and Ronald, her retarded son. But when a social service agency tries to put Ronald into a special home, Vernon fights against the move. 1994 Newbery Honor Book Notable Children''s Books of 1994 (ALA) 1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 1994 Young Adult Editors'' Choices (BL) 1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library) Young Adult Choices for 1995 (IRA)

When Margaret and her younger brother, Artie, get lost in the woods on a family camping trip, they are rescued by rats -- the superintelligent rats of NIMH. Taken into the rat''s community, the children are safe for the time being. But winter is coming. Margaret and Artie have to get back home. And when they do, they must protect the rats who have helped them. Everything depends on their silence... but it''s hard to evade questions forever. Children''s Choices for 1991 (IRA/CBC)VOYA''s Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror 1990Parenting Honorable Mention, Reading Magic Award

‘Racso, a brash and boastful little rodent, is making his way to Thorn Valley, determined to learn how to read and write and become a hero. His bragging and lies get him off to a bad start, but a crisis gives him the opportunity to prove his mettle. A worthy successor [to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, a Newbery Medal winner by the author''s father].'' ''BL. 1986 Children''s Editors'' Choices (BL) Children''s Choices for 1987 (IRA/CBC) Notable 1986 Childrens'' Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC) 1986 Children''s Books (NY Public Library) Best Science Fiction/Fantasy 1986 (VOYA)