2010 Children's Choices-Advanced Readers (Grade 5-6)

Twelve-year-old Owen Birnbaum is the fattest kid in school. But hes also a genius who invents cool contraptions like a TV that shows the past. Something happened two years ago that he needs to see. But genius or not, there is much Owen cant outthink. Like his gym coach, whos on a mission to humiliate him. Or the way his Oreos keep disappearing from his lunch. Hes sure that if he can only get the TV to work, things will start to make sense. But it will take a revelation for Owen, not science, to see the answers not in the past, but the present. That no matter how large he is on the outside, he doesnt have to feel small on the inside.With her trademark humor, Ellen Potter has created a larger-than-life character and story whose weight is immense when measured in heart.

The Ghoulunatics – The Vault-Keeper, the Old Witch, and everyone's favorite, The Crypt-Keeper are back to offer their twisted takes on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," the "Twilight"series, and Guitar Hero! The cover-featured Stinky Dead Kid stars in two tales - - one that explains exactly how he became a Stinky Dead Kid, and another in which he battles "Guitar Demon," a popular musical toy that's become possessed by an evil entity. There's also the trenchant tale of teen love involving a girl and a vampire, "Dielite," and the riotous return of the ever-doomed Thomas Donnelly in his most bizarre tale yet!

Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for—bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That's why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races with her best friend, Rebecca, and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Everyone keeps telling Annie not to worry so much, that she's just fine. But they thought her brother, Jared, was just fine too, and Jared died.It takes a new neighbor, who looks as plain as a box of toothpicks but has some surprising secrets of her own, to make Annie realize that her plans for being careful aren't working out as well as she had hoped. And with a lot of help from those around her—and a book about a pig, too—Annie just may find a way to close her umbrella of sadness and step back into the sunshine.With winsome humor and a dash of small-town charm, Lisa Graff's third novel is a touching look at rising above grief and the healing power of community.

A contemporary and irresistible story from Patricia Reilly GiffLidie lives in Jales, Brazil, where she's free to ride, to be a wild girl, and to dream of going to live with her father and older brother, Rafael, in New York City. Finally Lidie is 12--time to leave Brazil for New York.Meanwhile, a filly is born and begins her journey to a new home. As Lidie's story unfolds, so does the filly's.Lidie's father runs a stable at a famous race track, and Rafael is training to be a jockey. As much as they want to make Lidie feel welcome, they still think of her as the little girl they left behind. They don't even know what a strong rider she is, and that she's determined to befriend and ride the wild filly her father has just bought: Wild Girl.From the Hardcover edition.

The sequel to Gordon Korman's SWINDLE---the Man With A Plan is back! When Griffin Bing's class goes to a floating zoo, they don't expect to see animals being treated so badly. They don't expect to find Cleo, Dog Whisperer Savannah's pet monkey who's been missing for weeks. And they really don't expect to have to hide the animals once they've rescued them! Hilarity ensues as Griffin's team once more pulls off a heist . . . trying to break the animals back into a (better) zoo!

Although forbidden to see each other, Ryan and Sarah continue their investigation of the mysterious happenings at the dredge by communicating through video clips, text messages, midnight meetings, and journaling. The reader may view videos on a website by using links and passwords found in the text.

Although housebound following an eerie accident, teenaged Ryan continues to investigate the strange occurences in his hometown of Skeleton Creek, recording his findings in a journal and viewing email video clips sent by fellow detective Sarah. The reader may view Sarah's videos on a website by using links and passwords found in the text.

How many cool things can YOU do? The answer will amaze you — and the secrets are all in this witty and nearly wordless book.

Are you the crafty type? Try drawing some manga or customizing your sneakers. Got a soft spot for science? Dazzle your friends with the old exploding volcano trick, then slyly ease an egg into a bottle. Or you can really get cooking by slipping fortunes into a batch of cookies and folding them like a pro. From taking funny fake photos to breeding butterflies, from running a ninja obstacle course to reading minds to, yes, whipping up some edible fake barf, here is the source for learning how to do absolutely everything. With minimal text and maximal humor, these simple illustrated instructions will have kids psyched to:
— Investigate (science projects anyone can do)
— Create (arts, crafts, and personal style)
— Explore (adventures in the great outdoors)
— Cook (recipes for tasty — and terrifying — treats)
— Move (sports, games, and playground acrobatics)
— Amaze (tricks, pranks, and awesome acts).

Welcome to Balabad, birthplace of the international secret society known as the Brotherhood of Arachosia. And rumored hiding place of the grandest riches the world has ever known. Balabad is also the country Oliver Finch calls home ever since his father was reassigned to this dull, war-torn dust bowl.Each day runs into the next for Oliver until a 500-year-old sacred carpet is stolen. Then one of the few friends he has disappears. Oliver is determined to figure out what exactly is going on. But in order to do that he'll have consult with a one-eyed warrior, track down the far-flung members of the Brotherhood, and unlock a centuries-old secret! Suddenly, life in Balabad for Oliver has become a whole lot more interesting . . . and dangerous.From the Hardcover edition.

Bestselling author and columnist Carl Hiaasen returns with another hysterical mystery for kids set in Florida's Everglades.Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved.But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance.And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. And Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther before they really begin to see the big picture.That's life in the swamp, kids.From the Hardcover edition.

Thirteen year old Sunny runs away from her foster home with Rita to look for her twin sister Starr after the death of their mom and grandma . Starr finds a foster home and sunny jumps in and out of foster homes until she meets Rita. Join her on this adventure to find her sister Starr.

On a warm spring day, the beautiful young goddess Persephone is snatched from her home by Hades, god of the Underworld, and taken away to live underground and become his bride. Persephone's mother, Demeter, goddess of Earth, is so brokenhearted that she curses the land so nothing can grow a permanent winter. / How will Persephone and her mother be reunited? Will spring ever come again? / This lyrical retelling of the ancient Greek myth by master storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton is brought to life with Virginia Lee's beautiful illustrations. Young readers will be intrigued by the dramatic story as well as by its clever explanation for the changing seasons.

Fast-paced graphic storytelling and stunning full-color illustrations combine in an action-packed retelling of the heroic Robin Hood story.

How did Robin of Loxley become Robin Hood? Why did he choose to fight injustice instead of robbing for his own gain? Expressive and gritty, this graphic novel whisks readers back to Crusades-era England, where the Sheriff of Nottingham rules with an iron fist, and in the haunted heart of Sherwood Forest, a defiant rogue — with the help of his men and the lovely Maid Marian — disguises himself to become an outlaw. Lively language and illustrations follow the legendary hero as he champions the poor and provokes a high-stakes vendetta in a gripping adventure sure to draw a new generation of readers.

Mudshark is the go-to guy for any mysteries that need solving. Lost your shoe? Can't find your homework? Ask Mudshark. That is, until the Psychic Parrot takes up residence in the school library and threatens to overturn Mudshark's position as the guy who knows all the answers. The word in school is that the parrot can out-think Mudshark. And right now, the school needs someone who's good at solving problems. There's an escaped gerbil running rampant, an emergency in the faculty restroom, and all the erasers are disappearing from the classrooms.When Mudshark solves the mystery of who's stealing the erasers, he discovers the culprit has the best of intentions. Now he has to think of a way to prevent the Psychic Parrot from revealing the eraser-thief's identity. With a bit of misdirection and a lot of quick thinking, Mudshark restores order to the chaos . . . just for the moment.From the Hardcover edition.

Brilliantly illustrated, Moonshot tells the story of our first visit to the moon in 1969—an unforgettable story of home, seen whole, from far away. Simply told, grandly shown, here is the flight of Apollo 11. Here for a new generation of readers and explorers are the steady astronauts, clicking themselves into gloves and helmets, strapping themselves into sideways seats. Here are their great machines in all their detail and monumentality, the ROAR of rockets, and the silence of the Moon. Here is a story of adventure and discovery -- a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away.

Max''s book of observations, drawings, experiments, and inventions now includes thoughts contributed by Alien Eraser, an extraterrestrial being intent on telling humans about his great exploits.

Artie King and his Camelot Middle School friends, Percy and Wayne, enter the annual Dragon Duel robot tournament to earn a much-needed 300 dollars, then must decide whether or not to cheat.

After Toby, Pete, Lorna, and Emily download powers off the Internet to become superheroes, they must band together to save Toby and Lorna's mother from the evil supervillain Doc Tempest.

Thirteen year old Queen-of-mean Amanda Beeson, wakes up one morning in the wrong body. She's become lonely, unfashionable Tracey Devon - one of Amanda's targets for bullying. Amanda discovers that Tracey, ignored at home and at school, has the ability to turn invisible. Amanda sets out to rescue her one-time victim from obscurity - as well as rescuing herself from Tracey's life!

It's not that Charlotte hates dogs. Or that she wants all of them to disappear off the face of the planet. It's just that she doesn't see why everyone loves them so much. So how did she get stuck taking care of a big, drooling Saint Bernard puppy? Rain or shine, hot or cold, poor Beauregard is left chained in the backyard. No one ever plays with him or checks his food and water bowls, and Charlotte can tell he's sad. So she makes sure he has water, gives him belly rubs — blech! — and feeds him every single day. But it's kind of a pain, and she knows Beauregard deserves better. There's a new girl at school who lives in a huge house — plenty of room there for a big dog.Charlotte has an idea. Now all she needs is a plan. Maybe a lot of plans. How do you rescue your own dog?

Nikki Maxwell is starting eighth grade at a new school—and her very first diary is packed with hilarious stories and art in this SUPER SQUEE updated edition of the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series! Nikki confesses all in her first diary ever: her epic battle with her mom for an iPhone, meeting her new soon-to-be BFFs Chloe and Zoey, falling for adorably sweet crush Brandon, dealing with her zany little sister Brianna’s antics—and the immediate clashes with mean girl MacKenzie, who becomes Nikki’s rival in a school-wide art competition.

While in Mexico, Danny Dragonbreath is kidnapped by a giant bat monster. Now nerdy Wendell will finally get the chance to be a hero, but only if he can hunt down the giant bat before she permanently adopts Danny as her baby.

It isn’t that Abby Carson can’t do her schoolwork. She just doesn’t like doing it. And in February a warning letter arrives at her home. Abby will have to repeat sixth grade—unless she meets some specific conditions, including taking on an extra-credit project to find a pen pal in a distant country. Seems simple enough. But when Abby’s first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, the village elders agree that any letters going back to America must be written well. In English. And the only qualified student is a boy, Sadeed Bayat. Except in this village, it is not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So Sadeed’s younger sister will write the letters. Except she knows hardly any English. So Sadeed must write the letters. For his sister to sign. But what about the villagers who believe that girls should not be anywhere near a school? And what about those who believe that any contact with Americans is . . . unhealthy? Not so simple. But as letters flow back and forth—between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of central Asia, across cultural and religious divides, through the minefields of different lifestyles and traditions—a small group of children begin to speak and listen to one another. And in just a few short weeks, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.

When Troy White proved his remarkable "football genius" to the Atlanta Falcons, they brought him on board as a team consultant. Now, thanks to Troy's ability to predict winning plays, the Falcons are pulling in victories. Troy loves his starring role behind the scenes and the thrill of having NFL star linebacker Seth Halloway (who's dating Troy's mom) to coach his own Duluth Tigers team on their way to a state championship.Then Troy's perfect world comes crashing down. Reporter Brent Peele is out to smear as much mud on the Falcons as he can, and that means going after Troy. The vicious media storm that descends on the football genius threatens not only his job with the Falcons and the Tigers' run at a championship but his mother's career—and Seth's—as well.Together with his best friends, loyal Nathan and feisty Tate, Troy sets out to unmask the dishonest Peele—and save Seth's reputation—no matter what the risk.With his signature blend of thrilling action and insider knowledge, Tim Green shows Troy, hero of the New York Times bestselling Football Genius, in a new and riveting adventure.

If you see a kid with autism on the street, don't yell at her if she's doing something wrong. She can't help it. Autism is really challenging, explains Christian, who tells about life with his sister, a beautiful girl who loves to swim. In these moving essays, Christian and many other kids tell what it's like to live with siblings who have autism.

Great NEW Softcover Book that will be one of your favorites with all the NEW found facts and questions answered that you may have!! Fun for yourself or as a gift! 8 1/2 " by 11" - 303 Pages

A resourceful young boy's adventures introduce him to a host of characters, including Bigfoot, a mummy, pirates, monkeys, and his very own Booger-Man.

Short biographies of legendary inventors, illustrated with graphic-novel-style artwork.