Download or read book Ben Y and the Ghost in the Machine written by K.A. Holt and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George meets Ms. Bixby's Last Day in this inspiring, heartfelt novel-in-verse, the second in a new series from bestselling author K.A. Holt. This second book in a new series by K.A. Holt will appeal to fans of House Arrest, Rhyme Schemer, and Knockout, in addition to fans of Jason Reynolds's Track series. Ben Y's just about had it with school. Every corner she turns, she’s being called "Benita," getting Dress Coded by Mr. Mann for some supposedly inappropriate item of clothing, or running into the ineffable, inescapable, indefinable Ace—who makes her feel weird, weirdly seen, and strangely at peace, all at once. Even her best buds—Ben B, Jordan J, and Javier; the kids under the stairs—are all far too content following the rules and making their school newspaper under the attentive direction of their beloved teacher, Ms. J. And home's no better. Last year, Ben Y's older brother died, and the family is still learning how to cope—if by coping you mean coming home to cry at lunch, or secretly building a friendship bracelet empire, or obsessively visiting a chatroom to talk to Benicio's ghost. When Benito suddenly starts typing back, Ben Y must act. But what happens when those very actions make Ben Y's deepest secrets impossible to hide? Readers will easily identify with the variety of funny, authentic lovable characters—not to mention the emphasis on a Minecraft-like game and fun visuals like online chats and doodles. Parents, kids, educators and librarians alike will love the way the book celebrates all the different ways to be smart—and recognizes all the different ways it's hard to be a kid. With a lovable cast of characters and raw, authentic emotion, this heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse tells an honest story about friendship, family, and personal identity that celebrates different types of intelligence and shows how every kid deserves to become their own "divergent" self. NEW UNDERSTANDING OF IDENTITY: The main character in this book is struggling to figure out how she defines herself, both on the inside and to others. It's a struggle many young readers will recognize from their own experiences. FRIENDSHIP ISSUES: This book navigates the difficulty of changing friendships, particularly when a new friend joins the group. It's an issue nearly every kid goes through in middle school, and will ring authentic to all young readers. POPULAR AUTHOR: K.A. Holt's books have been nominated for awards in over 30 states. She is popular on the school speaking circuit and presents keynote speeches throughout the year and all over the world, making her a trusted name and a favorite for middle grade readers. PERFECT FOR RELUCTANT READERS: Fewer words on each page make this book engaging and approachable for all different types of readers. The characters in the book also struggle with reading, but they are not shamed or looked down on for it, so readers with similar difficulties will feel understood. NEWSPAPER THEME: The kids in this story work on their school newspaper, turning their tech skills into something their teachers approve of—and something that allows them to stand up for what they believe in. MINECRAFT APPEAL: The characters in the book play Sandbox, which readers will instantly recognize as a fictionalized version of the immensely popular Minecraft, a game with over 74 million monthly players. Playing Sandbox is depicted as both cool and educational, which will uplift rather than shame young readers for playing video games, and inspire parents, teachers, and librarians to consider non-traditional approaches to traditional school. Perfect for: • Fans and players of Minecraft and other video games • Reluctant readers • Fans of Kari Holt • Educators

Download or read book BenBee and the Teacher Griefer written by K.A. Holt and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest, and Knockout! The Kids Under the Stairs: BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is a funny, clever novel-in-verse series about Ben Bellows—who failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State test—and three classmates who get stuck in a summer school class. But these kids aren't dumb—they're divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: they simply approach things in a different way than traditional school demands. • Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, who each write in a different style (art, verse, stream of consciousness). • Celebrates different types of intelligence • A heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse Soon, the kids win over Ms. J with their passion for Sandbox, a Minecraft-type game. The kids make a deal with Ms. J: every minute they spend reading aloud equals one minute they get to play Sandbox in class. But when the administration finds about this unorthodox method of teaching, Ben B. and his buds have to band together to save their teacher's job—and their own academic future. The first in a series of complementary storylines, this is an honest, heartfelt book about friendship, videogames, and learning to love yourself. • Features a distinct and engaging cast of characters • Encourages even the most reluctant reader to embrace their own "divergent" self • Perfect for parents of kids age 10 and up who love Minecraft, educators and librarians, middle grade readers, new readers of poetry, and fans of videogames • You'll love this book if you love books like Ghost by Jason Reynolds, Patina by Jason Reynolds, and Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

Download or read book Stumptown Kid written by Carol Gorman and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dramatic and moving story set in the days of the Negro Leagues illustrates the true meanings of friendship, prejudice, and heroism Twelve-year-old Charlie Nebraska wants two things he can’t get: to make the local Wildcats Baseball team and to have life to return to the way it was before his father died two years earlier in the Korean War. Then Charlie meets Luther Peale, a stranger who quietly and mysteriously arrives in the small town of Holden, Iowa, and sets up camp near the river. Luther is a former Negro Baseball League player, and Charlie loves baseball. The two strike up a friendship and Luther agrees to coach Charlie’s fledgling neighborhood baseball team for a game against the Wildcats. But many of Holden’s white residents are suspicious of Luther because of his skin color. And when Charlie inadvertently reveals a secret of Luther’s, violence erupts in the town and both Luther and Charlie are drawn into serious danger. Authors Carol Gorman and Ron J. Findley have created two highly memorable, emotionally complex characters in this dramatic story that illustrates the meanings of friendship, prejudice, and heroism.

Download or read book Healer written by Peter Dickinson and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2015-02-24 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To save his friend, a daring young boy infiltrates a healing center If it weren’t for the migraines, Barry would be an ordinary boy. When a crushing headaches strikes him during the school day, he goes to the nurse’s office to beg for aspirin. He is waiting for her help when a chubby-faced six-year-old girl puts her hands on his neck. Heat flows through them, and when it stops, the headache is gone. Her name is Pinkie, and she has the power to heal. When her stepfather uses her ability to found a highly profitable healing center, Barry fears the gentle little girl is being exploited. On the outside, Barry is just a scared, sickly teenager. But inside he is Bear—and Bear is afraid of nothing. To save his friend, he infiltrates the healing center, where he will find that those who plan to cure the world’s ills also know something about causing pain. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Peter Dickinson including rare images from the author’s collection.

Download or read book Windfall written by Sara Cassidy and published by Orca Book Publishers. This book was released on 2011-04 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grieving the loss of a local homeless man and her family's apple tree, thirteen-year-old Liza seeks healing through gardening.

Download or read book The Orphan Rescue written by Anne Dublin and published by Second Story Press. This book was released on 2010-09-15 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Orphan Rescue is inspired by a story from author Anne Dublin's own family history. Set during the spring of 1937 in the small city of Sosnowiec, Poland, it is the story of twelve-year-old Miriam and her younger brother, David. They live with their grandparents, having lost their own parents to illness and poverty. The family does not have much -- they live together in one room behind the grandfather's shop and often there isn't enough food for the four of them -- but they have each other. Miriam is devastated when her grandparents tell her that they can no longer survive as a family, and that the only solution is for David to go to an orphanage. Leaving her young brother behind with strangers breaks her heart, and Miriam decides to rescue him. When Miriam learns that David is being forced to work in a factory by the unscrupulous orphanage director, she realizes that rescuing him may prove difficult. The Orphan Rescue is a historical novel that resonates with the ongoing tragedy of child poverty and the exploitation of children around the world. It also offers a window onto the history of Jews in Europe pre-Holocaust. All of this in an accessible, entertaining story for young readers.

Download or read book The Sparkly Night written by Kirsten McDonald and published by ABDO. This book was released on 2016-12-15 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's the Fourth of July! That means fun, flags, and fireworks for the Garcia family. Unfortunately, those fireworks are a problem for Mamá and Carlos. Neither of them likes the loud booms and cracks that come with the sparkles. Readers will laugh when they see how the twins figure out a way for everyone to enjoy the sparkly night. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.

Download or read book The Secrets of Star Whales written by Rebecca Thorne and published by North Star Editions, Inc.. This book was released on 2021-03-23 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a mission to preserve the memory of his deceased father, 12-year-old Maxion Belmont, aboard the space station Azura, discovers the secrets of the most elusive creatures in the galaxy: star whales.

Download or read book Sheets Collector s Edition written by Brenna Thummler and published by Oni Press. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The brand-new deluxe hardcover collector's edition of Sheets features never-before-seen content from the beloved graphic novel from Brenna Thummler. For Marjorie Glatt, being thirteen years old isn't quite the same as it is for everyone else. Responsible for running her family's laundromat while trying to survive middle school, Marjorie's daily struggles include persnickety customers, snippy classmates, agonizing swim lessons, and laundry... always, always laundry. Wendell is a bit different, too. Wendell is a ghost. His daily struggles include Dead Youth support groups and unavoidable stains. But when he escapes from the Land of Ghosts and bumbles into Marjorie's laundromat--the perfect ghost playground--his attempts at fun and friendship begin to harm the family business. Sheets is a powerful story about a young girl's perseverance, even when all the odds are stacked against her. It shows that forgiveness and second chances can result in unlikely friendships. Above all, it is an invitation into an unusual, haunted laundromat that brings family, friends, and--yes--sheets to life.

Download or read book Walking Backward written by Catherine Austen and published by Orca Book Publishers. This book was released on 2009-10-01 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Josh's mother dies in a phobia-induced car crash, she leaves two questions for her grieving family: how did a snake get into her car and how do you mourn with no faith to guide you? Twelve-year-old Josh is left alone to find the answers. His father is building a time machine. His four-year-old brother's closest friend is a plastic Power Ranger. His psychiatrist offers nothing more than a blank journal and platitudes. Isolated by grief in a home where every day is pajama day, Josh makes death his research project. He tests the mourning practices of religions he doesn't believe in. He tries to mend his little brother's shattered heart. He observes, records and waits—for his life to feel normal, for his mother's death to make sense, for his father to come out of the basement. His observations, recorded in a series of journal entries, are funny, smart, insightful—and heartbreaking. His conclusions about the nature of love, loss, grief and the space-time continuum are nothing less than life-changing.

Download or read book Knockout written by K.A. Holt and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2018-03-06 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Levi just wants to be treated like a typical kid. As a baby, he had a serious disease that caused him respiratory issues. He's fine now, but his mom and overprotective brother still think of him as damaged, and his schoolmates see him as the same class clown he's always been. He feels stuck. So when his dad—divorced from his mom—suggests he take up boxing, he falls in love with the sport. And when he finds out about a school with a killer boxing team and a free-study curriculum, it feels like he's found a ticket to a new Levi. But how can he tell his mom about boxing? And how can he convince his family to set him free?

Download or read book Earth to Dad written by Krista Van Dolzer and published by Capstone. This book was released on 2018-08-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eleven-year-old Jameson O'Malley's dad is on Mars. The only way to see him, other than squinting into the night sky, is through the JICC - short for Jameson's Interplanetary Communication Console. Jameson thought the JICC would help shorten the millions of miles that stretch between Base Ripley and Mars, but he's is starting to realize no transmission can replace his real, actual father. When a new family moves onto Base Ripley, Jameson makes an unlikely friend in Astra Primm, daughter of the country's leading climatologist, who died in an explosion on Mars. But as Jameson's friendship with Astra grows stronger, he begins to notice the flaws in his own family. Mom is growing distant, and something is wrong with Dad. He's not sending transmissions as frequently as he used to, and when he does there are bags under his eyes. Jameson begins to realize there's more to the story than he knows - and plenty people aren't telling him. Determined to learn the truth and discover what happened to their parents, Jameson and Astra embark on a journey exploring life, loss, and friendship that will take them to the edge of their universe.

Download or read book Lucky s Mountain written by Dianne Maycock and published by Orca Book Publishers. This book was released on 2007-03-01 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The year is 1935 and Maggie Sullivan's world has fallen apart. Maggie has grown up in a close-knit mining community perched atop a mountain in British Columbia. But now her father has been killed in a mine explosion and she is being forced to leave the only home she has ever known. To make matters worse, she must also leave behind her best friend Lucky, the three-legged dog that was a special gift from Pa.

Download or read book Hockey Girl written by Natalie Hyde and published by . This book was released on 2012-09-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a hockey-crazed town that cares more about the boys' hockey teams than anything else, a group of girls fight for their right to fair and equal ice time and put together a winning team.

Download or read book The Big Snapper written by Katherine Holubitsky and published by Orca Book Publishers. This book was released on 2006-09-01 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eddie loves going fishing with Granddad and listening to his tall tales about the big snapper. Eddie believes if they catch such a fish, it might change his family's fortune. Ten-year-old Eddie lives with his mom and grandparents in a small cabin on the Queen Charlotte Islands. A year earlier, Eddie's dad took the ferry to the mainland and never returned... Mom decides to turn their cabin into a bed and breakfast. Some of the guests appreciate island life, but many do not. When Granddad falls ill and must go away for treatment, Eddie worries that he too may not come back. Already hurt and confused by his father's disappearance, upset by the attitudes of the tourists, and now missing his beloved grandfather, Eddie goes fishing alone in Granddad's skiff. Soon he is struggling with more than the need to stay afloat.

Download or read book Independence Hall written by Roland Smith and published by Sleeping Bear Press. This book was released on 2013-05-20 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thirteen-year-old Quest (Q) isn't sure he's ready for a new family. For a long time it's just been him and his mom, Blaze. But everything changes when Blaze falls in love with Roger and they start a new rock band called Match. Now they're married, have a hit record, and Match is going out on a year-long driving tour across the country. Q, along with new stepsister Angela, will take a year off from school and travel with the band. For now, home will be a luxury motor coach and homework will be a Web site diary of their travels. Perfect-Q can practice his magic tricks and Angela can read her spy novels. What can go wrong? As Q and Angela settle into their new life and new relationship as siblings, they start to notice that certain coincidences don't seem coincidental. For example, how does a band roadie named Boone find them in the middle of a desert where their coach just happens to break down? Why does a man from their parents' wedding keep showing up in the same cities they stop at? When they reach Philadelphia, Q and Angela realize this tour is definitely not the trip their parents had planned and that the "City of Brotherly Love" is full of mysteries and secrets that could threaten their new life together. In addition to his action adventure books, Roland is the author of many award-winning books for children including Journey of the Red Wolf; The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe; and Thunder Cave, which was a 1996 Notable Children's Trade Book in the field of Social Studies. His books with Sleeping Bear Press include W is for Waves: An Ocean Alphabet; Z is for Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet; and N is for our Nation's Capital: A Washington, DC Alphabet. Roland lives near Portland, Oregon.

Download or read book Ellie s New Home written by Becky Citra and published by Orca Book Publishers. This book was released on 1999 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1835, a young girl and her brother are left with strangers while their father goes ahead to find land and build a homestead.