NEWB Cleary   Dear Mr. Henshaw  by Beverly Cleary 133p. 
In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.

JF Cooper  The Boggart  by Susan Cooper 196p. 
After visiting the castle in Scotland which her family has inherited and returning home to Canada, twelve- year-old Emily finds that she has accidentally brought back with her a boggart, an invisible and mischievous spirit with a fondness for practical jokes.

JF Creech  Walk Two Moons  by Sharon Creech 280p. 
After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen- year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip re- tracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal re-counts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.

JF Curtis  The Watsons Go to Birmingham  by Christopher Paul Curtis 210p. 
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michi- gan, are drastically changed after they visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

JF Funke  Thief Lord  by Cornelia Funke 349p. 
Two brothers, having run away from the aunt who plans to adopt the younger one, are sought by a detective hired by their aunt, but they have found shelter with -- and the pro tection of -- Venice's "Thief Lord."

JF George  My Side of the Mountain  by Jean Craighead George 177p. 
A boy's experiences living by himself in a remote area of the Catskill Mountains.

JF Juster  The Phantom Tollbooth  by Norman Juster 255p. 
A bored young boy, Milo, drives his small electric car through a toy tollbooth and finds himself in the Land Be yond. A journey through a land where Milo learns the im portance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom.

NEWB Lengle  A Wrinkle in Time  by Madeleine L’Engle 211p. 
Meg and Charles Wallace set out with their friend Calvin in a search for their father. His top secret job as a physicist for the government has taken him away and the children search through time and space to find him.

YA Levine   Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine 232p. 
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella strug- gles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.

NEWB Lowry  Number the Stars  by Lois Lowry 137p. 
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten- year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and coura- geous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

NEWB Odell  Island of the Blue Dolphins  by Scott O’Dell 184p. 
Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.

YA Peck  A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck 139p. 
To a thirteen-year-old Vermont farm boy whose father slaughters pigs for a living, maturity comes early as he learns "doing what's got to be done," especially regarding his pet pig who cannot produce a litter.

JF Rawls  Where the Red Fern Grows  212p. 
A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's de sire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.

JF Ryan   Esperanza Rising  262p. 
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression.

NEWB Spinel  Maniac Magee   184p. 
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

JF Taylor  The Cay 137p. 
When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpe doed by a German submarine during World War II, a teen- age white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old Black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.

JF Winthrop  The Castle in the Attic  179p. 
A gift of a toy castle, complete with silver knight, intro duces William to an adventure involving magic and a per sonal quest.

Great Fifth Grade Series

JF Diterl  Spiderwick Chronicles By Tony DiTerlizzi

JF/YA Dixon  Hardy Boys By Franklin W. Dixon

JF Erickson  Hank the Cowdog  By John R. Erickson

JF Fitzge  The Great Brain  By John Dennis Fitzgerald

JF Keene  Nancy Drew  By Carolyn Keene

JF Lewis  Chronicles of Narnia  By C.S. Lewis

JF/YA Montgo  Anne of Green Gables  By L.M. Montgomery

JF Naylor  Alice Series  By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

JF Snicket  Series of Unfortunate Events  By Lemony Snicket

JF VanDraa  Sammy Keyes  By Wendolin Van Draanen