NCW Libraries

"Adrian Simcox brags about owning a horse, and Chloe just knows he's making stuff up...until she learns an important lesson in empathy"--

As Grace and her classmates study foods from other cultures, she has the opportunity to ponder such mysteries as whether Owen 1 is really bad or not, why she feels jealous when her father helps her best friend with her hot dog report, and how Augustine Dupre, her family's French boarder, can be so wise.

When she and her mother move in with Piper's grandmother, Piper is excited to attend a new school, until she encounters the principal's daughter, who is determined to prove she is better than Piper at being a school office helper.

Finn is in a bad mood, so his grandfather takes him on a walk in the forest, and tells him about all the things that are beneath the surface of plants and animals--and even people.

When Heidi is paired with Stanley, her worst enemy's best friend, for the Brewster Science Fair and she suddenly starts getting notes from a secret admirer, she tries to use magic to discover the note-writer's identity.

Pen pals Molly and Olive are both having relationship problems in their third grade classes--Molly is struggling with Jenna, a new girl, who seems to think that name calling is a way to fit in, and Olive has joined a gymnastics team which is putting a strain on her friendship with Emma, whom she has know for years.

Test scores are low and stress levels are high at Ella Mentry School so wellness expert Ms. Jo-Jo comes to help A.J. and his friends relax so they can pass the upcoming Fundamental Arithmetic/Reading Test.

"Mia's abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can't read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English ("Dough. Masa"), and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it's still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories....

"Summer is almost over, and you know what that means--time to head back to school! But when a tropical storm ends A.J.'s vacation earlier than expected, he and his family have to stay at Andrea's house. Ugh, disgusting! When everyone in the house starts getting cabin fever, and even back-to-school shopping won't calm the kids down, Andrea and A.J. are sent to Camp Ockatollyquay. The catch? It's a camp to get kids ready for school! But not to worry--Andrea...

Harrison is a boy who loves life and likes to share with others, but as he grows older the people around him are finding that he stands too close and maybe hugs a little too much--until his father teaches him the Space Saver rhyme, a method for determining just the right amount of space to leave between himself and others.