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Nancy's picks for the best junior novels
of summer/fall 2007 and ideas for using
them in the classroom. Compiled by Nancy Polette © 2007.
| Last updated: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 |
Avi. THE TRAITOR'S GATE. Atheneum,
2007. Grades 5-8.
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In 1849 John is sure the man following him has a false beard. John's father is in prison and no one in this colorful cast of characters
is saying why.
What John learns on his own is that there is a traitor on the loose and it is up to John to find him.
Babbitt, Natalie. JACK PLANK TELLS
TALES. Scholastic, 2007. Grades 4-6
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Jack Plank who was a failure as a pirate, goes ashore to find another line of work and runs into many problems.
Berlin, Eric. THE PUZZLING WORLD OF WINSTON
BREEN. Putnam, 2007 Grades 4-7
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A librarian, a policeman, a reporter, and mysterious strangers search for a long hidden treasure. Full of puzzles for the reader to
solve!
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. THE LACEMAKER AND THE
PRINCESS. McElderry Books, 2007. Grades 4-6.
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In the time of the French Revolution a poor girl becomes a companion to the queen's daughter. Rumors of starvation and ill treatment
confuse Isabelle, who is treated with great kindness by the royal family. A tale that brings this period of history alive.
Casanova, Mary. THE KLIPFISH CODE.
Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Grades 4-6
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Risks taken, secrets kept by 12 year old Marit in Nazi occupied Norway. An exciting and enlightening tale.
Cochran, Thomas. RUNNING THE DOGS.
Farrar, 2007/ Grades 5-7
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Tal's whole world falls to pieces when he lets the dogs out for a run and they don't return. A snow storm traps his father in the south
and everything is going wrong. How can a ten year old cope with looming disaster?
Curtis, Christopher Paul. ELIJAH OF
BUXTON. Scholastic, 1 2007. Grades 5-7
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Elijah pursues a thief and discovers first hand the horrors of slavery.
Davies, Jacqueline. THE LEMONADE WAR.
Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Grades 3-6
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Evan is people smart. Sister Jessie is math smart. Between the two a business grows with all of its problems. Excellent introduction to
economics.
Deary, Terry. FLIGHT OF THE FIRE THIEF.
Kingfisher, 2007. Grades 4-6
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Prometheus crashes through time and enters a carnival where daredevil Nell performs. Trojan war heroes enter the picture and a hot
pursuit begins. Fun reading with lots of humor and puns.
DeFelice, Cynthia. THE GHOST OF POPLAR
POINT. Farrar, 2007. Grades 5-7
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Allie is visited by a ghost who causes her to babble in a foreign language and haunts her dreams. A new girl steals her role in the
town's historical pageant and the girl's father is a threat to Allie's mother's business. A page turner!
Funke, Cornelia. IGRAINE THE BRAVE.
Scholastic, 2007. Grades 5-7
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On Igraine's 12th birthday her parents turn into pigs and a neighbor is determined to capture Pimpernel Castle. Can she face the
challenges?
Gordon, Amy. MAGIC BY HEART. Holiday
House, 2007. Grades 4-6
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Sam helps a tiny woman escape from a pigeon who has the power to make his dreams come true. A treat for fantasy lovers of mere mortals,
heroic cats and magical powers.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. UPRISING.
Simon & Schuster, 2007. Grades 5-8
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A fictionalized account of three young women caught up in the terrible Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911.
Haig, Matt. SAMUEL BLINK AND THE FORBIDDEN
FOREST. Putnam, 2007. Grades 5-7
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Samuel and Martha find too many rules at Aunt Eda's house and don't understand her irrational fear of the forest. Samuel finds a book
about strange forest creatures and wonders if Aunt Eda could be right? A great addition for fantasy fans.
Hale, Bruce. HISS ME DEADLY. Harcourt,
2007. Grades 3-6.
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Chet Gecko, Private Eye is on the hunt for missing pearls and big ticket items. The crime involves picking on Chet's little sister as
well. Another fun mystery in this series.
Harlow, Joan Hiatt. BLOWN AWAY! Mulberry
Books, 2007. Grades 4-7
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Jake is determined to find his family after a devastating Florida hurricane. An exciting read.
Jennings, Richard W. FERRET ISLAND
Houghton-Mifflin, 2007. Grades 5-7
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An exciting tale of a boy marooned on an island who finds he is not alone and that danger lurks in the form of gigantic, ferocious
ferrets.
Konigsburg, W.L. THE MYSTERIOUS EDGE OF THE HEROIC WORLD.
Atheneum, 2007. Grades 4-7
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Amedeo and William form an unlikely friendship in working together on the sale of an old mansion. They discover among other things, a
painful secret dating back of Nazi Germany.
LaFevers, R. L. THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF
CHAOS. Houghton-Mifflin, 2007. Grades 5-7
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Theodocia must deal with the ancient curses that surround the artifacts in the museum where her father is head curator. An exciting tale
with a memorable female heroine.
Laybourn, Emma. MISSING MAGIC. Dial,
2007. Grades 4-7
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Ned is the only one in his school who can't do magic. How will be cope
Sobol, Donald. ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN CRACKS THE
CASE. Dutton, 2007. Grades 3-5
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A series of new adventures for t he boy detective from Idaville!.
St. George, Judith. THE GHOST, THE WHITE HOUSE AND ME.
Holiday House, 2007. Grades 4-7.
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Kay Kay and Annie have just moved into the White House after their mother has become president. In investigating the haunting of the
Lincoln bedroom they uncover more than they bargained for. A fun mystery.
Wallace, Bill. THE DOG WHO THOUGHT HE WAS
SANTA. Holiday House, Grades 4-7.
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Times are tough and it looks like Dan's family will have a bleak Christmas although Dan's dog does all he can to fix their problems.
Wyss, Thelma Hatch. A TALE OF GOLD.
McElderry Books, 2007. Grades 5-8.
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A fictionalized account of the discovery of gold in the Yukon in 1897.
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