Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

Alfred A Knopf
April 2010
293 pgs

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Celestia is a wealthy member of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, where she meets and falls in love with Peter, a hired hand who lives in the valley below, and by the time of the torrential rains that lead to the disastrous Johnstown flood of 1889, she has been disowned by her family and is staying with him in Johnstown. Includes an author's note and historical timeline.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Philomel
April 2010
235 pgs.

Summary

Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood (Book 1)
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (series title)
Balzer and Bray
February 2010
267 pgs.

Summary
Fifteen-year-old Miss Penelope Lumley, a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, is hired as governess to three young children who have been raised by wolves and must teach them to behave in a civilized manner quickly, in preparation for a Christmas ball.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Disney/Hyperion

May 2010

516 pgs.

Summary

After their father's research experiment at the British Museum unleashes the Egyptian god Set, Carter and Sadie Kane embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest which brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
Candlewick Press
February 2010
117 pgs.

Summary
When Flory the night fairy's wings are accidentally broken and she cannot fly, she has to learn to do everything differently.

Some titles that will be on our 2011 Mock Newbery list

With the help of my friend Kathy, I've started to compile a handy dandy list of contenders for the 2011 Newbery Award. Have I read any of them yet? Well, I've seen the covers of many and am dreaming about reading them...does that count? Guess my answer is no. Future looms large with great reads--looking forward to these titles. Some have been published, many are upcoming:

The Night Fairy by Schlitz

They Called Themselves the KKK by Bartoletti

A Million Shades of Gray by Kadohata

One Crazy Summer by Williams-Garcia

Mockingjay by Collins

A Conspiracy of Kings by Turner

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Perkins

Any favorites I've missed? Feel free to share suggestions with me! Much appreciated. I'll be keeping a running list soon, along with space for folks to post their comments and questions concerning specific titles.

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Greenwillow Books

March 2010

316 pgs.

Summary

Kidnapped and sold into slavery, Sophos, an unwilling prince, tries to save his country from being destroyed by rebellion and exploited by the conniving Mede empire.

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
Scholastic Press
April 2010
372 pgs.

Summary
A fictionalized biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who grew up a painfully shy child, ridiculed by his overbearing father, but who became one of the most widely-read poets in the world.

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

As Easy As Falling Off The Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins
Greenwillow Books
April 2010
352 pgs.
Summary
A teenaged boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, and everything comes down to luck.