In2Books 2009/2010 Book List - Fiction
Explore the In2Books 2009/2010 Fiction Book List featuring top fiction titles for readers and educators. Discover must-read novels and engaging stories from this curated collection.
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Shredderman: Secret Identity
by Wendelin Van Draanen
Alvin Bixby: Hulking, knuckles of steel, hideous breath, foul temper. Kids call him: Bubba. Nolan Byrd: Puny, power walker, math genius, can’t keep shoes tied. Kids call him: Nerd. Bubba has been the bane of Nolan’s existence for five long years. So when Mr. Green asks the class to become reporters, Nolan decides he’ll write an exposé—on Bubba. He doesn’t want to sign his name to it (that’d be suicidal), so Nolan creates a secret identity for himself—on the Internet. He launches Shredderman.com as a place where truth and justice prevail—and bullies get what’s coming to them. This hilariously triumphant story is for any kid who’s ever dreamed of unleashing their own inner superhero!
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Mayfield Crossing
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
When the school in Mayfield Crossing is closed, the students are sent to larger schools, where the black children encounter racial prejudice for the first time. Only baseball seems a possibility for drawing people together.
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Dear Mr. Blueberry
by Simon James
A young girl and her teacher correspond about the whale she has discovered in her pond.
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Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
by Sharon Creech
Bailey, who is usually so nice, Bailey, my neighbor, my friend, my buddy, my pal for my whole life, knowing me better than anybody, that Bailey, that Bailey I am so mad at right now, that Bailey, I hate him today. Twelve-year-old Rosie and her best friend, Bailey, don't always get along, that's true. But Granny Torrelli seems to know just how to make things right again with her interesting stories and family recipes. It's easier to remember what's important about love, life, and friendship while Granny Torrelli makes soup.
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Roxie and the Hooligans
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Roxie Warbler, the niece of a famous explorer, follows Uncle Dangerfoot's advice on how to survive any crisis when she becomes stranded on an island with a gang of school bullies and a pair of murderous bank robbers.
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Grace's Letter to Lincoln
by Peter And Connie Roop
On the eve of the 1860 presidential election, as war clouds gather and the South threatens to secede, eleven-year-old Grace decides to help Abraham Lincoln get elected by writing and advising him to grow a beard.
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Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
by Mildred Pitts Walter
Ten-year-old Justin thinks housework is for women, until he's invited to his grandfather's ranch. There, along with fishing, riding, and going to the rodeo, Justin learns about his black cowboy ancestors and that doing "women's work"--even baking prize-winning biscuits--is part of taking care of himself. Reading level: 2.7.
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Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns
by Mary Quattlebaum
Nothing but a big mess of trouble and weeds.. That's what Jackson Jones thinks of the garden plot his mother gives him for his tenth birthday. What happened to the basketball he's hoped and prayed for all year? When Jackson comes up with a moneymaking scheme for the garden, it doesn't seem so bad after all. He even cuts his friends in on the action. But before long, Jackson finds out that friends and business don't always mix. When the neighborhood bully calls him "Bouquet Jones," Jackson is ready to give up. Maybe gardens don't belong in cities after all.... Winner of the first annual Marguerite de Angeli Prize.
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The Kite Fighters
by Linda Sue Park
In Seoul, Korea, in 1473, Young-sup and his older brother Kee-sup are excited about the New Year kite competition. Young-sup is an expert at kite flying. He knows just what his kite wants him to do. Kee-sup has trouble handling his kite, but can build and design a kite fit for a king. Each brother knows his own talents as they practice together for the New Year kite-fighting competition. But according to tradition, Kee-sup, the first-born son, must represent the family. Young-sup knows he must help his older brother and stay in second place. But that doesn’t stop him from hoping for the chance to show his great skill as a kite fighter.
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Arthur's Pen Pal
by Lillian Hoban
Arthur thinks his pen pal is more fun than his little sister. Little sisters don't do things like karate and wrestling -- or do they? It takes a surprise letter to show Arthur that sometimes there's more to sisters -- and pen pals -- than meets the eye!
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Agnes Parker . . . Girl in Progress
by Kathleen O'Dell
Eleven-year-old Agnes Parker has always been your everyday girl. But this year, Agnes is determined to become a whole new person. Maybe not a whole new person exactly, but just a better version of the girl she’s always been. Someone who’s not such an easy target for bullygirls like Peggy Neidermeyer. Someone who is as cool and confident as her best friend, Prejean. Will the new Agnes Parker make it through a school year filled with new glasses, broken arms, and a cute new boy in school?
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Regarding the Fountain
by Kate Klise
The Dry Creek Middle School drinking fountain has sprung a leak, so principal Walter Russ dashes off a request to Flowing Waters Fountains, Etc. ...We need a new drinking fountain. Please send a catalog. Designer Flo Waters responds: "I'd be delighted...but please understand that all of my fountains are custom-made." Soon the fountain project takes on a life of its own, one chronicled in letters, postcards, memos, transcripts, and official documents. The school board president is up in arms. So is Dee Eel, of the water-supply company. A scandal is brewing, and Mr. Sam N.'s fifth grade class is turning up a host of hilarious secrets buried deep beneath the fountain.
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First Year Letters
by Julie Danneberg
"In this sequel to FIRST DAY JITTERS, Sarah Jane Hartwell has gotten up her courage and has gone to teach school. And as every first year teacher knows, a classroom full of second graders can be alarmingly unpredictable. The key to eventual success is the classroom post office Sarah Jane establishes. The letters the children write to Mrs. Hartwell are sympathetic ("I figured you might be a little scared, just like me"); informative (" ost kids don't eat cauliflower"); encouraging ("Yesterday was THE BEST!"); and apologetic ("I'm sorry about throwing up all over your shoes"). Even the custodian and the principal write to Sarah Jane. Teachers and children alike will identify with Mrs. Hartwell as she navigates her first year. And many classes will be inspired to write letters about their own experiences."
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How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay
by Julia Alvarez
An endearing family story from the international bestselling author of How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies "This twist on a classic story demonstrates that difficult transitions can be eased by new connections. Or a possibly magical aunt." —The New York Times Book Review Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! TĂa Lola, his quirky, carismática, and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mami. Like her stories for adults, Julia Alvarez’s first middle-grade book sparkles with magic as it illuminates a child’s experiences living in two cultures.
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Dork on the Run
by Carol Gorman
Having reluctantly agreed to run for sixth-grade president, Jerry, who has been trying to change his image as a dork, finds his opponent playing dirty tricks on him.
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Dear Mr. Henshaw
by Beverly Cleary
Dear Mr. Henshaw, I wish somebody would stop stealing the good stuff out of my lunchbag. I guess I wish a lot of other things, too. I wish someday Dad and Bandit would pull up in front in the rig ... Dad would yell out of the cab, "Come on, Leigh. Hop in and I'll give you a lift to school." Leigh Botts has been author Boyd Henshaw's number one fan ever since he was in second grade. Now in sixth grade, Leigh lives with his mother and is the new kid at school. He's lonely, troubled by the absence of his father, a cross-country trucker, and angry because a mysterious thief steals from his lunchbag. Then Leigh's teacher assigns a letter-writing project. Naturally Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, whose surprising answer changes Leigh's life.
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Julian's Glorious Summer
by Ann Cameron
Bestselling classic The Stories Julian Tells was just the beginning! Get ready for more of Julian's wonderful imagination in the Julian's World chapter book series! Julian isn’t afraid of lions or tigers, but he is scared of . . . bicycles? Julian’s friend Gloria has a brand-new bicycle. She makes riding it look easy, but Julian is scared. Bicycles are shiny, whizzing, wobbly things. And he’s not ready to ride one. But he can’t tell Gloria he’s scared, so he tells a fib instead. He almost gets away with it . . . until the fib backfires and he’s got an even bigger problem! "This is a perfectly constructed young reader, with neat turns in the plot, a loving family, and engaging dialogue." —Kirkus Reviews A Library of Congress Children's Book of the Year
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Donuthead
by Sue Stauffacher
Franklin Delano Donuthead is a fifth grader with a lot of problems: For starters, his last name is Donuthead. He considers himself handicapped because one arm and leg are shorter than the other (by less than half an inch), his mother is trying to poison him with non-organic foods (like salami), he doesn’t have a father, and Sarah Kervick, the new girl, who’s mean and totally unhygienic, is attached to him, warts and all, like glue. This is a hilarious and touching novel featuring a neurotic, scared boy and a tougher-than-nails girl who each help the other in more ways than they can imagine. Sue Stauffacher has crafted characters full of wit and sensitivity, with a little anti-bacterial soap thrown in for good measure.