Kids Book Index
Katherine Applegate
Jackson is in fifth grade when his family’s financial difficulties bring them close to homelessness. At this troubling time, an imaginary friend from his past returns to help him. The book places Jackson’s experience within questions of family, friendship, and resilience. Its magical element is the reappearance of that old companion as the family confronts money problems and an uncertain place to live.
This book appears on 1 reading list across 1 edition.
The Rain Wizard: The Amazing, Mysterious, True Life of Charles Mallory HatfieldLarry Dane BrimnerIn drought-stricken San Diego in 1915, city leaders hire Charles Mallory Hatfield because he is known for claiming he can make rain. Heavy rainfall follows, bringing closed roads, deaths, and burst dams. The city’s leaders blame Hatfield for the disaster and refuse to pay him. The account examines both the man and the uncertainty around his claims, asking whether he truly brought rain or deceived the city.Nine to TwelveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Moonpenny IslandTricia SpringstubbOn a small Lake Erie island, Flor faces two painful changes at once: her best friend Sylvie leaves for private school, and Flor’s mother goes away to care for an ill grandmother. Flor suspects her mother’s departure also reflects the fighting between her parents. Money is tight, and Flor considers her mother’s isolation as the island’s only Spanish-speaker and non-white resident. As her older sister becomes distant, Flor finds distraction in the arrival of Dr. Fife and his daughter Jasper, who study trilobites.Nine to TwelveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Curious Critters: MarineDavid FitzSimmonsTwenty ocean animals are shown in photographs that emphasize close detail throughout a photographic collection. The animals inhabit North American ocean waters, including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. Each animal is given a unique account, and the book also provides back matter. It combines views of familiar marine animals with attention to their distinctive features.Nine to TwelveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details