Kids Book Index
Pam Smy
Two storylines, set decades apart, gradually intersect in this heavily illustrated novel. One is told through text and the other through art. Ella is drawn toward Thornhill Hall and begins to uncover its dark, tragic mystery, including the ghost next door. The separate narratives link past and present as the secrets surrounding an abandoned institute and Thornhill Hall come into view.
This book appears on 2 reading lists across 2 editions from 2 organizations.
The Epic Fail of Arturo ZamoraPablo CartayaThirteen-year-old Arturo lives among his close-knit Cuban American extended family in Miami, where his grandmother’s restaurant is central to family life. A developer’s plan for an upscale high-rise threatens the restaurant’s proposed expansion and the neighborhood. Arturo works with Carmen to fight back, drawing on family stories, the writing of José Martí, poetry, and protest. The story also follows the family’s effort to persuade the city council to support the restaurant’s proposal.Nine to TwelveLexile Text Measure 750LATOS Book Level 5On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!Carmen Agra DeedyLa Paz is a noisy village whose residents elect the bossy Don Pepe as mayor in hopes of getting more quiet. His rules soon prohibit all singing, and even a teakettle is afraid to whistle. One rooster refuses to obey the ban. The fable follows his defiance of the mayor’s restrictions and his reminder to the community that people can speak up for what they believe, even when doing so carries a cost.All readersLexile Text Measure AD550LATOS Book Level 3.1On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Thunder UndergroundJane YolenThis collection of poems approaches the world below ground through science, exploration, and verse. Its underground expedition considers the hidden realm beneath people’s feet. The poems present what lies below as a subject for discovery, combining an adventure framework with scientific attention. Rather than remaining on the surface, the book imagines the activity and mystery within the earth underneath us.All readersOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details