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ERICKSON, JOHN R.
MOONSHINER’S GOLD
“A mystery/adventure novel set in the
Texas Panhandle in the mid-1920s.
Fourteen-year-old Riley McDaniels’s father
has just died, and he and his mother
struggle to keep their ranch going…Riding
home from school one afternoon,
the teen and his brother discover that
moonshiners have built a still in a nearby
deserted canyon on their property and
are making whiskey. Unfortunately, the
family also discovers that local lawmen
are either in cahoots with the bandits or
are too scared to help…With its historical
basis and accuracy, and its strong,
though perhaps somewhat stereotypical
characters, the novel rings true in its
portrayal of an exciting era in a setting
that is usually ignored.”
—School Library Journal
Rec: SLJ
5 x 7 3/4 208 pp. 2003
978-0-14-250023-1 $6.99
See index for more titles by John R. Erickson.
ERICKSON, PAUL
DAILY LIFE IN A COVERED WAGON
In 1853, the Larkin family loaded up
their covered wagon and headed west on
the Oregon trail in search of a new life.
But how did they do it? What did they
eat? How did they dress? How did they
survive sickness, or attacks from cattle
thieves? Drawing on diaries and letters,
and illustrated with photographs of
actual objects from the past, Daily Life in
a Covered Wagon explores what life was
really like on the wagon trail.
Rec: BL
8 1/4 x 11 48 pp. 1997
978-0-14-056212-5 $7.99
FARDELL, JOHN
SEVEN PROFESSORS
OF THE FAR NORTH
“Three British children set out to
rescue six elderly scientists who have
been kidnapped by Professor Murdo,
an evil genius in the classic evil-genius
mold…Murdo is holding his victims on
a remote island fortress in the middle of
the Arctic Ocean. The children manage
to get close to Murdo’s island by using a
series of elaborate, improbable schemes
and vehicles, and once on the island,
they learn of Murdo’s greater diabolical
plans of world domination…[a] fastpaced,
wildly far-fetched British import,
that offers plenty of humor and suspense
for adventure fans.” —Booklist
Rec: BL, C, K, SLJ
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 240 pp. 2006
978-0-14-240735-6 $6.99
FARMER, NANCY
THE WARM PLACE
Ruva lives peacefully with the other
giraffes in Africa—until she is kidnapped
by the dastardly Slope family. Help
arrives in the form of Troll and Rodentus,
two wise rats; a magical chameleon
named Nelson; and Jabila, a boy who
has been enslaved by the Slopes. Can the
five of them outwit their captors and find
“the warm place” that is home? “Farmer
confirms her place among the most
inventive writers of the day with this
rollicking tale....Following in the grand
tradition of James and the Giant Peach,
laced with dry humor and memorable
characters, it is pure delight.”
—Publishers WeeklyH
Rec: K, PWH, SLJ
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 160 pp. 1996
978-0-14-037956-3 $4.99
See index for more titles by Nancy Farmer.
FITZGERALD, JAMES
A-ROD: AMERICAN HERO
An Unauthorized Biography
An engaging biography on one of the
great players of major league baseball.
4 1/4 x 7 160 pp. 2004
978-1-59514-037-1 $4.99
FITZGERALD, JAMES
THE GREAT BRAIN
Illustrated by Mercer Mayer
The best con man in the Midwest is only
ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great
Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a
knack for turning a profit. Whether it’s
saving the kids at school, or helping out
Peg-leg Andy, or Basil, the new kid at
school, the Great Brain always manages
to come out on top—and line his pockets
in the process. “A funny, fast-moving,
endearing book that [readers] will lap up!”
—KirkusH
Rec: KH
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 192 pp. 2004
978-0-14-240058-6 $5.99
ME AND MY LITTLE BRAIN
Illustrated by Mercer Mayer
Tom, a.k.a. the Great Brain, is off to
boarding school. Now his little brother,
J. D., is free to follow in Tom’s ingenious,
conniving, and profitable footsteps.
All of J. D.’s attempts at turning a
profit fail miserably, and he soon realizes
that he just doesn’t have that crafty Great
Brain knack. But when his younger
brother is kidnapped, J. D. finds that
his little brain may not be so ordinary
after all. “J. D. is ready to apply all the
tricks he has learned…As amusing as the
exploits of his brainy older brother!”
—School Library Journal H
Rec: SLJH
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 144 pp. 2004
978-0-14-240064-7 $4.99
MORE ADVENTURES
OF THE GREAT BRAIN
Illustrated by Mercer Mayer
Has Tom Jenkins, a.k.a. the Great Brain,
given up his con-artist ways for a bicycle?
Not for long. Soon the Great Brain is
back to his old tricks, swindling and
trading, even convincing the whole town
there’s a prehistoric monster on the
loose. But when someone robs the bank,
even the police are stumped. Can the
Great Brain solve the crime and put the
crooks behind bars? “[The Great Brain]
emerges as possibly the youngest, and
certainly one of the most engaging, con
men in print!”
—School Library Journal H
Rec: SLJH
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 160 pp. 2004
978-0-14-240065-4 $4.99
See index for more titles by Mercer Mayer.
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Ages 8-12 • Intermediate Independent Reads