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THE STRANGER NEXT DOOR
Pete’s not afraid of anything. If there’s
a mystery to be solved, he’s your cat.
Pete is Alex’s cat. And since Alex and
his family moved into the new housing
development, Pete is Alex’s only friend,
too. Things start looking up for Alex
and Pete when Rocky, a boy Alex’s age,
moves in next door. But Rocky isn’t very
friendly, and Alex starts to suspect he’s
hiding something. “Kehret packs a lot of
action and tension in this easy-to-handle
mystery.” —Booklist
Rec: BL, K, SLJ, V
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 176 pp. 2003
978-0-14-250178-8 $5.99
TERROR AT THE ZOO
Ellen and Corey Streater couldn’t have
asked for a better birthday present — an
overnight camp-out at the zoo. But their
dream gift becomes a nightmare when
darkness falls. No one comes and they’re
locked in with the most dangerous
animal of all — an escaped criminal. “A
compelling and fast-paced mystery with
characters that are believable and well
drawn.” —The Horn Book
Rec: BL, H, K, SLJ
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 144 pp. 2001
978-0-14-230028-2 $5.99
See index for more titles by Peg Kehret.
KING-SMITH, DICK
PIGS MIGHT FLY
Illustrated by Mary Rayner
“A soaring heartening fantasy...”—Publishers
Weekly “Daggie Dogfoot, the
runt of the litter, is the irrepressible hero
of this beguiling fantasy. He’s special
because he’s the only runt ever to return
after having been claimed by the Pigman;
more importantly, he wants to fly.”
—BooklistH
Rec: AN, BLH, C, CE, CS, H, PW, SLJ, W
5 1/8 x 7 3/8 160 pp. 1990
978-0-14-034537-7 $6.99
KINSEY-WARNOCK, NATALIE
AS LONG AS
THERE ARE MOUNTAINS
“Iris Anderson, 13, loves her family farm
in the Green Mountains of Vermont
and hopes that she will never have to
leave it. She only wishes that her father
would realize that she and not her older
brother, Lucien, should carry on the
legacy of farming this land....This brief,
finely crafted novel will stay with readers
long after the story ends.”
—School Library JournalH
Rec: C, K, R, SLJH, TE, V
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 144 pp. 2001
978-0-14-130360-4 $4.99
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
All she wants is a horse. But at the height
of the Great Depression, Lily knows her
dream isn’t possible. Constantly arguing
with her older sister, Emily, doesn’t
make it any easier. In Lily’s eyes, Emily
is everyone’s favorite. After all, Emily is
allowed to have a cat. Only Great-aunt
Nell, visiting from India, understands
Lily’s problems-and takes her dreams
seriously. But when disaster strikes the
family, and nothing is certain, Lily must
face the fact that not even Aunt Nell can
smooth away her troubles. “An engaging
coming-of-age story…tragic, wonderful,
and sometimes humorous.”
—School Library JournalH
Rec: BL, K, SLJ
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 144 pp. 2002
978-0-14-230143-2 $5.99
See index for more titles by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock.
KOSS, AMY GOLDMAN
THE GIRLS
Maya has been part of the group ever
since the day Candace asked her if she
wanted to “do lunch” in the cafeteria.
Yet when Candace suddenly deems her
unworthy, Maya’s so-called friends just
blow her off. While Maya just wants
the girls back like they used to be, she
knows that can never happen-because
whatever Candace wants, Candace gets,
no matter who gets hurt. Maya isn’t sure
exactly where things went wrong for her,
but she knows she has to find out who
her real friends are, and who among the
girls she can trust. “[A] suspenseful and
realistic portrayal of a popular middle
school clique…Readers will identify with
and remember these characters.”
—Publishers WeeklyH
Rec: BL, PWH, SLJ
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 128 pp. 2002
978-0-14-230033-6 $5.99
GOSSIP TIMES THREE
“In an authentic voice, an unnamed
narrator (whose identity is revealed at
the end) tells the story of three seventhgrade
girls as they weather the storm
created by Bess dating her friend Abby’s
longtime crush.”
—School Library Journal
Rec: BL, C, H, K, PWH, SLJ, V
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 176 pp. 2005
978-0-14-240295-5 $5.99
KUNS, J. IRVIN
WHILE YOU WERE OUT
“It’s been a rough year for fifth-grader
Penelope. Her best friend, Tim, died of
cancer during the summer, and her father
has landed a job as custodian in her
own school. Lonely and embarrassed,
Penelope begins using pink “while you
were out” messages to write notes to
Tim in an effort to keep his memory
close…Kuns has an evocative way with
words, taking ordinary situations and
painting nuance into them with her
descriptions.” —Booklist
Rec: BL, C, K, SLJ
5 1/16 x 7 3/4 144 pp. 2006
978-0-14-240628-1 $5.99
139 ◆
Ages 8-12 • Intermediate Independent Reads