Karena is left alone on the island where her tribe used to live. Most of the men were killed by Russian otter hunters, who refuse to honor their agreement to share the otter skins. An elder of the tribe paddled to the mainland, and brought back a ship to take the survivors off the island. Karana went to look for her little brother and, when she found him, the ship had gone. Shortly afterwards, her brother is killed by wolves. This is the story of Karana's life on the island- how she found food, made weapons, made clothes, created a place to live, and, most of all, befriended the animals.

Awards won: John Newbery Medal

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0395536804

ISBN-13: 9780395536803

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When Malcom finally gets the Exto-Handheld-Automatic-Heat-Sensitive-Laser-Enhanced Specter Detector he ordered from a science magazine, he can't wait to use it. He and his best friend, Dandy, plan to visit the Freaky McBleaky house after dark to test it out, but will Grandma Eunice's story about the brothers who used to live there make them loose their nerve? Find out in 'It Creeps!' Book 1 in the Ghost Detectors series.

Reviewed by: caroll

Date read: 10/12/2010

ISBN-10: 1602706905

ISBN-13: 9781602706903

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Cheddar is Kat's beloved dog and reliable friend. He's there through thick and thin, Kat's partner in facing life. Since tomorrow is the first day of seventh grade, Cheddar's company is a comfort. Then, Cheddar runs across the street and into the path of an oncoming car, and Kat's world is shattered. The next day, frantic to hear an update on Cheddar's condition, Kat leaves school early on a 'borrowed' bicycle that the owner has left unlocked. When she exits the veterinary hospital, the bicycle is gone. To make things worse, there have been a series of bicycle thefts in the area, and now Kat is implicated in the crimes. How will she make it through her seventh grade year when everything is falling apart?

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 4/30/2010

ISBN-10: 0761317902

ISBN-13: 9780761317906

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Fourteen-year old Dave Mitchell lives with his parents, in a small apartment in the middle of New York City. He doesn't get along well with his father, and they get into many petty, explosive arguments that end up giving Dave's mother an asthma attack. After these fights, Dave usually finds shelter at 'Crazy' Kate's, the Cat Woman. One day he decides to adopt Cat, an orange tom that he befriends. It is through Cat that he meets his new friend, Tom, a nineteen-year old who doesn't have a lot of prospects, until Dave's dad decides to help him find a job. With Cat as his constant companion, Dave meets Mary, a girl he becomes great friends with, helps a struggling teen, and becomes closer to his father in this thoughtful book about growing up in one of the busiest cities in America.

Awards won: John Newbery Medal

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 1437838391

ISBN-13: 9781437838398

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Skye McPhee faces a 'temporary' situation when she is sent to live with her kooky grandmother in California after her brother has a severe automobile accident. Skye struggles at first to adjust, but art classes, new friends, and reconnecting with her brother through their emails all help her pass the time until she can return home to New Mexico. The book is illustrated with sketches, lists, etc. taken from Skye's journal, giving the book a diarylike feel even though the story is written in the third person.

Reviewed by: msp

Date read: 8/6/2009

ISBN-10: 0670061115

ISBN-13: 9780670061112

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