The Edmond Sun
September 30, 2008 11:24 pm
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‘BABYMOUSE: MONSTER MASH’
by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
This year, Babymouse is determined to have the best Halloween costume and the best Halloween party ever. Will Babymouse be the monster of her dreams? Will Felicia Furrypaws come to the party? And is that really the creature from the Black Lagoon living in Babymouse’s locker?
‘HELL WEEK: MAGGIE QUINN: GIRL vs. EVIL’
by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Maggie Quinn is determined to make her mark as a journalist. The only problem? The Ranger Report does not take freshmen on staff. Rules are rules. But when has that ever stopped Maggie? After facing hellfire, infiltrating sorority rush should be easy.
It’s no Woodward and Bernstein, but going undercover as the Phantom Pledge will allow her to write her exposé; then she can make a stealth exit before initiation. But when she finds a group of girls who are after way more than “sisterhood,” all her instincts say there’s something rotten on Greek Row.
And when Hell Week rolls around, there may be no turning back. If there is such a thing as a sorority from hell, you can bet that Maggie Quinn will be the one to stumble into it. Maggie begins to realize that something wicked is going on in the house…and it’s just mean girl gossip.
‘THE HALLOWEEN TREE’
by Ray Bradbury
The year was 1960 and award-winning author Ray Bradbury was spending an innocent afternoon painting with his daughters. He found himself drawing a great tree loaded with lit pumpkins. This tree held in its branches, essentially, the genealogy of Halloween. It inspired Bradbury to write the novel and Emmy-award winning screenplay “The Halloween Tree.”
It has been reissued for a new generation of readers.
It was just an ordinary town, full of ordinary trees and ordinary boys. But this was to be the most extraordinary Halloween of their lives. As they gather for the night’s festivities, they discover their best friend, Joe Pipkin, “the grandest boy who ever fell out of a tree and laughed at the joke,” is missing.
In a desperate attempt to find him, they dared to knock on the door of the haunted house on the hill. There they are greeted by none other than Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, a tall ghost of a man, who asks them one simple question: “Trick or treat?”
‘GINGER BEAR’
by Mini Grey
“Ginger Bear” tells the story of a bear-shaped cookie with a penchant for adventure and a mind of his own.
Ginger Bear is one clever little cookie. In the middle of the night, the lonely cookie decides to make some friends of his own. With flour, sugar and butter, Ginger Bear does just that. In fact, he makes a whole circus of friends and the fun begins.
The madcap circus is so exciting that none of them notice the shadow of Bongo the dog looming in the doorway. Oh, how Bongo loves cookies. Ginger Bear quickly realizes that being a cookie has some major disadvantages. The life of a cookie is usually short and sweet, but quick-thinking Ginger Bear avoids his fate as a delicious snack and manages to find a safe and happy new home.
‘WHALE’
by David Lucas
When a giant whale washes up on shore — on top of young Joe’s town, in fact — no one knows that the town is ruined. The Whale laments that all he’s good for now is a large fish pie. The Fishmonger quickly agrees. But Joe is determined to set things right.
With the help of Joe, some impressive teamwork, invaluable wisdom from the Owl and the Innumerable Stars, and a whole lot of…singing, order is restored. Even better, Joe and his neighbors make a new — and very large — friend.
‘SNOWBONE’
by Cat Weatherill
“Snowbone” has everything young fantasy fans could want — flying machines, hungry cannibals, a looming volcano and a mystifying ancient prophecy.
Snowbone is the natural leader of a band of wooden children, who are tracking down a group of human slavers. In the fight to free their wooden people, Snowbone’s journey takes her on a flying ship, from island to island, into the heart of a volcano, and into the dreadful slave quarry.
Along the way, courageous and strong Snowbone discovers her own talents, weaknesses and her heart’s desire. With roots in myth and magic, “Snowbone” is a story full of action, poetry and dark twists of fate.
‘THE RIGHT-UNDER CLUB’
by Christine Hurley Deriso
Meet “The Right-Under Club,” five unique girls with a common bond — they don’t fit into their complicated new families. This story captures the angst and confusion in the complex world of stepparents, half-siblings and custody battles, while demonstrating each character’s innate resilience and optimism.
Frustrated with their families, Tricia, Leighton, Mei, Hope and Elizabeth realize that although they are right under their parents’ noses, their complex family lives make them feel like leftover meat loaf. How are they supposed to deal with annoying stepbrothers, divorce, and new babies while trying to have a normal preteen summer?
Before you know it, The Right-Under Club is born, along with their motto — “We R There 4 U.” Every week in the cozy confines of Tricia’s tree house, each girl takes a turn revealing her Right-Under problem. The others write down solutions that are discussed, dissected, and discarded until the best one remains. Then it’s time to put the plan into action, for better or worse. After all, what’s the worst that can happen when five girls band together to help each other?
Over the course of the summer, The Right-Under Club explores the ups and downs of coming-of-age in the middle of a blended family. Through listening and helping with each other’s problems, The Right-Under Club ultimately forms a common bond of mutual respect and compassion.
‘HOW MANY SEEDS IN A PUMPKIN?’
by Margaret McNamara
“How many seeds in a pumpkin?” Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium and small pumpkins on his desk. So starts this funny and educational tale about pumpkins, math and science.
Robert, the biggest kid in the class, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she’s talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Tisha, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22.
Charlie is given what the class thinks is the easiest job: counting the seeds in the smallest pumpkin. To everyone surprise, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds — 350 to be exact. Charlie learns, “Small things can have a lot going on inside of them.”
“How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?” is a playful, humorous and child-friendly classroom story in which the students discover science facts about pumpkins, practice simple math facts and also learn that appearances are not always what they seem.
‘SESAME SUBJECTS: MY FIRST BOOK ABOUT INSECTS’
by Kama Einhorn
Insects are the most populous species on earth, and it is no secret that toddlers are fascinated by them. In “My First Book About Insects,” Grover, Elmo, and special guest Oscar the Grouch team up to teach little ones all about bugs. Toddlers learn about what insects look like, what they eat, where they live, and how they help the environment.
NOTE: E-mail dpeery@edmondsun.com to have your name entered into a drawing for the following titles: “Babymouse: Monster Mash” and/or “Hell Week: Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil." Deadline is 10 a.m. Oct. 6. Winner will be notified by return e-mail. Winner is responsible for picking up the book at The Edmond Sun office.
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