New to football, Manny knows that he has to make up for his size if he wants to succeed on the field. He might be small, but he's fast. He's confident that if the coach gives him a chance, he'll shine. When he takes the field, however, his skills fall flat, and he's removed from the kickoff team. Can Manny pull it together and become the football player he wants to be? Or is he destined to sit on the sidelines? Football fans will appreciate this title for the action on the field, and anyone who has ever struggled to develop a new skill will see themselves in Manny's efforts. This is the first book in the Winning Season series.

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 1/7/2010

ISBN-10: 0670059404

ISBN-13: 9780670059409

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When ten-year-old Rufus discovers that he has magical powers, like his mother, and grandmother, he learns that being a wizard is not quite what he expected.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0761451765

ISBN-13: 9780761451761

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Will is a ward of the baron's castle because he is an orphan. At 15, the castle wards are apprenticed to learn a skill and Will desperately wants to be selected for battle master school to become a knight. Unfortunately, he is very small. Horace, his adversary, would probably be selected for battle school and he would just continue to harass Will the entire time they are there. The day of the choosing finally arrives, but Will doesn't get picked for battle school. In the room, there is a very secretive man who tells the baron that he would take Will. Will learns that this man is Halt, a very famous Ranger of the kingdom. Will is to become a Ranger, one who uses stealth and special skills with weapons to keep the kingdom's laws and to be the eyes against the enemy. Will becomes an excellent apprentice and starts his many adventures with Halt. This is book 1 in the Ranger's Apprentice series followed by The Burning Bridge.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/28/2009

ISBN-10: 0142406635

ISBN-13: 9780142406632

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Through the eyes of a young boy named Sam, you learn what it was like living in Lexington, Massachusetts during the time of the American Revolution. You learn how Sam, in the middle of the night, must join his father and other minutemen to fight for America's freedom. 'Sam the Minuteman,'perfect for the developing reader, is an interesting, and easily understood historical telling of the Battle of Lexington, which marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

Similar books: Meet Felicity: An American Girl by Valerie Tripp; The Battle for St. Michaels by Emily Arnold McCully; At Home in a New Land by Joan Sanden; Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express by Eleanor Coerr; Dust for Dinner by Ann Warren Turner; The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad by F.N. Monjo; Prairie Friends by Nancy Smiler

Reviewed by: mb

Date read: 7/6/2009

ISBN-10: 006020480X

ISBN-13: 9780060204808

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Cap Anderson was home-schooled on the Garland Farms commune until he began attending Claverage Middle School. He'd never seen TV, he'd never tasted pizza, but he does practice tai chi on the front lawn, and he knows how to tie-dye. When his grandmother is hospitalized Cap is sent to live with his new social worker. Smart but inexperienced, Cap earnestly takes on the coolest and the brightest as he adjusts to his new life. Cap is elected Class President as a prank, but slowly, the tables start to turn. Will Cap learn the name of all 1,100 students?

Similar books: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Award 2011

Reviewed by: donna

Date read: 6/7/2010

ISBN-10: 1423105168

ISBN-13: 9781423105169

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