Creating Motivated Readers, One Video at a Time
Drive By by Lynne Ewing “Jimmy always told me there were only two kinds of gang-bangers: Those who were dead and those who were going to die. Joining a gang doesn’t make sense to Jimmy…” Jimmy is dead now — gunned down in front of his little sister, Mina, and his brother, Tito. And Tito is left wondering: Was Jimmy in a gang after all? Ice Breaker Joe and Lamar think so. They say Jimmy was skimming their drug money, and if the...
Dried Blood – Elise Leonard Series About Elise Leonard: Elise was a successful teacher of inner-city kids for over 20 years before starting her writing career. She now lives in Florida. About This Book: This is the second book of the Junkyard Dan series. Details: Published: 2008. All the books in this series are 100 pages (+/-). This book contains approximately 10,500 words. ISBN: 978-0-9815694-1-3. All books are Lexile 1 & 2 ...
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck Joey and his younger sister, Mary Alice, live in the Windy city during the reign of Al Capone and Bugs Moran. Most of their adventures occur during their annual down-state visits with Grandma Dowdel, a woman as “old as the hills,” “tough as an old boot,” and larger than life. Grandma continually astounds her citified grandchildren by stretching the boundaries of truth. [spoiler title=̶...
The Pearl by John Steinbeck Kino is a poor Mexican fisher and diver who one day discovers a large and beautiful pearl. He thinks that it may be valuable and shares the news with his wife, Juana. Kino dreams that the pearl will bring him and his family a better life. However, his good fortune has some unplanned consequences. Will he and his family eventually find happiness, or will the pearl bring them only misfortune? The Pear...
Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Connor Grennan A true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds....
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson Ginny, 17, reads a letter from her free-spirited, unpredictable Aunt Peg, who has recently passed away. She is given several destinations, four rules, and the instruction to open one envelope upon her arrival at each place. Thus begins a rapid tour of Europe as the teen struggles to accomplish the tasks established by her aunt. Ginny wants to understand the woman’s wanderlust and, possibly, ...
Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler A king is increasingly angry with his wife for giving him daughters. When she dies in childbirth bearing a thirteenth daughter, he banishes the newborn to the castle kitchens in his rage. At seven, sort-of servant Zita learns she is sister to the princesses and daughter to the king. She doesn’t bemoan her lot, but she does sneak around behind her father’s back befriending her lovely older siblings...
1984 by George Orwell Winston Smith keeps a diary full of illegal thoughts about his unhappiness with the way things are, knowing that, at any moment, he might be taken away to some torture cell. He soon discovers that one of the people he works with, the beautiful Julia, has secretly fallen in love with him. Winston also wonders about the mysterious O’Brien. People say that he is a secret leader of the Brotherhood, an organization th...
Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise’s parents died when she was too young to remember them. There’s always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor. When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems...
Ararat by Clive Barker Candy Quackenbush is tired of her humdrum existence in boring Chickentown, MN. After skipping out on a particularly frustrating day of school, she wanders into an empty field at the edge of town, and suddenly, her life takes a remarkable turn. Through a series of most unusual events, she finds herself transported to Abarat, a magical realm composed of 25 islands, each representing one hour of the day, with the mys...
