Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
2006-07 WAW Award nominee (Grades 6-8)
Have you ever wondered about the origins of Peter Pan and
Tinkerbell, and Neverland and mermaids? And how did Peter Pan learn
to fly, why does he not grow old, and where does pixie dust come
from? Authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have . . .
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The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story
2006-07 WAW Award nominee (Grades 6-8)
Remember the old saying "Be careful what you wish for." Well,
Lissa's dad becomes the caretaker of an old house whose eccentric
owner died in the front parlor, and it was a week before anybody
found her. Lissa thinks, "I'd love to see a . . .
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Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Muñoz Ryan
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Naomi Soledad León and her brother Owen have lived with their
grandma ever since their mother abandoned them seven years ago.
Now, when their mother suddenly returns, she wants to take Naomi
with her to Las Vegas and leave her brother . . .
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Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Chu Ju lives in China. In China, families can have only one
child if they live in the city, and two children if they live in
the country. Boys are valued more than girls because boys stay with
their families when they grow up. Girls go to . . .
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Escape to West Berlin by Maurine F. Dahlberg
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
This historical fiction portrays the division between East and
West Germany prior to the building of the Berlin Wall.
Families literally become separated as the government begins
to close the border and disallow free access between . . .
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Little Cricket by Jackie Brown
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
The relationship between grandfather and grandchild is the
essence of this novel that is full of lessons about life and what
is truly important in life. The story begins in faraway Laos, where
remnants of the Vietnam War rages on. The . . .
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Never Mind: A Twin Novel by Avi and Rachel Vail
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
This is a "he said... she said" comedy with chapters alternately
narrated by a twin brother and sister -- Meg and Edward Runyon --
who have prevailingly opposite personalities. It contains very fast
paced action that is full of unexpected . . .
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So B. It by Sarah Weeks
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Heidi doesn't know her mother's past, so how can she know her
own? She doesn't know when she was born or even her last name. Her
mentally-impaired mother can only say 23 words, and one of those
words is driving Heidi crazy: "Soof!" What . . .
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The Double Life of Zoe Flynn
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr.6-8)
In this story, the father loses his job and must uproot his
family in search of new work. This also means the family must live
out of a van until enough money is saved to earn a deposit for a
place to live. What does Zoe tell her school . . .
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The Spirit Line by Aimée and David Thurlo
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
For her traditional Navajo rite of passage ceremony, known as a
kinaald á, Crystal Manyfeathers is weaving a rug, but it is
stolen from her loom. There are a number of suspects in this
crime.
Henry -- also known as Junior in the . . .
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The Breaker Boys by Pat Hughes
WAW 2006 Book Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Nate Tanner doesn't get along with his family, he doesn't have
any friends, and he keeps getting into fights. After getting kicked
out of boarding school, Nate returns to his family home in
Pennsylvania. Even though his family's business . . .
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Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude
WAW 2006 Book Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Thin Wood Walls is a story about prejudice and the
effects of war. Although the characters are fictional, the story
itself is based on actual events that occurred to
Japanese-Americans in the United States during World War II.
. . .
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Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Alice Ann's family moves from Chicago, Illinois, to Mississippi
in 1964. Her dad is an FBI agent and he has been sent to protect
the black people who want to register to vote. Also, this is the
first year for integration or "race mixing," . . .
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A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Dina, a young girl from Germany, is always doings things that
get her in trouble. "If only ...," her mother keeps telling
her.
One day she gets into so much trouble (suspicion of being a
French spy) that she must escape by fleeing . . .
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Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
Moose and his family move to Alcatraz Island during the summer
of 1935. Moose's father works as a guard/electrician on the island,
and it seems like he has to work all the time. Then, to make
matters worse, his mother starts teaching piano . . .
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Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
This is a story full of coincidence and puzzles. Petra and
Calder are two eleven-year-olds who become entangled in a mystery,
involving codes, pentominoes, and a valuable painting titled "A
Lady Writing" by Johannes Vermeer. With the aid . . .
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The Teacher’s Funeral: a comedy in three parts by Richard Peck
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
This story is set in Indiana in 1904, a time when automobiles
are first being seen in the United States. Russell and his brother
Lloyd are all set to go back to their one-room schoolhouse, when
they find out their teacher has died. For a . . .
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