How to Be Cool in the Third Grade (Chapter, Puffin)
by Betsy Duffey
from Puffin
The Recess Queen
by Alexis O'neill
from Scholastic Press
Oh, would that all bullying problems could be solved so easily! Mean Jean is the reigning Recess Queen, pushing and smooshing, hammering and slammering the other kids whenever they cross her. And then one day a puny new girl shows up on the playground and catches Mean Jean completely off-guard. Not only is little Katie Sue not the least bit intimidated by the bully, she actually asks her to jump rope with her. In no time flat, Jean and Katie Sue are best buddies, and the playground is safe for all again.
Sure, it's simplistic, but there's a strong element of truth in this energetic rhyming story by Alexis O'Neill (Loud Emily). Bullies are people, too, and sometimes nothing is quite so effective as ingenuous disarmament. Big, bold, funny acrylic and collage illustrations by Laura Huliska-Beith (The Book of Bad Ideas) bounce right along with the text. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter
Just Kidding
by Trudy Ludwig
from Tricycle Press
D.J.'s friend Vince has a habit of teasing D.J. and then saying, "Just kidding!" as if it will make everything okay. It doesn't, but D.J. is afraid that if he protests, his friends will think he can't take a joke. With the help of his father, brother, and an understanding teacher, D.J. progresses from feeling helpless to taking positive action, undermining the power of two seemingly harmless words. Trudy Ludwig takes another look at relational aggression, the use of relationships to manipulate and hurt others, this time from the boy's point of view.
Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep (Emily Windsnap)
by Liz Kessler
from Candlewick
"High-action adventure, a plucky protagonist, and whimsical illustrations enliven this sea fantasy, which will be most thoroughly appreciated by series followers." — BOOKLIST
Picture an island set in a glittering blue sea, sparkling with white sand and palm trees, a secret place where humans and merfolk live together. To Emily Windsnap — half mermaid, half human — her new home is perfect. That is, until Emily ruins everything by waking a legendary sea monster known as the kraken from its hundred-year sleep. . . . An enchanting tale with a fabulous monster, engaging characters, and plenty of mermaid magic, this second fantasy about Emily Windsnap is filled with charm and warmth.
King Of The Playground
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
from Aladdin
The Revealers
by Doug Wilhelm
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Parkland Middle School is a place the students call Darkland, because no one in it does much to stop the daily harassment of kids by other kids. Three bullied seventh graders use their smarts to get the better of their tormentors by starting an unofficial e-mail forum at school in which they publicize their experiences. Unexpectedly, lots of other kids come forward to confess their similar troubles, and it becomes clear that the problem at their school is bigger than anyone knew. The school principal wants to clamp down on the operation, which she does when the trio, in their zealousness for revenge, libel a fellow student in what turns out to have been a setup. Now a new plan of attack is needed . . .
This suspenseful story of computer-era underground rebellion offers fresh perspectives on some of the most enduring themes in fiction for young readers.
Life of Me, The #14: Enter at Your Own Risk (Hank Zipzer)
by Henry Winkler
from Grosset & Dunlap
When Ms. Adolf hurts her back in a tango contest and goes on longterm leave, Mr. Rock (the music teacher) is called in as the sub. Hank is psyched . . . until Mr. Rock suggests that Hank attend an after-school reading program, which means heÂ’ll miss tae kwon do. But when Hank gets a crush on a girl in the reading program, and when Mr. Rock says that instead of writing his autobiography (a class assignment), Hank can present his life in scrapbook form, well . . . lifeÂ’s looking good. Then Hank finds out that his crush is actually the cousin of his nemesis, McKelty!
Readers will love HankÂ’s newest adventure, plus they will adore reading HankÂ’s scrapbook, which includes black-and-white photos of his school and neighborhood, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, and more!
The Bully (Bluford High Series #5)
by Anne E. Schraff
from Scholastic Paperbacks
A new life. An new school. A new bully. That's what Darrell Mercer faces when he and his mother move from Philadelphia to California. After spending months living in fear, Darrell is faced with a big decision. He can either keep running from this bully--or find some way to fight back.
Horns and Wrinkles
by Joseph Helgerson
from Houghton Mifflin
How can you tell if a river's under a spell? River trolls, rock trolls, blue-wing fairies—the usual suspects. The stretch of the Mississippi where Claire lives has rumors of them all, not that she's ever spotted any. But then Claire's cousin Duke takes a swim and sprouts a horn—a long, pointy, handsome thing. After that, Claire doesn't have much choice but to believe that something rivery is going on, especially since she's the only one who can help Duke lose his new addition.
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