Fiction

Two Homes

"Parents looking for a book about separation or divorce will find few offerings as positive, matter-of-fact, or child-centered as this one. . . . Simple, yet profoundly satisfying. - BOOKLIST (starred review)

At Mommy’s house, Alex has a soft chair. At Daddy’s house, Alex has a rocking chair. In each home, Alex also has a special bedroom and lots of friends to play with. But whether Alex is with Mommy or with Daddy, one thing always stays the same - Alex is loved. The gently reassuring text focuses on what is gained rather than what is lost when parents divorce, while the sensitive illustrations, depicting two unique homes in all their small details, firmly establish Alex’s place in both of them. TWO HOMES will help children - and parents - embrace even the most difficult of changes with an open and optimistic heart.

Perfect You

Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.

And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....

It's Not Your Fault, Koko Bear: A Read-Together Book for Parents and Young Children During Divorce (Lansky, Vicki)

How do you talk to your children about your divorce? How can you best handle their responses? Here's a children's book and parenting tool rolled into one. It's Not Your Fault, Koko Bear is a picture book designed to be read by parents to their children. Koko Bear's parents are getting a divorce, and Koko, a preschool-aged unisex bear, isn't happy about it. "I don't like this divorce. I don't want two homes," Koko says. Koko Bear's story doesn't minimize kids' pain, but it doesn't wallow in it either. The message is positive: children are reassured that their feelings are natural, that their parents still love and will care for them, and that the divorce is not their fault. At the bottom of each page, there are bullet points for parents that give information and advice about what the kids are going through, and the best way to handle each issue as it arises. (Ages 3 to 7 and parents)

This easy-to-understand children's story and parenting guide is intended for families where both parents plan to stay active and involved in their child's life. "It's Not Your Fault, KoKo Bear" revolves around a lovable bear who doesn't want to have two homes. KoKo's experience will help children learn what divorce means, how family life will change, and understand that the divorce is not their fault. Full color Ages 3<-7. Pub: 1/98. .

The Little Flower Girl (Pictureback(R))

What exactly does a flower girl do? What's the most fun part of a wedding?

Does a flower girl get to wear make-up? What if she messes up? Little girls can

find the answers to all of these questions and much more, as they follow the

adventures of one little flower girl. A magical book--enhanced by sweet, quirky

artwork that captures the wedding spirit-and a must for any child who's going

to a wedding, participating in one.

No Place for Magic (Tales of the Frog Princess)

Hatchet: 20th Anniversary Edition

Since it was first published in 1987, the story of thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson's survival following a plane crash has become a modern classic. Stranded in the desolate wilderness, Brian uses his instincts and his hatchet to stay alive for fifty-four harrowing days.

This twentieth-anniversary edition of Hatchet contains a new introduction and sidebar commentary by Gary Paulsen, written especially for this volume. Drew Willis's detailed pen-and-ink illustrations complement the descriptions in the text and add a new dimension to the book. This handsome edition of the Newbery Honor book will be treasured by Hatchet fans as well as by readers encountering Brian's unforgettable story for the first time.

Dear Mr. Henshaw (rpkg) (HarperClassics)

Although her books have been enjoyed by generations of kids, Beverly Cleary herself didn't enjoy reading as a child at least not at first. In first grade she was grouped with the slowest readers in her class.

When, in second grade, Leigh writes to an author to tell him how much he "licked" his book, he never suspects that he'll still be writing to him four years later. And he never imagines the kinds of things he'll be writing about:

Dear Mr. Henshaw, I am sorry I was rude in my last letter... Maybe I was mad about other things, like Dad forgetting to send this month's support payment. Mom tried to phone him at the trailer park where, as Mom says, he hangs his hat.

This Newbery Medal-winning book, by the terrifically popular and prolific Beverly Cleary (Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Runaway Ralph), exhibits a subtlety and sensitivity that will be appreciated by any youngster who feels lonely and troubled during the transition into adolescence. Winner of numerous other awards, including two Newbery Honors, Cleary teams up with Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky, who creates a quiet backdrop for the realistic characters. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Charlie Anderson

Charlie, a fuzzy gray cat, walked out of the woods one evening and into Elizabeth's and Sarah's hearts. Now he sleeps on their beds, lets them dress him up in doll clothes, and laps up warm milk on chilly nights. But where does Charlie go during the day?

It's not until a storm keeps Charlie away one night that the two sisters discover his other, daytime, home. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. Because, just like Elizabeth and Sarah, Charlie has two houses, two beds, and two families who love him very, very much!

I Do! (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, Book 5)

Caitlin O’Conner, now 21 and in her senior year of college, accepts Josh Miller’s proposal for marriage. But Caitlin soon discovers there’s a lot more to getting married than just saying “I do.” Between her mother and mother-in-law to be (who don’t seem to agree on anything) and Caitlin’s old buddies (who still have problems of their own because of wrong choices), Caitlin’s life never seems to run smoothly. But Caitlin, as determined as ever to do things God’s way, always manages to find the high ground...eventually. As a result, the journey to her wedding is full of twists and turns where God touches many lives, including Caitlin’s. Most of all, Caitlin and Josh realize that a wedding only lasts one day, but a marriage is for a lifetime.

Saturday, October 22

My life changed today. It’s as if I got up this morning as one person and will go to bed as someone else. Okay, maybe it’s not THAT drastic. But I’m so excited I’m not sure I’ll ever go to sleep tonight. Josh Miller asked me to marry him!

First she “kissed dating goodbye.” Now, several years later, Caitlin O’Conner is getting married–to the guy she’s loved all along, Josh Miller! It’s her senior year of college, and she has seven months to plan her wedding...but according to Josh’s mom, that’s not enough time.

Meanwhile, Caitlin’s roommate, Liz, has ditched her to move in with a boyfriend. Her new roommate and old friend, Jenny, is toying with anorexia again, and just when Caitlin needs her most, Beanie heads off to a New York City design school. On top of all this, an issue from Josh’s past rocks Caitlin’s emotions. Can she handle it all?

True to form, Caitlin is more concerned with following God than having the perfect wedding. But it is her big day. Can Caitlin have a lovely ceremony without spending a small fortune? Will she remember it’s the marriage–and not the wedding–that lasts forever?

Story Behind the Book

“My teenage years remain vivid in my mind. It was a turbulent time full of sharp contrasts– love and hate, pain and pleasure, trust and doubt. Then, just as I reached my peak of questioning, rebelling, and seeking, I found God. And I found Him in a really big way! My life turned completely around and has, thankfully, never turned back. Hopefully this story will touch and change hearts–speaking to teen girls right where they live, reminding readers that God is alive and well and ready to be intimately involved in their lives right now! Caitlin provides a very positive role model for girls. And her wedding is a great way to teach them about the things that really matter in life–their relationship with God and their willingness to be used by Him.”

A Solitary Blue (The Tillerman Series #3)

Jeff Greene was only seven when Melody, his mother, left him with his reserved, undemonstrative father, the Professor. So when she reenters his life years later with an invitation to spend the summer with her in Charleston, Jeff is captivated by her free spirit and warmth, and he eagerly looks forward to returning for another visit the following year.

But Jeff's second summer in Charleston ends with a devastating betrayal, and he returns to his father wounded almost beyond bearing. But out of Jeff's pain grows a deepening awareness of the unexpected and complicated ways of love and loss and of family and friendship -- and the strength to understand his father, his mother, and especially himself.

A NEWBERY HONOR BOOK
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CHILDREN'S NOTABLE BOOK
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BEST OF THE BEST FOR YOUNG ADULTS
INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION TEACHERS' CHOICE
INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION YOUNG ADULT CHOICE
BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE