Basketball-loving Jackson Jones never wanted any part of Rooter’s, the community garden where his mother got him his very own plot for his 10th birthday. But he made the best of it, even planting a thorny rosebush. Now, after months of watering, weeding, and waiting, red roses have finally bloomed. So when Jackson learns that big city developers want to bulldoze Rooter’s, he can’t believe it. The garden means something to him, and he likes hanging out with the neighbors who tend their own plots. But what can Jackson do? With unasked-for help from well-meaning friends—and going to great lengths to avoid a fearsome bully who loves to taunt him—Jackson sets out to save Rooter’s. But coming up with a winning strategy isn’t so easy.
Jackson Jones can't get away from roses. First his mother got him a plot at Rooter's, a community garden, where Jackson planted a rosebush of thorns and no blooms. Now Mr. K., a fellow gardener, enlists Jackson's help to rustle up some hardier, prettier, sweeter-smelling old-time roses. The kind that grow in cemeteries! But no sooner do Jackson and his good friend, Reuben, take the rose cutting home than Reuben's gloom-and-doom talk of curses seems real. Broken bones. Poison ivy. Stinging bees. Jackson doesn't want to believe that anyone who comes in contact with the cemetery roses or cut twig suffers any of these consequences. But could it be that by taking the cutting, Jackson places his friends, Rooter's, and even himself--gulp!--under the curse of the outlaw rose?
Nothing but a big mess of trouble and weeds.. That's what Jackson Jones thinks of the garden plot his mother gives him for his tenth birthday. What happened to the basketball he's hoped and prayed for all year? When Jackson comes up with a moneymaking scheme for the garden, it doesn't seem so bad after all. He even cuts his friends in on the action. But before long, Jackson finds out that friends and business don't always mix. When the neighborhood bully calls him "Bouquet Jones," Jackson is ready to give up. Maybe gardens don't belong in cities after all.... Winner of the first annual Marguerite de Angeli Prize.
Use these 100 handy reproducible book lists to instantly create hand-outs for teachers and parents (as well as for older readers), to add to your newsletter, or to post on your Web site or bulletin board. Based on the most common needs of educators and librarians who work with young readers, these lists focus on new titles, as well as classics that are still in print and readily available for purchase. Fiction and nonfiction titles for ages 5-14 are covered. Bibliographic information and a brief description are given for each title. A dozen bookmarks are also included. This is a great time-saving tool and a good source for finding extended reading lists and read-alikes! Looking for folktales from China for elementary children? An informational children's book for a middle school science class? A list of books on the topic of compassion? A sampling of ABC books? These lists and more can be found in Nancy Keane's treasury of great reading lists for children. This versatile guide provides reproducible book lists based on the most common needs of educators and librarians who work with young readers. There are lists for standard curriculum areas (e.g., math, social studies, science), other areas of study such as character education and values, genres (e.g., pop-up, memoirs, ABC books), themes (e.g., animals, food, sports), and read-alikes (on bookmarks). You'll find 100 reproducible lists of fiction and nonfiction books for ages 5-14 (elementary/middle) that you can use to create hand-outs for teachers and parents (as well as for older readers), put in your newsletter, or post on your Web site or bulletin board. Focus is on new titles and classics that are still in print and readily available for purchase. On each list, titles are grouped according to grade level. Room to customize with your library logo or clipart is provided on each reproducible sheet. Bibliographic information and a brief description are given for each title. A dozen bookmarks are also included. This is a great time-saving tool and a good source for finding extended reading lists and read-alikes! Grades K-8.
To the guys on the block, J.T. is the kid who stole the radio out of the red convertible before they could get to it. His neighbor, Mrs. Morris, declares him a first-class nuisance. His mother is bewildered -- "He's just gone bad, that's all.... Stealin' and lyin' and I don't know what all." But all the sensitivity, responsibility, and care of which ten-year-old J.T. Gamble is capable emerges when he finds an old, one-eyed, badly hurt alley cat. J.T. takes on a new dimension as he lavishes all the love he is unable to express to people around him on the battered cat he has found in the junk-filled empty lot.
This third book in the four-book Children's Book Corner set provides a complete program for those starting a read-aloud program in their classroom, their school or public library, or their home. This volume focuses on read-alouds for children in grades 3 and 4. It provides book lists, book selection ideas, as well as pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading questions and activities. Parent Pull-Out Pages with helpful tips are provided for duplication. Helpful appendices and an index furnish additional aides to structure a great read-aloud program. New in this book is a section, Up Close and Personal, of personal notes from children's authors discussing their books featured in the read-aloud section. Also new to the section is Write Away, providing writing tips and activities. This third book in the four-book Children's Book Corner set provides a complete program for those starting a read-aloud program at home, in their classroom or school, or their public library. This volume focuses on read-alouds for children in grades 3 and 4. It provides book lists, book selection ideas, as well as pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading questions and activities. Parent Pull-Out Pages with helpful tips are provided for duplication. Helpful appendices and an index furnish additional aides to structure a great read-aloud program. New in this book, is a section, Up Close and Personal, of personal notes from children's authors discussing their books featured in the read-aloud section. Also new to the section is Write Away, providing writing tips and activities. Grades 3 and 4.
Welcome to Magnolia Street, where Charlie has just moved into her new home. It isn't long before Charlie's exploring, meeting all of her new neighbors, and getting herself into trouble. Her adventures with her bound-to-be best friend Billy--tricking Charlie's older brother, making a racket on a bus trip to the museum, or digging up a box of buried treasure--make even ordinary exciting. This collection of interrelated short stories is a true delight, perfect for newly emerging independent readers. Both girls and boys will cheer for this spunky girl as she takes on Magnolia Street and blossoms day by day.
Limpy’s family reckons humans don’t hate cane toads, but Limpy knows otherwise. He’s spotted the signs: the cross looks, the unkind comments, the way they squash cane toads with their cars. Limpy is desperate to save his species from ending up as pancakes. Somehow he must make humans see how fabulous cane toads really are. Risking everything, he sets off on a wart-tinglingly dangerous and daring journey to . . . the Olympics? This is the epic story of a slightly squashed young cane toad’s quest for the truth.
