Trapped in a picnic basket, Chester Cricket travels from his peaceful Connecticut home to the bustling Times Square subway station in George Selden’s classic children’s novel, The Cricket in Times Square (1960). There, Chester makes three good friends who help him navigate—and enjoy—his new city life: Mario Bellini, a young boy whose parents run a struggling newsstand; Tucker, a sociable mouse; and Tucker’s best friend, the cultured Harry Cat. Mishaps in the newsstand set Mama... Read The Cricket In Times Square Summary

The Crossover (2014) is a coming-of-age novel in verse by award-winning children’s author and poet Kwame Alexander. The narrative follows a 12-year-old Black boy named Josh Bell whose poems express his love for basketball and his family. With his twin brother, Jordan, Josh’s sense of self evolves as he uses basketball to deal with his father’s death. The book explores themes of Confidence and Vulnerability; Basketball as Life Lessons; and Music, Rhythm, and Identity.Rebound, a... Read The Crossover Summary

The Dark is Rising is a 1973 contemporary fantasy novel for young adult readers by English author Susan Cooper, and the second book in The Dark is Rising Sequence. It is preceded by Over Sea, Under Stone and followed by Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. The series, published between 1965 and 1977, focuses on eleven-year-old Will Stanton, who learns on his birthday that he is what is known as an “Old... Read The Dark Is Rising Summary

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The Egypt Game (1967) is a children’s book by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It is the first title in a two-book set. The sequel is entitled The Gypsy Game (1997). Snyder was a prolific author of children’s and young adult adventure and fantasy novels. An elementary school teacher by profession, she wrote 46 books between 1964 and 2011, passing away at the age of 87 in 2014. Like her protagonists in The Egypt Game, Snyder lived... Read The Egypt Game Summary

Published in 2009, Jacqueline Kelly’s The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a middle grade novel that follows the life of a young Calpurnia as she explores her love for science in the highly patriarchal society that dominated Texas in the late 19th century. The novel received praise from both readers and critics for its thematic emphasis on discovery and personal growth, earning it the Newbery Honor Award in 2010. This guide refers to the 2011... Read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Summary

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The Family Under the Bridge is a work of realistic historical fiction set in Paris in the early 1900s. It was originally published in 1958 and then reprinted in 1989. The author, Natalie Savage Carlson, is an American of French-Canadian descent who spent many years living in Paris. The book, which follows an unhoused man as he meets and befriends a young family, won a Newbery Honor Award in 1959 and a Horn Book Fanfare... Read The Family Under The Bridge Summary

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a 2016 fantasy novel for middle school readers by American author Kelly Barnhill. The story follows a young girl named Luna, who is accidentally enmagicked as a baby. As Luna grows, she struggles to recover important things she has lost: her memories, her mother, and her magic. With rich, lyrical language and gentle humor, Barnhill creates a fairytale-like world very different from ours, but one that faces similar... Read The Girl Who Drank the Moon Summary

The Giver is a work of young adult fiction. It is the first installment in The Giver Quartet, which also includes Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012). Author Lois Lowry received a 1994 Newbery Medal for her dystopian novel, although the text, with themes considered possibly too dark for the reader's age group, was challenged throughout the 1990s. The Giver takes place in the future, in a carefully-designed community that is extremely safe... Read The Giver Summary

Young Ranofer’s dreams of becoming a goldsmith seem impossible because of his abusive half-brother’s influence unless he can prove the man is a thief in Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s esteemed middle-grade historical mystery, The Golden Goblet (1961). As Ranofer struggles to escape from Gebu’s evil control, he learns valuable lessons about friendship, courage, and the importance of doing the right thing. Vivid historical details of life in 1400 BC Egypt and a thrilling puzzle complement powerful... Read The Golden Goblet Summary

In The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, an orphan boy is raised by ghosts in a cemetery, where he learns how to become invisible, haunt people’s dreams, and face his destiny. Published in 2008, this fantasy-adventure novel for middle-grade and young-adult readers became a #1 New York Times bestseller. It won the Newbery and Carnegie medals for best children’s book, the first time a work has received both awards. It also garnered a Hugo Award... Read The Graveyard Book Summary

The Great Gilly Hopkins is a children's novel by Katherine Paterson. It is a work of realistic fiction and was published in 1978. The novel won the US National Book Award in 1979 and was named a Newberry Honor Book. The edition used in this guide is the Harper Trophy edition published by Harper Collins in 1978.Plot SummaryThis book is set in Thompson Park, Maryland in the 1970s. The protagonist is Gilly Hopkins, an 11-year-old... Read The Great Gilly Hopkins Summary

Written by Robin McKinley, The Hero and the Crown is a 1984 fantasy novel that acts as a prequel to McKinley’s 1982 novel, The Blue Sword. The Hero and the Crown focuses on the life and exploits of Aerin Dragon-Killer, the legendary wielder of the titular blue sword Gonturan, which first appeared in the previous novel. The Hero and the Crown focuses on Aerin’s personal development into a hero and a queen, emphasizing the physical... Read The Hero and the Crown Summary

The Hundred Dresses is a children’s book by Eleanor Estes that was originally published in 1944. It includes pen-and-ink illustrations by Louis Slobodkin. In 1945, it was awarded the Newbery Honor, and it continues to be a popular book in elementary schools. A 2004 survey of third-grade teachers found that the book was a popular choice for reading aloud in the classroom, and a 2007 survey by the National Education Association named it one of... Read The Hundred Dresses Summary

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The Living by Matt de la Peña is a young adult novel that is in equal parts thriller, adventure, coming-of-age story, and commentary on the social divides of race and class in American culture. The Living was published in 2013 and received the Pura Belpré Award, a US literary prize for young people’s literature that represents the Latino cultural experience. A sequel to The Living, called The Hunted, was published in 2015. Other works by... Read The Living Summary

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The Midwife’s Apprentice was written by Karen Cushman and published in 1991 by Houghton Mifflin. A young adult historical fiction novel set in medieval England, the story follows a young unhoused girl with no ambitions or sense of belonging as she experiences kindness and learns to have confidence in herself and find her place in the world through midwifery. The book won the John Newbery Medal in 1996, an honor also given to Cushman’s 1995... Read The Midwife's Apprentice Summary