Large Print Books for the "Middle Readers"
...............................In Best Selling Order
1.
Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper (Board book - April 2, 2002) - Large Print
Our Price:  $23.95  
  • Reading level: Grades 4-8
  • Board book: 447 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (April 2, 2002)
  • ISBN: 0786229217
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From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8 This dramatic reading of Silver on the Tree (Atheneum, 1977) concludes Susan Cooper's five book fantasy sequence, The Dark Is Rising. With the Arthurian legend as its core, it presents the classic myth culminating with the battle of good against evil. The Drew children, Merriman, and Bran, their Welsh friend, try to outwit the schemes and strategies of the Dark. British actor Alex Jennings provides a stunning vocal performance, sliding in and out of voices so easily that listeners will soon forget that there is only one narrator. From the rich, resonant Merriman to the lilting Welsh brogue of Bran, the voice variations achieved for the multitude of characters is outstanding. The rapid narration adds intensity and urgency to the unfolding events. In order to understand the story, it is important to follow the series in sequence. The audio versions of the previous four titles in the series are available from Listening Library. The richness of the story and the excellent reading will sate those who revel in this format and delight those who are new to it.
2.
King of Shadows by Susan Cooper (Board book - Sep 2, 2000) - Large Print
Our Price:  $21.95  
  • Board book: 246 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (September 2, 2000)
  • ISBN: 0786227060
Availability: In Stock
From Publishers Weekly
Cooper (The Dark Is Rising) brilliantly weaves past and present together, using London's Globe Theatre as backdrop, to demonstrate the timelessness of Shakespeare's works and the theater at large. The first segment of the novel, set in the present, details Nathan Field's rehearsals for the part of Puck in an upcoming production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, to be mounted in the newly renovated Globe. He has been chosen, along with a group of other boys from America, to travel to England for the performance. When Nat is suddenly stricken with a serious illness, he awakens to find himself once again cast as Puck at the Globe Theatre, but the year is 1599. Cooper meticulously conveys Nat's impressions of the sights, sounds, smells and textures of Elizabethan England. She is equally adept at evoking the boy's respect and awe for his "new" director, the bard himself. Shakespeare, cast as a wise, intuitive father figure, takes orphaned Nat under his wing. In return, Nat saves the playwright's life by unknowingly changing the natural course of history. Through the boy's relationship with "Will," as Nat calls him, Cooper deftly reveals Nat's unresolved feelings about his own deceased father. The judicious use of quotes from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets will awaken in novices an interest in his works and command respect from seasoned fans. Fascinating details of 16th-century troupe life as well as how costumes, make-up and stage effects were carried out add depth and layers to the depiction of life 400 years ago. An unexpected, appropriately enigmatic ending brings this masterful novel to a closeAand brings home the resounding message that the show must go on. Ages 10-14. Cooper (The Dark Is Rising) brilliantly weaves past and present together, using London's Globe Theatre as backdrop, to demonstrate the timelessness of Shakespeare's works and the theater at large. The first segment of the novel, set in the present, details Nathan Field's rehearsals for the part of Puck in an upcoming production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, to be mounted in the newly renovated Globe. He has been chosen, along with a group of other boys from America, to travel to England for the performance. When Nat is suddenly stricken with a serious illness, he awakens to find himself once again cast as Puck at the Globe Theatre, but the year is 1599. Cooper meticulously conveys Nat's impressions of the sights, sounds, smells and textures of Elizabethan England. She is equally adept at evoking the boy's respect and awe for his "new" director, the bard himself. Shakespeare, cast as a wise, intuitive father figure, takes orphaned Nat under his wing. In return, Nat saves the playwright's life by unknowingly changing the natural course of history. Through the boy's relationship with "Will," as Nat calls him, Cooper deftly reveals Nat's unresolved feelings about his own deceased father. The judicious use of quotes from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets will awaken in novices an interest in his works and command respect from seasoned fans. Fascinating details of 16th-century troupe life as well as how costumes, make-up and stage effects were carried out add depth and layers to the depiction of life 400 years ago. An unexpected, appropriately enigmatic ending brings this masterful novel to a closeAand brings home the resounding message that the show must go on. Ages 10-14.
3.
The Secret Life of Amanda K. Woods by Ann Cameron (Board book - Sep 2, 2000) - Large Print
Our Price:  $20.95
  • Reading level: Ages 9-12
  • Board book: 210 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (September 2, 2000)
  • ISBN: 078622777X
 
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From Publishers Weekly
This National Book Award finalist, set in 1950s Wisconsin, centers on an 11-year-old girl's coming of age. PW called her transformation "less dramatic than a butterfly's metamorphosis, but just about as impressive." Ages 10-14.
4.
The Hero by Ron Woods (Board book - Sep 2, 2003) - Large Print
Our Price:  $21.95
  • Reading level: Grades 4-9
  • Board book: 261 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (September 2, 2003)
  • ISBN: 0786257237
Availability: In Stock
From Publishers Weekly
It's the summer of 1957, and 14-year-old Jamie West is busy with farm chores at home, along the banks of Idaho's Payette River. Eager to finish the raft he's been building, he enlists the help of his older cousin Jerry. The boys try to keep their project a secret from Dennis Leeper, hangdog son of Arlie, the Wests' menacing, impoverished neighbor, but when the raft is finally launched, there are three of them aboard. The swift-flowing (and off-limits) central current of the river proves irresistible to daredevil Jerry, and events take a tragic turn. The story's strong vein of nostalgia and coming-of-age theme bring to mind Stephen King's Stand by Me, and although the leisurely pace at times borders on sluggish, Woods's descriptions can be eloquent: "For a long time, the thunder echoed out of the canyon above the sawmill, up where the river ran wild, a perfect partner with the storm." The first-time author also shows a sharp eye for character, from his thumbnail sketches to the broader narrative arc that traces Jamie's growth. Even if the momentum suffers as Jamie reckons with the consequences of the rafting disaster, his convincing development from feckless adolescence to responsible manhood testifies to this author's promise. Ages 12-up.
5.
Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori (Board book - Dec 15, 2002) - Large Print
Our Price:  $21.95
  • Reading level: Grades 4-8
  • Board book: 248 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (December 15, 2002)
  • ISBN: 0786248696
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Welcome to StregaSchloss, the ancestral castle of the Scottish clan Strega-Borgia. Ignore the sign at the gate that reads, "Warning! Trespassers will be (a) served for breakfast, (b) turned into frogs, (c) forced to eat Brussels sprouts." Cross over the drawbridge, try not to get eaten by the crocodile in the moat, ring the bell, and don't flinch when the butler, Latch, drags open the heavy door and intones "You rang?" Meet the inhabitants: Titus, 12; his sister Pandora, 10; the baby, Damp; their Mary Poppins-like nanny, Mrs. McLachlan; the grim housemaid, Marie Bain; and down in the dungeon, the large untidy house pets--a yeti, a griffin, and a dragon. Signora Strega-Borgia is away at her witchcraft class; Signor Strega-Borgia has been kidnapped by his evil brother, and at the bottom of the freezer in the wine cellar is the ancestral grandmother, Strega-Nonna, wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, waiting for a cure for old age to be discovered. Now get ready for some of the most deliciously bizarre and hilarious goings-on ever to grace a cyber-gothic-gangster fantasy. Pandora accidentally shrinks Damp with her mother's Disposawand and the tiny baby crawls into the computer modem and is whisked away into cyberspace; some spectacularly inefficient gangsters (including one in a rabbit suit) arrive and are up to no good; Titus sends his pet spider, Tarantella, into the Internet (mother of all webs) to find Damp; and Mrs. McLachlan comes to everybody's rescue in an uproarious finale to the most original fantasy in years. (Ages 10 to 14)
6.
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (Board book - Mar 2, 2003) - Large Print
Our Price:  $23.95
  • Reading level: Grades 4-8
  • Board book: 158 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (March 2, 2003)
  • ISBN: 0786250941
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From Publishers Weekly
Giff (Lily s Crossing; All the Way Home) again introduces a carefully delineated and sympathetic heroine in this quiet contemporary novel. Artistically talented Hollis Woods, age 12, has made a habit of running away from foster homes, but she s found a place on Long Island where she wants to stay for a while. She immediately bonds with Josie, her new guardian, who is a slightly eccentric, retired art teacher. Yet Hollis is far from content. She worries about Josie s increasing forgetfulness, and she sorely misses her last foster family, the Regans, whom she left under tense circumstances that are only gradually made clear. Giff intersperses tender scenes demonstrating Hollis s growing affection for Josie with memories of the Regans, whose images Hollis preserves in her sketchbook. Pictures of motherly Izzy Regan, her architect husband and their mischievous yet compassionate son, Steven, sensitively express the young artist s conception of a perfect family. As readers become intimately acquainted with Hollis, they will come to understand her fears, regrets and longings, and will root for her as she pursues her dream of finding a home where she belongs. Ages 8-13
7.
Greenwitch by Susan Cooper (Board book - Aug 2, 2001) - Large Print
Our Price:  $21.95  
  • Board book: 221 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (August 2, 2001)
  • ISBN: 0786229233
Availability: In Stock
From School Library Journal
Grades 4-7--In this third book in Susan Cooper's Dark Is Rising sequence (McElderry, 1985), Simon, Jane, and Barney return to Cornwall with their Uncle Merry after learning that the grail they had found in Over Sea, Under Stone (Harcourt, 1966) has been stolen from the British Museum. Will Stanton and his American uncle come to Cornwall as well, and initially there is some tension between the children. The locals are preparing for a celebration in which the women fashion a being from sticks and leaves and toss it into the sea. Jane's kindness wins the favor of this mystical effigy and it yields its secret the manuscript that will make it possible to decipher the writing on the grail. Although the grail has been stolen by the Dark, it is found and the writing proves to be the prophetic rhyme whose words will be fulfilled in the next books. The story requires some knowledge of the previous books, and only becomes complete after reading the subsequent books. This exciting and beautifully written story is filled with magic and mystery. .
8.
Whirlpool: Real Kids Real Adventures by Deborah Morris (Board book - Dec 15, 2002) - Large Print
Our Price:  $22.95  
  • Board book: 136 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (December 15, 2002)
  • ISBN: 0786244232
Book Description
A twelve-year-old and his dog disappear underwater as they're playing in a flooded field . . .a California boys is lured away by a new "friend" who takes him on a cross-country chase . . . a Canadian teen climbs down a sheer rock cliff to rescue his injured grandfather. These incredible stories are told just as they happened.
9.
Terror at the Zoo by Peg Kehret (Board book - Oct 2, 2002) - Large Print
Our Price:  $23.95  
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Board book: 164 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (October 2, 2002)
  • ISBN: 0786245115
Availability: In Stock
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-- An overnight camp out at the zoo turns into a nightmare for Ellen and her little brother Corey when an escaped prisoner also takes refuge there. Through a series of mostly implausible coincidences, they find themselves locked in the zoo grounds with a dangerous and desperate man who plans to hold them for ransom. Each of the several adults responsible for the children thinks someone else is with them, so no one comes to their rescue. Several pursuit scenes through the ominous dark lead the siblings to the Elephant Forest, where Ellen communicates telepathically with the elephants, spurring her favorite one to attack the man. The last minute arrival of the children's parents and a security guard prevents any blood from being shed. This highly improbable adventure is not up to Kehret's usual standards, but it will appeal to animal lovers looking for a spooky story. There is plenty of suspense, as the children are never sure around which dark corner the criminal lurks. A baby monkey and, of course, the heroic elephants add color to the story. Lightweight but entertaining fare. ,
10.
The Good Dog by Avi (Board book - Aug 2, 2003) - Large Print
Our Price:  $23.95  
  • Reading level: Grades 4-8
  • Board book: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (August 2, 2003)
  • ISBN: 0786256001
Availability: In Stock
From Publishers Weekly
Themes reminiscent of Jack London's The Call of the Wild ring throughout this vividly imagined animal story. From a canine perspective, Avi (Poppy) relates how a malamute named McKinley's life changes after he encounters a wolf. Head dog in Steamboat Springs, McKinley leads a busy life, protecting his family (including his "human pup," Jack) and keeping order among his canine compatriots in the mountain town. While trying to aid a runaway the forlorn greyhound, Duchess, whose owner offers a reward for her return McKinley encounters Lupin, a wolf who hopes to recruit dogs for her dwindling pack. Lupin's indictment of dogs ("tongue-lapping, tail-wagging slaves who take their food from bowls!") both stirs and shames McKinley; he soon finds his loyalties torn as he simultaneously tries to foil Jack's misguided plan to join the wolves, keep a wounded Lupin safe from those hunting her and fend off Redburn, a conniving Irish setter bent on usurping the hero's place as head dog. The action moves along at a crackling pace, reaching a crescendo in a dramatic moonlight confrontation. The dog's-eye point of view allows for some creative touches, including insights into animal behavior and the vocabulary McKinley uses for various human objects ("eating sticks" for utensils; "a block of staring papers" for book; "glow box" for television), but most compelling of all is the transformation of McKinley's happy-go-lucky character into a truly majestic leader. Ages 8-12.
11.
Daredevils: A Hardy Boys Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon (Board book - Jun 2, 2003) - Large Print
Our Price:  $21.95  
  • Board book: 139 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (June 2, 2003)
  • ISBN: 0786253096
Availability: In Stock
Book Description
The Hardys get more than they bargained for when they help family friend Terrence McCauley -- one of Tinseltown's most popular stuntmen. Who is trying to kill Terrence? In Hollywood, everyone's a suspect. But an upcoming daredevil competition is the perfect place to flush out the culprit.

Accelerated Reader® title for ages 8-12.

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