Browse Abstracts (150 total)

| by Flores, Travis

Sparkey the spider tries hard to overcome his inability to spin a web. With encouragement from his mom and his friends and a strong will to never give up, Sparkey finally achieves his goal of spinning the perfect web. Read about the real life struggle of Sparky, as he tries one medicine after another in hope of beating Cystic Fibrosis.

| by Couric, Katie

Ellie and Carrie are best friends in the second grade. They do everything together and this year they are trying out for the soccer team. Carrie does not make the team and feels left out. She finds a new hobby, the science fair.

| by Walton, Rick

A young boy decides it is time to buy a new pair of socks to replace the smelly one's he's worn for three years. He travels to town via the swamp discovering items he's lots along the way. He encounters an alligator and a chase ensues. The alligator gets hold of the boys' shoe and when the shoe cocmes off, the odor from the socks, stuns the alligator. The boy continues on his way to buy new socks. With each step along his journey, he experiences an adverbial action.

| by Weatherford, Carole Boston

Through the use of photographs, narrations, and an inspiring poem, the history of African Americans in baseball unfolds. The struggles and triumphs they have experienced in the past have helped to establish the sport that we know today.

| by Krensky, Stephen

Showing no signs of fear, young Johnny Adams boards a ship with his father, the future second President of the United States, for a voyage from Massachusetts to Paris to gain support for the colonies. Their journey is depicted with vivid pictures and an exciting storyline portraying the battles, harsh weather and seasickness endured along the way by two key Presidents in U.S. history.

| by Muth, Jon

One day, three young children meet a panda after his umbrella lands in their yard. The children become friends with the panda, whose name is Stillwater. He passes on folktales to them to help them solve problems they are having.

| by Mashiri, Pascal

A young child learns from his mother's stories about decision making and choices. He comes to understand that choices make some people happy and leave some disapointed. The child also realizes that help is sometimes needed for the decision making, but ultimately it is up to the individual.

| by Hanh, Thich Nhat

Enjoy the stories of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist. Learn how to transform negative feelings into positive feelings so you can live more at peace with yourself and in harmony with your environment.

| by Murphy, Stuart J.

Ryan, Carly, and Luke set out to clean up Gilroy Park for an Earth Day celebration. They decide to plant flowers to beautify the park while collecting cans to raise money through recycling. The children use math and find school resources to help them with their project.

| by Richards, Beah E.

Climb the highest tree possible with an ambitious young girl and learn never stop reaching for your hopes and dreams. Children are reminded that goal setting and perserverence are keys to success.

| by Bildner, Phil

James Banning fixes up an old plane to fly across the country from California to New York. James' courage, and perseverance allows him to overcome many challenges during his 1932 trek across the United States (e.g., California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York).

| by Barber, Barbara

Allie loves basketball, but she is often the only girl on the court. Buddy and other boys tease Allie about playing basketball. Allie believes in her ability and keeps practicing so that one day she can be better at basketball than the boys!

| by Allen, Debbie

Sassy uses her unique characteristics and height to become a great ballet dancer. Sassy does not allow bullying from the other students to prevent her from trying out for a summer dance festival. Sassy learns the benefits of perseverence and self-esteem.

| by Mashiri, Pascal

I want to see my people in the village. It is no fun to search alone. At last, I can see the light.ヤ During my travel, a dog at my side with brother and I. People in the village are thankful and at peace!

| by Cronin, Doreen

Duck gets tired of doing chores on the farm, so he holds an election to change the way things are run. Duck wins the election, but gets bored and runs for Governor. He wins again and does not like the stress, so he runs for President and wins. Being President is even harder work than being on the farm so he returns to the farm to write his autobiography.

| by Campbell, Bebe Moore

When Annie wakes up in the morning, she is relieved to find her euphoric mother in the kitchen. They share a healthy breakfast, then her mother helps her get ready for school. After a fun day at school, Annie comes home to an angry and yelling mother. Annie copes by calling her grandmother to talk about her feelings. She takes care of herself and maintains a positive attitude with happy thoughts. She uses effective strategies to accept her motherメs bipolar disorder.

| by VanAllsburg, Chris

Danny and Walter Budwing have a typical brotherly relationship. It isnメt until Danny finds an old game that takes the boys away to another galaxy that the brothers finally reach a new appreciation for one another.

| by Knudsen, Michelle

Dan runs into a problem when he has no money and no time to buy his mom a birthday present. He canメt think of anything and feels hopeless. One day, a bully puts a slimy, gross worm in Danメs pocket on the walk to school. His teacher, Mrs. Stewart, places the worm in a jar, and all the children become interested. Dan even starts to like the worm and decides to give it to his mom to help her garden. She thinks the worm is a great gift.

| by Kurtz, Jane

A young boy moves to America from Ghana. He is worried about forgetting his past. Thanks to his mother, he is able to go back to the world he once knew.

| by Swanson, Diana

When bickering princes take the throne, the kingdom is split in two by a wall so that each brother rules half. The kingdom is divided and it is illegal for people to cross the wall. Since Tamala and Abalon are forbidden to see their grandmother and cousin on the other side of the wall, they decide to float over it in a hot air balloon. They work with their parents to collect materials, build the balloon, and wait for the perfect weather conditions. The family departs during the night, escapes military fire from soldiers, and surprises their relatives in the morning. This adventure is…
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