Stephanie's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:49:38 -0700 60 Stephanie's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism]]> 112975131
For millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom—a land set apart, a nation uniquely blessed, a people in special covenant with God. This love of country, however, has given way to right-wing nationalist fervor, a reckless blood-and-soil idolatry thatĚýtrivializes the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Alberta retraces the arc of the modern evangelical movement, placing political and cultural inflection points in the context of church teachings and traditions, explaining how Donald Trump's presidency and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated historical trends that long pointed toward disaster. Reporting from half-empty sanctuaries and standing-room-only convention halls across the country, the author documents a growing fracture inside American Christianity and journeys with readers through this strange new environment in which loving your enemies is "woke" and owning the libs is the answer to WWJD.

Accessing the highest echelons of the American evangelical movement, Alberta investigates the ways in which conservative Christians have pursued, exercised, and often abused power in the name of securing this earthly kingdom. He highlights the battles evangelicals are fighting—and the weapons of their warfare—to demonstrate the disconnect from Contra the dictates of the New Testament, today's believers are struggling mightily against flesh and blood, eyes fixed on the here and now, desperate for a power that is frivolous and fleeting. Lingering at the intersection of real cultural displacement and perceived religious persecution, Alberta portrays a rapidly secularizing America that has come to distrust the evangelical church, and weaves together present-day narratives of individual pastors and their churches as they confront the twin challenges of lost status and diminished standing.

Sifting through the wreckage—pastors broken, congregations battered, believers losing their religion because of sex scandals and political schemes—Alberta If the American evangelical movement has ceased to glorify God, what is its purpose?]]> 506 Tim Alberta 006322688X Stephanie 5 4.42 2023 The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism
author: Tim Alberta
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 5
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date added: 2025/04/03
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]]> <![CDATA[An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us]]> 59575939 A grand tour through the hidden realms of animal senses that will transform the way you perceive the world --from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times bestselling author of I Contain Multitudes.

The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every animal is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of an immense world. This book welcomes us into a previously unfathomable dimension--the world as it is truly perceived by other animals.

We encounter beetles that are drawn to fires, turtles that can track the Earth's magnetic fields, fish that fill rivers with electrical messages, and humans that wield sonar like bats. We discover that a crocodile's scaly face is as sensitive as a lover's fingertips, that the eyes of a giant squid evolved to see sparkling whales, that plants thrum with the inaudible songs of courting bugs, and that even simple scallops have complex vision. We learn what bees see in flowers, what songbirds hear in their tunes, and what dogs smell on the street. We listen to stories of pivotal discoveries in the field, while looking ahead at the many mysteries which lie unsolved.

In An Immense World, author and acclaimed science journalist Ed Yong coaxes us beyond the confines of our own senses, allowing us to perceive the skeins of scent, waves of electromagnetism, and pulses of pressure that surround us. Because in order to understand our world we don't need to travel to other places; we need to see through other eyes.]]> 464 Ed Yong Stephanie 0 currently-reading 4.46 2022 An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
author: Ed Yong
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/20
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]]> The Phantom Tollbooth 378 Librarian's Note: For an alternate cover edition of the same ISBN, click here.

This beloved story -first published more than fifty years ago- introduces readers to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond.

For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .]]> 248 Norton Juster 0394820371 Stephanie 0 currently-reading 4.19 1961 The Phantom Tollbooth
author: Norton Juster
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1961
rating: 0
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]]> The Second Mountain 40642458 The Second Mountain, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. In The Second Mountain, Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.

In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives. But it’s also a provocative social commentary. We live in a society, Brooks argues, that celebrates freedom, that tells us to be true to ourselves, at the expense of surrendering to a cause, rooting ourselves in a neighborhood, binding ourselves to others by social solidarity and love. We have taken individualism to the extreme—and in the process we have torn the social fabric in a thousand different ways. The path to repair is through making deeper commitments. In The Second Mountain, Brooks shows what can happen when we put commitment-making at the center of our lives.]]> 384 David Brooks 0812993268 Stephanie 5 3.74 2019 The Second Mountain
author: David Brooks
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness]]> 171681821
A must-read for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.

“With tenacity and candor, Haidt lays out the consequences that have come with allowing kids to drift further into the virtual world . . . While also offering suggestions and solutions that could help protect a new generation of kids.� —Shannon Carlin, ,i>TIME, 100 Must-Read Books of 2024

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood� began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood� in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood� has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies.

Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the “collective action problems� that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes—communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children—and ourselves—from the psychological damage of a phone-based life.]]> 400 Jonathan Haidt 0593655036 Stephanie 5 4.36 2024 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness
author: Jonathan Haidt
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/08/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2)]]> 68429
The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler—the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years—has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protégé, Vin, the former street urchin who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves.

As Kelsier's protégé and slayer of the Lord Ruler she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely since the Lord Ruler died, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her.

Stopping assassins may keep Vin's Mistborn skills sharp, but it's the least of her problems. Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn't run itself, and Vin and the other members of Kelsier's crew, who lead the revolution, must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won't get easier with three armies - one of them composed of ferocious giants - now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler's hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal.

As the siege of Luthadel tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.]]> 590 Brandon Sanderson 0765316889 Stephanie 0 4.38 2007 The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at: 2024/08/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry]]> 9378733
The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey through the minds of madness. Jon Ronson's exploration of a potential hoax being played on the world's top neurologists takes him, unexpectedly, into the heart of the madness industry. An influential psychologist who is convinced that many important CEOs and politicians are, in fact, psychopaths teaches Ronson how to spot these high-flying individuals by looking out for little telltale verbal and nonverbal clues. And so Ronson, armed with his new psychopath-spotting abilities, enters the corridors of power. He spends time with a death-squad leader institutionalized for mortgage fraud in Coxsackie, New York; a legendary CEO whose psychopathy has been speculated about in the press; and a patient in an asylum for the criminally insane who insists he's sane and certainly not a psychopath.

Ronson not only solves the mystery of the hoax but also discovers, disturbingly, that sometimes the personalities at the helm of the madness industry are, with their drives and obsessions, as mad in their own way as those they study. And that relatively ordinary people are, more and more, defined by their maddest edges.]]> 288 Jon Ronson 1594488010 Stephanie 4 3.87 2011 The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
author: Jon Ronson
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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date added: 2016/11/27
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]]> Gone Girl 8442457 What have we done to each other?

These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone.

So what did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?]]> 399 Gillian Flynn Stephanie 4 3.93 2012 Gone Girl
author: Gillian Flynn
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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date added: 2016/11/27
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)]]> 2767793
Who is the Hero of Ages?

To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness—the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists—is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.

Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. Vin can't even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!]]> 572 Brandon Sanderson 0765316897 Stephanie 4 4.54 2008 The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2008
rating: 4
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date added: 2016/11/27
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]]> <![CDATA[House of Stone: The True Story of a Family Divided in War-Torn Zimbabwe]]> 658415 ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Christina Lamb uncovered the astonishing saga she tells in House of Stone while traveling back and forth to report clandestinely on Zimbabwe. Her powerful narrative traces the history of the brutal civil war, independence, and the Mugabe years, all through the lives of two people on opposing sides. Although born within a few miles of each other, their experience growing up could not have been more different. While Nigel played cricket and piloted his own plane, Aqui grew up in a mud hut, sleeping on the floor with her brothers and sisters. “They had cars and went shopping in South Africa. We didn’t have food and had to walk an hour each way to fetch water,â€� she remembers.
ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý House of Stone (“dzimba dza mabweâ€� or “Zimbabweâ€� in Shona) is based on a remarkable series of interviews with this white farmer and black nanny, set against the backdrop of the last British colony to become independent, and the descent into madness of Robert Mugabe, one of Africa’s most respected nationalist leaders.]]> 320 Christina Lamb 1556527357 Stephanie 0 to-read 4.01 2007 House of Stone: The True Story of a Family Divided in War-Torn Zimbabwe
author: Christina Lamb
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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]]> Zone One 10365343
Now the plague is receding, and Americans are busy rebuild­ing civilization under orders from the provisional govern­ment based in Buffalo. Their top mission: the resettlement of Manhattan. Armed forces have successfully reclaimed the island south of Canal Street—aka Zone One—but pockets of plague-ridden squatters remain. While the army has eliminated the most dangerous of the infected, teams of civilian volunteers are tasked with clearing out a more innocuous variety—the “malfunctioning� stragglers, who exist in a catatonic state, transfixed by their former lives.

Mark Spitz is a member of one of the civilian teams work­ing in lower Manhattan. Alternating between flashbacks of Spitz’s desperate fight for survival during the worst of the outbreak and his present narrative, the novel unfolds over three surreal days, as it depicts the mundane mission of straggler removal, the rigors of Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder, and the impossible job of coming to grips with the fallen world.

And then things start to go wrong.

Both spine chilling and playfully cerebral, Zone One bril­liantly subverts the genre’s conventions and deconstructs the zombie myth for the twenty-first century.]]> 259 Colson Whitehead 0385528078 Stephanie 0 to-read 3.23 2011 Zone One
author: Colson Whitehead
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.23
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/07/30
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]]> Trapeze (Marian Sutro, #1) 13000865 It's Not for the War.

Marian Sutro would be just another young English woman wondering whom she'll marry and how to find a way to be useful. But World War II has turned everyone's life inside out. Marian happens to be bilingual (her father is English, her mother French) and is recruited by the "Inter-Services Research Bureau" and enrolled in a rigorous, take-no-prisoners espionage training course to aid the French resistance. Or at least that's what Marian thinks at first.

But as she learns more about the risky operation her superiors have in mind for her in occupied Paris, she begins to suspect that it may be a more personal connection that singled her out for assignment. A name from her past, Clement Pelletier, suddenly reappears, forcing Marian to call into question her first love, her dangerous mission, and how far she's willing to go for the cause.]]> 371 Simon Mawer 1590515277 Stephanie 3 3.59 2012 Trapeze (Marian Sutro, #1)
author: Simon Mawer
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2012
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/07/30
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]]> The Dovekeepers 10950924
In 70 C.E., nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman's novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path. Yael's mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker's wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her young grandsons, rendered mute by what they have witnessed. Aziza is a warrior's daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and an expert marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah, born in Alexandria, is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power.

The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets - about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.]]> 504 Alice Hoffman 145161747X Stephanie 4 4.05 2011 The Dovekeepers
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/07/30
date added: 2012/07/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)]]> 68428 What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.]]> 541 Brandon Sanderson Stephanie 4 4.48 2006 Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2006
rating: 4
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date added: 2012/06/02
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]]> East of Eden 4406
Adam Trask came to California from the East to farm and raise his family on the new rich land. But the birth of his twins, Cal and Aaron, brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood. One boy thrives nurtured by the love of all those around him; the other grows up in loneliness enveloped by a mysterious darkness.

First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.]]> 601 John Steinbeck 0142000655 Stephanie 5 4.41 1952 East of Eden
author: John Steinbeck
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.41
book published: 1952
rating: 5
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]]> The Poisonwood Bible 7244 The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.]]> 546 Barbara Kingsolver 0060786507 Stephanie 5 4.10 1998 The Poisonwood Bible
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1998
rating: 5
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]]> The Glass Castle 7445 THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle is truly astonishing--a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.]]> 288 Jeannette Walls 074324754X Stephanie 0 to-read 4.32 2005 The Glass Castle
author: Jeannette Walls
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of Zimbabwe]]> 755866 Where We Have Hope is the gripping memoir of a young American journalist. In 1980, Andrew Meldrum arrived in a Zimbabwe flush with new independence, and he fell in love with the country and its optimism. But over the twenty years he lived there, Meldrum watched as President Robert Mugabe consolidated power and the government evolved into despotism. In May 2003, Meldrum, the last foreign journalist still working in the dangerous and chaotic nation, was illegally forced to leave his adopted home. His unflinching work describes the terror and intimidation Mugabe’s government exercised on both the press and citizens, and the resiliency of Zimbabweans determined to overturn Mugabe and demand the free society they were promised.]]> 304 Andrew Meldrum 0802142516 Stephanie 5 3.94 2004 Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of Zimbabwe
author: Andrew Meldrum
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2004
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[A Child Called "It" (Dave Pelzer, #1)]]> 60748 Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE]
ACE #1

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games—games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it." Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive—dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.]]> 184 Dave Pelzer Stephanie 3 4.14 1995 A Child Called "It" (Dave Pelzer, #1)
author: Dave Pelzer
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1995
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle]]> 310146 232 Avi 0380714752 Stephanie 4 3.85 1990 The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
author: Avi
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1990
rating: 4
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]]> The Giver (The Giver, #1) 3636 208 Lois Lowry 0385732554 Stephanie 5 4.12 1993 The Giver (The Giver, #1)
author: Lois Lowry
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1993
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks]]> 6493208
Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored� ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia � a land of wooden quarters for enslaved people, faith healings, and voodoo � to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality� until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family � past and present � is inextricably connected to the history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah, who was devastated to learn about her mother’s cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance?

Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.]]> 370 Rebecca Skloot 1400052173 Stephanie 2 4.12 2010 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
author: Rebecca Skloot
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2010
rating: 2
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date added: 2012/05/13
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]]> <![CDATA[Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption]]> 8664353
The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.]]> 475 Laura Hillenbrand 1400064163 Stephanie 5 4.38 2010 Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
author: Laura Hillenbrand
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/05/13
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins Stephanie 5 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/05/13
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]]> The Yearling 159582 --back cover]]> 513 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 0689846231 Stephanie 4 4.02 1938 The Yearling
author: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1938
rating: 4
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]]> Old Yeller 130580
The stray dog was ugly, and a thieving rascal, too. But he sure was clever, and a smart dog could be a big help on the wild Texas frontier, especially with Papa away on a long cattle drive up to Abilene.

Strong and courageous, Old Yeller proved that he could protect Travis's family from any sort of danger. But can Travis do the same for Old Yeller?]]> 132 Fred Gipson 0060935472 Stephanie 5 4.10 1956 Old Yeller
author: Fred Gipson
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1956
rating: 5
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]]> The Incredible Journey 231821 The Incredible Journey is one of the great children's stories of all time—and has been popular ever since its debut in 1961.]]> 145 Sheila Burnford 0440226708 Stephanie 4 4.17 1960 The Incredible Journey
author: Sheila Burnford
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1960
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Black Stallion (The Black Stallion, #1)]]> 272895 275 Walter Farley 0965476022 Stephanie 5 4.19 1941 The Black Stallion (The Black Stallion, #1)
author: Walter Farley
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1941
rating: 5
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]]> Black Beauty 3685
Whether pulling an elegant carriage or a ramshackle cab, Black Beauty tries to live as best he can. This is his amazing story, told as only he could tell it.]]> 245 Anna Sewell 0439228905 Stephanie 3 3.99 1877 Black Beauty
author: Anna Sewell
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1877
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)]]> 8127 Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place, a family� and, most of all, love.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JENNIFER LEE CARELL]]> 320 L.M. Montgomery 0451528824 Stephanie 4 4.30 1908 Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1908
rating: 4
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]]> The Secret Garden 2998
Mary Lennox, a spoiled, ill-tempered, and unhealthy child, comes to live with her reclusive uncle in Misselthwaite Manor on England’s Yorkshire moors after the death of her parents. There she meets a hearty housekeeper and her spirited brother, a dour gardener, a cheerful robin, and her wilful, hysterical, and sickly cousin, Master Colin, whose wails she hears echoing through the house at night.

With the help of the robin, Mary finds the door to a secret garden, neglected and hidden for years. When she decides to restore the garden in secret, the story becomes a charming journey into the places of the heart, where faith restores health, flowers refresh the spirit, and the magic of the garden, coming to life anew, brings health to Colin and happiness to Mary.]]> 331 Frances Hodgson Burnett 0517189607 Stephanie 5 4.16 1911 The Secret Garden
author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1911
rating: 5
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]]> Les Misérables 24280 1463 Victor Hugo 0451525264 Stephanie 5 4.19 1862 Les Misérables
author: Victor Hugo
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1862
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hobbit, or There and Back Again]]> 5907 Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).]]> 366 J.R.R. Tolkien Stephanie 4 4.29 1937 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
rating: 4
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]]> The Picture of Dorian Gray 5297
In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.]]> 272 Oscar Wilde Stephanie 4 4.13 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1890
rating: 4
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]]> Dracula 17245 You can find an alternative cover edition for this ISBN here and here.

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of horrific discoveries about his client. Soon afterwards, various bizarre incidents unfold in England: an apparently unmanned ship is wrecked off the coast of Whitby; a young woman discovers strange puncture marks on her neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the 'Master' and his imminent arrival.

In Dracula, Bram Stoker created one of the great masterpieces of the horror genre, brilliantly evoking a nightmare world of vampires and vampire hunters and also illuminating the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.

This Norton Critical Edition includes a rich selection of background and source materials in three areas: Contexts includes probable inspirations for Dracula in the earlier works of James Malcolm Rymer and Emily Gerard. Also included are a discussion of Stoker's working notes for the novel and "Dracula's Guest," the original opening chapter to Dracula. Reviews and Reactions reprints five early reviews of the novel. "Dramatic and Film Variations" focuses on theater and film adaptations of Dracula, two indications of the novel's unwavering appeal. David J. Skal, Gregory A. Waller, and Nina Auerbach offer their varied perspectives. Checklists of both dramatic and film adaptations are included.

Criticism collects seven theoretical interpretations of Dracula by Phyllis A. Roth, Carol A. Senf, Franco Moretti, Christopher Craft, Bram Dijkstra, Stephen D. Arata, and Talia Schaffer.

A Chronology and a Selected Bibliography are included.]]> 488 Bram Stoker 0393970124 Stephanie 4 4.02 1897 Dracula
author: Bram Stoker
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1897
rating: 4
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]]> The Arabian Nights 93101
The tales told by Shahrazad over a thousand and one nights to delay her execution by the vengeful King Shahriyar have become among the most popular in both Eastern and Western literature, as recounted by Sir Francis Burton. From the epic adventures of "Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp" to the farcical "Young Woman and her Five Lovers" and the social criticism of "The Tale of the Hunchback", the stories depict a fabulous world of all-powerful sorcerers, jinns imprisoned in bottles and enchanting princesses. But despite their imaginative extravagance, the Tales are anchored to everyday life by their realism, providing a full and intimate record of medieval Islam.']]> 1049 Anonymous 0812972147 Stephanie 5 4.06 800 The Arabian Nights
author: Anonymous
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.06
book published: 800
rating: 5
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]]> The Count of Monte Cristo 7126 The epic tale of wrongful imprisonment, adventure and revenge, in its definitive translation

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to use the treasure to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas� epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.

Translated with an Introduction by Robin Buss

An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here]]> 1276 Alexandre Dumas 0140449264 Stephanie 5 4.29 1846 The Count of Monte Cristo
author: Alexandre Dumas
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1846
rating: 5
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]]> A Tale of Two Cities 1953 A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens’s great historical novel, set against the violent upheaval of the French Revolution. The most famous and perhaps the most popular of his works, it compresses an event of immense complexity to the scale of a family history, with a cast of characters that includes a bloodthirsty ogress and an antihero as believably flawed as any in modern fiction. Though the least typical of the author’s novels, A Tale of Two Cities still underscores many of his enduring themes—imprisonment, injustice, social anarchy, resurrection, and the renunciation that fosters renewal.]]> 489 Charles Dickens 0141439602 Stephanie 5 3.86 1859 A Tale of Two Cities
author: Charles Dickens
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1859
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn]]> 2956 327 Mark Twain 0142437174 Stephanie 4 3.82 1884 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
author: Mark Twain
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1884
rating: 4
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]]> The Catcher in the Rye 5107 It's Christmas time and Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from yet another school...

Fleeing the crooks at Pencey Prep, he pinballs around New York City seeking solace in fleeting encounters—shooting the bull with strangers in dive hotels, wandering alone round Central Park, getting beaten up by pimps and cut down by erstwhile girlfriends. The city is beautiful and terrible, in all its neon loneliness and seedy glamour, its mingled sense of possibility and emptiness. Holden passes through it like a ghost, thinking always of his kid sister Phoebe, the only person who really understands him, and his determination to escape the phonies and find a life of true meaning.

The Catcher in the Rye is an all-time classic in coming-of-age literature- an elegy to teenage alienation, capturing the deeply human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind.

J.D. Salinger's (1919�2010) classic novel of teenage angst and rebellion was first published in 1951. The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923. It was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the court for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and in the 1950's and 60's it was the novel that every teenage boy wants to read.]]> 277 J.D. Salinger 0316769177 Stephanie 1 3.81 1951 The Catcher in the Rye
author: J.D. Salinger
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1951
rating: 1
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]]> Jane Eyre 10210 Alternate editions can be found here and here.

A gothic masterpiece of tempestuous passions and dark secrets, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is edited with an introduction and notes by Stevie Davis in Penguin Classics.

Charlotte Brontë tells the story of orphaned Jane Eyre, who grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, enduring loneliness and cruelty. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane's natural independence and spirit - which prove necessary when she finds employment as a governess to the young ward of Byronic, brooding Mr Rochester. As her feelings for Rochester develop, Jane gradually uncovers Thornfield Hall's terrible secret, forcing her to make a choice. Should she stay with Rochester and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions - even if it means leaving the man she loves? A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzled readers with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom.]]> 532 Charlotte Brontë 0142437204 Stephanie 3 4.14 1847 Jane Eyre
author: Charlotte Brontë
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1847
rating: 3
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]]> The Great Gatsby 4671 The only edition of the beloved classic that is authorized by Fitzgerald’s family and from his lifelong publisher.

This edition is the enduring original text, updated with the author’s own revisions, a foreword by his granddaughter, and with a new introduction by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published by Scribner in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.]]> 180 F. Scott Fitzgerald 0743273567 Stephanie 2 3.93 1925 The Great Gatsby
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1925
rating: 2
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]]> The Witches 6327 Note: This edition shares ISBN 0590032496 with another edition.

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you're face to face with one? Well, if you don't know yet you'd better find out quickly-because there's nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she'll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.]]> 208 Roald Dahl 0590032496 Stephanie 4 4.18 1981 The Witches
author: Roald Dahl
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1981
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)]]> 18131
It was a dark and stormy night.

Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure—one that will threaten their lives and our universe.

A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L'Engle's classic Time Quintet.]]> 211 Madeleine L'Engle 0440498058 Stephanie 5 4.04 1962 A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)
author: Madeleine L'Engle
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1962
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, #1)]]> 281235 BEWARE THE HARE!
Is he or isn't he a vampire?

Before it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household -- a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits... and fangs!]]> 98 Deborah Howe 1416928170 Stephanie 4 3.88 1979 Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, #1)
author: Deborah Howe
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1979
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, #1)]]> 297249 Book #1 from the series: The Boxcar Children Mysteries

After becoming orphans, four siblings run away to live in an abandoned boxcar but find their adventure halted by the possibility of being caught in this classic tale! “A compelling story� (Publishers Weekly) with over 63,000 five-star ratings, read by an Earphones Award–winning narrator.

Four orphaned siblings, determined to stay together as a family, decide to inhabit an abandoned boxcar and turn it into their new home in the woods. When one of the siblings falls ill, the others go out to seek a doctor to save their sister. Meanwhile, their wealthy grandfather has offered a sizable reward to anyone who has information about his grandchildren, hoping that they can all be reunited once more. As the children continue to evade being found out, will they ever know peace?]]> 176 Gertrude Chandler Warner 0807508527 Stephanie 5 4.13 1924 The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, #1)
author: Gertrude Chandler Warner
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1924
rating: 5
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]]> The Littles 563887
The Littles live in the walls of the Biggs' house. But when the Biggs go on vacation a messy family comes to stay, the trouble begins. Mice! Cats! How much can one small family take? Will Tom and Lucy, the littlest Littles of all, be able to save the day]]> 80 John Lawrence Peterson 0590462253 Stephanie 4 4.01 1967 The Littles
author: John Lawrence Peterson
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1967
rating: 4
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]]> Stuart Little 138959 E.B. White's classic novel tells the story of one small mouse on a very big adventure!

Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born into a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though Stuart is shy and thoughtful, he's also a true lover of adventure.

Stuart's greatest journey begins when his best friend, a beautiful little bird named Margalo, suddenly disappears from her nest. Determined to find her, Stuart sets off on an adventure away from home for the very first time in his life. Along the way, he encounters plenty of excitement—but will he be able to find his friend?]]> 131 E.B. White 0064400565 Stephanie 5 3.90 1945 Stuart Little
author: E.B. White
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1945
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Indian in the Cupboard (The Indian in the Cupboard, #1)]]> 125404 For Little Bear, the Iroquois Indian brave, comes to life...]]> 192 Lynne Reid Banks 0007148984 Stephanie 5 3.93 1980 The Indian in the Cupboard (The Indian in the Cupboard, #1)
author: Lynne Reid Banks
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1980
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)]]> 100915
Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Lion Aslan, they realize they've been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch's sinister spell.]]> 206 C.S. Lewis Stephanie 5 4.24 1950 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1950
rating: 5
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]]> James and the Giant Peach 6689 176 Roald Dahl 0375814248 Stephanie 4 4.04 1961 James and the Giant Peach
author: Roald Dahl
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1961
rating: 4
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]]> Matilda 39988 “The Trunchbull� is no match for Matilda!

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world...

For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Miss ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will, and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

Roald Dahl was a spy, ace fighter-pilot, chocolate historian, and medical inventor. He was also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, and many more brilliant stories. He remains the World's No. 1 Storyteller.]]> 240 Roald Dahl 043512398X Stephanie 5 4.33 1988 Matilda
author: Roald Dahl
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1988
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, #2)]]> 119324
Each is searching—Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father—but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, and their destinies are bound together... until they are split apart.]]> 326 Philip Pullman 0679879250 Stephanie 2 4.12 1997 The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, #2)
author: Philip Pullman
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1997
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 3 309 J.K. Rowling 0439554934 Stephanie 5 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, #1)]]> 8073 An imaginative story of amazing food weather that inspired the hit movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a favorite of grown-ups and children everywhere.

The tiny town of Chewandswallow was very much like any other tiny town—except for its weather which came three times a day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

But it never rained rain and it never snowed snow and it never blew just wind. It rained things like soup and juice. It snowed things like mashed potatoes. And sometimes the wind blew in storms of hamburgers.

Life for the townspeople was delicious until the weather took a turn for the worse. The food got larger and larger and so did the portions. Chewandswallow was plagued by damaging floods and storms of huge food. The town was a mess and the people feared for their lives.

Something had to be done, and in a hurry.

Edition MSRP: $7âąâą U.S. / $9âąâą CAN (978-0-689-70749-0)]]> 32 Judi Barrett 0689707495 Stephanie 5 4.18 1978 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, #1)
author: Judi Barrett
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1978
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs]]> 125507 You thought you knew the story of the “The Three Little Pigs”� You thought wrong.
Ěý
In this hysterical and clever fracture fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young readers will finally hear the other side of the story of “The Three Little Pigs.”]]> 32 Jon Scieszka 0140544518 Stephanie 4 4.32 1989 The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
author: Jon Scieszka
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1989
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Bread and Jam for Frances (I Can Read Level 2)]]> 911579 32 Russell Hoban 0064430960 Stephanie 5 4.20 1964 Bread and Jam for Frances (I Can Read Level 2)
author: Russell Hoban
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1964
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business]]> 775597 Caps for Sale is a timeless classic beloved by millions...one of the most popular picture books ever published!

Children will delight in following the peddler’s efforts to outwit the monkeys and will ask to read it again and again. Caps for Sale is an excellent easy-to-read book that includes repetition, patterns, and colors, perfect for early readers.

ThisĚýtale of a peddler and a band of mischievous monkeys is filled with warmth, humor, and simplicity and also teaches children about problem and resolution.]]> 48 Esphyr Slobodkina 0064431436 Stephanie 5 4.17 1940 Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business
author: Esphyr Slobodkina
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1940
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months]]> 590552 32 Maurice Sendak 006443253X Stephanie 5 4.24 1962 Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months
author: Maurice Sendak
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1962
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Friends]]> 183999
Come for a visit in Bear Country with this classic First Time Book® from Stan and Jan Berenstain. A new cub, Lizzie, has moved to town and Sister can’t wait to become her friend. But when bossiness enters the mix, Sister and Lizzie’s new friendship might be in trouble.]]> 32 Stan Berenstain 0808590251 Stephanie 4 4.06 1986 The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Friends
author: Stan Berenstain
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1986
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Just Me in the Tub (A Golden Look-Look Book)]]> 760168 Taking a bath is a big job. Mercer Mayer's famous Little Critter works hard to do it right in this funny picture book.

Tub time is fun time with Little Critter! Children will discover the secrets of having good, clean fun as they enjoy the antics of Little Critter in his warm and cozy bath. Here, our favorite critter has a mountain of tub toys to remember, stuffed animals to line up so they can watch, bubble bath to pour, a floor to flood, and so much more. What will Little Critter find at the end of his huge effort? A dry and cozy finale.

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter stories, which address all the major issues of growing up, are perennial favorites to generations of readers of readers of all ages.]]> 24 Gina Mayer 0613026667 Stephanie 4 4.25 1994 Just Me in the Tub (A Golden Look-Look Book)
author: Gina Mayer
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1994
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Inside the Human Body (The Magic School Bus, #3)]]> 722864 40 Joanna Cole 0590414275 Stephanie 5 4.28 1989 Inside the Human Body (The Magic School Bus, #3)
author: Joanna Cole
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1989
rating: 5
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]]> Animalia 682751 Animalia have been sold around the world, making Graeme Base’s amazing alliterative alphabet book one of the most beloved titles of the past quarter century. To celebrate thirty years, Abrams is proud to publish a special anniversary edition. ´ˇ˛Ôľ±łľ˛ą±ôľ±˛ąâ€™s incredible imaginary world intrigues all readers. Each page includes hidden objects and ideas: start with “A is for An Armoured Armadillo Avoiding an Angry Alligatorâ€� and you’ll find aprons, ants, aces, Atom-brand anchovies, and much more. The rest of the alphabet is just as much fun!
Ěý]]> 40 Graeme Base 0810918684 Stephanie 5 4.26 1986 Animalia
author: Graeme Base
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1986
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters]]> 385250 A book with real letters inside!

The Jolly Postman has delivered the mail... What could possibly be in the letter from Goldilocks to the Three Bears? There is a message for the Wicked Witch... but who would write to her?

Open this book, take out the letters, each from its own envelope, and you-ll discover what well-known fairy-tale characters have written to each other.

As the postage stamp says, this is "first class" fun for children everywhere.

Fifteen years ago, long before anyone else thought of tucking actual letters and notes inside a book, Little Brown published The Jolly Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg. This wonderful book gave children a chance to read letters sent from one fairy tale or Mother Goose character to another. Among the funny notes was one from Jack, who lolled on a sun-drenched island, thanking the Giant for the gold that let him afford such a nifty vacation. All this amusing correspondence was deftly illustrated and the book attracted hordes of eager readers.

Edition MSRP: $12âąâµ (ISBN 0-316-02036-2)]]> 29 Janet Ahlberg 0316020362 Stephanie 5 4.49 1986 The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters
author: Janet Ahlberg
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.49
book published: 1986
rating: 5
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]]> In the Night Kitchen 95144 40 Maurice Sendak 0099417472 Stephanie 4 3.99 1970 In the Night Kitchen
author: Maurice Sendak
name: Stephanie
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1970
rating: 4
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]]> Eloise 782854
Eloise is a very special little girl who lives at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. She may not be pretty yet, but she’s definitely already a real person. She loves learning about people who aren’t boring. Take Eloise home with you and she’ll introduce you to life at The Plaza. You’ll be glad you did!]]> 65 Kay Thompson 067122350X Stephanie 3 4.17 1955 Eloise
author: Kay Thompson
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1955
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Miss Nelson Is Back (Miss Nelson, #2)]]> 279692 Miss Nelson is Missing, the scheming kids in Room 207 are in for a big surprise from the scariest substitute around: Miss Viola Swamp. Includes bonus downloadable audio.

When their teacher has to go away for a week, Miss Nelson's kids are excited to "really act up." But when the principal ends up being the most boring substitute teacher ever, they hatch a plan to turn their week from dull to delightful. Will they be able to trick Mr. Blandsworth and avoid ending up with The Swamp?]]> 32 Harry Allard 039541668X Stephanie 5 4.34 1982 Miss Nelson Is Back (Miss Nelson, #2)
author: Harry Allard
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1982
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Frog and Toad All Year (Frog and Toad, #3)]]> 833549
In winter, spring, summer, and fall, Frog and Toad are always together. Here is a wise and wonderful story for each season of the year—and one for Christmas, too.]]> 64 Arnold Lobel Stephanie 5 4.36 1976 Frog and Toad All Year (Frog and Toad, #3)
author: Arnold Lobel
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1976
rating: 5
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]]> Bedtime for Frances 906541 The big hand of the clock is at 12.
The little hand is at 7.
It is seven o' clock.
It is bedtime for Frances.

It may be bedtime for Frances, but before Frances can sleep, she needs a glass of milk, a kiss from Father, one from Mother, her teddy bear, her doll, another kiss from Father, and another one from Mother. And then there are tigers and giants and ominous cracks in the ceiling to keep her up. Will Frances ever go to sleep?]]> 32 Russell Hoban 0064434516 Stephanie 5 4.15 1960 Bedtime for Frances
author: Russell Hoban
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1960
rating: 5
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]]> Millions of Cats 621739
An American classic with a refrain that millions of kids love to Ěý Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats .

Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman who were very lonely. They decided to get a cat, but when the old man went out searching, he found not one cat, but millions and billions and trillions of cats! Unable to decide which one would be the best pet, he brought them all home.

How the old couple came to have just one cat to call their own is a classic tale that has been loved for generations. Winner of a Newbery Honor, this collector's edition—featuring a heavy interior stock, spot gloss and embossing on the cover, and a thread-sewn binding—will bring this beloved tale to a whole new generation of readers.]]> 32 Wanda Gág 0142407089 Stephanie 4 4.09 1928 Millions of Cats
author: Wanda Gág
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1928
rating: 4
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]]> Doctor De Soto 817316 "Doctor De Soto, the dentist, did very good work, so he had no end of patients..."

With the aid of his able assistant, Mrs. De Soto, he copes with the toothaches of animals large and small. His expertise is so great that his fortunate patients never feel any pain.

Since he's a mouse, Doctor De Soto refuses to treat "dangerous" animals—that is, animals who have a taste for mice. But one day a fox shows up and begs for relief from the tooth that's killing him. How can the kindhearted De Sotos turn him away? But, how can they make sure that the fox doesn't give in to his baser instincts once his tooth is fixed? Those clever De Sotos will find a way.

'Doctor De Soto' is a 1982 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, a 1983 Boston Globe - Horn Book Awards Honor Book for Picture Books, and a 1983 Newbery Honor Book.

William Steig (1907-2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books. He was best known for the picture book Shrek!' (1990), which inspired the film series of the same name, as well as others that included 'Sylvester and the Magic Pebble' (1969), 'Abel's Island' (1976), and 'Doctor De Soto' (1982).]]> 30 William Steig 0374418101 Stephanie 5 4.15 1982 Doctor De Soto
author: William Steig
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1982
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash]]> 781498 32 Trinka Hakes Noble 0140546235 Stephanie 5 4.19 1980 The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash
author: Trinka Hakes Noble
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1980
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (Lyle the Crocodile)]]> 372638 48 Bernard Waber 0395137209 Stephanie 4 4.14 1965 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (Lyle the Crocodile)
author: Bernard Waber
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1965
rating: 4
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]]> Madeline's Rescue 773606 Madeline, but he did it, and the result was Madeline's Rescue, winner of the 1954 Caldecott Medal. One day on a walk through Paris (a "twelve little girls in two straight lines" kind of walk), Madeline slips and falls off a bridge right into the Seine. Everyone feared she would be dead, "But for a dog / That kept its head," saving her from a "watery grave." What choice do Madeline and the girls have but to take the heroic pooch home, feed her biscuits, milk, and beef, and name her Genevieve? Sadly, when Lord Cucuface gets wind of the new dog, he decrees that no dogs will be allowed in the "old house in Paris that was covered with vines," and kicks Genevieve out on the street. Madeline vows vengeance, and the girls scour Paris looking for the pup: "They went looking high / and low / And every place a dog might go. / In every place they called her name / But no one answered to the same." As we've come to expect from Bemelmans, all's well that ends well chez Clavel, and young readers will be tickled by this heartwarming, quirky dog story with a surprise finale. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson]]> 56 Ludwig Bemelmans 0670447161 Stephanie 4 4.24 1953 Madeline's Rescue
author: Ludwig Bemelmans
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1953
rating: 4
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]]> Stone Soup 193093 48 Marcia Brown 0689878362 Stephanie 4 4.25 1947 Stone Soup
author: Marcia Brown
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1947
rating: 4
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]]> Tikki Tikki Tembo 551876 Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-
chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!

Three decades and more than one million copies later children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.]]> 48 Arlene Mosel 0312367481 Stephanie 5 4.20 1968 Tikki Tikki Tembo
author: Arlene Mosel
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1968
rating: 5
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]]> Blueberries for Sal 133526 Caldecott Honor Book

What happens when Sal and her mother meet a mother bear and her cub? A beloved classic is born!

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother are picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter.Ěý Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?

With its expressive line drawings and charming story, Blueberries for Sal has won readers' hearts since its first publication in 1948.]]> 56 Robert McCloskey 0670175919 Stephanie 5 4.21 1948 Blueberries for Sal
author: Robert McCloskey
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1948
rating: 5
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]]> Strega Nona 581409 44 Tomie dePaola 8424133498 Stephanie 4 4.26 1975 Strega Nona
author: Tomie dePaola
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1975
rating: 4
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]]> The Mitten 967494
One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax.

As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the boarders of each page, walking through the woods unaware of what is going on.

Once again Jan Brett has created a dramatic and beautiful picture book in her distinctive style. She brings the animals to life with warmth and humor, and her illustrations are full of visual delights and details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition from which the story comes.]]> 32 Jan Brett 039921920X Stephanie 4 4.28 1989 The Mitten
author: Jan Brett
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1989
rating: 4
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]]> The Polar Express 420282 “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.�

Late one Christmas Eve after the town has gone to sleep, the boy boards the mysterious train that waits for him: the Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers the boy any gift he desires. The boy modestly asks for one bell from the harness of the reindeer. The gift is granted. On the way home the bell is lost. On Christmas morning, the boy finds the bell under the tree. The mother of the boy admires the bell, but laments that it is broken—for you see, only believers can hear the sound of the bell.

In strange and moving shades of full color art, Chris Van Allsburg creates an otherwordly classic of the Christmas season. 'The Polar Express' evokes the same sense of mystery as his previous imaginative books 'The Garden of Abdul Gasazi' (1979), 'Jumanji' (1981), and 'The Wreck of the Zephyr' (1983).

Awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1986,Ěý'The Polar Express 'has soldĚýmore than 7 million copies, become a classic holiday movie, andĚýbeen translatedĚýinto stage productions that take place across the United States during the holiday season.]]> 32 Chris Van Allsburg 0395389496 Stephanie 4 4.32 1985 The Polar Express
author: Chris Van Allsburg
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1985
rating: 4
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]]> Stellaluna 786256 Stellaluna is the tender story of a lost young bat who finally finds her way safely home to her mother and friends. This award-winning book by Janell Cannon has sold over 500,000 copies and was on the bestseller list for more than two years.]]> 46 Janell Cannon Stephanie 5 4.27 1993 Stellaluna
author: Janell Cannon
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1993
rating: 5
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]]> The Giving Tree 370493
So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.]]> 64 Shel Silverstein 0060256656 Stephanie 5 4.38 1964 The Giving Tree
author: Shel Silverstein
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1964
rating: 5
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]]> Where the Sidewalk Ends 30119 Come in... for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins.

Shel Silverstein, theĚýNew York Times bestselling author of The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and Every Thing On It, has created a poetry collection that is outrageously funny and deeply profound.

You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.

Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings stretches the bounds of imagination and will be cherished by readers of all ages.]]> 176 Shel Silverstein 0060513039 Stephanie 3 4.34 1974 Where the Sidewalk Ends
author: Shel Silverstein
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1974
rating: 3
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]]> Where the Wild Things Are 19543 38 Maurice Sendak 0099408392 Stephanie 3 4.25 1963 Where the Wild Things Are
author: Maurice Sendak
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1963
rating: 3
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]]> Charlotte’s Web 24178 Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature that is "just about perfect." This high-quality paperback features vibrant illustrations colorized by Rosemary Wells!

Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.

E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. This edition contains newly color illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E. B. White's Stuart Little and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, among many other books.]]> 184 E.B. White 0064410935 Stephanie 5 4.20 1952 Charlotte’s Web
author: E.B. White
name: Stephanie
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1952
rating: 5
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]]>