1. Best Book Club 2011 Edmonds School District

2. Click on the picture to go to Avi’s Website. “The Seer of Shadows The time is 1872. The place is New York City. Horace Carpetine has been raised to believe in science and rationality. So as apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, a society photographer, he thinks of his trade as a scientific art. But when wealthy society matron Mrs. Frederick Von Macht orders a photographic portrait, strange things begin to happen. Horace's first real photographs reveal a frightful likeness: it's the image of the Von Machts' dead daughter, Eleanora. Pegg, the Von Machts' black servant girl, then leads him to the truth about who Eleanora really was and how she actually died. Joined in friendship, Pegg and Horace soon realize that his photographs are evoking both Eleanora's image and her ghost. Eleanora returns, a vengeful wraith intent on punishing those who abused her. “ Quoted from: http://www.avi-writer.com/about/about01.html Book Trailer Photo SOURCE: http://www.avi-writer.com/about/about01.html

3. After being teased one too many times at school, Ignatius MacFarland decides to build a rocket. Maybe extraterrestrials are nicer than his classmates! But when his rocket takes an explosive wrong turn, Ignatius ends up in another frequency run by former English-teacher-turned-dictator, Chester Arthur. Mr. Arthur has taken the art, culture, and advancements of our world, shared them with this new frequency, and convinced the creatures around him that he's a genius. It's up to Iggy and Karen, another trapped earthling, to expose Mr. Arthur for the fraud that he is-and to hopefully make it home alive. Part comedy, part science fiction, and part fantasy, this debut novel, with line art by talented newcomer Peter Chan, makes being a geek, well, kind of cool. Photo source: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/8WiPH086QHi/Party+Paul+Feig+Sci+Fi+Novel+Ignatius+MacFarland/AzeNLThdBCf/Paul+Feig About Author Feig is the creator of the critically acclaimed TV show Freaks and Geeks and the author of the adult memoirs Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence and Superstud. This is his first novel for young readers. He lives with his wife and two dogs in California. Quoted from http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/kids_books_9780316166638.htm

4. Click the Book Cover to go to the author’s website. From the author’s Website: Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adoped, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you." Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere -- and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives. Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying? Source: http://www.haddixbooks.com/home.html Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois. She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens Video Trailer from CBS

5. Click the Cover to see the author talking about his book on YouTube. Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdBM3TgSJ3o 3:16 Kazu Kibuishi is the founder and editor of the Flight Anthologies, a critically acclaimed comics series, as well as the creator of Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, a winner of the YALSA Best Books for Young Adults Award. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kazu moved to the U.S. with his mother and brother when he was a child. He graduated from Film Studios at the University of California Santa Barbara, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He currently works as a full-time comic book artist. Kazu lives with his wife in Alhambra, California. Source:http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3747246 The story begins in a car, as young Emily rides with her mother and father as they race along snowy roads to pick up her brother, Navin. A horrifying accident results in the death of Emily’s father—as Emily and her mother watch helplessly—and leaves Emily emotionally stunned.Two years later, the family moves to an ancestral home in the small town of Norlen, population 28,000, in an undisclosed state. Source: http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/amulet-book-one-stonekeeper-review Kazu Kibuishi’s Website: http://boltcity.com/ Video Interview from Scholastic.com

6. Author’s Website: http://www.gordonkorman.com/ When Griffin Bing and his pal Ben discover an old Babe Ruth baseball card in a home about to be demolished, Griffin–aware that his dad’s lack of success as an inventor is causing increasing stress at home–dreams of selling it for thousands and using his share to keep the family financially afloat. The boys are somewhat deflated when they present the card to collectibles dealer S. Wendell Palomino and he suggests that it is a reproduction and buys it for just $120. They soon discover that the sleazy dealer plans to auction off the card, which is actually an extremely rare misprint, and that it is expected to sell for well over a million dollars. SOURCE: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6539377.html?q=swindle Gordon Korman was born October 23, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. He wrote his first book, This Can't be Happening at Macdonald Hall when he was 12 years old for a coach who suddenly found himself teaching 7th grade English … he later took that episode and created a book out of it, as well, in the Sixth Grade Nickname Game, where Mr. Huge was based on that 7th grade teacher. Source: http://www.gordonkorman.com/ Author Interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u65rfDZ-rIE

7. Author’s Website What if your Grandpa moves mountains, one of your brothers causes hurricanes, another creates electricity, ...and now it’s your turn?But just before her big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. Suddenly, Mibs’s dreams of X-ray vision disappear like a flash of her brother’s lightning: All she wants now is a savvy that will save Poppa. In fact, Mibs is so sure she’ll get that powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus, with her siblings and the preacher’s kids in tow. But when the bus starts heading in the wrong direction only one thing is certain: After this extraordinary adventure, not a soul on board will ever be the same. Mibs Beaumont is about to become a teenager. As if that weren’t scary enough, thirteen is when a Beaumont’s savvy strikes--and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, it promises to be outrageous... and positively thrilling. Source: http://web.mac.com/ingridlaw/Site/SAVVY.html Perhaps it was the Lake Champlain monster that started it all. Born in northern New York in May, 1970, my first home was a stone's throw from the waters of Lake Champlain and its legendary prehistoric sea monster. From the very start, life was steeped in the lure of the fantastic, of tall tales and big ideas. When I turned six, my family moved to Boulder, Colorado. Today, I still live in Colorado with my daughter, close to family, friends, and the mountains, all of which help keep me from getting lost. We only have one pet at the moment, but it is imaginary. And I am managing, at last, to keep a plant alive. (That reminds me, I should probably water it.) Source:http://web.mac.com/ingridlaw/Site/ABOUT.html Newbery Honor and NY Times Bestseller

8. 11-year-old Mackenzie has got one friend in the whole world: Cash, his brown-eyed pit bull. His dad won the runt after a long night of drinking and gambling--ever since Mac's mom died, that's all he seems to do, and soon he erupts in a rage at the innocent pup, takes her away in the trunk of his car, and dumps her in the middle of nowhere. Mac vows to find Cash and bring her back home--he has to: All strays are about to be outlawed! Little does he know that while he searches for Cash, she's surviving her own adventures and proving in the process that all dogs--even pit bulls--are born good. Source: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2563471.Dog_Lost Dog Lost, based on a true story, is Ingrid Lee's first novel.Ingrid grew up in East York, and then moved to a northern Toronto suburb. As a young girl, she was very quiet, and she loved to read. She wanted to be like her hero, Madame Curie, so she studied very hard when she wasn't reading. When she grew up, Ingrid became a teacher. She taught classes and designed curriculum plans for the Board of Education. While she wrote lesson plans and watched her own children grow up, she started writing fiction based on her family and life experiences. Now, her ideas pop upon her suddenly, and she has to scramble "to find a pencil before the ideas evaporate." Ingrid prefers to write about life as it is, nothing perfect but everything unique and special.Ingrid Lee writes whenever she has a spare moment and lives with her family in Toronto, Canada. Scholastic Book Talk Video

9. Click on the cover to go to the author’s website Amy and Dan Cahill know their family is big, but they don’t realize how big until their grandmother Grace’s funeral. Relatives arrive from all over the world by special invitation. In Grace’s last will and testament, she issues this challenge:For your inheritance, you may have the first of thirty-nine clues. The first team to successfully put together the clues, which are scattered across the world, will discover the secret of Cahill power and become the richest, most important people in history.Or you may take one million dollars in cash right now and walk away. Copied from: http://www.rickriordan.com/my-books/childrens-books/the-39-clues.aspx Rick Riordan Born: June 5, 1964 Place of Birth: San Antonio, TX Childhood influences: The first book I remember reading for fun was the Lord of the Rings. I probably read it ten times. I also liked Greek and Norse mythology since I was in middle school. I read mostly fantasy and science fiction in high school, then got interested in mysteries when I got to college. My parents were both teachers. My mom was a musician and an artist, too. My dad was a ceramicist (he made stuff out of clay), so I grew up in a very artistic family. I started writing when I was in middle school. The first story I submitted for publication was when I was 13. It wasn’t published. My first published works were two short stories in the UTSA literary magazine. Copied from Rick Riodan’s Website: http://www.rickriordan.com/about-rick/biography.aspx 39 Clues Series Trailer Video Rick Riodan Introduces the 39 Clues Series Video 39 Clues Interview 1 from Scholastic .com with Jude Watson 39 Clues Official Website: http://www.the39clues.com/

10. Click on the cover to go to The Magic Half Website "I sometimes think I've spent my entire life trying to recreate one particular afternoon of my tenth year," says Annie Barrows. "That was the day I lay on the couch reading a wonderful book called Time at the Top until I lost all sense of my real life and joined the life of the book instead. It was glorious, like walking into a dream. I want every kid to have that experience, but most of all, being horribly selfish, I want to have it again, too. And finally, I've discovered a way: I write books." Annie grew weary of grown-ups, and began to write for kids, which she found to be way more fun. Her first children's book, Ivy and Bean, an ALA Notable Book for 2007, was soon followed by other books in the series, including Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go and Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record. In between writing books about Ivy and Bean, Annie began to write The Magic Half. "I wrote the kind of book I loved as a kid—what I call regular magic, which means that it takes place in the same world we all live in, except that a magical event occurs. The Magic Half is a catalog of my favorite daydreams: a tiny door in an enchanted house, time travel, and twins.” http://www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/aboutannie/ Miri Gill has some problems. First problem: she's the middle kid between two sets of twins. Second problem: she's just walloped one of her older brothers on the head with a shovel and has been sent to her room, probably for the rest of her life. Third problem: Her family has moved to an old house in the country, and her new room has the ugliest wallpaper in the world. Fourth problem: Miri sees a little piece of glass taped to her ugly wall and decides to take a peek through it. Fifth problem: Suddenly, she's not in her bedroom anymore. Sixth problem: Her problems are just beginning. Copied from: http://www.anniebarrows.com/magichalf/aboutmagichalf/

11. Click the Cover to go to the Ilsley Library Book Talk on YouTube. Book Description: When Ellie's family moves to a new town, she's sure she won't fit in. Nobody else likes to read as much as she does, the other kids at school play "new kid Bingo" behind her back, and even the teachers can't seem to remember her name. But when the students need someone to help them rally against long lunch lines (and bad food), Ellie is on the case. And with shorter lines and better food in sight, can friendship be far behind? For any kid who's ever felt like an outsider looking in, Ellie's journal captures the frustration, the nervousness, and yes, the occasional happy surprises of making a fresh start Copied from: http://www.ruthexpress.com/art/ellie/02.html. I've been drawing and writing my whole life. As a kid I often drew pictures to go with famous stories.And two were entered in the Detroit News Scholastic Writing Awards, where I won two thick red dictionaries with my name engraved in gold. I still have the sketchbooks and the dictionaries. :) As a grown-up I worked in the advertising field, drew cartoons,illustrated for newspapers, created all sorts of art, and won 6 national essay-writing contests. Then I started writing and illustrating kids' books, and discovered that's what I want to do for the rest of my life. It was a long, tough road to publication. I worked very hard, rewriting and redrawing many times, trying to make it my best.When I was little I thought famous authors and illustratorsdid their art perfectly the first time. I learned that's usually not true. I grew up in the Detroit area and now live in Lansing, Michigan, with my family and a houseful of pets. Copied from: http://www.ruthexpress.com/art/ellie/bio.html Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel is my first book for kids,Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School is my second, and Ellie McDoodle: Best Friends Fur-Ever will be my third. :)

12. Click the picture to go to the author’s website Click the Cover to go to the book’s website Watch the Trailer about the author Author Jacqueline Davies practically had a Lemonade War on her hands one spring day in 2005. The day was unusually hot—the first really hot day of the season. Her middle son Henry had a friend over, and they were setting up a lemonade stand in the driveway. Her older son Sam also had a friend over, and they wanted to set up their own lemonade stand—in the same spot. “I stood there in the front door,” recalls the author, “watching the whole thing unfold. The boys were arguing about who had ‘driveway rights,’ and I could just imagine Sam and his friend setting up their own stand right across the street. That’s when the phrase ‘Lemonade War’ first popped into my head.” In addition to her two sons, Ms. Davies has a daughter named Mae, and a dog named Harley. They all live together in Needham, Massachusetts, a town that used to have an ice cream store called The Big Dipper and that still has a town green where everyone congregates on hot days. Copied From: http://www.lemonadewar.com/bio.shtml The Lemonade War SynopsisEvan Treski is people-smart. He’s good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart—but not especially good at understanding people. She knows that feelings are her weakest subject. With just five days left of summer vacation, Evan and Jessie launch an all-out war to see who can sell the most lemonade before school starts. As the battleground heats up, there really is no telling who will win—and even more important, if their fight will ever end. Here is a clever blend of humor, math wizardry, and business know-how. As it captures the one-of-a-kind bond between brother and sister, this poignant novel subtly explores how arguments can escalate beyond anyone’s intent. Copied from: http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/books_lemonade.html In 2011, the sequel, The Lemonade Crime will be available.

13. Click the cover to go to the author’s website Watch the Trailer About Helen Frost Helen Frost was born in Brookings, South Dakota,the fifth of ten children. She graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Elementary Education and a concentration in English, with Philip Booth and W. D. Snodgrass among her teachers. She received her Masters degree in English from Indiana University in 1994. She is the recipient of a 2009 National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship. Throughout her career, writing and teaching have been inter-woven threads. She has published poetry, children's books, anthologies, and a play, as well as a book about teaching writing. She has taught writing at all levels, from pre-school through university. She has lived in Massachusetts, Scotland, Vermont, Alaska, Oregon, and California, and presently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In Scotland, she taught at Kilquhanity House School, a progressive boarding school. In Alaska, she taught for three years in a one-teacher school in Telida, an Athabascan community of about 25 people, and later taught fifth grade in Ketchikan. Copied from: http://www.helenfrost.net/section.php?section=bio Set in interior Alaska, Diamond Willow tells the story of 12-year-old Willow, a dogmusher, and her lead dog, Roxy. The story is told in diamond-shaped poems in Willow's voice, with prose sections in the voices of animal characters. Copied From: http://www.helenfrost.net/item.php?postid=25

14. Click the cover to go to the author’s website. That’s what Sophie Groves thought, too. But she found out that horses are a heap of trouble. Her trials began at five years old, when her mom brought home Really (a.k.a. Really Mean), the nastiest pony in Maine. Two horses later, Sophieis still learning to deal with these crafty creatures, while trying to find friends who will like her for who she is—not for her horses. Filled with hilarious horse capers and the real truth about life as a weenie, thislaugh-out-loud story shows why a horse isn’t always a girl’s best friend Copied from: http://www.sarahpgibson.com/index.php?page=all-about-the-book My writing name is Sarah P. Gibson and I am a librarian and I a traveler in addition to being a writer. Actually, I call myself a storymaker because I love stories in all forms. Reading is one of my top choices but I also love stories in live action form and have enjoyed sharing storytelling in various places…campfires in Saudi Arabia…library basements in Maine… Copied from: http://www.sarahpgibson.com/index.php?page=all-about-the-book Click the picture to listen to a chapter ready by the author.

15. In 1954 Missouri, 12-year-old Rosemary Patterson is about to make history as one of the first African-American students to enter the all-white school in her town. When the girl who has shown her the most cruelty becomes an unlikely confidante, Rosemary learns important truths about the power of friendship to overcome prejudice. Born:August 09, 1944Smyrna, Tennessee,United States Of AmericaCurrent Home:St. Louis, Missouri,United States Of America Patricia C. and Fredrick L. McKissack have written over one hundred books about the African-American experience. They have won countless awards and received much critical acclaim, all the while bringing enjoyment and information to young readers. Before becoming a full-time writer, Patricia worked as a teacher and then as an editor of children's books. “My career as a teacher helped me recognize what books were needed and what children enjoyed reading; my career as an editor taught me how to develop an idea. After teaching for nine years and editing for six, I felt I was ready to launch my writing career. Copied from: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3372 Click hereto go to the video book talk from scholastic.com

16. Click the cover to go to the author’s website This is the story of Simon Bloom, an imaginative 11-year old boy who finds the wondrous Teacher's Edition of Physics (or does it find him?), a Book that lets him control the laws of Physics.Simon and his friends, Owen and Alysha, have a great time with these powers, but unfortunately, they're not the only ones who know about it. The Book belongs to a group, called the Order of Physics, who wants it back. Plus, there are two villains who will stop at nothing to get the Book for their own nasty plans. Of course, all of these people have their own science powers...and it's only a matter of time before they find Simon and his friends.Now you, yes you, can control the universe! This book has action, adventure and humor, all set in a modern-day New Jersey town. With science as magic, almost anything is possible...but first you have to understand the rules to make it work! Copied from: http://www.michaelreisman.com/index.php?page=books Michael Reisman, that's who. He was born in October 1972, in the pleasant, quite-ordinary town of Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He grew up without encountering any alien visitations, fifty-foot ants or really deep rabbit holes; his parents had a wardrobe, but it didn't have any witches or lions inside. Instead, he fed his imagination with comic books, cartoons, movies, television and novels. When Michael was younger, he liked to spend time in the woods around the corner from his house. He never suspected that one day those woods would find their way into his first published novel. He enjoyed coming up with stories in his head and sometimes doodled them; his favorite thing to draw was a cute fire-breathing bunny spitting fire at its attackers. Copied from: http://www.michaelreisman.com/index.php?page=about Adventures in Physics: Gravity on YouTube w/Michael Reisman

17. Click the cover to see the book trailer. Jon Scieszka grew up in Flint, Michigan, and earned an MFA from Columbia University. After a stint as an elementary school teacher, he published his first book with illustrator Lane Smith, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!. Scieszka and Smith have collaborated on seven other books, including The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, a Caldecott Honor Book, and their most recent title, Cowboy and Octopus. Jon is also the author of the Time Warp Trio series for middle grade readers. Additionally, Jon Scieszka is the founder of Guys Read, a nonprofit literacy organization dedicated to encouraging men and boys to read. In January 2008, Jon was appointed the inaugural National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress. He currently lives in Brooklyn NY with his family. Copied from: http://scieszka-knucklehead.blogspot.com/ Interview with the author This book is a biography

18. Click to cover to go to the book’s website Rebecca Stead grew up in New York City, where she was lucky enough to attend the kind of elementary school where you could sit in a windowsill, or even under a table, and read or write, and no one told you to come out and be serious (well, eventually someone did, but not right away). It was here that Rebecca began writing. Sometimes she invented stories, and other times she just wrote down things she overheard – jokes, or snatches of conversation. Writing down what people say is a great way to learn what they might say, if you wanted them to. Much, much later, Rebecca became a lawyer, got married, and started working as a public defender. She still wrote stories when she could find the time. Then her first child, a fabulous son, was born. A few years later, she had another fabulous son. There wasn’t much time for writing stories after that. More Copied from http://www.firstlightbook.com/#pg5

19. Click on photo to go to the author’s website. Book Trailer on YouTube Biography N. D. Wilson is the author of Leepike Ridge, a children's adventure story, and 100 Cupboards, the first installment in a multi-world fantasy series. He enjoys high winds, milk, and night-time. He received his Masters degree from Saint John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, is the managing editor of Credenda/Agenda magazine and is also a Fellow of Literature at New Saint Andrews College. His writing has appeared in Books & Culture, The Chattahoochee Review, and Esquire N. D. Wilson is the author of Leepike Ridge, a children's adventure story, and 100 Cupboards, the first installment in a multi-world fantasy series. He enjoys high winds, milk, and night-time. He received his Masters degree from Saint John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, is the managing editor of Credenda/Agenda magazine and is also a Fellow of Literature at New Saint Andrews College. His writing has appeared in Books & Culture, The Chattahoochee Review, and Esquire Copied fromhttp://www.amazon.com/N.-D.-Wilson/e/B002E4BLI0 What Tom finds under Leepike Ridge - a castaway, four graves, a tomb, and buried treasure-will answer questions he hadn't known to ask and change his life forever. Student Created Book Trailer at SchoolTube N. D. Wilson has written many books, but this is his first for kids.

20. Click the cover to go to the author’s website oEllen's parents divorced when she was very young, so she was used to splitting her time between them, shuttling four blocks from one Cincinnati apartment to another. But when her dad moved to the old family farm last year, her life was suddenly divided. Now on weekdays she's a city girl, called Ellen, who hangs out with her friends, plays the sax, and loves old movies. And on weekends she's a country girl, nicknamed Joey, who rides horseback with her cousin, Hayden, goes fishing, and listens to bluegrass. So where do her loyalties lie? Who is the real JoEllen? Linked free-verse poems, illustrated with a quirky array of found objects and mementos, create the vivid, realistic portrait of a young girl at a defining moment in her life. Copied from http://www.tracievaughnzimmer.com/TVZ/42.html Tracie Vaughn Zimmer is an award-winning children’s author who graduated from The Ohio State University and attained her master’s degree at Miami. Currently, she teaches at her alma mater in the Lakota Local School District near Cincinnati, Ohio. Writing in a variety of genres from historical fiction and poetry to novels-in-verse, Tracie’s six books have received critical acclaim including starred reviews as well as the Schneider Family Book Award. In addition, Tracie has created hundreds of guides for children’s and young adult literature that are available for free on her blog. She has presented at NCTE, IRA and ALA as well as schools and conferences across the country inspiring teachers, librarians and students with her infectious passion for literacy. Copied From:http://www.tracievaughnzimmer.com/TVZ/BIO.html