J/F/BAKER
Baker, E.D.The Frog Princess
Princess Emerald kisses a frog named Prince Eadric only to find that this brings on much more excitement and adventure than she expected. Instead of turning the frog into a prince, the kiss turns the princess into a frog! 214 p.

J/F/BRADLEY
Bradley, Kimberly BrubakerHalfway to the Sky
After her brother’s death, Dani decides to hike the 2,163 mile Appala-chian Trail on her own and without her parents’ knowledge. When her mother catches up with her, the two continue on the adventure. 164 p.

J/F/CLEMENTS
Clements, AndrewA Week in the Woods
While participating in an outdoor education trip, Mark and his teacher don’t see eye-to-eye on most things. When Mark is sent home for bringing a knife to camp, he runs away and must use his newly-learned skills to survive. 190 p.

J/F/COHN
Cohn, RachelThe Steps
Annabel travels to Sydney, Australia to visit her father and his new family during Christmas vacation. Annabel has more steps and half siblings than she knows what to do with. 137 p.

J/F/CUSHMAN
Cushman, KarenRodzina
Rodzina, a Polish immigrant and orphan living in Chicago, finds herself on an orphan train bound for Wyoming where she expects to be adopted and turned into a slave. 215 p.

J/F/DE GUZMAN
De Guzman, MichaelMelonhead
Sidney’s parents are divorced and neither have time for him. Sidney decides to take off on a cross-country adventure without telling either parent where he’s gone. 213 p.

J/F/ELLIS
Ellis, DeborahA Company of Fools
Henri, a choirboy in medieval France, recounts the story of Micah, a street urchin who sings like an angel, and their life in a monastery during the Black Plague of 1348. 180 p.

J/F/ELLSWORTH
Ellsworth, LorettaThe Shrouding Woman
Evie finds it difficult welcoming Aunt Flo, the “shrouding woman,” into her life so soon after her Mother has passed away. Evie is also somewhat frightened by Flo’s job of preparing the dead for burial, a traditional practice in the mid 1800s. 151 p.

J/F/FUNKE
Funke, Cornelia CarolineThe Thief Lord
Runaways Prosper and Bo live in Venice with other runaways who work for the Thief Lord. The two brothers try to outwit a detective who is searching for them. 349 p.

J/F/GAIMAN
Gaiman, NeilCoraline
While exploring her new house, Coraline opens a door that leads into a strange and frightening world. When Coraline returns, she discovers her parents are missing and being held in another part of the house. 162 p.

J/F/GANTOS
Gantos, JackWhat Would Joey Do?
Despite all of the bizarre events which surround him (like fighting parents, a kidnapped Chihuahua, and a mean schoolmate nicknamed the “Mistress of All Evil,”) Joey is determined to be “Mr. Helpful.” 229 p.

J/F/GIFF
Giff, Patricia ReillyPictures of Hollis Woods
Hollis Woods has a habit of running from one foster home to another. Just when it seems like she finally has a home, something horrible happens and Hollis has to leave. 166 p.

J/F/GRIFFIN
Griffin, AdeleOvernight
Gray and the other girls of the “Lucky Seven” spend the night at a friend’s house. When Gray disappears, the group starts to unravel with secrets, mistrust and power plays. 151p.

J/F/GUTMAN
Gutman, DanQwerty Stevens, Stuck in Time with Benjamin Franklin
Only Qwerty Stevens can bring the real Benjamin Franklin to school to help him with his last-minute report on the American Revolution. When he decides to return to the Philadelphia of July 4, 1776 with Mr. Franklin, the adventure begins… 183 p.

J/F/JORDAN
Jordan, SherrylThe Hunting of the Last Dragon
Jude returns to his village to find it razed and his family killed by a dragon that has been terrorizing the countryside in medieval England. He rescues a Chinese girl named Jing-wei from a traveling fair and they set out to conquer this deadly menace. 186 p.

J/F/LAVENDER
Lavender, WilliamJust Jane
It is 1776 and Lady Jane Prentice, orphaned daughter of an English earl, is sent to live in Charleston, South Carolina. As she arrives in the colonies, she finds herself in the middle of a war that divides her loyalties between England and America. 277 p.

J/F/FRANK
Frank, LucyThe Annoyance Bureau
Lucas is spending time in New York City, visiting his father’s new family. While hanging out at a bookstore (to avoid his annoying step-sister), he is invited to become an apprentice agent for a top-secret organization known as the Annoyance Bureau. 169 p.

J/F/MORPURGO
Morpurgo, MichaelKensuke’s Kingdom
Michael’s trip around the world is cut short when he is stranded on a desert island. Struggling to survive, he discovers he is not alone. 163 p.

J/F/NICKERSON
Nickerson, SaraHow to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found
Margaret tries to solve the mystery of her father’s death on an unusual island in the Pacific Northwest. Her only clues are a swimming medal, the key to a mansion and comic books. 281 p.

J/F/PATERSON
Paterson, KatherineThe Same Stuff as Stars
Angel and her brother find themselves abandoned and living with their 80-year-old great-grandmother. The only way Angel can get through the day is knowing that the strange man who lives on their property will help her discover the mysteries of the universe. 242 p.

JB/PAULSEN
Paulsen, GaryHow Angel Peterson Got His Name
Gary and his friends spend one year doing a series of really brainless, extreme stunts, including wrestling a bear. 111 p.

J/F/ROOS
Roos, StephenRecycling George
George experiences a twist to running away from home when his family runs away from him. George is taken in by the richest family in town and makes a surprising decision. 136 p.

J/F/SLADE
Slade, Arthur G.Dust
There is something very strange going on in the town where Robert lives. Children are being taken and no one but Robert remembers they were ever there. When a stranger comes to town and says he has a machine that will make rain, Robert tries to unravel the truth. 183 p.

J/F/TELANDER
Telander, RickString Music
Robby Denwood loves basketball—the problem is he isn’t good at it. Living at home isn’t very easy, either. When Robby meets his favorite basketball player his bad luck appears to change. 138 p.

J/F/VANDE VELDE
Vande Velde, VivianHeir Apparent
For her birthday, Giannine gets a gift certificate to a virtual reality game. While she is totally immersed in the game, someone sabotages it. Giannine discovers she must complete the game or risk severe brain damage. 315 p.

Prepared by Deanna Eng, Sharon Lawrence, Colleen Morrison, May 2003