Display: Outstanding Intermediates

Outstanding Intermediates

The chapter books in this display are in our Intermediate section and received at least one starred review in a national book review journal this year.

I Am Not a Number
By Jenny Duprius
Orca Book Pub, 2016. Intermediate. 32 p.
When Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school, she is confused, frightened and terribly homesick.

Mango and Bambang: the Not-a-Pig
By Polly Faber
Candlewick Press, 2016. Intermediate. 135 p.
Bambang, a displaced tapir, requires a great deal of coaxing and comforting to help him acclimate to the big city, and Mango is just the girl for the job. But when Mango faces a nerve-racking challenge of her own, will Bambang be able to return the favor?

Where are You Going, Baby Lincoln?
(Tales from Deckawoo Drive #3)
By Kate DiCamillo
Timid Baby Lincoln has always lived in the shadow of her bossy sister. One day she decides to take a “necessary” journey into the unknown all by herself.

Skunked
(Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet #1)
By Jacqueline Kelly
Henry Holt, 2016. Intermediate. 106 p.
When Travis discovers an abandoned baby skunk, he can't help but bring it home and take care of it. But when Travis discovers Stinky's litter-mate, Winky, who is in need of some help, things get complicated around the Tate house.

The Sea Pony
(Piper Green and the Fairy Tree #3)
By Ellen Porter
Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. Intermediate. 114p.
On an island off the coast of Maine, where children ride lobster boats to school, Piper wants a horse but finds, instead, another object hidden in the red maple tree.

Juana & Lucas
By Juana Medina
Candlewick Press, 2016, Intermediate. 88 p.
A spunky young girl from Colombia loves playing with her canine best friend and resists boring school activities, especially learning English, until her family tells her that a special trip is planned to an English-speaking place.

The Poet’s Dog
By Patricia MacLachlan
HarperCollins, 2016. Intermediate. 88 p.
A dog with unusual communication talents loses his poet owner before rescuing two children trapped in a snowstorm and leading them to the poet's cabin, where the children explore the memories that the poet has left behind.

Life According to Dani
By Rose Legercrantz
Gecko Press, 2016. Intermediate. 103 p.
It's Dani's first summer vacation and she is staying on an island with Ella, her best friend in the world. Dad is still in hospital but he calls every day, and Ella and Dani stay busy building huts, fishing, exploring, and swimming.

Comments

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Fresh Start

Fresh Start By Gale Galligan New York: Graphix, 2025. Graphic novel. 270 pages. Ollie Herisson is only in 7th grade, but she has already lived all over the world. Her father is an American diplomat, whose job has taken their family to France, Singapore, Thailand (where her mom is from), and now to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie loves that her family doesn't stay in one place very long, it allows her to have a fresh start and hide from any embarrassing moments each time they move. But Ollie's parents have big news -- they've decided to buy a house in Virginia and put down roots. Now, Ollie and her younger sister Cat have to figure out how to build lasting friendships which means resolving conflict rather than running away when things get hard. Loosely based on the author's own childhood experiences, this graphic novel is sure to be popular with readers who like coming of age stories. Watching Ollie learn to think of others as she advocates for her sister Cat, and navig...

Review: Will's Race for Home

Willl's Race for Home By Jewell Parker Rhodes Little Brown & Company, 2025. Fiction. 256 pages. Will is a young man whose father and family are working the land as sharecroppers in Texas. When Will's father comes home with the news that there is land available in Oklahoma to those who can stake and settle it, Will's father expresses his deep desire to go and claim land for their family. Will begs to be included, but his mother is reluctant to let him go. After input from the entire family, they decide that Will is ready for the responsibility. Along the way Will and his father develop a deeper appreciation for each other, form deep friendship, discover hidden enemies, and encounter many challenges which force them to make difficult decisions. Will's father has to rely heavily on him, especially as they get closer to their final destination. Will's bravery is inspiring and commendable. This book is full of many amazing elements: suspense, adventure, fr...

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