Fiction Books

Bear Feels Sick

Karma Wilson

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Bears -> Fiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A heartwarming tale about friendship 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have been reading the Bear books to my daughter since she was a toddler and we have many books in the series. In "Bear Feels Sick", dear old bear feels poorly and keeps sneezing and wheezing. When his woodland friends [rabbit, mouse, mole, crow etc] come to visit and call him to play, he says he is too sick to play. So what do Bear's friends do? They get together and try to make Bear feel better - collecting herbs, applying a cold compress, fixing him some nourishing soup etc. Soon, Bear is all better, and all ready to play - but finds his friends are now sick! What does Bear do?

This is a heartwarming tale about the value of friendship - sticking together and helping each other out during times of difficulty. As usual, the text is written in 'simple' language, perfect for preschoolers and the illustrations are full-color and simply beautiful. I would recommend all the books in the Bear series as they all have a heartwarming message and are wonderful for reading aloud. Bear and friends are such cute characters that little ones can relate to and you will have your child clamoring for more Bear and friends' adventures!

Editorial Review:

Bear is not feeling well at all; he is achy, sneezy, wheezy and sick and in no shape to go outside to play. Mole, Hare, Mouse and the rest of the gang try to make Bear feel as comfortable as possible in his cave. Under the care of his friends, Bear starts to get better but as soon as Bear is well, guess what happens? All of his friends get sick!

Fever 1793

Laurie Halse Anderson

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> United States -> Fiction -> Colonial

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 299 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

On the heels of her acclaimed contemporary teen novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson surprises her fans with a riveting and well-researched historical fiction. Fever 1793 is based on an actual epidemic of yellow fever in Philadelphia that wiped out 5,000 people--or 10 percent of the city's population--in three months. At the close of the 18th century, Philadelphia was the bustling capital of the United States, with Washington and Jefferson in residence. During the hot mosquito-infested summer of 1793, the dreaded yellow fever spread like wildfire, killing people overnight. Like specters from the Middle Ages, gravediggers drew carts through the streets crying "Bring out your dead!" The rich fled to the country, abandoning the city to looters, forsaken corpses, and frightened survivors.

In the foreground of this story is 16-year-old Mattie Cook, whose mother and grandfather own a popular coffee house on High Street. Mattie's comfortable and interesting life is shattered by the epidemic, as her mother is felled and the girl and her grandfather must flee for their lives. Later, after much hardship and terror, they return to the deserted town to find their former cook, a freed slave, working with the African Free Society, an actual group who undertook to visit and assist the sick and saved many lives. As first frost arrives and the epidemic ends, Mattie's sufferings have changed her from a willful child to a strong, capable young woman able to manage her family's business on her own. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Drums, Girls, And Dangerous Pie

Jordan Sonnenblick

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Amazing read! A gold star book! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As if being a 13-year-old, eighth grade male isn't bad enough, (there's girls to impress, homework to catch up on, drums to practice), try finding out your five-year-old brother has leukemia. It started the morning Steven left his little brother, Jeffrey, on a stool while he made his "moatmeal." Jeffrey fell and the bleeding started. Their mother races out the front door to take Jeffrey to the emergency room with an ice pack on his nose. Steven dreads the lecture he knows he'll get once he's home from school. Instead he's told his mother and brother will be leaving for Philadelphia and tests.

Steven tries to hold it together. But before long, he's feeling invisible, left out, guilty, angry. lonely, helpless, and wondering "what's the point?" His mother is totally wrapped up in caring for Jeffrey, his dad has become a worried zombie, and there's nothing Steven can do to help. Or is there?

For me, the single most important criteria for a gold star book is that it must make me "feel". It must make me reevaluate life as I see it, and wonder if I'm doing all I can to 1)appreciate my own blessings, and 2)make life better for others. This book does that and more. Jordan Sonnenblick gives the reader an honest, gritty look into the life of a family dealing with childhood cancer. He does it with amazing sympathy and humor. My 13-year-old son recommended this book to me. Two of his friends read it as well. If you haven't had the chance to read DRUMS GIRLS & DANGEROUS PIE, I highly recommend it.

Editorial Review:

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

Running Out of Time

Margaret Peterson Haddix

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 248 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

AMAZING READ! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wow this was a GREAT book. You don't expect the ending, it's a very great mystery. The plot is odd but believealbe. You feel like your in Jessie's eyes the whole time, great read! Recommend it!

Little House On the Prairie Meets the Truman Show 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Running Out of Time
By Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen-year-old Jessie Keyser is growing up in 1844, or so she believed, until an epidemic of diphtheria broke out in her community. Jessie's mother makes a confession that their village set in the 1800's is, in reality, an experiment, set up in a modern world. The villagers were asked to live in Clifton Village. They were told they could leave at any time. They were also told that their families would always be provided with modern medicine. Now, things have changed, and Clifton has become a prison; without medication people will die of diphtheria.

Jessie is needed, to help her village, and save the lives of her sister and many other children. Jessie's mother gives her a set of clothing, including jeans and a tee shirt and helps her escape into the night.

After spending the night in a brightly lit bathroom, she joins a school group, who are actually watching her village, perform their usual duties. She sees her father working in his blacksmith shop, and watches her classmates recite. It is all Jessie can do to keep the shock out of her voice, as she asks, "Why are there so many empty seats in the classroom?"

Jessie faces a scary world, of automobiles, traffic lights, telephones, radios and televisions, as she escapes into the unknown world, of 1996. Her mission is to find a payphone and call a man who can help the village. Her mother told her that this man will call a press conference and contact the health department.

Will Jessie get caught, escaping from what has become her family's prison? Can she survive in an unknown world? Can she get help for her village? Will anyone believe her story?

At first, I thought this story was like so many other stories, but I was wrong. Running Out of Time is a fast paced story with mystery and danger at every turn.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
author:Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

Editorial Review:

Run For Your Life

Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana, in 1840 -- or so she believes. When diphtheria strikes the village and the children of Clifton start dying, Jessie's mother reveals a shocking secret -- it's actually 1996, and they are living in a reconstructed village that serves as a tourist site. In the world outside, medicine exists that can cure the dread disease, and Jessie's mother is sending her on a dangerous mission to bring back help.

But beyond the walls of Clifton, Jessie discovers a world even more alien and threatening than she could have imagined, and soon she finds her own life in jeopardy. Can she get help before the children of Clifton, and Jessie herself, run out of time?

Allie the Allergic Elephant: A Children's Story of Peanut Allergies

Nicole Smith

Amazon Price: $14.65 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Allergic Child Publishing Group Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $14.65

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Cute book 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a cute book, and I think it gets the point across to a small child, but I did have higher hopes for it, so I was a little disappointed. I will keep looking for a book that better explains the allergy to my child, and how he can be proactive in dealing with it. I think this book is maybe better for a very young child who is first learning about his allergy. My child is 2 but I feel like he needs more than this book offers. Still, I think he'll like it.

Great way to illustrate allergy to young toddlers/preschoolers 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 2yr old son has severe peanut allergy. He reads this book with me and seems to understand the foods that are available for him to eat. His older sister who is 4yrs old, gets great info from this. She understands the physical issues associated with the peanut allergy he has and now can visualize a little of what could happen if we do not keep him safe. I also have the "Peanut Free Cafe", which both really enjoy reading as well. They also enjoy the "Peter Can't Eat Peanuts" book too.

Editorial Review:

"Allie the Allergic Elephant" helps children learn about food allergies and how to be a good friend when you can't share snacks. "Allie" explains peanut allergies in a way that parents, teachers and children themselves can talk about allergies and understand them better.

The Lemonade Club

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( P ) -> Polacco, Patricia

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Lemonade Club 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My daugher and I LOVE Patricia Polacco. This was another great book. We love the way she incorporates her own family members or friends into almost every one of her books. This book is a touching story about two best friends and how they deal with a devastating illness. It also describes a special bond the girls form with their teacher, who also is suffering with her own illness. My daughter and I went through several tissues reading this book. The ending was beautiful and I would strongly recommend this book to children (and their parents).

Editorial Review:

Everyone loves Miss Wichelman’s fifth-grade class—especially best friends Traci and Marilyn. That’s where they learn that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! They are having a great year until Traci begins to notice some changes in Marilyn. She’s losing weight, and seems tired all the time. She has leukemia—and a tough road of chemotherapy ahead. It is not only Traci and Miss Wichelman who stand up for her, but in a surprising and unexpected turn, the whole fifth-grade class, who figures out a way to say we’re with you.

In true Polacco fashion, this book turns lemons into lemonade and celebrates amazing life itself.

It's Called Dyslexia (Live and Learn Series)

Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron's Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $3.20

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A good "feel good" book for dyslexic children 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

I bought this for my 7 year old dyslexic daughter. She was very excited to hear the story told from the dyslexic main character. The basic summary of the book is that she was excited about school and then got frustrated with school because reading was so hard for her but easy for other kids. Her teacher wanted to talk to her parents, it made her worried but then it turned out that her teacher wanted to tell her parents that she was concerned and wanted to do tests on her. They learned she had dyslexia, they got her help and now she loves reading. It made my daughter feel like she could some day enjoy reading too.

If only schools help kids with dyslexia as well as the book says....

Editorial Review:

This is one of several titles in Barron’s Live and Learn series for younger children. They are books that take a child’s point of view, especially if the child suffers from some physical challenge or lack self-confidence in going about everyday activities. These attractively illustrated picture storybooks encourage kids never to be afraid of a challenge. Following each story are four pages of suggested activities that relate to the book’s theme. A final two-page section offers advice to parents. The child in this story knows the alphabet, but she sometimes has trouble putting all the letters together to read words. No matter how hard she tries, she often mixes up the letters or writes them backwards. She’s unhappy until her teacher explains that she has dyslexia, and that she can be helped to read and write correctly.

Last Dance

Lurlene McDaniel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A sensitive, realistic story of overcoming adversity... 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Originally, this book was entitled "When Dreams Shatter", and was released in the mid-80s. After going out of print for awhile, I'm glad to see that it's made a comeback!

Something is wrong with Rachael Deering. She's constantly thirsty, can't stop going to the bathroom, and she's losing weight. Then after passing out in ballet class and being rushed to the hospital, the doctor delivers a devastating diagnosis, Type I diabetes. Her pancreas has quit producing insulin and as a result, she has to give up sugar, count every calorie, and give herself two shots a day just to survive. Before her diagnosis, Rachael had dreams of becoming a famous ballerina. Now she and her parents aren't sure whether or not she should pursue her dream. When she meets Sean, a fellow teenage diabetic and a soccer player, Rachael might just realize her dream after all...

Knowing that Ms. McDaniel has a son who has been diabetic since the age of three, I believe that the majority of this story is based upon her experiences as a parent. I think she did an excellent job of dealing with such a tough subject, especially tough for a young person to deal with. I have been reading her books since I was eleven and I still continue to enjoy them now, as an adult.

Say Good-bye #5 (Vet Volunteers)

Laurie Halse Anderson

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Dogs -> Fiction

Editorial Review:

Yum-Yum is an adorable shih tzu and one of Zoe’s favorite clients. When Zoe and Yum-Yum visit a ward of cancer patients, she is amazed by how much joy the tiny dog can spread in an instant. But then Yum-Yum is diagnosed with cancer himself. How can Zoe help the little dog pull through?

Don't Die, My Love

Lurlene Mcdaniel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 261 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Don't die,My love 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book is called Don't die,My love.It is a tear jerking story.If one likes romance they will like this story.A good romance always pops out
some people and to some it does not and it always captures people in the moment. This certain romance is a realy, really good one and it really popped out to me.When people die it tears people apart.

West Virginia Librarian 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

okay i know it's been said a thousand times but thus was a great book. it is so far my favorite lurelene mcdaniel book. It tells the story of Julie and her boyfrien Luke and his struggle with leukimia.i won't spoil the ending but it was a real tear jerker. i reccomend all of her books.

Editorial Review:

Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower have always been school sweethearts. Now both are in high school and deeply in love. Luke, a talented football player, is almost certain to receive an athletic scholarship to a top college. And no matter what her parents say, wherever Luke goes, Julie intends to follow. When Luke can't shake what he thinks is a virus, Julie persuades him to see a doctor. Luke's test results are alarming, but Julie believes their love is stronger than anything. Can love survive, now and forever?