Shark Girl

Shark Girl
Author: Kelly Bingham
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2011-04-26
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0763654477

A teenager struggles through physical loss to the start of acceptance in an absorbing, artful novel at once honest and insightful, wrenching and redemptive. (Age 12 and up) On a sunny day in June, at the beach with her mom and brother, fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood went for a swim. And then everything -- absolutely everything -- changed. Now she’s counting down the days until she returns to school with her fake arm, where she knows kids will whisper, "That’s her -- that’s Shark Girl," as she passes. In the meantime there are only questions: Why did this happen? Why her? What about her art? What about her life? In this striking first novel, Kelly Bingham uses poems, letters, telephone conversations, and newspaper clippings to look unflinchingly at what it’s like to lose part of yourself - and to summon the courage it takes to find yourself again.


Holly

Holly
Author: Albert French
Publisher:
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2003
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780822958314

Their relationship touches off a maelstrom that leaves no doubt as to the consequences of crossing society's proscribed boundaries. A love story and an indictment, Holly is also a story of friendship, of community and of the aftereffects of a war on a family as well as on a small town. Told with a piercing tenderness and intensity, Holly confirms Albert French as a dark and passionate chronicler of American mores and culture.


The Line Tender

The Line Tender
Author: Kate Allen
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2020-04-21
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0735231613

Funny, poignant, and deeply moving, The Line Tender is a story of nature's enduring mystery and a girl determined to find meaning and connection within it. Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart's marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, collecting shark data when she died suddenly. Lucy was seven. Since then Lucy and her father have kept their heads above water--thanks in large part to a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a great white--and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was "meaningful" but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother's unfinished research on the Great White's return to Cape Cod. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she'll finally be able to look beyond what she's lost and toward what's left to be discovered. ★"Confidently voiced."—Kirkus Reviews, starred ★"Richly layered."—Publishers Weekly, starred ★"A hopeful path forward."—Booklist, starred ★"Life-affirming."—BCCB, starred ★"Big-hearted." —Bookpage, starred ★“Will appeal to just about everyone.” – SLC, starred ★"Exquisitely, beautifully real."—Shelf Awareness, starred


The Girl's Guide to Homelessness

The Girl's Guide to Homelessness
Author: Brianna Karp
Publisher: Harlequin
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2011-04-26
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1459201671

Brianna Karp entered the workforce at age ten, supporting her mother and sister throughout her teen years in Southern California. Although her young life was scarred by violence and abuse, Karp stayed focused on her dream of a steady job and a home of her own. By age twenty-two her dream became reality. Karp loved her job as an executive assistant and signed the lease on a tiny cottage near the beach. And then the Great Recession hit. Karp, like millions of others, lost her job. In the six months between the day she was laid off and the day she was forced out onto the street, Karp scrambled for temp work and filed hundreds of job applications, only to find all doors closed. When she inherited a thirty-foot travel trailer after her father's suicide, Karp parked it in a Walmart parking lot and began to blog about her search for work and a way back.


Shark Lady

Shark Lady
Author: Jess Keating
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 35
Release: 2017-06-06
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1492642053

One of New York Times' Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls! This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady. One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike! An Amazon Best Book of the Month Named a Best Children's Book of 2017 by Parents magazine Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks from the first moment she saw them at the aquarium. She couldn't imagine anything more exciting than studying these graceful creatures. But Eugenie quickly discovered that many people believed sharks to be ugly and scary—and they didn't think women should be scientists. Determined to prove them wrong, Eugenie devoted her life to learning about sharks. After earning several college degrees and making countless discoveries, Eugenie wrote herself into the history of science, earning the nickname "Shark Lady." Through her accomplishments, she taught the world that sharks were to be admired rather than feared and that women can do anything they set their minds to. An inspiring story by critically acclaimed zoologist Jess Keating about finding the strength to discover truths that others aren't daring enough to see. Includes a timeline of Eugenie's life and many fin-tastic shark facts! The perfect choice for parents looking for: Books about sharks Inspiring nonfiction narrative books Role model books for girls and boys Kids STEM books


Formerly Shark Girl

Formerly Shark Girl
Author: Kelly L. Bingham
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2013-05-14
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0763653624

Surviving a shark attack that cost her an arm, Jane, an aspiring artist, reevaluates her ambitions and sense of identity while harboring a crush on her attractive tutor and considering a relationship with a boy from her science class. By the award-winning author of Z Is for Moose.


Z is for Moose

Z is for Moose
Author: Kelly L Bingham
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2014-10-31
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1448187745

Zebra is absolutely certain he’ll be able to direct everyone to appear on the correct page, at the appropriate time, without any mishaps, unnecessary drama, or hurt feelings. It’s an ABC book, for goodness’ sake. How difficult can it be? Oh, dear. Zebra forgot about Moose. A hilarious reinvention of the classic alphabet book - not to be missed!


Formerly Shark Girl

Formerly Shark Girl
Author: Kelly Bingham
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2013-05-14
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0763664065

Jane Arrowood, otherwise known as Shark Girl, has been living with just one arm for over a year. Now she’s searching for a new normal. It’s been a year since the shark attack that took Jane’s arm, and with it, everything she used to take for granted. Her dream of becoming an artist is on the line, and everything now seems out of reach, including her gorgeous, kind tutor, Max Shannon. While a perfectly nice guy from her science class is clearly interested in Jane — removing her fear that no one ever would want a one-armed girl — Jane can’t stop thinking about Max. But is his interest romantic? Or does he just feel sorry for her? Formerly Shark Girl picks up where Kelly Bingham’s artful, honest debut novel left off, following Jane as she deals with a career choice (should she “give back” by trying to become a nurse, or is art an equally valid calling?) along with family changes and her first real romance — all while remembering who she was before she was Shark Girl and figuring out who she is now.


Reaching Reluctant Young Readers

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers
Author: Rob Reid
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2017-03-09
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1442274425

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers features 150 middle-grade books. Each profiled title has the potential to hook the reluctant reader and lure them to read the entire book. To specifically encourage elementary and middle-school-age reluctant children to read, there is first a pitch to get the reader’s attention. That is followed by a short reading passage to “set the hook” and encourage the young person to read the rest of the book on their own. Further, the book contains several hundred additional recommended titles. The books selected for this collection were chosen following the criteria of reluctant reader books created by the Quick Picks committee sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association. While these guidelines were designed for young adult books, they also work well for middle-grade books. The criteria include: clear writing (no convoluted long sentences with sophisticated vocabulary), high interest “hook” in the first few pages, well-defined characters, interesting plot, and familiar themes.