Hattie Owen prefers to be steeped in the familiarity of her small-town life than to think about the vast world beyond her own. Her family's boarding house is where she feels most at home, with its eccentric tenants and predictable routines, so different from the controlling and More...
But during the summer that Hattie turns twelve, her world is turned upside-down with the startling arrival of an uncle no one has ever spoken about. Now that Adam's "school" (an institution for the mentally disabled) is closing, Hattie's family must deal with a childlike young man whose existence they've denied for years. And Hattie experiences a summer that expands her world in the most unpredictable ways.
With grace and compassion, Ann. M. Martin tells a story of a complicated and fated friendship in which listeners will lose a piece of their hearts. A Corner of the Universe was a 2003 Newbery Medal Honor Book.
“I can’t speak for all dogs.
Not all dogs are alike.
And most certainly, not all dogs
have the same experiences. . . .”
Squirrel is not like most dogs. Born a stray, she must make her own way in the world, facing busy highways, changing seasons, and humans both gentle and brutal. Her life story, in her own words, is marked by loss, but also by an inspiring instinct to survive. And when it seems she will roam the woods and country roads alone forever, Squirrel makes two friends who, in very different ways, define her fate.
At once heartrending and hopeful, Ann Martin’s exquisite story of a dog’s life is told with her trademark grace and insight.
From the Compact Disc edition.
Jerusha Abbott is the oldest orphan in the John Grier Home. Every day she helps scrub and dress the younger children-all 97 of them. Soon she will graduate from high school and be on her own. Where will she go, and how will she support herself? When an anonymous wealthy donor decides to send her to college, Jerusha can hardly believe her good fortune. All she must do in return is send him a letter once a month. With all the excitement of college life-classes, parties, new friends, and a special gentleman-Jerusha can hardly stop writing! Jean Webster's entertaining tale of a high-spirited orphan girl coming-of-age in the early 1900s has been made into a play, several movies, and a musical comedy. Kate Forbes' fresh portrayal of Jerusha will win the hearts of a new generation of readers.
Grade Level: 4-6 Age Level: 9-11 Listening Level: Grades 4-6 Bone and his sister, Squirrel, are stray dogs born in a shed. Left mother-less as puppies, the two dogs survive together for a while, but are soon wrenched apart, and Bone must now go on, alone. Charlie is a boy who has suffered a terrible loss. And, as he's healing with the help of his dog, another tragedy occurs. All Henry has wanted is a dog of his own, and now that his best friend has moved away, his parents still won't let him. Bone, Charlie, and Henry live very different lives, but their stories connect in surprising ways. Award-winning author Ann M. Martin has written a powerful, heartfelt novel that's perfect for anyone who has ever longed for a dog, or loved one.
Four generations. Four girls. One family.
An amazing new four-book series from Ann M. Martin.
In 1930, Abby Nichols is eight, and can't imagine what her future holds. The best things today would be having a dime for the fair, keeping her Pops from being angry, and saving up eighty-seven cents to surprise her little sister with a tea set for Christmas.
But Abby's world is changing fast. Soon there will be new siblings to take care of, a new house to move into, and new friends to meet. But there will also be good-byes to say and hard choices to make. As Abby grows older, how will she decide what sort of life will fit her best?
In this incredible new series, bestselling author Ann M. Martin brings the past and the present together one girlhood at a time and shows readers the way a family grows.
Four girls. Four generations. One family.
The second entry in the beautiful new series from Ann M. Martin.
Dana is Abby's daughter -- but she's always been much closer to her father, Zander. He's a celebrated New York author who encourages Dana's artistic talents . . . even if he sometimes drinks too much. Dana is on his side in any argument, regardless of whether he's wrong. And then her father dies.
After years of moving, often with her mother and three siblings, Dana is angry at Abby, and wants nothing more than to leave her family and get back to New York City. She moves in with her young, bohemian aunt Adele, determined to study art, attend school, achieve independence, and avoid all the mistakes her mother made. But can she leave her family and Maine behind?
Far and near. Lost and found. Four girls. Four generations.
Georgia cannot figure out what's going on in her family. Her mother, Francie, is extremely overprotective. Her grandmother, Dana, and her great-grandmother, Abby, don't speak to each other. And Georgia's great-great-grandmother also had some secrets that nobody else knows about.
Georgia knows this because she's found her great-great grandmother's diary hidden in a wall in the family's house in Maine. Reading the diary makes her think of her own struggles - and draws her even closer to the mysteries of her family as Abby's hundredth birthday approaches.
HOME IS THE PLACE is the heartfelt, remarkable conclusion to Ann M. Martin's Family Tree series, which has followed Abby, Dana, Francie, and now Georgia from girlhood to womanhood, showing readers the intertwining, extraordinary ways we grow up.
The third installment of the exquisite new series from Newbery Honor winner Ann M. Martin follows Francie, Dana's daughter, to Princeton, NJ, in the 1980s.
"In 1963, Ellie's mother, Doris Day Dingman, was crowned the Bosetti Beauty at Mr. Bosetti's supermarket, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and the Dingmans began to fall apart."
So begins 11-year-old Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman's story. Ellie is the oldest child in her off-center family. Her father works construction jobs, while her mother, Doris, has only one dream-to become a rich and famous actress. But when that dream leads to Doris's abandonment of the family, it is Ellie who is called upon to take charge.
Flora and Ruby do not want to move to Camden Falls. But they don't really have a choice - their parents are dead and their grandmother, Min, is taking them in. Min runs a sewing store, Needle & Thread, at the heart of Main Street in Camden Falls. There, Flora and Ruby become friends with Olivia, who likes to organize things, and Nikki, who lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Even if Flora and Ruby never expected it to, Camden Falls becomes their home.
It's autumn in Camden Falls, and Flora and Ruby are just starting to settle into the town. Flora is worried about spending the first Thanksgiving without their parents. Ruby is worried about getting a part in her school musical. And their new friends, Olivia and Nikki, are facing problems of their own. But the friendship that ties them together will also give them the strength to work thing out - one stitch at a time.
Christmas is coming to Camden Falls, and Flora and Ruby don’t k now how to feel about it. It’s their first Christmas without their parents, and the memories are both happy and sad. Luckily, Flora and Ruby are surrounded by people who care about them- from their grandmother Min to their friends Olivia and Nikki, who are dealing with problems of their own. There’s also an unexpected visitor: Flora and Ruby’s aunt, whose big arrival promises to shake things up.
It’s sure to be a Christmas that nobody in Camden Falls will ever forget…
