Across Five Aprils  •  Irene Hunt LITERATURE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 190 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Irene Hunt's enduring classic of the Civil War recounts the story of Jethro and his older brothers, who choose to fight on opposite sides during the Civil War. While Jethro grows to adulthood in Illinois (a state neither strictly Yankee nor strictly Reb), his brothers fight and send letters home. Gripping stuff for ages 9-12. (USA44, $4.99)
Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman  •  Helen Hoover LITERATURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 40 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A handsome reprint of a holiday classic North Woods fable of peace, joy and understanding for kids, featuring 30 hand-colored woodcuts by Betsy Bowen. In it the misunderstood wolf comes to the rescue (with the help of a dog) of an injured hunter in his cabin. The book closes with all the creatures -- the chipmunks, squirrels and chickadees and even the wolf -- invited by the thankful hunter to a Christmas feast. For ages seven and up (and a wonderful book to read aloud to youngsters). Originally published in 1967. (GLK41, $14.95)
The House of Dies Drear  •  Virginia Hamilton LITERATURE •  1984 •  PAPER  • 279 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) The late children's author Virginia Hamilton's best-known novel opens when a modern family moves into an old house in Ohio that is a former station of the Underground Railroad. The boy of the house is soon learning all about slavery, the Civil War and (could it be?) ghosts. Ages 9-12. (USS258, $6.99)
Little House Boxed Set  •  Laura Ingalls Wilder  •  Garth Williams LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE There's a reason Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic books have been a favorite with children for all these years -- they're simply wonderful. Her books are based on her childhood experiences of 19th-century frontier life on the prairie. Children ages 9-12 will love her vivid and engaging stories and admire Laura's spunk. Her adventures begin on a Wisconsin homestead in the 1870s. This boxed set includes all 9 books -- Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. (USW445, $62.99)
Naya Nuki, Shoshoni Girl Who Ran  •  Kenneth Thomasma  •  Eunice Hundley LITERATURE •  1983 •  PAPER  • 131 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Kidnapped by another tribe, Naya Nuki (along with her best friend, Sacajawea) is taken from her home in Montana and brought to a village in North Dakota. She escapes her captors and makes a long journey through the wilderness in search of her people. Written for preteens, this is a powerful tale of survival and spirit. (USW316, $7.99)
Prairie Grasslands  •  Wayne Lynch NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 64 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Through personal anecdote, fact-filled passages, and magnificent full-color photographs, celebrated author and photographer Lynch brings to life the countless wonders of prairie grasslands. Lynch examines the ecology of prairie grasslands, discussing the climate, animals, and plant growth of wetlands, badlands, river valleys, and rolling prairies. (GEN481, $8.95)
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird  •  Phillip Hoose NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) An engaging and well-researched history of the ivory-billed woodpecker, and the struggles surrounding its survival. It's a suspenseful and entertaining book about modern conservation and environmental issues for middle-school readers, featuring John James Audubon and others. The bird, only recently rediscovered, once ranged across the southeastern United States. With black-and-white photographs throughout. (BRD30, $21.00)
Stories from Where We Live, The Great North American Prairie  •  Sara St. Antoine  •  Paul Mirocha  •  Trudy Nicholson LITERATURE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 359 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) An anthology of writings about this North American ecoregion, from Alberta and Saskatchewan south to Texas -- wonderfully useful as a young person's guide to people, nature and place. It includes Native American myths, poems and songs, historical accounts and modern short stories, as well as black-and-white drawings and maps. Ages 9 to 14. (USM48, $10.95)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  •  Robert Sabuda LITERATURE •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 16 PAGES • FAMILY A stunning edition of the classic story, published in celebration of its 100th anniversary, and featuring Sabuda's sparkling 3-D animation. The twirling foot-high tornado, glittering Emerald City, hot air balloon and other creations transcend the art of pop-up. Each of the seven double-page tableaux is a marvel. (USM80, $27.99)