The town of Wheatland lies along the west bank of the Genesee River in the southwest corner of Monroe County. In 1786, the adventurous frontiersman Ebenezer �Indian� Allan built a log cabin near the river. The Allan family soon moved on, but the settlement of the entire area west of the Genesee River had begun. The name given to the town in 1821 recognized the successful wheat crops already yielded by its fertile soil. Oatka Creek, which winds its way across town to the river, once powered...

A "deliciously frothy fairy tale" from the a ward-winning a uthor of The Book of Boy and the Dairy Queen series ( Horn Book Magazine , starred review).Catherine Gilbert Murdock's talents for storytelling and creating strong female characters take a fresh turn in this spirited and sophisticated fairy tale.Benevolence is not your typical princess. With her parents lost to as...

A “deliciously frothy fairy tale” from the award-winning author of The Book of Boy and the Dairy Queen series (Horn Book Magazine, starred review).Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s talents for storytelling and creating strong female characters take a fresh turn in this spirited and sophisticated fairy tale.Benevolence is not your typical princess. With her parents lost to assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sop...

“Thoroughly charming.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Original.”—Booklist (starred review)"A story about selflessness, friendship and the importance of seeking unity through difference."—Shelf Awareness (starred review)Two unlikely friends—Federico, in sixteenth-century Rome, and Bee, in present-day New Jersey—are linked through an amiable cat, Leonardo Da Vinci’s mysterious wardrobe, and an eerily perfect sketch of Bee. Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdo...

A Newbery Honor Book * Booklist Editors’ Choice * BookPage Best Books * Chicago Public Library Best Fiction * Horn Book Fanfare * Kirkus Reviews Best Books * Publishers WeeklyBest Books * Wall Street Journal Best of the Year * An ALA Notable BookA young outcast is swept up into a thrilling and perilous medieval treasure hunt in this award-winning literary page-turner by acclaimed bestselling author Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The Book of...

After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I’m always in the background . . .But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who’s keen for romance and karaoke. Not to mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking about! Who she is done with, thank you very much. But who keeps showing up an...

Fourteen-year-old Sarah Zorn intends to spend the Wisconsin summer with her “boyfriend” Curtis, waiting for a dead calf named Boris to decompose in time for the science fair. Her plans upend, however, when her fake-boyfriend strategy goes seriously awry just as her hippie Grandma Z invites her on a last-minute Roman holiday. As Sarah explores Italy’s ancient wonders, she can’t stop “boy-liking” Curtis . . . or puzzling over her grandmother’s odd behavior. Written as Sarah’s journal, this s...

After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I’m always in the background—it’s a family joke, actually, that us Schwenk kids could go to school naked on picture day, we’re all so crazy tall. But I mean I was returning to the background of life. Where no one would really notice me or talk about me or even talk to me much except to say things like “Nice shot,” and I could just hang out...

When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can’t help admitting, maybe he’s right.When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn’t so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothe...

Life is looking up for D.J. Schwenk. She’s in eleventh grade, finally. After a rocky summer, she’s reconnecting in a big way with her best friend, Amber. She’s got kind of a thing going with Brian Nelson, who’s cute and popular and smart but seems to like her anyway. And then there’s the fact she’s starting for the Red Bend High School football team—the first girl linebacker in northern Wisconsin, probably. Which just shows you can’t predict the future. As autumn progresses, D.J. struggles...

Magic, cunning, and one very special cat join forces in this hilarious, extraordinary tale by the author of the Dairy Queen trilogy and Princess Ben.Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure beyond the staid oldkingdom of Montagne. Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true identity a secret. Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips.These three souls might possibly attain their dreams while preserving their...

Two unlikely friends—Federico, in sixteenth-century Rome, andBee, in present-day New Jersey—are linked through an amiable cat, Leonardo DaVinci’s mysterious wardrobe, and an eerily perfect sketch of Bee. Newbery Honorauthor Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s Da Vinci’s Cat is a thrilling,time-slip fantasy about rewriting history to save the present. This inventive novelwill engross anyone who loved When You Reach Me and A Wrinkle in...