Avi, . . S&S/Aladdin, $5.99 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-689-83825-5
"Themes reminiscent of Jack London's Call of the Wild
ring throughout this vividly imagined animal story [told] from a canine perspective," said PW. "The action moves along at a crackling pace, reaching a crescendo in a dramatic moonlight confrontation." Ages 8-12. (Apr.)
Weaving together a fast-moving plot, solid characterizations, sharply tuned dialogue and a wealth of detail, Avi (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) offers Continue reading »
Themes reminiscent of Jack London's The Call of the Wild
ring throughout this vividly imagined animal story. From a canine perspective, Avi (Continue reading »
Set in 14th-century England, Avi's (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) 50th book begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is Continue reading »
Dubbed "very short stories for little listeners," this selection culled from the author's 1970 debut book of the same name is paired with effervescent all-new art. Exuberant silliness Continue reading »
Avi and Mordan (Lost! A Story in String) translate the silent screen experience into print with aplomb, from the clever opening "credits" to "The Continue reading »
The 16-year-old narrator juggles everything from failing math grades and air raid blackouts to a crush on his teacher and worries about his merchant marine father crossing the North Atlantic, in Continue reading »
With Newbery Medalist Avi (Crispin: The Cross of Lead) at the helm of an over-the-top romp set in 1900 New York City, "you got yourself a story busting to Continue reading »
When the teacher at the one-room schoolhouse must depart unexpectedly, a 14-year-old girl swears the other students to secrecy and decides to take over the school in order to complete her exit Continue reading »
WHAT DO FISH HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING: And Other Stories
Avi
"Seemingly ordinary events take unexpected turns, leading Avi's middle-school heroes and heroines (and readers) to profound, often disturbing truths," said Continue reading »
Collaborating on a novel alternately narrated by middle-grade twins, Newbery Medalist Avi (Crispin
) and Vail (the Friendship Ring books) invent a sit-comish Continue reading »
Set in 14th-century England, this Newbery-winning novel centers on an orphaned outcast who gets pegged for murder. "How the boy learns his true identity and finds his place in the world makes Continue reading »
THE END OF THE BEGINNING: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (And an Even Smaller Ant)
Avi
Newbery medalist Avi (Crispin
) returns to animal fantasy with this gently humorous tale about two travelers in search of excitement, an earlier version of which Continue reading »
In a starred review, PW
called this tale of a baseball-loving jewel thief of a rat who takes over Central Park in 1900 New York City, "an over-the-top Continue reading »
A 14-year-old girl experiences hardships while growing up in China during the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution. "Facing one test of courage after another, Chu Ju emerges as a heroine Continue reading »
Newbery medalist Avi's (Crispin)
nimble hand with scene-setting, characterization and dialogue will quickly draw youngsters into this tale set in 1046 Continue reading »
"Collaborating on a novel alternately narrated by seventh-grade twins, Avi and Vail invent a sit-comish plot but redeem it by endowing their characters with strong voices and relaying their Continue reading »
Avi lifts a few facts from Charles Dickens's biography to spin this action-packed tale of secret identities, double-dealing and betrayal, set in mid-19th-century London. John Huffam (the Continue reading »
This fascinating adventure taken from U.S. history begins in Brooklyn in 1862, when Tom Carroll, 13, is hired at the Iron Works in Greenpoint for a secret project, derisively known around the Continue reading »
Newbery Medalist Avi (Crispin: The Cross of Lead
) sets this intriguing ghost story in 19th-century New York City, where a photographer’s apprentice has a Continue reading »
Readers are returned to the Renaissance city of Pergamontio in this funny, lightweight mystery, set before the events of Avi's Midnight Magic
, with Continue reading »
In this crackling good yarn--a Newbery Honor book--a 13-year-old girl must extricate herself from a perilous position during an 1832 transatlantic voyage. Ages 12-up. Continue reading »
The Newbery Honor author offers a potent brew of mystery and adventure in this tale of an 11-year-old boy involved in a search for a centuries-old shipwreck. Ages 8-12. Continue reading »
Termed ``compelling'' by PW, this early novel by the two-time Newbery Honor author concerns a boy who learns valuable lessons as he battles to save his family's summer cottage. Ages 12-up. Continue reading »
One day in the life of a 13-year-old boy fighting in the Revolutionary War is vividly depicted in hour-by-hour vignettes. Ages 9-up. Continue reading »
""This austere tale set in 1855 tells how the children of Oregon settlers are left to fend for themselves on the frontier,"" said PW, noting that ""it will gratify those who seek a quiet, Continue reading »
The spirited mouse star from Poppy must now face life after Ragweed (her fiance who was killed by an owl). Poppy and her curmudgeonly porcupine friend Ereth leave Dimwood Forest in search of Continue reading »
Consummate storyteller Avi outdoes himself in this prequel to Poppy and Poppy and Rye, cutting loose with a crackerjack tale that's pure delight from start to finish. Here Ragweed, the adventurous Continue reading »
Montmers--a combination of jackrabbit, prairie dog and human--feature in a fantasy/adventure; in a starred review, PW called it ""exciting, suspenseful and witty."" Ages 8-12. (Oct.) Continue reading »
In a starred review, PW said, ""Consummate storyteller Avi outdoes himself in this prequel to Poppy and Poppy and Rye, cutting loose with a crackerjack tale that's pure delight from start to Continue reading »
Avi (Poppy's Return) turns the multifaceted theme of transformation this way and that in five provocative tales. In ""Bored Tom,"" a listless 12-year-old, envying his cat's nap-filled existence, Continue reading »
On an ordinary evening, just as he's about to leave for a party, 15-year-old Andy Zadinski receives a phone call from a stranger that changes his life. The caller, Zeke, confesses to the murder of a Continue reading »
Ed discovers that his best friend Saltz is nursing a secret love for Anabell Stackpoole and gets the rest of the other eighth graders to rewrite and produce their version of Romeo and Juliet. They Continue reading »
Told in the form of a recollection, these ``confessions'' cover 13-year-old Charlotte's eventful 1832 transatlantic crossing. She begins her trip a prim schoolgirl returning home to her American Continue reading »
Structured as a series of journal entries, memos, letters and dialogues, this highly original novel emerges as a witty satire of high school politics, revealing how truth can easily become distorted. Continue reading »
As expertly crafted as Avi's Nothing But the Truth , this lightning-paced satire set during WW II shows how Franklin D. Wattleson, a superhero fan, creates his own brand of adventure when taking on Continue reading »
A departure from Avi's recent sweeping adventure stories (City of Light, City of Dark; Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?), this austere tale set in 1855 tells how the children of Oregon settlers are Continue reading »
Tom, Babette & Simon: Three Tales of Transformation
Avi
Already noted for his diversity, Avi (The Barn; City of Light, City of Dark) tries his hand at yet another literary genre, masterfully composing three fairy tales. As sharply ironic and full of wit Continue reading »
It is no small feat replicating the narrative style, character types and intricate plotting of a 19th-century serial novel, but Avi continues to accomplish the task with panache in Book Two of his Continue reading »
Avi (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) flexes his creative muscles again, this time with a book that ""fits in the `fun' category,"" as he comments in a publicity letter. Featuring endearing Continue reading »
Avi's (Poppy; Poppy and Rye; Ragweed) Dimwood Forest tales continue with this story--equal parts humor and suspense--that puts a non-mouse character in the limelight for the first time. Convinced Continue reading »
""Taut and suspenseful, this vivid mystery set in an imaginary kingdom of Renaissance Italy is vintage Avi,"" said PW in a starred review. ""With snappy dialogue, nonstop action and lavishly Continue reading »
``One raw day in 1870,'' the owner of a touring medicine show takes in an eight-year-old orphan as ``company servant'' and dubs him Punch, a whimsical tribute to his beloved daughter, Judy. Four Continue reading »
One of the most versatile YA novelists of the day teams up with first-time illustrator Floca to produce first-rate science fiction in comic-book form. After outlining an altered version of New York Continue reading »
A pretty bird opens each day by singing: although her song is ``nothing very special,'' it nonetheless causes the sun to beam. This bucolic routine is interrupted one day by a pompous, bossy frog, Continue reading »
Newbery Honor author Avi (Tom, Babette and Simon, reviewed June 12) turns out another winner with this fanciful tale featuring a cast of woodland creatures. As ruler of Dimwood Forest, Ocax the hoot Continue reading »
What Do Fish Have to Do with Anything?: And Other Stories
Avi
Avi (City of Light, City of Dark) is in top form constructing these seven surprising stories. Seemingly ordinary events (offering a handout, getting a series of hang-ups on the telephone, eating Continue reading »
Beyond the Western Sea: Book One: The Escape from Home
Avi
Devotees of historical novels will quickly become absorbed in this drama set in 19th-century England, about the misadventures of an Irish peasant and the young son of an English lord who cross paths Continue reading »
Tom, Babette, & Simon: Three Tales of Transformation
Avi
Familiar archetypes combine with unexpected plot twists (e.g., a boy trades places with his cat, a fortune hunter regrets his granted wish) in these offbeat fairy tales. In a starred review, PW Continue reading »
Sixteen-year-old Howie Crispers narrates Avi's (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) poignant, funny coming-of-age tale set in Brooklyn during WWII. For the facts, readers can consult Stephen E. Continue reading »
Madeleine L'Engle, Richard Peck and other favorite authors transit eight characters into the 21st century. These stories, mostly slices of realism with a hint of the supernatural, introduce universal Continue reading »
Thirteen-year-old Maks Geless, the oldest son of Danish immigrants, makes eight cents a day hawking The World on Manhattan street corners in 1893. Newbery Medalist Avi tells his story in a vibrant, Continue reading »
Newbery Medalist Avi (Crispin: The Cross of Lead) channels the mood, language, and danger of the Revolutionary War in this seamless blend of history and fiction, set in British-occupied New York Continue reading »
Set in 1951 Brooklyn, Newbery Medalist Avi?s (Crispin: The Cross of Lead) suspenseful novel shows how seventh-grader Pete Collison deals with persecution and paranoia as he searches for Continue reading »
Part survival story and part coming-of-age tale, Avi's (Catch You Later, Traitor) novel is told from the alternating points of view of two hunters: Nashoba, an aging wolf, and Casey, a 13-year-old Continue reading »
The Most Important Thing: Stories About Sons, Fathers, and Grandfathers
Avi
In these seven short stories from Avi (Catch You Later, Traitor), the relationships among fathers, grandfathers, and sons are as varied as the clearly delineated characters themselves. Continue reading »
The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts: Being an Absolutely Accurate Autobiographical Account of My Follies, Fortune, and Fate
Avi
With dry wit and a strong Dickensian flavor, this first installment in Avi?s Oliver Cromwell Pitts saga has an 18th-century British boy finding misfortune everywhere he turns. The adventure begins Continue reading »
Journalist Yasmin (If God Is a Virus, for adults) effectively explores contemporary media literacy’s barriers and how to overcome them in this eye-opening work told via Continue reading »
With collaborators Barnes (I Am Every Good Thing) and Anyabwile (Becoming Muhammad Ali), Smith details his childhood leading up to his historic Olympic protest—and its Continue reading »
Strong characterizations and polished digital art distinguish Hicks’s pleasurable graphic novel of building friendship through shared devotion. As summer ends, best friends Continue reading »
Callender (Moonflower) explores themes such as accountability, honesty, and self-love in this West Philly–set novel that follows a queer Black teen searching for a place to Continue reading »