Books with author Elizabeth Kimmel

Kindergarten Memory Book is a book about the first day of school to read on the last day of school. Work on it with your Kindergartener now, and then give it as a special gift on his or her very last day of high school. This is the perfect preschool graduation gift from Moms, Dads, Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, or friends!There are questions for adults:* Tell your Kindergartener about a time when you were really proud of him or her.* What do you think your Kindergartener might be when he or she grows up?* What makes your Kindergartener laugh?And there are questions for kids:* What do you want to be when you grow up?* What was your favorite thing we did this summer?* How do you feel about going back to school tomorrow?The Kindergarten Memory Book is a fun activity to do together before Kindergarten, and a special gift to give your High School Senior.

In a quaint New England town with a history of witches and pilgrims, misunderstood eleven-year-old Norman Babcock can see and talk to ghosts. No one believes him, of course-everyone just thinks he's weird (including his parents). But when a folktale of a witch who cursed her accusers turns out to be true, it's up to Norman to save the town from pilgrim zombies! In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on a very angry witch, an annoying sidekick, his boy-crazy teenage sister, and dozens of moronic grown-ups who get in his way. This young ghoul whisperer finds his paranormal talents pushed to their otherworldly limits in this hilarious and spooky adventure!Featuring gorgeous interior illustrations, this novel is sure to delight!

Moscow, 1958: sixteen-year-old ballerina Svetlana’s dreams come true when she is invited to join the Bolshoi Ballet, but not is all as it seems. Now Svetlana is caught between the sinister worlds of very powerful people in the regime and the KGB, and the other world—one she was trying to escape through dance, the gift she’s been afraid of her entire life. The Bolshoi Saga: Svetlana is the third and final book in the series that is described as a feminist take on The Godfather, set in the world of Russian ballet.The year is 1958, and sixteen-year-old Svetlana is stuck in a Moscow orphanage designated for the unwanted children of Stalin’s enemies. Ballet is her obsession and salvation, her only hope at shedding a tainted family past. When she is invited to join the Bolshoi Ballet—the crown jewel of Russian culture and the pride of the Soviet Union—her dreams appear to have been realized. But she quickly learns that nobody’s past or secrets are safe.The dreaded KGB knows about the mysterious trances Sveta has suffered, inexplicable episodes that seem to offer glimpses of the past. Some very powerful people believe Sveta is capable of serving the regime as more than a ballerina, and they wish to recruit her to spy on the West as part of the nascent Soviet psychic warfare program. If she is to erase the sins of her family, if she is to dance on the world stage for the Motherland—if she is to survive—she has no choice but to explore her other gift.The story of teenage Svetlana, matriarch of three generations of ballerinas, is both the end and the beginning of the Bolshoi Saga. This title, and the debut, Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy and its follow up, Hider, Seeker, Secret, Keeper can all be read as stand-alone novels, although reading all three will provide a deeper understanding of the often thrilling—and surprisingly dangerous—world of the Dukovskaya ballerinas.

The Bolshoi Saga: LanaLana Dukovskaya is an up and coming talent at the Bolshoi Ballet, where her mother, Marina, also danced until her career came to a mysterious end. On the eve of an international tour, Lana’s best friend and chief rival is brutally attacked, making Lana both the substitute soloist and the prime suspect.Once in New York, Lana meets Georgi Levshik, a powerful Russian émigré who claims to know the truth about her mother’s past. Lana is wary, torn between curiosity and distrust. But when another young dancer is struck down just hours before her debut, Lana knows she is in danger. On the run, Lana puts her trust in Levshik’s alluring bodyguard, Roma. Together they must uncover the truth about a blood feud involving three generations of Dukovskaya dancers.

A timely YA thriller—part John Le Carré and part The Americans—about a Bolshoi ballerina trapped by family secrets and a legacy of espionage.The Bolshoi Saga: MarinaMarina is born into privilege. A talented young dancer with Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet at the height of the Cold War, she seems destined to follow in the footsteps of her mother Svetlana, a Soviet Artist of the People. But when Svetlana disappears without explanation, Marina and her father have to get out. Fast. They defect to America, hoping they’ve escaped Russia’s secret police, hoping they can make a fresh start in New York. Instead they discover the web of intrigue around Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach is as tangled as the one they left behind.

Mary IngalLs lost her sight after a devastating bout of scarlet fever. Now Mary has the opportunity to attend the Iowa College for the Blind, where she will get a fresh start with her education and can learn the skills she needs for an independent future as well. It seems like a dream come true. But it also means leaving her cherished family behind in Dakota Territory, including her sister Laura. Laura's feisty personality has always complemented Mary's quiet nature, and ever since Mary lost her sight, Laura has served as Mary's "eyes" to the world. Now that she's on her own, Mary must learn to get along without her beloved sister, and in the process realizes that she may have a bit of Laura's spunk in her after all. For the first time, readers will get a glimpse into the life of Mary Ingalls and will discover a whole new side of this Little House sister they've gotten to know through Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic Little House books.

Mulgrew Middle School Summer Trip to ParisMadame Chavotte: French Teacher and Chaperone. Built like a tank, with only one eyebrow.Charlotte McGrath: Vault of European Information.In Command of All Details.Bonnie Roberts: Astral Traveler and Channeler of Messages from the Universe.Janet Graham: Obsessed with All That Is French. Insists on pronouncing own name Jah-nay.Lewis Pilsky: Computer God. Walking Pillar of Geekdom. Bud and Chaz: The Football Guys. Heads suspiciously jar shaped.Tim: Last name unknown. To everyone's knowledge, has never spoken.And, of course . . .Lily B.: Self-Appointed Official Diarist of the Trip and Writer Extraordinaire.

They wanted to give every girl a voice. They had no idea they'd make so much noise. Paulina, Miko, Tally, and Ivy are headed to the Big Apple! The four girls will shadow real reporters at City Nation magazine over their Thanksgiving break, and report on all their events for the next issue of 4Girls. There's excitement, glamour, and plenty to see in New York in just three days.

Favorable Reviews for: Lily B. on the Brink of Cool"A pitch-perfect tween/teen vibe. Kimmel has it in spades."--Publishers Weekly"An entertaining novel that middle-school girls will pass to their friends."--Children's Literarture "A delightful heroine, sweeter than predecessors Georgia Nicholson and Adrian Mole-and hilarious."--Kirkus Favorable Reviews for: Lily B. on the Brink of Love"As witty and precocious as in the first book. . . . Lily's journal entries and advice columns, and her continued growth in learning to judge the character of would-be friends, deliver laughs and substance."--School Library Journal "This exuberant comedy of middle-school Love at First Sight will capture and delight its target audience. . . . Funny and full of great language. "--Children's Literature

Spirit-seeing Kat has pretty much overcome her fear of communicating with ghosts. But when she and her best friend, Jac, visit the Whispering Pines Mountain House and Kat is challenged to help a deceased medium make her way back into the light, things get a little darker. From battling off deadly black clouds to fighting with her very own best friend, Kat's week-long stay at the haunted mountain house is anything but relaxing. The question is what will be scarier: facing off against a misguided spirit or her best friend?