Books with author Jan L. Coates

The Caramel Tree Readers Level 4 is a delicious series of leveled readers for children ages 7 to 9. Students expand to diverse original stories with a word count of approximately 2,000 words. The stories in this series vary with narrative in first person or third person, and they have increased character dialogue, which allows students to develop character studies. They focus on realistic fiction and have settings that students can relate to, but each story has a unique twist that will keep students thinking. Antonia must prepare for the Beethoven Bonanza and she receives some special help from Mr. Beethoven himself. She is granted 10 meetings with the great composer himself and his magical appearances do help her, but they also lead to some embarrassing situations. Mr. Beethoven appears even when uncalled for, and Antonia is running out of time. Will she be ready for the Beethoven Bonanza?

2011 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Text Nominee Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medalist, 2011 2011 Skipping Stones Honor Award winner On the 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Books honor list Ann Conner Brimer Award for Children's Literature finalist, 2011 2011 Snow Willow Award nominee A 2012 "Woozles' Battle of the Books" Elementary List Title A 2012 "Woozles' Battle of the Books" Teen List Title When civil war strikes Jacob Deng's Southern Sudanese village, seven-year-old Jacob embarks on a seemingly endless journey that tests his courage and determination. His wise mama tells him that he must one day go to school to seek answers and help carve a better future for his people. Wadeng is a Dinka word meaning "look to the future, it will be better; follow your dreams", and it, along with his precious "Mama stone", becomes Jacob's talisman of hope, helping him remain strong on his seven-year search for a place of refuge. Jacob and his young friends are confronted with war, starvation, dehydration, raging rivers, crocodile and lion attacks, and the evil Majok - the constant thorn in Jacob's side - as they struggle to survive on their own. As the boys work and grow together as a family, surviving in harsh conditions, against the odds, Jacob's boyhood desire to become a soldier wanes. Gradually, he comes to the realization that fighting doesn't improve anything and begins to embrace his mother's belief in education as the road to peace and stability. Inspired by the real life experiences of a Lost Boy of Sudan, this novel is about an extraordinary journey of courage, perseverance, and hope.

The Caramel Tree Readers Level 2 is a delicious series of leveled readers for children ages 5 to 7. It offers a range of classic fairy tale adaptations and stories with 500 to 700 words. Each book in this set features a few sentences per page that are accompanied by detailed illustrations. Given the familiar contexts, some of the fairy tales have been reworked or adapted so that students are always surprised and eager to read all the way to the unexpected endings. Chicken Little always complains. So, his friends do not believe him when he tells them the sky is falling. Then a storm arrives and only Chicken Little can help bring his friends to safety, if only they believe in him.

If only Bob could go back to being the Mr. Invisible of his superhero days. Back when he wasn’t always being compared to his super-talented hardcore basketball god brother and perfect little sister. Back when Roy and Kyle didn’t know he existed. To make matters even worse, his dad is really sick and getting sicker. When Bob begins planning a fundraiser basketball game in support of cancer research, things start to look up. With Roy being temporarily out of the picture after terrorizing some little kids, Bob finally gets a chance to play on the D1 basketball team and ends up helping Roy complete his community service. Maria seems to be becoming more than a friend, and even big brother James starts paying more attention to him, and gives Bob some pointers on how to become The Rocket Man. But cancer rears its ugly head again when a bad fall lands Dad in a wheelchair. Will he be strong enough to make it to the Hoop Heroes 4 Health game?

In the little village of Duk Padiet in southern Sudan, a boy named Jacob Deng thrives on the love of his mother, the companionship of his sisters, the excitement of learning how to look after his uncle's herds of cattle. The year is 1987, and suddenly in the night soldiers from the north invade the village, looting, burning, and killing. The war has arrived, and the life of Jacob will never be the same. This novel is based on the real life experiences of a Sudanese boy who, with thousands of other boys from the region, fled for his life and spent seven years walking through deserts, grasslands and forests, crossing crocodile-infested rivers, surviving life in massive refugee camps. The so-called Lost Boys of Sudan - as they were called by an American aid organization - numbered as many as 27,000, and while many died - from starvation, attacks by wild animals, drowning, or through the brutality of the military - many survived. Jacob never returned to his village, but though he was only seven years old when he had to flee, he somehow managed to live through an almost unimaginable ordeal.. Throughout the seven years covered in this story, Jacob resists the temptation to join the liberation army. Steadily Jacob finds himself more and more adhering to his mother's advice that getting an education is crucial to escaping the cycle of violence that afflicts his country. Jacob's struggle, then, is to persist in seeking out teachers and eventually a school where his ambition to learn about the world can be met. Through it all he learns about loyalty and love for close friends who have been thrust together with him on this extraordinary journey, and also about the guiding light provided by the memory of his mother.

When Aladdin is trapped by the evil Jabali in the depths of a cave, his only escape comes from a genie that lives in a magic lamp. The genie not only helps Aladdin return home safely but he also provides a life of ease for Aladdin. Soon the evil Jabali returns and steals the magic lamp along with the beautiful princess Paloma, Aladdin's bride. Aladdin must outsmart Jabali to get his princess back. The Caramel Tree Readers Level 6 is an eclectic series of leveled readers for children ages 9 to 12. It contains classic story adaptations with approximately 7,000 words.

Jennifer's best friend has moved away and she has become the sole focus for the mean-spirited teasing from the "mean girls" and the "bad boys" at school. But when the new girl, Melody, joins their class the bullies have a new victim. Melody is native and has moved from the recently closed residential school to join the fifth grade class at Summerhill. At first Jennifer is nervous about becoming friends with Melody. She has heard what people (including her grandmother) say about "those people." But as she gets to know her new classmate, she discovers that they have more in common than she first thought — both of them find sanctuary amongst the books in the town library and both of them love music and being outdoors. Set in a small town in the coal mining regions of Nova Scotia during the late 1960s, this story of discovery and friendship perfectly captures time and place through the voice of its young narrator, Jennifer.

The Caramel Tree Readers Level 6 is a delicious series of leveled readers for children ages 9 to 12. It contains a mix of classic story adaptations and new, original stories with approximately 7,000 words. This level contains multiple genres, including fantasy, sci-fi, realistic fiction, horror/suspense, and wacky fiction. The range of written styles, from more formal language to modern English, helps students develop fluency. An adventure begins when five city children spend their summer vacation at a country house. While they explore, they discover IT, a magical sand fairy who is able to grant wishes. However, the children are not wise in their decisions and must face the adventurous consequences of their whimsical choices.

The Caramel Tree Readers Level 5 is a delicious series of leveled readers for children ages 7 to 9. With approximately 4,000 words each, the stories provide students the opportunity to expand their reading skills by witnessing character development and more complex plots. These stories expose students to fluent prose, including idioms and colloquial language as well as more complex grammatical structures. Matthew MacDougall is an ordinary kid who wants to be an extraordinary basketball player. The only problem is that he is too short. One day, Matthew finds the solution to his problem but soon learns that it is not so great being the center of attention all the time. His new problem is not so easy to fix!

The Caramel Tree Readers Level 4 is a delicious series of leveled readers for children ages 7 to 9. Students expand to diverse original stories with a word count of approximately 2,000 words. The stories in this series vary with narrative in first person or third person, and they have increased character dialogue, which allows students to develop character studies. They focus on realistic fiction and have settings that students can relate to, but each story has a unique twist that will keep students thinking. Camila always wished she could talk to her dog but when a friendly neighbor makes this possible, she is not sure whether a talking dog is such a good idea anymore. Camila and her dog, Homer, must make a big decision that will test their friendship and loyalty.

The Caramel Tree Readers Level 4 is a delicious series of leveled readers for children ages 7 to 9. The diverse, original stories have a word count of approximately 2,000 words. The stories in this series vary with narrative in first person or third person, and they have increased character dialogue, which allows students to develop character studies. They focus on realistic fiction and have settings that students can relate to, but each story has a unique twist that will keep students thinking. Liam loves his ageing gray cat, Queen Scruffabella, but his new baby brother may be allergic to her. Liam is faced with a difficult decision: should he keep his baby brother or his beloved cat? Of course, he cannot get rid of his baby brother. And that’s not the end of Liam’s problems: his neighbor, Mr. Cunningham, whose ears don’t seem to work very well, loves to play his bagpipes just when Liam wants to watch his favorite TV programs. When Liam thinks carefully about his problems, he finds the perfect solution for Queen Scruffabella and Mr. Cunningham.

If only Bob could go back to being the Mr. Invisible of his superhero days. Back when he wasn't always being compared to his super-talented hardcore basketball god brother and perfect little sister. Back when Roy and Kyle didn't know he existed. To make matters even worse, his dad is really sick and getting sicker. When Bob begins planning a fundraiser basketball game in support of cancer research, things start to look up. With Roy being temporarily out of the picture after terrorizing some little kids, Bob finally gets a chance to play on the D1 basketball team and ends up helping Roy complete his community service. Maria seems to be becoming more than a friend, and even big brother James starts paying more attention to him, and gives Bob some pointers on how to become The Rocket Man. But cancer rears its ugly head again when a bad fall lands Dad in a wheelchair. Will he be strong enough to make it to the Hoop Heroes 4 Health game? Selected as a 2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the Young Adult Library Services Associates (a division of the American Library Association)