Books with author Kimberley Griffiths Little

Twelve-year-old Luke Espinosa dreams of becoming a great soccer player--a dream that seems impossible, since Luke has never played soccer and doesn't even own a ball. But one day he spots an old, discarded soccer ball and his spirits soar. With his own ball, he can practice every day until he's good enough to make the school team. Then Luke discovers that his father, who left when Luke was a baby, is a professional soccer player. Now Luke is sure his dream is coming true. Soccer is in his genes. He'll go live with his father and learn to play the game he loves. So when he's ridiculed and challenged by one of the school's star players, he makes an impossible promise. H agrees to meet the bully for a match--the bully's team against Luke's own team. The problem is that Luke doesn't have his own team . . . or any soccer skills. Then Luke gets a letter from his father, who says there's no room in his life for Luke. It's time for Luke to stop just dreaming . . . and find the inner courage to make his dreams come true.Author Bio: Kimberley Griffiths Little lives in a solar adobe house along the Rio Grande with her husband, a robotic engineer and their three sons. Taking walks in the towering cottonwood groves along the riverbanks gives her inspiration for her books. The author's favorite places are the library and her home, writing at the computer. She reads several books a week, is an excellent pianist, enjoys going to the movies, and bakes the best brownies ever. Please visit Kimberley at her website: www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com. Check out her Author Visits Page, Teacher's Guides, and book trailers.

Will Kendall survive his clan’s massacre and live out his destiny as the last Snake Runner? Kendall can’t believe how quickly his dad remarried after his mom died, and he especially can’t believe his dad’s choice: Juanita is of Spanish descent. That feels like a slap in the face considering Kendall’s mom was Native American. This is all more than Kendall can handle, and he needs to get away to the desert where he can think. And especially where he can run. Running is his destiny: he’s the last member of the Snake Clan, the clan known for its long runs across the desert floor–until the Spanish arrived in the Southwest and destroyed the tribe. When Kendall slips through a hole in time, he finds himself 400 years in the past, just as the Spanish, with their guns and armor, are starting to lay claim to the Southwest. Can Kendall survive the horrible battles so he can return to his own time? Will he become the last Snake Runner, as the spirits have told him he must? More importantly, what will he learn about himself in the process?

Praise for The Last Snake Runner:“The novel succeeds as a fast-paced adventure and as a meditation on the consequences of a clash of dissimilar cultures.”—School Library Journal“Little’s strength is her depiction of daily life among the Acoma, especially the ceremonies performed by the now-extinct Snake Clan. . . .”—BooklistA 2004–2005 New Mexico Land of Enchantment Nominee

Kendall believes in magic. He can feel it when he runs. Drawn into his great-grandfather's world of secrets and sacred ceremony, Kendall discovers that the magic is linked to an ancient and mysterious life as old as the earth itself. In this dramatic and exciting story, Kendall encounters wild horses, rattlesnakes and runs a dangerous journey across the desert to save his grandfather's life even as visions from the spirit world give him the answers he seeks. Land of Enchantment Master List Pennsylvania Young Readers List Southwest Book Award Winner

Kids prefer to do things with their best friends, and in "Mystic and Boysen Go to the Dentist," a young girl and her dinosaur learn that working together is the best way to take care of themselves and each other. Mystic and Boysen are as close as sister and brother, and they spend all day, every day together. When Boysen comes down with a toothache, these two intrepid friends head to the dentist to figure out how to help him feel better. With their dentist's guidance, Mystic and Boysen discover how to keep their teeth and gums healthy and happy.