Books with author Rebecca Rupp

When Daniel’s brother Eli is killed at war, Daniel considers the history of unusual fatalities to determine what makes a death — or a life — matter.Some people die heroically, others accidentally. When Daniel Anderson’s older brother dies, he wonders which category Eli’s death falls into. In an attempt to understand, Danny creates a Book of the Dead — an old binder that he fills with details about dead people, how they died, and, most important, for what purpose. Time passes, and eventually Daniel is prompted to look up from his notebook of death and questions to make new friends and be swept into their imaginings. With gentle humor and genuine emotion, Rebecca Rupp examines the questions that arise following a profound loss and the moments that start life rolling again.

Time gets out of hand in a witty, suspenseful fantasy from the author of The Dragon of Lonely Island.Choose time or lose time. The inscription on his grandfather's pocket watch has always confused Alex. But now that Alex has lost the heirloom, time is all he can think about — time slipping through his fingers. That's when an encounter with a strange lady clues him in to the Blue Moon, a place where earthlings search for what they've lost. Soon Alex is in a rickety spaceship hurtling toward a topsy-turvy world of eccentric characters — from Miss Mumsley, who lost her heart to a prospector, to a medieval scholar who lost his way while calculating pi. It's a perilous journey, plagued by Time Eaters, who suck up their prey's time. How will Alex ever find the watch — and the sense of direction — he's lost? From Rebecca Rupp comes a fast-paced fantasy honoring friendship and courage.

"The well-crafted tale and careful attention to detail will have young readers forgetting that the characters are only a few inches tall. . . . An amazing journey of surprising proportions." —KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred review)The world is drying. Twelve-year-old Tad — who is only a few inches tall — doesn’t even notice it at first. Busy practicing with his new spear, arguing with his sister, Birdie, and living the normal life of a youngling of the Fisher Tribe, he thinks little of a stream slowed to a trickle here, a pond suddenly dwindling there. But Tad begins to have strange flashbacks — glimpses of the past that he knows can't possibly be his own. With these "rememberings" haunting him, he and Birdie begin an adventure marked by great sorrows, fierce battles, and unbreakable friendships. In this remarkable rite of passage, Tad grows to know who he really is and what his destiny holds. For only he can restore the water and save the forests and animals and Tribes.Only he can retrieve the Waterstone.

Family changes bring plenty to dislike — and a chance to grow into acceptance — as a spirited girl speaks her mind with honesty and wit.Sarah Simpson’s Rules for Living:1. Don’t lie.2. Don’t trust anybody but cats.3. Don’t expect happy endings.4. Drink skim milk.5. Avoid blondes.Sarah Simpson loves to make lists. She has lists of the things she doesn’t like about her father’s new wife and her mother’s new boyfriend, and reasons why life is just plain unfair. But through new friendships, a school play, and adjusted relationships, Sarah begins to realize that change might not be such a horrible thing — and that families come in all shapes and sizes. Is it time for Sarah Simpson’s REVISED Rules for Living?

After her parents find clashing answers to life’s big questions, it’s time for Octavia to make some choices of her own in this poignant, funny, thought-provoking novel. (Ages 9-12)Octavia’s best friend, Andrew, wants to know why time runs forward instead of backward, or if it’s possible to talk to an alien jellyfish. Octavia has much bigger questions on her mind: Why do bad things happen, like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11? What is the meaning of life? Is there a God? Octavia’s artist father, Boone, is convinced that Henry David Thoreau holds the key. Meanwhile, her mother, Ray, has always been seeking the larger meaning of life—until now. Not only have Octavia’s parents come up with different answers to the big questions, but their answers are threatening to tear her family apart. Could it be that some questions are too big to have just one answer? Could it be that the universe is far wider than Octavia’s—or perhaps anyone’s—views of it?

After her parents find clashing answers to life’s big questions, it’s time for Octavia to make some choices of her own in this poignant, funny, thought-provoking novel. (Ages 9-12)Octavia’s best friend, Andrew, wants to know why time runs forward instead of backward, or if it’s possible to talk to an alien jellyfish. Octavia has much bigger questions on her mind: Why do bad things happen, like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11? What is the meaning of life? Is there a God? Octavia’s artist father, Boone, is convinced that Henry David Thoreau holds the key. Meanwhile, her mother, Ray, has always been seeking the larger meaning of life--until now. Not only have Octavia’s parents come up with different answers to the big questions, but their answers are threatening to tear her family apart. Could it be that some questions are too big to have just one answer? Could it be that the universe is far wider than Octavia’s--or perhaps anyone’s--views of it?

Grade 3-6-Because their mother needs a quiet place to finish her novel, the three Davis children find themselves spending the summer in a Victorian house on a small island off the coast of Maine. A mysterious letter from their elderly Great Aunt Mehitabel, absentee owner of Lonely Island, helps the siblings discover Fafnyr Goldenwings, a three-headed dragon that sleeps deep inside a cave on Drake's Hill. It can be prickly and fussy, but takes pains not to frighten the children, assuring them at once that it is a vegetarian. Over the course of the summer, each head awakes in turn and tells a story about children that the dragon had helped. It drove away invading Mongols from a Chinese girl's village, saved an orphaned boy from the clutches of evil pirates, and rescued a brother and sister marooned on a desert island-but only after the siblings learned to think for themselves. The children learn that the sister in the last story was actually a young Aunt Mehitabel, who offered the dragon a sanctuary on Lonely Island. The Chinese story has the tone of European tales of exotic Cathay and the other two are reminiscent of earlier children's books, when adventures were more jolly than harrowing. This smoothly written confection may be a tad bland and predictable, but it goes down as easily as an entertaining, light read. Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams

Family changes bring plenty to dislike — and a chance to grow into acceptance — as a spirited girl speaks her mind with honesty and wit.Sarah Simpson’s Rules for Living:1. Don’t lie.2. Don’t trust anybody but cats.3. Don’t expect happy endings.4. Drink skim milk.5. Avoid blondes.Sarah Simpson loves to make lists. She has lists of the things she doesn’t like about her father’s new wife and her mother’s new boyfriend, and reasons why life is just plain unfair. But through new friendships, a school play, and adjusted relationships, Sarah begins to realize that change might not be such a horrible thing — and that families come in all shapes and sizes. Is it time for Sarah Simpson’s REVISED Rules for Living?

In the long-awaited follow-up to THE DRAGON OF LONELY ISLAND, three adventurous children find further intrigue on a tiny Maine island where a talkative three-headed dragon lives out its days.With their parents off to London on a special trip, Hannah, Zachary, and Sarah Emily are thrilled to be going back to Aunt Mehitabel's house on Lonely Island. Though their favorite aunt can't join them, they know their tummies will soon be filled with Mrs. Jones's mouthwatering cookies and their minds full of Fafnyr, the fabulous creature they befriended last summer. The glittering three-headed dragon remains safely hidden in a cave high above the ocean, waiting for the children's return. But is Fafnyr's hiding place safe? As the children nervously discover, a white yacht is now anchored off the private island, and a crew led by billionaire J. P. King has been scouring onshore, supposedly watching birds. The children have promised to keep Fafnyr's existence a secret, but it's hard to know if the smooth-talking Mr. King is friend or foe. Only Fafnyr's own stories can lead the Dragon Friends to the heart of the mystery, as they teach the children to think more clearly, to make the right decisions - and to discover what's worth fighting for.