Books published by publisher Cricket Books

The first day of Stephanie’s junior year is a step into the underworld. Led into desire, depression, and alienation by the intoxicating yet strangely distant figure of Denny Pistill, Stephanie must cope with a series of fears and crises. Denny and Stephanie are drawn to each other through writing and reading poetry, and author Liz Rosenberg’s own poetic sense gives truth to Stephanie’s ability to make art out of the darkest things. Stephanie’s passage through an emotional winter, which echoes the myth of Persephone, ultimately brings her into a budding sense of life and hope. Written in short chapters in the style of prose poetry, this is an exquisitely crafted, emotionally honest novel for young adults from a prize-winning author.

Plunged into the dark waters off Sumatra when her ferry sinks, 14-year-old Emily fights to stay alive amid the chaos and horror of passengers drowning in the night. Striking out toward land, Emily finds a young Islamic Indonesian boy, Isman, floating in a life jacket. Hungry, thirsty, and exhausted, Emily realizes that their survival depends on her ability to keep her mind clear and her emotions in check. Testing the limits of their physical strength, she and Isman face a shark scare, a whirlpool, and other dangers. For emotional strength, Emily increasingly looks to Isman, who draws courage from his quiet but firm Islamic faith. Overboard is based on the true story of a young American woman who survived the sinking of an overloaded Indonesian ferry in January 1996. Of the more than 400 passengers aboard, only 40 people survived.

The Vo family has just moved to Paris from a small town in northern France. The change is almost more than nine-year-old Vero can manage. Her parents are too busy to keep an eye on her in the big city, and her older brother, Philippe, wants nothing to do with her. In fact, the siblings can barely stand each other. Since Vero and Philippe aren’t allowed to play outside, they must find ways to amuse themselves. Vero devises imaginative activities like raising a prize snail, creating families of chestnuts, and engineering a fake monster to scare her brother. Philippe does his best to put up with her antics, though the task becomes increasingly difficult. Francine, the young maid and nanny, is little help, consumed as she is by housework and a new boyfriend. Over the course of the year, everyone in the family learns to adjust to their new home. Vero survives her brother’s meanness, her father’s attempts at cooking, and a new school. And when Francine is fired, Vero and Philippe unite in the cause to get her back.

This poignant historical novel about two teenagers from different worlds centers on a little-known event on the World War II homefront. To Adam Bornstein, a 15-year-old Jewish Yugoslavian, World War II has meant constant danger, secrecy, and fear. But when Rome is liberated in June 1944, Adam, along with his mother and sister, is given the chance to escape war-ravaged Italy for the safety of upstate New York. To 14-year-old Christine Cook the war symbolizes all the drama and excitement missing in her own humdrum world of Oswego, NY. When a refugee camp is established near her home, she finds herself drawn to the residents whose pasts are so different from her own. There Christine meets Adam, and the attraction between the two is instant and overpowering. But their parents don't approve, and their objections grow more pronounced as the romance develops. Christine and Adam are brought together by a world at war, but the struggle that threatens to tear them apart lies within their own families. Will their love for each other prevail over the narrow-mindedness of the adults around them?

Kevin is a quiet boy. He lives in a quiet house, on a quiet street, in a quiet town. Nothing exciting ever happens to him . . . until Cynthia the Kangaroo hops into his life. Billed as the Mistress of 1,000 Disguises, Cynthia has escaped from the circus to follow her true calling as a comic. But she has her paws full staying one jump ahead of the Twisty Lady and the Strongman, who want bring her back to the circus. Hiding out in Kevin's bedroom, Cynthia becomes convinced that someone is stealing Kevin's parents' inventions. She dons disguise after disguise and keeps Kevin smiling at her jokes, as the two of them set out to ambush the culprit.

For Callie, with her serious fear of heights, the name Monster Mountain says it all. Why did she ever agree to a weekend of snowboarding with her best friend Jen? Jen is eager to brave the highest slopes and can?t stop talking about all her Olympic snowboard heroes. Callie is sick with fear. But her greater fear is that Jen will guess her secret, and that the new girl Izzy?an experienced boarder?will become Jen?s new best friend.Author Eve Bunting, inspired by her granddaughters? interest in the sport, took to the slopes herself. What she learned about snowboarding, the hard way, lends authentic detail to this story about friendship and fear.

Thirteen-year-old Jackie Monterey wants to write a novel the summer before he starts high school. There's just one problem -- he can't get past the first sentence. His friends are no help. When Nick isn't combing his hair or dealing with his fear of dogs, he's checking out girls. Gary is either obsessed with perfecting his new English accent or just idolizing Nick. And Jackie's best friend, Mallory, a theme park fanatic, is caught up in her own writing project -- a contest essay to win a trip to Kingdom of Magic.It looks like Jackie might finally find inspiration when he joins the swim team and falls in love with the coach's daughter. But things start to get weird when Nick hooks up with a dog-crazy girlfriend and Mallory begins reciting poetry with a goon from the rival swim team. Before the summer is over, everything Jackie has counted on to stay the same has changed, and everyone is giving him advice, about how to live his life. They couldn't be right, could they?

From John Updike’s “Player Piano” to Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” from Lucille Clifton’s “the earth is a living thing” to Gelett Burgess’s “The Purple Cow,” these poems tumble from children’s tongues and dance with their tapping toes. Whether joyous, rhythmic, solemn, or simple silly fun, poetry learned by heart has a lasting claim on children’s affections and a permanent home in their hearts. The introduction includes tips for teaching kids how to memorize poems. Vecchione presents a selection of verses with rhythms, themes, and wordplay that especially appeal to middle graders.

Alex and his dog Patch are out for a walk when the boy discovers a little toy mouse dressed in a red vest. He falls in love with the tiny creature — promptly named Reggie — and takes it home. Soon, “lost mouse” signs appear in Alex’s neighborhood, but he ignores them — after all, anyone who could lose such an adorable thing must deserve to lose it. His friend Brian tries to convince him to return the mouse to its heartbroken owner, but Alex won’t hear of it. The boys quarrel, and poor Patch ends up in the middle. Brian storms off — and so does the jealous Patch. When Alex calls the dog to his supper, the gate is open and Patch is gone. Alex and his parents search the neighborhood, but no Patch. They put up flyers, but still no Patch. Whoever’s found a beloved pet like Patch wouldn’t just keep him . . . would they? Alex’s struggle to overcome selfishness rings true with young readers.

Twelve-year-old best friends Carly and Arlene write about the final, cataclysmic days of Atlantis in a story that parallels the growing tensions between the girls. The heroines of their fantasy novel are twin princesses destined for sacrifice to the Rain God. In real life, Carly develops a crush on a boy and Arlene feels betrayed; in Atlantis, Princess Eva is imprisoned in a tower while Princess Lydia falls in love. As the floods threaten to destroy Atlantis, the princesses are separated and each must find a way to escape. Carly and Arlene realize that their lives are taking different and unexpected directions, too. A satisfying read for Atlantis fans, this novel by award-winning author Lisa Williams Kline offers romance, magic, and a race against time.

Poems about nature, animals, and everyday events fill the beautifully illustrated pages of this book. These narratives in miniature, by such talents as Omar Rayyan and Sylvia Long, chronicle everything from the search for the fabled “peanut butter fish” (“Ocean Sandwich”) to a little girl’s strategies for solving the dilemma of the “Bug in the Tub.” Young readers follow the enchanting adventures of earthworms and ladybugs, while in “Mushrooms from Heaven,” a “parade of ants” marches along a garden path, shaded by mushrooms like “parasols from heaven.” Humorous poems, such as the energetic dance of the “Limbo Lizards,” are interspersed with thoughtful pieces such as “Stay, Little Stray.” The variety of themes in the book shows children how poetry can capture the richness of human experience.