Books with title What a Year!

In a review of the third 26 Fairmount Avenue book, On My Way, School Library Journal said, "Readers will be delighted with the final line: 'There's more coming!'" Well, here it is: Celebrate Tomie's sixth birthday in style, watch as he dresses up as Snow White for his first halloween trick-or-treating, join in as he celebrates holidays with his family, suffers through a bout of the chicken pox, and gets to stay up to see in the new year! In the fourth book set at the Newbery-Honor winning address of 26 Fairmount Avenue, Tomie dePaola brings us more heart-warming, funny stories about his childhood. What a year it was indeed!

The year 1940 is a very big year for Tomie-it's the start of first grade, and it's his first birthday in the new house at 26 Fairmount Avenue. It's also the first year that Tomie gets to go trick-or-treating with his older brother, Buddy. Then the holidays arrive, and Tomie has a part in the Christmas play. This Christmas is going to be great! But disaster strikes when Tomie gets the chicken pox. Will he be cured in time for the Christmas pageant? Join Tomie dePaola once again as he takes us back to his childhood and allows us to share the holiday season with his family and friends.

Twelve year old Sandy Morgan enters grade six with high hopes and great expectations. After two unhappy years, during which her parents separated and eventually divorced, Sandy was ready for a great year.Her mom, Jenny, has met a man. Both Sandy and her sixteen year old brother, Jim, approve of the relationship between their mother and Bob.Everything is going Sandy's way. She is pretty, popular, and does well in school. What could possibly go wrong?Things begin to change gradually for Sandy. She notices changes in her classmates, which she doesn't understand, brought about by the advent of puberty.Things are further complicated by the new girl from New York City. Her name is Bonnie, and she is bold and beautiful. Bonnie is a born leader, responsible for initiating a multitude of changes in her classmates.Sandy's unique and daring teacher-mother, further complicates life when she and Bob have to push their wedding ahead, due to an unforeseen pregnancy.Things come to a head while the newlyweds are on their honeymoon during spring break. After an unplanned party, Jim, who has befriended Bonnie, discloses the real story of her life. Sandy begins to see that things aren't always as they appear to be.By the end of her last year in elementary school, Sandy is able to work through many of the things that have been causing her concern. Although she is "aging", she feels that she can handle whatever happens.Sandy looks back on the events of grade six, realizing that almost anything, no matter how awful it seems at the time, can be a valuable learning experience.

Twelve year old Sandy Morgan enters grade six with high hopes and great expectations. After two unhappy years during which her parents separated and eventually divorced, Sandy is ready for a great year. Her mom, Jenny, has met a man. Everything is going Sandy's way. She is pretty, popular, and does well in school. What could possibly go wrong? Things begin to change for Sandy. She notices changes in her classmates, which she doesn't understand. Things are further complicated by the new girl from New York City. Bonnie is bold, beautiful, and a born leader. This becomes a memorable year for Sandy.

People are weird. Everywhere. And there is nothing more fun than making fun of some one else's weirdness with four of your best friends. Stirring up some trouble and some controversy every where that you go together. Bad jokes, snide comments, and bold stares are a part of every ones life. So why not make a game of it. Shamelessly calling out some ones weird while embracing your own. In these pages five best friends, Joy (the preppy one),Frank (the classic one), Tay-never Taylor (the goth one), Clark (the punk one) and Lola (the artist) have perfected this. And turned it into a way of life. An adventure that turns even the most mundane of tasks into a cocktail worthy gab fest. Sometimes there is friction. Sometimes there is drama. But always there is never ending friendship, love and people who understand and admire your special kind of weird.