Down the Road to Gundagai

Down the Road to Gundagai

Jackie French

Children's Books / Home & Garden

Blue Lawrence has escaped the prison of her aunt's mansion to join The Magnifico Family Circus, a travelling troupe that brings glamour and laughter to country towns gripped by the Depression. Blue hides her crippled legs and scars behind the sparkle of a mermaid's costume; but she's not the only member of the circus hiding a dark secret. The unquenchable Madame Zlosky creates as well as foresees futures. The bearded lady is a young man with laughing eyes. A headless skeleton dangles in the House of Horrors.And somewhere a murderer is waiting ... to strike again.This third book in the Waltz for Matilda saga is set in 1932, at the height of the Depression. Miss Matilda is still running Drinkwater Station, but has put aside her own tragedy to help those suffering in tough economic times and Joey, from The Girl from Snowy River, uses his new medical skills to solve a mystery.Praise for A Waltz for Matilda:'Jackie French has a passion for history,...
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Game Store Mystery

Game Store Mystery

Gertrude Chandler Warner

Children's Books

When a new store called the Game Spot opens in their town, the Aldens are thrilled. But it's not fun and games when the other shops at Crossroads mall are robbed. What's more, letters are disappearing from the sign in front of the shopping center! It all seems to spell a new mystery for the Boxcar Children.
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Belle Teal

Belle Teal

Ann Martin

Children's Books / Young Adult

Newbery Honor author Ann M. Martin's gripping, widely acclaimed novel of a girl confronting the perils of friendship and the conflicts of community.Belle Teal's life isn't easy, but she gets by. She lives with her mother and grandmother far out in the country. They don't have much money, but Belle Teal feels rich with their love. As school begins, Belle Teal faces unexpected challenges. Her best friends are up against some big problems. And there are two new students in Belle Teal's class: a shy boy caught in the town's furor over desegregation, and a snob who has problems of her own. As her world falls apart, Belle Teal discovers the importance of sticking together.
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Friday Barnes, Girl Detective

Friday Barnes, Girl Detective

R. A. Spratt

Children's Books / Humor

Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was an eleven-year-old girl!When Friday Barnes, girl genius, solves a bank robbery, she uses the reward money to send herself to Highcrest Academy, the most exclusive boarding school in the country—and discovers it's a hotbed of crime!Soon she's investigating everything from disappearing homework to the terrifying Yeti haunting the school swamp. But the biggest mystery yet is Ian Wainscott, the handsomest (and most arrogant) boy in school who inexplicably hates her. Will the homework be found? Can they ever track down the Yeti? And why is Ian out to ruin her?With black-and-white art throughout, Friday Barnes, Girl Detective is the launch of an exciting new mystery series that "will keep readers laughing from start to finish." (Publishers Weekly)
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That Girl Lucy Moon

That Girl Lucy Moon

Amy Timberlake

Children's Books

Lucy Moon is the kind of girl who loudly supports animal rights—during hunting season. She wearsa woven hat made of hemp in support of third-world workers. Lucy Moon is the kind of girlwho spots injustice and isn’t afraid to fight it. So when classmates land a trip to the police station for sledding on Wiggins Hill and the local paper refuses to report it, Lucy takes up the battle. Ms. Wiggins, the town’s wealthiest resident, and owner of Wiggins Hill, becomes Lucy’s most formidable adversary. Soon, Lucy is embroiled in a battle for justice that leaves her wondering whether the struggle is worth it, and whether one person can really make a difference.
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Secret of the Mask

Secret of the Mask

Gertrude Chandler Warner

Children's Books

The Aldens are preparing for a yard sale when they find an old wooden mask in the trash behind a neighbor's house. Violet notices that the mask looks like a Native American mask that she had read about. When the mask is stolen, the children begin to think their newfound treasure may be worth a lot to someone. Can the Aldens find the thief and the mask before it's too late?
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