Synopsis: Leslie Hiller is a bright, attractive, talented teenager who leads a privileged life in New York City. She is also a perfectionist. When Leslie starts to diet, she finds herself becoming obsessed, getting thinner and thinner, until she is forced to realize that her quest for perfection is killing her.First published in 1981, this groundbreaking novel has been lauded by countless librarians, educators, and teenaged readers. This new edition…

Synopsis: Called by literary critic Mark Van Doren "the most original and passionate American poet, " Walt Whitman (1819-1892) created a body of verse uniquely his known--unconventional, lacking rhyme or meter, employing chanted lists of names and objects--but also powerful, sensual, oratorical and inspiring.

Synopsis: The critics' votes are in--Wrestling Sturbridge is a winner!  Now available in rack-sized paperback.

Synopsis: Pa's homestead thrives, Laura gets her first job in town, blackbirds eat the corn and oats crops, Mary goes to college, and Laura gets into trouble at school, but becomes a certified school teacher.

Synopsis: The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal -- a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream.Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this…

Synopsis: This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have…

Synopsis: An unexpected friendship leads to a life-changing story in this timeless classic by Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick."I never had a brain until Freak came along . . . "That's what Max thought. All his life he'd been called stupid. Dumb. Slow. It didn't help that his body seemed to be growing faster than his mind. It didn't help that people were afraid of him. So Max learned how to be alone. At least until Freak came along.Freak was weird,…

Synopsis: Just in time for National Poetry Month, a fantastic collection of some of the best poems ever. These are some of the most amazing poems ever written, touching the heart, challenging the mind, and conjuring worlds of experience and imagination. Included are poems by: Emily Dickinson Edgar Allan Poe William Shakespeare Sylvia Plath Walt Whitman Pablo Neruda Lucille Clifton Elizabeth Barrett Browning Gwendolyn Brooks Wallace Stevens Marianne…

Synopsis: When two strangers enter his life, M.C. Higgins learns the answer to saving his home and family from the slag heap of an Ohio strip mine. "All of the characters have vitality and credibility as well as a unique quality that makes them unforgettable . . ".--The Horn Book. Newbery Medal; National Book Award; ALA Notable Children's Book; School Library Journal Best of the Best; New York Times Outstanding Children's Books of the Year.

Synopsis: Madeleine L'Engle's ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic, now a major motion picture.It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger."Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a…

Synopsis: Farley Drexel Hatcher, otherwise known as Fudge, plans to be a bird when he grows up. As far as his older brother, Peter, is concerned, Fudge will grow up to be a big pain! Dealing with Fudge has been hard enough, but now Peter has a whole new set of problems. His parents have decided to move to New Jersey for a whole year! What's more, Peter's mom is going to have a new baby. How Will Peter survive if the new baby becomes a carbon copy of…