The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford. 140 pages. Ages 9-12. This is the timeless and beloved story of three pets that embark on a 300 mile journey across the dangerous Canadian wilderness, so they can be re-united with the family that owns them. Tao is the cunning and protective Siamese cat. Bodger is the aging and proud English bulldog. Luath is their leader, a Labrador retriever that is headstrong but young and inexperienced. They are being temporarily cared for while the family they grew up with has gone on an eight month professional sabbatical. One day, due to a series of mishaps, the three pets believe they have been abandoned, and start their incredible journey to be re-united with their beloved family. These three special animals will endear themselves to boys, as they desperately try to survive the dangers of the wilderness. The three pets must depend on each other to endure bear attacks, freezing winter nights, wild dog attacks, crossing turbulent and icy rivers, starvation and more. The author imbues each of them with a special and distinctive personality, and describes their incredible journey in amazing fashion. This is a heartwarming, can�t-put-down story for boys who love pets and adventure.

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. 195 pages. Ages 9-12 This is one of the more popular books for boys. An engrossing story, that appeals to boys' sense of adventure. Thirteen year old Brian Robeson must survive alone in the Canadian wilderness, until he can find help. The pilot of the two seater plane taking him to see his Dad dies of a heart attack. Brian manages to crash land the plane. Equipped with a hatchet that his mom gave him, Brian uses his wits to survive. The descriptions of the wilderness, and Brian's adventures, are vivid and well told.

The Lemonade War, by Jacqueline Davies. 192 pages. Ages 9-12. Evan and his smarty pants younger sister Jessie get along great. Until the summer before Evan enters the fourth grade, and Evan learns that his sister will skip a grade, and be in his fourth grade classroom! Sibling rivalry commences on a grand scale. First with pulling pranks on each other, and then with an epic contest of who can make more money selling lemonade over the summer. Readers experience the sibling rivalry, comedic antics, dirty business tricks, and get introduced to economic concepts such as �underselling the competition.� This is an engaging story that weaves in themes such as sibling rivalries, pride, and strengths and weakness of each sibling. At the end of their �War�, they realize some very important things about themselves and how working together is more satisfying than working against each other.

Great American Warriors, by Sal Tomasi. Ages 9-12. 97 pgs. Boys can now meet some of the real Supermen from American History:
Army Rangers to the Rescue: They were the untested leaders of a dangerous rescue mission inside enemy territory, desperately trying to save five hundred American prisoners from being slaughtered.
Raiders of the Invincible Empire: These men lifted an entire country off its knees and restored America's courage, after the sneak attack on the USA at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The Defiant Sea Captain: His ship was on fire and sinking. Much of his crew had been killed or wounded. The British naval captain demanded that he surrender. The American sea captain roared back his defiant reply: "I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT!"
The Rebel General: His leadership is why the United States exists today, and his actions set the example for future American leaders.
These amazing short stories grab a boy's attention from the first sentence. They provide instant gratification for boys that are quickly bored. These educational stories can also be useful material for book reports on American History.
After boys experience the heroic actions of these Great American Warriors, they may ask themselves: Did these men really do these things? The answer is yes. In Stock. Was $7.95, now $5.95. Six left at this price. This book is available in Kindle format on Amazon for $3.99.
Read a brief excerpt from each short story.

Frindle, by Andrew Clements. Comedy. 112 pages. Ages 9-12. Nick Allen is a 5th grader who is a bit independent, and a bit of a trouble-maker. After learning from his teacher about the origins of words, Nick decides that pens will be renamed Frindles. The use of the word Frindle spreads quickly through the student body, and sets off a string of comedic events. Nick and the students refuse to stop using the word, resulting in principal visits, newspaper publicity, advertising offers, etc. As Nick becomes a local hero, his teacher and principal get tied up in knots, trying to figure out what to do. In the end, the word Frindle is adopted in the dictionary, and his teacher acknowledges the importance of what Nick has done.

Lunch Money, by Andrew Clements. Comedy. 240 pages. Ages 9-12. Young would be tycoon Greg teams up with his female arch enemy, Maura, to sell comic books to kids at school. One funny episode rolls into another. They both discover the hilarious ups and downs of going into business together, as well as devising creative selling strategies to outmaneuver their principal. Mischievous and entertaining characters will amuse your son.

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