Who ever heard of a shoeshine girl?

The last thing Sarah Ida wants to do is spend the summer with her Aunt Claudia. But when her parents send her away because of problems at home, that is exactly what she has to do. With no allowance and no fun to be had, Sarah Ida decides to look for a job. But who will hire a ten year old? Al, the shoeshine man, will!

Sarah loves her job, even if it means getting knee-deep in shoe polish everyday. Then something terrible happens and it looks like the shoeshine stand will have to close forever. If Sarah Ida wants to keep it open, she'll have to learn a few lessons about growing up along the way ...

A classroom favorite about the power of art and creativity.
 
A new neighborhood. A new school. A lonely birthday. Life isn’t easy for nine-year-old Gregory. Then he finds an abandoned chalk factory behind his house. It’s a secret place, just for him! Now he can draw anything he imagines on the dark brick walls. What amazing thing will Gregory draw first?
 
Two beloved classics—The Chalk Box Kid and The Paint Brush Kid—get a vibrant new look!

Best-selling author Clyde Robert Bulla's classic, finely-crafted Arthurian tale with its sword fights, dark and dangerous dungeon, roguish knaves, action-packed showdowns and tales of dangerous feats, will appeal to emerging readers who are ready for chapter books and reluctant tween readers alike.

In the days of King Arthur there stood a mighty oak tree within the walls of a castle. Peace reigned in the castle until the fearsome night when Lionel, long-lost brother of Lord Weldon, returned to cause trouble and unhappiness.

It was then that Shan, the son of Lord Weldon, took on the duties of a knight and hid the sword in the hollow of the giant oak. The days that followed were filled with adventures that tried the courage of the young boy.

Shan was surprised by bearded robbers in the woods. He met noble knights in plumed helmets, and eventually he even made a trip to high-towered Camelot. His story is filled with the pageantry and color of England in King Arthur's time. It creates a vivid picture of the Knights of the Round Table and the wisdom of King Arthur himself.

Join Frank, Ellen, and the whole Davis family on their adventure west during the Gold Rush of 1849. This exciting chronicle has the same appeal as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books.

Young and orphaned, Tom Pippin has just been sold by his greedy uncle to the captain of a great sailing ship bound for America. Although Tom has been sold into slavery, no one can buy or sell his unwavering spirit. Tom longs to be free on the shores of America, but when a pirate's ship captures his boat, the young boy's life changes forever. Pirate Captain Land and his motley crew of men reveal to Tom all of the secrets—and dangers—of the pirate's life. Peter Burchard's black and white drawings throughout illustrate Tom's journey.

The inspiring classic that The New Yorker called "an exciting tale [with] top-notch writing," about one girl facing harsh conditions and huge responsibility as she brings her family to the American colonies. 

Featuring a heroine with faith, courage, and a great deal of grit, this acclaimed historical fiction novel portrays the realities faced by three children hoping to find a new home in an unknown land.

Amanda Freebold doesn't know what to do. Her father left three years ago for the new colony of Jamestown in America, thousands of miles away. But now that her mother has died, Amanda is left to take care of her younger brother and sister all alone back in England.

As the new head of the family, Amanda finally decides to take her brother and sister to America to find Father. The ocean crossing is long and hard, and the children don't know whom to trust. But with her father's little brass lion's head to guard them, Amanda knows that somehow everything will work out.