Thorndike Press large print middle reader

On April 1, 1945 with the battle of Okinawa beginning, fourteen-year-old native Okinawan Hideki, drafted into the Blood and Iron Student Corps, is handed two grenades and told to go kill American soldiers; small for his age Hideki does not really want to kill anyone, he just wants to find his family, and his struggle across the island will finally bring him face-to-face with Ray, a marine in his very first battle--and the choice he makes then will change his life forever.

Fifteen-year-olds Nina and Oli come from different words--she is a Lipan Apache living in Texas and he is a cottonmouth from the Reflecting World--but their lives intersect when Oli journeys to Earth to find a cure for his ailing friend and they end up helping each other save their families.

"Brandon is visiting his dad on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when the attack comes; Reshmina is a girl in Afghanistan who has grown up in the aftermath of that attack but dreams of peace, becoming a teacher and escaping her village and the narrow role that the Taliban believes is appropriate for women--both are struggling to survive, both changed forever by the events of 9/11"--OCLC.

"Left alone in Hodeldorf, the coldest city anywhere, Otto joins forces with Nim and other tattercoats, street children who steal to survive, to face evil forces and save the day"--Publisher.

"Told in multiple voices, seventh-grader Libby sets off a chain of events that brings hope and encouragement to four different individuals across the country who are dealing with bullies, acceptance, homelessness, and grief"--OCLC.

In the summer before middle school, eleven-year-old Bug must contend with best friend Moira suddenly caring about clothes, makeup, and boys; a ghost haunting; and the truth about Bug's gender identity.

Presents sixteen short stories and two poems that look at the hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native American pride.

It has been a year since newly orphaned Peter and his pet fox Pax, now a protective father, have seen each other, but their paths cross again when Pax's kit falls desperately ill forcing him to turn to the one human he knows he can trust.

Feeling pulled between two cultures after a month with family in Pakistan, Amina shares her experiences with Wisconsin classmates through a class assignment and a songwriting project with new student Nico.

"Stuck on a mysterious island, Ollie, Coco, and Brian must band to together if they hope to escape the creature that haunts them on both land and sea"--Provided by publisher.