Mable Riley

Winner of the 2005 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award It is 1901 and Mable Riley dreams of adventure and of becoming a writer. When her older sister leaves home to become a schoolmistress in the small town of Stratford, Ontario, Mable is sent along too. Mable hopes her new world will be full of peril and romance. But life at the Goodhand Farm (where the sisters board), is as humdrum as the one she’s left behind. Then Mable encounters the mysterious Mrs. Rattle, a peculiar widow with a taste for upsetting the townspeople with her strange opinions. Mrs. Rattle is a real writer, and Mable eagerly accepts her invitation to a meeting of the Ladies Reading Society. But the ladies are not discussing books at all, and Mable may soon have more peril than she’d bargained for! Composed of the letters Mable sends home, the poems she writes for her classmates, and chapters from her own work-in-progress, Mable Riley is the funny, inspiring, (and reliable) record of a young girl finding her voice, and the courage to make it heard.

In the year 1901, 14-year-old Mable Riley is an aspiring writer and is on her way to fulfilling her dreams. When she moves to a faraway town with her sister, Mable meets a real writer, one who unnerves the townsfolk by sharing her opinions and who has a few shocking secrets as well.

“As the first part of the title indicates, my interest in looking at intertextuality and transformation still maintains a prominent place throughout this book as well. If we believe that ‘no text is an island,’ then we will understand that the relationships between and within texts across the years become a fascinating place for academic inquiry. I included the word ‘boundaries’ into the title because we never get tired of voicing our opinions about texts which traverse relegated boundaries, such as genre or medium. Not only am I interested in discussing what these changes across boundaries mean socially, historically, and culturally, but also what they mean geographically, which accounts for the second part of my title. “I am very excited that this book will be placing even more emphasis on children’s literature in an international scene than my first book did, in the sense that I have added more scholars on an international level. I hesitate to list the nationalities of all of the contributors here because quite a few have themselves crossed international boundaries in different ways, by either studying abroad or finding permanent residency in foreign countries. Nevertheless, the writers have lived extensively in or identify as being from Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United States of America, and Wales.” —Introduction

This text contains convenient, ready-to-go booktalks for contemporary fiction and nonfiction books set in every continent around the globe, useful for librarians and other educators of grades three through nine. A public librarian introducing young readers to stories from around the world. A social studies teacher wanting to offer students extra credit on a unit about ancient Greece. A Spanish teacher who needs to generate some excitement and interest about Hispanic culture. All of these educators can achieve their goals by utilizing the internationally themed booktalk suggestions in this text—Booktalking Around the World: Great Global Reads for Ages 9–14. This collection of booktalks and book lists is designed to be an invaluable resource for teachers as well as school and public librarians seeking geographically themed booktalks for newer books published from 2000–2010. Because studying the countries of the world is a major part of most school curricula, this book will support or extend this important curricular area. All the booktalks in this collection are aimed at children aged 9–14. All seven continents are represented, but the United States is excluded.

This volume recommends some 500 positive, heart-warming stories for young readers—stories of the human spirit and what it can accomplish; stories of loving families surviving crises in positive ways; historical tales full of quick-witted people (especially girls); fairy tales with strong women; true stories of survival; and more. These gentle and uplifting reads span every genre—from science fiction and fantasy, to mysteries, realistic fiction, biographies, and nonfiction. They are Accelerated Reader titles, Reading Counts titles, and Junior Library Guild selections. Primarily intended for grades 5 to 9, this is a list of reading suggestions for the young adult who wants a great read but does not want to be offended. Grades 5-9.

Building on the author's work in The Big Book of Teen Reading Lists, this book provides 101 new and revised reading lists created in consultation with teachers and public librarians—an invaluable resource for any educator who plans activities for children that involve using literature. Nancy J. Keane is the author of the award-winning website Booktalks—Quick and Simple (nancykeane.com/booktalks), as well as the creator of the open collaboration wiki ATN Book Lists. With her latest book, 101 Great, Ready-to-Use Book Lists for Teens, she provides another indispensable resource for librarians and teachers. The lists in this book are the result of careful consultation with teachers and public librarians, and from discussions on professional email lists. These indispensable lists can be utilized in many ways—for example, as handouts to teachers as suggested reading, to create book displays, or as display posters in the library. This collection will facilitate the creation of valuable reading lists to support the extended reading demands of today's teens.

Created in consultation with teachers and public librarians, this fantastic collection of 101 ready-to-use book lists provides invaluable help for any educator who plans activities for children that involve using literature. Nancy J. Keane is the author of the award-winning website Booktalks—Quick and Simple (nancykeane.com/booktalks), as well as the creator of the open collaboration wiki ATN Book Lists. With 101 Great, Ready-to-Use Book Lists for Children, she provides another indispensable resource for librarians and teachers. The lists in this book are the result of careful consultation with teachers and public librarians, and from discussions on professional email lists. These indispensable reading lists can be used in many ways—for example, as handouts to teachers as suggested reading, to create book displays, or as display posters in the library. This collection will help educators support the extended reading demands of today's children.

This is a classic, standard resource for collection building and on-the-spot readers advisory absolutely indispensable for school and public libraries.