New Releases by Juanita Havill

The pansies, tulips, daffodils, geraniums, and daisies are lovingly planted in a window box, and the candles on the cake are lighted--just as Mom walks in the door to find her daughter, her husband, and her birthday surprise.

This verse novel about the creation of a community garden reveals the extraordinary magic that occurs when ordinary people work together. Everything about Berneetha is big—especially her dreams. And when Berneetha decides to create a garden on a vacant lot, twelve-year-old Kate Sibley just has to help make that dream a reality. At first the neighbors think Kate and Berneetha are crazy, but slowly a community begins to grow, much like the plants do. But just as the garden and Kate are both beginning to bloom, a sign goes up: a parking garage will be built on the lot. Can Kate and Berneetha and their friends keep the garden and the dream alive? Award-winning author Juanita Havill''s story of a community garden in an urban neighborhood is told through the eyes of an impressionable girl in a series of richly detailed prose poems. The result is an affecting, lasting portrait of community life and the power of shared commitment and hope.

A girl''s desire to help a starving horse changes his future, as well as hers.

When her friend Kristin tells her she is unable to keep her kitten and turns to Jamaica for help in giving it a good home, Jamaica faces a dilemma when her brother''s allergies are affected by the new arrival.

From the still chill of a winter night to the ra-ta-ta, ra-ta-ta, ra-ta-ta-too of a lively vegetable stew, these twenty whimsical poems celebrate the joys of a garden from start to finish. A tour de force of imagination, I Heard It from Alice Zucchini invites you to join in the Pea Pod Chant, wander through the Rhubarb Forest, dance with the Dainty Doily Dill Weed, gossip with Alice Zucchini, and hold your breath on the pumpkin''s enchanted evening. Illustrated with magical paintings, here is a book that will delight gardeners of all ages.

6 EA

While vacationing over the course of several summers in Austria, French siblings Guy and Sarah Masson become best friends with a German boy, until the outbreak of World War I puts them on opposing sides.

When her sister Nikki gets sick, Brianna hopes to play her part as the butterfly queen in the Dance of Spring, but then another disaster strikes.

Jamaica likes the substitute teacher, Mrs. Duval, right away. So when there’s a spelling test, of course Jamaica wants to please her by spelling all the words right. But this time something goes wrong and Jamaica has to make an important decision. . . . What will Mrs. Duval think of her now?

A little girl finds a stuffed dog in the park and decides to take it home.

Two rabbits go camping in the woods.

"The Leveled Readers are easy-to-read selections that give children additional reading experiences with tested vocabulary and targeted comprehension skills, as well as a variety of literary genres"-- T.p. verso.

When the skateboarders are forbidden to skate in Embarcadero Plaza, the office workers miss them and try to change the ordinance.

Jennifer discovers ways to be included in the games her older brother Matt plays with his friends.

Jamaica was friends with everyone in school - except for Russell. No wonder: Russell was a mean brat. When they had art class, Russell borrowed her markers and spoiled her picture. At recess, he threw sand and chased little kids. Jamaica certainly wasn''t sorry to learn that Russell was going to move away. She didn''t even want to make a card for him, the way the others in her class were doing. But then something happened to change her mind . . .

The fighting between nine-year-old Owen and his older brother Richard increases when they both become interested in toads, but for very different reasons.

Jamaica hates wearing hand-me-down boots when her friend Brianna has pink fuzzy ones.

A Swedish troll emigrates to Kentucky and tries to live there in disguise among the humans, using his magic powder to make butter and luring a pretty girl to his cabin.

While working on the ivory carving that he hopes will make his fortune, Sato comes to understand the plight of the endangered elephants.

On an afternoon when it is too hot to sleep, a young girl asks to hear the story about how her great-great-grandmother came to the United States from Mexico, bringing a special treasure.

Feeling left out between her older sister and younger brother, Leona decides to run away with Uncle Rosco, a motorcycle racer.

Leona discovers the ups and downs of friendship with her new neighbor Ike. Sequel to It always happens to Leona.

When Darcy accidentally broke her mother''s china horse, she hid the pieces behind the sofa. Then Darcy wanted to hide too so she went up to her room and hid under the bed next to the box of costumes. When her mother started calling her, Darcy got an idea. She put on a bird mask and tried to be a bird. Her mother said she liked Mr. Bird but, "I love Darcy more."

Jamaica doesn''t want a younger child to play with her, until she remembers how she felt when her older brother excluded her from his games.