Best Selling Books by Patricia Reilly Giff

Brooklyn, 1875: Bird Mallon lives on Water Street where you can see the huge towers of the bridge to Manhattan being built. Bird wants nothing more in life than to be brave enough to be a healer, like her mother, Nory, to help her sister Annie find love, and to convince her brother, Hughie, to stop fighting for money with his street gang. And of course, she wishes that a girl would move into the empty apartment upstairs so that she can have a new friend close by. But Thomas Neary and his Pop move in upstairs. Thomas who writes about his life in his journal--his father who spends each night at the Tavern down the street, the mother he wishes he had, and the Mallon family downstairs that he desperately wants to be a part of. Thomas, who has a secret that only Bird suspects, and who turns out to be the best friend Bird could ever have.

Elizabeth is drawn into a dramatic story from the American Revolution when she discovers a portrait of her ancestor, a girl called Zee, who has a striking resemblance to Elizabeth. The girls'' lives intertwine and Elizabeth''s present-day story alternates with Zee''s. As Elizabeth learns about Zee, and walks where Zee once walked and battles raged, the past becomes as vivid and real as the present.

Sarah goes to Manhattan with Senora Sanchez to see the opening of her art show at a gallery.

Sam is almost 11 when he discovers a locked box in the attic above his grandfather Mack’s room, and a piece of paper that says he was kidnapped. There are lots of other words, but Sam has always had trouble reading. He’s desperate to find out who he is, and if his beloved Mack is really his grandfather. At night he’s haunted by dreams of a big castle and a terrifying escape on a boat. Who can he trust to help him read the documents that could unravel the mystery? Then he and the new girl, Caroline, are paired up to work on a school project, building a castle in Mack’s woodworking shop. Caroline loves to read, and she can help. But she’s moving soon, and the two must hurry to discover the truth about Sam.

Emily is stuck with crybaby Jill Simon as her "secret Pal" to be kind to for the whole month of December.

When Mitchell''s father gets a new job and his family moves, he and his sister go to a new school where they must make new friends and adjust to new routines.

SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk. Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her family’s dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family. When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right back to the sewing machine. Why did she ever leave home? Here she is, still with a needle and thread—and homesick to boot. She didn’t know she could be this homesick, but she didn’t know she could be so brave either, as she is standing up to an epidemic or a fire. She didn’t know she could grow so close to her new family or to Johann, the young man from the tailor’s shop. And she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent—and her future. In Dina, the beloved writer Patricia Reilly Giff has created one of her most engaging and vital heroines. Readers will enjoy seeing 1870s Brooklyn through Dina’s eyes, and share her excitement as she discovers a new world.

Celebrate Valentine''s Day with this classroom tale! It''s time for everyone in Ms. Rooney''s room to make cards for the Valentine box. Emily Arrow couldn''t be happier when Dawn Bosco gives her some colored stars to decorate her cards. She plans to make a special one for Ms. Vincent, the new student teacher. But things take a turn for the worse when Ms. Rooney asks Emily to be class monitor. Emily feels important sitting at the teacher''s desk, until Sherri Dent leaves her seat without Emily''s permission. Emily reports her. That''s when Sherri tells Emily, "You''ll be sorry." Emily is really worried. What will Sherri do to get even?

It’s August 1941, and Brick and Mariel both love the Brooklyn Dodgers. Brick listens to their games on the radio in Windy Hill, in upstate New York, where his family has an apple orchard; Mariel, once a polio patient in the hospital in Windy Hill, lives in Brooklyn near the Dodgers’ home, Ebbets Field. She was adopted by Loretta, a nurse at the hospital, and has never known what happened to her own mother. Someday, somehow, she plans to return to Windy Hill and find out. When a fire destroys their orchard, Brick’s parents must leave the farm to find work. They send him to live in Brooklyn with their friend Loretta, even though Brick knows that their elderly neighbors need his help to pick what’s left of the apples. The only good thing about Brooklyn is seeing the Dodgers play–that, and his friendship with Mariel. Maybe, together, they’ll find a way to return to Windy Hill, save the harvest, and learn the truth about Mariel’s past.

Rachel, Cassie, and Joey live in the city with their Pop, until Pop''s search for work lands the family on a run down farm. Dreamy Rachel loves to read, and doesn''t know much about the country. Times are hard there, too—the school and library are closed. When Pop gets work near Canada, he has to leave the children on the farm alone. For two months! But Rachel''s the oldest, and she''ll make sure they''re all right. Somehow.

This week the kids at the Zigzag Afternoon Center are being creative, and trying new things. But that''s not so easy for Destiny. All of her ideas turn into disasters—until she finds out what a good poet she is. The sixth book in award-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff''s Zigzag Kids series captures all the excitement of new friends and after-school fun.

It''s the first day back to school after winter vacation, and Richard Best is off to a bad start. Who ever heard of a January without any snow? And as usual, he has already forgotten something--the ruler Ms. Rooney had told him to bring for dinosaur day. Luckily Richard finds a ruler in his desk--with a dinosaur''s initials--and he''s sure the ruler is special. And then he finds out it has magic powers. All his wishes begin to come true: Snow stars falling, he remembers to do his homework, and the bully Drake Evans gets sick. But now with Drake sick in bed, Richard begins to worry. His only hope is the magic ruler--but it''s gone. What will help him?

The author of the beloved Kids of the Polk Street School series introduces a new generation of readers to a multicultural group of kids who enjoy all the activities of an after-school center. It’s Discovery Week at the Zigzag Afternoon Center! Everyone writes their discoveries on a big sheet of paper in the hallway. But Destiny Washington can’t think of anything new to discover. Before she knows it, Destiny has told a BIG whopper. And snooty Gina, who’s great at discovering things, knows all about it. Destiny has to find a way out of the whopper. In the end, she makes the best discovery of all. In this delightful new series, award-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff introduces readers to a quirky, lovable group of kids, capturing all the excitement and surprises of new friends and after-school fun.

A heart-wrenching novel in verse about a poor girl surviving the Irish Land Wars, by a two-time Newbery Honor-winning author. For Anna, the family farm has always been home... But now, things are changing. Anna''s mother has died, and her older siblings have emigrated, leaving Anna and her father to care for a young sister with special needs. And though their family has worked this land for years, they''re in danger of losing it as poor crop yields leave them without money to pay their rent. When a violent encounter with the Lord''s rent collector results in Anna and her father''s arrest, all seems lost. But Anna sees her chance and bolts from the jailhouse. On the run, Anna must rely on her own inner strength to protect her sister--and try to find a way to save her family. Written in verse, A Slip of a Girl is a poignant story of adversity, resilience, and self-determination by a master of historical fiction, painting a haunting history of the tensions in the Irish countryside of the early 1890s, and the aftermath of the Great Famine. A Junior Library Guild Selection A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

Gina wants more than anything to be the star of the show that her class will perform, but everything seems to go wrong until she makes a generous choice.

This “brilliantly told” (New York Times) Newbery Honor Book gives readers a sense of what it was like to be on the American home front while our soldiers were away fighting in World War II. As in past years, Lily will spend the summer in Rockaway, in her family’s summer house by the Atlantic Ocean. But this summer of 1944, World War II has changed everyone’s life. Lily’s best friend, Margaret, has moved to a wartime factory town, and, much worse, Lily’s father is going overseas to the war. There’s no one Lily’s age in Rockaway until the arrival of Albert, a refugee from Hungary with a secret sewn into his coat. Albert has lost most of his family in the war; he’s been through things Lily can’t imagine. But soon they form a special friendship. Now Lily and Albert have secrets to share: They both have told lies, and Lily has told one that may cost Albert his life.

Tired of being compared with her popular older sister, Casey decides she will make herself over.

April is invention month. "We''re going to make our own inventions," says Ms. Rooney, "and work together in groups." Though Emily Arrow knows it''s important for each group to think, listen, and share, she still wishes she were the leader of her invention group. Linda Lorca, the bossy leader, can''t get anyone to cooperate. "Snaggle doodles," Emily says. If the group doesn''t come up with an idea soon, they''ll be the worst group in the class. Meanwhile, Emily is also busy thinking of a wedding present for Ms. Vincent, the student teacher. The wedding is only a few days away. Emily has a lot to do. Can she and her group learn to work together in time?

Newbery Honor–winning author Patricia Reilly Giff writes a tender, timeless story about a girl who stopped speaking long ago, and how she finds her way back to her voice. For fans of Listening for Lucca, Fish in a Tree, The Rules, and Mockingbird. Judith lives with her beloved aunt Cora and her faithful Dog on a beautiful island. Years ago, when her mother left, Judith stopped talking. Now she communicates entirely through gestures and taps, and by drawing cartoons, speaking only when she’s alone—or with Dog. This year, Judith faces a big change—leaving her small, special classroom for a regular fifth-grade class. She likes her new teacher, and finds a maybe-friend in a boy named Mason. But Jubilee’s wandering feet won’t stop until they find her mother. And now she discovers that her mother has moved back to the mainland, nearby. If Jubilee finds her, will her mother’s love be what she needs to speak again? Judith’s cartoons, sprinkled throughout, add lightness and humor. ILA-CBC Choices Reading Lists, Children’s Choices Selected for the Kansas NEA Reading Circle Catalog

Summertime. It''s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Richard "Beast" Best and Matthew Jackson can''t wait to dive into Emily Arrow''s cool blue pool. But when they get there, Mrs. Arrow tells them that Emily has gone off to summer school. Summer school! How could they forget? That''s exactly where they should be right now. Sitting in class, Beast still thinks summertime is the best time, and he and Matthew can always go swimming in the afternoon. But then Matthew gives Beast some bad news. It''s up to Beast to think of a way to help Matthew fast--before the summer is ruined.

Hurray, it''s June! The last month of school! Emily Arrow and the other children in Ms. Rooney''s room are excited about the class picnic at the park. Mrs. Stewart, the student teacher, is even going to take class pictures. But Emily''s worried. She wants a best friend. It seems everyone has a best friend ecxept her. At the picnic Emily feels so lonely, she wanders off into the woods with Uni, her unicorn. Before she knows it, she''s lost and can''t find her way back. Is the rest of the class having fun? Will they say "cheese" when she''s not there? And even worse, will they leave her in the woods and go home without her?

It''s September again.What does it mean for Richard "Beast" Best to be left back? It means being teased by his old friends while he''s stuck facing the same old teacher in the same old classroom. He even has to take a special reading class with "babies" like Emily Arrow and Matthew Jackson. And just like last year, he can''t help getting into trouble.But with the help of Mrs. Paris, the reading teacher, Beast starts to enjoy reading and just might find a way to help the second grade win the school banner for best class.

Nory Ryan''s family has lived on Maidin Bay on the west coast of Ireland for generations, raising a pig and a few chickens, planting potatoes, getting by. Every year Nory''s father goes away on a fishing boat and returns with the rent money for the English lord who owns their cottage and fields, the English lord bent upon forcing the Irish from their land so he can tumble the cottages and clear the fields for grazing. Times are never easy on Maidin Bay, but this year, a terrible blight attacks the potatoes. No crop means starvation. Twelve-year-old Nory must summon the courage and ingenuity to find food, to find hope, to find a way to help her family survive.

When her brother Rob, a Navy cook, goes missing in action during World War II, Jayna, desperate for family, leaves upstate New York and their cranky landlady, accompanied by a turtle and a ghost, to seek their grandmother, who Rob believes may live in Brooklyn. Includes soup recipes.

It''s almost Thanksgiving, and Richard Best can''t stop thinking about Ms. Rooney''s Candy Corn contest. Whoever can guess the exact number of yellow-and-orange candies in the jar on Ms. Roney''s desk gets to keep them all. The only problem is Richard has to read a page in a library book for each guess. Smelly Matthew, who sits in front of him, knows they''ll never win. "We''re the worst readers in the class, " he says. But Richard won''t give up. He can already taste those Candy Corns. And before he knows it, he has. Three fat juicy ones. What will Ms. Rooney do when she finds out?

A missing animal at the zoo and strange noises coming from her backyard can mean only one thing for Tori: she''s got a mystery to solve! Tori loves living on Zoo Lane with her family. Who else gets to live at a zoo--and with her cousin Sumiko visiting from Tokyo soon, this is shaping up to be the best summer ever! But when rumors of a missing animal start to spread, Tori wants to help . . . except she doesn''t know which creature is on the loose. An ostrich? A little frog? There''s also a strange noise coming from her backyard. It almost sounds like someone is calling her name! Tori is on the case. In this second book in the illustrated Mysteries on Zoo Lane series, two-time Newbery Honor author Patricia Reilly Giff has crafted a charming story about conservation, animal care, friendship, and problem-solving. In touch with the programs and initiatives that today''s zoos are undertaking, Giff provides readers with a fresh look at the work of zoologists. Charming line artwork by Abby Carter appears throughout and keeps the story upbeat.

Meggie Dillon''s life has been turned upside down by World War II. Meggie''s father has announced that they must help the war effort and move to Willow Run, Michigan, where he''ll work nights in a factory building important war planes that will help fight the enemy in Europe. Willow Run will be the greatest adventure ever, Meggie thinks. There she meets Patches and Harlan, other kids like her from far-off places whose parents have come here to do their part in the war. And there she faces questions about courage, and what it takes to go into battle, like Eddie, and to keep hope alive on the home front.

A contemporary and irresistible story from Patricia Reilly Giff Lidie lives in Jales, Brazil, where she’s free to ride, to be a wild girl, and to dream of going to live with her father and older brother, Rafael, in New York City. Finally Lidie is 12—time to leave Brazil for New York. Meanwhile, a filly is born and begins her journey to a new home. As Lidie’s story unfolds, so does the filly’s. Lidie’s father runs a stable at a famous race track, and Rafael is training to be a jockey. As much as they want to make Lidie feel welcome, they still think of her as the little girl they left behind. They don’t even know what a strong rider she is, and that she’s determined to befriend and ride the wild filly her father has just bought: Wild Girl.

Charlie has lots of ideas. Need something to go sky high? Ah-ha! The zinger-winger! Need to launch a cheese popper into soup? The amazing popper-upper! But the zinger-winger zings more than wings and the popper-upper plops. Charlie isn''t allowed to invent for a week. Meanwhile, the afterschool invention fair is coming up. He needs time to make something special. Good thing he has his friends and Mr. Redfern, another inventor, to help him out.

With the help of the meanest substitute teacher in the whole school, Richard Beast Best learns a lesson about fear.

This Newbery Honor book about a girl who has never known family fighting for her first true home “will leave readers . . . satisfied” (Kirkus Reviews). Hollis Woods is the place where a baby was abandoned is the baby’s name is an artist is now a twelve-year-old girl who’s been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. When Hollis is sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate, she wants to stay. But Josie is growing more forgetful every day. If Social Services finds out, they’ll take Hollis away and move Josie into a home. Well, Hollis Woods won’t let anyone separate them. She’s escaped the system before; this time, she’s taking Josie with her. Still, even as she plans her future with Josie, Hollis dreams of the past summer with the Regans, fixing each special moment of her days with them in pictures she’ll never forget. Patricia Reilly Giff captures the yearning for a place to belong in this warmhearted story, which stresses the importance of artistic vision, creativity, and above all, family.

Siria loves everyone at Pop''s firehouse. And she loves the stars in the winter sky. Her mother, who died, named her after Sirius—the Dog Star, brightest in January. But starry nights can fill with flames, and Siria sneaks out to chase the firetrucks. If she''s there, everyone will be safe. Still, Siria''s not brave like Pop. Her best friend Douglas used to chase with her, and it wasn''t so scary. But she did something wrong; they''re not friends now. This winter, Siria must learn to be brave. Because she''s got to fix things with Douglas; and when Pop is injured, she needs courage, and her friends, more than ever.

Making friends with the new girl in her class is hard for Emily after she replaces Emily as the fastest runner and steals her lucky unicorn. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

After having his wallet stolen in a diner, Paul is instrumental in solving a murder.

It looks like a lonely summer ahead for Tracy Matson. She''s the only girl her age in the small town of High Flats. And Leroy Wilson, the only boy, thinks she''s a know-it-all, even after Tracy tries to make friends by giving him a chocolate-icing-on-rye sandwich. Things start looking up when her pen pal, Casey Valentine, pays a surprise visit. But now Tracy has another problem: She told Casey that she loves to read. What if Casey--who wants to be a writer--finds out that Tracy is really a rotten reader? Suppose Leroy spills the beans?

This new series for beginning readers follows the adventures of the youngest children at the Polk Street School in easy-to-read chapter books featuring lively illustrations. Stacy Arrow''s first day at school doesn''t go well until her older sister tells her the secrets of making friends. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

We will dance on the cliffs of Brooklyn. Maggie’s Door is the story of the journey from Ireland to America told by both Nory and her neighbor and friend Sean Red Mallon, two different stories with the same destination—the home of Nory’s sister Maggie, at 416 Smith Street, Brooklyn, America. Patricia Reilly Giff calls upon her long research into Irish history and her great powers as a storyteller in this deeply involving, riveting stand-alone companion novel to Nory Ryan’s Song.

When Charlie hears that special buzz in his head, he knows it means one thing: an idea for a new invention. But Charlie''s ideas tend to backfire—such as the flying feet that don''t really fly. If only Charlie could make his inventions work, people might think he''s as special as his older brother, Larry. Then the Zigzag afternoon center organizes a Come as a Character Day, and Charlie gets his chance to shine.

Leroy Wilson has plans for a great winter. He and Tracy Matson, his pal and business partner, are all set to sell the worms they''ve collected to the ice fishermen, when his awful cousin Mitchell moves to town. The problem is that Leroy and Mitchell look exactly alike, except that Mitchell is an expert at everything, including how to start a brand-new business with Tracy! Left with eighty worms to feed and horrible piano lessons with Mitchell''s mother, Leroy has had it with his "take-over" cousin. But can he outfox Mitchell?

The children in Ms. Rooney''s room are supposed to be writing about real people, but writing is Beast''s worst subject.