Most Popular Books by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

This classic 1968 Newbery Honor Book, The Egypt Game, is available in a brand new paperback edition!

DIVHalcyon House has everything: a beautiful location, incredible amenities, and life-threatening danger/divDIV In the beautiful Northern California coastal town of Monterey, Halcyon House is exactly the kind of place that any kid would want to explore. It’s huge, abandoned, and— rumor has it—haunted. Neely and her little brother, Grub, are determined to get inside. The two siblings climb through an open window and find an old nursery, filled with old toys and, possibly, a ghost./divDIV /divDIVThe siblings’ trespassing ends, however, when the mysterious Hutchinson family arrives and reclaims the house. Neely and Grub should be in trouble, but instead Curtis Hutchinson welcomes the siblings in with open arms. But as Neely spends more time at Halcyon House, she realizes that this mansion and its inhabitants are far more dangerous than she could have possibly imagined./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div

When the four Stanley children meet Amanda, their new stepsister, they’re amazed to learn that she studies witchcraft. They’re stunned to see her dressed in a strange costume, carrying a pet crow and surrounded by a pile of books about the supernatural. It’s not long before Amanda promises to give witchcraft lessons to David, Jamie, and the twins. But that’s when strange things start happening in their old house. David suspects Amanda of causing mischief, until they learn that the house really was haunted long ago. Legend has it that a ghost cut the head off of a wooden cupid on the stairway. Has the ghost returned to strike again?

Twelve-year-old Jessica, who is lonely and unhappy, is convinced that the cat she finds is possessed by a witch and is responsible for her own strange behavior.

DIVDIVTwelve-year-old Alexandra stumbles upon the key to a hidden world—but is it a gift, or a nightmare?/divDIV Twelve-year-old Alexandra Hobson feels ignored and unloved in her family of annoying, self-absorbed overachievers. One day in the woods she hears a shot, and is horrified to see a large, beautiful bird fall to the ground. She takes the injured egret home, hiding it in the basement behind the furnace, where it joins the other wounded creatures Xandra cares for unbeknownst to her parents./divDIV The next morning, the bird is gone. But it has left something behind: a quivering white feather. Convinced the feather is enchanted, Xandra brings it to school, where a weird, uncool seventh-grader named Belinda tells her it’s a key to an unseen world. As Xandra enters a strange and scary realm, she confronts a magic that’s all too real. Can she figure out how to stop the key from becoming a curse?/divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div/div

From a three-time Newbery Honor author: Harry Houdini Marco had it hard enough as a normal clumsy twelve-year-old—but growing wings made it even worse. Except for his unusual name, Harry Houdini Marco is unremarkable in every way. While his namesake was the greatest illusionist of all time, Harry can’t even catch a ball. He is on the verge of a long, boring summer—and he is dreading every moment of it. Then he meets a mysterious traveling salesman named Mr. Mazzeeck. But Mr. Mazzeeck is more than a traveling salesman, he’s a wizard—at least, he claims to be. Before he leaves town, Mr. Mazzeeck gives Harry a bottle of magical oil, saying that the potion will give him wings. And to Harry’s amazement, the oil works: He gets wings! Now he just has to figure out how to use them. This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

Ivy and Martha are not ordinary best friends. Ivy is a changeling with supernatural powers—or at least that’s what she says . . . Martha is incredibly unpopular. She’s overweight, buck-toothed, and shy. Ivy is an outcast. Her family lives on the outskirts of town amid a field of derelict orchards. But starting in second grade, the girls form a bond that allows them to take control of their own lives. It all begins when Ivy tells Martha that she is no ordinary girl: She claims she’s a changeling, switched with the real Ivy at birth. With the strength of Ivy’s friendship, Martha becomes more confident and sure of herself. And through their bond, Ivy gains the normalcy she needs, away from life with her tumultuous family. When the two girls play, they enter an elaborate fantasy world all their own. But when the real world threatens to split them apart, their friendship becomes more important than ever. This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

In this “vividly drawn fantasy” from the Newbery Honoree, the trees of Green-sky are peaceful, while Teera struggles to survive below the forest floor (Publishers Weekly). While the Kindar thrive in the leafy utopia of Green-sky, the Erdlings struggle to survive in their underground caves and tunnels. Hunger threatens, and Teera, an eight-year-old Erdling, is forced to run away before her pet, Haba, is killed for food. Once away, Teera finds her way to the beautiful forest floor, where the sights are breathtaking and the food is abundant. There, she meets the friendly Ol-zhaan Raamo and Neric. Teera and her new Ol-zhaan friends want to reveal the truth about life above and below the trees, but powerful forces are at work to ensure that the two worlds remain apart. This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

In the “Newbery Honor–winning author’s compelling fantasy” for young adults, a boy is chosen to rule his idyllic land—only to discover its dark secrets (Publishers Weekly). Green-sky is an ideal place. Violence doesn’t exist. Its citizens, the Kindar, glide from tree to tree and exchange happy thoughts. This is all thanks to their rulers, the Ol-zhaan. And on his thirteenth birthday, Raamo D’ok is chosen to become one of the Ol-zhaan. Raamo is surprised to be named a Chosen. He isn’t a very good student—but the Ol-zhaan believe he has strong Spirit-force. But during his training, Raamo discovers that these good rulers aren’t as benevolent as they appear. They harbor secrets about his people, his family, and what lies below the forest floor. Now Raamo must decide: Should he keep the peace, or reveal the secrets that the Ol-zhaan have protected for so long? This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

DIVDIVNewbery Medal winner Zilpha Keatley Snyder delves into the paranormal in this story of a teenage boy who makes an extraordinary discovery/divDIV The whole thing started six years ago when Dion James was around eight or nine. He got a shoe-shining gig on the corner of Palm and Eighth, outside the big glass-and-bronze doors of Alcott-Simpson’s department store. With his unruly hair and bad limp from polio, Dion looked like a refugee. Envisioning himself one day working at Alcott-Simpson’s, he cleans up his act and starts dressing better. /divDIV Fourteen-year-old Dion still dreams of working at the luxury department store when he sees a girl with big black eyes and long black hair pursued by store detectives for stealing a sweater. A few days later, Dion is in the store when he hears a scream, and all hell breaks loose. Locked in after the store empties out, Dion sees a familiar figure: the sweater thief. Her name is Sara, and soon she and Dion are eyewitnesses to a bizarre series of events that have no rational explanation./divDIV Who is Sara? And why is there a pair of eyes in the mink-lined fishbowl?/divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div/div

A giant Irish wolfhound might be the dog of David’s dreams in the third book in the Stanley Family series, a companion to The Headless Cupid, from three-time Newbery Honor winner Zipha Keatley Snyder. With five children, a raven, and a pet turkey named King Tut, the Stanley house is full-to-bursting. But David desperately wants a dog—even though his dad has forbidden another pet. So when Blair begins sleepwalking and having dreams of an enormous dog that comes to the house every night, David assumes Blair just wants a dog too. But what if Blair’s Nightmare, as the kids quickly name the dog, isn’t only a dream? Is Nightmare the dog they’ve always wanted? And how can the kids keep him—without letting their parents know?

DIVFinding a special place where you can be at peace is difficult—but holding onto it is even harder/divDIV The last three years of Robin Williams’s life have been very difficult. She’s had to move with her large, poor family multiple times as her father seeks jobs as a migrant worker. Now, her father has a new job at the McCurdy Ranch and Robin often wanders off in order to cope with the constant change and difficulty surrounding her./divDIV /divDIVNear the McCurdy Ranch is the Palmeras House, an old abandoned house that Robin is told repeatedly not to explore. However, with a little help, she finds herself inside the building, in the one place it seems she has always been looking for: the Velvet Room. This plush room is the most beautiful place she has ever seen. Robin is fascinated and enchanted, but she can’t help but wonder: Why is it there? /divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div

Kidnappers in Italy have their hands full when the captive American children advise them on running a better kidnapping and on proper nutrition.

DIVAn award-winning, thoughtful, and moving glimpse into life during the Depression/divDIV Cat is the fastest kid at her school—and with Play Day is coming up soon, she will be able to show off her speed to everybody. Unfortunately, her old-fashioned father forbids her to wear pants, even while playing sports. So Cat refuses to race, and Zane, an Okie boy whose family works on a nearby farm, wins. Cat is furious that Zane is so fast, and angry that he was able to beat all the sixth-grade boys, even in his bare feet./divDIV /divDIVThough Cat hates Zane at the start, soon the two become friends. They are the school’s best runners, after all. But while Cat’s family is doing well, Zane’s family has lost everything in the Depression. All Cat can offer Zane’s family is sympathy and friendship . . . until Zane’s sister gets pneumonia and Cat and Zane are forced into a race for the little girl’s life./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div

From three-time Newbery Medal winner Zilpha Keatley Snyder comes the story of three desperate kids who just want to run away Dani O’Donnell hates the dusty desert town of Rattler Springs and the ramshackle cabin where she lives with her widowed mother. On the eve of her thirteenth birthday, Dani hatches a plan to run away and return home to Sea Grove, California, with its palm trees and ocean breezes. But her scheme gets complicated when Stormy Arigotti, a dyslexic nine-year-old, decides he wants in. As if that weren’t enough, a big-city family just set up shop on the rundown ranch Dani’s mother inherited from her husband—and the daughter, Pixie Smithson, wants to join the runaway group. Pixie’s the strangest girl Dani has ever met, but now they have to think about practical things, like raising money for three bus tickets. For Dani, Stormy, and Pixie, running away might not turn out to be the great adventure they envisioned. This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

DIVGib might have finally found the family he’s always wanted. Will he be adopted for good?/divDIV No child wants an extended stay in the Lovell House Home for Orphaned and Abandoned Boys. And in the sequel to Gib Rides Home, Gib, a smart, resourceful eleven-year-old orphan, returns to the Thornton family’s ranch, hoping for a much happier experience this time. Instead of the farm labor that most orphans his age are forced to do, he gets the benefits of being part of the family: reduced chores and the freedom to go to school./divDIV /divDIVLuckily, Gib also has a way with horses—and life with Livy, the irrepressible Thornton daughter, proves that horses can be much easier to deal with than people. When a whipped and starved horse comes to the Thornton Ranch during a blizzard, Gib finds a way to save this incredible creature. And while helping the horse recuperate and acclimate to his new home, Gib realizes that he may have finally found a permanent home of his own./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div

DIVDIVA moving coming-of-age story from three-time Newbery Medal winner Zilpha Keatley Snyder/divDIV The tenth day of June in the year of Our Lord, 1907. Mehitabel Carlton Hartwick becomes invisible . . ./divDIV Eleven-year-old Carly Hartwick lives a life of adventure on her family’s ranch in Santa Luisa. No one has a clue about her secret life—not her strict father, her ailing, distracted mother, her older sister, or her older brother. Carly shares her adventures with her faithful dog, Tiger, and documents their exploits in her journal. She loves visiting her aunt Mehitabel and hearing the story of her Chinese servant’s danger-filled immigration to California during the gold rush. And soon she and Tiger have a real-life mystery to solve: Who bombed a float during the annual Fourth of July parade?/divDIV This fateful summer and fall, two tragedies will test Carly’s courage and forever alter her views on life and death./divDIV Culled from Snyder’s mother’s memories of growing up in this slice of rural Southern California, And Condors Danced introduces a heroine with a big imagination and an even bigger heart./divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div/div

DIVDIVFifteen-year-old James has just discovered the magnificence of nature—but can he protect it from the phoniness of the material world?/divDIV When his academic-minded parents decide to forsake civilization for a wilderness summer in the Sierra Nevada mountains, James Fielding figures he’ll be counting the minutes until it’s over. But in the woods one day, he comes upon a magnificent deer and becomes fascinated by its majesty and beauty. Then he meets two very different girls. Thirteen-year-old Griffin Donahue is “pure and free and beautiful.” Diane Jarrett is a tanned, “hot-pink-bikinied” goddess. Griffin is at one with nature. Diane is slumming at the nearby exclusive camp, with its decadent luxury and A-list guests. When these two worlds collide, threatening the existence of the stag, James embarks on a quest to find a friend who’s gone missing—and to save a life./divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div/div

Nine novels from a three-time Newbery Honor author whose “tales of wonder, mystery, and suspense beguiled two generations of children and young adults” (The New York Times). Blending realism and fantasy, Zilpha Keatley Snyder was a master at drawing young readers into mesmerizing worlds. Collected in one volume, here are some of her most memorable and beloved novels. TheVelvet Room explores ranch life for a child of a former migrant worker. Cat Running offers a unique glimpse into one girl’s experience when her family takes in a malnourished, barefooted “Okie” during the Depression In Song of the Gargoyle, thirteen-year-old Tymmon befriends a strange and enchanted forest creature. In The Trespassers, a boy and his sister discover a secret hideaway in a deserted mansion—and maybe a ghost. And in Fool’s Gold, a group of teens discover a map that leads them through dangerous, abandoned gold mines. This treasury is a perfect introduction to the novels of one of the most revered figures in children’s literature.

DIVDIVSummer is just a teenager, but sometimes she feels like the parent/divDIV Fifteen-year-old Summer McIntyre lives with her mother, Oriole, and seven-year-old sister, Sparrow, in a trailer in Alvarro Bay City, overlooking the Pacific. Oriole is a Northern California flower child who fantasizes about being at one with nature and forgets about needing money. Even though she’s only fifteen, Summer is good at being Mom./divDIV That is, until Oriole’s new boyfriend upsets the precarious balance in their lives. Suddenly Summer has to protect her family as she copes with the dangers of drug-smuggling, blackmailing, and even terrorism./divDIV Set during the 1980s, The Birds of Summer is the story of a teenager with the responsibilities of adulthood thrust upon her shoulders, who learns how to adapt . . . and how to survive. Winner of the PEN Literary Award and the Parents’ Choice Award./divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div/div

Three-time Newbery Honor winner Zilpha Keatley Snyder combines a cast of quirky characters with an eerie old mansion to create a spellbinding tale of mystery and magic. Harleigh J. Weatherby IV feels misunderstood. At age twelve he is about as tall as a six-year-old, and no one lets him forget it. At school the bullies nicknamed him “Hardly.” Now he is homeschooled at the Weatherby mansion, where strict Aunt Adelaide is always on his case about something. Then Harleigh meets Allegra. When she literally flies over the walls of Weatherby and into Harleigh’s life, the two form an unlikely friendship. Allegra is fascinated by the enormous Weatherby mansion, and against Harleigh’s orders, sneaks inside. Together they discover that someone is trying to find—and steal—the long-lost Weatherby treasure. Will Harleigh and Allegra be able to foil the villain and save Weatherby House?

Nine novels—including The Changeling—from the three-time Newbery Honor author who “led young readers into the wondrous terrain between fantasy and reality” (The Washington Post). Blending realism and fantasy, Zilpha Keatley Snyder was a master at drawing young readers into mesmerizing worlds. Collected in one volume, here are nine of her most memorable and beloved novels. One of her best-known books, the Christopher Medal winner The Changeling, follows an unusual friendship between two suburban girls, one of whom may have supernatural abilities. Snyder’s debut novel, Season of Ponies, is a mystical fairy tale about a girl, a magic amulet, and one unforgettable summer. Take a journey through such extraordinary settings as a rumor-haunted valley in The Ghosts of Stone Hollow and a possessed department store in Eyes in the Fishbowl. Meet a girl who spies on a neighboring family to overcome her own grief in Spyhole Secrets and another who discovers she has inherited psychic power in The Magic Nation Thing. With stories and characters that continue to endure, Zilpha Keatley Snyder is one of the most revered figures in children’s literature. This ebook includes The Changeling, Black and Blue Magic, Season of Ponies, The Ghosts of Stone Hollow, Spyhole Secrets, The Birds of Summer, The Magic Nation Thing, Eyes in the Fishbowl, and The Unseen.

William S. and the Great Escape is a middle-grade adventure from multiple-Newbery Honor-winning author Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

DIVDIVIt’s the girls against the boys when the fight for a baseball diamond erupts into an all-out war/divDIV Fifth graders Eddy Wong, Carlos Garcia, and Bucky “Buckaroo” Brockhurst all live in the Castle Court apartment complex. They’re part of a special club called the PROs. They plan to build a baseball diamond on the site of the deserted Dragoman property and are already picking out balls, mitts, and bats./divDIV Kate Nicely and Aurora and Athena Pappas also live at Castle Court. They believe the vacant lot is a magical grove and a perfect haven for unicorns. No way are they letting those insensitive boys cut down their precious trees. The girls hold a council meeting in the Pappas gazebo to plot their next move. Families take sides. And the full-scale battle to claim the land begins./divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./divDIV/div/div

DIVDIVWho stole the buried treasure?/divDIV Carlos Garcia, Eddy Wong, and Bucky Brockhurst are building a brand-new private clubhouse when they stumble upon buried treasure. No sooner have they hauled the old metal box out of the ground than Bucky’s irritating kid sister, Muffy, shows up and tells him he has to come home./divDIV Left alone with the box, Carlos and Eddy manage to pry it open. It’s filled with hundreds of gold coins! Knowing Bucky will be furious that they opened it without him, the boys dump it back into the ground. But when the fifth graders return later that night to dig it up again, all they find is an old bone./divDIV What happened to the treasure? And who buried the bone? Was it Lump, the Garcias’ enormous Saint Bernard? Susie Garcia, Athena Pappas, and Muffy Brockhurst (the meanest girl in school) also want to know. As the search for the box heats up, turning everyone against one another, will the three PROs lose the treasure—and their friendship?/divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div/div

DIVAll Gib ever wanted was to be adopted, but life with a family isn’t quite what he thought it would be/divDIV Gib was sent to an orphanage when he was six years old, and with each year, he knows it becomes less likely that he will be adopted into a loving family. As kids get older, they are more likely to be adopted onto a farm, meaning a hard life of unpaid labor. And after seeing a friend come back battered and near death, Gib is understandably worried./divDIV /divDIVWhen his turn for adoption finally comes, Gib is surprised to learn that life on the farm isn’t too difficult. His new “parents,” the Thorntons, are kind to him, and his job in the stables is fun and interesting. It is as close to the home of his dreams as he could possibly imagine. And though Gib doesn’t remember much of his past before the orphanage, as time passes, Gib realizes that his new family may be more connected to his real family than he ever imagined. This smart, touching novel is based on the life of author Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s father and his experience as an orphan in the 1900s./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div

DIVDIVFor as long as he can remember, people have warned Rudy not to play in the mines . . ./divDIV Fourteen-year-old Rudy Drummond lives with his mother and half sisters, Margot and Moira—“the M and M’s”—in Pyramid Hill, California’s legendary gold rush town. But Rudy’s got a secret: He’s terrified of dark, closed-in places. So when his best friend, Barney, and Tyler, the new kid in town, decide to explore the abandoned Pritchard’s Hole mine, Rudy has to come up with an excuse for why he can’t go without arousing their suspicions./divDIV He tries everything, from babysitting Margot and Moira to giving a girl named Heather horseback riding lessons. But Rudy can’t stop the other boys from venturing into the forbidden mine shaft—an expedition that brings back memories of being buried alive. During this summer vacation, Rudy will struggle to overcome his fears, fall in love, and become a hero as he makes life-changing discoveries about himself, his family, and his friends. A Junior Library Guild selection./divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div/div

Intent on investigating a rash of dog disappearances, eight-year-old Janie forms a detective agency and involves her friends and unwilling family in tracing clues and suspects.

DIVThe first novel from three-time Newbery Honor–winning writer Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s: a mystical fairytale about a girl, a magic amulet, and one unforgettable summer/divDIV Life is difficult for Pamela. She usually lives with her two aunts because her father is always traveling for work. But this summer, Pamela’s father has promised to take her away with him. On the day of their departure, however, he breaks his promise. Instead, he leaves Pamela an amulet engraved with mysterious lettering that he claims has magical properties./divDIV /divDIVPamela is skeptical, but things change quickly when the necklace summons a rainbow-colored herd of ponies. With them is a wild boy known only as Ponyboy, who lives with ponies and charms them. What was once destined to be the most boring summer imaginable becomes one that Pamela will never forget./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./div

DIVDIVAfter her father dies, a lonely eleven-year-old finds a solution to her grief when she discovers a secret window into another life/divDIV Hallie Meredith is furious with God. First, her adored father died in a car accident. As if that weren’t horrible enough, Hallie had to move away, leaving school and all her friends behind. Now she and her mother live in a cramped apartment in a stuffy old mansion. The only bright spot is the crack in a boarded-up window in the attic that gives Hallie an unobstructed view of the apartment in the building next door. Hallie knows she shouldn’t be up there—the attic is forbidden territory. And she shouldn’t be spying on the beautiful teenage girl with the long blond hair who seems so tragic (and whom Hallie christens “Rapunzel”). And there’s Rapunzel’s kid brother and their father, who seems unnaturally strict. Morphing into an amateur spy, Hallie is determined to solve the mysteries of this other family. But is the truth about the people next door different from how it appears?/divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./divDIV/div/div

DIVDIVAbby doesn’t want to be different, but she doesn’t have a choice—she has magic, and it’s not in her imagination/divDIV Abigail O’Malley resents having the psychic powers that set her apart from other kids. Even though her kindergarten teacher assured her that her visions were just her imagination (which Abby heard as “magic nation”), Abby knows they’re very real. She just wants to be normal, like her best friend, Paige Borden, and grow up to be a lawyer or maybe an Olympic gold-medalist skier. If her powers are so special, why can’t she find a way to bring her parents back together?/divDIV But Abby’s ability to read minds and find missing objects comes in handy when she helps solve cases at her mom’s private detective agency. The trouble starts when Abby accidentally reveals her special gift to Paige. Now that Paige knows her secret, she keeps trying to get Abby to use her magic to figure out everyday mysteries. But when/divDIVPaige’s little brother Sky goes missing, Abby has to put her powers to the ultimate test./divDIV This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder./divDIV/div/div

Having been put ahead in an accelerated eighth grade program by her bizarre and creative family, precocious eleven-year-old Libby hates her "socialization" process, until she makes some highly original friends in a writing workshop.