Synopses & Reviews
Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen has long been an ardent supporter of books, reading, and literacy programs. To further the cause of ProLiteracy Worldwide, he asked prominent authors to write an original story; the only restriction was that each story was to include mention of a book. The result is this collection, andlt;Iandgt;Shelf Life: Stories by the Book.andlt;/Iandgt; From Jennifer L. Holm's story of a girl on Mars trying desperately to return to Earth to Gregory Maguire's domestic intrigue; from Kathleen Karr's story of a thief in turn-of-the-century Chicago to M. T. Anderson's mysterious shipboard adventure; from A. LaFaye's tale of magical wonderment to Marion Dane Bauer's story of doing good, this volume provides a full range of reading for every taste. Other authors featured here are Joan Bauer, Ellen Conford, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Ellen Wittlinger. andlt;BRandgt; Sales of this book benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, an international network with more than 1,400 programs in the United States and 79 partner programs abroad, whose mission is to change lives through literacy.
Review
"[A] diverse, entertaining collection....There is a selection in this collection that will appeal to almost every reading taste." School Library Journal
Review
"[C]hildren will find humor, pathos, magic, intrigue, and SF....The looseness of the theme results in a variety that offers something for most readers." Booklist
Review
"Although aimed at middle readers, the stories might also appeal to older, reluctant readers." VOYA
Synopsis
A Gary Paulsen book to benefit literacy programs. "Books saved my life," says Gary Paulsen. And to help save other lives, he has asked top writers to contribute a story to this collection, which will benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, the foremost literacy organization in the world. Ten stellar authors M. T. Anderson, Joan Bauer, Marion Dane Bauer, Ellen Conford, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Jennifer L. Holm, Kathleen Karr, A. LaFaye, Gregory Maguire, and Ellen Wittlinger have contributed original stories, each of which includes a reference to a book. Science fiction, historical fiction, humor, fantasy these stories display a wide range of genres and emotions, but together they celebrate the power of books. From a journal left on a mysterious deserted ship, to a book whose pages appear to be blank; from a story made up on the spot, to the Bible; the books in these stories are astonishing, intriguing, and memorable and so are the stories themselves.
Synopsis
Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen brings together original stories that talk about books by authors such as Marion Dane Bauer and M.T. Anderson in this middle grade anthology. From Jennifer L. Holm's story of a girl on Mars trying desperately to return to Earth to Gregory Maguire's domestic intrigue; from Kathleen Karr's story of a thief in turn-of-the-century Chicago to M.T. Anderson's mysterious shipboard adventure; from A. LaFaye's tale of magical wonderment to Marion Dane Bauer's story of doing good, this volume provides a full range of reading for every taste. Also featured are Joan Bauer, Ellen Conford, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Ellen Wittlinger.
Sales of this book benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, an international network with programs in the United States and partner programs abroad, whose mission is to change lives through literacy.
About the Author
Gary Paulsen is the author of many critically acclaimed books for young people, including three Newbery Honor books,
The Winter Room, Hatchet, and
Dogsong. He has published fiction and nonfiction for adults as well as a number of picture books illustrated by his wife, the painter Ruth Wright Paulsen.
Gary was a self-confessed poor student and reluctant reader when he was in school. He credits the kindness of a public librarian with, literally, saving his life by taking an active interest in him and urging him to read and discuss the books she gave to him. He claims that every good thing in his life can be attributed to that one woman who opened his eyes and his world to books.
Several years ago, while he was doing research on a planned biography of Sally Hemmings, his studies led him to accounts of the life-threatening struggle that slaves faced in becoming literate. His novel Nightjohn was inspired by and written in honor of those men and women who risked life and limb to tea
Table of Contents
In your hat / Ellen Conford -- Escape / Margaret Peterson Haddix -- Follow the water / Jennifer L. Holm -- Testing, testing 1, 2, 3 / A. LaFaye -- Tea party ends in bloody massacre, film at 11 / Gregory Maguire -- What's a fellow to do / Kathleen Karr -- Wet hens / Ellen Wittlinger -- The good deed / Marion Dane Bauer -- Barcarole for paper and bones / M.T. Anderson -- Clean sweep / Joan Bauer.