Excerpt from The Babysitting Wars
By Mimi McCoyKaitlyn sighed and glanced at the DVD player. The digital clock read 9:26. The Baileys were almost an hour and a half late getting home.
She got up from the sofa. In her socks, she quietly crept down the hall to check on Rosie. The little girl was asleep in her bed, hands up alongside her ears, her lips parted in a tiny O. Kaitlyn tucked the blanket more tightly around her. She tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Back in the living room, she flopped down on the sofa. With a jingle of dog tags, the Baileys’ dachshund, Brutus, hopped up next to her. Kaitlyn patted his head. Brutus was one of the top reasons she liked sitting for the Baileys. She had always wanted a dog, but her father was allergic.
Kaitlyn picked up the television remote and began to flip through channels. Cop show. TV movie. Wrestling. News. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring.
Kaitlyn glanced at the clock again, 9:29.
Each minute is more money, reminded herself.
Still, she felt antsy. Even if the Baileys walked in the door that second, it would be too late to go over to Maggie’s house. She’d missed yet another night with her friends. It seemed like she’d missed a lot of them lately.
Not that she was complaining. After all, how many other seventh graders had jobs? And she had to admit, she loved it when she went to the park or the grocery store and little kids screamed her name like she was some king of celebrity.
No, she told herself, babysitting was definitely a good thing. She just sometimes wished she could spend as much time with her friends as she used to.
- Teacher Store
-
Marshmallow Incident
The Teacher Store 
Marshmallow Incident
by Judi BarrettThe Town of Left and the Town of Right are separated by a dotted yellow line, and no one on either side can remember how things got to be this way! One day, an unlucky citizen crosses the line - forcing the Order of the Ambidextrous Knights who guard the border to take action. Unfortunately, the only ammunition they have around is marshmallows - 50,000 boxes worth! So begins the Marshmallow Incident, a tale of Left and Right, and Right and Wrong, with an incredibly silly but delicious dose of M
$16.99
Hardcover Book | Grades Pre-K-3
Grades Pre-K-3 $16.99
- Scholastic Store
-
Bone #3: Eyes of the Storm
The Scholastic Store 
Bone #3: Eyes of the Storm
by Jeff Smith and Steve HamakerLucius, Smiley, and Phoney survive an attack by the rat creatures, but back at the farm, Fone Bone and Thorn are troubled by strange dreams -- and Gran'ma Ben's reaction to them is stranger still. She reveals a long-kept secret about Thorn, a secret that may mean they have to leave the farm forever. Volume 3 of the 9-book BONE saga.
$9.99
Page Turners
This graphic novel series builds reading confidence and competence through witty prose and arresting illustrations.
Learning Curve
"Graphic novel" is a term used by librarians, educators, and booksellers to indicate a publishing format--books written and illustrated in the style of a comic book, consisting of "sequential art"--a series of illustrations which, when viewed in order, tell a story. Although today's graphic novels are a recent phenomenon, this basic way of storytelling has been used in various forms for centuries--early cave drawings, hieroglyphics, and medieval tapestries like the famous Bayeux Tapestry can be thought of as stories told in pictures. The term graphic novel is now generally used to describe any book in a comic format that resembles a novel in length and narrative development.
School librarians and educators have reported outstanding success getting kids to read with graphic novels, citing particularly their popularity with reluctant readers, especially boys--a group traditionally difficult to reach. At the same time, graphic novels with rich, complex plots and narrative structures can also be satisfying to advanced readers.
Want to learn more about graphic novels? Check out our discussion guide here .
books;paperback books;graphic novel | Ages 9-12
Ages 9-12 $9.99
ARTICLE
