The New York Times–bestselling author of Inkheart and Dragon Rider delivers an “inventive re-imagining of the knight-in-shining-armor story” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight just like her great grandfather, but the truth is, life at the family castle is rather boring. Until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. He’s got a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim as his own the wonderful singing spell books that belong to Igraine’s magician parents. To make matters worse, at the very moment of the siege, her mom and dad botch a spell, turning themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant and a Sorrowful Knight, it’s up to Igraine to be brave and save the day—and the books! “Illustrated with pen-and-ink sketches of Igraine in action, plus many tiny tomes sporting stubby limbs and animated faces, this engaging read, or read-aloud, is ‘joust’ the ticket for all young fans of non-gender-specific knightly valor.” —Kirkus Reviews

Amid the crumbling splendour of wintertime Venice, two orphans are on the run. The mysterious Thief Lord offers shelter, but a terrible danger is gathering force...

Ferocious Captain Firebeard may think that he and the cruel crew of the Horrible Haddock rule the high seas - but he hasn't reckoned on a small, daring girl called Molly. And he certainly should never have kidnapped her! Molly soon proves to be sharper and quicker than any of the pirate gang's cutlasses. And before long, Firebeard must face his comeuppance - the fury of her fearsome mum!

This is the fourth volume sponsored by the United States Board on Books for Young People, following Children's Books from Other Countries (1998), The World Through Children's Books (2002), and Crossing Boundaries (2006). This latest volume, edited by Linda M. Pavonetti, includes books published between 2005 and 2009. This annotated bibliography, organized geographically by world region and country, with descriptions of nearly 700 books representing more than 70 countries, is a valuableresource for librarians, teachers, and anyone else seeking to promote international understanding through children's literature. Like its predecessors, it will be an important tool for providing stories that will help children understand our differences while simultaneously demonstrating our common humanity.

How do you get children excited and engaged with books? Get them onstage! Readers Theatre is a staged reading of literature with participants reading from scripts, conveying the book’s story using voice and facial expressions. In this book Poe introduces and shows how to implement the concept, demonstrating how Readers Theatre offers educators an innovative opportunity to acquaint children and young people with quality literature, develop their public-speaking skills, and teach teamwork in an activity that is as entertaining as it is educational. A veteran of many Readers Theatre programs, she explains how to create successful programs, providing Detailed instruction for ways librarians can help children and teens develop and perform their own Readers Theatre scripts An annotated bibliography of 100 books suggested for their Readers Theatre potential, with excerpts from scripts and the passages from which they were adapted Programming ideas that can be adapted for use across different age levels, from preschool to YA Comments from prominent children’s authors who have shared Readers Theatre experiences with Poe Combining the theoretical and the practical, Poe’s book helps children and YA librarians assist young people in developing a lifelong love of literature.

Audiobooks not only present excellent opportunities to engage the attention of young people but also advance literacy. Learn how the format can support national learning standards and literacy skills in the K-12 curricula.

Cornelia Funke is a German author who writes children�s fiction that fits mainly into the fantasy and adventure genres. Funke has won numerous awards for her work including the prestigious Roswitha Prize. Interviews with the author herself and important people in her life provide insight into her early childhood and her climb to the top. Readers will gain insight into how this artist continues to unveil imaginative works that entice lovers of fantasy and adventure.