In “this enchanting story about friendship,” two fourth grade girls discover a magical world hidden in one’s backyard (Publishers Weekly). No fourth grader trusts Sara-Kate Connolly. Her boots are dirty, her clothes are weird, and she’s so maladjusted that the school had to hold her back a grade. But Hillary is her next-door neighbor, and can’t say no when the unusual loner invites her over to play. In Sara-Kate’s overgrown backyard, Hillary will find proof of a world of magic—the kind that can only blossom between true friends. Among the rusted car parts and wild plants, a miniature village has sprung up. It has tiny houses made from string, sticks, and maple leaves; a well with a bottlecap for a bucket; and even a little playground with a Popsicle-stick Ferris wheel. But there’s absolutely no sign of who built this miniature world. To Sara-Kate, the answer is clear—only elves could be responsible for something so enchanted. As she and Hillary watch for their elusive new friends, they learn that friendship, like magic, springs up where you least expect it. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s own collection.

A selection from over fifty sources including published and unpublished plays, blockbuster movie hits, independent films, foreign films, teleplays, poetry, and diaries.

This resource provides teachers, librarians, parents, and others who work with children ages 9 - 12 with an annotated bibliography of children's books that contain characters who display positive family oriented values in their relationships with others. Sample activities and lessons related to the books in the bibliography will help children in responding to the thoughts and feelings of selected characters as they strive to understand their own thoughts and actions about family oriented values. Educators and parents can initiate the activities as presented or use them as a starting point for their own lessons. Parents and educators, including homeschooling parents and instructors in religious settings, will benefit from this helpful resource.

As Hillary works in the miniature village, allegedly built by elves, in Sara-Kate's backyard, she becomes more and more curious about Sara-Kate's real life inside her big, gloomy house with her mysterious, silent mother.

A collection of writers of upper elementary and middle school books discuss their work, each author includes a list of selected titles, words from the author, and a list of selected titles, words from the author, and a writing activity for you and your students.

A collection of plays by such authors as Moliere, August Strindberg, Langston Hughes, Susan Zeder, Wendy Kesselman, and Laurence Yep.