Enjoy a tale woven by the minds of Northern Virginia children’s authors.
‘Harry’s Bearded Adventures’
By Shawn Geegbae
(Youth)
A powerful but clumsy wizard has accidentally dipped his beard into a magical potion and it has sprung to life. With a mind of his own and a newly found independence, Harry the Beard sets off on an adventure traversing the fabric of magic, time and imagination to meet and learn about other great individuals.
‘Am I Pretty?’
By Lindsey Jensen Berke
(Youth)
At preschool, recess is one of Julia’s favorite times of day. Today she decides to join the other girls in the sandbox. But one of her classmates tells her unless she is wearing fingernail polish, she can’t play with them. Julia is shocked and hurt. Isn’t she pretty enough? Julia decides to ask her mom if she is pretty. What will her mom say?
‘The Great Wall of Lucy Wu’
By Wendy Wan-Long Shang
(Young Adult)
Lucy Wu is an irresistible sixth grader learning the hard, humorous lessons about crushes, bullies, compromise and the value of family and friends. An aspiring basketball star and interior designer, she is on the verge of having the best year of her life. Her plans are shattered when she finds out her great aunt is coming to visit and will be staying in Lucy’s room. Her perfect year is ruined, or is it?
‘Seeing Red’
By Kathryn Erskine
(Young Adult)
Set in 1972 Virginia against a backdrop of racial tension, Red unearths some dark
secrets about his town’s legacy and tries to right the wrongs, including his own, ultimately realizing that he can’t fix the past but he can change the future.
‘Operation Oleander’
By Valerie O. Patterson
(Young Adult)
When Jess’s dad ships out to Afghanistan, she wants nothing more than to feel close to him. She sets up a club with her friends Sam and Meriwether to collect school supplies for orphaned children in Afghanistan. But when the troops are delivering the supplies a bomb goes off, killing troops and civilians, injuring Jess’s father and killing Meriwether’s mother. Jess is now faced with her friend blaming her for her mother’s loss, the community shunning her and Operation Oleander is ordered to shutdown.
‘Forget Her Nots’
By Amy Brecount White
(Young Adult)
Some ancient power is blooming inside Laurel. She can use flowers to awaken lost memories or arouse love. Clues and secret messages abound at her boarding school, but can she master her powers before prom?
‘The Survivor Tree’
By Cheryl Aubin
(Youth)
Through evocative prose and watercolor illustrations, “The Survivor Tree: Inspired by a True Story,” takes the reader on a journey of hope and healing that parallels our nation’s own journey following the events of September 11, 2001. Based on the story of the 9/11 Survivor Tree, this story imaginatively describes the experiences, memories and feelings of the tree throughout her healing and eventual return home.
‘The Lions of Little Rock’
By Kristin Levine
(Young Adult)
Two girls separated by race form an unbreakable bond during the tumultuous integration of Little Rock schools in 1958.
(February 2014)
