(Harper & Row, 1988)
Sixteen-year-old Franny Yeager, the “good girl” of the family, tries to hide her burgeoning love for a Japanese-American boy since her father is rabidly anti-Japanese. Complicating matters is the illness of her beloved grandmother with whom she shares a room. Published in Great Britain by Pan Macmillan.
(Four Winds Press, 1987)
Three sisters, forced to spend the summer with their grandparents whom they don’t like, decide to form the Lightey Club. At each meeting, Henny, the oldest sister, recounts a new tale about Lightey the Lightning Bug and his insect pals. Henny’s stories help change a bad vacation into a magical one.
Illustrations by Kathryn Brown.
(Harper & Row, 1987)
Sixteen-year-old Bart Hawkins, star quarterback, learns that his house is haunted when Millicent, a sixteen-year-old “spokespook” for nine other ghosts, asks his help in ridding the place of a new and obnoxious poltergeist. With her help, Bart, who has been hiding his brains and love of reading, learns to be truthful about himself to his friends and his girlfriend.
(Scholastic, 1987)
Mitzi is afraid of everything until a “psychic” named Madame Blini tells her that she was Queen Boadicea in a past life.
(Harper & Row, 1986)
Lizzie’s latest obsession, in this sequel to Tarantulas on the Brain, is Robin Hood, leading to some misadventures at a Medieval Faire. In addition, to keep her best friend Tessa from going off to music school without her, Lizzie tries to learn the harp, with less than satisfactory results.
Illustrations by Miriam Nerlove.
(Holt, 1986)
Did the wealthy Carlotta Bucks really leave all her money to a cat? Sam will find out.
Illustrations by Andrew Glass.
(Morrow, 1994)
When the evil Lord Shang bans all the fans in his realm, Bright Willow manages to save hers, a magical heirloom passed down through generations, and uses it to defeat the villain, rescue her love, Seahorse, and reunite the divided houses of Li and Chen.
Illustrated by Wenhai Ma.
(Macmillan, 1994)
A collection of poems featuring the characters and events of a family reunion held one sunny August day in Small Park.
Illustrated by R.W. Alley.
(Disney-Hyperion, 1993)
Twelve-year-old Wheel Wiggins is the head honcho of his neighborhood. Every year he masterminds the town’s 4th of July extravaganza. But this time he’s stuck for an idea and suffering from, as he puts it, “executive stress,” made worse when everyone’s favorite deejay, Wild Willie, announces a contest for the best Independence Day celebration. At last Wheel does dream up his greatest scheme ever – an amazing carnival. But then a new kid arrives in town – a hot shot, unicycle-riding rich kid named Topper, who wants not only to join Wheel’s gang, but to take it over. And the war begins.
(Holt, 1993)
Silly dog poems. True doggerel.
Illustrated by Clement Oubrerie.
(Disney-Hyperion, 1992)
When fourteen-year-old, would-be witch Rosie Rivera tried to concoct a love potion, she accidentally let a nasty, not-so-little imp out of a bottle instead. The creature stows away to California in a Christmas gift opened by Danny Pauling and his sister Laura. The kids think they’ve hit the jackpot and acquired a genie, who calls himself Mr. Ed, to grant them endless wishes. But Mr. Ed’s outlandish tricks soon wreak havoc all over L.A., landing Danny, Laura, and their mother in danger. It’s up to Rosie and her mother Lydia, a retired witch, to save the day.
