Carol Matas

★ "Zevi is Jewish, and this important part of his identity is skillfully woven throughout the narrative. This hi-lo title excels in the genre, packaging an accessible, dyslexia-friendly text with a compelling plot and likable protagonist whose journey readers will happily follow. Highly recommended." -- School Library Journal Can Zevi use his psychic powers to save the life of a famous movie star? Sudden fame throws thirteen-year-old Zevi into the spotlight when the media discovers his secret abilities--and it's ruining his life He wants fame as an actor, not as a psychic. So when Robert Lemon, a famous actor, comes to town to film a movie, Zevi hopes this is his chance to turn things around. Until he begins to sense that the star's life is in danger. When "accidents" start befalling Robert Lemon on the movie set, it's up to Zevi to use his gift to save the famous actor. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

★"In this delightfully original nonfiction picture book... the readable text offers understandable science, while the engaging illustrations promote careful investigation. A valuable addition to science and nature collections. Highly recommended."--School Library Journal, starred review How do animals see the world? It turns out, very differently. In this nonfiction picture book, a young girl and her baby sister's outdoor adventure (hiking through the forest, picnicking in the grass and swimming in the ocean) is overseen by the local fauna. The way those animals view the girls is very different from how the girls see each other. Goats see far and wide in a panorama, whales don't see color the way humans do and a high-soaring eagle's sharp vision can clearly see a tiny mouse far below. Through clever illustrations and scientific prose, we are reminded that while we may see things differently, we all share this life together on planet Earth.

Suddenly transported against their will, the Princess Lenora and her fianc , Prince Coren, find themselves in a strange place - bone-chilling cold and snow outside, garish marketplaces and angry people inside. The inhabitants call it the city of Winnipeg. Lenora and Coren, however, have no idea where it is or why they are there. They can't return home because, yet again, their imaginative powers have deserted them. The Winnipeggers refuse to believe Lenora and Coren are who they say they are. Strangely enough, though, they have read about Lenora and Coren in a series of fantasy novels by the authors Carol M. and Perry N. But just who created whom, Lenora and Coren wonder. And how will they ever manage to escape this frightening city, worse than their worst nightmare, so that their long-awaited wedding can finally take place?

"Changing the world was impossible. Creating another one was worse. And escape was out. She was trapped." A collaboration between acclaimed writers Carol Matas and Perry Nodelman, this roller coaster of an adventure is filled with twists and turns, excitement and fun. It is an extraordinary creative fantasy about empowerment that compels readers not to take everything at face value. "A spellbinding fantasy...proof positive that two heads are better than one." -SLJ Best Books of the Year "Strong...a solid fantasy about thinking for oneself, thinking other people's thoughts, and the power of the imagination." -Kirkus Reviews "Original, unpredictable...a kaleidoscope of character, cultures, and events that offers both entertainment and enrichment." -School Library Journal, starred review

Aaron and Zev have been protected from serving in the czar's army for very different reasons -- Aaron's father pays to keep his scholarly son free and Zev works as a khapper, kidnapping other poor, young Jewish boys to fulfill the czar's arm quotas. Zev's jealousy of Aaron turns to hate when he discovers that Miriam, the girl he loves, will be Aaron's future wife. Zev decides to rid himself of Aaron forever by turning him over to the czar's army, where few survive the forced labor. In this powerful novel set in the reign of Nicholas I in Russia, Carol Matas explores the complex issues of betrayal, faith and forgiveness. Winner of The Sydney Taylor Award, New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, Canadian Library Association Notable book, Notable Children's Trade Book in the field of Social Studies by NCSS, U.S.

Princess Lenora and Prince Coren are finally getting married at the court of Andilla, Coren's homeland, where everyone lives in their imagination. There's just one problem: The Andillans' powers aren't working, and the wedding can't proceed when the sacred Balance is so out of whack. For the headstrong Lenora, this means a new adventure. She and a reluctant Coren head into the Andillan countryside, where they come across the Skwoes, who have absolutely no imagination whatsoever. Are they responsible for the Andillans' loss of power? Whatever the source, the problems are getting worse: Now even Lenora's ability to make her thoughts real is failing. What is more, Lenora has been having a series of nightmares about the evil Hevak. Something has to be done before all of the people in two kingdoms are completely out of their minds.

The headstrong Princess Lenora craves an adventure, and defeating the giant who has appeared up north would be a great one. The trouble is, no one will let her help. They want her to stay behind and plan her wedding to Prince Coren of Andilla, but Lenora has absolutely no use for color schemes or pew ribbons. Using the power to create whatever she imagines - an ability that all Gepethians have, but have agreed not to use - Lenora imagines a duplicate of herself (a duplicate who cares about pew ribbons) to stay at home, while she sets off on her mission. Quickly, Lenora realizes that the giant is just a symptom of a larger problem, and as she is joined by Coren and both of their duplicates, her adventure spirals out of control.

With the success of Papa's latest baseball film, Rosie and her family move to beautiful Los Angeles to shoot more films starring Rosie. And there's no wasting time; within days of unpacking, Papa brings home an entire Wild West show so he can make authentic Westerns Rosie's so excited about riding a horse for the first time that she forgets to watch her step -- and before she knows it, she's caused a terrible accident for the show's best trick rider. Oy vey Where will Papa's Western movies be without a real trick rider...and with a star who doesn't even know how to get on a horse? Enter Zach, the son of the injured rider. Rosie finds him simply irritating And just when Rosie thought it couldn't get any worse, she and Zach get hopelessly lost in the hills. All they have to get past the mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and other enemies in the wild are their wits, their skills, and each other. Can Rosie and Zach set aside their differences and brave the challenges ahead so that this story has a happy ending?

At age eleven, Rosie Lepidus's main concerns are winning ring-a-levio, going to school, and staying out of trouble. But when Mama falls ill with pneumonia and Papa throws all the family's savings into the nickelodeon business, the burden of caring for her family falls on Rosie's shoulders. Tall for her age, Rosie is able to pass for sixteen and take Mama's place sewing sleeves at a shirtwaist factory. Her family needs the money. But working conditions are horrible and the factory boss is incredibly strict. The girls are fined for nearly everything -- even talking or humming Within days of starting work, Rosie hears the buzz about a huge strike of twenty thousand shirtwaist workers. It's the strike that Mama's been working toward for ages: a huge push for change in the workplace. Rosie wants to join in, but as the streets become more dangerous, Papa asks his daughter to return to school. And Rosie must choose: follow Papa's orders...or fight with everything she's got.

Holly Springs, Mississippi, 1862 Hannah Green can't believe what happens to her family after the war breaks out. First, her sister Joanna falls in love with a Union soldier -- an enemy. Next, the same soldier tells Hannah and her family about General Grant's General Order #11, which commands all Jews to evacuate the territory for violating trade regulations. The Greens escape from Holly Springs just before their home is destroyed. They lose everything -- even their slaves, when Lincoln declares them free. Now, because she is Jewish, Hannah cannot go home to Mississippi -- a Confederate state that's dear to her heart. Confusion sets in. Who is on her side, and whose side does she want to be on?

Didn't the gas ovens finish you all off? is the response that meets Ruth Mendenberg when she returns to her village in Poland after the liberation of Buchenwald at the end of World War II. Her entire family wiped out in the Holocaust, the fifteen-year-old girl has nowhere to go. Members of the underground organization Brichah find her, and she joins them in their dangerous quest to smuggle illegal immigrants to Palestine. Ruth risks her life to help lead a group of children on a daring journey over half a continent and across the sea to Eretz Israel, using secret routes and forged documents -- and sheer force of will. This adventure will touch readers, who will marvel at the resources and inner strength of mere children helping other children to find a place in this world in which they can belong. Carol Matas, one of the foremost authors of historical fiction, brings the desperation and passion of this remarkable journey to life.

Daniel barely remembers leading a normal life before the Nazis came to power in 1933. He can still picture once being happy and safe, but memories of those days are fading as he and his family face the dangers threatening Jews in Hitler's Germany in the late 1930's. No longer able to practice their religion, vote, own property, or even work, Daniel's family is forced from their home in Frankfurt and sent on a long and dangerous journey, first to the Lodz ghetto in Poland, and then to Auschwitz -, the Nazi death camp. Though many around him lose hope in the face of such terror, Daniel, supported by his courageous family, struggles for survival. He finds hope, life and even love in the midst of despair.