Thirteen-year-old Travis has a secret: he can't read. But a shrewd teacher and a sassy girl are about to change everything in this witty and deeply moving novel.
Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he's missing his old dog, Rosco. Now there's just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa; a new school and the dreaded routine of passing when he's called on to read out loud. But that's before Travis meets Mr McQueen, who doesn't take "pass" for an answer - a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it's before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colourful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humour and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters - and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.
BOOK OF THE WEEK - A brilliant middle-grade story celebrating friendship, magic and fighting for change.
Can you solve the puzzles to save the Kingdom? Put your puzzle skills to the test with mazes, word games and codes to crack!
Young readers will love this gorgeous picture book about a chilled capybara who just won't be rushed.
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Pat Schmatz is the author of three previous novels for teens. Bluefish is the winner of the Bank Street College Josette Frank Award for Fiction and The Horn Book Fanfare, and is an American Library Association Notable Children's Book. Pat lives in rural Wisconsin, USA.
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