Genre Practice 8

Donut Wizards by Clark Greco 

Brandon and Angie are twins with special powers: they can magically create donuts. This makes them very popular at school until they get into an argument while Angie is casting a spell. Then Angie accidentally turns the entire school into a sprinkle-covered donut! With no easy way to undo the spell, the children of the community must go to school inside of the giant donut until Brandon and Angie can figure out how to reverse the spell.

Science and You by John Wooly 

Dr. Wooly has a way with science. In this textbook, Dr. Wooly takes challenging scientific concepts and explains them in simple terms. He focuses on scientific concepts that interest young adolescents. Learn how a phone functions, how a sprinkler works, and why diamonds sparkles so brightly.

I Miss the Milky Way by Pat Meehan 

After unlocking a secret puzzle from a gumball machine that no one else could solve, Roger is abducted by aliens. These aliens want to use Roger's problem solving skills to crack a secret code preventing them from returning to their home world. Roger agrees to help them but it takes much longer than he hoped. Roger meets many strange space creatures and makes friends, but he misses his home world too. Will he ever break the secret code? Will he ever see his family and friends again?

The Wolf and the Crane retold by Aesop 

A Wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat promised a Crane a large reward to put her head into his mouth and take out the bone. When the Crane had removed the bone, she asked for the promised payment. The Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed, "I think that you have already been paid sufficiently. You were allowed to safely remove your head from the jaws of a wolf." The moral of the story is that you should expect no reward when serving the wicked.

Marie Curie: First Lady of Science by Eric Loran 

Marie Curie was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize. She is also the only person to win Nobel Prizes in multiple sciences. She is best remembered for her work with radiation and her theory of radioactivity. Curie actually coined the phrase "radioactivity." Loran tells the true story of Curie's life. He covers her youth in Poland, her adulthood in Paris, and her groundbreaking research with radioactive materials.

Three Crazy Loves by Robin T. Boswell 

In this play a king is desperate to marry off his firstborn son and successor, Prince Valiance. The king arranges a courtship with three princesses: one who is pretty, one who is rich, and one is intelligent. Prepare for drama as the Prince Valiance navigates a moral minefield in a quest to find out what he values most. Readers and viewers may cringe a bit as the play progresses, but spirits will be raised after the big wedding scene at the end.

Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind and the Rattlesnake retold by Ronald Davis 

Every pilgrim and cowboy worth a lick of salt knows that Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind is roughest toughest cowgirl on the Frontier. But do you know how she got her lasso? Well, it started when one of them rattlesnakes went crazy enough to bite old Sally. It wasn't no regular rattlesnake, it being about twenty feet long. That snake tried to bite Sally's calf but his teeth bent right round flat. Sally, feeling a little tickle on her calf, looked down to see the rattlesnake. She picked'em, stretched'em out, and she's been using him as a lasso ever since.

No More Uniforms by Gabe Guzman 

In this stirring essay, Guzman attempts to convince readers that Valleyview Junior High should not have to wear uniforms. He has three solid points and he elaborates each in his body paragraphs. He argues that uniforms restrict expression, are uncomfortable, and distract students. He also claims that uniforms prevent neither gang activity nor display of gang affiliation.

Very Big Elephants by Katie Hawk 

Jenny and Patty were inseparable. They were the best of friends. Until they both started competing for the same scholarship. Now these best friends are behaving like bitter enemies and acts of kindness turn into sabotage. The scholarship is up for grabs, but will anyone win? Can anyone?

P.S.: I'm Impervious by Brent Thorpe 

It's December 1941 and the US is entering World War II. Harold's mother wants him to stay home and help on the farm, but he wants to help his nation. Thorpe uses an interesting style in this imaginative narrative. Harold and his mother tell their stories through a series of angry letters.