The Lottery Rose

Abused by his mother and her boyfriend, Georgie Burgess learns to hide his hurt. He withdraws into a safe and secret world of beautiful gardens filled with roses—just like those in the library book he treasures.When Georgie wins a small rosebush in a grocery store lottery he gives it all the love and caring he’s never had. Georgie’s life begins to open up for him when the courts send him to a home for boys where he will be safe. Slowly, and not without pain, Georgie learns to give—and to receive—love…

No More Dead Dogs

Ever since Wallace Wallace was little, he has faithfully told the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So when this football hero is forced to report on the book Old Shep, My Pal for his English class, he cannot tell a lie. He feels compelled to inform his teacher that it was one of the worst books he's ever read. Why does the dog in every classic book always have to croak at the end? Not pleased with this report is Wallace's English teacher, who thinks it's the best book ever written and also happens to be directing the play version at school. He orders Wallace to attend the play rehearsals until he can come to his senses. Wallace doesn't change his mind - but he does start to change the play. It begins with his suggestion to add a line, and then a pair of old Rollerblades, until the play has evolved into a rock-and-roll edition of the older classic.

Wringer

Not all birthdays are welcome. In Palmer's home town of Waymer, a boy's tenth birthday is more than just another birthday--it is considered to be the biggest and most honorable day of his life. When a boy turns ten he has finally earned his place as a wringer at the town's annual Pigeon Day. On this day 5,000 pigeons are released into the sky only to be shot down by the town's men. It is the job of wringers to retrieve dead birds from the field and to wring the wounded birds' necks. Although all proceeds from Pigeon Day go to pay for the town's park maintenance and he is assured that wringers "humanely" put the dying pigeons to death, Palmer cannot shake the dreadful feeling that he does not want to be a wringer. Unfortunately, "this not wanting to be a wringer" conflicts directly with the expectations of his clique of friends--for them, being a wringer is the highest honor, an honor only a wimp would refuse. Not to be a wringer would mean going against his friends, his family, and the town, and risking ostracism. Palmer's life becomes further complicated when he befriends Nipper, a pigeon who likes to roost in his closet and sit atop his head. Now Palmer has a very important reason to strike out against his friends and the town's traditional Pigeon Day. In this gripping and thought-provoking novel, Spinelli tells of one boy's courage to overcome peer pressure and unquestioned tradition--to stand up for what he believes.

The Skin I'm In

Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they're not getting at her about her embarrassing home-made clothes or her good grades at school, it's about her dark, black skin - a deeper shade than any of theirs. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka too?