Characters you wonât forget in four middle-grade novels from a writer who âhas captivated young readers for a quarter of a centuryâ (Corvallis Gazette-Times).  From mountain climbing to banana-eating contests, visiting a Kentucky farm to traveling to another world, these four middle-grade novels from Tom Birdseye have something for everyone.  A Tough Nut to Crack: Eighth-grader Cassie Bellâs father and grandfather had a falling-out years ago, so sheâs never met him. But when Grandpa Ruben is injured in a tractor accident, the family travels from Oregon to his Kentucky farm. From the way her dad talks about him, she pictured a mean old man, but her grandfather is lively, goofy, and loving. Still, Dad and Grandpa Ruben can barely stand to be in the same room. Can Cassie find a way to get them back together again?  âThe novelâs simplicity, humor, action, and warmth will appeal to a broad range of readers.â âSchool Library Journal  Storm Mountain: Thirteen-year-old Cat Taylorâs father and uncle, a famous search-and-rescue team, died on Storm Mountain two years ago. When her cousin Ty impulsively takes their ashes to scatter on the mountain, Cat has no choice but to climb up after him. But when a blizzard traps them, Cat and Ty realize they could be the next ones to die on Storm Mountain.  âA touching story about a daughter who wants to honor her mountaineer father. Will appeal to aspiring young climbers who want a taste of the big peaks. Tom Birdseye has more than thirty years of mountaineering experience, and it shows in this page-turning work.â âClimbing  The Eye of the Stone: While walking through the woods on his thirteenth birthday, Jackson Cooper takes shelter in a cave to avoid a storm. When he pulls a peculiar stone from the wall, he is suddenly transported to another world. The inhabitants of this strange new place called Timmra believe that Jackson is the chosen one, a promised gift from their god to protect them, and now he must find the courage to fight an evil monster.  âThe story provides plenty of excitement for adventure fans. . . . [A] fast-paced fantasy.â âBooklist  Iâm Going to Be Famous: Arlo Mooreâs favorite book of all time is The Guinness Book of World Records, and now he is determined to break the world record for eating his favorite foodâbananas. He only needs to consume seventeen in less than two minutes. Should be easy, right? Except that when everyone starts betting on Arloâs chances of beating the record, his principal forbids him from training at school. But nothingâs going to stop Arlo from his moment of fameâeven if everyone thinks heâs bananas.  â[A] fast-paced, furiously funny story.â âBooklist
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