Welcome to the special corner of our Great Deals room dedicated to the best deals on children's books in our store. Of course, this is just the start. To find more of our staff's favorites titles for younger readers – including Young Adult fiction, Middle Readers, books for toddlers and beginning readers, and picture books – visit Powell's Picks for Kids pages.
 

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt Izzy is a popular high school girl who comes from a "well-bred" family. Her parents believe that good manners and a stiff-upper lip are key to facing any situation. When the situation happens to be a drunk-driving car accident in which she loses her leg, Izzy's well-conditioned coping skills are suddenly and deeply challenged. Izzy, Willy-Nilly is Cynthia Voigt's story about growing up and finding confidence in oneself in the face of sudden physical handicap. The beauty of this novel is in its message and Voigt (Dicey's Song, A Solitary Blue, and Come a Stranger) reveals a deep understanding of the physical experiences associated with physical disabilities. Teachers and students favor this book and praise it for its exploration of self-identity. "…No one will be able to finish this story without understanding the psychological trauma an amputee faces. The message is not Willy Nilly." Julie Cummins, School Library Journal "A beautiful book." Horn Book List price $4.99 Your price $2.50 (New - Mass Market)

 

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block Weetzie Bat lives happily in a fairy tale of youthful sparkling plastic eccentricities that can only be found in L.A. Realizing that something is missing, she makes three wishes – and discovers, as her wishes come true in an increasingly bizarre twist of events, that living "happily ever after" is not as simple as it seems. Francesca Lia Block's ultra-modern fairy tale blends whimsical dreamlike storytelling with hard lessons about modern love, drugs, birth, and death. Block's main characters, idiosyncratically named Dirk, Duck, Secret Agent Lover Man, and Weetzie, come of age together in a loving, accepting environment that they create almost as a refuge from the dizzy world that surrounds and shapes them. Weetzie Bat is short, yet packed with fantasy, reality, and interest for young adults. This debut novel is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Readers. Weetzie Bat is the first of five highly acclaimed Weetzie Bat Books: Weetzie Bat, Witch Baby, Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys, Missing Angel Juan, and Baby Be-Bop. Block's other books, also recommended for reluctant readers, are The Hanged Man and Girl Goddess #9: Nine Stories. "A punk, young adult fairy tale, an ingeniously lyrical narrative. . . . While the characters reach adulthood and assume responsibility for their lives, they evince the innocence and effervescence of a fancied childhood. . . . Ms.Block's far-ranging free association has been controlled and shaped into a story with sensual characters. The language is inventive Californian hip, but the patterns are compactly folkloristic and the theme is transcendent." Betsy Hearne, The New York Times Book Review "A brief, off-beat tale that has great charm, poignancy, and touches of fantasy. " School Library Journal List price $4.50 Your price $2.50 (New - Mass Market)

 

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin Winner of the 1979 Newbery Medal as the year's most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, Ellen Raskin's clever whodunit plots sixteen potential heirs of a millionaire's fortune against each other in a search for his murderer. Samuel W. Westing's will, they learn upon their summons to Westing House, takes the form of a contest, challenging the heirs to find out who among them murdered the reclusive millionaire. Through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings, the game is on, and only two people hold all the clues. One of them is a Westing heir. The other is you, the reader. The Westing Game is highly recommended for ages 10 and up. "Raskin is an arch storyteller here. . . Amazingly imaginitive, with a cutting edge and human underpinnings. . . a supersharp mystery . . . confoundingly clever, and very funny." Booklist, starred review "Great fun for those who enjoy illusion, word play, or slight of hand." The New York Times Book Review List price $4.99 Your price $2.50 (New - Trade Paper)

 

Stellaluna: A Pop-up Book and Mobile by Janell Cannon Life is happening just as it should for charming and lovable Stellaluna, until an owl attacks the little fruit bat in mid flight. Stellaluna tumbles through the air and lands safely, but without her mother, in a bird's nest, where she is welcomed and raised as a baby bird. Her trials and well-meaning endeavors eventually lead Stellaluna safely back to her mother, where she comes wide-eyed into her own identity. When she revisits her bird friends, they marvel over their differences and ultimately remain grateful for their friendship. In simple, correct detail, Janell Cannon's whimsically written and illustrated bestselling debut lovingly describes the young heroine's struggles and attempts to be what she's not. And in the pages of this pop-up edition, Cannon's beautiful illustrations are cleverly recreated in three dimensions, providing the original story an added element of interactive fun. There's even a three-dimensional mobile tucked safely in its own pocket inside of the book. "With a warm, nicely honed narration, Cannon strikes just the right balance between accurate portrayal of the bats and the fantasy that dramatizes their characteristics. Her illustrations, in luminous acrylics and color pencils, are exquisite... Delightful and informative but never didactic: a splendid debut." Kirkus Review List price $18.95 Your price $7.98 (New - Hardcover)

 

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Rudyard Kipling's classic stories about Mowgli, a boy raised by the animals of the jungle, has captivated children for over a hundred years. With the lessons he learns from Baloo, the wise old bear, Bagheera, the black panther, Gray Brother, the faithful wolf, and even the python Kaa and the Monkey People, Mowgli grows up in the wild and finds that he must someday face his sworn enemy: the ferocious man-hating tiger, Shere Khan. This version of The Jungle Book, released by Books of Wonder, is illustrated with eighteen lush watercolors by award winning artist Jerry Pinkney. Rikki Tikki Tavi, Kipling's tale of the brave and selfless mongoose, is also included in the book. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. Among his other tales of adventure are Kim and the Just So Stories. "...A handsome volume for collections of classic tales." Sally Estes, Booklist "...A glorious pairing of text and illustration." Horn Book List price $20.00 Your price $9.98 (New - Hardcover)

 

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton In 1988, the American Library Association gave S.E. Hinton the first annual Margaret A. Edwards Award in praise of the authentic voice and insight that her works provided to young audiences. Hinton wrote her first novel, The Outsiders when she was sixteen. Through the account of 14-year old Ponyboy, a tough and confused gang member who struggles with the burden of his "greaser" identity, she conveyes the hardships and turbulence of troubled youth. Hinton's story, while focusing on the relationships and inner workings of marginalized teens, challenges the labels we place on ourselves and others. First published in 1967, The Outsiders is a convincingly written classic that continues to resonate within the adolescent heart. Hinton's other novels include That Was Then, This Is Now; Rumble Fish; Tex; Taming the Star Runner, and The Puppy Sister. She is also the author of picture book Big David, Little David. "This remarkable novel gives a moving, credible view of the outsiders from the inside. . . we meet powerful characters in a book with a powerful message." The Horn Book "Taut with tension, filled with drama . . ." The Chicago Tribune "No social scientist can fault this talented teenage author's sympathetic observations of the members of a city gang... The killing pride of the disadvantaged is captured and conveyed in the novel's action and suspense." School Library Journal List price $4.99 Your price $2.50 (New - Mass Market)

 

 

Powell's Picks for Kids Young Adult (7th Grade and up) Middle Readers (Grades 3-6) Books for Toddlers & Beginning Readers Picture Books Great Deals on Really Good Kids' Books