James Preller

Welcome. Take a seat. Buckle up, nice and tight. We've got a story to tell. But be warned. I Scream, You Scream isn't just any tale. This is a Scary Tale, from James Preller. Meet Sam Carver, an ordinary kid with a very special ticket in her pocket. This ticket will send her and her new friend Andy on a most unusual ride--one that will leave them screaming for more.

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you're new in town, it's hard to know who to hang out with--and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular. But something isn't right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you'd better watch your back. There might be a target on it. As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin's dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: He's a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully's next victim. This title has Common Core connections.

Two teams, six innings, one game. A lively cast of characters--baseball-loving boys between the ages of eleven to thirteen--are playing the biggest game of their lives. With acrobatic catches, clutch hits, dramatic whiffs, and costly errors, this game is full of action. But as the book unfolds, pitch by pitch, a deeper story emerges, with far more at stake: Sam and Mike, best friends, are trying to come to terms with Sam's newly diagnosed cancer. And this baseball diamond becomes the ultimate testing ground of Sam and Mike's remarkable friendship as they strive to find a way to both come out winners. This is for the championship. This is for life. Six Innings is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.