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GOATNAPPERS, THE
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Written by
Rosa Jordan
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Hardcover: $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-400-6
Total Pages: 224
Size: 6 x 8-1/2
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Middle Reader, ages 8-12/Fiction
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Rosa Jordan holds degrees from Santa Monica Junior College, UCLA, and the University of Guanajuato, Mexico. She is the author of Cycling Cuba and Dangerous Places: Travels on the Edge and the director of the social justice program for Earthways Foundation. She lives in Canada.
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Justin struggles with conflicting choices and important decisions about family, loyalty, and responsibility as he decides what his path in life will be.
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Accelerated Reader & Reading Counts Tests:
Reading Counts Level: 4.6
AR Quiz#: 114002
AR Reading Level: 4.6
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JUSTIN MARTIN IS ALMOST FIFTEEN, and things are finally starting to look up for him. Up until now his life has seemed woefully predictable - barely getting by in school, taking the bus home to do his chores around their small farm, bickering with his younger brother and sister. His mom has to work nonstop to make ends meet.
Then when Justin becomes the first freshman in almost twenty years to make the high school's varsity baseball team, he's convinced his problems are all behind him. All he needs now to make his happiness complete is a bicycle so he can ride home after baseball practice. To earn the money for the bike, Justin sells Little Billy, one of the family's beloved baby goats.
And that is where things begin to get complicated. Justin's siblings find out that the new owner, Mr. Grimsted, is horribly mistreating Little Billy. Must Justin break the law to save the poor animal? Then, when a red sports car appears in the Martin's driveway one afternoon, is it bringing emotional upheaval for the entire family, the tempting lure of adventure, or both?
Author Rosa Jordan's memorable, well-drawn characters are woven together through circumstances - sometimes frantically comic, sometimes heartrending - into a web of complex relationships marked by the challenges of figuring out what is right and wrong and the confusion of divided loyalties. The result is a richly textured portrait of small town life and a struggling family that will intrigue and satisfy middle readers.
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Reviews
"In this sequel to Lost Goat Lane (2004), the endearing Martin family returns with the focus on 14-year-old Justin...The goatnappers’ amusing antics and Justin’s challenging choices make this a good read for middle-graders."Kirkus Reviews "The honest family drama is woven together with the neighborhood story, as the kids on the block, teens and younger, join together to rescue a beloved baby goat from an abusive owner...Justin’s family is beautifully drawn...The animal cruelty issues will draw readers, and so will the friendships across race, gender, and age that show the meaning of community."Booklist "...the well-defined characters will keep readers engaged, and Jordan skillfully handles the moral issue of whether breaking the law is ever the right thing to do."School Library Journal
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Awards
* 2007 Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers
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More books by Author/Illustrators:
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Lost Goat Lane
An eloquent, dramatic story of an adolescent girl's first glimpse into the problems of prejudice and the redeeming power of friendships
Read More
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