Books by Stephanie S. Tolan

APPLEWHITES COAST TO COAST by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 17, 2017

"A humdrum adventure that muddily tries to convey the notion that all of life's students are also teachers. (Fiction. 8-13)"
The Applewhites take their untraditional, ramshackle educational show on the road. Read full book review >
APPLEWHITES AT WIT'S END by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 8, 2012

"Readers who liked the first book will appreciate this one, too, and the glimmerings of a few romances on the horizon will satisfy. (Fiction. 10-13)"
In Newbery Honor-winning Surviving the Applewhites (2002), Jake Semple, the big-city "bad kid," didn't know how he'd manage a year with that irrepressible clan. In this sequel Jake's back, but it's the Applewhites who don't know how or if they'll make it. Read full book review >
LISTEN! by Stephanie S. Tolan
ANIMALS
Released: May 1, 2006

"Touching and heartwarming. (Fiction. 11-14)"
In the hands of a less-talented author, the story of a half-wild dog and the heartbroken girl who tames him might have descended into saccharine sentimentality. Read full book review >
BARTHOLOMEW’S BLESSING by Stephanie S. Tolan
ANIMALS
Released: Oct. 1, 2004

"The final page of this gentle story shows an outdoor vista of the peaceful stable scene, speckled with snow, and 'filled with blessings.' (Picture book. 4-7)"
Bartholomew is a tiny mouse, "a small animal, used to being ignored." Read full book review >
SURVIVING THE APPLEWHITES by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 1, 2002

Reminiscent of the loud, loving, eccentric family in Kaufman and Hart's You Can't Take It with You, the Applewhites are brilliantly talented and wildly adverse to mainstream mentality. Read full book review >
FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2001

"Only for committed fans of part one. (Fiction. 10-15)"
A slow-moving sequel to Tolan's Welcome to the Ark (1996) in which Elijah, a young African-American empath who has escaped from a juvenile mental health facility in the Adirondacks, becomes entangled in a domestic terrorist organization. Read full book review >
ORDINARY MIRACLES by Stephanie S. Tolan
Released: Sept. 29, 1999

"The characterization of Mark is both well-rounded and believable; readers will identify with this down-to-earth teenager as he struggles to find his own identity, understand the values of his parents, and come to his own conclusions about the merits of faith and science. (Fiction. 12-14)"
Raised in a Christian family by a father who is a staunch fundamentalist minister, twins Matthew and Mark Filkins come to terms with their religious beliefs when a Nobel Prize-winning geneticist returns to the town of Bradyville, Ohio. Read full book review >
THE FACE IN THE MIRROR by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 15, 1998

"Tolan (Welcome to the Ark, 1996, etc.) painlessly incorporates information about staging, interpretation, and Shakespeare; young thespians may like this even more than mystery fans will, for the emphasis on ghosts and theatrics often outstrips plotting and motives. (Fiction. 10-14)"
Fascinating details about the workings of a theater and the art and craft of acting are woven into this story of a complicated family and an even more complicated ghost. Read full book review >
WELCOME TO THE ARK by Stephanie S. Tolan
FAMILY AND GROWING UP
Released: Oct. 1, 1996

"Frightening and grim, a sophisticated tale of redemption. (Fiction. 12+)"
Tolan (Save Halloween!, 1993, etc.) weaves the themes of adolescent alienation, the transcendent power of cooperation, and the threat of social disintegration in this tautly constructed work of science fiction. Read full book review >
SAVE HALLOWEEN! by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 1993

"Though Tolan opens up the issue of group hysteria without exploring it in depth, that's a minor flaw in a book with several nicely realized characters of quiet courage, refreshingly committed to their faith. (Fiction. 9- 14)"
When Johnna's teacher enlists her to script the sixth-grade Halloween pageant, the loner is caught between her fundamentalist family's beliefs and the truth her research reveals. Read full book review >
THE WITCH OF MAPLE PARK by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 21, 1992

"The blend of ancient and contemporary healing arts (along with the witchy touches) leads to some funny altercations; quick pacing makes this a prime candidate for readers, including reluctant ones, who enjoy a frothy mystery. (Fiction. 9-13)"
After her sobering Plague Year (1990), Tolan returns to lighthearted themes. Read full book review >
SOPHIE AND THE SIDEWALK MAN by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 1992

"Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-10)"
An honest presentation of a contemporary problem, by an author who has explored moral issues with unusual insight in books for older children (A Good Courage, 1988). Read full book review >
MARCY HOOPER AND THE GREATEST TREASURE IN THE WORLD by Stephanie S. Tolan
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 20, 1991

"Still, an appealing depiction of a third grader confronting her real dragons in an imaginary guise suggested by her favorite books. (Fiction/Young reader. 7-10)"
Marcy loves to read but can't spell; she imagines fantastic adventures but is a klutz when it comes to jumping rope or learning to ride a bike. Read full book review >
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