title: Martha Speaks: Campfire Stories (Chapter Book)
author: Susan Meddaugh
description: Gr 1-3-Martha the talking dog is back. Both books contain easy-to-read chapters that work as stand-alone tales. In Stories, the gang camps out in the backyard and decides to tell science-fiction stories. The characters relay quirky and entertaining plots that range from invading aliens to a nod to Poe with "The Telltale Artichoke Heart." In the first story in Dog, Helen's cousin turns into a collie. As with most body-swapping scenarios, each character comes away with a new appreciation of the other's life. The second story is all about T.D.'s idea to pretend to be a dog for a day. Of course, he finds out that being a canine is not as easy as it seems. Because of the bold, colorful illustrations, familiarity of the characters, and readability of the texts, these titles should prove to be a big hit with the beginning-reader crowd. Activities suggestions add to the appeal. Some of the vocabulary may prove to be challenging, but new words are repeated often and used in context throughout the short chapters. Good choices for Martha's many followers.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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  Forbidden Fire
  
  Heather Graham
  
  ![](images/00017.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This book is dedicated to “Sister T”—
  
  Teresa Sutton—
  
  With lots of thanks, affection
  
  very best wishes,
  
  and good things, always.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Prologue
  
  Yorkshire, England
  
  March, 1895
  
  The first time Marissa saw the stranger, she was not quite ten years old. But
  she knew from the moment she saw him that she’d never forget him.
  
  It was cold that day. It was always cold in the small coalmining town, for the
  fires were meager, and they never seemed to warm the little one-room hovels
  where the miners lived. Or maybe it was cold because there was no glass in the
  windows—they were covered in the winter and spring with whatever newspaper or
  sacking could be found.
  
  And spring had brought heavy rain that year. But not even the rain could wash
  away the continual pall of black that seemed to hang over the town. The coal
  dust from the mines seemed like a miasma that clouded just the land that
  belonged to the mine. To Mar