Best of
Middle-Grade

1

The Land of Stories Collection 4 Book Set (The Land of Stories, #1-4)


Chris Colfer
    

The Boy Who Painted the World


Melody J. Bremen
    But during every free moment, he draws and dreams of becoming a famous artist. His best friend Jade looks after him, but she is arrested for shoplifting and he’s left all alone. With his box of pencils under his arm, he sets out on a quest to search for Jade and discovers a whole new world… full of the art he loves.His journey brings him friendship, family, and the courage to hold onto his dreams.

A Darkening of Dragons


S.A. Patrick
    Tolkien, and How to Train Your Dragon!13-year old piper Patch Brightwater is a boy in disgrace. Thrown in jail for playing a forbidden spell, he is no one's idea of a hero. But then he discovers a deadly truth – the evil Piper of Hamelyn is on the loose.With the help of Wren, a girl cursed to live as a rat, and Barver, a fire-breathing dracogriff, Patch must stop the Piper from sparking the biggest battle of them all.S.A. Patrick’s debut children’s novel is a vivid retelling of one of the darkest legends of all time – the Piper of Hamelyn. Combining fairy tale lore with the very best of modern storytelling and empowerment, A Darkening of Dragons takes fantasy fans on a journey filled with adventure, magic, and the delight of finding friends in unexpected places. Perfect for fans of The Hobbit, Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books, and How to Train Your Dragon.A Carnegie Medal nominee.

Leonard (My Life as a Cat)


Carlie Sorosiak
    Or a body. Or a best friend. But he is excited to try being a human.On their three-hundredth-birthday, every alien from Leonard’s home galaxy gets to spend a month in the body of an Earth Creature. Leonard was supposed to become a forest ranger in Yellowstone National Park – but there was a mix-up.And now he’s stuck as a stray cat.Luckily for Leonard, he meets a young human called Olive – and together they set out on a journey to find home.

Whatever After 3 Book Set


Sarah Mlynowski
    But now the prince isn't going to kiss the princess awake, and it's up to Abby to figure out how to get this daffy duo to happily ever after. With a comic cast of surprising dwarves-one is even better looking than the prince!-and a ton of slapstick situations, this book offers page after page of lighthearted laughter.If the Shoe FitsIn the basement of their new house, Abby and her brother Jonah find a mysterious magical mirror-and discover that it can take them into fairy tales! For their latest trip, they've landed right in the middle of a fancy ball. That must mean...Cinderella! They're sure that Cinderella is going to marry her prince. But Cinderella just broke her foot, which is rapidly swelling up. Now the glass slipper won't fit, the prince won't know she's the one for him, and they won't live happily ever after. And it's all Abby and Jonah's fault! Can they fix it all before the clock strikes midnight?Sink or SwimAbby and Jonah get pulled through the mirror in their basement again-into the story of the Little Mermaid. Talk about being fish out of water! Abby and Jonah are not in their element in this underwater world. And when they accidentally mess up the Little Mermaid's story, they must figure out a way to restore her happy ending. A hilarious fractured-fairy-tale adventure under the sea.Dream OnAbby and her friend Robin were going to have the best sleepover ever. They planned to stay up late, eat s'mores, share secrets-and NOT knock on the magic mirror.But the mirror still ends up pulling Abby and her brother, Jonah, into Sleeping Beauty's story-and this time, Robin comes with them! When Robin pricks her finger on a spindle, Abby knows they're in trouble.

Darren Shan's Demonata Series 9 Books Collection


Darren Shan
    Cotntains Blood Beast, Demon Apocalypse, Wolf Island, Death's Shadow, Dark Calling, Lord Loss, Demon Thief, Slawter, Bec

The Adventure of Tom Sawyer


Subhojit Sanyal
    He runsaway to an uninhabited island, falls in love, digs up treasureand saves an innocent man. Mark Twain’s timeless story of TomSawyer will take you through a journey of evolving friendships,budding romance and thrilling adventures.

A King's Ransom (The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, #2 1st Chapter)


Jude Watson
    . . and the enemy may be even closer than they think.When seven members of their family were kidnapped by a sinister organization known as the Vespers, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, vowed they'd stop at nothing to bring the hostages home. But then the ransom comes in and the Vespers demand the impossible. Amy and Dan have just days to track down and steal an ancient map. The only catch? No one has seen the map for half a century.Now Amy and Dan are on a desperate search that will lead them to the Nazis, spies, a mad king and some of history's dirtiest secrets. It's the race of their lives . . . and one misstep will mean certain death for the hostages.

The Novice / The Inquisition / The Battlemage


Taran Matharu
    Read Book 1 in the New York Times bestselling SUMMONER series for World Book Day!, The Battlemage: Book 3 (Summoner): After the thrilling cliffhanger at the end of book two, we rejoin Fletcher and his friends in the ether, where they must undertake a mortally dangerous quest all the while avoiding capture by enemies and facing foes more terrifying than anything they have yet encountered., Summoner: The Inquisition: Book 2 : On trial for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must face the Inquisition who will decide his future - the process is gruelling, lead by those who will do anything to see him suffer and haunted by ghosts from the past with clues to Fletcher's tragic origins.

Rebel Girls Climate Warriors: 25 Tales of Women Who Protect the Earth


Rebel Girls
    Meet conservationists, activists, water protectors, philanthropists, authors, and other women from all over the world who have stood up to polluters and used their amazing talents to protect the planet. Climate Warriors is part of the award-winning Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.Join Greta Thunberg for a climate strike. Plant a tree with Wangari Maathai. Stand with water protector Autumn Peltier. And turn trash into profits and independence with Isatou Ceesay. Rebel Girls Climate Warriors tells the stories of the ingenuity and commitment of these women and more, including Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood, Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei, Indigenous Ecuadorian leader Nemonte Nenquimo, and Thai landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom. This collection of 25 stories follows in the footsteps of the New York Times best-selling series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. It is illustrated by female and nonbinary artists from around the world.

A Study in Scarlet


Stephanie Baudet
    Drebber discovered last night in empty London house. No obvious cause of death. Address given as Cleveland Ohio. Any information would be appreciated.After a mysterious murder leaves the police baffled, the world's best amateur detective is asked to investigate. Along with his fellow lodger, Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes sets about uncovering a quest for revenge that runs far deeper than anybody suspected.About The Sherlock Holmes Children's CollectionElementary-age reading, my dear Watson! This fun series adapts the classic mysteries of Holmes & Watson for young readers, and makes the perfect introduction to whodunit fun for ages 7 and up. All titles are also leveled for classroom use, including GRLs.

Katherine Woodfine The Sinclair’s Mysteries 4 Books Collection Pack Set (The Midnight Peacock, The Painted Dragon, The Clockwork Sparrow, The Jewelled Moth)


Katherine Woodfine
    Perfect for fans of Chris Riddell's Goth Girl series, Enid Blyton and Robin Stevens's Murder Most Unladylike series. You are cordially invited to Sinclair's Midnight Peacock Ball! The festive season has come to Sinclair's and Sophie and Lil are spending the holidays at snowy Winter Hall. But it turns out that this is no ordinary house party . . . As sinister secrets come to light The Painted Dragon A fast-paced historical mystery adventure for readers aged 9+ years, with gorgeous Edwardian period detail. Perfect for fans of Chris Riddell's Goth Girl series, Enid Blyton and Robin Stevens's Murder Most Unladylike series. When a priceless painting is stolen, our dauntless heroines Sophie and Lil find themselves faced with forgery, trickery and deceit on all sides! Be amazed as the brave duo pit their wits against this perilous puzzle! Marvel at their cunning plan to unmask the villain The Clockwork Sparrow You are cordially invited to attend the Grand Opening of Sinclair's department store! Enter a world of bonbons, hats, perfumes and Mysteries around every corner. Wonder at the daring theft of the priceless Clockwork Sparrow! Tremble as the most Dastardly criminals in London enact their wicked plans! Gasp as our bold heroines, Miss Sophie Taylor and Miss Lilian Rose, Crack Codes, Devour Iced Buns and vow to bring the villains to justice...The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow is the first book in The Jewelled Moth A follow up to the novel, The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow, this title of the Jewelled M....

Poison Apple Books: Complete 10 Book Set Includes: The Dead End, This Totally Bites!, Her Evil Twin, Miss Fortune, Now You See Me..., Midnight Howl, Curiosity Killed the Cat, At First Bite, The Ghoul Next Door, The Ghost of Christmas Past


Mimi McCoy
    Complete Set of books 1-10 of the Poison Apple Series.

Frizzy


Claribel A. Ortega
    But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and "growing up." That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have "presentable", "good hair".But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tia Ruby—she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.

The Ruins of Gorlan / The Burning Bridge / The Icebound Land / The Battle for Skandia /The Sorcerer of the North / The Siege of Macindaw


John Flanagan
    Titles in this collection are: The Siege of Macindaw, The Sorcerer of the North, The Ruins of Gorlan, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound Land, The Battle for SkandiaJohn Flanagan began his working life in advertising before moving to freelance writing and script editing. He has written TV jingles and comedy-drama for television, and is one of Australia's more prolific TV writers. John wrote the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series to encourage his twelve-year-old son to enjoy reading. Michael was a small boy, and all his friends were bigger and stronger that he was. John wanted to show him that reading was fun, and heroes weren't necessarily big and muscular. Now in his mid-twenties, Michael is six feet tall, broad-shouldered and powerful - but he still loves the Ranger's Apprentice. John lives in the beachside Sydney suburb of ManlyWill and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as the captives of the fearsome Skandian wolfship captain, Erak. Halt has sworn to rescue Will, and he will do anything to keep his promise - even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers, Halt is joined by Horace as he travels through Gallica towards Skandia. On their way they are constantly challenged by freelance knights - otherwise known as thieving thugs. Horace knows a thing or two about combat, though, and he soon begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. But will they be in time to rescue Will from a life of slavery?

Skeleton Creek


Patrick Carman
    . . and Ryan and Sarah are trying to get to the heart of it. But after an eerie accident leaves Ryan housebound and forbidden to see Sarah, their investigation takes two tracks: Ryan records everything in his journal, while Sarah uses her videocam to search things out. . .and then email the clips for Ryan to see. In a new, groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts -- Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.Skeleton Creek, one of Mr. Carman’s most popular series, has won or been nominated for many awards including:Nevada Young Readers’ AwardPennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice AwardsNew Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award shortlistChildren’s Book Council book of the year nomineeDelaware Diamonds ShortlistOregon Battle of the Books Shortlist

A Duet for Home


Karina Yan GlaserKarina Yan Glaser
    As their friendship grows over a shared love of classical music, June and Tyrell confront a new housing policy that puts homeless families in danger. It's June’s first day at Huey House, and as if losing her home weren’t enough, she also can’t bring her cherished viola inside. Before the accident last year, her dad saved tip money for a year to buy her viola, and she’s not about to give it up now. Tyrell has been at Huey House for three years and gives June a glimpse of the good things about living there: friendship, hot meals, and a classical musician next door. Can he and June work together to oppose the government, or will families be forced out of Huey House before they are ready?

Taran Matharu The Summoner 4 Books Collection Set


Taran Matharu
    Titles in this set contains The Novice, The Battlemage, The Inquisition and The Outcast.

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good


Louie Stowell
    If he can show moral improvement within one month, he can return to Asgard. If he can’t? Eternity in a pit of angry snakes. Rude! To keep track of Loki’s progress, King Odin (a bossy poo-poo head) gives him this magical diary in which Loki is forced to confess the truth, even when that truth is as ugly as a naked mole rat. To make matters worse, Loki has to put up with an eleven-year-old Thor tagging along and making him look bad. Loki is not even allowed to use his awesome godly powers! As Loki suffers the misery of school lunch, discovers the magic of internet videos, and keeps watch for frost giant spies, will he finally learn to tell good from bad, trust from tricks, and friends from enemies? Louie Stowell’s witty text and hysterical drawings will keep readers in stitches from start to finish.

Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation


Sylvia Liu
    If she can beat out half her classmates at Start-Up, a tech school for the city’s most talented twelve-year-olds, she’ll be meshed to the multiweb through a neural implant like her mom and sister. But the competition is fierce, and when her passion for tinkering with bots gets her mixed up with dangerous junkyard rebels, she knows her future in the program is at risk. Even scarier, she starts to notice that something’s not right at Start-Up—some of her friends are getting sick, and no matter what she does, her tech never seems to work right. With an ominous warning from her grandmother about being meshed, Hana begins to wonder if getting the implant early is really a good idea. Desperate to figure out what’s going on, Hana and her friends find themselves spying on one of the most powerful corporations in the country—and the answers about the mystery at Start-Up could be closer to home than Hana’s willing to accept. Will she be able to save her friends—and herself— from a conspiracy that threatens everything she knows?

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor


Xiran Jay Zhao
    His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open. The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers. And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever.

Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins!


Karina Evans
    But when the Red Goddess of Panties, aka her first period, arrives 24 hours before the pool party, it messes up all her plans. To make matters worse, her mom is out of town, and there’s no way she’s going to ask her dad for help! Tahlia always feared that growing up would be tough, but this is just not fair.In order to save herself from total embarrassment, it will take all of Tahlia and her best friend Lily’s scheming to keep her reputation—and her favorite jeans—from being ruined. Sneak off to the grocery store only to have the clerk price check your "goods" over the loudspeaker? Check. Trick your mature teenage neighbor into letting you use her bathroom to ‘rehome’ some tampons? Check. Take a dip into a fountain to ‘borrow’ some quarters for a bathroom period product dispenser? Check, check, check! With the hilarious and heartwarming tone of Dork Diaries and the critically-acclaimed movie Eighth Grade, Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! is a coming-of-age middle-grade novel about growing up, in all of its awkward glory.

Witchlings


Claribel A. Ortega
    She's a Spare!Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn't work! They're stuck as Witchlings—and will never be able to perform powerful magic.Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they'll gain their full powers. If they fail... Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever.But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…With action-packed adventure, a coven of quirky witchlings, Claribel A. Ortega's signature humor and girl-power vibes, this middle grade Latine witch story is truly a modern classic.

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston


Esme Symes-Smith
    A thrilling middle-grade series opener that stars a nonbinary tween and explores identity and gender amid sword fights.My name is Callie, and I'm not a girl. I am here as Papa's squire, and I want to train as a knight.In a world where girls learn magic and boys train as knights, twelve-year-old nonbinary Callie doesn't fit in anywhere. And you know what? That's just fine. Callie has always known exactly what they want to be, and they're not about to let a silly thing like gender rules stand in their way.When their ex-hero dad is summoned back to the royal capital of Helston to train a hopeless crown prince as war looms, Callie lunges at the opportunity to finally prove themself worthy to Helston's great and powerful.Except the intolerant great and powerful look at Callie and only see girl.Trapped in Helston's rigid hierarchy, Callie discovers they aren't alone--there's Elowen, the chancellor's brilliant daughter, whose unparalleled power is being stifled; Edwyn, Elowen's twin brother, locked in a desperate fight to win his father's approval; and Willow, the crown prince who was never meant to be king.In this start to an epic series packed with action, humor, and heart, Callie and their new friends quickly find themselves embedded in an ancient war--the only hope to defeat the dragons and witches outside the kingdom lies in first defeating the bigotry within.

Flying in a Cage


Melody J. Bremen
    Every sound she hears – a distant birdsong, the wind in the trees – becomes a symphony.No one knows about her music because Ivory is not like other ten-year-olds. When people speak to her, it’s difficult for her to untangle the words in her mind and she retreats into her own private world.Without the words to explain what she hears, the music stays trapped inside her until, one day, an amazing music teacher shows her how to set her music free.Fans of Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind and Ellie Terry's Forget Me Not will enjoy this novel-in-verse that follows a young girl who finds her place despite her differences.

Swim Team


Johnnie Christmas
    The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.With Etta's training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school's failing team around. But that's easier said than done, especially when their rival, the prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees in their wake.Can Bree defy the odds and guide her team to a state championship, or have the Manatees swum their last lap--for good?Praise for SWIM TEAM: "A revelation! You'll root for Swim Team--the water is just right." --JOHN JENNINGS, New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning creator"Swim Team is a beautiful story about trying new things. Johnnie Christmas is a fantastic storyteller and artist." --KAZU KIBUISHI, author of Amulet"Full of charm, heart, and pulse-pounding races. A winner!" --GENE LUEN YANG, author of American Born Chinese and Dragon Hoops

Read & Respond: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas


Eileen Jones
    This title includes notes and activities that reflect the way that teachers teach and include shared texts, guided reading notes, reading activities, speaking and listening activities, writing projects and assessment guidance.

J.R. Silver Writes Her World


Melissa Dassori
    Her best friend, Violet, returns from camp with a new best friend; her parents refuse to grant her more independence; and her homeroom teacher, Ms. Kline, is full of secrets. When Ms. Kline unveils a collection of old Gothamite magazines and tells her students to build their writing skills by crafting short stories inspired by the iconic covers, J.R. discovers a peculiar power: The stories she writes come true. Soon J.R. is getting a cell phone, scoring game-winning goals, and triggering school cancellations. But it's not long before she realizes that each new story creates as many conflicts as it does solutions. And when J.R. tries to write about her fallout with Violet, all of her problems converge. With a pinch of magic, mystery, art history, and language arts woven into a journey of growth and self-confidence, this promising debut is a heartfelt and satisfying tribute to the power of words.

The Thief Who Sang Storms


Sophie Anderson
    The humans live on one side of the island, and the alkonosts - the bird-people - live on the other. But it wasn't always this way...Linnet wishes she could sing magic, like her father, Nightingale - and bring the two sides of her island together again. For her land has been divided by a terrible tragedy, and Linnet has been banished with her father to the deepest swamps, leaving behind her best friends, Hero and Silver.So when her father is captured, Linnet must be brave and embark on a treacherous journey. Through alligator pools and sinking sands, she finds new friends. Yet without her singing magic, Linnet discovers something even more powerful. Something that could save her father, and heal the broken heart of her island once more...With themes of grief, trust, love, and that we have more in common than that which divides us, this is a heartfelt book filled with adventure and stunning storytelling from bestselling Sophie Anderson.

Small Town Pride


Phil Stamper
    Perfect for fans of Rick by Alex Gino and The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy.Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school's first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can't be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio.When Jake's dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard in an overblown show of love, the mayor begins to receive complaints. A few people are even concerned the flag will lead to something truly outlandish: a pride parade.Except Jake doesn't think that's a ridiculous idea. Why can't they hold a pride festival in Barton Springs? The problem is, Jake knows he'll have to get approval from the town council, and the mayor won't be on his side. And as Jake and his friends try to find a way to bring Pride to Barton Springs, it seems suspicious that the mayor's son, Brett, suddenly wants to spend time with Jake.But someone that cute couldn't possibly be in league with his mayoral mother, could he?

Nura and the Immortal Palace


M.T. Khan
    But with her mom hard at work in a run-down sweatshop and three younger siblings to feed, Nura must spend her days earning money by mica mining. But it’s not just the extra rupees in her pocket Nura is after. Local rumor says there’s buried treasure in the mine, and Nura knows that finding it could change the course of her family’s life forever.Her plan backfires when the mines collapse and four kids, including her best friend, Faisal, are claimed dead. Nura refuses to believe it and shovels her way through the dirt hoping to find him. Instead, she finds herself at the entrance to a strange world of purple skies and pink seas—a portal to the opulent realm of jinn, inhabited by the trickster creatures from her mother’s cautionary tales. Yet they aren’t nearly as treacherous as her mother made them out to be, because Nura is invited to a luxury jinn hotel, where she’s given everything she could ever imagine and more. But there’s a dark truth lurking beneath all that glitter and gold, and when Nura crosses the owner’s son and is banished to the working quarters, she realizes she isn’t the only human who’s ended up in the hotel’s clutches. Faisal and the other missing children are there, too, and if Nura can’t find a way to help them all escape, they’ll be bound to work for the hotel forever.

The Last Mapmaker


Christina Soontornvat
    As assistant to Mangkon’s most celebrated mapmaker, twelve-year-old Sai plays the part of a well-bred young lady with a glittering future. In reality, her father is a conman—and in a kingdom where the status of one’s ancestors dictates their social position, the truth could ruin her. Sai seizes the chance to join an expedition to chart the southern seas, but she isn’t the only one aboard with secrets. When Sai learns that the ship might be heading for the fabled Sunderlands—a land of dragons, dangers, and riches beyond imagining—she must weigh the cost of her dreams. Vivid, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, this tale of identity and integrity is as beautiful and intricate as the maps of old.

The Worst Witch Collection 8 Books Set


Jill Murphy
    

Etta Invincible


Reese Eschmann
    Etta spends most of her time alone, working on her comic book about Invisible Girl, the superhero who takes down super villain Petra Fide and does all the things Etta thinks she can’t.But when Louisa May Alcott, a friendly Goldendoodle from across the street, disappears, Etta and the dog’s boy, Eleazar, must find their inner heroes to save her. The catch? LMA has run onto a magical train that mysteriously arrived at the station near Etta and Eleazar’s houses. On-board, they discover each train car is its own magical world with individual riddles and challenges that must be solved before they can reach the engine room and rescue LMA.Only, the stakes are even higher than they thought. The train’s magic is malfunctioning and spreading a purple smoke called The Fear through the streets of Chicago. Etta and Eleazar are the only ones who can save the city, save Louisa May Alcott—and save each other.

The Meaning of Mice


Charles van Sandwyk
    

The Edge of In Between


Lorelei Savaryn
    And Lottie is no exception; she can paint pictures to life in every shade and hue imaginable. But at the sudden loss of her parents, all the color is stripped from Lottie’s heart and the world around her. Taken in by her reclusive, eccentric uncle, Lottie moves into Forsaken, his vast manor located in the gray wasteland between the Land of the Living and Ever After, the land of the dead.The discovery of a locked-up garden, a wise cardinal, a hidden boy, and a family whose world is full of color despite the bleakness around them begins to pull at the threads of what it means to live in such a near-dead place, slowly returning some of the color to Lottie’s private world and giving her hope that life is worth living and experiencing fully, even while one carries sorrow.But as time runs out, Lottie must find a way to thaw both the world and the hearts of her uncle, cousin, and those she has come to know and love in her new home, or all of Forsaken—including Lottie herself—will be absorbed by Ever After long before their time.An exquisitely written, richly imagined, stunning portrait of love and loss, magic and hope; a true celebration of the strength we all possess to transcend tragedy—and the gifts that make life worth living.

The Secret Sunshine Project


Benjamin Dean
    Perfect for 9+ readers and fans of Elle McNicoll, Lisa Thompson and Onjali Rauf.Bea's family are happy. Like, really happy. Like, kind of gross but also cute happy. So when they visit London Pride together and have the ultimate day out, Bea doesn't think her family could possibly get any happier. But a year later, a grey cloud is following Bea's family around. Dad has passed away, and without him around they have no choice but to pack their bags and move to the countryside to live with Gran.With Bea's big sister, Riley, taking the news hard, Bea will do anything to cheer her up. So with the help of new friends, The Secret Sunshine Project is formed - Bea's plan to bring Pride to the countryside and a smile back to Riley's face. There's just one teeny tiny problem - the village mayor. A grumpy old woman who's on a mission to rain on Bea's parade . . .

Pink Balloons: The Story of a Young AIDS Sufferer


Beverley McGregor
    

Shine On, Luz Véliz!


Rebecca Balcárcel
    . . only to lose it all?Luz Véliz is a soccer star-or rather, she was a soccer star. With her serious knee injury, it's unlikely she'll be back on the field anytime soon. But without soccer, who is she? Even her dad treats her differently now—like he doesn't know her or, worse, like he doesn't even like her. When Luz discovers she has a knack for coding, it feels like a lifeline to a better self. If she can just ace the May Showcase, she'll not only skip a level in her coding courses and impress Ms. Freeman and intriguing, brilliant Trevor—she'll have her parents cheering her on from the sidelines, just the way she likes it.But something—someone—is about to enter the Vélizes' life. And when Solana arrives, nothing will be the same, ever again.Unforgettable characters, family drama, and dauntless determination illuminate Luz's journey as she summons her inner strength and learns to accept others and embrace the enduring connection of family. Through it all, Luz's light is a constant—a guide for others, a path forward through the dark, and an ineffable celebration of her own eternal self.This is the second novel by Pure Belpré Honor winner Rebecca Balcárcel!FAST-PACED FAMILY DRAMA: Fast-paced, deeply felt, and with all the high highs and low lows of adolescence, this story is downright fun—a page-turner even while it's dealing with serious issues.WHO AM I? This book grapples with a topic so many young people deal with daily: one's relationship to heritage and culture. Luz confronts her ties to her home country, the place of her father's birth, and her family itself in a thoughtful, emotional journey filled with humor, urgency, and grace.CODING IS COOL!: Coding is a language many kids enjoy learning and are encouraged to master. The way this book frames coding and computer programming as an opportunity for communication, bonding, and building fun, practical skills will speak loudly to kids already interested in the field while also resonating with those who aren't.AN ALL-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: This is an important book for its thought-provoking, empathetic look at immigration in the United States and at how the threat of deportation informs the experiences of some of our country's most vulnerable communities. With lyrical prose, deeply felt characters, and a relatable story, Shine On, Luz V&eacaute;liz! adds substantively to our fraught discussion about immigration and opens it to young readers.AUTHOR ON THE RISE: Rebecca Balcárcel won the Pura Belpré Author Honor, which recognizes literature for children or youth that best portrays the Latino cultural experience, for her first book, The Other Half of Happy. She is a beloved presence in the children's literature community and is making her mark as a writer to watch.Perfect for:• Kids who love reading about family and friend drama• Kids who love coding• Parents• Grandparents• Educators• Fans of Meg Medina, Rebecca Stead, and Kelly Yang

The Tarnished Garden


Alyssa Colman
    The Manhattan School for Magic is the newest kindling school in New York, but Maeve O’Donnell knows she doesn't deserve her place there. Though her sister, Izzy, is one of the school's founders and a hero to those who can now kindle, Maeve can't control her magic and she lives in fear of anyone—especially Izzy—finding out.When Maeve’s worst fears come true and her magic goes rogue, it damages not only the new school but Izzy’s reputation as well. While trying to repair what she’s broken, Maeve discovers a mysterious garden in the tenement neighborhood of the Tarnish, a hidden place where her magic actually works. As her magic and confidence grow, she befriends the others for whom the garden is a haven: a litter of talking kittens (house dragons, of course) who need Maeve’s help to find their missing mother. But someone else is searching for the kittens, too, someone who doesn’t care how many magical sites they have to destroy to stop magic’s expansion. And Maeve’s unstable magic might be the only way to save her sister’s school from being snuffed out next.The Tarnished Garden is a sparkling middle-grade novel from Alyssa Colman.

The Pennymores and the Curse of the Invisible Quill (Pennymores, #1)


Eric KoesterEric Koester
    How would we communicate, how would we engage, how would we transact, how would we rule, and how would we remember? And what happens when a group of 11-year olds began to question this idea and push against a roving mob bent on preventing writing from ever returning? The Plumes, a secret writing society created by Parker Pennymore, vows to teach her classmates the power of writing and along the way uncovers a world of magic writers hidden before their eyes. It's an adventure story, a story of family, and a fantastical journey of whimsy, imagination, and creativity that all happens with the magical stroke of a quill. The setting was first inspired by Malala Yousafzai and her mission to help more than 120 million girls around the world who are not able to attend school. Proceeds of the book's sales will benefit the Malala Foundation in an effort to ensure writing is never forbidden, banned, outlawed, or stopped -- letting the magical power of writing live free. There's magical creativity in the book that could only come from the contribution of children's minds, and our story was created just as both Percy Jackson and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy began as bedtime stories by Rick Riordan and JRR Tolkien, respectively. Inside this world, you'll meet all varieties of creatures from talking animals, elves, dwarves, wizards, witches, and much more as you go deep inside a unique world built around the written word.

Freddie vs. The Family Curse


Tracy Badua
    . . or be trapped in an amulet forever.

The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism


Tiffany Jewell
    In three sections, this must-have guide explains: - Identity: What it is and how it applies to you - Justice: What it is, what racism has to do with it, and how to address injustice - Activism: A how-to with resources to be the best antiracist kid you can be This book teaches younger children the words, language, and methods to recognize racism and injustice—and what to do when they encounter it at home, at school, and in the media they watch, play, and read.

The Prince of Nowhere


Rochelle Hassan
    She's safe in her small town, surrounded by a wall of freezing, enchanted mist that keeps the beasts away. So when Roda rescues an injured crow on the instruction of her secret pen pal, Anonymous – whose letters arrive without warning and correctly predict the future – she's surprised to learn she's brought one of the so-called monsters home. Because her crow is really a shape-shifting boy named Ignis.Ignis doesn't remember where he was going before he crashed. But Anonymous brought him and Roda together for a reason – and the only way to find out what Anonymous wants is to follow the trail of baffling clues in Roda's letters. Their perilous journey leads them into the mist and beyond, to a mysterious place called Nowhere. But Ignis has secrets, and the farther they get, the more Roda doubts she can trust him.As a nefarious force closes in, they'll have to put aside their differences and work together. For they might be each other's only defense against an enemy who threatens their past, present, and future.

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei


Christina Matula
    Holly-Mei Jones couldn’t be more excited about moving to Hong Kong for her mother’s job. Her new school is right on the beach and her family’s apartment is beyond beautiful. Everything is going to be perfect . . . right?Maybe not. It feels like everywhere she turns, there are new rules to follow and expectations to meet. On top of that, the most popular girl in her grade is quickly becoming a frenemy. And without the guidance of her loving Ah-ma, who stayed behind in Toronto, Holly-Mei just can’t seem to get it right.It will take all of Holly-Mei’s determination and sparkle (and maybe even a tiny bit of stubbornness) to get through seventh grade and turn her life in Hong Kong into the ultimate adventure!

The Dandy Annual 2014 (DCT Annuals)


D.C. Thomson & Company Limited
    Stretch those laughter muscles as The Dandy Annual returns for another side-splitting serving of jolly japes, crafty schemes and wizard wheezes! With comic legends like Desperate Dan, Winker Watson and Korky the Cat serving up chuckles aplenty, The Dandy Annual is a must-have!

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot (7 Volume set)


Dav Pilkey
    Martin Ontiveros, whose comic-book style is perfect for Ricky's adventures, did the illustrations. Features included Flip-O-Rama action scenes and How to Draw pages. This collection features the first seven books: Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Vs. The Mutant Mosquitoes from Mercury, Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Vs. The Voodoo Vultures from Venus, Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Vs. The Mecha-Monkeys from Mars, Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Vs. The Jurassic Jackrabbits from Jupiter, Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Vs. The Stupid Stinkbugs from Saturn, and Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot Vs. The Uranium Unicorns from Uranus. 112-144 pages each.

Trouble at Turtle Pond


Diana RennDiana Renn
    At his last school, his ADHD-related challenges earned him a reputation as a troublemaker and cost him his friends, especially after he lost a beloved class pet. With just one chance to make a first impression, “Mayhem Miles” is determined to do something great in this town. Like solving a mystery. After witnessing people burying something in his neighbor’s backyard one night, he’s sure there’s trouble—and this time, it’s not his fault. When his other neighbor, Pia, invites him to join the Backyard Rangers to help protect endangered turtles at the pond behind his house, Miles knows this is his chance to investigate. He stumbles on clues that point to wildlife poaching. Sabotaged turtle traps, stolen eggs, and kidnapped hatchlings put the fragile turtle population at risk. Miles and Pia recruit two more Backyard Rangers to help track a string of suspects, including an obsessive gardener, an eccentric pet shop owner, and the town bully and his drifter uncle. Then the rangers start receiving threatening messages, and an unexpected twist turns suspicion back on Miles. Has his reputation for trouble followed him all the way to Marsh Hollow? It’s up to Miles to convince his new friends that he’s not who they think he is, and to stop the turtle crimes before more turtles—and people—get hurt. A friendship-centered eco-mystery, Trouble at Turtle Pond celebrates citizen science, activist kids, and the power of paying attention.

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity


Robin Stevens
    And who better to become a spy than a child? A child can go places, see things and listen in on conversations in a way that no adult ever can. Enter May Wong and her friends. Trained up at the Ministry, they soon embark upon their first mission: masquerading as evacuees, they are sent to a wealthy manor house to spy on the owner, who is suspected of working for the enemy. And then the murder happens....

A Perfect Mistake


Melanie Conklin
    Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma. When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.

The Clackity


Lora Senf
    Des doesn’t have many rules except one: Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie goes searching for her. There she meets The Clackity, a creature who lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse. The Clackity makes a deal with Evie to help get Des back in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier. Evie must embark on a journey into a strange otherworld filled with hungry witches, penny-eyed ghosts, and a memory-thief, all while being pursued by a dead man whose only goal is to add Evie to his collection of lost souls.

Rebel Girls Mean Business: 25 Tales of Entrepreneurs and Investors


Rebel Girls
    Rebel Girls Mean Business is part of the award-winning Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.Learn how Aileen Lee went from selling tie-dye T-shirts at school to becoming an angel investor. Discover the magic of molecules with Nobel Prize-winning scientist and entrepreneur Jennifer Doudna. And sip on sweet lemonade while saving honeybees with founder Mikaila Ulmer. This collection of 25 stories follows in the footsteps of the New York Times best-selling series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Rebel Girls Mean Business celebrates powerful entrepreneurs and investors from Madam C.J. Walker to Belinda Wong. It is illustrated by female and nonbinary artists from around the world.

A to Z Mysteries Complete 29-Book Set: Books A to Z and Super Editions 1-3 (The Absent Author, The B


Ron Roy
    Titles include: The Absent Author, The Bald Bandit, The Canary Caper, The Deadly Dungeon, The Empty Envelope, The Falcon's Feathers, The Goose's Gold, The Haunted Hotel, The Invisible Island, The Jaguar's Jewel, The Kidnapped King, The Lucky Lottery, The Missing Mummy, The Ninth Nugget, The Orange Outlaw, The Panda Puzzle, The Quicksand Question, The Runaway Racehorse, The School Skeleton, The Talking T. Rex, The Unwilling Umpire, The Vampire's Vacation, The White Wolf, The X'ed-Out X-Ray, The Yellow Yacht, The Zombie Zone, Detective Camp, Mayflower Treasure Hunt, and White House White-Out.

Libby and the Parisian Puzzle


Jo Clarke
    I LOVED it!’ – Emma CarrollMystery-lover Libby is excited but nervous when she’s sent to join her aunt Agatha’s extraordinary travelling school in Paris. Just when she is starting to find her feet Aunt Agatha is arrested, accused of a daring jewel robbery. Can Libby and her new best friend Connie find the real thief in time to save her aunt?

May the Best Player Win


Kyla Zhao
    In this middle grade novel, a chess prodigy prepares for the biggest tournament of her life while navigating her team's boys' club culture, middle-school friendship drama, her first crush, and her immigrant parents' weighty expectations.

The Button Box


Bridget Hodder
    It's packed with buttons that generations of their Sephardic ancestors have cherished. With the help of Granny's mysterious cat Sheba, Ava and Nadeem discover that a button from the Button Box will whisk them back in time. Suddenly, they find themselves in ancient Morocco, where Nadeem's ancestor, Prince Abdur Rahman, is running for his life. Can Ava and Nadeem help the prince escape to Spain and fulfill his destiny, creating a legendary Golden Age for Muslims, Jews and Christians?

The Civil War of Amos Abernathy


Michael Leali
    Literally. He's been a historical reenactor nearly all his life. But when a cute new volunteer arrives at his Living History Park, Amos finds himself wondering if there's something missing from history: someone like the two of them.Amos is sure there must have been LGBTQ+ people in nineteenth-century Illinois. His search turns up Albert D. J. Cashier, a Civil War soldier who might have identified as a trans man if he'd lived today. Soon Amos starts confiding in his newfound friend by writing letters in his journal--and hatches a plan to share Albert's story with his divided twenty-first century town. It may be an uphill battle, but it's one that Amos is ready to fight.Told in an earnest, hilarious voice, this love letter to history, first crushes, and LGBTQ+ community will delight readers of Ashley Herring Blake, Alex Gino, or Maulik Pancholy.

The Summer of June


Jamie Sumner
    She shaves her head and sets two goals: she will beat her anxiety and be the lion she knows she can be, instead of the mouse everyone sees. And she and her single mama will own their power as fierce, independent females.With the help of Homer Juarez, the poetry-citing soccer star who believes in June even when she doesn’t believe in herself, she starts a secret library garden and hatches a plan to make her dreams come true. But when her anxiety becomes too much, everything begins to fall apart. It’s going to take more than a haircut and some flowers to set things right. It’s going to take courage and friends and watermelon pie. Forget second chances. This is the summer of new beginnings.

The Boy Who Swallows Flies


Michael F. Stewart
    He just has to eat it. It’s not the tastiest of superpowers and, let’s face it, fly memories aren’t all unicorns and rainbows. Eating insects also doesn’t net him many friends, and Bug-boy is an unavoidable nickname. But Jarrod’s ready to prove that he and his bugs are worth more than ridicule.When he swallows a fly while biking, he’s in for a shock. The bug saw a room stacked full of sick dogs and puppies in crates. It’s a puppy mill, and Jarrod needs to save the animals. But the flight range of the common housefly is five miles. Even if the police believed him, with no evidence, they can’t help. It’s up to Jarrod.Trained cockroaches survey neighborhood basements. A fly taped to a window makes an excellent sentry. Every beetle, mosquito, caterpillar—don’t eat the fuzzy yellow ones—spider and centipede is his edible sidekick.Will Jarrod save the dogs? Or is it all too much to swallow?

The Wishing Stone and Other Myths Learned on Gull Cliff Island


J.M. Lavallee
    Let it be so and I’ll set you free, and toss you back with the tides where you belong.If Dot wishes hard enough on her special stone, maybe the world will slow down and be a little less topsy-turvy. When Dot tossed her wish into the sea, hoping for a friend her age, the stone brought her Sarah. And when the girls worried for the health of Sara’s mother, it made her healthy, and brought Sara her precious Pearl. It’s 1961, and Dot is teetering between childhood and adolescence. At the same time, her rustic world is catching up with the modern towns in the rest of Canada and Dot isn’t sure how she feels about that. Dot enjoys having both a winter and summer home, and knowing every face in three villages. If more changes come, will that mean more people and more noise will come with them? The Wishing Stone & Other Myths, Lessons Learned on Gullcliff Island will take both children and adults back in time through eleven-year-old Dot, a traditional girl coping with her father’s dream of becoming a boat-builder and the realization that Mum and Dad are people with thoughts, emotions, and secrets apart from the family. Alongside her adventurous best friend, Sara, Dot must make ready for the future, whether it be on Gullcliff, in Aylmer Sound, or someplace out of her father’s dream. Like Little House on the Prairie, or Anne of Green Gables, The Wishing Stone & Other Myths will take readers to a time and place where big dreams didn’t mean finding fame, but listening to the heart.

A Taste Of Magic


J. Elle
    Elle makes her MG debut in the delightful story of a girl who bakes up a plan to save her inner-city magic school.Twelve-year-old Kyana has just discovered she’s a witch! This means classes every Saturday at Park Row Magic Academy, a learning center hidden in the back of the local beauty shop, and Kyana can’t wait to learn spells to help out at home. The only downside is having to keep her magic a secret from her BFF, Nae. But when the magic school loses funding, the students must pay huge fees at the fancy school across town or lose their magic! Determined to help, Kyana enters a baking contest with a big cash prize. Will she be able to keep up her grades while preparing for the competition and without revealing her magic? What about when a taste of magic works its way into her cupcakes?Exciting up-and-coming author J. Elle combines the perfect balance of real-world issues and magical mishaps to create real magic.

Hedgewitch


Skye McKenna
    Left at a dreary boarding school, she spends her days hiding from the school bully and reading forbidden story books about the world of Faerie.Certain that her mother is still alive, Cassie is determined to find her, whatever the dangers, and runs away from school. Lost and alone, she is chased by a pack of goblins but, to her surprise, escapes with the help of a flying broom and a talking cat named Montague, who takes her to the cosy village of Hedgely.Here she discovers that she comes from a family of witches, women who protect Britain from the denizens of Faerie, who are all too real and far more frightening than her story books suggest.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun


Tọlá OkogwuTọlá Okogwu
    . . Hairbands snap as my hair shoots out like superfine arrows, tearing through everything in its path. Onyeka has a lot of hair – the kind that makes strangers stop in the street. She’s always felt uncomfortable with her flamboyant curls, until she makes an important discovery: she can control her hair with her mind! Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari – children with special powers – are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the Academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies . . .

The Dream Traveler's Quest


Ted Dekker
    Now that universe opens its doors to young readers. This special set Includes four paperbacks, 128 pages each. FOR AGES 7-12 What if you could find a way to enter another reality full of wild and life changing adventure? And what if every time you fell asleep you woke up in that other reality? Welcome to the world of Theo Dunnery, a twelve year-old boy who feels alone and full of fear when he stumbles on an ancient book that draws him into another world. In that world, he learns he must complete a quest to find the Five Seals of Truth if he is to conquer his fears. Facing great odds and many enemies, Theo sets off on the adventure of a lifetime to discover who he really is as the son of Elyon, and overcome the darkness that has haunted him for so long. Join Theo on The Dream Traveler’s Quest, one story told in four chapter books. Read all four and discover the truth for yourself. Includes: Book 1: Into the Book of Light (Paperback, 120 pgs.) Book 2: The Curse of Shadowman (Paperback, 120 pgs.) Book 3: The Garden and The Serpent (Paperback, 120 pgs.) Book 4: The Final Judgment (Paperback, 120 pgs.)

Breaking News


Frank Morelli
    But that’s what happens when Headmistress Hardaway interrupts class and announces, “A scandal has rocked the fundraising committee!” Everyone’s a suspect and Hunter Jackson, student council special investigator, vows to root out the student who’s heartless enough to steal donation money or die a death of a thousand forensic notes trying. He’s not alone. Ridgewood Roar news editor, Anthony Ravello, and the rogue, indie-press pioneer, Liberty Lennon, plan to do some journalistic digging of their own in a race against each other to scoop the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to their faithful readers...or at least their versions of it. With the truth getting murkier by the day, all students at the RAT can do is gobble up news bytes and wash them down with locker-side gossip as they try to unmask the classmate responsible for the missing funds.

The Real Riley Mayes


Rachel Elliott
    Fifth grade is just not Riley's vibe. Everyone else is squaded up--except Riley. Her best friend moved away. All she wants to do is draw, and her grades show it.One thing that makes her happy is her favorite comedian, Joy Powers. Riley loves to watch her old shows and has memorized her best jokes. So when the class is assigned to write letters to people they admire, of course Riley's picking Joy Powers!Things start to look up when a classmate, Cate, offers to help Riley with the letter, and a new kid, Aaron, actually seems to get her weird sense of humor. But when mean girl Whitney spreads a rumor about her, things begin to click into place for Riley. Her curiosity about Aaron's two dads and her celebrity crush on Joy Powers suddenly make more sense.Readers will respond to Riley's journey of self-discovery and will recognize themselves in this character who is less than perfect but trying her best. And creative kids will recognize themselves in her love of art and drawing.While often funny and light, Riley's exploration of what it feels to be an outsider and how hard it can be to make a friend break your heart in the best way. And with all of Riley's hijinks and missteps, this story is laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish.

Emily Rodda, 15 Book Set. Complete DELTORA QUEST, THE DRAGONS OF DELTORA and DELTORA SHADOWLANDS series


Emily Rodda
    Complete 3 series are included in this collection: DELTORA QUEST 1-8 , THE DRAGONS OF DELTORA 1-4 and DELTORA SHADOWLANDS 1-3 ( total 15 books) DELTORA QUEST series titles: THE FORESTS OF SILENCE THE LAKE OF TEARS CITY OF THE RATS THE SHIFTING SANDS DREAD MOUNTAIN THE MAZE OF THE BEAST THE VALLEY OF THE LOST RETURN TO DEL THE DRAGONS OF DELTORA series: DRAGON'S NEST SHADOWGATE THE ISLE OF THE DEAD THE SISTER OF THE SOUTH DELTORA SHADOWLANDS series: CAVERN OF THE FEAR THE ISLE OF ILLUSION THE SHADOWLANDS

Curse of the Dearmad


Emma Mylrea
    

The Lost Whale


Hannah Gold
    The Lost Whale has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Fight + Flight


Jules Machias
    But after she’s diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disease that affects her joints, Avery splits her time between endless physical therapy and worrying that her fun and independence are over for good. Sarah Bell is familiar with worry, too. For months, she’s been having intense panic attacks. No matter how much she pours her anxiety into making art, she can’t seem to get a grip on it, and she’s starting to wonder if she’ll be this way forever.Just as both girls are reaching peak fear about what their futures hold, their present takes a terrifying turn when their school is seemingly attacked by gunmen. Though they later learn it was an active shooter drill, the traumatic experience bonds the girls together in a friendship that will change the way they view their perceived weaknesses—and help them find strength, and more, in each other.

The Callers


Kiah ThomasKiah Thomas
    In the world of Elipsom, the ability to Call, or summon objects, is a coveted, crucial skill, revered among its people as both a powerful tool and an essential way to sustain life. But despite an elite family history, a phenom for an older sister, a best friend who is set to join the Council of Callers, and his mother's steely insistence that he learn to Call, Quin doesn't have the gift—an embarrassment made worse when his mother gets his sister to cheat for him on his Calling exam. But everything changes in a moment of frustration when Quin, instead of summoning an object, makes something disappear. And what's more, he quickly discovers that the objects Callers bring into their world aren't conjured at all but are whisked away from another world and a people who for years have had their lives slowly stolen from them. Now Quin must team up with Allie, a girl who's determined to stop this unfair practice, and decide whether he should remain loyal to his family or betray them—and save the world.In a story that explores some of the most crucial topics of our time—our relationship to consumerism, the exploitation of natural resources, colonialism, and the consequences of wanting more than we need—magic is sought, and truth is found.

Yasmine's Belly Button


Charity Russell
    Along the way, little Yasmine discovers just how connected she is to her mom and all her new classmates. Ages 3+

Join the Club, Maggie Diaz


Nina Moreno
    The one thing that defines them as a person. Her best friends Zoey and Julian are too busy to spend time after school thanks to band and comics club. Mom is finishing her last semester in college. And of course, perfect older sister Caro has her sports and tutoring club.So Maggie cooks up a plan to try all the clubs she can! But trying to fit in with type-A future leaders, gardening wizzes, and the fearless kids in woodshop is intimidating, exhausting, and seriously confusing. And when Maggie ends up disappointing her friends, she realizes that juggling school, friends, and all of her after-school activities isn't what she expected. Finding herself might just require some surprising help and possibly a little magic from the bruja next door.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone


Tae Keller
    . . for believing in aliens. Sometimes middle school can make you feel like you're totally alone in the universe...but what if we aren't alone at all?Mallory Moss knows how the world works. After meeting the cool girl, Reagan, she finally has a best friend, and Reagan makes Mallory feel like she belongs, like she can fit in this infinite universe, as long as she follows Reagan’s simple rules: wear the right clothes, control your image, know your place. But when Jennifer Chan moves into the house across the street, those rules don’t feel quite so simple anymore. Because Jennifer is different. She doesn’t seem to care about the laws of middle school, or the laws of the universe. She’s willing to embrace the strange, the unknown… the extraterrestrial. She believes in aliens—and what’s more, she thinks she can find them. Then Jennifer goes missing. The adults say she ran away…but where is she going? And why? Using clues in Jennifer’s journals about alien encounters, Mallory attempts to find her. But the closer she gets, the more Mallory has to confront why Jennifer might have run … and face the truth within herself.

Best Friends, Bikinis, and Other Summer Catastrophes


Kristi Wientge
    That’s just how it’s always been. Until a girl from the pool named Rebekah comes over to them and says hi. Suddenly, Will is changing his clothes, restyling his hair, and breaking all of their summer plans and Alex is not happy about it. Every summer, she and Will come up with a new challenge. This year, it’s a treehouse. Now Alex is wrangling up summer jobs and keeping tabs on the new girl, hoping that in completing their treehouse, she can keep from losing her best friend and her summer from falling apart.

Hummingbird


Natalie Lloyd
    Olive can’t wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she’s always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in.Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It’ll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true.When it becomes clear that she can’t solve the mystery on her own, Olive teams up with some unlikely allies who help her learn the truth about the bird. And on the way, she just might learn that our fragile places lead us to the most wonderful magic of all . . .

The Lords of Night


J.C. Cervantes
    She’s always been convinced that there’s a connection between aliens and the Maya civilization, and she wishes her blog about extraterrestrial activity would garner more respect.When Ren receives an email about a possible alien sighting in Kansas, she thinks it could be her chance to prove her theory. It could also mean that the cinco—five renegade godborns—are up to no good. Soon Ren finds herself embroiled in a quest to prevent the troublemakers from awakening the nine Aztec Lords of Night and overthrowing the Maya gods. None of Ren’s usual friends are available to help, including her bestie Ah Puch, the god of death, so Ren has no choice but to team up with two strangers: Edison, a teen demon hybrid, and Montero, an eleven-year-old Aztec hunter. Will this oddball trio have what it takes to succeed? This isn’t just another challenge. It could well be an impossible one that leaves Ren questioning her very existence.Anyone who enjoys fast-paced myth-based adventures will be swept up in this one featuring Maya and Aztec gods and their magical offspring.

Storm


Nicola SkinnerNicola Skinner
    She was born amidst chaos, to two loving but unprepared parents. On a beach. In a storm. No wonder she's always had a temper.And you know what did nothing to quell her anger? Dying dramatically in a freak natural disaster that wiped out her whole town.As a ghost, it's not so easy for Frankie to hide her rage, especially when suspicious visitors to her ruined home seem to have a keen and ominous interest in her. But when you were born with a storm inside you--sometimes the only way to calm it is to finally let it out.Readers who loved the heart of books like Shouting at the Rain and Orphan Island will love following Frankie's ghostly journey.

Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend


Katie Zhao
    It won’t be easy, since, according to her older sister, middle school is the pits. Luckily, Winnie studied middle school survival tactics in comic books and anime, and nothing will stop her from being the very best student. But none of Winnie’s research has prepared her to face the mother of all hurdles: evil spirits. When she makes mooncakes for a class bake sale, she awakens the stuff of legends from her grandmother’s old cookbook, spilling otherworldly chaos into her sleepy town. Suddenly Winnie finds herself in a race against time, vanquishing demons instead of group projects. Armed with a magic cookbook and a talking white rabbit, she must embrace her new powers and legacy of her ancestors. Because if she doesn’t, her town—and rest of the world—may fall to chaos forever.

Ravenfall


Kalyn Josephson
    Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin’s family’s secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins in Celtic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can’t stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open—which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.

Cress Watercress


Gregory Maguire
    When Papa doesn't return from a nocturnal honey-gathering expedition, Cress holds out hope, but her mother assumes the worst. It’s a dangerous world for rabbits, after all. Mama moves what’s left of the Watercress family to the basement unit of the Broken Arms, a run-down apartment oak with a suspect owl landlord, a nosy mouse super, a rowdy family of squirrels, and a pair of songbirds who broadcast everyone’s business. Can a dead tree full of annoying neighbors, and no Papa, ever be home? In the timeless spirit of E. B. White and The Wind and the Willows—yet thoroughly of its time—this read-aloud and read-alone gem for animal lovers of all ages features an unforgettable cast that leaps off the page in glowing illustrations by David Litchfield. This tender meditation on coming-of-age invites us to flourish wherever we find ourselves.

Lia Park and the Missing Jewel


Jenna Yoon
    Her parents work with a mysterious organization that makes them ridiculously overprotective. Lia’s every move has been scrutinized since she was born, and she’d love to have the option of doing something exciting for once. So when she gets invited to the biggest birthday party of the year—and her parents say she can’t go—Lia sneaks out. But her first act of rebellion not only breaks her parents’ rules, but also an ancient protection spell, allowing an evil diviner spirit to kidnap and ransom her parents for a powerful jewel that her family has guarded for years. With just the clothes on her back and some very rusty magical skills, Lia finds herself chasing mysterious clues that take her to her grandmother’s home in Korea. From there, she has to make their way to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King, the only person who knows where the powerful jewel might be. Along with her friend, Joon, Lia must dig deep and find courage to stand up for those who are weak—and become the hero her parents need.

We Are the Song


Catherine Bakewell
    She is a special child, a blessed child, a child who can sing miracles into being. Her voice can heal wounds, halt landslides, cure hunger--and even end wars.But there are those who would use her gift for darker things. And when Elissa finds herself the farthest from home she's ever been--along with her vain and jealous music tutor, Lucio--she will have to develop the judgment to decide who wants to use her song to heal... and who wants to use her song to hurt.

Teddy Roosevelt Was a Moose?


Dan Gutman
    Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt was shot before a rally, and went on to give his speech with the bullet in his chest? Or that he skinny-dipped in the Potomac River? Bet you didn’t know that he had a zebra, a lion, and a one-legged rooster at the White House! Siblings Paige and Turner have collected some of the most unusual and surprising facts about the larger-than-life president, from his childhood and his Rough Rider days to his rise to politics and his complicated presidential legacy.Narrated by the two spirited siblings and animated by Allison Steinfeld’s upbeat illustrations, Teddy Roosevelt is an authoritative, accessible, and one-of-a-kind biography infused with Dan Gutman’s signature zany sense of humor.

Coming Up Short


Laurie Morrison
    But at the end of seventh grade, on the same day she makes a gutsy play to send her softball team to the league championships and Xander, the boy she likes, makes it clear that he likes her too, a scandal shakes up her world. Bea’s dad made a big mistake, taking money that belonged to a client. He’s now suspended from practicing law, and another lawyer spread the news online. To make matters worse, that other lawyer is Xander’s dad. Bea doesn’t want to be angry with her dad, especially since he feels terrible and is trying to make things right. But she can't face the looks of pity from all her friends, and then she starts missing throws in softball because she’s stuck in her own head. The thing she was best at seems to be slipping out of her fingers along with her formerly happy family. She's not sure what's going to be harder—learning to throw again, or forgiving her dad. How can she be the best version of herself when everything she loves is falling apart?

The Mirrorwood


Deva Fagan
    To stay alive, Fable has to steal the faces of others, making her an outcast that no one trusts. When the fierce Blighthunter Vycorax comes to kill Fable to stop her curse from spreading, Fable narrowly escapes by fleeing into the thorny woods surrounding her small village. The treacherous forest has been ruled by a demon-prince for centuries, a deadly place trapped in time. Fable—and her opinionated feline companion, Moth—is the first to dare enter in a very long time. There, she encounters a tediously chatty skull, dangerously meddlesome deities, and a beast so powerful it tears at the fabric of reality, leaving nothingness in its horrible wake. Fable will soon discover that, in the Mirrorwood, nothing is quite like the stories say, and the perilous realm may be the only chance she has to break her curse and find her true self.

In the Beautiful Country


Jane KuoJane Kuo
    

Elmer and the Dragon


Ruth Stiles Gannet
    

Zara's Rules for Record-Breaking Fun


Hena Khan
    Meet Zara Saleem, the queen of the neighborhood. Zara’s in charge of it all: she organizes the games, picks the teams, and makes sure everyone has a good time…and they always do. When a new family moves in across the street, suddenly Zara’​s reign is threatened by Naomi, who has big ideas of her own about how the neighborhood kids can have fun. To get everyone to notice her again, Zara decides she’s going to break a Guinness World Record—if her little brother Zayd doesn’t mess things up. But when she finds herself increasingly alone in her record-breaking quest, Zara starts to wonder if sharing the crown and making a new friend might end up being the best rule of all.

Bully!


Ryan Stallings
    With a strange and lifelike teddy bear as his only companion, Jamie suffers alone from his father's neglect and the harsh ridicule of two cruel classmates. Senator Paul Douglas works all day and night in a desperate attempt to forget the loss of his beloved wife. At his lowest point, Paul becomes the victim of a political tug-of-war. Two powerful rivals each want something from him. Each promises retribution if he does not fulfill their wishes. Burdened by a decision that could alter the nation's power structure, Paul finds himself weaker and more fragile than his young son. Enter the Colonel. Theodore Roosevelt returns to Washington with all the fervor, bombast, and humor that marked his previous life. No other character from history possesses the experience, knowledge, and practical sense to help the Douglas men solve their problems and repair their broken relationship. Wielding his big stick for all to see, America's great Bull Moose prepares Paul and Jamie for a final showdown against their respective bullies. If he can just stay out of trouble, Theodore Roosevelt might be the family's best hope...

Don't Want To Be Your Monster


Deke Moulton
    Embedded with Jewish lore, the murder mystery follows adopted vampire brothers Adam and Victor, who play opposite roles in tracking down a killer, but little do they know the bodies are bait to hunt their own kind.

Journey to the Parallels


Marcie Roman
    Amber reminds us that everyone, including mathematically-challenged tweens with friend and family issues, has within them the power to effect change.

The Glass Witch


Lindsay Puckett
    But winning brings glory, and glory means proving herself worthy of the Goode name, which is all Addie's ever wanted.What she most certainly does not want, however, is to enact a curse, waking a 300-year-old witch hunter from the grave. Not to mention the curse has turned Addie's bones into glass, sprouting more and more cracks as midnight approaches-which makes it terribly hard to run in heels.With the aid of an ancient spellbook, a monster-obsessed neighbor, and a twitchy-nosed, furry friend, Addie must hunt down three ingredients to break the curse before the hunter not only ruins the pageant, but erases magic-and her-from the town.

Secret of the Shadow Beasts


Diane Magras
    series comes a swift-moving contemporary fantasy about a young girl tasked with destroying deadly shadow creatures.In Brannland, terrifying beasts called Umbrae roam freely once the sun sets, so venomous that a single bite will kill a full-grown adult--and lately, with each day that passes, their population seems to double. The only people who can destroy them are immune children like Nora, who are recruited at the age of seven to leave their families behind and begin training at a retrofitted castle called Noye's Hill. But despite her immunity, Nora's father refused to let her go. Now, years after his death by Umbra attack, Nora is twelve, and sees her mother almost killed by the monsters too. That's when Nora decides it's time for her to join the battle. Once she arrives at Noye's Hill, though, she and her new friends are left with more questions than answers: Where are the Umbrae coming from? Could the government be covering up the true reason their population has whirled out of control? And was Nora's father, the peaceful, big-hearted man who refused to let Nora fight, in on the treacherous secret?

Midnight and the Racehorse (Black Pony Adventures #2)


Connie Peck
    Ever since their old pony passed away, the race horses have not been running well. But worse than that, the champion stallion, Govad, has turned vicious. Are these high strung horses simply missing their old friend, or is something more sinister afoot? Annie can sense the terror and pain of the stallion through her magical telepathic connection with the black pony, Midnight, and she suspects animal abuse. Can she unravel this mystery in time for Govad to run his big race, or will the stallion's mean streak force his owners to destroy him Book Two of the Black Pony Adventures carries you into the exciting world of horse racing at beautiful Turf Paradise of Phoenix, and includes a fun gymkhana in Apache Junction. Connie Peck grew up in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains and rode her pony in gymkhanas and trail rides all around Apache Junction. She is a retired teacher living in central Texas

Frances and the Monster Lib/E


Refe Tuma
    Perfect for fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak and the Greenglass House series.Frances Stenzel was just trying to prove her scientific worth to her parents so they would take her with them to their scientific symposiums for once--instead, she reawakened her great-grandfather's secret and most terrible invention.Before it can destroy the town, she sets off after it, with her pet chimp and sarcastic robot tutor by her side. But monster-hunting isn't easy, and she'll have to face a persistent constable, angry locals, and an unexpected friendship ahead--all while the trail for the monster goes cold and time is running out before her science career, and the city itself, are doomed forever.Full of thrills and heart alike, Frances and the Monster takes readers through winding streets and over perilous rooftops, with wily monsters, unpredictable twists, and powerful friendships waiting along the way.

The Book of Brendan


Ann Curry
    When the evil magician Myrddin appears, determined to subdue the monks of Holybury Abbey and the surrounding villages, Father Brendan and his young friends must rely on magical beasts and the help of Arthur, Guinevere, and Merlin, summoned from their sleep on the Isles of Truth.

Star Knights: (A Graphic Novel)


Kay Davault
    From the comic artist behind Oddity Woods comes a fantasy graphic novel with a lot of heart, adventure, and hijinks! What makes a hero?Brave Star Knights are heroes who go on adventures. But Tad is just a frog, and frogs can't save the day. Can they? Determined to out-hop his mud-dweller fate and pursue his dream of being a knight, Tad finds himself on a quest with a surprise group of adventurers, including the Star King! It's a race against time as Tad searches for a way to take the Star King to the moon so that he can bring peace to the forest--and prove that anybody can be a hero.Even a frog.This graphic novel is perfect for fans of delightful characters, hilarious hijinks, and stories about being true to you who are.