Book picks similar to
Little Orchid's Sea Monster Trouble by Yanting Gueh
childrens
contest
middle-grade-fiction
reviewed
The Portal
Kathryn Lasky - 2019
But one night, she sees a strange light glowing from within it. She climbs a ladder to investigate . . . and finds herself transported back four hundred years to Hatfield Palace, where she becomes servant and confidante of the banished princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII. Rose soon discovers something else surprising—a locket with two mysterious images inside it, both of them clues to her own past.Could her grandmother’s greenhouse portal offer answers to the mysteries of her family . . . and their secrets? And how will she ever unravel them all?
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict
Trenton Lee Stewart - 2012
Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments. Now he's being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances – and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he does have one thing in his favor: He's a a genius.On his quest to solve the mystery, Nicholas finds enemies around every corner, but also friends in unexpected places – and discovers along the way that the greatest puzzle of all is himself.
The Mother's Day Gift (Noisy Farm - A Beautifully Illustrated Children's Picture Book, Perfect Bedtime Story)
Bea Balint - 2013
Today everyone was rising with the sun, because this was quite a special day. Bees were working hard, flying from flower to flower; the carol of larks echoed far in the forests. ‘Mother- Mother-Mother’s Day’ – sounded the chirping birds. This is a special day, because tomorrow is Mother’s day. The day when you thank your Mother all the good and wonderful things, the love and care she spoiled you with throughout your entire life. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, so today is the best opportunity to prepare presents. Kate, the beautiful, spotted ladybug got up unusually early, exactly at sunrise. She was looking forward to this day for a long time, because her mum is the best mother in the whole world and she wanted to surprise her with something truly special.
Charlie Bingham Gets Clocked
Maggie M. Larche - 2015
Wodehouse in this hilarious chapter book. Featherbrained, lovable Charlie Bingham just wants a peaceful day at school with Miss Walker, the teacher he loves. But when his best pal Brad accidentally steals Miss Walker's prize possession, an antique alarm clock, things get messy. Pretty soon, Charlie, Brad, and their friend Alyssa are racing to return the clock without being caught in a madcap adventure that's full of laughs.
The Land of Roar
Jenny McLachlan - 2019
Now that they’re eleven, Roar is just a distant memory. But it hasn’t forgotten them.When their grandfather is spirited away into Roar by the villain who still haunts their nightmares, Arthur and Rose must go back to the world they’d almost left behind. And when they get there, they discover that Grandad isn’t the only one who needs their help.
Small Spaces
Katherine Arden - 2018
So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think—she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN. Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small." And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Kelly Barnhill - 2016
They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her--even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.
Greetings from Witness Protection!
Jake Burt - 2017
She also happens to be the U.S. Marshals’ best bet to keep a family alive. . . .The marshals are looking for the perfect girl to join a mother, father, and son on the run from the nation’s most notorious criminals. After all, the bad guys are searching for a family with one kid, not two, and adding a streetwise girl who knows a little something about hiding things may be just what the marshals need.Nicki swears she can keep the Trevor family safe, but to do so she’ll have to dodge hitmen, cyberbullies, and the specter of standardized testing, all while maintaining her marshal-mandated B-minus average. As she barely balances the responsibilities of her new identity, Nicki learns that the biggest threats to her family’s security might not lurk on the road from New York to North Carolina, but rather in her own past.
The Phoenix Code
Helen Moss - 2014
Can Ryan and Cleo unravel the mystery and solve the phoenix code before it's too late?
Undercover Princess
Connie Glynn - 2017
Due to a series of lies and coincidences, 14-year-old Lottie finds herself pretending to be the princess so that Ellie can live a more normal teenage life.Lottie is thrust into the real world of royalty - a world filled with secrets, intrigue and betrayal. She must do everything she can to help Ellie keep her secret, but with school, the looming Maradovian ball and the mysterious new boy Jamie, she'll soon discover that reality doesn't always have the happily ever after you'd expect...A thrilling world of parties, politics and bad ass princesses, this is the first book in the brand new series THE ROSEWOOD CHRONICLES.
A Dog in the Fog: Sight Word Fun for Beginner Readers
Tanja Russita - 2015
Written and illustrated by Tanja Russita, mother, teacher, artist and psychologist. The idea for the series came from Tanja's daughter wanting to read childrens' stories "from a Kindle, like my mum." Now the books are enjoyed worldwide by kids who are learning how to read. Watch and listen to your child's reading skills grow. Prepare to have to share your e-reader!
Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery, a Very Strange Adventure
Lissa Evans - 2011
Horten as his name isn't bad enough, now 10-year-old Stuart is forced to move far away from all his friends. But on his very first day in his new home, Stuart's swept up in an extraordinary adventure: the quest to find his great-uncle Tony--a famous magician who literally disappeared off the face of the earth--and Tony's marvelous, long-lost workshop. Along the way, Stuart reluctantly accepts help from the annoying triplets next door… and encounters trouble from another magician who's also desperate to get hold of Tony's treasures.A quirky, smart, charming page-turner, Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms will enchant young readers--as well as teachers, librarians, and parents.
The Inventor's Secret
Chad Morris - 2013
Twin siblings Abby and Derick Cragbridge are excited as new students to use their famed grandfather’s inventions that make Cragbridge Hall so incredible. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, the twins begin following a trail of clues left by their grandfather. They must find out where their family is, learn who they can trust, and discover what secrets are hidden within Cragbridge Hall.Abby and Derick soon realize they are caught in a race with a fierce adversary to discover their grandfather’s greatest secret–a dangerous discovery that could alter both history and reality.
Thirteen
Tom Hoyle - 2014
Twelve boys have been killed so far. Coron, the crazy cult leader, will stop at nothing to bring in his new kingdom. And now he is planning a bombing spectacular across London to celebrate the sacrifice of his final victim: Adam.
Podkin One-Ear
Kieran Larwood - 2016
But how did he become such a mighty fighter? The answer may surprise you... When a travelling bard arrives at Thornwood Warren on Midwinter night, he is warmly welcomed. In return for food and lodging, he settles down to tell of how Podkin One-Ear - and soon the rabbits are enthralled to hear the story of how one lost little rabbit overcame the cruellest enemy imaginable, and became the greatest warrior their land has ever known.