Fun
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Ava & Carol Detective Agency: The Haunted Mansion
It’s Christmas—so why not accept a dare to explore a creepy old, haunted house?
Fearless best friends Ava and Carol set out to prove that the Butcher house isn’t haunted. Only, Carol is pretty sure she saw something inside one of the windows.
The girls receive an ominous threat: Stay Away or Else! Now, more than ever, the girls are determined to find out who is trying to scare them away. But before they can continue their investigation, a string of mysterious robberies take place. The thieves simply vanish without a trace.
Join Ava and Carol as they race against time to track down a headless monster terrorizing the neighborhood, solve the mystery behind the Butcher house and stop a band of ruthless thieves before they strike again!
From authors Thomas Lockhaven and Emily Chase for Readers 8-12.
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As Brave As You
Genie’s summer is full of surprises. The first is that he and his big brother, Ernie, are leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their grandparents all the way in Virginia—in the COUNTRY! The second surprise comes when Genie figures out that their grandfather is blind. Thunderstruck, Genie peppers Grandpop with questions about how he hides it so well (besides wearing way cool Ray-Bans).
How does he match his clothes? Know where to walk? Cook with a gas stove? Pour a glass of sweet tea without spilling it? Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he’s ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house—as in NEVER. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into—a room so full of songbirds and plants that it’s almost as if it’s been pulled inside-out—he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.
Then Ernie lets him down in the bravery department. It’s his fourteenth birthday, and, Grandpop says to become a man, you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks that is AWESOME until he realizes Ernie has no interest in learning how to shoot. None. Nada. Dumbfounded by Ernie’s reluctance, Genie is left to wonder—is bravery and becoming a man only about proving something, or is it just as important to own up to what you won’t do?
From multi award-winning author Jason Reynolds for Readers 8-12.
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Better Nate Than Ever
Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for seeing a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom.
This hilarious and heartwarming debut novel is full of broken curfews, second chances, and the adventure of growing up—because sometimes you have to get four hundred miles from your backyard to finally feel at home.
From author Tim Federle for Readers 9-13.
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Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
What would you do if you had the power to reach through time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother, who is no longer living (in this universe, anyway)?
When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal’s office for the third time in three days, and it’s still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany’s locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.
Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he’s capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken–including his dead mother–and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There’s only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk.
From author Carlos Hernandez for Readers 8-12.
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Ocean Animals for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Whales, Sharks, and Other Marine Life
Explore the big world under the waves with the Junior Scientists series for kids.
The oceans are full of creatures that are beautiful and strange. Whether you’re a fan of sharks, snakes, penguins, or polar bears, Ocean Animals for Kids is full of fascinating critters to meet! Get ready to learn all about the mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and invertebrates that call the ocean home.
Dive deeper than other ocean books for kids with:
- Animal profiles―Take a look at dozens of marine species, from sea spiders to sponges, and find out where they live, what they eat, and more!
- An intro to marine science―This standout among ocean books for kids investigates currents, tides, climate, and what’s hiding in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean.
- Fun facts―Jump into the best in ocean books for kids and find out which sea-dwellers can open jars, who has pink poop, and what happens when marine iguanas sneeze!
See what’s happening underwater from author Bethanie Hestermann for Readers 8-12.
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King Khalid is PROUD
There is power in the word PROUD.
It feels good when someone tells you that they are proud of you. But imagine just how empowering it is when you do something that makes you proud of yourself!
King Khalid is a clever and courageous boy who loves to play video games, but his bedtime gets in the way. After his father reinforces the rules and makes him go to bed on time, King Khalid challenges himself to find a creative way around the rules so he has more time to play his games. – Even if he has to learn how to design his own video game!
He signs up for a coding class with the ultimate goal of staying up late, but in the process he accomplishes something that ultimately makes everyone proud.
From author Veronica N. Chapman for Readers 8-12.
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Kate and the Horses
Kate is used to being alone. When she’s welcomed into the fold by four-legged pals, will her new companions help her find her courage?
Nine-year-old Kate Calloway’s one wish is to finally have a friend. Always struggling to find the right words, the socially awkward bookworm can’t forget the magical day years ago when a carriage horse spoke to her and made her feel special. So, when she unexpectedly sees him on a poster for summer camp, she’s determined to persuade her parents to let her attend and take the reins.
Arriving full of excitement and stumbling upon a stable of talking horses, Kate can’t wait to tell her parents the names of her playmates… while cleverly hiding that they’re not actually human. But when the affectionate animals can’t help her bond with the other kids or avoid a super-mean girl, it’s up to the shy Kate to figure out by herself how to fit in.
Can Kate learn to brave her fears and find love and acceptance?
From author Wendy Ledger for Readers 8-11.
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Sharks for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Great Whites, Hammerheads, and Other Sharks in the Sea
Meet the ocean’s apex predators with the Junior Scientists series for kids.
Sharks come in all shapes and sizes, from giant whale sharks the size of school buses to tiny dwarf lantern sharks only eight inches long. Sharks for Kids introduces you to these magnificent creatures through vivid illustrations and photographs of some of the biggest, smallest, and strangest sharks swimming the seas. In this top choice among sharks books for kids, you’ll get to know goblin sharks, thresher sharks, and many more.
In one of the most engaging sharks books for kids, you’ll discover tons of in-depth facts about some of your favorite sharks.
From author David McGuire for Readers 8-12.
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Scion of the Sun: a time travel, druid mythology, adventure, fantasy
A mystifying time rift. An ancient civilization. Two worlds collide in an epic fight to the death.
My boring life is upended when a vision of the mom I never knew has me questioning everything I believe. Eager for answers, I enroll at a boarding school for highly gifted students in Wolfebane, New Hampshire. But the school and its students have secrets that leave me more confused than ever.
When I accidentally transport to a parallel existence and discover I have a whole other life waiting for me, I’m thrust into a mythological world that thinks I’m their unlikely savior. Torn between my old life and my new, confronting an ancient evil seems the least of my problems.
With the help of Joss, an enigmatic warrior sworn to protect me, and my new best friend, the equally hot Quinn, I face my fears. But I’m unprepared for the ultimate showdown against a terrifying adversary…
From author Nicola Marsh for Readers 9-12.
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Horses in My Blood
I was born with a love of horses. “Horses are in my blood,” is what I like to say. Maybe my DNA? It started with my dad’s parents, and likely earlier than that.
My grandfather was a Captain in the British Cavalry at the start of the 1900’s, so of course he worked with horses all day, and he enjoyed them. But after his father passed away and the family business burned down, he and rest of the family immigrated to Michigan. Once settled, he met and married my grandmother and continued to love and ride horses. I do wish he could have seen how I’ve carried the family gene on.My grandmother’s relatives drove stagecoaches and owned a livery stable in New York before moving to Michigan. We’re talking late-1800’s here! Gosh, I wish I’d known them. Imagine driving a stagecoach before other transportation was readily available. Fascinating.
As for me, I loved horses as soon as I could say the word. I grew up with a love of reading every horse book I could find, including The Black Stallion and other books by Walter Farley, also Black Beauty, and others. But I also loved mysteries, and by the time I was ten I started writing my own mysteries featuring a girl and her horse.
My dream of owning a horse came true when I was fifteen. I spent hours trail riding by myself, even in summer when my friends were at the beach. My horse and I often swam in the nearby ponds on hot days, with me riding bareback, holding onto his mane and floating along with him as he propelled us through the water. The only problem was that I had to ride home in stinky and damp clothes! But those were heavenly days.
Since then, I’ve owned and shown horses in Western and English disciplines, and later in Reining and Cattle Sorting. I love spending family time with our Quarter Horses and going on quiet trail rides. It’s so peaceful. I often pretend I’m back in the 1800’s—until a plane flies overhead!
I feel a strong connection to my grandfather whenever I see these two photos together–my grandfather jumping a horse, looking strong and brave, and me making a sliding stop in a Reining competition.
These days, I’m polishing my first manuscript, Out After Midnight, about—what else? A thirteen-year-old girl and her horse, Badger. They’re searching a remote canyon for a missing stallion, and if they don’t find him soon, he won’t be able to win the money needed to save his owner’s ranch!
Yes, horses are in my blood, even when I’m writing.
My grandfather was a Captain in the British Cavalry at the start of the 1900’s, so of course he worked with horses all day, and he enjoyed them. But after his father passed away and the family business burned down, he and rest of the family immigrated to Michigan. Once settled, he met and married my grandmother and continued to love and ride horses. I do wish he could have seen how I’ve carried the family gene on.
