General
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The Great White Bear (The World’s Deadliest School Trips)
Some school trips can turn out to be deadly dangerous—like this one.
Six young teens visit the Canadian wilderness to view polar bears. They become snowbound in a castle with its terrifying owner, Mr. Lagrave. With escape attempts thwarted, Lance and his schoolmates must find the courage to face Lagrave and the massive polar bear which terrorizes the estate.
This thriller contains references to alcohol and moments of violence which are unsuitable for children under 10. Such activities are brief and not glamorized.
For Readers 10-15 from author Jame DuBern.
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The Boring Days and Awesome Nights of Roy Winklesteen
According to nightlifer (night owl) Roy Winklesteen, daylifers have no idea what they’re missing. So, when a 2 a.m. glance out his bedroom window reveals a neighbor is hiding a secret of mythic proportions, Roy’s summer break looks a lot more exciting.
Seeking a cure for being the most ignored kid in all of fifth grade, Roy knows an awesome adventure will surely get him noticed in middle school. He watches and waits for the perfect time to move in for a closer look at the mysterious man who lives one street over. Roy’s spy mission doesn’t go as planned. Still, he manages to gain access into his neighbor’s world–where mind-blowing inventions are more common than furniture and fighting crime involves transforming criminals into bumbling fools smothered in questionable goo.
Every night with the neighbor brings Roy one step closer to the most daring adventure of his life. But even if he survives, he can never tell anyone about it.
For Readers 8-12 from author Sally Dill.
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Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries: Book One: The Case of the Brazilian Vase
Patrick Picklebottom is out in the neighborhood and on the case – can YOU help him solve 10 different mysteries?
Patrick Picklebottom has a knack for critical thinking. So, it’s not too surprising that he and his best friend, Claire, keep coming across everyday mysteries. In school, at the local ice cream shop, during a history fair – even in his own house – Patrick constantly comes across new cases to crack.
Can you help him solve these confounding mysteries:
- The Case of the Brazilian Artifact
- The Case of the Stolen Bicycle
- The Great Mountain Rescue Mystery
- The Puzzle Behind the New Employee
- The Baking Contest Caper
- The Mystery of the History Fair
- The Case of the Broken Trophy
- The Mystery of the Missing Donut
- Who Shattered the Window?
- The Case of the Acorn and the Oak
Join Patrick and his friends in 10 short stories where YOU help solve the mysteries. Can you figure out the solutions based on the clues provided? Think carefully before checking the answers in the back!
For Readers 8-12 from author Mr. Jay and illustrator Erin Wozniak.
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The Presidents Did What?
Step right up for a spooky tour of the White House! A long dead, but still charismatic, Millard Fillmore will serve as your ghostly guide as you make your way through the Executive Mansion.
Learn about the history of each room you visit from ghosts of presidents past-arguably the worst presidents in US history. Discover how they ended up there, cursed for all eternity to haunt the rooms of the White House, and find out why it’s so important for us to learn from their mistakes.
This is a short fun book for Readers 8-12 from author Wag Harrison and illustrator C. Rod Unalt.
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The Marvellers
Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts, like brewing Indian spice elixirs and bartering with pesky Irish pixies.
Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy―some Marvellers mistrust her magic, which they deem “bad and unnatural.” But eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures.
When a dangerous criminal known as the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror’s aid, tensions grow in the Marvellian world and Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family’s name and track down her mentor before it’s too late.
For Readers 9+ from author Dhonielle Clayton and illustrator Khadijah Khatib.
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A Mermaid in Middle Grade: Book 1: The Talisman of Lostland
A young mermaid. A sea witch out for revenge. Can Brynn Finley become a sea guardian and help humans in danger when she just barely started the sixth grade?
Brynn is the only mermaid in school who hasn’t been able to learn magic. Until she can unlock the secret to magic spells, she can’t become a sea guardian like her parents and friends. On her quest to solve this mystery, Brynn and her best friend encounter a loveable sea turtle, a pair of selkie sisters, and Phaedra, the great and terrible sea witch. But soon Brynn is over her head in trouble. She must learn to ask for help, do her best, and follow the merfolk oath if she wants to become a guardian of the sea!
For Readers 8-12 from author A.M. Luzzader.
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A First Time for Everything
This middle grade graphic memoir is based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life.
Dan’s always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn’t stop him from being bullied and feeling like he’s invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe.
At first, he’s right. He’s stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, and he doesn’t know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him―first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers… and first love.
Funny, heartwarming, and poignant, A First Time for Everything is a feel-good coming-of-age memoir based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat’s awkward middle school years. It celebrates a time that is universally challenging for many of us, but also life changing as well.
This wonderful book from award-winning author-illustrator Dan Santat is the winner of the 2023 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and is for Readers 10-14.
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The Traitor’s Son: (Path of the Ranger Book 1)
A kingdom in danger, a great betrayal, a boy seeking to redeem his father’s honor. Will he succeed in exonerating him and saving the realm from an enemy in the shadows before it is too late for the whole North?
By the age of fifteen, Lasgol has endured a hard childhood and lives, cornered and hated, in a small village in the North. He is the son of the traitor, the man who betrayed the kingdom and tried to kill the King. His only companions are the mountains and the snow, ever-present in the region. Yet he refuses to believe that his father is guilty, even though the King himself was a witness to the betrayal.
Lasgol is determined to clear his father’s name and has only one option to do so: the School of Rangers, a secret place where they train the respected and feared defenders of the kingdom’s lands for four years. Going there is insane. Hate and death await him. But as the son of a Ranger, he is entitled to attend.
At the Camp he will find himself involved in political intrigues, disloyalties and fights. He will encounter hatred and fearsome enemies, but also a handful of friends, novices as much out of place as he is himself, determined to do whatever is necessary to pass the first year… without dying in the attempt.
Will Lasgol survive the first year of instruction at the Rangers’ Camp? Will he find out what happened to his father? Will he be able to clear his name?
For Readers 10+ from author Pedro Urvi.
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The Gem Keeper: The Illusia Chronicles
Murphy Tulley knows he’s no hero. However, when someone steals the magical Gem of Nashel from his mining town, they lose its protection, which leads to illness and potential death for everyone in Airinton. While still grieving the loss of his father, the town’s last Gem Keeper, it’s up to Murphy to retrieve the missing gem.
He sets off alone to find it, guided only by a mysterious internal connection. When an unlikely group of friends and creatures join him, they learn to work together in a race against time.
As Murphy pushes past his own doubts and fears, he realizes heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Can he summon the courage to save the day?
For Readers 8-14 from author Diane Martin.
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Restart
The amazing story is about what you can do when life gives you a second chance.
Chase’s memory just went out the window. Chase doesn’t remember falling off the roof. He doesn’t remember hitting his head. He doesn’t, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name. He knows he’s Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return. Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him. One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets. Pretty soon, it’s not only a question of who Chase is–it’s a question of who he was . . . and who he’s going to be. Restart is the spectacular story of a kid with a messy past who has to figure out what it means to get a clean start.
For Readers 10-12 from the New York Times and #1 bestselling author of Swindle and Slacker, author Gordon Korman.
