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Bridge to Terabithia
Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie’s house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief.
This beloved classic is for Readers 9-12 from award-winning author Katherina Paterson and illustrator Donna Diamond.
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The One and Only Ivan
Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting.
But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.
In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship, art, and hope.
For Reader 8-10 from Newberry Winner author Katerine Applegate and illustrator Patricia Castelao.
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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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Kestrel Island
A thrilling adventure story about friendship, courage and never giving up.
In a sleepy English seaside town, Sophie Watson is enjoying a peaceful holiday in the sunshine. But when she befriends a mysterious and charismatic girl called Sienna, she is drawn into a heart-stopping adventure where the future security of the world may be under threat.
To find out the truth, they must go to Kestrel Island. The plot they uncover is more terrifying than anything they could have imagined.
When they are discovered by armed guards, they are shot at and chased across the island. But they know they have to make it back to the mainland alive.
The beautiful island may be in peril, but the secret the girls have uncovered threatens the world.
If you’re looking for an action-packed adventure with surprising twists and a thrilling climax, this is it.
Sophie and Sienna fight to save a beautiful island from a gang of unscrupulous developers and discover a plot that is far more sinister and dangerous.
For Readers 9-13 from author A.B. Martin.
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Pettikin
Aunt May’s funeral was strange, but things get stranger when fourteen-year-old Allie Thomas encounters Pettikin Periwinkle, a gnome with a love of sweets and a penchant for screaming. Pettikin is stranded on Earth after the death of its only Gatekeeper.
To get Pettikin home, Allie must enlist the help of a powerful, yet unconventional, Guardian and prove to him that she has what it takes to be a Gatekeeper. With three alpacas to guide her, a month’s supply of cookies, and zero training, she sets off with Pettikin through three secret realms. But there is a Contractor here working with the evil race of sslorcs to stop her. And on top of that, she just might be falling for the Guardian.
For Readers 9-12 from author Abby Smith.
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New Dragon City
Set off on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure in this story about friendship, survival, and fighting for the ones you love, perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and How to Train Your Dragon.
No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father, and a ragtag group of survivors are barely scraping by in this new reality. Kids scavenge not only for materials in abandoned homes but also for leftover books at the library. Adults spend their time establishing a make-shift society and defending their shelter… with any means available. At least for a few months, the dragons are hibernating until it is no longer safe aboveground.
Noah has seen the damage these creatures can do firsthand. When it comes to dragons: It’s kill or be killed. But a chance encounter between Noah and a young dragon causes him to question everything he thought he knew. With rumors spreading that there’s a group of survivors living in harmony with dragons instead of hiding underground, Noah teams up with his fire-breathing ally to find out if peace between humans and dragons is really possible. But the division runs deeper than scales versus skin because trying to follow his heart might just cost Noah his family, too. If Noah and his father can’t find common ground, can he truly unite humans and dragons?
For Readers 9-12 from author Mari Mancusi.
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The Eyes and the Impossible
Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes—to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park’s elders, three ancient Bison. His friends—a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican—work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance.
But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats—an actual boatload of goats—who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes’s view of the world.
A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.
For Readers 8-12 from Newbery Award-Winner Dave Eggers.
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Epic Kids
Jake is an average, unpopular kid at school, and is shocked when the cool new kids ask him to sit with them at lunch. They’re not what he expected – a monstrous boy named Darryl levitates a lunch tray above his head, and a mysterious girl named Amanda shoot green bolts of lightning from her fingertips.
Jake is soon on a mission to prove he’s anything but average when it’s revealed he’s from another planet and has a duty to protect Amanda. He helps his new friends as they’re hunted by a dangerous, very-much alive mechanical dinosaur. And that’s just to start with. Jake learns that he has powers of his own (that involve a hidden door with glowing light) and will do everything he can to keep his new friends safe.
From author David Blaze for Readers 9-12.
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A Mermaid in Middle Grade: Book 1: The Talisman of Lostland
A young mermaid and a sea witch out for revenge. Oh, boy! There’s trouble ahead.
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!
From author A.M. Luzzader for Readers 8-10.
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Serafina and the Black Cloak
A brave and unusual girl named Serafina lives secretly in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate amidst the splendor of the Gilded Age. Serafina’s pa, the estate’s maintenance man, has warned her to keep herself hidden from the fancy folk who live on the floors above, but when children at the estate start disappearing, Serafina and her friend Braeden Vanderbilt must work together to solve a dark and dangerous mystery.
Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate. There’s plenty to explore in Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt’s vast and opulent home, but she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa have lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember. She has learned to prowl through the darkened corridors at night, to sneak and hide, using the mansion’s hidden doors and secret passageways.
But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows the clues to follow. A mysterious man in a black cloak stalks Biltmore’s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of Biltmore’s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak’s true identity before all of the children vanish one by one.
Serafina’s hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear, where she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must not only face her darkest enemy, but delve into the strange mystery of her own identity.
From author Robert Beatty for Readers 9-12.
