George and Martha : the complete stories of two best friends / written and illustrated by James Marshall ; foreword by Maurice Sendak ; appreciations by Marc Brown, Jack Gantos, Susan Meddaugh, Nicole Rubel, Coleen Salley, John Scieszka, and David Wiesner ; afterword by Anita Silvey.
Marshall, James, 2008.
1. HORACE AND MORRIS BUT MOSTLY DOLORES 
by James Howe
illustrated by Amy Walrod
Atheneum, 1999
ISBN: 068931874X
The brightly colored adventures of three daring mice who are the “greatest of friends.”
2. MOLE MUSIC
by David McPhail
Henry Holt, 1999
ISBN: 0805028196
Mole decides to master a musical instrument. He practices in his underground home, never realizing that the beautiful music he eventually makes is changing the world above him for the better.
3. NO, DAVID!
by David Shannon
Scholastic, 1998
ISBN: 0590930028
Young David, who has a knack for breaking things around the house and being rather rambunctious, comically recalls the phrase his mother often repeats: “No, David!”
4. IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO THE MOVIES
by Laura Numeroff
illustrated by Felicia Bond
HarperCollins, 2000
ISBN: 0060278676
The sweet and curious mouse from the favorite IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE is back. This time, the adventure begins at the movies, where a mouse will certainly ask for popcorn…which gradually leads to ideas for decorating the Christmas tree.
5. OLIVIA
by Ian Falconer
Atheneum, 2000
ISBN: 0689829531
A darling, very spunky piglet energetically rattles off her favorite pursuits and those she’s could do without (read, naps).
6. CLICK, CLACK, MOO: Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin
illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Simon & Schuster, 2000
ISBN: 0689832133
When the cows find an old typewriter in the barn, they begin to type letters to Farmer Brown asking for things that will make them more comfortable (like electric blankets!)
7. HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOOD NIGHT?
by Jane Yolen
illustrated by Mark Teague
Scholastic, 2000
ISBN: 0590316818
This rhyming book imagines all the ways a dinosaur might get ready for bed. Turns out it’s not too much different from the way boys and girls go about it.
8. GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU
by Sam McBratney
Candlewick, 1995
ISBN: 1564024733
Young Nutbrown Hare and his doting father share some quiet time in this tender bedtime story.
9. BUGS IN SPACE (pop-up)
by David Carter
Simon & Schuster, 1997
ISBN: 0689814305
Carter’s wide-eyed bugs break out of their box and head for outer space, thanks to their brave leader, Captain Bug Rogers.
10. OFFICER BUCKLE & GLORIA
by Peggy Rathmann
Putnam, 1995
ISBN: 0399226168
A frisky, friendly pup named Gloria becomes the star of Officer Buckle’s safety presentations in this winner of the 1996 Caldecott Medal .
11. LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE
by Kevin Henkes
Greenwillow, 1996
ISBN: 0688128971
Lilly brings her prize possession—a purse that plays music when she opens it—to school, much to the chagrin of her teacher.
12. THE RAINBOW FISH
by Marcus Pfister
North-South, 1992
ISBN: 1558580093
The Rainbow Fish thinks he’s the fanciest around, because of his shimmering scales. He might look good, but he doesn’t have any friends. He quickly learns a lesson about kindness and sharing.
13. MAMA, DO YOU LOVE ME?
by Barbara M. Joosse
illustrated by NBarbara LavalleeAME
Chronicle, 1991
ISBN: 087701759X
A mother gives reassuring answers to her child’s “what if” questions in this tender story about unconditional love. In the book’s Arctic setting, mother and daughter wear colorful Inuit clothing.
14. JULIUS, THE BABY OF THE WORLD
by Kevin Henkes
William Morrow & Company, 1990, Paperback, 1995
ISBN: 0688143881
Lilly the mouse see LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE does a hilarious star turn in this picture book about the arrival of Julius, her baby brother. Her feelings of jealousy and anger soon turn to love. Henkes drawings of Lilly making scary faces and spending time outs in the “uncooperative chair” are a hoot.
15. THE ADVENTURES OF TAXI DOG
by Debra and Sal Barracca
illustrated by Mark Buehner
Dial, 1990
ISBN: 0803706715
Maxi the dog rides around town with his taxi-driver owner Jim as Jim picks up fares in New York City. The bouncy rhymes and vivid, busy city scenes are great fun.
16. GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER!
by Ed Emberley
Little, Brown & Company, 1992
ISBN: 0316236535
Each die-cut page of this book reveals a new facial feature of a silly-looking monster, which also disappears piece by piece as readers continue to flip the pages. A great title for building the self-confidence to overcome one’s fears.
17. McDUFF MOVES IN
by Susan Jeffers
illustrated by Rosemary Wells
Hyperion, 1997
ISBN: 0786803185
McDuff, a white West Highland terrier, finds a loving home with humans Fred and Lucy in this wonderfully warm story. Companion titles include McDuff Comes Home and McDuff and the Baby.
18. TIME FOR BED
by Mem Fox
illustrated by Jane Dyer
Harcourt Brace, 1993
ISBN: 0152010149
From the forest to the farm, each little creature must settle in for the night — and the human animal is no exception. Mem Fox has written a soft, sweet bedtime rhyme.
19. STELLALUNA
by Janell Cannon
Harcourt Brace, 1993
ISBN: 0152802177
A little lost fruit bat lands square in the middle of a nest of birds. Both bat and bird learn a lot about life from another perspective before Stellaluna is happily reunited with her mother.
20. MATH CURSE
by Jon Scieszka
illustrated by Lane Smith
Viking, 1995
ISBN: 0670861944
A young student goes through some hilarious math anxiety when her teacher explains that everything can be thought of as a math problem.
21. HATTIE AND THE WILD WAVES
by Barbara Cooney
Viking, 1990, Paperback, 1993
ISBN: 0140541934
Young Hattie entertains her dreams of becoming a painter in this beautiful picture book set in turn-of-the-century New York City.
22. AMAZING GRACE
by Mary Hoffman
illustrated by Caroline Binch
Dial, 1991
ISBN: 0803710402
Grace wants more than anything to be Peter Pan in the school play. But her classmates insist the part could never go to a girl, especially an African American girl. Grace’s determination and triumph are truly amazing.
23. RAPUNZEL
by Paul O. Zelinsky
Dutton, 1997
ISBN: 0525456074
Zelinsky sets the classic fairy tale in Renaissance Italy in his sumptuous, historically accurate paintings. A beautiful gift for adults as well as children. This book won the 1998 Caldecott Medal.
24. MEANWHILE…
by Jules Feiffer
HarperCollins, 1997
ISBN: 0062051555
A boy imagines himself on adventures as a pirate, a cowboy and an astronaut instead of doing his chores in the comical-and comic-book-like-picture book.
25. ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY ALEXANDER
by Judith Viorst
Atheneum, 1997
ISBN: 0689817738
The three classic picture books about Alexander-ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY; ALEXANDER WHO USED TO BE RICH LAST SUNDAY; and I’LL FIX ANTHONY-are collected here in one nifty volume.
26. THE GARDENER
by Sarah Stewart
illustrated by David Small
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1997
ISBN: 0374325170
In the 1930s, young Lydia is sent to live with her uncle while her father looks for a job. She takes with her some garden seeds and plenty of positive energy, the two things that help transform her uncle’s garden and eventually his life. This title was a 1998 Caldecott Honor Book.
27. MARTHA SPEAKS
by Susan Meddaugh
Houghton Mifflin, 1992, Paperback, 1995
ISBN: 0395729521
When Martha, the family dog, laps up a bowl of alphabet soup, she acquires the gift of gab in this hilarious picture book.
28. MR. LUNCH TAKES A PLANE RIDE
by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
Viking, 1993, Paperback, 1997
ISBN: 0140548688
Seibold’s hip, retro computer-generated art give this story about an adventurous dog named Mr. Lunch extra pizzazz.
29. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
by Jon Scieszka
illustrated by Lane Smith
Viking, 1989, Paperback, 1996
ISBN: 0140544518
In this clever twisted tale, A. Wolf explains that he is innocent; he was framed by the three little pigs.
30. FROGGY GETS DRESSED
by Jonathan London
illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
Viking, 1992; Puffin Paperback, 1994
ISBN: 0140544577
Froggy wants to go play in the snow. But everytime he bundles up, he forgets an essential piece of clothing. Any kid who has ever struggled with getting dressed will appreciate this warm and funny tale.
31. BORREGUITA AND THE COYOTE
by Verna Aardma
illustrated by Petra Mathers
Knopf, 1991; Paperback, 1998
ISBN: 0679889361
A clever lamb outwits a hungry coyote in this award-winning tale from Mexico. Mathers’ detailed paintings provide many authentic cultural touches.
32. PIGS AHOY!
by David McPhail
Dutton, 1997
ISBN: 0140558195
A pack of madcap pigs turn a cruise ship upside down in this rip-roaring, fun-to-read story.
33. LOTTIE’S NEW BEACH TOWEL
by Petra Mathers
Atheneum, 1998
ISBN: 0689816065
A chicken enjoying a day at the beach? Only Petra Mathers could create such a scenario with such color, charm and warmth. Inventive to be sure, Lottie’s imagination helps her turn her new beach towel into a number of useful objects throughout the day.
34. ZOOM
by Istvan Banyai
Viking, 1995; Puffin, 1998
ISBN: 0140557741
A super-cool look at perspective. A close-up of a rooster’s comb begins a journey that “zooms” out into a wider picture on each successive spread. From the rooster you zoom out to a farm scene. Zoom out again and you see a boy playing with a toy farm set, and so on. Kids will love this mind-stretching experience.
2006
Arrowhawk
E SCH Schaefer, Lola M, 1950-
Published 2004
Accelerated Reader® Level: 4.2 / 0.5 pts.
2004
Togo
E BLA Blake, Robert J.
Published 2002
Interest Level: K-3
Accelerated Reader® Level: 3.8 / 0.5 pts.
1993
The great white man-eating shark : a cautionary tale
E MAH Mahy, Margaret.
Published 1990
Accelerated Reader® Level: 4.8 / 0.5 pts.
1991
Two bad ants
E VAN Van Allsburg, Chris.
Published 1988
Accelerated Reader® Level: 4.7 / 0.5 pts.
1989
The magic school bus at the waterworks
551.1 COL Cole, Joanna.
Published 1986
Accelerated Reader® Level: 3.7 / 0.5 pts.
1984
Jumanji
E VAN Van Allsburg, Chris.
Published 1981
Accelerated Reader® Level: 3.9 / 0.5 pts.
1982
Cross-country cat
E Cal Calhoun, Mary.
Published 1986
Accelerated Reader® Level: 3.9 / 0.5 pts.
THE 39 CLUES Series –>
Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world’s most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. Thirty-nine clues hidden around the world will reveal the family’s secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what’s important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.
The 39 Clues is Scholastic’s groundbreaking new series, spanning 10 adrenaline-charged books, 350 trading cards, and an online game where readers play a part in the story and compete for over $100,000 in prizes.
AIRBORN
Kenneth Oppel
Eos
ISBN: 9780060531829
Ages 12-up
544 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Matt Cruse works as a cabin boy on a luxury airship that carries wealthy passengers from city to city, hundreds of feet above land and ocean. One day, he meets a dying balloonist who rants about mysterious and beautiful creatures soaring through the air, above an uncharted island. It is not until Matt meets the man’s granddaughter a year later that he discovers that the man’s seemingly crazy ravings may be true, and that the sky is, in fact, populated by transcontinental voyagers, pirates and other unimaginable beings.
SKYBREAKER
Kenneth Oppel
Eos
ISBN: 9780060532277
Ages 12-up
384 pages
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In this thrilling sequel to AIRBORN, Matt Cruse — now a student at the Paris Airship Academy — spots a ghost ship that has been missing for the last 40 years. Along with the help of some friends he meets along the way, he attempts to reach it before it falls into the hands of pirates who will stop at nothing to get at its mythical loot.
AIRMAN
Eoin Colfer
Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 9781423107507
Ages 10-up
416 pages
• Read a Review
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In the 1890s Conor Broekhart and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. But his idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king. When Conor tries to expose the plot, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life as he and the other prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions.
ALEX RIDER Series
Anthony Horowitz
Philomel Books/Penguin Young Readers Group
Ages 8-12
• Read the Series Feature
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Following the untimely death of his beloved uncle, 14-year old Alex Rider is recruited by Britain’s top-secret intelligence agency to investigate some of the most high-profile and dangerous men in the world. Alex is quite reluctant to take on such a huge responsibility, but he ultimately chooses to accept his mission and help rid the world of evil.
The Alex Rider series consists of seven books so far: STORMBREAKER, POINT BLANK, SKELETON KEY, EAGLE STRIKE, SCORPIA, ARK ANGEL, SNAKEHEAD and CROCODILE TEARS.
Alfred Kropp
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP
Rick Yancey
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781582346939
Ages 12-up
288 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Just what can an overgrown, underachieving teenager do to save the world from imminent destruction? A lot more than you would think, especially if his name happens to be Alfred Kropp. With his huge head, tree trunk-like body and uncanny ability to screw up at nearly everything he undertakes, Alfred is both the world’s first accidental superhero and the last person you’d rely on in a time of need.
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ALFRED KROPP: THE SEAL OF SOLOMON
Rick Yancey
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781599902777
Ages 12-up
352 pages
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The ancient seals of Solomon — used by Kind Solomon to imprison the fallen angels of heaven — have disappeared. Should they fall in to the wrong hands, all hell could break lose…literally. And when Alfred Kropp goofs up as usual, the ring ends up in the hands of King Paimon, a terrible demon with a special bone to pick with our reluctant hero. Alfred must find a way to right his wrong and save the world from imminent destruction…again!
ALFRED KROPP: THE THIRTEENTH SKULL
Rick Yancey
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781599901145
Ages 12-up
304 pages
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Alfred Kropp lost — then found — the legendary sword Excalibur. Then he defeated King Paimon, arguably the nastiest of demons ever to roam the earth. What could possibly be in store for him now? Plenty. Not only is a dangerous new enemy tracking Alfred’s every move, even the people who have sworn to protect him no longer seem trustworthy. Who, or what, is “Sofia,” and is there a connection between Sofia and the mysterious Thirteenth Skull? The reluctant hero who has always narrowly avoided death may not be getting out of this adventure alive.
ARTEMIS FOWL Series
Eoin Colfer
Miramax/Hyperion Books for Children
Ages 9-12
• Read the Series Feature
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Set in two sharply contrasting realms — the aboveground world that humans inhabit and the imaginative underground netherworld where “the People” (otherwise known as fairies, gnomes, goblins and trolls) reside — the Artemis Fowl series is an interspecies fantasy thrill ride that will keep readers alternately holding their breath in suspense and laughing out loud during many comic moments.
The series consists of six books so far: ARTEMIS FOWL, THE ARCTIC INCIDENT, THE ETERNITY CODE, THE OPAL DECEPTION, THE LOST COLONY and THE TIME PARADOX.
ATHERTON: THE HOUSE OF POWER
Patrick Carman
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316166706
Ages 8-12
352 pages
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Edgar, a gifted climber, is a lonely boy scaling the perilous cliffs that separate the three realms of Atherton: a humble fig grove, a mysterious highland world of untold beauty and sinister secrets, and a vast wasteland where he must confront an unspeakable danger that could destroy the people of Atherton. When Edgar discovers a book that contains the history of Atherton’s origins and ultimate apocalypse, his world — quite literally — begins to turn inside out.
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ATHERTON #2: RIVERS OF FIRE
Patrick Carman
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316166720
Ages 8-12
320 pages
• Read a Review
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Atherton was once a magnificent three-tiered world, but few inhabitants know the truth of its dark origin: it is a giant man-made satellite, created as a refuge from a dying Earth. Now this strange place is torn apart — its three lands, formerly separated by treacherous cliffs, have collapsed and collided. But a gifted climber and adventurous orphan boy, Edgar, is determined to discover the secret of Atherton’s survival, and embarks on a life-or-death quest to find its mad maker.
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ATHERTON #3: THE DARK PLANET–>
When Edgar discovers a way to leave the mysterious satellite world of Atherton, he couldn’t have imagined the gloom that awaited him on the dark planet, where the oceans are toxic, the forests are full of mutant monsters, and children toil in darkness, controlled by ruthless maniacs. Max Harding, an orphan of the Silo, the maker of Atherton, and the last hope of a dying world, left this place behind, and now Edgar is determined to complete the mad scientist’s spectacular plan, revealing Atherton’s true purpose.
Edgar’s quest to discover Earth’s dark secret leads to an out of this world adventure in the final book of the Atherton trilogy.
THE BATBOYIt is every baseball kid’s dream summer job: batboy for your hometown Major League team. Yet for 14-year-old Brian, the job means more than just the chance to hang around his idols. Baseball was the job his father loved so much, and in the end he couldn’t leave it. Yet he could leave his family. Now Brian sees the job as the way to win back his father.
There is no winning back some people, though. Just ask Hank Bishop — once the most popular player in baseball before he was banned for using steroids. Now he is making his comeback. And an unlikely friendship slowly develops between this man in need of a family and this boy in need of a father.
THE BIG FIELD
Mike Lupica
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399246258
Ages 10-up
288 pages
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For Hutch, shortstop has always been home. It’s where his father once played professionally, before injuries relegated him to watching games on TV instead of playing them. And it’s where Hutch himself has always played and starred. Until now. The arrival of Darryl “D-Will” Williams, the top shortstop prospect from Florida since A-Rod, means Hutch is displaced, in more ways than one.
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THE BOOK OF LIES • Read a Review
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The newest boy at Mrs. Timmins’s Home for Orphans and Foundlings isn’t sure who he is. But a strange girl who hides among the shadows of the orphanage tells him that a mysterious wizard’s creation, the Book of Lies, holds the answers, and then gives him one clue: "Your name is Marcel." With that knowledge, and the help of three new friends, Marcel begins a quest to find the truth about his real identity – a truth hidden in the Book of Lies. As Marcel learns more about his past, he begins to wonder if the old book’s so-called magical truth might be the greatest lie of all.
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THE BOOK THIEF
Markus Zusak
Knopf
ISBN: 9780375831003
Ages 12-up
512 pages
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Set during World War II in Germany, young Liesel Meminger, who lives outside of Munich, scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist — books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
THE BOOK OF TIME
Guillaume Prevost
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439883757
Ages 9-12
224 pages
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In the first installment of Guillaume Prevost’s trilogy, 14-year-old Sam Faulkner begins his quest to find his missing father, who left for a business trip and hasn’t been heard from in more than a week. What Sam discovers in his dad’s antique bookstore will change his life and test his courage. But will it help him find his father?
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THE GATE OF DAYS: The Book of Time IISam Faulkner now knows his father is trapped in Vlad Tepes’s castle, but he can’t save him without the seven coins that will allow him to direct his travel to the right year in Time. So he sets off on a desperate journey through the ages to collect the coins — to the oracle at Delphi, Pompeii before Mt. Vesuvius — even Chicago in 1932, where he meets his seven-year-old grandfather.
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THE CIRCLE OF GOLD: The Book of Time III• Read a Review
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Sam rescued his father from Dracula’s castle, but that doesn’t mean their troubles are over. Now Allan Faulkner lies in a coma in the Sainte-Mary hospital, tossing about and muttering aloud about saving Sam’s late mother. Sam has no choice but to go back in Time to see her. His inability to control his destination, however, means he journeys to ancient China, Renaissance Rome, and even 2025 — where he sees his own grave! Can Sam prevent this grisly ending and save his mother once and for all?
THE BROOKLYN NINE: A Novel in Nine Innings• Read a Review
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What happens when you combine America’s favorite pastime with a journey through history? You get a compelling look at how baseball can unite a family. Nine generations of one family and their love of baseball are told in nine innings that any sports fan will appreciate.
CAPTAIN NOBODY<!–• Read a Review
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Growing up in the shadow of his football star brother, Chris, Newt Newman has never felt particularly special. When Chris is knocked into a coma, Newt’s two best friends decide that taking him out for Halloween is the best way to cheer him up. Using some of Chris’s old, oversized clothes, Newt creates his best costume ever — Captain Nobody!
Newt feels so strong and confident in his new getup that he keeps wearing it after Halloween is over. In no time, Newt assumes the role of a hero in a string of exploits that include foiling a robbery and saving a planeload of passengers. But will Captain Nobody be able to save the one person he cares about most?
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THE CASTAWAYS• Read a Review
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Adrift at sea, Tom Tin and his four convict companions are only too glad when they come upon a deserted ship. The boys clamber aboard, not knowing whether they’ve been saved or set on a course toward doom. But after rescuing two men stranded on a melting iceberg, Tom begins to suspect that these unsavory sailors are dangerous castaways from this very vessel.
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CHASING VERMEER
written by Blue Balliett
illustrated by Brett Helquist
Scholastic Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780439372978
Ages 8-12
272 pages
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When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings sixth graders Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect, an eccentric old woman seeks their company and an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. Can they solve a crime that has stumped even the FBI?
Sequel to CHASING VERMEER
THE WRIGHT 3
written by Blue Balliett
illustrated by Brett Helquist
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439693677
Ages 9-12
318 pages
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Spring semester at the Lab School in Hyde Park finds Petra and Calder drawn into another mystery when unexplainable accidents and ghostly happenings throw a spotlight on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, and it’s up to the two young sleuths to piece together the clues. They become tangled in a dangerous web thanks to the return of Calder’s friend Tommy, H.G. Wells’s THE INVISIBLE MAN, 3D pentominoes, and the hunt for a coded message left behind by Wright.
Sequel to CHASING VERMEER
and THE WRIGHT 3
THE CALDER GAME
written by Blue Balliett
illustrated by Brett Helquist
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439852074
Ages 9-12
400 pages
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When Calder Pillay travels with his father to a remote village in England, he finds a mix of mazes and mystery, including an unexpected Alexander Calder sculpture in the town square. Calder is strangely drawn to the sculpture, while other people have less-than-friendly feelings towards it. Both the boy and the sculpture seem to be out of place…and then, on the same night, they disappear! Calder’s friends Petra and Tommy must fly out to help his father find him. But this mystery has more twists and turns than a Calder mobile — with more at stake than first meets the eye.
THE AKHENATEN ADVENTURE: Children of the Lamp, Book 1
P. B. Kerr
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439670203
Ages 9-12
384 pages
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One day, 12-year-old twins John and Philippa Gaunt discover that they’re descended from a long line of djinn. All of a sudden, they have the power to grant wishes, travel to extraordinary places, and make people and objects disappear. They are about to embark on a search to locate a monstrous looking (but supposedly dead) pharoah named Akhenaten and his tomb, which may be holding 70 lost djinn. Will the twins be strong and clever enough to outwit the most evil djinn in the universe and live to see another day?
THE BLUE DJINN OF BABYLON:
Children of the Lamp #2
P. B. Kerr
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439670210
Ages 9-12
384 pages
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John and Philippa Gaunt, who have recently discovered themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn and in possession of magical powers, continue on their extraordinary adventures in this sequel to THE AKHENATEN ADVENTURE. When a powerful book of djinn magic goes missing, John and Philippa are called upon to retrieve it. But the book isn’t really missing. The trap was set and Philippa is abducted by the Blue Djinn. Now, John and his uncle Nimrod must find Philippa before it’s too late.
THE COBRA KING OF KATHMANDU:
Children of the Lamp #3
P. B. Kerr
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439670234
Ages 9-12
384 pages
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Djinn twins John and Philippa Gaunt are on the trail of another magical mystery. As they travel from New York to London to Nepal and India on a whirlwind adventure, the twins try to help their friend and fellow djinn, Buck, find out who murdered his friend using the venomous snakebite of the king cobra. All too soon, John and Philippa find themselves caught up in the lethal world of the Cult of the Nine Cobras, only to discover that they themselves are a target of the creepy cobra cult.
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THE DAY OF THE DJINN WARRIORS: Children of the Lamp #4
P. B. Kerr
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439932141
Ages 9-12
400 pages
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Djinn twins John and Philippa Gaunt are attempting to rescue their mother from her fate as the Blue Djinn of Babylon. Meanwhile, an evil force has awakened the terracotta warriors created by an ancient Chinese emperor, and someone with very bad intentions has cast a spell possessing the soldiers with wicked spirits. Can the twins stop the mysterious warriors, rescue their parents AND save the world before it’s too late?
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THE EYE OF THE FOREST: Children of the Lamp #5In their latest adventure, John and Philippa Gaunt find themselves tangled up in a spellbinding mystery that takes them deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle. When a collection of Incan artifacts goes missing, the Blue Djinn of Babylon dispatches the twins and Uncle Nimrod to recover them. Along the way, though, John and Philippa encounter their friend Dybbuk, who was drained of his djinn powers but is determined to get them back.
CHILDREN OF THE RED KING Series
Jenny Nimmo
Orchard Books/Scholastic
Ages 9-12
• Charlie Bone Website
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In this magical fantasy series, 10-year-old Charlie Bone discovers that he wields the unusual ability to hear people in photographs talking. When he learns that he is a descendant of the Red King, a mysterious ruler who had passed his extraordinary powers to his 10 children — half of whom used their gifts to help their kingdom, and the other half to harm it — Charlie finds himself caught in the middle of a generations-old battle of good and evil.
The Children of the Red King series consists of seven books so far: MIDNIGHT FOR CHARLIE BONE, CHARLIE BONE AND THE TIME TWISTER, CHARLIE BONE AND THE INVISIBLE BOY, CHARLIE BONE AND THE CASTLE OF MIRRORS, CHARLIE BONE AND THE HIDDEN KING, CHARLIE BONE AND THE BEAST, and CHARLIE BONE AND THE SHADOW.
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
WOLF BROTHER: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Book One
Michelle Paver
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 9780060728274
Ages 10-up
320 pages
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Six thousand years ago, evil stalks the land. Only 12-year-old Torak and his wolf-cub companion can defeat it. Their journey together takes them through deep forests, across giant glaciers, and into dangers they never imagined. Torak and Wolf are joined by an incredible cast of characters as they battle to save their world, in this first installment of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness.
SPIRIT WALKER: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Book Two
Michelle Paver
Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780060728281
Ages 10-up
368 pages
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WOLF BROTHER introduced readers to Torak, a boy who can talk to wolves and whose mission it is to vanquish the Soul-Eaters. As the Moon of No Dark intensifies in this second installment, the clans fall prey to a horrifying sickness. Fear stalks the Forest, and the very breath of spring seems poisoned. No one knows the cause — and only Torak can find the cure. His quest takes him across the sea to the mysterious islands of the Seal Clan. Here, Torak battles an unseen menace and uncovers a betrayal that will change his life forever.
SOUL EATER: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Book Three
Michelle Paver
Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780060728311
Ages 10-up
336 pages
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Torak has survived the summer and his heart-stopping adventure in the Seal Islands. He and Wolf are together again, but their reunion is short-lived. As midwinter approaches, Torak learns that the Soul-Eaters have snatched Wolf so that they can sacrifice him. Desperate to rescue Wolf, Torak hatches a perilous plan. He will find the Soul-Eaters, infiltrate the cult, and come face-to-face with the most feared and powerful mages alive. As Torak battles to save himself and Wolf, he learns an utterly chilling secret of his own.
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OUTCAST: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Book Four
Michelle Paver
Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780060728342
Ages 10-up
336 pages
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For two moons Torak has hidden a terrible secret — and now it is revealed. He bears the mark of a Soul-Eater and must pay the price. Cast out of the clans and on the run from clan members who will kill him, he settles on an island in the Lake for the summer. But he is not safe there, either. Relentlessly pursued by Seshru the Viper Mage, one of the strongest Soul-Eaters, Torak must defend himself and the clans from her terrible plans. But how?
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OATH BREAKER: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Book Five• Read a Review
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Nine moons ago, Torak was an outcast — the hunted. Now he turns hunter when he vows to avenge the murder of his kinsman. Torak follows the killer into the Deep Forest, where the clans are on the brink of war, for they have succumbed to the lies of the Soul Eaters. Here Torak must face fire, violence and, ultimately, overwhelming evil as he comes face to face with his kinsman’s murderer at last.
COSMICLiam has always felt a bit like he’s stuck between two worlds. This is primarily because he’s a 12-year-old kid who looks like he’s about 30. It’s frustrating to be trapped in an adult world, so he decides to flip things around. Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of kids and an adult chaperone, and he is going as the adult chaperone. It’s not long before Liam, along with his friends, is stuck between two worlds again — only this time he’s 239,000 miles from home.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID
Jeff Kinney
Amulet/Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780810993136
Ages 9-12
224 pages
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In this hilarious blend of comics and prose, fifth-grader Greg Heffley grapples with his classmates (“bunch of morons”), girls (“I have ALWAYS been into girls”) and various misguided and ill-fated schemes to make himself popular and wealthy, all while avoiding the dreaded Cheese Touch.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES
Jeff Kinney
Amulet/Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780810994737
Ages 9-12
224 pages
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In this sequel to DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Greg Heffley continues his deadpan, laugh-out-loud funny tale of woe. But no matter how bad his life is, he can rest easy knowing that his big brother Rodrick lives to make it way worse. And Rodrick (who will gladly stoop to blackmail) also knows Greg’s darkest secret.
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DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAWIn the third installment of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Greg Heffley’s dad hopes to change his son’s wimpy ways. Yes, he’s actually talking soccer teams and military school here. Meanwhile, Greg has plans that go hilariously wrong, including never to wash his clothes, to somehow impress Holly Hills, and to let nobody know about his Wonder Woman Underoos.
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DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS• Read a Review
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In the fourth installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Greg Heffley suffers through summer vacation, which doesn’t quite turn out to be the three-month-long video game marathon of his dreams. Greg’s droll commentary on his life, complete with dead-pan illustrations, is guaranteed to make even the dourest reader laugh out loud.
DRAGON RIDER
Cornelia Funke
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439456951
Ages 8-up
528 pages
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When the silver dragons’ peaceful home in a Scottish valley is threatened by human settlers, young Firedrake is assigned to travel halfway around the world to find the mythical Rim of Heaven, a place where dragons can live safely. Accompanied by the sharp-tongued brownie Sorrel and the orphan boy Ben, Firedrake must avoid being captured by the wicked golden dragon Nettlebrand as he flies to complete his quest.
ELIJAH OF BUXTON
Christopher Paul Curtis
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439023443
Ages 9-up
288 pages
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Elijah was the first freeborn baby in Buxton, the Canadian haven for runaway slaves. Eleven years later, he enjoys one lighthearted escapade after another — until the day he is forced to face adulthood during a heartwrenching quest testing his spirit — in this often humorous but ultimately moving tale.
ENDER Series
Orson Scott Card
Tor
Ages 12-up
• The Ender Series Website
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With the human race in danger of being attacked by an alien society, the government has been breeding child geniuses and training them as soldiers. One of these prodigies is Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, who has been drafted for rigorous military training at the orbiting Battle School. Will he and his fellow child soldiers have the brains and skill to save the planet?
The Ender series consists of the Ender Quartet (ENDER’S GAME, SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, XENOCIDE and CHILDREN OF THE MIND) and the Bean Quartet (ENDER’S SHADOW, SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON, SHADOW PUPPETS and SHADOW OF THE GIANT).
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FLY BY NIGHT • Read a Review
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Twelve-year-old Mosca can do something very few people in the almost-Medieval time period in which she lives can do – she can read. However, her love of words leads her into trouble when she befriends Eponymous Clent, a trickster who adores the written word just as much as she does. The pair travels to the city of Mandelion, where they find themselves drawn into the middle of a war between two rival guilds vying for power.
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The Gatekeepers Series
RAVEN’S GATE: Book One of The Gatekeepers
Anthony Horowitz
Scholastic Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780439680097
Ages 9-12
272 pages
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Matt Freeman is being punished for a crime he saw, but didn’t commit. Instead of being locked up, he is sent to the middle of nowhere to live with a new foster mom, as part of a government scheme called The Leaf Project. But Matthew’s new home provides anything but peace and quiet. His new guardian is involved in very sinister things — and the whole town seems to be on her side. Everybody who tries to help Matt winds up either disappearing — or dead. The truth is much bigger than Matt or the town — and Matt is the only person who can stop the ultimate evil from being unleashed.
EVIL STAR: Book Two of The Gatekeepers
Anthony Horowitz
Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439679961
Ages 9-12
320 pages
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Matt thought his troubles were over when he closed Raven’s Gate…but, in fact, they were just beginning. Evil forces will stop at nothing to track him down and destroy him. There’s no choice but to fight back. Matt’s fate — and the fate of the world — is tied to four other kids across the globe. The second is a street kid in Peru. He and Matt have never met; they don’t even speak the same language. But destiny is going to throw them together as the threat of the Old Ones grows, a strange and insidious villain beckons, and another Gate suddenly comes into play….
NIGHTRISE: Book Three of The Gatekeepers
Anthony Horowitz
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439680011
Ages 9-12
368 pages
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The world is in great danger — and only five kids can save it. But to do that, they must face off against some of the most powerful people in the world.
Two of the five, Scott and Jamie, have always known they were different. Twins whose birth is shrouded in mystery, they’ve always been able to communicate with each other telepathically. Their supernatural talent has landed them no farther than a gig in a Z-grade sideshow in Reno, Nevada…until they garner the attention of a very scary clientele. Soon their lives are in jeopardy, with one of them trapped and one of them on the run.
In NIGHTRISE, Anthony Horowitz ups the stakes in his most thrilling, intense novel yet.
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NECROPOLIS: Book Four of The GatekeepersAs the fourth novel in the spellbinding Gatekeepers series begins, the world is under the greatest threat it’s ever known. The evil corporation Nightrise has amassed an immense amount of power…and the devastating force of the Old Ones is about to be unleashed around the globe. To stop this from happening, Matt and three of the Gatekeepers head to Hong Kong — not just the modern city of skyscrapers and wealth, but the secretive underworld beneath. In Hong Kong they will meet the final Gatekeeper, a girl named Scarlet, whose fate is inextricably joined to their own.
THE GOLLYWHOPPER GAMES
Jody Feldman
Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780061214509
Ages 9-12
320 pages
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Twelve-year-old Gil Goodson prepared as well as he possibly could, and the day is finally here! He and nine other finalists are about to begin the Golly Toy & Game Company’s absolutely amazing Gollywhopper Games, a competition requiring clever brains, swift feet and a knowledge of Golly Toy history. Gil has all three, but will it be enough to win?
GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND SeriesGoosebumps HorrorLand — the new 12-book series from the master of spooky storytelling, R.L. Stine — revolves around the most frightening theme park you could ever imagine. In the first nine books, we meet new characters as they endure exciting but creepy adventures. The story doesn’t end when their tale does, though, as they are then invited to visit the monster-themed amusement park, terrified and perplexed by what lies in wait for them. The last three books of the series take place in HorrorLand only, all the better for the characters and readers to weave the storylines together, and try to figure out who invited them…and why?
THE GRAVEYARD BOOKNobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack — who has already killed Bod’s family.
HEAT
Mike Lupica
Puffin/Penguin Young Readers Group
ISBN: 9780142407578
Ages 10-up
240 pages
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Michael Arroyo can throw some serious heat, and he dreams of pitching in the Little League World Series. But Michael — newly orphaned after his father led the family’s escape from Cuba — must deal with the reality of his day-to-day life and can only rely on his older brother.
His Dark Materials Series
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
Phillip Pullman
Laurel Leaf
ISBN: 9780440238133
Ages 12-up
368 pages
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Young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments by evil scientists.
THE SUBTLE KNIFE
Phillip Pullman
Laurel Leaf
ISBN: 9780440238140
Ages 12-up
304 pages
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Kyra journeys to the shimmering, haunted otherworld called Cittágazze, where she meets Will Parry. Together they travel from world to world and discover an object of extraordinary power, and uncover the truth of their own destiny.
THE AMBER SPYGLASS
Phillip Pullman
Laurel Leaf
ISBN: 9780440238157
Ages 12-up
480 pages
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Lyra and Will are in unspeakable danger. With help from Iorek Byrnison the armored bear and two tiny Gallivespian spies, they must journey to a dank and gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone. THE AMBER SPYGLASS brings Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials to an astonishing conclusion.
THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION
Nancy Farmer
Simon Pulse
ISBN: 9780689852237
Ages 10-13
400 pages
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This futuristic novel is told from the point of view of Matteo Alacrán, a young boy harvested to be a clone for El Patron, a powerful ruler and drug lord. When Matt realizes what’s in store for him, he escapes, only to discover that many sinister characters are now after him, including El Patron’s power-hungry family.
The Inheritance Trilogy
ERAGON
Christopher Paolini
Knopf
ISBN: 9780375826689
Ages 12-up
528 pages
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Fifteen-year-old Eragon realizes that fate has much more in store for him than the life of a poor farm boy when he discovers that he, along with his newly found pet, are part of a legacy of secret heroes, the Dragon Riders. Armed with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon and the advice of a wise man, he sets off to fight in a long-standing war to free the Empire from a cruel and oppressive king.
ELDEST
Christopher Paolini
Knopf
ISBN: 9780375826702
Ages 12-up
704 pages
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Opening three days after the bloody battle that saved their rebel state from the cruel king of the Empire, this second book in the Inheritance Trilogy continues the epic adventures of Eragon and his dragon, Saphira. The duo experiences all new adventures as they travel to Ellesmera, home of the Elves, to complete Eragon’s training as a Dragon Rider. Meanwhile, his cousin Roran is forced into a different kind of battle — one that may result in even greater danger for Eragon and his village.
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BRISINGR–>
Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
The Ink Trilogy
INKHEART
Cornelia Funke
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439709101
Ages 9-12
544 pages
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Meggie lives alone with her father, a book restorer. But her father has a deep secret — he possesses an extraordinary magical power. One day, a mysterious stranger arrives who seems linked to her father’s past. Who is this sinister character, and what does he want? Suddenly, Meggie is involved in a breathless game of escape and intrigue as her father’s life is put in danger. Will she be able to save him in time?
INKSPELL
Cornelia Funke
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439554008
Ages 9-12
656 pages
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Things have just started to calm down now that Meggie is finally reunited with both of her parents in this sequel to INKHEART. But the quiet doesn’t last for long when she finds herself trapped inside Inkworld, the magical land of her favorite book. She believes she has found a simple way to return home, but the story evolves in ways no one can control, and it doesn’t seem to be heading for a happy ending…
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INKDEATHThe Adderhead — his immortality bound in a book by Meggie’s father, Mo — has ordered his henchmen to plunder the villages. The peasants’ only defense is a band of outlaws led by the Bluejay — Mo’s fictitious double, whose identity he has reluctantly adopted. But the Book of Immortality is unraveling, and the Adderhead again fears the White Women of Death. To bring the renegade Bluejay back to repair the book, the Adderhead kidnaps all the children in the kingdom, dooming them to slavery in his silver mines unless Mo surrenders. First Dustfinger, now Mo: Can anyone save this cursed story?
JAKE RANSOM AND THE SKULL KING’S SHADOW• Read a Review
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When a mysterious envelope arrives for Jake Ransom, he and his older sister, Kady, are plunged into a gripping chain of events. An artifact found by their archaeologist parents on the expedition from which they never returned leads Jake and Kady to a strange world inhabited by a peculiar mix of long-lost civilizations, a world that may hold the key to their parents’ disappearance — if Jake and Kady can survive long enough to solve the mystery.
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM Series
Garth Nix
Scholastic Press
Ages 9-12
• Read the Series Feature
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Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins. One mysterious house is the doorway to a very mysterious world — where one boy is about to venture and unlock a number of fantastical secrets. Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is supposed to die an early death. But then his life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock.
The Keys to the Kingdom series consists of seven books: MISTER MONDAY, GRIM TUESDAY, DROWNED WEDNESDAY, SIR THURSDAY, LADY FRIDAY, SUPERIOR SATURDAY and LORD SUNDAY.
THE KINGDOM KEEPERS: DISNEY AFTER DARK
Ridley Pearson
Disney Editions/Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 9780786854448
Ages 10-up
324 pages
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Finn Whitman — a newly hired guide at Walt Disney World, called a DHI — makes an unexpected visit to the theme park one night after closing time, and is shocked to find characters from famous Disney films walking through the Magic Kingdom. He soon learns that the park is in danger of being destroyed by the Overtakers, a renegade group of Disney characters led by the evil dark fairy Maleficent. It’s up to Finn and his fellow DHIs to save the future of Walt Disney World.
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KINGDOM KEEPERS II: DISNEY AT DAWNIt’s supposed to be a happy day at the Magic Kingdom — the return of the teenaged holographic hosts. But things go very wrong when a sudden lightning storm disrupts the celebration, and Amanda’s mysterious sister, Jez, disappears. The only clue is the sighting of a wild monkey in the Magic Kingdom during the storm.
KINGDOM KEEPERS III: DISNEY IN SHADOW–>
With the adventures set forth in the first books now behind them, KINGDOM KEEPERS III: DISNEY IN SHADOW follows the five teens — Finn, Philby, Willa, Charlene and Maybeck — as they search to find Wayne, their mentor and head Imagineer who has mysteriously gone missing. Concerned that Wayne has been abducted by the Overtakers — Disney villains, who along with other Disney characters, take over the parks when the turnstiles stop spinning, and want desperately to steer the parks to a far darker place — the five kids pick up a major clue from a close friend, Jez, whose dreams (nightmares, really) often accurately predict the future.
THE KING IN THE WINDOW
Adam Gopnik
Disney Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780786838943
Ages 10-up
512 pages
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Transplanted American Oliver Parker is living in Paris with his parents when he sees that his reflection in the kitchen window is not quite the mirror image he expects it to be. The boy staring back at him, who calls Oliver “Your Majesty” and wears an old-fashioned doublet, leads him to the mysterious world through the looking glass. There, he becomes entangled in the battle between the Window Wraiths and the malevolent Mirror Master over control of the universe.
LARKLIGHT: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space
Philip Reeve
illustrated by David Wyatt
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781599900209
Ages 10-14
384 pages
• Read a Review
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Art and his sister Myrtle live with their father in Larklight, a rambling house that orbits the Earth. When their father is captured by an invasion of giant spiders, the two escape in a lifeboat and are launched into an interplanetary adventure across the solar system to save both themselves and the universe.
Sequel to LARKLIGHT
STARCROSS: A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel and Curious Hats
written by Philip Reeve
illustrated by David Wyatt
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781599901213
Ages 10-14
320 pages
• Read a Review
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Art, Myrtle and their mother accept the kind invitation of a holiday to an up-and-coming asteroid resort. But they set out with visions of rest and relaxation only to be sucked into a dastardly plot involving spies, time travel and mind-altering clothing! Before their adventures are out, they’ll sail an aether-ship amid asteroid-strewn seas, dodge demonic puppets, and learn wisdom from an unlikely ally: the Moobs!
The Lionboy Trilogy
LIONBOY
Zizou Corder
Puffin/Penguin Young Readers Group
ISBN: 9780142402269
Ages 8-12
304 pages
• Read a Review
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When his parents are kidnapped, 10-year-old Charlie Ashanti knows he must rescue them. He doesn’t know who has taken them, or why. But he does know that one special talent will aid him on his journey — his amazing ability to speak Cat. Charlie calls on his clever feline friends — from stray city cats to magnificent caged lions — for help. With them by his side, Charlie uses wit and courage to try to find his parents before it’s too late.
LIONBOY: THE CHASE
Zizou Corder
Puffin
ISBN: 9780142404546
Ages 8-12
288 pages
• Read a Review
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Charlie Ashanti has helped a pride of lions escape the circus ship and travel all the way from Paris to safety in Venice. He has also eluded the sinister Rafi and Maccomo for now. But the Venetian palace Charlie has taken to for safety feels suspiciously like a prison. His lions have been separated from him, and Rafi and Maccomo are closing in. If Charlie doesn’t find his parents soon, he may lose them forever!
LIONBOY: THE TRUTH
Zizou Corder
Puffin
ISBN: 9780803729858
Ages 8-12
240 pages
• Read a Review
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After months of searching, not to mention leading a pride of escaped circus lions through Europe and all the way back to Africa, Catspeaker Charlie Ashanti has finally been reunited with his parents — and a long-lost relative with a huge secret to reveal. But their family reunion doesn’t last long. Kidnapped and thrown in a boat, Charlie finds himself alone and bound for who knows where. Charlie’s parents and his faithful lion friends are in hot pursuit, but can Charlie outwit his captor and topple the Corporacy’s wicked enterprise?
LOST AND FOUNDAlthough it’s no fun to be constantly mistaken for each other, in truth, during those first days at a new school, there’s nothing better than having a twin brother there with you. But on day one of sixth grade, Ray stays home sick, and Jay is on his own. Things seem to be going smoothly, and Jay already is making new friends. But he quickly discovers a major mistake: No one seems to know a thing about his brother.
Maximum Ride Series
MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT
James Patterson
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780446617796
Ages 12-up
416 pages
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In the first installment of this futuristic series by James Patterson, six children are on the run from a group of scientists who had kidnapped them as infants and used them as subjects of illegal experimentation. Bred as 98% human and 2% bird, the “Flock” — as they’re called — must rescue one of their own who had been kidnapped by a pack of human/wolf hybrids and brought back to the lab.
MAXIMUM RIDE: SCHOOL’S OUT — FOREVER
James Patterson
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780316155595
Ages 12-up
416 pages
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In this sequel to THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, the Flock begins to fly south in search of their parents and to uncover the truth behind their existence. However, they’re discovered by an FBI agent who forces them to do something unlike anything they’d experienced before — go to school!
MAXIMUM RIDE #3: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS
James Patterson
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316155601
Ages 12-up
416 pages
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The time has arrived for Max and her winged “Flock” to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of “Re-evolution,” a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race…and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them — but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?
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MAXIMUM RIDE #4: THE FINAL WARNING
James Patterson
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316002868
Ages 12-up
272 pages
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Maximum Ride is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly: the result of an out-of-control government experiment. Max and the other members of the Flock — six kids who share her remarkable ability — have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the causes of global warming. Their ability to fly could help the scientists conquer this epic problem. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism — and escaping government forces who watch the Flock like a hawk. But even in Antarctica, trapped in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world…
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MAXIMUM RIDE #5: MAX–>
Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock have barely recovered from their last arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone — or something — is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the Flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late.
While Max and her team are exploring the depths of the ocean, their every move is being carefully tracked by Mr. Chu — a criminal mastermind with his own plans for the Flock. Can they protect themselves from Mr. Chu’s army of mercenaries and save the ocean from utter destruction?
MAXIMUM RIDE #6: FANG–>
Being a kid with wings — constantly on the run — has never been easy, and Max and her flock are getting tenser than ever. First, on a trip to Africa, they meet a mysterious billionaire whose intense scrutiny of the flock makes her fear the worst. Then, a cryptic message from a young girl arrives, warning them “The sky will fall.” And as if an impending apocalypse weren’t bad enough, canny birdkid Angel makes a dire prophecy about Max’s soul mate: Fang will be the first to die.
Max’s desperate desire to protect Fang brings the two closer than ever. But can the team weather the storm, or will the turmoil rip them apart for the last time?
MILLION-DOLLAR THROWNate Brodie wins the chance to throw a pass through a target at a New England Patriots game for one million dollars. Nate, who’s the biggest Tom Brady fan, should be excited. But things have been tough lately. His dad is now unemployed and his family is losing their home. It’s no secret that the money would go a long way. So all Nate feels is pressure — and just when he needs it most, his golden arm begins to fail him.
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THE MISADVENTURES OF BENJAMIN BARTHOLOMEW PIFF: You Wish • Read a Review
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On his 11th birthday, an orphan named Benjamin Bartholomew Piff wishes for the ultimate wish – and unknowingly sets into motion a chain of events that threatens to disrupt the balance between the magical realm of wishes and curses. Before long, Benjamin has been recruited by the Wishworks Factory director himself to fight the evil henchmen of the Curseworks Factory. In the process, Benjamin will reclaim his original wish – giving new credence to the old adage "Be careful what you wish for…"
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MUDDLE EARTH
Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385733168
Ages 9-12
464 pages
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Joe Jefferson is an ordinary schoolboy from ordinary Earth. At least, he was. But something strange happened when he was walking his dog, and now he is Joe the Barbarian — fearless warrior hero, summoned by Muddle Earth’s leading wizard to slay ogres, wrestle dragons and bravely confront villains.
MUDSHARK• Read a Review
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Mudshark is the go-to guy for any mysteries that need solving. That is, until the Psychic Parrot takes up residence in the school library and threatens to overturn Mudshark’s position as the guy who knows all the answers. When Mudshark solves the mystery of who’s stealing erasers, he discovers the culprit has the best of intentions. Now he has to think of a way to prevent the Psychic Parrot from revealing the eraser-thief’s identity.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY
Trenton Lee Stewart
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780316057776
Ages 8-12
496 pages
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ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES? Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests. Only four children succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where there are no rules. But what they’ll find in the hidden labyrinth of the school’s underground tunnels is more than your average school supplies.
THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY AND THE PERILOUS JOURNEY
Trenton Lee Stewart
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316057806
Ages 8-12
448 pages
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The fabulous foursome readers embraced as The Mysterious Benedict Society is back with a new mission, significantly closer to home. After reuniting for a celebratory scavenger hunt, Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance are forced to go on an unexpected search — a search to find Mr. Benedict. It seems that while he was preparing the kids’ adventure, he stepped right into a trap orchestrated by his evil twin Mr. Curtain.
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THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY AND THE PRISONER’S DILEMMA• Read a Review
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Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them closer to danger than ever before.
The Navigator Trilogy
THE NAVIGATOR
Eoin McNamee
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN: 9780375839108
Ages 9-12
352 pages
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One day the world around Owen shifts oddly: Time flows backwards, and the world and family he knew disappear. Time can only be set right when the Resisters vanquish their ancient enemies, the Harsh. Unless they are stopped, everything Owen knows will vanish as if it has never been. And Owen discovers that he has a terrifying role to play in this battle: he is the Navigator.
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CITY OF TIME: Book II of the Navigator Trilogy
Eoin McNamee
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN: 9780375839122
Ages 9-12
336 pages
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Cati, the Bold Watcher readers met in THE NAVIGATOR, returns from the shadows of time to summon Owen and Dr. Diamond, for time is literally running out. The moon is coming closer to the earth, causing havoc with weather, tides, and other natural cycles; people fear the world will end. To discover what’s gone wrong, Cati, Owen and the Doctor must take an astonishing journey to the City of Time, where time is bought and sold. There, Owen begins to understand his great responsibility and power as the Navigator.
THE FROST CHILD: The Final Battle of the Harsh<!–• Read a Review
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Twice the Harsh have tried to destroy time, and twice Owen and the Resisters have banded together to stop them. In CITY OF TIME,Owen killed the Harsh king, and now the Harsh are hungry for revenge. Their massive fleet is ready to set sail on the sea of time and hunt down the wily Navigator. In this third and final adventure, the Navigator and his friends use every last ounce of bravery and endurance to fight the toughest battle ever. As Owen searches for a solution, he travels through time to meet his father and grandfather, and discovers that the mysterious Frost Child holds the key to the power of the Harsh.
THE NEDDIAD: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization
Daniel Pinkwater
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
ISBN: 9780618594443
Ages 10-14
320 pages
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It all begins when Neddie Wentworthstein reads about the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles and tells his father he wants to eat there. So the family packs up and sets off from Chicago by train. During the course of their journey on the Super Chief, which includes pit stops in Topeka, Santa Fe and the Grand Canyon, Neddie meets many of the friends and foes who ultimately will be involved in a showdown to determine the fate of the world.
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THE YGGYSSEY: How Iggy Wondered What Happened to All the Ghosts, Found Out Where They Went, and Went There• Read a Review
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La Brea Woman is missing, and so is Valentino. The ghosts of Los Angeles are disappearing right and left! Iggy Birnbaum is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, no matter what Neddie Wentworthstein and Seamus Finn say. There’s just the little matter of traveling to another plane of existence…and then, of course, not getting on a witch’s bad side once she arrives.
ESCAPE FROM THE CARNIVALE: A Never Land Book
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
illustrated by Greg Call
Disney Editions/Hyperion Books
ISBN: 9780786837892
Ages 7-10
144 pages
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Life on Mollusk Island has settled into a regular rhythm after all the excitement surrounding the arrival of Peter, Molly and the pirates. But one day when Little Scallop and a few of her mermaid friends venture beyond the boundaries set by their parents, big trouble awaits them. Then the young mermaid Surf is grabbed by Crookshank’s men and taken aboard his ship, the Carnivale. To her shock, Surf finds that Crookshank plans to make her part of his circus at sea — just another sideshow attraction. Little Scallop, Teacher, James and Surf’s twin Aqua devise a plan in an attempt to rescue Surf.
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CAVE OF THE DARK WIND: A Never Land BookWhile Peter is away from the island, James and the other Lost Boys discover a mysterious cave. Shining Pearl and her sister Little Scallop warn the boys that the cave is a dangerous place, inhabited by a creature known as the Goat Taker — a beast so scary that even the Mollusk tribe fears it. But the boys can’t resist trying to discover the cave’s secrets. When the first of those secrets turns out to be a tantalizing hint of a famous haunted treasure, Captain Hook and his band of cutthroat pirates quickly join the hunt. Before long the children are fleeing for their lives in a dark and deadly underground labyrinth — and their only hope of escape is to solve the mystery of the CAVE OF THE DARK WIND.
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BLOOD TIDE: A Never Land BookAn earthquake that strikes Neverland Island floods the Lost Boys’ underground hideaway, forcing them to leave. Meanwhile, a mysterious barrel washes ashore and falls into the hands of the pirates. When their leader, Captain Hook, finds out what’s in the barrel, he hatches an evil plan. But worst of all is the change in the mermaids. When these once-peaceful friends of the natives injure some members of the native Mollusk tribe, the Mollusk leader, Fighting Prawn, feels he has no choice but to fight back.
‘OLOGIES Series
edited by Dugald A. Steer
Candlewick Press
Ages 4-8
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In each installment of the ’Ologies series (EGYPTOLOGY, DRAGONOLOGY, WIZARDOLOGY, PIRATEOLOGY, MONSTEROLOGY and SPYOLOGY), Dugald A. Steer presents an “authentic” and interactive journal — complete with pictures, letters, booklets and flaps to open and close — filled with all the information, trivia and secrets of a master in his or her field. Through these fictional first-hand accounts, readers are called back in time and through their imaginations to explore ancient tombs, study mythical beasts, hunt pirates, and learn the art of Wizardry.
ON THE WINGS OF HEROES
Richard Peck
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780803730816
Ages 8-12
160 pages
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Davy Bowman adores his father (who looks forward to Halloween more than a kid) and his brother Bill (who flies B-17s) and tries his best to follow their lead, especially now. World War II has invaded Davy’s homefront boyhood. There’s an air raid drill in the classroom, and being a kid is an endless scrap drive. Bill has joined the Army Air Corps, breaking their dad’s heart. It’s an intense, confusing time, and one that will invite Davy to grow up in a hurry.
ONE SMALL STEPIt’s 1969, and 13-year-old Scott MacLeod is about to explode into an adventure of a lifetime. It all starts when Scott’s Air Force dad begins teaching him how to fly an airplane. His amazing piloting talents attract the attention of NASA, and before long, he undergoes intensive training for a secret mission — a mission involving him and two chimps blasting into space.
PENDRAGON Series
D. J. MacHale
Simon & Schuster
Ages 9-12
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Bobby Pendragon was living the life of a normal 14-year-old boy until his Uncle Press came by one night to say: “I need your help.” From that moment on, nothing was the same. He and his uncle were swept off on a series of adventures that would take them through both time and space. Their mission? To protect the territories of Halla from a demon named Saint Dane, a cold-blooded villain who wants nothing less than the destruction of all humanity. The only force standing in Saint Dane’s way is a mysterious group of people called…Travelers.
The Pendragon series consists of 10 books so far: THE MERCHANT OF DEATH, THE LOST CITY OF FAAR, THE NEVER WAR, THE REALITY BUG, BLACK WATER, THE RIVERS OF ZADAA, THE QUILLAN GAMES, THE PILGRIMS OF RAYNE, RAVEN RISE, and THE SOLDIERS OF HALLA.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
THE LIGHTNING THIEF: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book One
Rick Riordan
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9780786838653
Ages 10-up
377 pages
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Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper at his boarding school. He could have sworn that his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows that it’s time he finally knew the truth about where he came from. She sends him to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea.
Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
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THE SEA OF MONSTERS: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book Two
Rick Riordan
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423103349
Ages 10-up
279 pages
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After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year surprisingly quiet. But soon enough, Percy discovers trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia.
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THE TITAN’S CURSE: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book Three
Rick Riordan
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423101451
Ages 10-up
320 pages
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Percy’s best friend, Grover, has made an important discovery: two new half-bloods, Bianca and Nico, whose parentage is unknown. But before Percy and his companions can escort Bianca and Nico safely back to Camp Half-Blood, they are intercepted by the manticore, and an impulsive move by Percy causes Annabeth to go missing. And she’s not the only one: the goddess Artemis is believed to have been kidnapped. But who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? It’s up to Percy and his friends to find out. But first, Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared — a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.
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THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book Four
Rick Riordan
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423101468
Ages 10-up
368 pages
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Percy Jackson isnt expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse. In this latest installment of Rick Riordan’s series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth — a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.
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THE LAST OLYMPIAN: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book FiveAll year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.
Peter and the Starcatchers Series
PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS
Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9780786849079
Ages 9-12
480 pages
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In Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry’s prequel to PETER PAN, Peter is one of five orphans sent out on a ramshackle ship called the Never Land, on their way to be servants in evil King Zarboff’s court. Soon Peter discovers that their ship also carries a secret cargo, the most precious and powerful treasure in the history of the world. Word soon gets out, though, and the nefarious pirate Black Stache is hot on the trail of the Never Land and its hidden treasure.
PETER AND THE SHADOW THIEVES
Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9780786837878
Ages 9-12
576 pages
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In this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS, we discover Peter leaving the relative safety of Mollusk Island — along with his trusted companion Tinker Bell — for the cold, damp streets of London. On a difficult journey across the sea, he and Tink discover the dark and deadly, slithering part-man/part-creature Lord Ombra. It seems that the dreaded Ombra has a variety of mysterious powers including the ability to make shadows disappear.
PETER AND THE SECRET OF RUNDOON
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9780786837885
Ages 10-up
496 pages
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In this action-packed finale to the Starcatchers series, Peter and Molly find themselves in the dangerous land of Rundoon, ruled by an evil king who enjoys watching his pet snake consume those who displease him. But that’s just the beginning of trouble for our heroes. Peter and Molly once again find themselves pitted against the evil shadow-creature, Lord Ombra, in a struggle to save themselves, not to mention the planet.
PETER AND THE SWORD OF MERCY
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423121343
Ages 10-up
528 pages
All is good in Neverland. So good, in fact, that Peter never expects to leave the wonderful island where he and the Mollusks continue their friendship. The infamous Captain Hook is stranded there with a few of his men, but he is sure to stay away from that “wretched flying boy.” They live a kind of peaceful co-existence. However, as new developments arise, that all is about to change.
POWERLESSTwelve-year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, soon learns the truth about his nice — but odd — new friends: one can fly, another can turn invisible, yet another controls electricity. Incredible. The superkids use their powers to secretly do good in the town, but they’re haunted by the fact that the moment they turn 13, their abilities will disappear — along with any memory that they ever had them. Is a memory-stealing supervillain sapping their powers?
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THE PHANTOM ISLES • Read a Review
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When Ming, Orion and Courtney read an incantation from the pages of a book titled THE COMPLEAT NECROMANCER, they have no way of knowing that they’re about to conjure up the ghosts of an entire nation. Because the ghosts that the three friends summon aren’t just any ghosts. They were captured from an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean – the Ilhas dos Fantasmas – a place where the living and the dead once co-existed peacefully. Now confined to the pages of a few dozen library books in a New England town thousands of miles from their home, the ghosts must rely on the children and a determined librarian to free them before they are lost forever.
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RALEIGH’S PAGE
written by Alan Armstrong
illustrated by Tim Jessel
Random House
ISBN: 9780375833199
Ages 10-12
336 pages
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Andrew has grown up near the Plymouth docks hearing the sailors talk about America. Knowing that Andrew’s heart is set on going to the new world, his father sends him up to London to serve as page in the house of Walter Raleigh. In Queen Elizabeth’s court, Raleigh is the strongest voice in favor of fighting with Spain for a position in the New World, and everyone knows that it’s just a matter of time before Her Majesty agrees to an expedition. Can Andrew prove himself fit to go on an expedition to the New World?
THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET
Pseudonymous Bosch
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316113663
Ages 8-12
384 pages
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Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he’d love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn’t want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn’t want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.
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IF YOU’RE READING THIS, IT’S TOO LATEWhen we last left the heroes of THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET, Cass and Max-Ernest, they were about to discover the secret of the Terces Society and join the fight to stop the evil Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L. While waiting for a sign from the Terces Society, they stumble upon the Museum of Magic, where they finally meet the amazing Pietro, leader of the Terces and brother to evil Dr. L. The kids get caught up in a fast-paced mysterious adventure involving a Sound Prism, the nefarious Lord Pharaoh, and a homunculus who might finally unlock the secret for which they’ve been searching.
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In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass’s mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo. The ransom: the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it’s too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo’s chocolate success?
The Seems
THE SEEMS: THE GLITCH IN SLEEP
John Hulme and Michael Wexler
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781599901299
Ages 10-14
288 pages
• Read a Review
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Twelve-year-old Becker Drane works as a Fixer for The Seems, a secret organization that ensures our world keeps running — and more importantly, sticks to The Plan that’s been made for it. When a Glitch is reported in the Department of Sleep, Becker is dispatched to Fix it, but he’s not so sure this is a routine mission. Could the Bed Bugs, who are behind our Worst Nightmares, be responsible for the problems? Or maybe it’s The Tide, an underground organization determined to destroy The Seems? No matter what, Becker is in for quite an adventure, and it’ll take all his training, a little luck and the coolest Tools™ known in (or out of) the Seems to Fix the problem.
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THE SPLIT SECOND: The Seems #2–>
Becker Drane still has the coolest job in The World, but it’s getting harder and harder to live a normal life outside of The Seems. He’s definitely feeling the strain of being a teenager (complete with mood swings and a newfound respect for sarcasm), and he can’t stop thinking about Jennifer Kaley, the totally cool girl he met during his Mission in Sleep. Things don’t get any easier when a bomb explodes in the Department of Time and Becker is called in to pick up the pieces after a more senior Fixer couldn’t disarm the device. It’s his toughest mission yet, and Becker finds himself going places in The Seems he never knew existed, and meeting people long thought dead.
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THE LOST TRAIN OF THOUGHT: The Seems #3<!–• Read a Review
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Fixer Becker Drane never thought things could get so bad: he’s in deep trouble with The Seems for breaking so many rules, he never gets to see his girlfriend, and it looks like his days as a Fixer may be numbered. So when a train carrying a load of Thought destined for The World disappears, Becker reluctantly agrees to join a crew of fixers to solve the mystery — in The Middle of Nowhere. The mission leads Becker into a scenario more terrifying and dangerous than he could have ever prepared for. Getting the Train of Thought back on track is just a temporary Fix. Becker’s real mission may prove to be saving The World from ending — forever.
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
Lemony Snicket
HarperCollins
Ages 10-up
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The 13 books in A Series of Unfortunate Events chronicle the misadventures of the three Baudelaire children, seemingly destined for perpetual bad luck. When their parents are unexpectedly killed in a fire that also destroys their home, Violet, Klaus and Sunny must depend on each other when Count Olaf — their distant relative and appointed guardian — tries to steal the family fortune time and time again.
The series consists of THE BAD BEGINNING, THE REPTILE ROOM, THE WIDE WINDOW, THE MISERABLE MILL, THE AUSTERE ACADEMY, THE ERSATZ ELEVATOR, THE VILE VILLAGE, THE HOSTILE HOSPITAL, THE CARNIVOROUS CARNIVAL, THE SLIPPERY SLOPE, THE GRIM GROTTO, THE PENULTIMATE PERIL and THE END.
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SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS–>
SIMON BLOOM, THE GRAVITY KEEPER
Michael Reisman
Dutton Juvenile
ISBN: 9780525479222
Ages 9-up
256 pages
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Sixth-grader Simon Bloom can’t believe his luck when he finds a book that enables him to control the laws of physics. By simply reciting the formulas it contains, he can cancel gravity to fly around his bedroom, or decrease friction so he can slide down the street as if he were on Rollerblades. When two thugs with evil intentions come after Simon, he must use the formulas to save himself and the book from falling into their hands. This funny, fast and imaginative novel from first-time author Michael Reisman will appeal to fans of both fantasy and action adventure.
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In SIMON BLOOM, THE GRAVITY KEEPER, Simon Bloom and his friends used the Book of Physics to narrowly defeat villainess Sirabetta. Now Simon’s nemesis, stuck as a helpless 13-year-old, wants revenge. In this exciting sequel, Simon and company must enter the mysterious undersea realm of the Order of Biology to find Sirabetta before she can restore her powers. Aided by old allies and some new ones, the kids struggle with fierce beasts, dangerous enemies, and their own evolving abilities.
SKELETON CREEKStrange things are happening in Skeleton Creek — 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, Patrick Carman’s story is broken into two parts — Ryan’s text in the book, and Sarah’s videos on a special website (www.skeletoncreekisreal.com), with links and passwords given throughout the book.
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SKELETON CREEK #2: GHOST IN THE MACHINE• Read a Review
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Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek — and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam. The two move deeper into the mystery they’ve uncovered, determined to discover the secrets buried in Skeleton Creek, in the conclusion to Patrick Carman’s thrilling series.
Skulduggery Pleasant
SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT
Derek Landy
HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780061231155
Ages 10-up
400 pages
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Meet Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton. Sure, he may lose his head every once in a while (in fact, he won his current skull in a poker match), but he’s much more than he appears to be. Skulduggery avoided the grave so he could save the world from an ancient evil. In order to defeat it, he will need the help of a new partner: a not-so-innocent 12-year-old girl named Stephanie.
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SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT: PLAYING WITH FIRE
Derek Landy
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061240881
Ages 10-up
400 pages
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Valkyrie Cain — once known to the world as 12-year-old Stephanie Edgley — has learned a great deal since beginning her apprenticeship to Skulduggery Pleasant, the well-dressed living-dead wizard-detective. But she hasn’t learned nearly enough to defeat the horrors massing against her and her friends. An old foe of Skulduggery’s, Baron Vengeous, is bent on bringing back to life the horrible Grotesquery — an unkillable monster assembled from the most fearsome beasts of legend. It’s up to the ingeniuos, fearless and hilarious Valkyrie and Skulduggery to stop the Grotesquery from coming fully to life.
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SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT: THE FACELESS ONES<!–• Read a Review
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If you’ve read the other Skulduggery books by Derek Landy (and you really should have read them by now), you’ve seen it all before: Some bad guy wants to bring about the end of the world, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie fight valiantly to stop it from happening. A few people get hurt, sure, but everything’s all right in the end. Well, not this time.
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Simon & Schuster
Ages 7-up
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Jared Grace, his twin brother Simon, and their older sister Mallory have a legitimate reason to worry — their lives are being turned upside down by faeries. These small, mischievous creatures cause quite a ruckus in the Graces’ new house, even going so far as to physically harm Mallory, Simon and his pets. Unbeknownst to their mom, the Grace children are determined to do whatever they can to rid themselves of these annoying and potentially dangerous creatures.
The Spiderwick Chronicles consists of five books: THE FIELD GUIDE, THE SEEING STONE, LUCINDA’S SECRET, THE IRONWOOD TREE and THE WRATH OF MULGARATH.
Steel Trapp
STEEL TRAPP: THE CHALLENGE
Ridley Pearson
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423106401
Ages 10-up
336 pages
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Fourteen-year-old Steven “Steel” Trapp is on a train bound for the National Science Competition in Washington, D.C. While his ingenious mind and photographic memory earned him the right to participate in the Challenge, he has no idea that his talents are about to lure him into an international espionage adventure involving the FBI.
STEEL TRAPP: THE ACADEMYSteven “Steel” Trapp has been placed in an East Coast boarding school for gifted kids by his FBI agent father. He soon discovers that there’s a clubby element of the faculty and upper classmen that is very secretive and protective. To his surprise, his friend Kaleigh arrives to board at the school, and it isn’t long before the two realize that this is not your normal boarding school.
THE THIEF LORD
Cornelia Funke
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439420891
Ages 9-12
376 pages
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On the run from their cruel aunt and uncle, Prosper and Bo decide to hide out in Venice. With a detective sent by their family close on their heels, they are happily taken in by the mysterious “Thief Lord” and his gang of street children. The boys discover that nothing is quite as it seems when they take part in a special mission with magical consequences.
THE SECRET HISTORY OF TOM TRUEHEART
Ian Beck
Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780061152108
Ages 8-12
352 pages
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On Tom Trueheart’s 12th birthday, a letter comes from the Story Bureau, addressed to him. His six brothers — big, brave and bold — are all away on quests and adventures in the Land of Stories, but they should all have been back by now. The letter says that someone has sabotaged their adventures and prevented them from getting to the end of their stories! Tom must gather his courage and go to the land where stories are made. There he needs to unmask a wicked villain and enable the tales his brothers have started to be completed.
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TOM TRUEHEART AND THE LAND OF DARK STORIESWhen the villain Ormestone kidnaps Tom Trueheart’s six older brothers and their princess brides, Tom knows he must make the journey to the Land of Dark Stories. But does he stand a chance after Ormestone shrinks him to the size of a thumb? His friend Jollity the crow will be by his side, but this adventure rests entirely on Tom’s tiny shoulders.
TRAVEL TEAM
Mike Lupica
Philomel Books
Puffin/Penguin Young Readers Group
ISBN: 9780142404621
Ages 10-up
288 pages
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Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court, but he plays with lots of heart and a great deal of court sense. But none of this matters when he’s cut from his local travel team, the same team that his father led to national prominence as a boy. Danny’s father knows that his son isn’t the only kid who was cut for the wrong reason, and he and a bunch of never-say-die kids prove that heart simply cannot be measured.
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SUMMER BALL
Mike Lupica
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399244872
Ages 10-up
256 pages
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Leading your travel team to the national championship may seem like a dream come true, but for Danny Walker, being at the top just means the competition tries that much harder to knock him off. Now Danny is leaving Middletown for the summer and heading to Right Way basketball camp, where he’s out of his element and maybe out of his league. The country’s best players are in attendance, and Danny will need to raise his game if he wants to match up. But it won’t be easy. Old rivals and new battles leave Danny wondering if he really has what it takes to stand tall.
The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow
THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOWVincent Shadow’s unusually creative mind truly separates him from other kids his age. His top-secret attic lab is crammed with toy prototypes, and he has a sketchbook filled with drawings of toys he still wants to build. So when a chance encounter with an eccentric toy inventor offers him the opportunity to become a toy inventor extraordinaire, Vincent realizes it’s time to get serious about toys.
VAMPIRATES: DEMONS OF THE OCEAN
Justin Somper
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780316013734
Ages 9-12
336 pages
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Twins Connor and Grace never dreamed that there was any truth to the Vampirate shanty their late father sang to them, but that was before the two were shipwrecked and separated from each other. Connor, who is taken aboard a pirate ship, has the opportunity to learn how to swordfight, but for Grace, aboard a mysterious ship of vampire pirates, the danger is great. Will the twins be able to find each other before it’s too late?
VAMPIRATES: TIDE OF TERROR
Justin Somper
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780316013741
Ages 8-12
464 pages
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In this sequel to VAMPIRATES: DEMONS OF THE OCEAN, there’s a traitor aboard the Diablo and enemies at every turn. As the danger intensifies, Grace discovers a place where her twin brother Connor could learn more about the pirate way without risking his life: the elite Pirate Academy. Will Connor choose an education by sea or by school, and will Grace be forced to follow him wherever he goes?
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VAMPIRATES: BLOOD CAPTAIN
Justin Somper
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316020855
Ages 8-12
576 pages
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Grace, unable to forget the blindness she caused her Vampirate friend Lorcan, chooses to journey with him to see if his sight can be restored. As for Connor, he must endure the latest addition to the Diablo crew: Captain Wrathe’s awful nephew, who seems to dislike him from the very start. Will both twins find success, and what will it take to bring them back together?
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VAMPIRATES: BLACK HEARTThere’s a new ship of vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. When a high-profile pirate is slain, the Pirate Federation takes decisive action and begins training up a ship of dedicated vampire hunters. The team will be led by newly appointed Captain, Cheng Li and will include pirate prodigy Connor Tempest.
Meanwhile, Connor’s twin sister Grace enjoys a bittersweet reunion with their mother. Sally Tempest has some important and shocking news that will leave the twins facing a very uncertain future.
A WHOLE NOTHER STORYIn a story that’s like no other, you will meet: three attractive, polite, relatively odor-free children, a psychic hairless dog, top secret government agents, international superspies (one of whom happens to be a chimpanzee), corporate villains, a cowboy poet, various members of a traveling circus, and, of course, a sock puppet named Steve.
The Zeke Armstrong Mysteries
RED CARD
Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LeBrot
Top Publications, LTD.
ISBN: 9781929976157
Ages 9-12
180 pages
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When 13-year-old Zeke Armstrong and his soccer team go to Houston for the playoffs, he finds himself in the middle of an adventure when someone tries to kill his coach. Will Zeke solve the mystery and help his team win, or will he be the next victim?
GREEN STREAK
Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot
Top Publications, LTD.
ISBN: 9781929976287
Ages 9-12
231 pages
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Zeke Armstrong goes to New York for the Big Apple Inline Skate-Off. After another racer robs an aging heiress in Central Park, the police call it a mugging. But Zeke suspects that it’s part of a more sinister plot. Will he figure it out in time to save the wealthy woman and skate the final race, or will the bad guys stop Zeke in his tracks?
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