Nonfiction

New releases: February 2016

By on February 1, 2016   /   Book Lists, Fiction, Nonfiction  

Hooray for leap year 2016! February 29 means we have an extra day for reading this month, which you’re all going to need when you look at this lineup of selected new releases. Historical fiction/adventure, fantasy, realistic fiction, nonfiction picks, poetry, and new installments in popular series (listed at the end)  — two dozen titles featured here. Enjoy!

sybilSybil Ludington: Revolutionary War Rider by E.F. Abbott
What would you do if your country was counting on you to deliver a message? That’s 16-year-old Sybil Ludington’s urgent mission during the American Revolutionary War.  When British troops raid a nearby town in 1777, Sybil rides her horse through the night to alert her father and his militiamen. The journey is dangerous, with obstacles at every turn. Maybe you’ve heard of Paul Revere? Sibyl Ludington rode twice as far on her latenight mission …

 sarahSara Lost and Found by Virginia Castleman
Sisters Sara and Anna face an uncertain world. Their mother left home and may not be coming back. Their father is a drummer in a band and comes home long after the girls go to sleep—if he comes home at all. One night, three loud knocks at the door change everything: their father is in jail and social services has come to take the girls away. Rather than risk being split up, Sara and Anna decide their only option is to run away.

fenwayFenway and Hattie by Victoria J. Coe
A dog’s eye-view of the world and a best friend. Fenway is an energetic Jack Russell terrier living in the city with Food Lady, Fetch Man, and, of course, his beloved short human and best-friend-in-the-world, Hattie. Everything changes when they all move to the suburbs. He’s pleased with the huge Dog Park behind his house, but Hattie seems more interested in her new friends than her dog.

akasjaSweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg
This exciting pioneering story, based on actual events, introduces readers to a fascinating chapter in American history, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt set up a colony in Alaska to give loans and land to families struggling during the Great Depression. Terpsichore is sure she’s going to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps in hew new grand adventure.

lettieThe Adventures of Lettie Peppercorn by Sam Gaylton
Lettie Peppercorn cannot go outside. Ma told her so right before she disappeared forever. So Lettie’s house is on stilts, and she is stuck with only the wind and a pigeon for a friend. Nothing exciting has ever happened to her until the night a strange merchant appears. A reviewer in School Library Journal said “Hand this title to fans of Roald Dahl.”

home runHome Run by Tim Green
Josh’s life has just fallen apart. His father will no longer be coaching the travel baseball team and is moving to Florida, forcing his mom and little sister to move into a small apartment on the wrong side of town. To make matters worse, the new coach of the travel team is an unforgiving drill sergeant. When Josh finds out about a home-run contest where the winner gets a new house, Josh works on hitting it out of the park to save his family.

red moonRed Moon Rising by K.A. Holt
Rae Darling and her family are colonists on a moon so obscure it doesn’t merit a name. Life is hard, water is scarce, and the farm work she does is grueling. But Rae and her sister Temple are faced with an added complication: being girls is a serious liability in their strict society. A reviewer in Publishers Weekly says that Holt “presents some thought-provoking ethical dilemmas, while also making points about colonialism and respect for native cultures.”

saving wonderSaving Wonder by Mary Knight
Having lost most of his family to coal mining accidents as a little boy, Curley Hines lives with his grandfather in the Appalachian Mountains of Wonder Gap, Kentucky. When a new coal boss takes over the local mining company, life as Curley knows it is turned upside down. Does he speak out against Big Coal and save his mountain, or does he remain silent and save his way of life?

keyThe Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
Everyone in Emma’s family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians–every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream. But when Emma’s dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task–finding a legendary treasure hidden in her town’s cemetery.

pilferPilfer Academy: A School So Bad It’s Criminal by Lauren Magaziner
George has never heard of Pilfer Academy, a top-secret school for cultivating young crooks, until he’s kidnapped as its newest student. Between disguise classes, cracking safes, and DIY gadgets, George becomes an expert bandit and finds true friendship with Tabitha, his new partner-in-crime. But everything is ruined when George comes to a shocking realization: He is just too “good-hearted” to be a thief.

last boyThe Last Boy at St. Edith’s by Lee Gjertsen Malone: Seventh grader Jeremy Miner has a girl problem. Or, more accurately, a girls problem. 475 of them to be exact. That’s how many girls attend his school, St. Edith’s Academy. Jeremy is the only boy left after the school’s brief experiment in co-education–and now he wants out. Getting expelled may be the only way …


charlie priceThe Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price by Jennifer Maschar
Ever since 12-year-old Charlie’s mom died, he feels like his world has been split apart. When his sister, Imogen, starts skipping school, Charlie sets out to follow her down a secret passageway to a parallel world where their Mom is alive.

just my luckJust My Luck by Cammie McGovern
Fourth grade is not going at all how Benny Barrows hoped. Worst of all, he worries his dad’s recent accident might be all his fault. Benny tries to take his mom’s advice to take things one step at a time. But when his dad ends up in the hospital again, Benny doesn’t know how he and his family will overcome all the bad luck that life seems to have thrown their way until he finds how much he truly has to offer his friends and family.

paxPax by Sara Pennypacker
Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter’s dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild. At his grandfather’s house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn’t where he should be with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.

NONFICTION AND POETRY:

SERIES (just a few selections from the many new additions to your favorite series): 

  • Bad Luck by Pseudonymous Bosch (The Bad Books series)
  • The League of Beastly Dreadfuls: The Dastardly Deed by Holly Grant (Book 2)
  • Firelight by Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet series #7)
  • Masterminds: Criminal Destiny by Gordon Korman (Masterminds seris)
  • Mabel Jones and the Forbidden City  by Will Mabbit (Mabel Jones series)
  • You’re Invited Too by Jen. T. Malone and Gail Nall (RSVP series #2)
  • The Thickety: Well of Witches by J.A. White (The Thickety serise)

Linda Johns is the author of the Hannah West mystery series Hannah West: Sleuth in Training and Hannah West: Sleuth on the Trail (Two Lions/Nancy Pearl Book Crush Rediscoveries, 2016). She is a librarian in Seattle.

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I Have a Dream…

By on January 18, 2016   /   Common Core & NGSS, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, Nonfiction  

MLKToday we honor Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader who encouraged people to use peaceful protests to fight injustice. Listen to one of his famous speeches, I Have a Dream. King dreamed of a world where all people could live in peace and harmony. To find out more about Dr. King, his beliefs, his speeches, and his life, check out at this selection of books.

King’s niece, Angela Farris Watkins, has written several books about her famous uncle. Using his speeches and beliefs, she provides information about his public and private life. Although these are picture books, the content is better suited for elementary school students.

LoveLove Will See You Through: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Six Guiding Beliefs

After describing each principle, Watkins gives an example of how King followed that principle in his own life.

Angela 2

My Uncle Martin’s Words for America: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Niece Tells How He Made a Difference

Watkins focuses on key words, such as justice, freedom, and equality, to tell the inspirational story of King’s civil rights efforts.

big heart

Uncle Martin’s Big Heart

In this heartwarming account of King and his family, Watkins shows her uncle’s caring spirit and her own love for him as she runs into his arms after church.March

King’s sister, Christine King Farris, has also written books about her brother, including March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World, an account of the 1963 March on Washington.

I amOther biographies for middle-grade readers include the I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Grace Norwich. Part of the I Am series, this book includes King’s words, interesting facts, maps, sidebars, and a timeline. A good introduction to King’s important contributions. Free

Free At Last: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Angela Bull details King’s life and contributions. This short book contains excellent pictures, comprehensive facts, and fact-filled sidebars.

Dona

 

Martin Luther King Jr. by Dona Herweck features informational text, good pictures, and a timeline of King’s life. Best for younger readers.

Nat Geo

National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King, Jr. by Kitson Jazynka is a high-interest biography that explains King’s life and accomplishments in an easy-to-understand format. Colorful design and illustrations help hold reader interest.

CapstonespeechOne book contains King’s writing and speeches, and the other makes them accessible to middle grade readers.

For more great information on King, visit the King Center online or in Atlanta, Georgia. A booklist from the center includes suggested titles, which provide excellent reference materials for teachers, librarians, and parents who are planning programs or presentations.

Books by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Collections of Dr. King’s Writings & Speeches
Books about Martin Luther King, Jr. – Extended Citations
Books about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Books by Family Members
Books about The Civil Rights Movement
Books about Nonviolence

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Take a Reading Holiday

By on January 6, 2016   /   Book Lists, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Nonfiction  

Whether you’re a writer, a teacher, a librarian, or a student, there are times when the reading you have to do takes away from the reading that you want to do. So I decided to devote my two-week Christmas Break to reading all the things that had been calling to me from my endless to-be-read list. Turns out I’m not alone. Here are some of the great middle-grade books Mixed-Up Filers read during the last two weeks of 2015. Maybe they’ll inspire you to take a reading holiday of your own in 2016!

From IndieBound: Pram Bellamy is special–she can talk to ghosts. She doesn’t have too many friends amongst the living, but that’s all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram’s power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.

“New York Times” bestselling author Lauren DeStefano is beloved by critics and readers alike, and her middle grade debut is lyrical, evocative and not to be missed.
From IndieBound: In the tradition of Sharon Creech and Wendy Mass, Corey Ann Haydu’s sparkling middle grade debut is a sister story with a twist of magic, a swirl of darkness, and a whole lot of hope.

Silly is used to feeling left out. Her three older sisters think she’s too little for most things especially when it comes to dealing with their mother’s unpredictable moods and outbursts. This summer, Silly feels more alone than ever when her sisters keep whispering and sneaking away to their rooms together, returning with signs that something mysterious is afoot: sporting sunburned cheeks smudged with glitter and gold hair that looks like tinsel.

When Silly is brought into her sisters’ world, the truth is more exciting than she ever imagined. The sisters have discovered a magical place that gives them what they truly need: an escape from the complications of their home life. But there are dark truths there, too. Silly hopes the magic will be the secret to saving their family, but she’s soon forced to wonder if it could tear them apart.

 

From IndieBound: With a voice as distinctive and original as that of “The Lovely Bones, ” and for the fans of the speculative fiction of Margaret Atwood, Karen Thompson Walker’s “The Age of Miracles” is a luminous and unforgettable debut novel about coming of age set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.

 

From IndieBound: This stunning debut novel about grief and wonder was an instant” New York Times” bestseller and captured widespread critical acclaim, including selection as a 2015 National Book Award finalist.

After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting-things don’t just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory–even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy’s achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe…and the potential for love and hope right next door.

From IndieBound: The Trunchbull is no match for Matilda.

Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she’s just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It’ll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it.

From IndieBound: Of especially naughty children it is sometimes said, They must have been raised by wolves. The Incorrigible Children actually were. Thanks to the efforts of their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf cubs now. They are accustomed to wearing clothes. They hardly ever howl at the moon. And for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees. Despite Penelope’s civilizing influence, the Incorrigibles still managed to ruin Lady Constance’s Christmas ball, nearly destroying the grand house. So while Ashton Place is being restored, Penelope, the Ashtons, and the children take up residence in London. Penelope is thrilled, as London offers so many opportunities to further the education of her unique students. But the city presents challenges, too, in the form of the palace guards bearskin hats, which drive the children wild not to mention the abundance of pigeons the Incorrigibles love to hunt. As they explore London, however, they discover more about themselves as clues about the children’s and Penelope’s mysterious past crop up in the most unexpected ways.

 

From IndieBound: Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he’s tracked down by an uncle he barely knows-a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die…

What did you read over the school holidays? Have you ever taken a reading holiday?

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