Book Lists

 

History. Does that word make you smile or make you cringe? If you are like me, you perk up and sit a little straighter in your chair. History is cool. History is fun. History is… exciting?

Absolutely! Who doesn’t want to learn more about how the west was won or how the fire started that burnt down the first White House? And if you can experience it through the eyes of great middle grade characters, that’s even better.

That’s where historical fiction books come in. They show us what it was like to live in the past wrapped inside the excitement and drama of a fictional story.

Do you like historical fiction books? Do you comb through the shelves of your local library looking for them? If you’re like me, you do.

I gobble up historical fiction books with pleasure. If it talks about the past, to me, it’s exciting. The good news is that historical fiction books seem to be on the rise. They are winning awards – big ones like the Newberry- and are getting a lot of attention.

2011 Newberry Award Winner Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool Historical Fiction

 

But what exactly IS a historical fiction book?

 

I asked my good friend and awesome author, Clara Gillow Clark to shed some light on the exciting world of historical fiction.

 

 

 

Clara’s best known series is named for her main character, Hattie, an adventurous and scrappy 11-year-old girl growing up in the 1800s in Delaware and New York. Clara’s been writing historical fiction books for middle grade authors for over 15 years. In addition to being an author, she also teaches college level writing in her home state of Pennsylvania. She’s a great person to ask about historical fiction.

 

 

So, Clara, let’s start with an easy one.   How is historical fiction different from other genres?

The obvious answer is that it takes place in the past. Otherwise, like any genre, it must have a layered plot and character development and good writing.

How important is it to do research on your topic?

Absolutely essential, and that’s true even though you might be writing historical fiction about your own childhood if it occurred before 1970. Of course that year will change as time moves on. Who can remember exactly a sequence of events in history? Maybe a savant, but certainly not me or anyone I know. Even for the present day, it’s important to have accurate details.

Do you try to visit the area that you are writing about?

Always! There is something powerful about seeing the actual setting of where you’re writing about. You can look at photos or movies with the same setting, but visiting gives you a holistic experience from a sensory standpoint. Certainly, the tactile experience alone is invaluable. You may not be able to strip away all of the present, but you can come close. Imagination along with additional research of the time and place will fill in the rest of the picture. If you can’t see, smell, taste, touch and hear it, you can’t write it.

How do you make your characters authentic?

Authenticity comes from knowing yourself and understanding who you are not. You can’t fake it. It also means that you must connect emotionally to your character, and mine your wounds in order to write with honesty about your character’s struggles.

How do you weave the fact in among the fiction while still keeping it accurate?

Actually, I think it’s the other way around. The research gives you the building blocks to create the story. At least that’s been my experience. Many details of research will deepen the story, while others that you love won’t do the job. That’s what it means to have a novelist’s eye for detail, and those details must be accurate.

  What do you think about books that use time travel or some other fantastical device as a way to access the past? Would those be called historical fiction books?

Good question, but a tough one. Off the cuff, I would say that the marketing department of a publisher could give a better answer. Time travel does use some elements of fantasy, but for historical time travel, the setting is an actual place and the plot will more than likely involve an actual event in history, one that readers may have knowledge of, and the story will give some new (but fictionalized) perspective. On one level, the emotional story will be about the time traveler and his or her personal need. Nevertheless, I would call it historical fiction.

What advice would you give writers who are thinking about tackling historical fiction?

Read and study what’s being written in the genre. Study the craft of writing. If you are passionate about a time and place in history or a specific event, figure out why and how you connect emotionally. If you can’t, move on.

 Who do you find is your main audience for the books? Teachers? Librarians? Or the kids themselves?

All three, I hope! A well-written children’s book has no borders for a reading audience. It’s really a matter of taste.

 

 

2012 Newberry Award Winner Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

 

So what do you think? Are you ready to crack open a book and dive into the past? Maybe share some adventures with Hattie  from Hattie on Her Way, or Jack Gantos from Dead End in Norvelt, or maybe Abilene Tucker in Moon over Manifest.

There are many other historical fiction books out there, just waiting to be read. Simply search our website for new releases or go to your local bookstore or library and look them up. Whichever historical fiction book you choose, be ready to be transported to a different time and place. Open your senses to soak up the life experiences of the past – and most importantly – feel the excitement as history comes alive.

Do you have a favorite historical fiction book? Tell us about it below. And be entered to win an autographed copy of one of Clara’s books. You can choose from Hill Hawk Hattie, Hattie on her Way, or (my very favorite) The Secrets of Greymoor.

 

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Jennifer Swanson is a self-professed science geek who also loves a great historical fiction book. Does that make her a double geek? In any case, you can learn more about her at her website www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com.

As we cherish our freedom
we believe in freedom for others.
~ President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Every year, I try to step back and reflect on the promise of freedom that this nation celebrates today.   Throughout my long teaching career, this “mission question” has guided me:  How can we as educators help children and youth live with courage and hope in an imperfect world?  Learning to advocate for yourself and others is, for me, central to successfully navigating this imperfect world.  Today reminds me of the importance of speaking out for freedom.

Sometimes it feels like we’re not making much progress.  But then I always seem to come across a book that throws out a lifeline of hope, introducing young readers to people — both real and imagined — who take great risks, go to extraordinary lengths, and overcome tremendous obstacles to stand up for themselves and others.

In honor of this national birthday, I’ve selected six books that explore different ways that people of courage have worked for freedom.  Rather than more traditional links with Independence Day, these stories introduce people who have taken stands for freedom in a variety of ways and across times and places both near and far.

  Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom by Tim Tingle; ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges.  Coming out of the Choctaw oral tradition, this story shows how small, personal acts of courage can result in powerful opportunities for freedom.  In the 1800’s, the Choctaw people lived as a sovereign nation across Mississippi’s Bok Chitto River from the lands of plantation owners and their enslaved workers.  The river formed a formidable border between bondage and freedom.  Any slave who crossed it would remain free by law, but the river was a dangerous obstacle.  The Choctaw had bridged the Bok Chitto with a series of stepping stones hidden just below the water’s surface and unknown to others.  When a young girl crosses the river from the Choctaw side, she sets in motion a series of events that lead to an enduring friendship and a daring escape for a slave family facing devastation.

 As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom by Richard Michelson; ill. by Raul Colón. Dr. King and Rabbi Heschel grew up on different sides of the world, yet both suffered the agonies of bigotry: King, in the segregated South of the US; and Heschel, in Europe during the Holocaust.  Each willingly shouldered the responsibility to promote peace, freedom, and social justice despite the challenges and dangers they faced.  Their journeys intersected in Selma, Alabama on March 21, 1965 when Heschel answered King’s call for people to support the Civil Rights movement.  This book brings to life a lesser-known story of allies such as Rabbi Heschel who joined the fight for voting rights for African Americans.

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull; ill. by Yuyi Morales. In the same year that Dr. King and Rabbi Heschel marched for voting rights, many others worked for social justice in all corners of this country.  This biography of Cesar Chavez focuses on the struggle of farmworkers in California to earn better pay, conditions, and respect for their hard work.  Central to Chavez’s legacy as a fighter for social and economic freedom is his determination to accomplish goals nonviolently, even though he and his colleagues were targets of violence.

Aung San Suu Kyi: Fearless Voice for Burma by Whitney Stewart.  The subtitle of this biography of a remarkable woman says it all — the power of speaking out for what is right in spite of the great cost.  Aung San Suu Kyi joined Burma’s democracy movement with no idea that she would become a leader of her people, spend many years under house arrest, win a Nobel Peace Prize and wait for 21 years to receive it — all because she raised her voice for justice.  We are currently living the epilogue, as last month Suu Kyi was finally able to go to Norway to accept the Peace Prize.  She continues to work for her country as a member of Parliament and tireless advocate for freedom.

Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story by Ken Mochizuki; ill. by Dom Lee.  There are many familiar stories of people who took great risks to help others during the Holocaust.  Among the most moving to me is that of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who defied the Nazis and even his own government to hand-write visas allowing thousands of Jews to escape Lithuania and make their way to freedom. The story is told through the eyes of Sugihara’s young son, Hiroki.  In the afterword, the real Hiroki Sugihara gives us a glimpse into both the enormity of the impact this man had on those he saved and the immense cost he and his family paid for reaching out to strangers with such great courage.

Dear Benjamin Banneker by Andrea Davis Pinkney; ill. by Brian Pinkney. Finally, let’s circle back to our consideration of the true meaning of Independence Day.  Benjamin Banneker stands out as an early advocate for freedom and equality, yet many young readers have never heard his name.  He was a tobacco farmer in the late 1700’s whose mind was filled with questions about the workings of the natural world and the skies above his head.  He taught himself astronomy to explore answers to his questions, and he wrote an almanac based on his calculations of the cycles of the moon and sun — all remarkable accomplishments.  But as a black man, Banneker faced many obstacles in his efforts to get the almanac published.  He knew that other black people who were not free like he was wouldn’t be able to benefit from his work. He was moved to write a letter to Thomas Jefferson, drafter of the Declaration of Independence and at the time of the letter, Secretary of State.  In the letter, Banneker critiqued Jefferson’s call for freedom for the American colonies while also owning slaves who were not — and would never be — free.  Although it took nearly another century for slavery to end, Banneker established himself as an articulate voice for justice.

I hope you celebrate this important holiday by reading one of these books — and please share other titles in the comments below.  Happy Independence Day!

Katherine Schlick Noe teaches beginning and experienced teachers at Seattle University. Her debut novel, Something to Hold, was published by Clarion Books in December, 2011.  Visit her at http://katherineschlicknoe.com.

Happy July!!  What goes best with fireworks, sparklers, and the All-American hot dog? Why a great book, of course! Check out the new releases for July. They are sure to “light up” your summer.

Action Adventure

 Shark Wars #4: Kingdom of the Deep (Razorbill) – Ernie Altbacker
Peace has finally come to the Big Blue and with it a revelation: Gray is not the last megalodon in the ocean after all. Gray swims deeper into the mystery of his family heritage, uncovering the myth of the megalodons and a legend that goes back to prehistoric times. But when the scheming mako Velenka breaks free from her underwater prison, the peace Gray and Barkley have fought so hard to win is threatened.

 

Capture the Flag (Scholastic Press) – Kate Messner

Three kids get caught up in an adventure of historic proportions!
Anna, José, and Henry are complete strangers with more in common than they realize. Snowed in together at a chaotic Washington D.C. airport, they encounter a mysterious tattooed man, a flamboyant politician, and a rambunctious poodle named for an ancient king. Even stranger, news stations everywhere have announced that the famous flag that inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner” has been stolen! Anna, certain that the culprits must be snowed in too, recruits Henry and José to help catch the thieves and bring them to justice.But when accusations start flying, they soon realize there’s more than justice at stake. As the snow starts clearing, Anna, José, and Henry find themselves in a race against time (and the weather!) to prevent the loss of an American treasure.

 

Sailing to Freedom (Henry Holt and Co. BFYR) – Martha Bennett Stiles

When Ray Ingle asks his Uncle Thad if he can go to sea with him, he knows his parents won’t like it. But they’re not around, and anything is better than staying with mean old Uncle Slye! To Ray’s great surprise, Uncle Thad agrees to take him on, and soon Ray and his pet capuchin monkey Allie are helping out in the galley of The Newburyport Beauty.

Ray knows Cook used to be a slave, though now he’s free. But when Ray discovers what Cook is hiding in the kitchen pantry, he gets more involved with the question of slavery than he ever could have imagined!

 

The Guardians of Island X #2 (The Ship of Lost Souls)  (Grosset & Dunlap)  by Rachelle Delaney and Gerald Guerlais

It’s been one month since Scarlet McCray brought her crew, the Lost Souls, to Island X to guard a great treasure. Everyone has settled in nicely. But the pirates are coming. They can’t resist the lure of unknown treasure, and they want revenge on Scarlet and the Lost Souls. But Scarlet has a new problem: someone she never thought she’d see again is on the island. He’s an admiral with the King’s Men, he’s dangerous, and he’s her father.

 

 

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Small Medium at Large (Bloomsbury USA) — Joanne Levy

After she’s hit by lightning at a wedding, twelve-year-old Lilah Bloom develops a new talent: she can hear dead people. Among them, there’s her overopinionated Bubby Dora; a prissy fashion designer; and an approval-seeking clown who livens up a séance. With Bubby Dora leading the way, these and other sweetly imperfect ghosts haunt Lilah through seventh grade, and help her face her one big fear: talking to—and possibly going to the seventh-grade dance with—her crush, Andrew Finkel.
Invasion of the Appleheads: Deadtime Stories (Starscape) — Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone

Katie and Andy Lawrence thought moving to a new town—especially one named Appleton—was awful enough. They were wrong. When their parents take them to Appleton’s famous apple orchard for a haunted hayride, weird things start happening.

The ghouls who haunt the orchard seem spookily real. The kids they see are acting very strangely, like robots or…zombies. Then Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence disappear—and in their place, Katie and Andy find creepy shrunken applehead dolls! Now Katie and Andy have to find a way to turn their parents back to normal—before it’s too late!

Haunted Histories: Creepy Castles, Dark Dungeons, and Powerful Palaces (Henry Holt & Company) -J. H. Everett and Marilyn Scott-Waters

Guided by tween “ghostorian” Virgil, readers will discover fascinating facts about calamitous events throughout history as they explore castles, palaces and dungeons and those infamous figures associated with each.  For instance, did you know that many castles were made out of wood painted to look like stone? Or that wealthy prisoners in the Tower of London could keep servants? The book is chock-full of details that kids will find intriguing–dungeon life for prisoners, methods of turture, and even the most popular methods of poisoning enemies. So join Virgil and the other ghostly inhabitants for an historical adventure on the dark side.

 

The Scorpions of Zahir (Delacorte BFYR) — Christine Brodien-Jones and Kelly Murphy

Zagora Pym has always wanted to be a desert explorer. Her father, Charlie Pym, is exactly that, and she’s always loved to look over his maps of far away exotic places. One day she’d be trekking through the deserts of Africa and China, discovering hidden treasures from lost tribes. But Zagora would never have guessed that her chance to prove herself would come so soon. Like most adventures, it starts with a mysterious letter. The question is, how will this adventure end?

Zagora’s dreams of desert exploration are about to come true, but are she and her father and brother being followed? And will they ever make it back to civilization?

Graveyard Shift (Scholastic Press) – Chris Westwood
When Ben Harvester meets the mysterious Mr. October in London’s Highgate Cemetery, he has no idea what a strange and dramatic turn his life is about to take. But Ben soon discovers that Mr. October works for the Ministry of Pandemonium, a secret organization responsible for tracking down lost souls and guiding them to the afterlife. And Mr. October wants him to be his new recruit.

As Ben’s apprenticeship begins, his eyes are opened to a new world of wonder — a world where magic is real and ghosts haunt every crime scene, accident site, and hospital corridor. But with the wonder comes horror. Because the Ministry is not the only organization hunting spirits of the dead. The ghoulish Lords of Sundown want those spirits for their own sinister reasons. And as far as they’re concerned, Ben’s just chosen the wrong side in a very dangerous war.

 

  Wings of Fire #1: The Dragonet Prophecy (Scholastic Press) – Tui T. Sutherland
The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy — a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice. Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war.

But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .

 

 

Humorous

Big Nate Fun Blaster: Cheezy Doodles, Crazy Comix, and Loads of Laughs!  (Harper Collins) –  Lincoln Peirce

Big Nate is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce. The strip is about a boy named Nate Wright, a rebellious and energetic sixth-grader, and his classmates and teachers. Nate is portrayed as a boy with little interest in studies or conforming to standards. Because of this, he is no stranger to the detention room. Some of the staff at the school include Mrs. Godfrey (Nate’s social studies teacher and chief faculty nemesis), art teacher Mr. Rosa, Principal Nichols, Mrs. Shipulski, and Mrs. Czerwicki. Nate’s best friends include Francis Pope and Teddy Ortiz. In recent strips they formed a garage band named Enslave the Mollusk, which appears to have broken up. The character is also the focus of a virtual island in the online children’s game Poptropica. Four chapter books have been released with at least one more planned. The first in a series of collections of previously published comic strips is also available.

 

Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack (Knopf BFYR) – Wendelin Van Draanen

Sammy thought she’d seen all the weirdness her town had to offer—and then she met Justice Jack, Santa Martina’s very own superhero. Well, really he’s just a guy in spandex and a mask who rides around town on a dirt bike, hoping to find some crime to fight.

The old folks in town think he’s wonderful. So wonderful that they’ve asked him to track down Sammy’s neighbor Mrs. Wedgewood, who seems to have disappeared—along with a lot of other people’s cash. Sammy’s friends think Justice Jack is funny and cool. Billy Pratt’s even auditioning to be his sidekick! But Sammy thinks he’s kind of . . . lame. He’s more of a showstopper than a crime stopper. And when a real mystery comes along, Sammy finds herself right in the middle of it. . . .
 

  Secrets from the Sleeping Bag: A Blogtastic! Novel (Delacorte BFYR) – Rose Cooper (From one of our very own MUF members!!)

This is not just any notebook. This is my super-secret Pre-Blogging Notebook! This is where I’ll write all the super-juicy gossip rumors stuff I hear this summer so I can post about it later on my anonymous Blogtastic blog! After all, I wouldn’t want to forget any important details, or accidentally post wrong information. Who knows how many problems that might cause?

 

Guys Read: The Sports Pages (Walden Pond Press) -Jon Scieszka, Gordon Korman, Chris Rylander and Dan Gutman

Open up The Sports Pages, the third volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading, and you’re in for all of this and more. From fiction to nonfiction, from baseball to mixed martial arts and everything in between, these are ten stories about the rush of victory and the crush of defeat on and off the field. Compiled by kid-lit all-star Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: The Sports Pages is a thrilling collection of brand-new short stories from some of your favorite authors and athletes.

 

Goosebumps Wanted: The Haunted Mask (Scholastic Paperbacks) – R.L. Stine

For the first time ever, Goosebumps is in hard cover! Catch the series’ most notorious characters–undead or alive…

Lu-Ann Franklin usually loves Halloween. Not this year. Her best friend, Devin O’Bannon, is going away for the week. And she has to go to a boring party where nothing exciting could ever happen. But when Lu-Ann comes face-to-face with The Haunted Mask, major trouble lies ahead.

Devin O’Bannon didn’t want to leave his best friend Lu-Ann Franklin behind on Halloween. He didn’t ask to go on this trip. And that was before he heard the strange scratching on his windows and saw the shadows moving around in the fields. Something is out there and it doesn’t seem to want Devin around!

 

Fairy Tales, Folk-tales and Myths

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell (Little, Brown BFYR) — Chris Colfer

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

 

Legends: Tricks and Transformations (Kingfisher) — Anthony Horowitz

Myths and legends are full of stories of the transformation of humans and animals into other things through the magical intervention of the Gods. From better-known characters like Actaeon, the famous Greek huntsman who was doomed to become a stag forever chased by his own dogs, and Glaucus, the fisherman who became a fish himself, only to fall hopelessly in love with a naiad, to the Japanese tale of the Goddess Amaterasu, who created the first eclipse when she hid herself in a cave and more, this collection proves that all is never what it seems when it comes to the affairs of the Gods.

 

Of Giants and Ice (Ever Afters)  (Simon and Schuster BFYR) – Shelby Bach

Rory Landon has spent her whole life being known as the daughter of a famous movie star mom and director dad. So when she begins a new after-school program and no one knows who her family is, Rory realizes something is different. And after she ends up fighting a fire-breathing dragon on her first day, she realizes the situation is more unusual than she could have imagined. It turns out the only fame that matters at Ever After School is the kind of fame earned from stories Rory thought were fictional. But as Rory soon learns, fairy tales are very real—and she is destined to star in one of her own.

 

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian (Hyperion Books) — Eion Colfer

Seemingly nothing in this world daunts the young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. In the fairy world, however, there is a small thing that has gotten under his skin on more than one occasion: Opal Koboi. In The Last Guardian, the evil pixie is wreaking havoc yet again. This time his arch rival has reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis’s little brothers, making his siblings even more annoying than usual. The warriors don’t seem to realize that the battle they were fighting when they died is long over. Artemis has until sunrise to get the spirits to vacate his brothers and go back into the earth where they belong. Can he count on a certain LEPrecon fairy to join him in what could well be his last stand?

Science Fun!
Basher Science: Technology: A byte-sized world!    (Kingfisher) — Dan Green and Simon Basher

From the bestselling illustrator whose friendly take on science has revolutionized our understanding of everything from the periodic table to the universe, comes a fresh take on technology as only Basher can do it. Discover the secrets behind the devices we take for granted, and learn about the amazing inventions that have transformed our lives. From the Movers and Shakers who power our physical world, to the Gizmos, Home Bodies, and High Rollers who power our vehicles, entertainment, and smartphones—and pretty much everything else around us—Technology is a compelling guide to the big-bytes whiz-kids, powerhouse motors, and other characters who drive our inventive, highly engineered world.
Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95  (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)) by Phillip Hoose

 B95 is a robin-sized shorebird, a red knot of the subspecies rufa. Each February he joins a flock that lifts off from Tierra del Fuego, headed for breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, nine thousand miles away. Late in the summer, he begins the return journey. He wears a black band on his lower right leg and an orange flag on his upper left, bearing the laser inscription B95. Scientists call him the Moonbird because, in the course of his astoundingly long lifetime, this gritty, four-ounce marathoner has flown the distance to the moon—and halfway back!

 

 

Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City (Annick Press) — Hadley Dyer

All around the world, people are farming in the concrete jungle! The urban farming movement is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. Now it’s time for kids to be a part of it, too! With a minimum of equipment and whether alone or with friends, kids can start growing fruit and vegetables at home, in a community garden, or at school.

 

Friendship

  Flying the Dragon (Charlesbridge) — Natalie Dias Lorenzi and Kelly Murphy Show

Flying the Dragon tells the story of two cousins in alternating chapters. American-born Skye is a good student and a star soccer player who never really gives any thought to the fact that her father is Japanese. Her cousin, Hiroshi, lives in Japan, and never really gives a thought to his uncle’s family living in the U.S. Their lives are thrown together when Hiroshi’s family, with his grandfather (who is also his best friend), have to move to the U.S. suddenly. Skye resents that she is now “not Japanese enough,” and yet the friends she’s known forever abruptly realize she is “other.” Hiroshi has a hard time adjusting to life in a new culture, and resents Skye’s intrusions on his time with Grandfather. Through all of this is woven Hiroshi’s expertise, and Skye’s growing interest in, kite making and competitive kite flying, culminating in a contest at the annual Washington Cherry Blossom Festival.

 

 
About Average (Atheneum Books for Young Readers ) — Andrew Clements and Mark Elliott

Can average be amazing? A girl challenges herself to become extraordinary in the latest from bestselling author Andrew Clements.

Jordan Johnston is average. Not short, not tall. Not plump, not slim. Not blond, not brunette. Not gifted, not flunking out. Even her shoe size is average. She’s ordinary for her school, for her town, for even the whole wide world, it seems.

 

Cool Down (Pool Girls) (Simon Spotlight) — Cassie Waters

Labor Day is just around the corner. Swim team is over, and many of the Riverside Swim Club regulars have gone away for the last days of summer. And some kids are returning from their summer vacations—kids like Nikki Angelo. Nikki is just the kind of funny and carefree friend Christina is looking for now that Grace has shown her true colors, and it isn’t long before Christina and Nikki become super close. But when Nikki starts bending the rules, Christina starts getting into major trouble. Will Christina realize who her real friends are before it’s too late?

 

Read All About It! (Dear Know-It-All) (Simon Spotlight) — Rachel Wise

Rachel Wise loves to give advice. When she’s not editing or writing children’s books, which she does full-time at a publisher in New York, she’s reading advice columns in newspapers, magazines, and blogs, and is always sure her advice would be better! Her dream is to someday have her own talk show, where she could share her wisdom with millions of people at once; but for now she’s happy to dole out advice in small portions in Dear Know-It-All books.

 

The Friendship Matchmaker (Walker Childrens) — Randa Abdel-Fattah

Lara Zany is known throughout the school yard as the Friendship Matchmaker—kids call on her expertise and follow her hard-and-fast rules to find best friendships. Lara’s documented everything from friendship categories (the BOBF, or Bus Only Best Friend; the TL, or Total Loner; the LBC, or Loner By Choice) to strategies (BJF, or the Bungee Jump Friend; FTFP, or Field Trip Faux Pas). But when new kid in school Emily Wong questions Lara’s methods, the two decide to compete by each finding a TL a best friend. But Lara, an LBC, doesn’t bank on finding her own best friendship in the most unlikely of places. .

 

Literature and Fiction

 On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave  (Schwartz & Wade)  Candace Fleming

The phenomenally versatile, award-winning author, Candace Fleming, gives teen and older tween readers ten ghost stories sure to send chills up their spines. Set in White Cemetery, an actual graveyard outside Chicago, each story takes place during a different time period from the 1860’s to the present, and ends with the narrator’s death. Some teens die heroically, others ironically, but all due to supernatural causes. Readers will meet walking corpses and witness demonic posession, all against the backdrop of Chicago’s rich history—the Great Depression, the World’s Fair, Al Capone and his fellow gangsters.

 

Pigmares (Charlesbridge)  Doug Cushman

When a young pig watches monster movies before bed, heÂ’s in for some tail-curling fun. From the Phantom Hog of the Opera to the Porker from the Black Lagoon, seventeen poems put a pigmarish spin on creepy classics. Illustrations evoke retro movie posters with hog-wild humor. Back matter includes information about the movies and literature that inspired each poem.

 

Legends: The Wrath of the Gods  (Kingfisher) —  Anthony Horowitz

Don’t mess with the gods. And if they mess with you? Run like hell . . . When it comes to mixing it up with the Gods, woe be to the man (or woman) who makes them angry. Here is a collection of five stories that demonstrates just how angry those Gods can get. From creative re-tellings of the Greek stories Pandora’s Box, The Judgment of Paris, and Narcissus and Echo, to less familiar but equally cautionary Viking story of The Stolen Hammer of Thor, and the Inuit legend of The Ten Fingers of Sedna, one thing is clear—it never pays to mess with the Gods!

 Legends: Tricks and Transformations (Kingfisher) — Anthony Horowitz

Don’t mess with the gods. And if they mess with you? Run like hell . . . Myths and legends are full of stories of the transformation of humans and animals into other things through the magical intervention of the Gods. From better-known characters like Actaeon, the famous Greek huntsman who was doomed to become a stag forever chased by his own dogs, and Glaucus, the fisherman who became a fish himself, only to fall hopelessly in love with a naiad, to the Japanese tale of the Goddess Amaterasu, who created the first eclipse when she hid herself in a cave and more, this collection proves that all is never what it seems when it comes to the affairs of the Gods.

 

Mystery

 

The Case of the Disappearing Dogs (Club CSI) (Simon Spotlight) – David Lewman

The Club CSI: kids are counting on forensic science to find Hannah’s missing dog! Hannah’s dog Molly wins first place in the neighborhood dog show, but her family doesn’t get to celebrate for very long. Soon after they return home, Molly goes missing! Hannah’s parents are convinced that she left the back gate open by mistake, but Hannah knows she didn’t. Her Club CSI: friends help investigate and find a crushed orange dog treat (Molly’s treats are brown) and a piece of ripped red fabric that snagged on the back gate. Was Molly the victim of a dog-napping? If so, who took her and why? Club CSI: is on the case!

The Second Spy: The Books of Elsewhere: Volume 3 (Dial BFYR)  — Jacqueline West

In Olive’s third adventure, what lurks below the house could be as dangerous as what’s hidden inside . . .

Some terrifying things have happened to Olive in the old stone house, but none as scary as starting junior high. Or so she thinks. When she plummets through a hole in her backyard, though, she realizes two things that may change her mind: First, the wicked Annabelle McMartin is back. Second, there’s a secret underground that unlocks not one but two of Elsewhere’s biggest, most powerful, most dangerous forces yet. But with the house’s guardian cats acting suspicious, her best friend threatening to move away, and her ally Morton starting to rebel, Olive isn’t sure where to turn. Will she figure it out in time? Or will she be lured into Elsewhere, and trapped there for good?