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Cool New Books for October
October’s roundup of Cool New Books includes EULALIA! by Brian Jacques, a thrilling tale from Redwall featuring the greatest warriors of Salamandastron; PETER AND THE SECRET OF RUNDOON, the action-packed finale to Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s Starcatchers trilogy; IGRAINE THE BRAVE, an enchanting story from Cornelia Funke about a princess who must find the courage to save her family and their kingdom; THE CASTLE CORONA, in which Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech weaves together two worlds that just might have more in common than meets the eye; brand-new titles starring Plaza Hotel resident Eloise and lovable piglet Olivia; and the picture-book debuts of bestselling author Kate DiCamillo and actress Julianne Moore.
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Stand-Alone Chapter Books/Middle Grade Novels
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ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS
Brandon Sanderson
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439925501
Ages 9-12
320 pages
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• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. The only way Alcatraz can stop them is by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutziness.
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THE CASTLE CORONA
written by Sharon Creech
illustrated by David Diaz
Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780060846213
Ages 8-12
336 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
There once was a castle that glittered and sparkled and rose majestically above the banks of the winding Winono River. In this castle lived the family of King Guido --- wealthy, royal…and spoiled. King Guido was so spoiled that no amount of riches could please him. What he longed for most was a nap and a gown that didn't itch. Far below this grand, glittering castle lived two peasants in possession of a stolen pouch, whose contents had the power to unlock secrets and transform lives.
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THE GARDEN OF EVE
K. L. Going
Harcourt Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780152059866
Ages 8-12
240 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Evie reluctantly moves with her widowed father to Beaumont, New York, where he has bought an apple orchard, dismissing rumors that the town is cursed and the trees haven't borne fruit in decades. Evie doesn't believe in things like curses and fairy tales anymore --- if fairy tales were real, her mom would still be alive. But odd things happen in Beaumont. Evie meets a boy who claims to be dead and receives a mysterious seed as a gift on his 11th birthday. Once planted, the seed grows into a tree overnight, but only Evie and the dead boy can see it --- or go where it leads.
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IGRAINE THE BRAVE
Cornelia Funke
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439903790
Ages 9-12
224 pages
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• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Princess Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight just like her great grandfather. However, life at the family castle is rather boring --- until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. He has a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim as his own the wonderful singing spell books that belong to Igraine's magician parents. To make matters worse, at the very moment of the siege, her mom and dad botch a spell, turning themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant and a Sorrowful Knight, it's up to Igraine to be brave and save the day.
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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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THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY
Adam Rex
Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 9780786849000
Ages 8-up
432 pages
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When 12-year-old Gratuity (“Tip”) Tucci is assigned to write five pages on “The True Meaning of Smekday” for the National Time Capsule contest, she’s not sure where to begin. Maybe when her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Or maybe with Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on Earth, and the aliens --- called Boov --- abducted her mother? Or perhaps when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek) and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod? In any case, Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment he’s given.
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Series Books/Sequels
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Peter and the Starcatchers Trilogy
PETER AND THE SECRET OF RUNDOON
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Disney Editions/Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 9780786837885
Ages 10-up
496 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
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.
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Redwall
EULALIA!: A Tale from Redwall
Brian Jacques
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399242090
Ages 9-12
400 pages
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• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Lord Asheye of Salamandastron has a prophecy: A new Badger Lord must take his place and reign over the legendary badger fortress. But who is this young warrior who shuns both armor and sword? And how is he to be found? Mad Maudie, a feisty haremaid of the Long Patrol, is just the one to track him down. Meanwhile, the unsuspecting future Badger Lord has been captured by a scurrilous group of Sea Raiders led by the infamous fox, Vizka Longtooth, who intends on conquering Redwall Abbey. It is up to our young hero to defend Redwall so that he may fulfill his destiny as leader of Salamandastron.
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Picture Books
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ELOISE’S CHRISTMAS TRINKLES
Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9780689874253
Ages 4-8
48 pages
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Eloise LOVES Christmas, and she's spreading holiday cheer all over The Plaza Hotel. She hangs holly and berries in the halls, trims the tree and attends the holiday parties. She has gifts ready for everyone: the hotel employees and best friends Nanny, Skipperdee and Weenie. But the best parts are dreaming of Santa coming to The Plaza and waking up to a gift that sparkles and trinkles.
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FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY
written by Julianne Moore
illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781599901077
Ages 3-8
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
There once was a little girl who was just like everybody else. She was seven, she was short, and she could ride a bike. But she also had something that made her different: red hair, and worse, FRECKLES! When the other kids call her Freckleface Strawberry, she decides it’s time to get rid of the freckles once and for all. But scrubbing them doesn’t work, and lemon juice just makes her smell funny. It will take an itchy disguise, a giggling baby and some well-timed commiseration before Freckleface figures out that hiding from her freckles won’t solve anything --- but friendship just might.
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GREAT JOY
written by Kate DiCamillo
illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763629205
Ages 4-8
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
It is just before Christmas when an organ grinder and a monkey appear on the street corner outside Frances’s apartment. Frances can see them from her window, and sometimes when it’s quiet she can hear their music. In fact, Frances can’t stop thinking about them, especially after she sees the man and his monkey sleeping outside on the cold street at midnight. When the day of the Christmas pageant arrives, and it’s Frances’s turn to speak, everyone waits silently. But all Frances can think about is the organ grinder’s sad eyes --- until, just in time, she finds the perfect words to share.
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OLIVIA HELPS WITH CHRISTMAS
written and illustrated by Ian Falconer
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781416907862
Ages 3-7
58 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Christmas is coming, and Olivia is incredibly busy. She has to wait for Santa, make sure her dad sets up the tree, wait for Santa, watch her mom make the Christmas dinner, wait for Santa, oversee the care with which the stockings are hung and, of course, OPEN HER PRESENTS! Do you see how hard it is to be so helpful during the holidays?
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RED BUTTERFLY: How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk Out of China
written by Deborah Noyes
illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763624002
Ages 6-10
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
A young Chinese princess is sent from her father’s kingdom to marry the king of a far-off land. She must leave behind her home of splendors: sour plums and pink peach petals and --- most precious and secret of all --- the small silkworm. She begs her father to let her stay, but he insists that she go and fulfill her destiny as the queen of Khotan.
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WHERE THE GIANT SLEEPS
written by Mem Fox
illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky
Harcourt Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780152057855
Ages 3-7
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Do ogres snore? Do pirates have blankies? Do fairies suck their thumbs? We may never know the answers to these questions. But if we're lucky --- and very observant --- we might be able to catch a glimpse of some fantastic creatures, all fast asleep. In soothing rhyme, bestselling author Mem Fox explores the sleeping habits of our favorite inhabitants from the world of fairy tales. Fairies, wizards, goblins and even children all find peace under the same bright moon.
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--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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