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November/December 2008
November and December’s roundup of Cool New Books includes THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD, a collection of five fairy tales courtesy of J.K. Rowling that gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter; ONE FALSE NOTE, the second installment in The 39 Clues, a blockbuster series consisting of 10 books, 350 trading cards, and an online game where readers play a part in the story and compete for over $100,000 in prizes; THE SORCERER OF THE NORTH, book five in John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice fantasy/adventure series; LONG SHADOWS by Erin Hunter, the newest Warriors: Power of Three novel that finds three young cats having to put their powers to the ultimate test to save the Clans from destruction; and a spectacular pop-up edition of the classic story of Peter Pan, courtesy of paper engineer extraordinaire Robert Sabuda.
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Stand-Alone Chapter Books/Middle Grade Titles
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THE GOODBYE TIME
Celeste Conway
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385735551
Ages 8-12
112 pages
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• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
As long as she can remember, Anna has lived in the same Upper West Side apartment with her parents and brother. She has attended the same private school and had the same best friend, Katie. Katie has always loved hanging out with Anna’s family and escaping the tension in her own small apartment, where her single mom struggles to raise her severely mentally challenged brother.
However, something changes. Katie’s brother gets violent with her mother and now he’s going to live in a home. Suddenly Katie is angry with Anna, and just as quickly they’re not friends anymore. Anna’s mom tells her that Katie just needs someone to be mad at right now, and that everything will be okay. But Anna knows that she has entered the Goodbye Time --- and things are changing faster than she can understand.
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LEXI
L. S. Matthews
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385735742
Ages 9-12
208 pages
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• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
The first thing I remember is waking up in the woods. I didn’t know where I was, or how I got there. I didn’t know my own name. All I knew was that the little silver key hung round my neck had always been there.
This is how Lexi’s story begins. She is taken into a shelter where there are clean clothes, warm food and, most importantly, a woman who remembers her. Safe from the wars and the dangers of the street, Lexi begins to rebuild her identity with the small pieces of the past she can fit together. Then the silver key around her neck unlocks the secrets of a life she never knew she had.
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THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD
J.K. Rowling
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780545128285
Ages 9-18
128 pages
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THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, the Children's High Level Group, in association with Arthur A. Levine Books, presents a stunning edition with an introduction, notes and illustrations by J.K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.
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Series Books/Sequels
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The 39 Clues
ONE FALSE NOTE: The 39 Clues, Book Two
Gordon Korman
Scholastic
ISBN: 9780545060424
Ages 9-12
160 pages
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THIS JUST IN! Amy and Dan Cahill were spotted on a train, hot on the trail of one of 39 Clues hidden around the world. BUT WAIT! Police report a break-in at an elite hotel, and the suspects ALSO sound suspiciously like Amy and Dan. UPDATE! Amy and Dan have been seen in a car…no, in a speedboat chase…and HOLD EVERYTHING! They're being chased by an angry mob?!?
When there's a Clue on the line, anything can happen.
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Alcatraz
ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE SCRIVENER'S BONES
Brandon Sanderson
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439925532
Ages 9-12
336 pages
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The Evil Librarians are still up to their antics and it's up to Alcatraz Smedry to put a stop to it! This second book will take Alcatraz and company on an exploration of the Library of Alexandria, which --- despite Librarian rumors --- was never destroyed. It is a mysterious place and everyone knows that it holds dark secrets. Can Alcatraz, with his talent for breaking things, break into this secret world? Or will the Evil Librarians once again prevail?
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Dragonology Tracking and Taming Dragons
THE FROST DRAGON: Dragonology Tracking and Taming Dragons, Volume 2
written by Dr. Ernest Drake
edited by Dugald A. Steer
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763634261
Ages 8-up
24 pages
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Open this deluxe guidebook and model package and find the complete, 24-page TRACKING AND TAMING FROST DRAGONS, in which preeminent dragonologist Dr. Ernest Drake shares the special skills needed to set out on the trail of these coldweather dragons. In addition, each package features an easy-to-assemble, lifelike hanging model of the Draco occidentalis maritimus, or frost dragon, with a 24-inch wingspan and movable wings!
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Ranger's Apprentice
RANGER'S APPRENTICE, Book 5: THE SORCERER OF THE NORTH
John Flanagan
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399250323
Ages 8-12
304 pages
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Time has passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, led the Araluens to victory against invaders, and Will is now a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy --- boring, even --- until the king is poisoned. Joined by his friend Alyss, Will is thrown headfirst into an extraordinary adventure propelled by fears of sorcery, and must determine who is trustworthy to the king and who is trying to take his throne.
Will and Alyss must battle growing hysteria, traitors and, most of all, time. The king is fading, but when Alyss is taken hostage, Will is forced to make a desperate choice between loyalty to his mission and loyalty to his friend.
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Theodosia Throckmorton
THEODOSIA AND THE STAFF OF OSIRIS
R. L. LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780618927647
Ages 10-up
400 pages
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Allowed to attend a reception given by one of the directors of her parents' museum, Theodosia Throckmorton stumbles across Mr. Tetley of the British Museum --- in most unusual circumstances. Since Theo has last seen him in a showdown in an ancient Egyptian tomb, his reappearance could mean only one thing: the Serpents of Chaos are back. Once again Theodosia will have to take on secret societies, evil curses and dark magic too sinister to imagine, especially if it falls into the wrong hands. Blocked at every turn, Theodosia will have to rely on her own skill and cunning --- along with a little help from the most unexpected places.
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Warriors: Power of Three
LONG SHADOWS: Warriors: Power of Three #5
Erin Hunter
HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780060892142
Ages 10-up
336 pages
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The Clans are in turmoil. ShadowClan has turned its back on StarClan and pledged to follow the dark predictions of Sol, the strange cat who foretold the solar eclipse. But not all the cats have lost faith in their warrior ancestors.
Jaypaw is convinced that StarClan still holds an important place in the warrior code, and his search for answers leads him far back into the past, farther back than even StarClan can remember. Lionblaze, tortured by violent dreams and bloody visions, wishes he had never been prophesied to be one of the three, but to turn his back on his littermates would be the ultimate betrayal. And Hollyleaf is terrified that once the Clans lose their faith, the warrior code will fall apart. She's willing to fight tooth and nail to preserve it --- whatever the cost.
And when murder stalks into the heart of ThunderClan, the cats realize that the darkest shadows don't always lie outside the territory.
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Pop-Up Books
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PETER PAN: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up
written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda
Little Simon
ISBN: 9780689853647
All ages
14 pages
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Readers will delight in this retelling of the classic story of Neverland, pirates and flying. Robert Sabuda's elegant text and paper engineering give new life to favorite characters like Tinkerbell, Wendy, Michael, John and, of course, Peter Pan. Sabuda's beautiful pop-ups are further complemented by full-color illustrations that pull readers even deeper into the magical world that is Neverland.
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Picture Books
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ABE'S HONEST WORDS: The Life of Abraham Lincoln
written by Doreen Rappaport
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423104087
Ages 8-up
48 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
From the time he was a young boy roaming the forests of the unsettled Midwest, Abraham Lincoln knew in his heart that slavery was deeply wrong. He spent every spare moment of his days filling his mind with knowledge, from history to literature to mathematics, preparing himself to one day lead the country he loved towards greater equality and prosperity.
Despite the obstacles he faced as a self-educated man from the back woods, Lincoln persevered in his political career, and his compassion and honesty gradually earned him the trust of many Americans. As president, he guided the nation through a long and bitter civil war and penned the document that would lead to the end of slavery in the United States.
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DOT IN LARRYLAND: The Big Little Book of an Odd-Sized Friendship
written by Patricia Marx
illustrated by Roz Chast
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
ISBN: 9781599901817
Ages 3-8
40 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Dot, a teeny tiny little gal who’s no bigger than a dust mite, is very lonely and would love to find a friend. Larry, a guy who’s so big his head is always in the clouds, doesn’t think anyone understands him. But a chance meeting at a diner (just after Larry’s 15th burger) leads Dot right to the most humongous man in the world, and they discover that their differences actually make them pretty similar.
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HUG A BUG
written by Eileen Spinelli
illustrated by Dan Andreasen
HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780060518325
Ages 3-8
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
A tiny squeeze is all it takes. With this simple action you can turn a frown into a smile and show that you care. One hug can mean everything. So hug your mom, hug your dad, hug your sister or your brother, and hug your friend.
Eileen Spinelli and Dan Andreasen create a sweet, simple and poetic picture book about the power of a loving hug that is sure to brighten your day --- just like a hug.
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--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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