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January 2009
January’s roundup of Cool New Books includes THE LAST STRAW, the highly anticipated third installment in Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, which takes the art of being wimpy to a whole new level; SCAT by Carl Hiaasen, a mystery involving the disappearance of a fearsome biology teacher while on a field trip to Black Vine Swamp; HEROES OF THE VALLEY, an epic fantasy thriller from Jonathan Stroud, who follows up his Bartimaeus Trilogy with a tale featuring murder, revenge and a slightly diminutive protagonist; THE EYE OF THE FOREST, the fifth book in P. B. Kerr's Children of the Lamp series featuring djinn twins John and Philippa Gaunt; and two editions of the worldwide bestseller THREE CUPS OF TEA, Greg Mortenson’s remarkable story of humanitarianism, adapted specifically for younger readers.
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Stand-Alone Chapter Books/Middle Grade Titles
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11 BIRTHDAYS
Wendy Mass
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780545052399
Ages 9-12
272 pages
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Amanda is so excited for her 11th birthday. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she has shared every birthday, aren’t talking to each other and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together. When Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating itself. What’s going on? And how can she fix it?
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THE MOSTLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF HOMER P. FIGG
Rodman Philbrick
The Blue Sky Press/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439668187
Ages 9-12
224 pages
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Master storyteller Rodman Philbrick takes readers on a colorful journey as a young orphan named Homer P. Figg sets off to follow his only brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been illegally sold to the Union army. It is up to Homer to find him and save him. Along the way, he encounters many strange but real people of that era who will engage and educate young readers about our nation's past --- in one of the most decisive moments of American history.
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MY BROTHER ABE: Sally Lincoln’s Story
Harry Mazer
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 9781416938842
Ages 8-12
208 pages
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Sally Lincoln's voice has never before been heard. Now she tells her own story of an unsettling time for the Lincoln family, which changed and influenced both children forever.
Forced to leave their home in Kentucky, the family begins anew in Indiana territory, only later to be devastated by the death of Nancy Hanks, Sally and Abe's adored mother. When their demanding father journeys back to Kentucky to find a new wife, leaving 11-year-old Sally in charge of nine-year-old Abe, the children have to face the hardships of the frontier alone.
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SCAT
Carl Hiaasen
Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780375834868
Ages 10-up
384 pages
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Mrs. Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, was last seen during a field trip to Black Vine Swamp. The school’s headmaster and the police seem to have accepted the sketchy, unsigned note explaining that her absence is due to a “family emergency.” There’s no real evidence of foul play. But still, Nick and Marta don’t buy it. Something weird is definitely going on.
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SUNNY HOLIDAY
Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780545075794
Ages 7-10
176 pages
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Sunny Holiday thinks that every month should have a kid-friendly holiday. February has Valentine's Day, November has Thanksgiving, and December has Christmas. But months like January and August are lacking. So Sunny takes it upon herself to make new holidays for the months that need them, getting her friends and family involved. Sunny is headstrong, funny and trying to make the best out of every situation --- whether it involves holidays or family problems.
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THE SWITCH
Anthony Horowitz
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399250620
Ages 10-14
256 pages
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For Tad Spencer, the only son of a fabulously wealthy businessman, every day is like Christmas. He lives in a mansion, with a maid and servants, and owns every toy imaginable. He has it all --- until the day he wishes he was someone else.
Suddenly, Tad wakes up as Bob Snarby, trapped in a filthy and corrupt carnival world inhabited by hostile ingrates, hopeless criminals and mysterious fortune tellers. But Tad discovers he’s there for a reason when he begins to untangle a secret that could reveal an enemy no one could have imagined.
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THREE CUPS OF TEA: One Man's Journey to Change the World...One Child at a Time - The Young Reader’s Edition
written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
adapted by Sarah Thomson
Puffin/Penguin Young Readers Group
ISBN: 9780142414125
Ages 8-12
240 pages
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This young readers edition of the worldwide bestseller THREE CUPS OF TEA has been specially adapted for younger readers and updated by Greg Mortenson to bring his remarkable story of humanitarianism up to date for the present. It includes new photos and illustrations, as well as a special interview by Greg’s 12-year-old daughter, Amira, who has traveled with her father as an advocate for the Pennies for Peace program for children.
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Series Books/Sequels
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Children of the Lamp
THE EYE OF THE FOREST: Children of the Lamp, Book 5
P. B. Kerr
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439932158
Ages 9-12
384 pages
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In 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.
In a fury, he's headed to an ancient Incan Empire where he believes he can regain his strength. Dybbuk will stop at nothing…even if it means destroying the rain forest, opening a cursed portal and disturbing the enchanted kingdom of the Incas that has slept for thousands of years. Can the twins stop their friend before he destroys everything? |
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAW
Jeff Kinney
Amulet/Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780810970687
Ages 9-12
224 pages
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Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other “manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up --- or get shipped out. |
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Heroes of the Valley
HEROES OF THE VALLEY
Jonathan Stroud
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423109662
Ages 10-up
496 pages
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Halli Sveinsson has grown up in the House of Svein, listening to the legends of the heroes as all his forefathers did. His is a peaceful society where the violence of the past has been outlawed and disputes are settled by the Council. But young Halli has never quite seemed to fit in with the others. For starters, he was not at all handsome or tall, like his attractive blond siblings. He's stumpy and swarthy, with a quick mind and aptitude for getting in trouble. Bored with the everyday chores and sheep herding, he can't help himself from playing practical jokes on everyone, from Eyjolf the old servant, to his brother and sister. But when he plays a trick on Ragnor of the House of Hakonsson, he goes too far, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever alter his destiny. Because of it, Halli will have to leave home and go on a hero's quest. |
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Lyonesse
LYONESSE, BOOK 1: THE WELL BETWEEN THE WORLDS
Sam Llewellyn
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439934695
Ages 9-12
352 pages
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Idris lives in Lyonesse, the noble island where King Arthur once resided with Merlin and his Knights of the Round Table. Yet thousands of years after the great king walked this country, it has become a place of shadows, where men hunt and capture the monsters that dwell in the dark depths of the sea. Under the reign of a corrupt ruler, Lyonesse is slowly drowning --- and now the fate of the land and all its citizens depends on Idris. But can one boy stop the wickedness that's been growing for centuries? |
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The Wednesday Tales
THE LIGHTNING KEY: The Wednesday Tales No. 3
Jon Berkeley
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780060755133
Ages 8-12
416 pages
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Now that Miles Wednesday has discovered his link to a magical Tiger's Egg, he's suddenly at the wheel of a great voyage. Determined to recover the stolen stone and free the trapped soul within, Miles sets off with Little, a Song Angel, and the wisecracking blind explorer Baltinglass of Araby. Their destination points far across sea and desert to the home of Miles's aunt Nura, who may be their only hope in releasing the Egg's true power.
But along the way, their travels are quickly riddled with thrills and near catastrophes. Most threatening is a dark Sleep Angel who has descended from the Realm to seize the Egg and forfeit Miles's life. Will Miles crack the secrets of the Egg and stand up to the Realm in the face of grave danger? And above all, will he ever be able to bring back his father? |
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Sequel to LOCOMOTION
PEACE, LOCOMOTION
Jacqueline Woodson
Putnam Juvenile
ISBN: 9780399246555
Ages 9-11
144 pages
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Twelve-year-old Lonnie is finally feeling at home with his foster family. But because he’s living apart from his little sister, Lili, he decides it’s his job to be the “rememberer” --- and write down everything that happens while they’re growing up. Lonnie’s musings are bittersweet; he’s happy that he and Lili have new families, but though his new family brings him joy, it also brings new worries. With a foster brother in the army, concepts like Peace have new meaning for Lonnie. |
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Picture Books
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DUCK AND COVER
written and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061214448
Ages 4-7
32 pages
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When Harold, a large green alligator with a big mouth and an even bigger appetite, shows up at Irene's door seeking shelter, everyone hides. Except Max, who persuades the other critters that this particular runaway needs their help. So while everyone keeps busy seeing that Harold remains well fed, Max cooks up a clever plan. But is a room filled with fake alligators enough to keep the zoo detective away? |
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ERIKA-SAN
written and illustrated by Allen Say
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780618889334
Ages 4-8
32 pages
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Caldecott Medalist Allen Say creates a beautiful story about an American girl who seeks adventure in Japan and discovers more than she could have imagined.
In her grandmother’s house there is one Japanese print of a small house with lighted windows. Even as a small girl, Erika loved that picture. It will pull her through childhood, across vast oceans and modern cities, then into towns --- older, quieter places --- she has only ever dreamed about. But Erika cannot truly know what she will find there, among the rocky seacoasts, the rice paddies, the circle of mountains and the class of children.
For Erika-san, can Japan be all that she has imagined? |
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LISTEN TO THE WIND: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea
written by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
illustrated by Susan L. Roth
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780803730588
Ages 6-8
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. The remarkable story of his promise kept is now perfect for reading aloud. Told in the voice of Korphe’s children, this story illuminates the humanity and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world in gorgeous collage, while sharing a riveting example of how one person can change thousands of lives.
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MOZART: THE WONDER CHILD: A Puppet Play in Three Acts
written and illustrated by Diane Stanley
Collins
ISBN: 9780060726744
Ages 8-12
48 pages
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Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart was only three years old --- not much bigger than his name --- on the day his life changed forever.
So begins this vivid biography about one of the most legendary prodigies in history. Award-winning author and illustrator Diane Stanley engagingly tells the story of a brilliant boy who grew up to be a complex and often troubled young man --- a man who composed some of the most beautiful music of all time. With stunning and expressive illustrations, she portrays Mozart's turbulent life as a marionette show, inspired by the famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre, using an innovative artistic approach to present the life of a renowned musical genius. |
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--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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