THE EVER BREATH
Julianna Baggott
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385737616
Ages 9-12
240 pages

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In a world where locust fairies flutter and firebreathers burst from snowbanks, two children are having the adventure of their lives. Truman and his twin sister, Camille, have just met their grandmother...and she’s a little strange. She whispers a tale about something called the Ever Breath, an amber orb that maintains the balance between our world and a dreamy one of imagination --- and evil.
 
Soon Truman and Camille find themselves in the Breath World, a magical place where ogres clash and a mouse holds the key to a mystery. Some creatures want to help them --- and some want them D-E-A-D. That’s because the Ever Breath has been stolen, and an epic battle is raging to bring it safely back. Can the twins save not only one world, but two?

THE GIANT-SLAYER
Iain Lawrence
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385733762
Ages 8-12
304 pages

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The spring of 1955 tests Laurie Valentine’s gifts as a storyteller. After her friend Dickie contracts polio and finds himself confined to an iron lung, Laurie visits him in the hospital. There she meets Carolyn and Chip, two other kids trapped inside the breathing machines. Laurie’s first impulse is to flee, but Dickie begs her to tell them a story. And so Laurie begins her tale of Collosso, a rampaging giant, and Jimmy, a tiny boy whose destiny is to become a slayer of giants.
 
As Laurie embellishes her tale with gnomes, unicorns, gryphons and other fanciful creatures, Dickie comes to believe that he is a character in her story. Little by little, Carolyn, Chip and other kids who come to listen recognize counterparts as well. Laurie’s tale is so powerful that when she’s prevented from continuing it, Dickie, Carolyn and Chip take turns as narrators. Each helps bring the story of Collosso and Jimmy to an end --- changing the lives of those in the polio ward in startling ways.

MILLION-DOLLAR THROW
Mike Lupica
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399246265
Ages 10-up
256 pages

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Nate Brodie is nicknamed “Brady” not only for his arm, but also because he’s the biggest Tom Brady fan. He’s even saved up to buy an autographed football. And when he does, he wins the chance for something he’s never dreamed of --- to throw a pass through a target at a Patriots game for one million dollars.
 
Nate should be excited. But things have been tough lately. His dad lost his job and his family is losing their home. It’s no secret that a million dollars would go a long way. So all Nate feels is pressure, and just when he needs it most, his golden arm begins to fail him. Even worse, his best friend Abby is going blind, slowly losing her ability to do the one thing she loves most --- paint. Yet Abby never complains, and she is Nate’s inspiration. He knows she’ll be there when he makes the throw of a lifetime.

RAIDERS’ RANSOM
Emily Diamand
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780545142977
Ages 9-12
352 pages

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It’s the 22nd century, and, because of climate change, much of England is underwater. Poor Lilly is out fishing with her trusty sea-cat when greedy raiders pillage the town --- and kidnap the prime minister’s daughter. Her village blamed, Lilly decides to find the girl. Off she sails, in secret. And with a ransom: a mysterious talking jewel. “If I save his daughter,” Lilly reasons, “the prime minister’s sure to reward me.” Little does Lilly know that it will take more than grit to outwit the tricky, treacherous piratical tribes!

A WHOLE NOTHER STORY
Dr. Cuthbert Soup
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
ISBN: 9781599904351
Ages 8-12
272 pages

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The three Cheeseman children, their father and their psychic dog are all on the run. From whom? Well the CIA, naturally. But also corporate agents #5, #29 and #207, plus two international superspies --- one of whom happens to be a chimpanzee. They all want Dr. Cheeseman and his late wife's greatest invention --- a machine with unspeakable powers. It's actually a time machine, but it's not working right yet, so put all ideas of time travel out of your head. Instead, please enjoy this high stakes, high action, hijinx-filled chase, and the bizarre characters our Cheeseman friends will meet as they protect not just their parents' invention, but their mother's sacred memory.

The 39 Clues

THE 39 CLUES, Book Six: IN TOO DEEP
Jude Watson
Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 9780545060462
Ages 9-12
206 pages

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A hint from their parents’ past puts Amy and Dan on the trail of secrets their grandmother Grace would never have wanted them to know. Awful memories begin to crowd in on Amy, just as her enemies circle closer. How far would she go to protect Dan? How much of a Cahill is she prepared to be? Perhaps Grace was right --- some secrets are better left buried.

Alex Rider

CROCODILE TEARS: An Alex Rider Novel
Anthony Horowitz
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399250569
Ages 10-14
388 pages

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It’s just another day in the life of an average kid. If you’re Alex Rider, that is. A con artist has realized there is big money in charity --- the bigger the disaster, the greater the money flow! So that is what he will produce: the biggest disaster known to man, all thanks to genetically modified wheat that can release a virus so potent it can knock out an entire country in one windy day. But Alex Rider will face whatever it takes --- gunfire, explosions, hand-to-hand combat with mercenaries --- to bring down his most dangerous adversary yet.

Mackenzie Blue

MACKENZIE BLUE: THE SECRET CRUSH
Tina Wells
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061583117
Ages 8-12
240 pages

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Mackenzie Blue has a crush! But how can she get Landon --- the cutest boy in school --- to notice her? The class’s new rock-and-roll musical is her chance. Between her crush, the musical and her friends --- not to mention schoolwork --- Zee is torn in a thousand different directions. With all the real-life drama going on, will she lose sight of what’s really important?

The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow

THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW
Tim Kehoe
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316056656
Ages 8-12
192 pages

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Vincent Shadow isn’t particularly good at sports and is constantly being picked on by his classmates at Central Middle School. But it is Vincent’s unusually creative mind that truly separates him from other kids his age.
 
Vincent’s top-secret attic lab is crammed with toy prototypes --- from Liquid Superballs to Bullz-I Basketballs and Sonic Snorkelz --- and he has a sketchbook filled with drawings of toys he still wants to build. So when a chance encounter with an eccentric toy inventor offers him the opportunity to go from unknown weird kid to toy inventor extraordinaire, Vincent realizes that playtime is over: it’s time to get serious about toys.

Warriors: Omen of the Stars

WARRIORS: OMEN OF THE STARS #1: THE FOURTH APPRENTICE
Erin Hunter
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061555091
Ages 10-up
352 pages

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Four warrior Clans have shared the land around the lake as equals for many moons. But a prophecy foretells that three ThunderClan cats will hold the power of the stars in their paws. Jayfeather and Lionblaze know that they are two of the cats in the prophecy. Now the brothers must wait for a sign from StarClan to discover the identity of the third cat.
 
Meanwhile, Dovekit and Ivykit --- kin of the great leader Firestar --- are poised to become ThunderClan apprentices. Soon one sister will have an ominous dream --- and will begin to realize that she possesses mystical skills unmatched by any other cat.
 
In the midst of a cruel season that threatens the lives of all four warrior Clans, bonds will be forged, promises will be made and three young cats will start to unravel the secrets that bind them together.

Wolves of the Beyond

LONE WOLF
Kathryn Lasky
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780545093101
Ages 9-12
240 pages

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A wolf mother has given birth, but the warm bundle snuffling next to her brings only anguish. The pup, otherwise healthy, has a twisted leg, and the mother knows what the harsh code of the pack demands. Her pup will be taken from her and abandoned on a desolate hill. The pack cannot have weakness --- the wolf mother knows that her pup is condemned to die.
 
But alone in the wilderness, the pup, Seeker, does not perish. This is his story --- a story of survival, of courage and of triumphant love. This is the story of the wolf pup who rose up to change the Wolves of the Beyond forever.

AMELIA BEDELIA’S FIRST VALENTINE
written by Herman Parish
illustrated by Lynne Avril
Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780061544583
Ages 4-8
32 pages

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Amelia Bedelia is sure she will love everything about Valentine’s Day: the sweet surprises, cards to give and receive, a party at school, a big, long family hug. Amelia Bedelia can’t wait. What could be better? Hooray for Valentine's Day!

CHILD OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
written by Paula Young Shelton
illustrated by Raul Colon
Schwartz & Wade/Random House Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780375843143
Ages 4-8
40 pages

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Paula Young Shelton, daughter of Civil Rights activist Andrew Young, brings a child’s unique perspective to an important chapter in America’s history. Paula grew up in the deep south, in a world where whites had and blacks did not. With an activist father and a community of leaders surrounding her, including Uncle Martin (Martin Luther King), Paula watched and listened to the struggles, eventually joining with her family --- and thousands of others --- in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery.

FANCY NANCY: SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS
written by Jane O’Connor
illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061235900
Ages 4-7
32 pages

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Christmas is Fancy Nancy’s favorite time of year. There are presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles --- and who could forget the tree? Ooh la la! This year, Nancy is especially excited about decorating the Christmas tree. She bought a brand-new sparkly tree topper with her own money. But when things don’t turn out the way Nancy had planned, will her Christmas still be splendiferous?

MUHAMMAD ALI: The People’s Champion
written by Walter Dean Myers
illustrated by Alix Delinois
Collins
ISBN: 9780060291310
Ages 5-8
40 pages

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He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky. His very first boxing coach, former police officer Joe Martin, told him, “You better learn how to fight before you start challenging people.” Once considered the underdog, Cassius, later known as Muhammad Ali, would eventually win the title of heavyweight champion of the world. Acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers recounts the champ’s most famous fights and examines the depth and complexity of the larger-than-life legend. The bold, vibrant art of Alix Delinois reflects the beauty and power of the man who could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

SOPHIE PETERMAN TELLS THE TRUTH!
written by Sarah Weeks
illustrated by Robert Neubecker
Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781416986867
Ages 4-8
32 pages

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Sophie Peterman is here to tell you the truth about babies. Babies are not sweet. Babies are not precious. Babies are not cute. Babies are...
 
What, you thought she’d just give it away? Well, here’s a hint: It’s not pretty!