Saturday, August 27, 2011

Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott




Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott

Farrar Straus Giroux

2011

178p.



Told from multiple points of view, a white family on a 1959 road trip between Ohio and Florida, visiting Civil War battlefields along the way, crosses paths with a black family near Atlanta, where one of their children has gone missing.

Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada




Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011

147p.



When Margie's cousin Lupe comes from Mexico to live in California with Margie's family, Lupe must adapt to America, while Margie, who thought it would be fun to have her cousin there, finds that she is embarrassed by her in school and jealous of her at home.

Elephant Scientist by Caitlyn O'Connell




Elephant Scientist by Caitlyn O'Connell

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

2011

70p.



Journey to the Namibian desert with Caitlin O'Connell, an American scientist, and witness one of nature's largest, most complex, and most intelligent mammals living today on this earth.

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach




Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach

Henry Holt

2011

262p.



When brothers Simon, Henry, and Jack move with their parents to Arizona, they are irresistably drawn to explore the aptly named Superstition Mountain, in spite of warnings that it is not safe.

William's Midsummer Dreams by Zilpha Keatley Snyder




William's Midsummer Dreams by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011

209p.



Now permanently settled with Aunt Fiona, who has adopted him and his siblings, thirteen-year-old William gets the chance to play Puck in a professional production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Bootleg by Karen Blumenthal




Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years by Karen Blumenthal

Roaring Brook Press

2011

154p.



For more than a decade starting in 1920, millions of regular Americans ignored the law of the land. Parents became bootleggers, kids smuggled illegal alcohol, and outlaws became celebrities. It wasn't supposed to be that way, of course. When Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the sale and manufacture of alcohol in the United States, supporters believed it would create a better, stronger nation. Instead it began an era of lawlessness, when famous gangsters like Al Capone rose to fame, and many reconsidered their concept of right and wrong. This is the story of those years in American history-- the story of prohibition.

Can I See Your ID? by Chris Barton




Can I See Your I.D. : True Stories of False Identities by Chris Barton

Dial Books for Young Readers

2011

121p.



Stories of ten impostors-- many of them teenagers-- push questions of identity, deception, and gullibility to the extreme.

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy




 Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Arthur A. Levine

2011

266p.






Saturday, August 20, 2011

Lucky for Good by Susan Patron




Lucky for Good by Susan Patron

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011

208p.



The residents of Hard Pan, California, come together to help Brigitte and Lucky when the County Health Department threatens to close down the café, and meantime Miles's life is complicated by his mother's return.

Mysterious Bones by Katherine Kirkpatrick




Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man by Katherine Kirkpatrick

Holiday House

2011

60p.



Presents the story of Kennewick Man, one of the oldest and most complete skeletons found in America near the Columbia River in Washington.

R My Name Is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff




R My Name Is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff

Wendy Lamb Books

2011

166p.



Three city siblings, now living on a farm during the Great Depression, must survive on their own when their father takes a construction job miles away.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor




Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor

GP Putnam Sons

2011

247p.



Twelve-year-old Raine spends the summer at a mysterious artists colony and discovers a secret about her past.

Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan




Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2011



When Papa goes away for a little while, his family tries to cope with the separation by adopting four dogs and a cat.

Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami




Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami

Atheneum Books For Young Readers

2011

266p.



Eleven-year-old Dini loves movies, and so when she learns that her family is moving to India for two years, her devastation over leaving her best friend in Maryland is tempered by the possibility of meeting her favorite actress, Dolly Singh.

The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines




The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines


Roaring Brook Press


2011


342p.




In 1942 New York City, fifteen-year-old Iris grieves for her mother who committed suicide and for the loss of her life of privilege, and secretly helps her father with his detective business since he, having lost a leg at Pearl Harbor, struggles to make ends meet.

The Wikkeling by Steven Arntson




The Wikkeling by Steven Arntson

RP Kids

2011

234p.



Henrietta and her pals Gary and Rose all have headaches with an unknown cause and experience other strange incidents--including the appearance of a threatening creature called the Wikkeling--and are hopeful that an ancient bestiary can help solve these mysteries.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine




Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine

Philomel Books

2011

237p.



Fourteen-year-old Mike, whose father is a brilliant mathematician but who has no math aptitude himself, spends the summer in rural Pennsylvania with his elderly and eccentric relatives Moo and Poppy, helping the townspeople raise money to adopt a Romanian orphan.

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur




Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

Wendy Lamb Books

2011

216p.



When twelve-year-old Elise, orphaned since age three, becomes disheartened by middle school, with its bullies, changing relationships, and higher expectations, keys to long-locked rooms and messages from her late father help her cope.

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher




Flyaway by Lucy Christopher

Chicken House/Scholastic

2011

314p.



While visiting her father in hospital, thirteen-year-old Isla meets Harry, the first boy to understand her and her love of the outdoors. But Harry is ill, and as his health fails, Isla is determined to help him in the only way she knows how. Together they watch a lone swan struggling to fly on the lake outside Harry's window.

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch




The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

Scholastic Press

2011

287p.



Twenty years after the start of the war that caused the Collapse, fifteen-year-old Stephen, his father, and grandfather travel post-Collapse America scavenging, but when his grandfather dies and his father decides to risk everything to save the lives of two strangers, Stephen's life is turned upside down.

Addie on the Inside by James Howe




Addie on the Inside by James Howe

Atheneum Books for Children

2011

206p.



Outspoken thirteen-year-old Addie Carle learns about love, loss, and staying true to herself as she navigates seventh grade, enjoys a visit from her grandmother, fights with her boyfriend, and endures gossip and meanness from her former best friend.

War and Watermelon by Rich Wallace




War & Watermelon by Rich Wallace

Viking Children's Books

2011

186p.



As the summer of 1969 turns to fall in their New Jersey town, twelve-year-old Brody plays football in his first year at junior high while his older brother's protest of the war in Vietnam causes tension with their father.

The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley




The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley

Harper

2011

307p.



From the age of seven when she became scullery maid in a castle, Molly has seen visions of the future which, years later, lead her and friend Tobias on an adventure to keep Alaric, the heir to the throne, safe from a curse.

Silhouetted by the Blue by Traci L. Jones




Silhouetted by the Blue by Traci L. Jones

Farrar Strauss Giroux

2011

200p.



After the death of her mother in an automobile accident, seventh-grader Serena, who has gotten the lead in her middle school play, is left to handle the day-to-day challenges of caring for herself and her younger brother when their father cannot pull himself out of his depression.

Manatee Scientists by Peter Lourie







The Manatee Scientists: Saving Vulnerable Species by Peter Lourie

Houghton Mifflin Children's Books

2011

80p.



Part of the Scientists in the Field Series

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies




Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies

Houghton Mifflin

2011

152p.



When money disappears
from fourth-grader Evan's pocket and everyone thinks that his annoying
classmate Scott stole it, Evan's younger sister stages a trial involving
the entire class, trying to prove what happened.


Tom Thumb by George Sullivan




Tom Thumb: A Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature by George Sullivan

Clarion Books

2011

200p.



Explores the life and career of the dwarf Tom Thumb, who toured the world as a curiosity at the behest of showman P.T. Barnum.


Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor




Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Viking

2011

349p.













Twelve-year-old
Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents, moves
with her family back to Nigeria, where she learns that she has latent
magical powers which she and three similarly gifted friends use to catch
a serial killer.



A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine




A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

Harper Collins Children's Books

2011

328p.



Twelve-year-old Elodie journeys to Two Castles in hopes of
studying acting but instead becomes apprentice to a dragon, who teaches
her to be observant and use reasoning, thus helping her to uncover who
is poisoning the king.


Monday, August 8, 2011

Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall




Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall

Alfred A. Knopf

2011

295p.





When the three younger Penderwick sisters go to Maine with Aunt Claire and are separated from oldest sister Rosalind for the first time in their lives, an uncertain Skye is left in charge as the OAP--oldest available Penderwick.

Chime by Franny Billingsley




Chime by Franny Billingsley

Dial Books for Young Readers

2011

361p.



 In the early twentieth century in Swampsea, seventeen-year-old Briony, who can see the spirits that haunt the marshes around their town, feels responsible for her twin sister's horrible injury until a young man enters their lives and exposes secrets that even Briony does not know about.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray




Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Scholastic Press

2011

396p.





When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Junonia by Kevin Henkes




Junonia by Kevin Henkes

Greenwillow Books

2011

176p.



The week of her tenth
birthday, Alice and her parents go to Sanibel Island, Florida, just as
they do every year, but this time some of the people who are always
there are missing and some new people have come, which unsettles Alice,
who wants things to be exactly the same as they alway are.


Hidden by Helen Frost




Hidden by Helen Frost

Farrar Strauss Giroux

2011

147p.



When
fourteen-year-olds Wren and Darra meet at a Michigan summer camp, both
are overwhelmed by memories from six years earlier when Darra's father
stole a car, unaware that Wren was hiding in the back.


The Summer Before Boys by Nora Baskin




The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

2011

196p.



Twelve-year-old best friends and relatives, Julia and Eliza are happy to spend the summer
together while Julia's mother is serving in the National Guard in Iraq
but when they meet a neighborhood boy, their close relationship begins
to change.


Divergent by Veronica Roth




Divergent by Veronica Roth

Katherine Tegen Books

2011

487p.



In a future Chicago,
sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined
factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision
made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomoly who does
not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not
perfect after all.


Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan




Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles, 2) by Rick Riordan

Disney/Hyperion

2011

452p.



Carter Kane and his
sister must prevent the chaos snake Apophis from breaking free in a few
days' time or the world will come to an end. To have any chance of battling these Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra.


Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo




Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo

Amulet Books

2011

309p.



"Batman has Robin,
Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a.
Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary dude by day and a superfast, superstrong
sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero...despite his
doubts about the social benefits of wearing yellow tights. After an
embarrassing incident involving said tights and the revelation that his
lifelong nemesis, supervillain sidekick Monkeywrench, might be one of
the most popular kids at his school, Scott begins to question his role.
How long can he stay on the sidelines and still hope to have a
life?"--Dust cover flap.


Enclave (aka Razorland) by Ann Aguirre




Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Feiwel and Friends

2011

262p.













In a
post-apocalyptic future, fifteen-year-old Deuce, a loyal Huntress,
brings back meat while avoiding the Freaks outside her enclave,
but when she is partnered with the mysterious outsider, Fade, she
begins to see that the strict ways of the elders may be wrong--and
dangerous.



Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry




Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry

Random House Books for Children

2011

233p.



Six months after the
fall of the Berlin Wall, three eighth-grade girls living on an American
military base with their families in Berlin try to save a Russian
soldier, who has been beaten and left for dead, by smuggling him to
Paris, where they are going to perform in a music competition.


Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys




Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Philomel Books

2011

344p.













In 1941,
fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their
Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father
is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life,
vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her
story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Based on the author's family,
includes a historical note.



One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin




One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin

Amulet Books

2011

207p.



The last remaining
orange tree on a Southern California street brings together neighbors of
all ages as they face their problems and anxieties, including the
possibility that a mysterious stranger is a threat to their tree.


All the World's a Stage by Gretchen Woelfe




All The World's a Stage: A Novel in Five Acts by Gretchen Woelfe

Holiday House

2011

163p.



Twelve-year-old orphan Christopher "Kit" Buckles becomes a stage boy in a London theater in 1598, tries his hand at acting, and later helps build the Globe Theater for playwright William Shakespeare and the Chamberlain's Men acting troupe.

The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg




The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg

Clarion Books

2011

250p.



A novel based on the true story of seventeen-year-old
Clara Estby's walk across America with her mother Helga in 1896, to win
a ten thousand dollar prize and save their home from foreclosure.


Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney




Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Little, Brown

2011

278p.





In 1936, three children meet at the Mercy Home for Negro Orphans in
New York State, and while not all three are orphans, they are all
dealing with grief and loss which together, along with the help of a sympathetic staff member and the boxing matches of Joe Louis, they manage to overcome. Includes author's notes.



Ten Miles Past Normal by Francis O'Roark Dowell




Ten Miles Past Normal by Francis O'Roark Dowell

Atheneum Books For Young Readers

2011

211p.













Because living with
"modern-hippy" parents on a goat farm means fourteen-year-old Janie
Gorman cannot have a normal high school
life, she tries joining Jam Band, making friends with Monster, and
spending time with elderly former civil rights workers.







Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry




Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

2011

151p.













Mouse
Mistress Hildegarde musters all her ingenuity to keep a large colony of
church mice safe from the exterminator and to see that they make it
through the dangerous Blessing of the Animals.



Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Partridge




Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Partridge

Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers

2011

229p.



In the summer
of 1980 before she starts junior high school in Santa Rosa, California,
Tracy, who was adopted from Vietnam when she was six years old, finds
an old ammo box with a dog tag and picture that bring up painful memories for both her Vietnam-veteran father and her.


Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle




Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck by Margarita Engle

Henry Holt

2011

145p.



Quebrado has been a slave on captain Bernadino de Talavera's pirate ship for years, but when a hurricane sinks the ship and kills most of the crew, Quebrado escapes to safety and finds acceptance and refuge in a nearby village.

The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson




The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson

Delacorte Press

2011

176p.









Throughout the twentieth century, Miss Kanagawa, one of fifty-eight
dolls made to serve as ambassadors from Japan to the United States,
travels the country learning to love while changing the lives of those
who need her.