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| Last Day on Mars by Kevin EmersonScience Fiction. Years ago, when the sun went supernova and destroyed the Earth, humanity fled to Mars and began searching for a safer solar system. Now, as 13-year-olds Liam and Phoebe wait to board the last starliner to the human colony's new home on Aaru-5, an explosion knocks out their scientist parents. Before the shocked friends can report the sabotage, the starliner takes off without them, catapulting Liam and Phoebe into a pulse-pounding race to catch the ship -- and warn the colony -- before it's too late. Featuring spaceships, time travel, extraterrestrials, and an AI panda called JEFF, this fast-paced trilogy opener is sure to grab science fiction fans. |
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| Frogkisser! by Garth NixFantasy. Princess Anya's quest had just one goal: to collect ingredients for an anti-transmogrification lip balm. After her sister's suitor, Prince Denholm, was turned into a frog by the scheming Duke Rikard, bookish Anya promised she'd reverse the spell. But now that she -- along with froggy Denholm and talking dog Ardent -- is traveling the kingdom and meeting all kinds of transmogrified people, Anya's quest is getting more complicated. Encounters with wizards, witches, outlaws, and vicious weasel warriors add humor and intrigue to this clever, thought-provoking fantasy. For further fairy tale mash-ups starring intrepid princesses, try Megan Morrison's Tyme series. |
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Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright
by Chris Riddell
More from Ada and her friends at Ghastly-Gorm Hall in the third book in the Goth Girl series, sequel to Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse and Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death.
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| Short by Holly Goldberg SloanFiction. She can't sing or dance, but middle school dreamer Julia Marks is just the right height to play a munchkin in a summer production of The Wizard of Oz. Skeptical about the theater and sensitive about being short, Julia's not exactly excited about the role -- at least not until she bonds with elderly costume genius Mrs. Chang, supportive director Shawn, and fellow munchkin Olive (an adult who's Julia's height), and she starts to see that being small can't stop her from dreaming big. Authentic backstage friendships make this upbeat read perfect for fans of Andrew Keenan-Bolger's Jack & Louisa series. |
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Books You Might Have Missed in 2016
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| Soar by Joan BauerFiction. Despite his love of the game, playing baseball isn't an option for 12-year-old Jeremiah -- not after his heart transplant. He can still coach, though, and that's just what he hopes to do as a newcomer to down-and-out Hillcrest, Ohio. Hillcrest's once-thriving school baseball teams are faltering in the aftermath a tragic scandal, but with Jeremiah's unflagging enthusiasm and the right mix of players, they might be able to bounce back and restore the town's morale in the process. Strong, well-drawn characters in tough situations fill the pages of this "triumphant and moving" (School Library Journal) underdog story. |
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| Hour of the Bees by Lindsay EagarMagical Realism. "Once upon a time, there was a tree." That's how all of Grandpa Serge's stories begin, and each story is so fantastical that Carol -- whose family is visiting Serge in New Mexico to help him move into assisted living -- thinks they must by touched by his dementia. Yet as she learns more about the Mexican side of her bicultural family -- and as she begins seeing supposedly magical bees -- Carol's perspective changes, leading her to a deeper understanding of herself and making her wonder if Serge's impossible stories might be true. Similar to Laura Resau's The Lightning Queen, Hour of the Bees is a captivating tale that spans generations. |
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The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
by Janet Fox
Historical Fantasy. Going to school in a remote, crumbling Scottish castle has got to be safer than being in London during the Blitz, right? Clever 12-year-old Kat Bateson isn't so sure. It's 1940, and she's been sent to Rookskill Castle to escape the bombs, but what she finds there might be equally frightening: ghostly children haunt the twisty halls, a Nazi spy may be hiding in their midst, and the creepy headmistress doesn't seem entirely human. Part horror, part fantasy, and part spy thriller, this intricately plotted World War II story will grab readers of all kinds, especially those who love Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
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The stolen chapters
by James Riley
In the follow-up to The Story Thieves, mysteries abound as amnesiac Owen Conners, boy magician Kiel Gnomenfoot and their half-fictional friend Bethany confront secrets, stolen memories, hidden clues, surprising twists and endings, and some very familiar faces. Simultaneous eBook.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Avon Lake Public Library 32649 Electric Blvd. Avon Lake, Ohio 44012 440-933-8128alpl.org |
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