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Kids' Books September 2020
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| Once Upon a Unicorn by Lou AndersWelcome to: the Whisperwoods of the Glistening Isles, where unlikely friends Curious (a unicorn scientist) and Midnight (a flaming night mare) get into hot water with the Wicked Fairies.
Read it for: a pumpkin-headed villain; a fast-moving plot; an army of monsters; and chapter titles that will make you laugh out loud. (For instance: "Is This the End? But There Are Still So Many Chapters Left.")
Who it's for: anyone who likes funny fantasy or unusual unicorn tales. |
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| Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. BaptistWhat it's about: After his father dies and his family moves into a run-down motel, Isaiah Dunn doesn't feel very heroic. Still, he clings to his dad's notebook of amazing superhero stories -- all starring Isaiah -- and through them, he looks for a way forward.
Why you might like it: Isaiah is easy to root for, whether you relate to the tough times he's going through or whether you, too, dream of being a superhero. |
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| Your Place in the Universe by Jason ChinThe question: How big is the universe compared to a kid like you?
The answers: Well, the average 8-year-old kid is taller than a book... but while an ostrich is twice as tall as a kid, a redwood tree is way taller than an ostrich, and Mount Everest is taller still, that's nothing compared to Earth's distance from the edge of the known universe!
Art alert: The eye-popping illustrations zoom in and out, giving you lots of different points of view. |
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| Kodi by Jared CullumFeaturing: two unlikely friends -- shy comics fan Katya and Kodi, a giant Kodiak bear.
What happens: Katya and Kodi bond after the girl helps the injured bear during a storm in the Alaskan woods, but their friendship is tested when Katya goes home to Seattle, prompting Kodi to venture into the city to find her.
Read it for: the heartwarming story and the funny, charming artwork (huge, fuzzy Kodi is especially lovable). |
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| The Silver Arrow by Lev GrossmanWhat it's about: For Kate's 11th birthday, her eccentric uncle gives her a highly unusual steam train. It communicates with playful print-outs, is fully stocked with candy and books, and comes with an important mission: to conduct endangered talking animals to new habitats around the world.
Why you might like: The Silver Arrow combines whimsical adventure with a serious look at Earth's changing environment.
For fans of: classic offbeat fantasy authors such as Roald Dahl and Daniel Pinkwater. |
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| Out of the Wild Night by Blue BalliettWhat it's about: When greedy outsiders begin flipping the ramshackle old houses of Nantucket, the island's ghosts start fighting back with help from a gang of local kids.
Why you might like it: Similar to author Blue Balliett's other mysteries, this twisty tale takes you deep into the past and present of a fascinating real-life place. |
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| A Small Zombie Problem by K.G. CampbellStarring: lonely August DuPont, who's never been allowed outside his family’s ramshackle mansion until he goes to visit an aunt he didn’t know he had.
What happens: August gets a crash course in eerie family history, as well as a new companion: Claudette, the undead relative who follows him home.
Series alert: This goofy and ghoulish illustrated book is the 1st in the Zombie Problems series. |
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| Watch Hollow by Gregory FunaroWhat it’s about: With their father’s clock shop failing, Oliver and Lucy Tinker know that their family has no choice but to accept a very strange offer: move to Blackford House in Watch Hollow so that their dad can fix its gigantic -- and possibly supernatural -- cuckoo clock.
Read it for: page-turning tension, magical clockwork, lurking evil, and an eerie, enchanted forest.
For fans of: Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
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Winchester Public Library 80 Washington St. Winchester, Massachusetts 01890 781-721-7171www.winpublib.org/ |
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