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| Pie in the Sky by Remy LaiWhat it’s about: After the loss of his father, 12-year-old Jingwen immigrates to Australia with his family. Though his brother Yanghao has no trouble fitting in, Jingwen feels like an alien. The only thing that makes him feel better is baking the cakes he dreamed up with his dad -- an activity he has to hide from his strict mother.
Read it for: an easy-to-read blend of words and crisp cartoon art (think Raina Telgemeier or Gene Luen Yang). |
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| Just Jaime by Terri LibensonWhat it is: the illustrated story of Jaime and Maya, two best friends who might be former best friends before the day is over.
Why you might like it: Because it’s told from both girls’ points of view, you’ll understand why Jaime feels betrayed when Maya starts freezing her out, as well as why Maya feels pressured by pushy, popular Celia.
For fans of: Shannon Hale’s Real Friends or Victoria Jamieson’s All’s Faire in Middle School. |
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| Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole PanteleakosWhat it’s about: It’s 1986, and as 12-year-old Nova counts down the days to the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, she tries to adjust to yet another new foster family and longs for her runaway sister, Bridget, to return.
Why you might like it: Nova is autistic and hardly ever speaks -- she’s “a thinker, not a talker,” and in this hopeful story, you get to experience her thoughts and feelings right along with her. |
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The Chupacabras of the Río Grande
by Adam Gidwitz
What it's about: A new adventure begins for Elliot and Uchenna when Professor Fauna bursts into their classroom with a frightening report from the Texas-Mexico border: something has completely drained the blood from a cow’s body! The team must fly to Laredo, where tempers are running high.
Also by Adam Gidwitz: A Tale Dark and Grimm, The Creature of the Pines, Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot, and more!
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All the Greys on Greene Street
by Laura Tucker
What it's about: Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures, and Ollie roams the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex. Then everything falls apart. Olympia knows her dad is the key -- but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
About Laura Tucker: Laura Tucker is a writer and former literary agent who has coauthored books on a wide range of topics, including health, fitness, parenting, and self-help. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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| Other Words for Home by Jasmine WargaWhat it’s about: “Be brave” are the last words Jude’s brother says to her before she and Mama flee from the growing violence in Syria and move in with relatives in the United States. Being brave is hard, though, as Jude worries for the family she left behind and discovers that America is nothing like the movies she loves.
For fans of: Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out & Back Again, and other touching stories told through poetry about family, immigration, and belonging. |
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| The Wild Robot by Peter BrownStarring: Roz, short for ROZZUM unit 7134, a highly advanced robot who washes up on a remote island.
What happens: Roz begins learning everything she can about her new home: how to stay safe, how to communicate with her animal neighbors, and how to care for the abandoned gosling she adopts.
Series alert: Be sure to pick up the sequel, The Wild Robot Escapes, to find out what happens next in this illustrated wilderness survival story. |
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| Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands by Katherine RoyWelcome to: the Farallon Islands, near San Francisco, where scientists study some of the world's most famous predators: great white sharks.
Who it’s for: shark fans of all kinds, whether you’re more interested in the book’s treasure trove of shark facts (did you know that they have projectile jaws?) or in its dramatic, bloody illustrations of sharks on the hunt. |
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| Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren WolkWhat it’s about: After being rescued as a baby from the water near Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, Crow grows up with her adoptive father Osh and their friend Miss Maggie. When a fire appears on a nearby abandoned island, Crow's curiosity about her birth family is ignited, and she sets out in search of answers.
Why you might like it: Set in the 1920s, this poetic and bittersweet tale of hidden treasure (and other long-buried secrets) might leave you longing for seafaring adventure. |
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