"If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn't call it genius." ~ Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Italian artist
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| Ruby on the Outside by Nora Raleigh BaskinFiction. Ruby Danes keeps the two sides of her life strictly separate. Afraid to tell people that her mom is on the "inside" -- she's been in prison since Ruby was little -- Ruby avoids making "outside" friends who might wonder why she lives with her aunt. Then Margalit moves into the neighborhood, and Ruby's boundaries start to crumble. Margalit is the best friend she's ever had -- can she be trusted with the truth? Whether or not you've ever struggled with a big secret, you won't soon forget this thoughtful story about family, friendship, honesty, and acceptance. |
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| Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss BertmanMystery. Even though her family moves once a year, Emily can always keep playing Book Scavenger, an online game in which players solve puzzles that lead to books hidden in public places. Emily's new home, San Francisco, is also home to Book Scavenger's creator, Garrison Griswold. After robbers attack Griswold and endanger the future of Book Scavenger, Emily and her new neighbor James discover an unusual book that might save the game -- assuming they can decipher its clues before the criminals find them. Similar to Blue Balliett's books, this twisty puzzle mystery offers a vivid setting and features real-life works of art. |
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| Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day GeorgeHistorical Fantasy. Wolves follow the Orient Express as it carries wealthy American cousins Dacia and Louisa into Romania, and that's just the first of many eerie events that plague their visit to the ancient home of their relatives, the Florescus. While navigating the high fashion and dashing suitors of the elite social scene in 1897 Europe, Dacia and Lou also inherit the Florescus' supernatural powers, and are plunged into a conspiracy to help sinister Prince Mihai (of the Dracula family) gain the Romanian crown. Combining manners and marriage offers with shapeshifters, secret societies, and treason, this gothic fantasy is perfect pick for fans of Gail Carriger's Finishing School series. |
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| How to Babysit a Leopard: and Other True Stories From Our Travels Across Six... by Ted and Betsy LewinNonfiction. For over 40 year and across six continents, Ted and Betsy Lewin have chased adventure. Now, the talented author/illustrator team (who are also husband and wife) present the highlights of their international journeys: narrowly escaping a lion in Botswana, riding in a Norwegian reindeer sled, encountering both spiders and mushrooms the size of dinner plates, and meeting bullfighters, shamans, lepers, wrestlers, and many more people from all walks of life. Written in short, breezy chapters with photos and illustrations on every page, How to Babysit a Leopard is a fast (and fascinating) read for anyone who longs to travel the globe. |
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| The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick DetorieIllustrated Fiction. Film-obsessed high-school freshman Larkin Pace has grand plans to be the King of Hollywood someday, but in the meantime, he's chronicling his experiences in a "notebook blog" as he tries to raise money for a new video camera, avoid his annoying sister, and get a date with the girl who has been his best friend since third grade. Told in written chapters interspersed with comics, this funny, angst- and mishap-filled story of an accidental genius (someone who, according to Larkin, "possesses an awesome talent that happens to be totally useless") will make you smile. |
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| The Genius Wars by Catherine JinksScience Fiction. Teen computer genius Cadel Piggot is settling into the normal life he's always wanted when his friends and family become the victims of a suspicious series of "accidents." As it turns out, Cadel's former guardian and current nemesis, the evil mastermind Prosper English, is behind the supposed mishaps, and the authorities aren't nearly clever enough to stop him...but Cadel might be. Readers who crave suspense, hacker hijinks, and plenty of plot twists and action (say, Alex Rider fans?) will be thrilled by this trilogy, which began with Evil Genius and concludes in this book. |
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| Ungifted by Gordon KormanFiction. Expecting to be expelled after his latest prank goes spectacularly (and very expensively) wrong, eighth-grade troublemaker Donovan Curtis is instead admitted -- by mistake -- to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special school for gifted and talented students. But Donovan isn't telling anyone about the administrative error; he's just going to keep his head down and hide out among the brainy kids. Or at least, that's the plan... Donovan's experience as a sort of stowaway at ASD is one that fans of funny, character-driven, feel-good stories will love reading about.
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| I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh LiebFiction. Seventh-grader Oliver Watson, billionaire super-genius and by his own account "unceasingly, unreservedly, unspeakably evil," has managed to pass himself off as the dumbest boy in his class in order to keep his wealth and power a secret. And now he's running for class president. If he can oust foreign dictators, what's one little school election? If you loved Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid books or Stephan Pastis' Timmy Failure series, you'll get a kick out of this diabolically funny book. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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