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| Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell BoyceScience Fiction. To most people, Sputnik looks like a cute dog -- only foster kid Prez can see that Sputnik is actually an alien in a kilt and aviator goggles. Sputnik can hear Prez's thoughts (handy, since Prez doesn't talk) and he's come to Earth with a mission: to find 10 reasons for saving the planet from its scheduled destruction. An expert list-maker after years of living with his forgetful grandpa, Prez joins Sputnik's quest, leading to a summer filled with gravity surfing, jailbreaking, lightsaber incidents, and other over-the-top adventures. Quirky and heartfelt, this science fiction story can be enjoyed by all kinds of readers. |
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The unexpected life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts : being an absolutely accurate autobiographical account of my follies, fortunes & fate written by himself
by Avi
Fiction. In the seaside town of Melcombe Regis, England, 1724, Oliver Cromwell Pitts wakes to find his father missing and his house flooded by a recent storm. He’s alone in his ruined home with no money and no food. Oliver’s father has left behind a barely legible waterlogged note: he’s gone to London, where Oliver’s sister, Charity, is in trouble. Exploring damage to the town in the storm’s aftermath, Oliver discovers a shipwreck on the beach. Removing anything from a wrecked ship is a hanging offense, but Oliver finds money that could save him, and he can’t resist the temptation to take it. When his crime is discovered, Oliver flees, following the trail of his father and sister. The journey is full of thieves, adventurers, and treachery--and London might be the most dangerous place of all.
In the tradition of his Newbery Honor book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi mixes high adventure and short, page-turning chapters with a vivid historical setting featuring a cast of highwaymen, pickpockets, and villainous criminal masterminds.
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The forgetting spell
by Lauren Myracle
Fiction. The Forgetting Spell is beloved and bestselling author Lauren Myracle’s second book in the unforgettable Wishing Day series, perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Ingrid Law. Most people in Willow Hill think Darya is the prickliest of the Blok sisters. What they don’t realize is that on the inside, Darya is soft and gooey from feeling everything, all the time. When Darya turns thirteen, the goo gets stickier—and as Darya’s Wishing Day approaches, all she wants is to forget the silly tradition ever existed. Except . . . she can’t. Ten years ago, a wish made by Darya’s mother splintered their family into pieces. Last year, Darya’s sister Natasha wished for their broken mother to return. The past is something you’re supposed to leave behind. Which is why Darya has locked and sealed her most painful memories inside the far corners of her mind, where they can no longer hurt her. But when some of them begin to leak out, Darya realizes the decision about what to wish for—and what not to wish for—is probably the most important choice of her life.
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Posted
by John David Anderson
Fiction. In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever. When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes—though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well. In the middle of this, a new girl named Rose arrives at school and sits at Frost’s lunch table. Rose is not like anyone else at Branton Middle School, and it’s clear that the close circle of friends Frost has made for himself won’t easily hold another. As the sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure to choose sides mounts, Frost soon realizes that after this year, nothing will ever be the same. From John David Anderson, author of the acclaimed Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, comes a humorous, poignant, and original contemporary story about bullying, broken friendships, and the failures of communication between kids.
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| Orphan Island by Laurel SnyderFiction. "Nine on an island, orphans all, any more the sky might fall." Those are the rules. Each year, a boat delivers a new youngest child to the island and takes away the Elder, so that there are always nine orphans to share the cabins, the shabby books, and the food they gather from nature. When it's Jinny's turn to be the Elder, however, she decides to challenge the rules -- but is she ready to deal with the consequences? Anyone who's ever doubted the way things are done will relate to rebellious Jinny, while the mysterious island will leave you with lots of fascinating questions to talk about. |
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Focus on: Canadian Authors
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| Seaglass Summer by Anjali BanerjeeFiction. During a month-long visit with her veterinarian uncle, Sanjay, 11-year-old Poppy gets a chance to try out her dream job. Her mom's allergies prevent her from having a pet, but as a helper at the Furry Friends Animal Clinic, Poppy meets more pets than she can handle – cats, dogs, and even a bird. She also makes friends (both human and animal) and learns just how messy, sad, weird, and satisfying it can be to work with animals. Wanna-be vets and other animal lovers who can't get enough of determined Poppy may also enjoy the spunky heroine of Jacqueline Kelly's Calpurnia Tate series. |
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| One Year in Coal Harbor by Polly HorvathFiction. Primrose Squab's parents are back after a year of being lost at sea, and life is returning to normal -- or at least what passes for normal in the eccentric village of Coal Harbor, British Columbia. As a local logging company stirs up unrest, Primrose sets her sights on learning to cook, nudging along the romance between her Uncle Jack and Miss Bowzer, and making friends with Ked, new foster kid staying with Primrose's former foster parents. Sprinkled with recipes you can try (especially if you like mini-marshmallows), this witty and bittersweet sequel can be enjoyed by anyone, but will be more fun if you've already read Everything on a Waffle. |
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| Blue Mountain by Martine LeavittAnimal Fantasy. With humans moving closer and closer to bighorn sheep territory, young Tuk knows it's time to lead his herd to the safety of the legendary blue mountain, where no humans live. To survive the journey (which includes encounters with humans, wolves, bears, steep paths, and dangerous bogs), Tuk will need to rely not only on his courage, but also on bighorn knowledge passed down through the generations. Told in the poetic, exciting style of traditional folk tales, this "timeless yet fresh" (Kirkus Reviews) book will appeal to fans of animal survival stories such as Kenneth Oppel's Silverwing Saga or Jean Craighead George's Ice Whale. |
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| The Nest by Kenneth OppelFantasy/Horror. Steven's baby brother is sick, and while his whole family is worried, Steven is having dreams about an eerie winged creature who promises to help. At first he thinks the creature might be an angel, but as her behavior becomes more alarming -- and the unusual wasp nest on Steven's house grows larger -- Steven realizes that something more sinister than illness is threatening his family. While it begins as a realistic story, The Nest steadily grows creepier, building to a breathless, terrifying climax. For a less disturbing look at a similar situation, pick up David Almond's Skellig. |
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| The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma TrevayneFantasy. The note on the body ends with a warning: "Tell no one!" As grave robbers in Victorian England, 11-year-old Thomas and his father have dug up a lot of bodies, but this one is unusual -- not only because of the note, but because it looks just like Thomas, right down to his birthmark. Determined to find the truth about the identical boy, Thomas is soon tangled up in a bizarre mystery involving faeries, spirits, séances, and secrets. Like Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, this creepy yet whimsical fantasy oozes with suspense. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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