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| The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer BellIvy Sparrow and her big brother Seb discover a city beneath London where ordinary objects have magical powers.
If you enjoyed the vivid magical world, creepy villains, and charming wordplay in the Harry Potter series, you won't want to miss this 1st book in the Uncommoners trilogy. |
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| The Jolly Regina by Kara LaReau; illustrated by Jen HillOne day, the Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates. They're unwillingly swept into a high-seas romp that might just lead to solving the mystery of what happened to their parents.
Cartoon illustrations and buckets of "booty" puns add to the humor in this swashbuckling tale. |
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| Molly and Pim and the Millions of Stars by Martine MurrayMolly longs for normalcy but when her mother accidentally turns herself into a tree, Molly must embrace all the things she has tried to run away from.
Tinged with magic but rooted in everyday life, this story of family and friendship will charm readers who like realistic fiction with a fairy-tale feel. |
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| The Harlem Charade by Natasha TarpleyWhile helping at her grandparents' Harlem bodega, seventh-grader Jin notices lots of things that other people don't see -- such as her classmate Alex, who secretly uses her family's wealth to help her neighbors.
For further urban mysteries starring smart young sleuths, pick up Elizabeth Eulberg's The Great Shelby Holmes or Blue Balliett's Pieces and Players. |
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| Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer TorresEstefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for Papi to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop seeing her as the Taco Queen.
Breezy and sprinkled with Spanish, Stef Soto, Taco Queen serves up a fresh, warm-hearted slice of life. |
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| Mr. and Mrs. Bunny -- Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath; illustrated by Sophie BlackallDiscovering that her parents have been kidnapped by disreputable foxes, sensible fifth-grader Madeline joins forces with Mr. and Mrs. Bunny (a pair of fedora-wearing, amateur detective rabbits) in order to find and rescue them.
If you like fantastical tales with a slightly old-fashioned feel and both humans and talking animals as characters, hippity-hop right to the library and check out Mr. and Mrs. Bunny -- Detectives Extraordinaire! and its sequel, Lord and Lady Bunny -- Almost Royalty! |
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| Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill; illustrated by LeUyen PhamIt's the 1920s, and Bo was headed for an Alaska orphanage when she won the hearts of two tough gold miners who set out to raise her, enthusiastically helped by all the kind people of the nearby Eskimo village.
Readers will be fascinated by the diverse characters, authentic details, and expressive illustrations in this endearingly simple tale. If you like Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, you should definitely check out Bo at Ballard Creek. |
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| The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison LevyThe Fletcher boys find their plans for success veering off in unexpected and sometimes diastrous directions. And at home, their miserable new neighbor complains about everything. As the year continues, the boys learn the hard and often hilarious lesson that sometimes what you least expect is what you come to care about the most.
Find out in this lively family story, which is followed by a sequel, The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island. For similar stories featuring sisters instead of brothers, don't miss Jeanne Birdsall's Penderwicks series. |
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| The Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara PennypackerTwelve-year-old Stella has a happy life on Cape Cod with her great-aunt Louise, although she isn't too fond of Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. But then something terrible happens, and Stella and Angel are forced to become a team -- or else they'll both be uprooted and sent away.
Intense, deeply emotional, and yet at times surprisingly funny, this story of friendship and survival is one that fans of Kathi Appelt's more fantastical but still mostly realistic book Keeper are bound to enjoy. |
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| The Fantastic Family Whipple by Matthew WardFor every child who's ever dreamed of being in the Guinness Book of World Records comes the story of eleven-year-old Arthur Whipple and his fantastic family of world record breakers...
Those who enjoy the quirky characters and over-the-top humor in The Fantastic Family Whipple should be sure to check out the sequel, War of the World Records. |
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