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Out to Get You: 13 Tales of Weirdness and Woe
by Josh Allen
What it's about: a collection of thirteen short stories that reveals frightening secrets lurking in everyday objects.
What's inside: A friend mysteriously vanishes. The figures on a street sign change places. A straight-laced teacher gets a creative form of discipline for her "problematic" classroom-management style. Paper-towel dispensers produce ominous messages. Even the shadows get bad ideas. For everything, there's a price or a consequence. Which kids can beat the odds and figure out a way for their lives to go back to normal? Or, is normal the real myth in this wondrously eerie world?
For fans of: classic nightmare fodder like Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
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| Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi; illustrated by Corinna LuykenStarring: birdhouse-builder Lark and robot-maker Penny Rose, who become best friends and promise to protect their shared secret: Penny Rose’s robots are alive.
What happens: Penny Rose gets a long-awaited invitation to the Secret Science Society, but if she wants to join, she’ll have to reveal her robots and ruin her friendship with Lark.
Who it’s for: makers, tinkerers, and scientists, as well as readers looking for smart, spunky characters. |
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| Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home by Bridget FarrWhat it’s about: Longtime foster kid Pavi Sharma is an expert on foster care survival, and for a fee of Hot Cheetos, she teaches other kids what she knows. When she finds out that five-year-old Meridee is about to be placed with a terrible foster family, Pavi knows she has to act fast -- and that means recruiting a team of helpers.
Read it for: a realistic, fast-paced story filled with memorable characters. |
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Benchwarmers
by John Feinstein
Introducing: Jeff and Andi. Twelve-year-old Jeff Michaels, son of a Philadelphia TV sports reporter, is just learning to play soccer on the new sixth-grade team at his middle school. Andrea Carillo has fought her way onto the squad, but the coach doesn't think girls should play with boys, so she's riding the bench with Jeff--even though she's one of the best players.
What's inside: This action-packed sports novel is told by two kids who may be "benchwarmers" but prove to be naturals when it comes to teamwork, friendship, and finding a path to victory.
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| Kondo & Kezumi Visit Giant Island by David Goodner; illustrated by Andrea TsurumiIntroducing: big yellow Kondo and little orange Kezumi, two island creatures who find a map in a bottle, build a bathtub boat, and set sail on a journey of exploration.
What’s inside: friendly monsters, cute fluffle-bunnies, an island of cheese, and a talking volcano named Albert.
Is it for you? If you want an easy-to-read chapter book or you love animation-style artwork, this cheerful adventure might be just right! |
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The Best at It
by Maulik Pancholy
What it's about: Rahul Kapoor is heading into seventh grade in a small town in Indiana. The start of middle school is making him feel increasingly anxious, so his favorite person in the whole world, his grandfather, Bhai, gives him some well-meaning advice: Find one thing you're really good at and become the BEST at it. But what if he discovers that he isn't the best at anything?
Read this next: For another hilarious and heartfelt novel featuring a protagonist discovering his LGBTQ identity, try Better Nate than Ever by Time Federle.
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Anya and the Dragon
by Sofiya Pasternack
What it's about: a story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village. When her family's livelihood is threatened by a bigoted magistrate, Anya is lured in by a friendly family of fools, who promise her money in exchange for helping them capture the last dragon in Kievan Rus. This seems easy enough, until she finds out that the scary old dragon isn't as old--or as scary--as everyone thought. Now Anya is faced with a choice: save the dragon, or save her family.
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| Malamander by Thomas TaylorWelcome to: the resort town of Eerie-on-Sea, where determined Violet Parma enlists orphaned Herbie Lemon in the search for her long-missing parents, causing both kids to tangle with local monster-hunters on the trail of the legendary Malamander.
Read it for: clever clues, close calls, and a colorful cast of characters, not to mention a misty, mysterious setting.
Series alert: If you’re hooked by this seaside escapade, you’re in luck -- it’s the 1st in a series. |
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Guts
by Raina Telgemeier
What it's about: Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?
Series alert: This is the long-awaited followup to Raina Telgemeier's graphic memoirs, Smile and Sisters.
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| Stargazing by Jen WangWhat it’s about: Although they’re from the same Chinese American community, well-behaved Christine doesn’t have much in common with hot-tempered, artsy Moon. Yet when the girls become neighbors, they soon find themselves sharing secrets and K-pop videos -- until jealousy and upsetting news threaten their newfound friendship.
Art alert: warm colors and expressive illustrations add energy to this honest, heartfelt graphic novel.
For fans of: Shannon Hale and Raina Telgemeier. |
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| The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay CurrieWhat it’s about: After witnessing a series of weird and unsettling things, seventh-grader Tessa becomes convinced that her family’s new home is haunted, leading her and her friends to dig into the house’s hair-raising history.
What’s inside: cold patches, unseen footsteps, a color-changing painting, and a crying ventriloquist dummy.
Reviewers say: this spooky mystery is a "perfect flashlight read" (Booklist). |
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| Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania Del Rio; illustrated by Will Staehle What it’s about: In order to save his family’s creaky, crumbling hotel from his witchy aunt, 12-year-old Warren joins an unusual group of guests in the search for the All-Seeing Eye, a magical treasure rumored to be hidden within the hotel.
Who it’s for: With its gothic illustrations, puzzling mysteries, and slightly sinister humor, this series starter is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket, Pseudonymous Bosch, and Brian Selznick. |
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| The Girl in the Locked Room by Mary Downing HahnWhat it's about: Jules has lived in lots of old mansions (her dad restores them), but Oak Hill gives her an uneasy feeling -- and that's before she sees an eerie shadow through the window of a locked upstairs room.
Read it for: a nameless ghost, a centuries-old murder, and a page-turning mystery.
For fans of: paranormal stories that are eerie but not leave-the-lights-on scary. |
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| Nooks & Crannies by Jessica LawsonWhat it’s about: Aspiring detective Tabitha Crum is one of six children who've been invited to the creepy mansion of Countess Camilla DeMoss, who believes one of them might be her lost grandchild. As if that weren’t curious enough, a mysterious death occurs in the house just as a sudden snowstorm traps everyone inside.
Why you might like it: Set in 1907, Nooks & Crannies has the satisfying feel of an old-fashioned whodunit.
You might also like: Kate Milford's Greenglass House, a more modern tale of snowbound intrigue. |
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| The Secret of Goldenrod by Jane O'ReillyWhat it’s about: When Trina and her dad move to New Royal, Iowa, to renovate an abandoned Victorian mansion called Goldenrod, Trina starts to believe the town gossip about the house being haunted -- especially after she discovers Augustine, a talking porcelain doll who might be the key to Goldenrod’s hidden history.
Why you might like it: the combination of ghostly mystery with Trina’s realistic worries about fitting in makes The Secret of Goldenrod a fascinating read. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-12! |
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Morton Grove Public Library 6140 Lincoln Ave Morton Grove, Illinois 60053 (847) 965-4220www.mgpl.org/ |
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