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| The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie AndersonWhat it's about: At age 12, Marinka is already training to take over her grandmother's role as a Yaga, a guardian who guides the dead through the gates to the afterlife. But Marinka longs for more: a permanent home (not just a traveling, chicken-legged house) and a real, living friend.
Try this next: For another creepy yet touching spin on Russian folk tales, try Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola.
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| Small Spaces by Katherine ArdenIntroducing: Ollie, a bookish sixth-grader who realizes that the scary antique book she's been reading is actually local history -- and that her entire class might be in danger unless Ollie and her new friends can save them.
Featuring: scarecrows, shapeshifters, a smiling specter, and a frightening journey through a fog-shrouded forest.
Series alert: Set during autumn in Vermont, this spooky chiller is the 1st in a seasonal 4-book series. |
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| Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows by Ryan CalejoWhat it's about: First, Charlie Hernández's house burns down and his parents vanish. Then he grows feathers and horns (awkward!). Now, the legends he learned from his beloved abuela -- La Llorona, El Sombrerón, Justo Juez -- are coming to life.
Read it for: exciting action, a likable hero, and a winning blend of Hispanic and Latin American myths. You might also like: J.C. Cervantes' The Storm Runner, which offers a modern take on Maya mythology. |
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| Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda CruzWelcome to: Manila North Cemetery, home to 12-year-old Nora and her mom.
What happens: After losing her father and dropping out of school to work, Nora's no stranger to tough times. But when her mom disappears, Nora faces her toughest challenge yet: trusting in help from her neighbors.
Did you know? The cemetery shantytown in this heartbreaking but hopeful story is a real place in the Philippines. |
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| You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex GinoFeaturing: Jilly, who's 12 years old, white, and obsessed with fantasy books; her friend and fellow fan Derek, who's black and Deaf; and her baby sister Emma, who's hearing impaired.
What happens: While trying to stick up for the people share cares about, confident Jilly begins to realize how much she doesn't know.
Why you might like it: Similar to the way in which George (author Alex Gino's first book) encourages you to be yourself, Jilly's story will inspire you to learn more about others. |
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| I'm Ok by Patti KimStarring: Ok Lee, a sixth-grade loner who tries to help his struggling family through get-rich-quick schemes.
What happens: After his hair-braiding business causes a stir, Ok decides to roller-skate his way to the school talent contest's cash prize. Meanwhile, he worries that a deacon from their church is getting too close to his widowed mom.
About the author: Korean American author Patti Kim brings honesty, humor, and real-life experience to Ok's story. |
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| It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison LevyWhat it's about: Who vandalized Theo's photos in the school gallery? All five suspects claim innocence, so their teacher puts them -- and Theo -- in a "justice circle" where they can get to know each other...and eventually uncover the truth.
For fans of: author Dana Alison Levy's Family Fletcher series (Jax Fletcher is one of the suspects), as well as other realistic reads that break down middle-school stereotypes. |
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| Bluecrowne: A Greenglass House Story by Kate MilfordWhat it's about: After spending her childhood at sea, captain's daughter Lucy Bluecrowne dreads the boredom of living ashore. But she's not bored for long: shortly after they move to Nagspeake, her pyrotechnically talented half-brother Liao is kidnapped by a mysterious time traveler.
Series alert: Though it stands alone as a thrilling mashup of history, fantasy, and science fiction, this prequel to The Left-Handed Fate also includes clever connections to the author's Greenglass House and Boneshaker series. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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