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| Forever Home by Jenna AyoubThis is a free downloadable eBook found on CMRLS.Freading.com
What it's about: Tired of moving every couple of years with her military parents, Willow is determined to make a home in historic Hadleigh House -- even though it's already occupied by a slew of stubborn spirits.
Why you might like it: Well-versed in horror movies, Willow is a fearless and funny heroine, and her upbeat attitude is echoed in this graphic novel's lively, animation-style illustrations. |
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| Houdini and Me by Dan GutmanStarring: 21st-century New York City kid Harry Mancini, an expert on 20th-century illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini.
What happens: When Harry begins getting magical texts from Houdini's ghost, he's amazed and thrilled… until Houdini suggests an alarming feat: swapping bodies and time periods with Harry.
Author alert: If you love author Dan Gutman's series (such as My Weird School and The Genius Files), don't miss this witty, fast-paced fantasy. |
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| Simon B. Rhymin' by Dwayne ReedWhat it's about: In his head, Chicago 5th-grader Simon Barnes is a world-famous rapper. In real life, though, he's the short, shy kid in the background. Can a chance to help out a neighbor be the push Simon needs to share his rhymes out loud?
Read it for: realistic characters (author Dwayne Reed is a 4th grade teacher), an upbeat vibe, and plenty of rap breaks to keep the pages turning. |
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| Granted by John David AndersonThis is a free downloadable eBook found on CMRLS.Freading.com
Welcome to: the Haven, where fairy Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets has just gotten her first assignment to fulfill a human's wish.
What happens: Traveling in the human world is tough for tiny Ophelia, but she finds friendship with homeless dog Sam. As she gets closer to her goal, however, she can't stop wondering: who decides which wishes are important, and why?
Try this next: For further feel-good fantasies focused on wishes, try Faith Harkey's Genuine Sweet or Lauren Myracle's Wishing Day. |
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| The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah HendersonThis is a free downloadable eBook found on CMRLS.Freading.com
The setup: After messing up his audition for the school musical, 11-year-old dancer and rapper Ailey confides in his Grampa, who confesses his own childhood regret and offers a magical gift: a pair of tap shoes that transport Ailey to Grampa's youth in 1939 Harlem.
The question: Can changing Grampa's past help Ailey change his own future?
You might also like: Rita Williams-Garcia's Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, another moving story about a kid finding himself through his grandfather's legacy. |
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| Orphan Island by Laurel SnyderThe rules: Each year, a boat delivers a new youngest child to the magical island of orphans. Then the boat takes away the Elder, so that there are always nine kids remaining.
The rulebreaker: When it's Jinny's turn to be the Elder, she refuses to leave, upsetting the island's peaceful balance.
Why you might like it: This unusual, mysterious fantasy will make you ask questions about the way things are done on the island, as well as in the real world. |
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Brave in the woods
by Tracy Holczer
What it's about: After her brother goes missing in Afghanistan, twelve-year-old Juni sets out to break a family curse in hopes it will bring her brother safely home.
You may also like: The Secret Deep by Lindsay Galvin. These have the same subjects: missing persons, grief, siblings, and fantasy.
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The in-between
by Rebecca K. S. Ansari
What it's about: Cooper is lost. Ever since his father left their family three years ago, he has become distant from his friends, constantly annoyed by his little sister, Jess, and completely fed up with the pale, creepy rich girl who moved in next door, who won't stop staring at him.
Is this for you: Presents a dark, twisty adventure about the forgotten among us, and what it means to be seen. If so you may also like The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn.
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
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Central Mississippi Regional Library System
100 Tamberline Street
Brandon, Mississippi 39042
601-825-0100
http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us
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