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| The Class by Frances O'Roark DowellWhat it is: the story of a single sixth grade class, told by all 20 students.
What happens: Enemies become friends, a former classmate mysteriously reappears, the teacher gets in trouble, and the shy new girl writes it all down in her notebook.
Try this next: Ali Benjamin’s The Next Great Paulie Fink or Gordon Korman’s The Unteachables, two other books that let you in on the thoughts, feelings, and quirks of an entire class. |
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Black Canary : Ignite
by Meg Cabot
Thirteen-year-old Dinah Lance is in a rock band with her two best friends and has a good relationship with her mom, but when a mysterious figure threatens her friends and family, she learns more about herself and her mother's secret past
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| The Best At It by Maulik PancholyWhat it’s about: Nervous about fitting in as he starts seventh grade, Rahul takes his grandfather’s advice and sets out to find one thing he’s good at and become the best at it.
What happens: While fending off bullies and fostering a crush on classmate Justin, Rahul throws himself into football, acting, Mathletes...he’s got to be good at something, right?
About the author: This funny, honest, and hopeful book is the first by actor Maulik Pancholy -- you might know him as the voice of Sanjay from TV's Sanjay and Craig. |
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The 1,000-Year-Old Boy
by Ross Welford
Surviving for more than a thousand years using alchemical secrets, a perpetual 11-year-old boy loses everything in a fire before embarking on a quest with his two best friends to reverse the magic that prevents him from growing up.
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| Roll With It by Jamie SumnerWhat it’s about: Twelve-year-old baker Ellie just wants to perfect her pie recipes, but when her grandfather’s Alzheimer's gets worse, Ellie and her mom move to be near him -- and Ellie, who has cerebral palsy, has to deal with being "the new kid in the wheelchair" at school.
Why you might like it: From sarcastic, spirited Ellie to her quirky new friends to her overprotective mom, you’ll want to spend time with the characters in this fast-moving read. |
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Under the Broken Sky
by Mariko Nagai
A novel in verse about a Japanese orphan’s experiences in occupied rural Manchuria during World War II finds 12-year-old Natsu struggling to protect her little sister by selling her to a Russian family in the wake of the 1945 Soviet occupation.
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Homerooms & Hall Passes
by Tom O'Donnell
The author of the Hamstersaurus Rex books presents a series debut that finds five young adventurers from a fantasy role-playing game transported into the human world, where they tackle the unexpected challenges of surviving middle school.
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| The Bridge Home by Padma VenkatramanFeaturing: Viji and Rukku, two sisters who run away from their abusive father; Mathu and Arul, two homeless boys who sell recycled trash on the streets of Chennai, India; Kutti, a lovable stray dog; and the abandoned bridge that provides shelter for them all.
Is it for you? These characters’ lives aren’t easy, but if you enjoy sad, realistic stories that are deeply felt, The Bridge Home might be your kind of book. |
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Maybe He Just Likes You
by Barbara Dee
A girl who receives repeated unwanted attention from the boys in her school begins doubting herself before rediscovering her voice in the mutually respectful environment of a new karate class.
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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