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Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation
by Stuart Gibbs
Introducing: twelve-year-old super-genius Charlie Thorne, who’s just been recruited (okay, blackmailed) by the CIA to help them beat a terrorist group in the race to find an explosive, long-hidden equation by Albert Einstein.
Read it for: breathless action, fascinating cryptography, and a rebellious heroine who can outwit anyone.
Series alert: This is only the 1st of many adventures for Charlie Thorne.
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Our Castle by the Sea
by Lucy Strange
What it’s about: World War II turns life upside down for Pet, a British lighthouse keeper’s daughter.
What happens: After her German-born mother is unfairly imprisoned, Pet is filled with fear -- and questions. Why are her Pa and her sister acting so secretive? What are those strange lights in the fields? And how does it all relate to an age-old local legend?
Read it for: haunting, multi-layered mysteries and an unforgettable heroine.
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This Was Our Pact
by Ryan Andrews
What it’s about: Every year, during the Autumn Equinox Festival, the whole town gathers to send paper lanterns down the river. This year, a group of boys pledge to follow the lanterns and find out where they go.
What happens: The boys encounter odd sights (a telephone in the middle of a stream?) and meet even odder characters (a stylish talking fisherbear).
Art alert: Eerie blue and red illustrations highlight the dreamy, unreal feeling of this graphic novel.
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The Class
by Frances O'Roark Dowell
What 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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The Bridge Home
by Padma Venkatraman
Featuring: 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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| My Diary from the Edge of the World by Jodi Lynn AndersonWhat it's about: In Gracie's world, migrating dragons attack strip malls, ghosts linger in backyards, sasquatches lurk in the woods, and Dark Clouds appear before people die. After a Dark Cloud arrives for Gracie's brother, their parents take the family on a wild road trip in search of a safe haven from the supernatural.
Is it for you? If you prefer fantasy stories rooted in reality, you'll love the eccentric characters and bittersweet plot in this imaginative read, written in the form of Gracie's diary. |
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Welcome to Dog Beach
by Lisa Greenwald
Eleven-year-old Remy loves the traditions of Seagate, the island where her family spends every summer vacation, but after her grandmother and a special dog die, and her relationship with best friends Bennett and Micayla changes, Remy takes comfort in thecompany of the Dog Beach--where she hatches a plan to bring her friends closer and recapture the Seagate magic
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The remarkable journey of Coyote Sunrise
by Dan Gemeinhart
Living on the road in an old school bus with her dad after losing her mother and sisters, 12-year-old Coyote devises an elaborate plan to convince her father to make a first trip home to Washington state in five years, a journey marked by an eclectic group of passengers they meet along the way. Simultaneous eBook.
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| Drive Me Crazy by Terra Elan McVoyFeaturing: talkative, friendly Lana, who’s worried about her sick mom; popularity-obsessed Cassie, who thinks Lana is immature and annoying; and the week-long road trip with their newlywed grandparents that traps the two step-cousins together in the backseat of a car.
Series alert: If you enjoy the realistically imperfect characters and messy friendships in Drive Me Crazy, don’t miss the follow-up, This Is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker. |
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The island of monsters
by Ellen Oh
Harper Raine faces new challenges ahead when her parents take the whole family to a remote tropical island for vacation. As Harper starts to have visions of the resort's history of disappearances and discovers more about the island's dark and fabled past, she must use her newly acquired spirit hunting talents to save everyone on the island from murderous spirits on the attack
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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