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| Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally CarterWelcome to: Winterborne House, a huge cliffside mansion turned group home where 12-year-old April and four fellow foster kids discover secret passages, surprising dangers, and unexpected bonds.
Read it for: the likable characters, fast-paced adventure, and the satisfaction of watching a twisty mystery unspool.
Try this next: Jessica Lawson’s Nooks & Crannies, for another puzzling mystery featuring a group of kids in an eerie old manor. |
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| Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah KapitWhat it’s about: After a coach sees her amazing knuckleball, 11-year-old Vivy lands her first spot on a real baseball team, despite her mom’s worries about her being the only girl and the only autistic kid on the team.
Why you might like it: Told through letters between Vivy and her pen-pal (a major league pitcher), this authentic story will leave you cheering as Vivy finds new confidence both on and off the field. |
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| Bug Boys by Laura KnetzgerStarring: Rhino-B and Stag-B, two beetle buddies from Bug Village who love to go exploring together, whether they’re following a treasure map, escaping giants, or stopping a war between termites and honeybees.
Art alert: The world of Bug Boys is bursting with candy colors and creative touches, similar to animated shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe.
Try this next: Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly books, another graphic novel series filled with bite-sized stories and feel-good friendship. |
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A Box of Bones
by Marina Cohen
Starring: 12-year-old Kallie, who leans on logic and predictability in the aftermath of her mother's death.
What happens: Kallie's reassuring routine is disrupted when she's given a set of enchanted bone dice which connect her to the world of apprentice bone carver Liah, whose story seems tangled up with Kallie's.
You might also like: Karen Foxlee's Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, another fantasy with a skeptical heroine and a fairy-tale feel.
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| The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street by Lauren OliverWhat it’s about: In 1800s Boston, Cordelia Clay and her father work in secret to heal injured monsters and protect the extraordinary creatures from prejudiced humans.
What happens: After her father disappears along with most of the monsters, Cordelia sets out to find them, accompanied by a baby dragon, a smelly filch, a zombie puppy, and a boy named Gregory.
Don’t miss: the included monster guide, which describes the fascinating, fantastical animals and the world they live in. |
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| The Best Worst Thing by Kathleen LaneWhat it’s about: Are all the doors in the house locked? Is anyone hiding under the beds? Did she recite the right words to protect herself and her family? These questions plague 11-year-old Maggie after a shooting at the local convenience store.
Why you might like it: Even as Maggie's anxious thoughts become harder for her to control, you can relate to her concerns about staying safe in an unpredictable world. |
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A Small Zombie Problem
by K.G. Campbell
Starring: lonely August DuPont, who's never been allowed outside his family’s ramshackle mansion until he receives an invitation from an aunt he didn’t know he had.
What happens: August gets a crash course in eerie family history, as well as a new companion: Claudette, the undead relative who follows him home.
Series alert: This goofy and ghoulish illustrated book is the 1st in the Zombie Problems series.
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| The Notations of Cooper Cameron by Jane O'ReillyStarring: Cooper, who can’t stop thinking that his family won't be safe unless he counts things, or washes his hands, or takes careful notes of his observations.
What happens: Dealing with his thoughts and the loss of his grandfather becomes even tougher when Cooper's dad angrily refuses to understand what he’s going through.
Read it for: an honest, moving look at a kid with obsessive-compulsive disorder. |
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| Stanley Will Probably Be Fine by Sally J. PlaWhat it's about: Stanley Fortinbras may be a master of comics trivia, but plenty of other things in his life are hard to handle: his suddenly distant best friend, the sensory processing disorder that makes middle school feel like too much, and his worries about the upcoming Trivia Quest treasure hunt.
Who it's for: comic-book fans (of course), as well as anyone looking for a likable character who's facing his fears and figuring out his friendships. |
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| Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki VivatWhat it’s about: Worrywart Abbie Wu is about to start middle school, and as a middle child, she knows that nothing good happens in the middle. Can she survive changing friendships, cafeteria injustice, and choosing an elective without completely freaking out?
Series alert: 1st in the Frazzled series, followed by Ordinary Mishaps and Inevitable Catastrophes.
For fans of: the cartoon art, relatable humor, and underdog characters in Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid books or Rachel Renee Russell’s Dork Diaries series. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
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Our mailing address is:
Orland Park Public Library14921 Ravinia Avenue Orland Park, IL 60462
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