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"Everything in his universe was exploding away in different directions..." ~from Sara Pennypacker's Waylon! One Awesome Thing
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| The Wild Robot by Peter BrownScience Fiction/Fantasy. After a hurricane washes her onto a remote island's shore, ROZZUM unit 7134 isn't sure what to do. Though Roz is a highly advanced robot, she's not programmed for the outdoors – especially not an island where the animals think she's a monster! Ever logical, Roz carefully begins learning everything she can about her new home: how to stay safe, how to communicate with her animal neighbors, and how to care for the abandoned gosling she adopts. With whimsical illustrations and an unusual main character, The Wild Robot (the first novel by popular picture book author Peter Brown) is an old-fashioned wilderness survival story with a modern twist.
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| Allie, First at Last by Angela CervantesFiction. Ten-year-old Allie Velasco will settle for nothing less than "epic greatness." It's a family tradition: her parents and siblings are all overachievers with piles of trophies. Determined to finally win something herself, Allie sets her sights on an arts contest, throwing herself into a photography project about her great-grandfather, who won a Congressional Medal of Honor. Winning the arts contest can't be any harder than figuring out why all of her friendships have suddenly gotten so confusing, right? Allie's honest, funny voice will ring true for anyone who's ever worried about keeping their friends or making their family proud. |
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| Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth FantaskeyHistorical Mystery. Until she's old enough to achieve her dream of being a reporter, spirited young Isabel bides her time as a newsie, selling newspapers on a street corner in 1920s Chicago. The latest headlines are about Isabel's favorite customer Miss Giddings, who's been accused of murder. Certain that Miss Giddings is innocent, Isabel decides to investigate the crime herself, plunging headfirst into a hazardous underworld filled with mobsters, murderers, and news hounds, including Isabel's idol, crime reporter Maude Collier. If you like historical mysteries with exciting plots and vivid details, you'll love Isabel Feeney (and you may also want to try Kirby Larson's Audacity Jones to the Rescue). |
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| Wing & Claw: Forest of Wonders by Linda Sue ParkFantasy. Making friends with a talking bat is just the first of several unexpected adventures for young apothecary Raffa. Though his parents treat him like an apprentice, Raffa has some serious healing skills -- it's his experimental cure (made from a rare scarlet vine) that gives the injured bat the ability to speak. Not all of the vine's uses are so positive, however, and after Raffa treks to the city to warn others of the vine's dangers, he's forced to confront the responsibilities that come with his new discovery. Packed with diverse characters (both human and animal) and thrilling bursts of action, Forest of Wonders kicks off the Wing & Claw trilogy. |
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| Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker; illustrated by Marla FrazeeFiction. Science-obsessed fourth grader Waylon doesn't want to be an "Other," but he doesn't want to be a "Shark-Puncher," either. Unfortunately, those are the only two choices given by Arlo, the popular kid who's dividing Waylon's class into rival teams. Adding to Waylon's feeling that his personal universe is exploding is his teen sister Charlotte, who is now going by "Neon" and spending less time with her family. Can Waylon use his humor, heart, and scientific know-how to bring people together, at school and at home? Fans of Kevin Henkes, Beverly Clearly, and the Clementine series (also by author Sara Pennypacker) will enjoy finding out. |
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Focus on: Stories Told Through Poetry
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| Serafina's Promise by Ann E. BurgNovel in Verse. At 11 years old, Serafina has two jobs: bringing water from the stream every morning, and helping her mother and grandmother sell herbs. Though her home in the mountains of Haiti isn't too far from the schools in Port-au-Prince, Serafina doesn't have time for school, and her family doesn't have the money to pay for it. Despite these obstacles and many others, Serafina dreams of becoming a doctor and saving lives. Told through fast-paced, easy-to-read poems, Serafina's Promise invites readers into the tragedies and triumphs of a modern Haitian girl who refuses to give up, no matter what the odds. |
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| Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha LaiHistorical Novel in Verse. It's February, 1975, and as Saigon falls in the Vietnam War, 10-year-old Hà is fleeing the country with her mother and three brothers. The five of them (Hà's father is missing in action) travel to the United States by sea, and, after spending some time in refugee camps, find a family to sponsor them in Alabama. Hà does her best to adjust to American life, but she misses her home terribly -- and the kids at school are mean. Eye-opening, emotional, and yet surprisingly funny, Inside Out & Back Again tells Hà's story in short, descriptive poems that really bring her struggle to life. |
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| Where I Live by Eileen SpinelliNovel in Verse. From her star-chart-covered bedroom to the bird's nest on her front door, Diana loves everything about her house. It's even biking distance from her best friend Rose's house! Then Diana's dad loses his job, and her worried parents announce that the family has to move across the state -- way too far for Rose to bike. Heartbroken, Diana pours out her feelings in her poetry journal. If you like Nikki Grimes' Word with Wings or other realistic, hopeful books-in-poetry about girls going through big changes, don't miss Where I Live. |
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| Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff by Robert Paul Weston; illustrated by Victor RivasFantasy Novel in Verse. In the super-stylish kingdom of Spiff, bookish Princess Frannie's total lack of interest in clothes (besides pajamas) is a constant disappointment to her father, King Dandy von Fop. But Frannie finds an ally in the equally frumpy Prince Puggly from the muddy kingdom of Spud, and after these two fashion disasters are laughed out of the Centenary Ball, they join forces to teach their clothes-crazy neighbors a lesson in this delightfully silly novel in verse. You won't be able to resist reading the rhyming text out loud, and the illustrations of outlandish fashions, along with a variety of zany fonts, add to the fun. |
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| Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline WoodsonMemoir in Verse. Before she was an award-winning author, Jacqueline Woodson was a kid who loved stories but had trouble reading. In this autobiography told through poetry, you'll see how young Jackie gradually found her voice as a writer, and how her loving family's various moves (from Ohio to South Carolina to New York) gave her a unique perspective on growing up African American during the Civil Rights Movement. Woodson's quietly beautiful poems and clear-eyed observations are sure to inspire writers and dreamers of all ages. If you're curious about another author's experiences of family and belonging, pick up Margarita Engle's verse memoir Enchanted Air. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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574-936-2324, 201 N. Center St, Plymouth, IN 46563
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