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The Sunken Tower
by Tait Howard
Dig is having a very bad day. His bag is broken, he can't catch a break at the local market, and just when things are looking up, he's kidnapped by a couple of Blood Cultists and taken to the underground city that serves as their base, where he'll make a tasty human sacrifice for an unspeakably horrible monster. Thrown into a dungeon, he has no idea how to escape--or if anyone will even care if he does. But his new cellmates, Iana and Crina, are ecstatic about Dig's appearance. He's a wizard, which means he knows magic, which means he can help get them all out of this terrible sunken city for good! If Iana can get her hands on a sword, and Crina can remember the way to the giant tower that leads to the surface, then everything will go smoothly. That is, until the Blood Cultists catch up with them, and Dig's magical abilities are put to the ultimate test. Because Dig's been keeping a secret. And if it's found out... he may never see the surface again.
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The Westing game
by Ellen Raskin
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.
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| The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca SteadWhat it's about: Twelve-year-old Bea looks back on the last few years of her life, describing her parents’ divorce, her dad’s marriage to his boyfriend Jesse, her hope of bonding with new stepsister Sonia...as well as some stuff she’s not proud of.
Why you might like it: Bea’s messy feelings -- excitement, anger, embarrassment, stress -- are so believable that you’ll feel like she’s a real person you know. |
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| Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée WatsonWhat it’s about: Fourth-grader Ryan has a talent for seeing the sunny side of things, and it’s a talent she needs when her dad loses his job, her family moves to a smaller house, and her brother keeps annoying her.
Why you might like it: There’s something new happening in every chapter, making it easy to pause your reading and pick it up again when you’re ready.
For fans of: Beverly Cleary’s classic Ramona Quimby series, which inspired this upbeat modern remix. |
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Inspired by Fairy Tales and Folklore
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| The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie AndersonWhat it's about: At age 12, Marinka is already training to take over her grandmother's role as a Yaga, a guardian who guides the dead through the gates to the afterlife. But Marinka longs for more: a permanent home (not just a traveling, chicken-legged house) and a real, living friend.
Try this next: For another creepy yet touching spin on Russian folk tales, try Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola. |
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| The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasguptaWhat it's about: Kiran's a typical 6th grader -- until her 12th birthday, when her parents disappear and she's attacked by a rakkhosh demon. Soon, Kiran joins two princes (and their flying horses) on a quest to save her parents and discover her true identity as an interdimensional demon slayer.
Who it's for: Inspired by Bengali folktales and filled with action and laugh-out-loud humor, Kiran's adventures are a perfect fit for Rick Riordan fans.
Series alert: 1st in the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series. |
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| Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters by Margaret Dilloway; illustrated by Choong YoonIntroducing: Xander Miyamoto, a Japanese American middle schooler who’s good at computer programming, drawing cartoons, and not much else.
What happens: Xander’s grandmother reveals that he’s the last of the legendary warriors known as Momotaro, and Xander launches a magical quest to save the world from oni (demons). But does he have the courage and confidence to see it through?
Who it’s for: readers who are already familiar with folktales about Momotaro, as well as those who love mythology and high-stakes fantasy. |
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| Fairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists by Chris Duffy (editor)What it is: a collection of 17 fairy tales with makeovers from a crew of comic artists.
What’s inside: the comfort of familiar stories (such as an exciting "Rapunzel" and a wordless, hysterically funny "Goldilocks and the Three Bears") mingled with the surprises of lesser-known tales (like the Japanese "The Boy Who Drew Cats").
Art alert: With a huge variety of art styles and artists (such as Raina Telgemeier and Brett Helquist), there’s something for everyone in Fairy Tale Comics. |
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| Shadows of Sherwood: A Robyn Hoodlum Adventure by Kekla MagoonIntroducing: Mischievous Robyn Loxley, who returns from a night of exploring Nott City to find that her parents have been kidnapped (along with other members of Parliament) and the power-hungry Governor Crown has taken over.
What happens: Robyn flees to nearby Sherwood, where she and several other parentless misfits begin to fight back against the Governor.
Series alert: Inspired by the legend of Robin Hood, this action-packed, futuristic adventure is the 1st in the Robyn Hoodlum series. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
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BRAZORIA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM 912 N. Velasco Angleton, Texas 77515 (979) 864-1505bcls.lib.tx.us |
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