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| Pie in the Sky by Remy LaiWhat it’s about: After the loss of his father, 12-year-old Jingwen immigrates to Australia with his family. Though his brother Yanghao has no trouble fitting in, Jingwen feels like an alien. The only thing that makes him feel better is baking the cakes he dreamed up with his dad -- an activity he has to hide from his strict mother.
Read it for: an easy-to-read blend of words and crisp cartoon art (think Raina Telgemeier or Gene Luen Yang). |
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| Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole PanteleakosWhat it’s about: It’s 1986, and as 12-year-old Nova counts down the days to the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, she tries to adjust to yet another new foster family and longs for her runaway sister, Bridget, to return.
Why you might like it: Nova is autistic and hardly ever speaks -- she’s “a thinker, not a talker,” and in this hopeful story, you get to experience her thoughts and feelings right along with her. |
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| Other Words for Home by Jasmine WargaWhat it’s about: “Be brave” are the last words Jude’s brother says to her before she and Mama flee from the growing violence in Syria and move in with relatives in the United States. Being brave is hard, though, as Jude worries for the family she left behind and discovers that America is nothing like the movies she loves.
For fans of: Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out & Back Again, and other touching stories told through poetry about family, immigration, and belonging. |
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| The Wild Robot by Peter BrownStarring: Roz, short for ROZZUM unit 7134, a highly advanced robot who washes up on a remote island.
What happens: Roz 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.
Series alert: Be sure to pick up the sequel, The Wild Robot Escapes, to find out what happens next in this illustrated wilderness survival story. |
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| Pablo and Birdy by Alison McGheeWhat it's about: Ten years ago, the "winds of change" brought baby Pablo and his lavender parrot, Birdy, to the shores of Isla. Now, the winds are returning with the promise of "fortune lost or fortune gained," but Pablo hopes to gain answers: Where did he come from? And why is Birdy suddenly changing?
Is it for you? If you like quiet books with memorable characters and a touch of magic, be sure to pick up Pablo and Birdy. |
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Caterpillar Summer
by Gillian McDunn
Welcome to: Gingerbread Island, North Carolina, where protective 11-year-old Cat and her brother Chicken are visiting the grandparents they’ve only just met.
What happens: Since their dad died, Cat has taken care of Chicken while their mom works. But with their grandparents around to help, Cat's responsibilities shift, making her reconsider how she fits into her family.
Try this next: Teresa E. Harris’ The Perfect Place, which also follows siblings who spend a life-changing summer with an older relative.
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Dream within a dream
by Patricia MacLachlan
Reluctantly staying with her grandparents for the summer in spite of preferring to travel the world with her globetrotting ornithographer parents, Louisa forges an unexpected friendship with George, a boy who helps her see her grandparents' tiny island home in a new light.
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Escape from the Isle of the Lost
by Melissa De la Cruz
Imminent graduates Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos organize an epic plan to make Auradon Prep available to other villain kids, while a trapped Uma teams up with Hades, god of the underworld, in a vengeful plot to bring down the barrier.
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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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