Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/24/2013
ISBN-13: 9781423178705
ISBN-10: 142317870X

Sports Fiction. Nobody at school really noticed smart, geeky Theo until a sudden growth spurt made him the tallest kid in eighth grade. Now, Theo has been pressured into joining the basketball team…despite the fact that he is terrible at basketball. Yet as he practices, Theo actually starts to get into the game. Though he's embarrassed when crazy (but fascinating) new girl Rain nicknames him Sasquatch, and worried when basketball interferes with the academic team he loves, Theo is determined to find his confidence on the court. Sports fans who enjoy this "tough but realistic" (Publishers Weekly) series debut from basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may also appreciate W.C. Mack's Athlete vs. Mathlete.

Publisher: Little Brown
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/10/2013
ISBN-13: 9780316220781
ISBN-10: 0316220787

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/06/2013
ISBN-13: 9780375990885
ISBN-10: 0375990887

Fantasy. Siena is happy to move from New York to Maine since it means she'll be able to make new friends who don't know about her freaky ability to see glimpses of the past. The move might also encourage her mute younger brother, Lucca, to start talking again. But the new house feels curiously familiar, and soon Siena realizes that both Lucca's muteness and her own visions are deeply (and maybe dangerously) intertwined with the lives of the family of who lived in the house during World War II. Readers who loved the mysterious layers of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me won't be able to resist this time-tripping story of family and friendship.

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/29/2013
ISBN-13: 9780803738553
ISBN-10: 0803738552

Realistic Fiction. Plants, diseases, and the number seven -- these are Willow Chance's main interests. While her adoptive parents understand Willow's eccentric brilliance, the kids at school are less accepting. Still, she manages to befriend Mai Nguyen and her brother Quang-ha when she meets them at the school counselor's office, and their friendship goes from exciting to crucial when Willow's parents die in a car crash and the Nguyens take her in. With a diverse, memorable cast of characters, this bittersweet story of a remarkable girl discovering family in unexpected places is "frank, charming, and delightfully odd" (Booklist).

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Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/17/2013
ISBN-13: 9781423164913
ISBN-10: 1423164911

Fantasy. Out of all the agencies that protect the citizens of London from deadly spectral Visitors, Lockwood & Company isn't exactly the most professional. In fact, they messed up their last job so badly that they set a house on fire. Now, to save the agency from bankruptcy, teen ghost hunters Lockwood, Lucy, and George agree to take a risky job at an eerie old manor which is rumored to be haunted by the most hostile spirits in England. If you prefer horror stories mixed with sly humor and bloodcurdling paranormal action, this deliciously creepy series starter is for you -- just don't read it after dark!

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/14/2012
ISBN-13: 9780547550787
ISBN-10: 0547550782

Fiction. When aspiring comic-book artist Tucker MacBean enters a contest to create a new sidekick for his favorite superhero -- Beanboy, whose superpower is his, ahem, "gaseous tendencies" (Booklist) -- he's got a lot riding on whether or not he wins. Tucker hopes that stardom might make him more popular, and he wants to give the prize, a college scholarship, to his hardworking but exhausted single mom. Like the Wimpy Kid books, this story is told partly in cartoons and partly with words, but it's less sarcastic than Greg Heffley's diary entries and has a balance of seriousness and humor that fans of realistic, somewhat emotional stories will enjoy.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/28/2009
ISBN-13: 9780375946837
ISBN-10: 0375946837

Graphic Novel. As if slinging hash in the school cafeteria isn't exciting enough, Lunch Lady has a secret life as a crime-fighting superhero! And she's noticed that something about the new substitute teacher, Mr. Pasteur, just doesn't seem right. But while Lunch Lady is busy investigating Mr. Pasteur, students Hector, Terrence, and Dee are investigating her (the kids have always wondered what Lunch Lady does when she's not doling out her famous French toast sticks). If you like this wacky, action-packed comic, be sure not to miss Lunch Lady's further adventures in Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians.

Publisher: Graphix
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 5/1/2008
ISBN-13: 9780439879958
ISBN-10: 0439879957

Graphic Novel. The amazing Magic Pickle was created by Dr. Jekkel Formaldehyde during his attempts to turn vegetables into soldiers. Unfortunately, his experiments also unleashed a bunch of rotten veggies like the Romaine Gladiator, Chili Chili Bang Bang, and Peashooter -- who have formed The Brotherhood of Evil Produce and plan to take over the world. Teaming up with feisty young Jo Jo Wigman, the Magic Pickle is ready to turn the Brotherhood into compost. This "dill-ectable" (Kirkus Reviews) adventure leads to a showdown in Jo Jo's school cafeteria, and you know what that means...food fight!

Publisher: A.A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 7/22/2008
ISBN-13: 9780375938023
ISBN-10: 0375938028

Biography. In 1934, two shy, quiet guys who wore glasses and loved comic books dreamed up a superhero -- one whose mild-mannered alter ego, Clark Kent, seemed an awful lot like them. You know the hero: he's The Man of Steel, The Last Son of Krypton. That's right -- Superman! This book tells the story of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the young men from Cleveland, Ohio, who created a hero who was perfect for their time and is still loved today. Superman fans will be leaping over library shelves in single bounds to get to this incredible true story of how it all began.

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/01/2011
ISBN-13: 9780439298117
ISBN-10: 0439298113

Graphic Novel. Captain Amazing, the hero of Metro City, is getting too old to save the world by himself and decides that he needs a sidekick. But he never expected his pets to compete for the job! As they try to prove that they're crime-fighting material, Captain Amazing's dog Roscoe, his hamster Fluffy, and the family's new addition, a chameleon named Shifty, get into all kinds of trouble (but just might end up saving the day). Funny and packed with action, this comic-book-style adventure is a great pick for fans of goofy superhero tales like the movie The Incredibles.