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Normal : One Kid's Extraordinary Journey
by Magdalena M. Newman
What is it?: A memoir written by a boy with Treacher Collins syndrome (the severe craniofacial condition) and his mother. He describes the 67 surgeries he endured before age 15 and his everyday struggles with making friends, moving across the country and participating in childhood activities.
Who might like it: Readers who loved Wonder by R.J. Palacio will enjoy this uplifting, thoughtful and funny memoir of a real teen boy's experiences living with Treacher Collins syndrome.
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| The Ghost in Apartment 2R by Denis MarkellWhat it’s about: After 13-year-old Danny’s brother leaves for college, a ghost takes over his empty room, filling it with eerie whispers, glowing light, and other weird phenomena. Hoping to identify the spirit, Danny begins asking around his Brooklyn neighborhood, discovering some unexpected clues in his bubbe Ruth’s stories about dybbuks.
Why you might like it: Danny talks directly to you, the reader, as he pieces together the supernatural puzzle at the heart of this funny, clever, and creepy mystery. |
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| The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki SmithWhat it’s about: When a revolution threatens their ruling family, twin nobles Hawke and Grayson must go into hiding as Hanna and Grayce, students at the all-female Communion of Blue, where they learn to weave the “threads of the world.” While Hawke longs for revenge, Grayce realizes living as a girl feels more authentic than living as a boy ever did.
Art alert: Colorful, anime-style art will pull you into this magical, action-packed graphic novel. |
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| Clean Getaway by Nic StoneStarring: Scoob Lamar, who’s ready for a spring break adventure (especially if it means getting away from his strict dad); and G’ma, who invites Scoob on a mysterious road trip.
What happens: As they drive through the American South, Scoob realizes that G’ma might be re-creating a vacation she took with his grandfather in 1963, when travel was risky for interracial couples.
Try this next: Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer, another book about a trip that reveals hidden family history. |
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| What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy LowingerWhat it is: a look at how Native North Americans have resisted and survived, from the earlier European invasions to the present day.
What’s inside: personal stories paired with eye-opening facts, as well as photos, illustrations, and sidebars that invite you to imagine what life was like for Indigenous people during different moments in history.
You might also like: Turtle Island, another absorbing book about Indigenous nations, written by the same authors. |
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New Releases by African American Authors |
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Leaving Lymon
by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Starring: Lymon, a boy with a talent for music being raised by his loving grandparents in the Deep South of 1946.
What happens: Lymon is sent on a journey to two Northern cities where his strength and resilience are tested. He seems to attract trouble wherever he goes, but his passion for music helps him rise above the negativity.
You might also like: The companion book Finding Langston, a 2019 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book winner.
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From the Desk of Zoe Washington
by Janae Marks
What it's about: 12-year-old Zoe is busy at her bakery internship and trying to convince her mom to let her audition for Food Network's Kids Bake Challenge, when she receives an unexpected letter from her incarcerated father. He is in prison for a terrible crime, but his letter says he is innocent. Can Zoe help uncover the truth and prepare for the baking competition at the same time?
For readers who like: hopeful, emotionally intense stories, and culturally diverse characters.
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The Only Black Girls in Town
by Brandy Colbert
Starring: Edie, a proud Brooklyn native who isn't thrilled about her family's move to California to open a bed and breakfast, and Alberta, a beach-loving surfer who is thrilled to no longer be the only black girl in her small town.
What happens: The two girls discover a collection of old journals hidden in Edie's attic. They're determined to solve the mystery of where they came from, but uncover some shocking secrets.
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King and the Dragonflies
by Kacen Callender
What it's about: As grief transforms his family, 12-year-old Kingston spends his days in the Louisiana bayou to come to terms with his brother Khalid's sudden death.
What happens: Just days before his passing, Khalid had told King to end his friendship with Sandy Sanders due to rumors about his sexual orientation. But now Sandy has gone missing, and while the whole town searches for him, King is forced to confront some hard truths about himself and his community.
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Gloom Town
by Ronald L. Smith
What happens: Taking a job in a gloomy seaside manor, 12-year-old Rory discovers that his new employer, who is not even human, is trying to steal the townspeople’s shadows on behalf of ancient otherworldly accomplices.
For readers who like: fantasy, mystery, suspense, and creepy stories.
Books by the same author: The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away and Hoodoo, which won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent.
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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Anne Arundel County Public Library 5 Harry S. Truman Pkwy. Annapolis, Maryland 21401 410-222-7371https://www.aacpl.net |
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