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Westfield Middle School Summer Reading 2026 |
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Darkroom
by K. R. Alexander
J F ALE
Bea and Rochelle (Crimson and Butterfly to their streaming public) are unlikely best friends who are in the early stages of launching a streaming career. When they find an indie game called Dark(room), it looks like just the right tool to add to their subscriber numbers and maybe even generate some revenue. A game that allow you to see ghosts, how cool is that? But this game turns into a nightmare for Bea and Rochelle because those ghosts might just be real...
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Ground Zero
by Alan Gratz
J F GRA
Brandon is visiting his dad on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when the attack comes; Reshmina is a girl in Afghanistan who has grown up in the aftermath of that attack but dreams of peace, becoming a teacher and escaping her village and the narrow role that the Taliban believes is appropriate for women--both are struggling to survive, both changed forever by the events of 9/11.
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Zach's Lie
by Roland Smith
YA F SMI
Jack Osborne's life changes forever the night men in masks break into his house, threaten Jack and his family, and ransack their home. Jack then discovers the reason these men have come into their lives-his father has been arrested for drug trafficking.
Jack, his mother, and his sister are then forced to enter Witness Security Program. Jack becomes "Zach" and moves to Elko, Nevada, a town in the middle of nowhere. There he meets Sam, the strangest school custodian he has ever encountered, and Catalin, a girl who might make Zach's uprooting worth the trouble. But just as Zach finally begins to piece together a new life, he finds himself in danger again-and this time his actions could determine the fates of everyone he cares about.
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Restart
by Gordon Korman
J F KOR
Chase does not remember falling off the roof, in fact he does not remember anything about himself, and when he gets back to middle school he begins to learn who he was through the reactions of the other kids--trouble is, he really is not sure he likes the Chase that is being revealed, but can he take the opportunity amnesia has provided and restart his life?
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Flush
by Carl Hiaasen
J F HIA
A hilarious, high-stakes adventure involving crooked casino boats, floating fish, toxic beaches, and one kid determined to get justice. This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida--where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder! You know it's going to be a rough summer when you spend Father's Day visiting your dad in the local lockup. Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor-which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is stuck in the clink. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much-his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate-but Noah's got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all.
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Pottymouth and Stoopid
by James Patterson
J F PAT
In this heartwarming New York Times bestselling story from the world's #1 bestselling author, two best friends use laughter to turn the tables on their bullies. I have one word for this book: SUPERWONDERRIFIC Jerry Spinelli, Newberry Medal-winning author of Maniac Magee and Stargirl David and his best friend Michael were tagged with awful nicknames way back in preschool when everyone did silly things. Fast-forward to seventh grade: Pottymouth and Stoopid are still stuck with the names--and everyone in school, including the teachers and their principal, believe the unfair labels are true. So how do they go about changing everyone's minds? By turning their misery into megastardom on TV, of course This important story delivers more than just laughs--it shows that the worst bullying isn't always physical, and that things will get better. Full of hilarious and engaging illustrations, this critically acclaimed novel will have kids laughing out loud--and it's a great conversation starter for parents to read alongside their kids Official Notice to Parents: There is no actual pottymouthing or stupidity in this entire book (Psst, kids: that second part might not be entirely true.)
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Guts: A Graphic Novel
by Raina Telgemeier
GN J F TEL
A true story from Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts!Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face -- and conquer -- her fears.
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Final Season
by Tim Green
With two all-star college football players for brothers and a former Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman for a father, it is only natural for sixth-grade quarterback Benjamin Redd to follow in their footsteps. However, after his dad receives a heartbreaking ALS diagnosis--connected to all those hard hits and tackles he took on the field--Ben's mom becomes more determined than ever to get Ben to quit football. Ben isn't playing just for himself though. This might be his dad's last chance to coach. And his teammates need a quarterback that can lead them to the championships. But as Ben watches the heavy toll ALS takes on his dad's body, he begins to question if this should be his final season after all --
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Out of My Mind
by Sharon M. Draper
From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes a gutsy, candid, and compelling (School Library Journal, starred review) story that will forever change how we all look at anyone with a disability, perfect for fans of RJ Palacio's Wonder. Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can't walk. She can't talk. She can't write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She's the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people--her teachers, her doctors, her classmates--dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can't tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she's determined to let everyone know it...somehow.
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Prisoner B-3087
by Alan Gratz
From Alan Gratz, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, comes this wrenching novel about one boy's struggle to survive ten concentration camps during the Holocaust. Based on the inspiring true life story of Jack Gruener.10 concentration camps.10 different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly.It's something no one could imagine surviving.But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face.As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis who have taken over. Everything he has, and everyone he loves, have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner -- his arm tattooed with the words PRISONER B-3087.He is forced from one nightmarish concentration camp to another, as World War II rages all around him. He encounters evil he could have never imagined, but also sees surprising glimpses of hope amid the horror. He just barely escapes death, only to confront it again seconds later.Can Yanek make it through the terror without losing his hope, his will -- and, most of all, his sense of who he really is inside?Based on an astonishing true story.
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The False Prince
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
In a discontented kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
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When Stars Are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson
Heartbreak and hope exist together in this remarkable graphic novel about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.
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Two Degrees
by Alan Gratz
#1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz (Refugee; Ground Zero) is back, tackling the urgent topic of climate change in this breathtaking, action-packed novel that will keep readers turning pages while making their own plans to better the world.Fire. Ice. Flood.Three climate disasters.Four kids fighting for their lives.Akira is riding her horse in the California woods when a wildfire sparks--and grows scarily fast. How can she make it to safety when there are flames everywhere?Owen and his best friend, George, like spotting polar bears on the snowy Canadian tundra. But when one bear gets way too close for comfort, do the boys have any chance of surviving?Natalie hunkers down at home as a massive hurricane barrels toward Miami. When the floodwaters crash into her house, Natalie is dragged out into the storm--with nowhere to hide.Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie are all swept up in the devastating effects of climate change. They are also connected in ways that will shock them--and could alter their destinies forever.
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Ghost
by Jason Reynolds
J F REY
Ghost is a naturally talented runner with a troubled background, but when he is recruited for an elite middle school track team, he must prove to his coach that he can overcome his problems and become the best sprinter in the city.
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A Night Divided
by Jennifer A Nielsen
J F NIE
When her family is abruptly divided by the rise of the Berlin Wall, 12-year-old Gerta harbors forbidden thoughts about freedom and reuniting with her loved ones before a coded message from her father inspires a daring plan. By the best-selling author of the Ascendance Trilogy.
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Small Spaces
by Katherine Arden
J F ARD
Finding solace in books in the wake of a tragic loss, 11-year-old Ollie rescues a book from being destroyed and discovers within its pages the chilling story of a girl who made a fateful bargain with a sinister specter. By the best-selling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.
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Inside Out & Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Inside Out and Back Again is a New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award! Inspired by the author's childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama, this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child's-eye view of family and immigration.Ha has only ever known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Ha and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope toward America. This moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing received four starred reviews, including one from Kirkus which proclaimed it enlightening, poignant, and unexpectedly funny. An author's note explains how and why Thanhha Lai translated her personal experiences into Ha's story. This paperback edition also includes an interview with the author, an activity you can do with your family, tips on writing poetry, and discussion questions.Supports the Common Core State Standards
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The Crossover: A Newbery Award Winner
by Kwame Alexander
Streaming series now on Disney+, with executive producers including NBA great LeBron James! This audio is read by series star Jalyn Hall.The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel in verse.With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. 'Cuz tonight I'm delivering, raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood--he's got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it's all on the line.In this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander, Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.
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Pie in the Sky
by Remy Lai
A poignant, laugh-out-loud novel with comic illustrations about an eleven-year-old boy's immigration experience, his annoying little brother, and their many many hijinks. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier A Parents Magazine, NPR, an NY Public Library Best Kids Book of the Year Heartwarming and rib-tickling. --Terri Libenson, bestselling author of Invisible Emmie When Jingwen moves to a new country, he feels like he's landed on Mars. School is torture, making friends is impossible since he doesn't speak English, and he's often stuck looking after his (extremely irritating) little brother, Yanghao. To distract himself from the loneliness, Jingwen daydreams about making all the cakes on the menu of Pie in the Sky, the bakery his father had planned to open before he unexpectedly passed away. The only problem is his mother has laid down one major rule: the brothers are not to use the oven while she's at work. As Jingwen and Yanghao bake elaborate cakes, they'll have to cook up elaborate excuses to keep the cake making a secret from Mama. In her hilarious, moving middle-grade debut, Remy Lai delivers a scrumptious combination of vibrant graphic art and pitch-perfect writing that will appeal to fans of Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham's Real Friends, Kelly Yang's Front Desk, and Jerry Craft's New Kid.
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Chasing Lincoln's Killer
by James L. Swanson
Based on the book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, this factual account tells of the events that followed President Lincoln's assassination that brought his killer and accomplices to justice through a review of letters, government reports, trial transcripts, and newspaper articles.
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Game Changer
by Tommy Greenwald
Thirteen-year-old Teddy Youngblood is in a coma fighting for his life after an unspecified football injury at training camp. His family and friends flock to his bedside to support his recovery--and to discuss the events leading up to the tragic accident. Was this an inevitable result of playing a violent sport, or was something more sinister happening on the field that day? Told in an innovative, multimedia format combining dialogue, texts, newspaper articles, transcripts, an online forum, and Teddy's inner thoughts, Game Changer explores the joyous thrills and terrifying risks of America's most popular sport.
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Bomb (Graphic Novel): The Race to Build--And Steal--The World's Most Dangerous Weapon
by Steve Sheinkin
A ... graphic novel adaptation of the award-winning nonfiction book ... In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned three continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb--
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Allies
by Alan Gratz
A New York Times bestseller Alan Gratz, bestselling author of Refugee, weaves a stunning array of voices and stories into an epic tale of teamwork in the face of tyranny -- and how just one day can change the world.June 6, 1944: The Nazis are terrorizing Europe, on their evil quest to conquer the world. The only way to stop them? The biggest, most top-secret operation ever, with the Allied nations coming together to storm German-occupied France.Welcome to D-Day.Dee, a young U.S. soldier, is on a boat racing toward the French coast. And Dee -- along with his brothers-in-arms -- is terrified. He feels the weight of World War II on his shoulders.But Dee is not alone. Behind enemy lines in France, a girl named Samira works as a spy, trying to sabotage the German army. Meanwhile, paratrooper James leaps from his plane to join a daring midnight raid. And in the thick of battle, Henry, a medic, searches for lives to save.In a breathtaking race against time, they all must fight to complete their high-stakes missions. But with betrayals and deadly risks at every turn, can the Allies do what it takes to win?
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The President Has Been Shot! : The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
by James L. Swanson
J 973.922 SWA
A dramatic account of the 35th president's assassination is presented in the author's signature "you are there" style and imparts the urgent pace and riveting details of key events while sharing informative back matter and archival photos.
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Dan vs Nature
by Don Calame
YA F CAL
The veteran screenwriter and author of Swim the Fly follows the story of a teen graphic novel artist whose mother sends him on a survivalist camping trip to bond with his soon-to-be-stepdad, a haphazard journey marked by pranks, his germaphobe best friend, an attractive girl and the loss of their guide.
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Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery
by John Feinstein
Steven Thomas is one of two lucky winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer's Association's contest for aspiring journalists. His prize? A trip to New Orleans and a coveted press pass for the Final Four. It's a basketball junkie's dream come true!But the games going on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men, and the fans turn out to be even more fiercely competitive than those on the court. Steven and his fellow winner, Susan Carol Anderson, are nosing around the Superdome and overhear what sounds like a threat to throw the championship game. Now they have just 48 hours to figure out who is blackmailing one of MSU's star players . . . and why. Praise for John Feinstein: The best writer of sports books in America today.--The Boston Globe Feinstein's beat, it turns out, isn't sports; it's human nature.--People on A March to Madness A basketball junkie's nirvana.--Sports Illustrated on A March to Madness One of the best sportswriters alive!--Larry King, USA Today on A Good Walk Spoiled From the Hardcover edition.
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Stay Dead
by April Henry
New York Times bestselling author April Henry delivers a thrilling murder mystery featuring a teen with an assassin on her trail fighting to uncover the truth behind a government cover up, perfect for fans of Karen McManus. A page-turning cat-and-mouse survival story. --Kirkus Reviews Sometimes, the only way to live is to make sure the world thinks you're dead . . . In the aftermath of a car accident that claimed the life of her senator father, sixteen-year-old Milan finds herself adrift, expelled from her third boarding school. Milan's mother, who has assumed the senate seat, diverts her private plane to pick up her daughter. But on their way home, a bomb rips off a wing and the plane crashes in the mountains. In her final moments, Milan's mother entrusts her with a key. She reveals it will unlock the evidence that so many people have already died for--including Milan's father. The only way Milan can survive, her mom tells her, is to let everyone believe she died with the other passengers. Milan is forced to navigate a perilous descent in freezing conditions while outwitting everything from a drone to wild animals. With relentless assassins on her trail, she must untangle the web of deceit and save herself and countless others. Will she piece together the truth in time? And don't miss these other chilling thrillers from April Henry including In the Blood, When We Go Missing, Girl Forgotten, and Two Truths and a Lie.
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The Naturals
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
YA F BAR
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But, it's not a skill that she's ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.
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Scythe
by Neal Shusterman
Forced to become trained killers in a disease-free world where people can only die if eliminated by professional assassins, teens Citra and Rowan reluctantly train under a master reaper who informs them that the one who successfully kills the other will become his apprentice. By the best-selling author of the Unwind dystology. Simultaneous eBook.
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Animal Farm: A Fairy Story
by George Orwell
In this controversial classic fairy tale, a farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality, setting the stage for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned. Illustrations and Orwell's proposed but unpublished preface are included in this anniversary edition. Reissue.
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The Edge of Summer
by Erica George
Fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson will be swept away by this big-hearted novel about one girl navigating first loss and first love during a summer on Cape Cod. Saving the whales has been Coriander Cabot and her best friend Ella's dream since elementary school. But when tragedy strikes, Cor is left to complete the list of things they wanted to accomplish before college alone, including a marine biology internship on Cape Cod. Cor's summer of healing and new beginnings turns complicated when she meets Mannix, a local lifeguard who completely takes her breath away. But she knows whatever she has with Mannix might not last, and that her focus should be on rescuing the humpback whales from entanglement. As the tide changes, Cor finds herself distracted and struggling with her priorities. Can she follow her heart and keep her promise to the whales and her best friend?
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Monster: A Graphic Novel
by Walter Dean Myers
A graphic novel adaptation in which, while on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life's taken.
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Louder Than Hunger
by John Schu
Everything around Jake feels confusing -- his middle school is unfriendly, his beloved grandmother seems so tired, and his parents are distracted as usual. It all just makes Jake what to disappear. And the Voice in his mind seems to have all the answers. It makes Jake feel in control, even when it whispers things like 'You didn't exercise enough! You don't deserve to eat.' The Voice is louder than anything. Louder than his favorite songs. Louder than the voices of the people he loves. Even louder than the sounds of his empty stomach.--
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Sunrise on the Reaping
by Suzanne Collins
The phenomenal fifth book in the Hunger Games series!Acclaimed actor Jefferson White, who starred in Paramount Network's Yellowstone as Jimmy Hurdstrom, brings his talent to the worldwide best-selling Hunger Games series as narrator of the Sunrise on the Reaping audiobook!When you've been set upto lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
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Bloomingdale Public Library
101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, Illinois 60108
630-529-3120https://mybpl.org |
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