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Past Winter Battle of the Books Titles |
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Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer CholdenkoA twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister. (2006)
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Artemis Fowl by Eoin ColferWhen a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll. (2004)
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Between the Lines by Jodi PicoultPreferring to spend her days in the school library where she reads a fairy tale that feels strangely real to her, loner Delilah is astonished when the story's brave and handsome prince, Oliver, reaches out to her and reveals his discontent with his predetermined, literary existence. (2013)
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The Call by Michael GrantMack MacAvoy, a seemingly average 12-year-old, learns that he is destined to gather a team of similarly gifted children who will attempt to save the world from the powerful Pale Queen and her beautiful daughter, Risky. (2014)
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Cosmic by Frank Cottrell BoyceFrequently mistaken for an adult because of his mature appearance, 12-year-old Liam tires of the few benefits he's been able to take advantage of as a result and cons his way onto a spaceship for civilians by pretending to be an adult chaperone, a situation that lands him between worlds far from home. (2012)
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3A Dash of Trouble by Anna MerianoSneaking out of school and into the family bakery where she has been told she is too young to help prepare for the annual Dia de los Muertos festival, Leonora discovers that her female relatives come from a long line of brujas, Mexican witches, who pour a bit of sweet magic into everything they prepare. (2023)
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Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson LevineIn a first novel and 1998 Newbery Honor Book based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against a childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her. (2004)
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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris GrabensteinTwelve-year-old Kyle gets to stay overnight in the new town library, designed by his hero (the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello), with other students but finds that come morning he must work with friends to solve puzzles in order to escape. (2015)
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First Boyby Gary D. SchmidtDragged into the political turmoil of a presidential election year, fourteen-year-old Cooper Jewett, who runs a New Hampshire dairy farm since his grandfather's death, stands up for himself and makes it clear whose first boy he really is. (2008)
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Flunked by Jen CalonitaTossed into Cinderella's stepmother's reform school for fairy-tale villains after stealing a hair clip, twelve-year-old petty thief Gilly meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, who reveal the school's true evil purpose. (2017)
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Flush by Carl HiaasenWith their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home. (2007)
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The Graveyard Book by Neil GaimanAfter the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own. (2010)
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The Grimm Legacy by Polly ShulmanAfter high school student Elizabeth, working as a page, gains access to the Grimm Collection of magical objects, she and the other pages are drawn into a series of frightening adventures involving mythical creatures and stolen goods. (2011)
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K RowlingRescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. (2015)
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Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan MarinoWhen musical prodigy, Elvis Ruby, completely freezes up on television, he is forced to hide out in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, where he spends the summer working with his aunt and cousin at Piney Pete's Pancake Palace, the perfect place to remain anonymous until he meets Cecilia, a girl who can't seem to help blurting out whatever's on her mind. (2014)
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Hoot by Carl HiaasenRoy, who is new to his small Florida community, befriends a mysterious boy who introduces him to potty-trained alligators, burrowing owls, and sparkly-tailed poisonous snakes. (2005)
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I Represent Sean Rosen by Jeff BaronSean Rosen pretends to be a grown-up as well as his own manager and sells a movie idea to a major motion picture studio—via Skype—all while enduring the ups and downs of life in middle school. (2014)
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The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris GrabensteinSpending a summer at a lakeside cabin belonging to the mysterious Dr. Libris, Billy is astonished when he hears sounds of adventures in progress whenever he opens one of Dr. Libris' books. (2018)
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The Lightning Thief by Rick RiordanAfter learning that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea, Percy Jackson is sent to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods, and becomes involved in a quest to prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. (2007)
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The Lost Hero by Rick RiordanJason, Piper, and Leo, three students from a school for "bad kids," find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, where they learn that they are demigods and begin a quest to free Hera, who has been imprisoned by Mother Earth herself. (2012)
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Love Among the Walnuts by Jean FerrisBorn and raised in isolation in a wealthy, eccentric family, Sandy is shocked when he, his parents, and their servants become victims of a vicious plot by his greedy uncles to incapacitate them and take their money. (2006)
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The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick HarrisA young street magician teams up with other talented street kids to save their town from a crime boss and his goons. (2020)
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Masterminds by Gordon KormanA group of kids discovers they were cloned from the DNA of some of the greatest criminal masterminds in history for a sociological experiment. (2017)
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The Maze of Bones by Rick RiordanAt the reading of their grandmother's will, Dan and Amy Cahill are given the choice of receiving a million dollars or uncovering the 39 clues hidden around the world that will lead to the source of the family's power, but by taking on the clues, they end up in a dangerous race against their own family members. (2011)
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Misfits by Jen CalonitaForced to attend Enchantasia's Royal Academy, Devin teams up with other misfits to investigate why Olivina, the fairy godmother/headmistress, is obsessed with villains rather than teaching them to be proper princes and princesses. (2020)
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Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris GrabensteinMr. Lemoncello invites Kyle and his friends to participate in a fact-finding game, but when they learn a few surprising facts about Mr. Lemoncello, they must unravel the truth before his library and empire are destroyed. (2019)
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Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris GrabensteinMr. Lemoncello has invited teams from all across America to compete in the first ever Library Olympics...but someone is trying to censor what the kids are reading. (2017)
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Once Upon a Marigold by Jean FerrisIn the style of The Princess Bride, a hilarious and clever tale follows Christian, who, while spying on the royal family, saves the life of Princess Marigold and falls madly in love with her, but a devious plot devised by her own mother, the Queen, to take over the kingdom threatens to destroy them. (2005)
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Peeled by Joan BauerThinking that the editor of the local paper is behind the hysteria surrounding ghostly sightings and strange happenings at the Ludlow house, high school newspaper reporter Hildy Biddle decides to investigate the strange events herself and ends up making enemies while uncovering facts that some feel should remain secret. (2010)
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Pie by Sarah WeeksWhen her late Aunt Polly bequeaths a surly pet cat and a coveted pie-crust recipe to her, Alice is thrust into the center of a high-stakes pie-baking contest that her mother is determined to win, a competition that helps Alice discover the true importance of family, friendship and enjoying what one does in life. (2014)
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Poached by Stuart GibbsTwelve-year-old Teddy Fitzroy is the prime suspect when FunJungle's newly-acquired koala goes missing, thanks to a prank staged by middle school bully Vance Jessup. (2018)
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Poison by Bridget ZinnRealizing that her realm is on the verge of destruction and that she is the only one who can save it, 16-year-old Kyra makes the wrenching decision to poison the kingdom's future ruler, her former best friend, and is rendered a fugitive along with a charming adventurer and an adorable pig. (2014)
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Princess Academy by Shannon HaleWhile attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland. (2007)
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Raising Lumie by Joan BauerDesperately wanting a dog in spite of her newly orphaned status, Olive moves in with a busy half sister she barely knows before receiving a chance to raise a guide dog puppy who she struggles to prepare to be loved by someone else. (2023)
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Restart by Gordon KormanA standalone novel in the vein of No More Dead Dogs follows the experiences of a former bully who gets a chance at redemption after a memory-impairing accident tests whether he can change or will revert to his previous ways. (2019)
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The River Between Us by Richard PeckDuring the early days of the Civil War, the Pruitt family takes in two mysterious young ladies who have fled New Orleans to come north to Illinois. (2006)
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Rump : the True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl ShurtliffWhen his mother dies without revealing his full name, Rump endures teasing for his half-name until he discovers his ability to spin gold, a talent that entangles him in a dire curse and prompts a fantastical quest to discover his true identity. (2015)
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Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson HaddixWhen a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site under unseen observation by heartless scientists, and it's up to Jessie to escape the village and save the lives of the dying children. (2004)
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Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans by Russell GinnsSamantha's uncle mysteriously disappears, leaving behind extravagant gifts for her siblings and an old, rusty, red umbrella for Samantha that may contain clues to his whereabouts. (2020)
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Scat by Carl HiaasenNick and his friend Marta decide to investigate when a mysterious fire starts near a Florida wildlife preserve and an unpopular teacher goes missing. (2010)
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Schooled by Gordon KormanAfter his hippie grandmother ends up in the hospital, Cap Anderson is forced to leave the commune where he is homeschooled and attend Claverage Middle School, where his odd looks and behavior make him the target of bullies. (2009)
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The Sea of Monsters by Rick RiordanWhen Camp Half-Blood, the only safe haven for demigods, comes close to being overrun by mythological monsters, Percy must find his best friend Grover, who is prisoner on an island in the Bermuda Triangle, and then set out to save the Camp. (2008)
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The Seventh Level by Jody FeldmanTwelve-year-old Travis is invited to become a member of The Legend, Lauer Middle School's most exclusive secret society, but first he must solve seven puzzles. (2014)
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Shakespeare's Secret by Elise BroachNamed after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school. (2008)
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Slacker by Gordon KormanCameron creates a community service group as a diversion to fool his parents so he can keep playing video games all day, but his plan goes awry when students express interest in the club and he is forced to take real action. (2018)
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Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa YeeAfter flunking sixth-grade English, basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer-school class, keep his failure a secret from his friends, and satisfy his academically demanding father. (2009)
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Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer TorresMexican-American middle schooler Stef Soto is always embarrassed about her family's taco truck business, but she soon learns that family, friendship, and the taco truck are important parts of her life. (2019)
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Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. TolanJake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent for home schooling to the arty and eccentric Applewhite family's Creative Academy, where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had. (2005)
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A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson LevineTwelve-year-old Elodie journeys to Two Castles in the hope of studying acting but instead becomes an apprentice to the dragon Meenore, who teaches her to be observant and use reasoning, thus helping her discover who is poisoning Count Jonty Um. (2016)
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The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam RexAfter the alien Boov invade the Earth, young Gratuity Tucci finds herself driving her mother's car to Florida, where all of the humans are being relocated, accompanied by her cat and a renegade extraterrestrial named J. Lo. (2012)
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Ungifted by Gordon KormanDue to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school. (2013)
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Unplugged by Gordon KormanRelates, in multiple voices, the adventures of a group of youngsters at an electronics-free wellness camp where wealthy, spoiled Jett, leads other campers in trying to stop a criminal. (2023)
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Vanishing Acts by Phillip MargolinA first children's book by the best-selling author of Executive Privilege, co-authored by his daughter, follows the adventures of 12-year-old Madison, who resolves to help her attorney father solve a murder case at the same time her best friend, Ann, goes missing. (2013)
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The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. SchmidtDuring the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of value about the world he lives in. (2009)
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What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World by Henry ClarkDiscovering a rare crayon between the cushions of a mysterious sofa found at their bus stop, River, Freak and Fiona unwittingly embark on a quest to save the world from an alien invasion unleashed by a criminal mastermind. (2016)
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The Willoughbys Return by Lois LowryReclusive billionaire’s son Richie Willoughby finds his budding friendship with neighborhood kids Winifred and Winston Poore challenged by the sudden outlawing of candy and his horrible grandparents’ unexpected resurrection. (2011)
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