READING WITHOUT WALLS CHALLENGE
Chapter Book Suggestions (GRADES 3-5)
All titles can be found in South School Library
F SAYSay, Allen. The sign painter. Houghton Mifflin, c2000.
An assignment to paint a large billboard in the desert changes the life of an aspiring artist.
FIC ARNArnold, Elana K. A boy called bat. 1st ed. New York, NY : Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2017].
"When his veterinarian mom brings home a stray baby skunk that needs rehabilitation before it can be placed in a wild animal shelter, Bat, who has austim, resolves to prove that he is up to the challenge of caring for the skunk permanently"--OCLC.
FIC BEABeaty, Andrea. Ada Twist and the perilous pants. New York : Amulet Books, 2019.
"When Rosie Revere's Uncle Ned gets a little carried away wearing his famous helium pants, it's up to Ada and friends to chase him down. As Uncle Ned floats farther and farther away, Ada starts asking lots of questions: How high can a balloon float? Is it possible for Uncle Ned to float into outer space? And what's the best plan for getting him down?"--Provided by publisher.
FIC BEABeaty, Andrea. Iggy Peck and the mysterious mansion. New York : Amulet Books, 2020.
Iggy is delighted when Ada Twist's Aunt Bernice inherits a mansion featuring his favorite architectural periods, but unless the Questioneers can find its missing antiques, the house may be lost forever. Includes information about Art Deco and Art Nouveau, facts about unusual cats, a recipe for ice cream, and a biographical note on Ida B. Wells.
FIC BLABlake, Ashley Herring. Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world. 1st ed.: March 2018. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2018.
"Twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed in a tornado, and in the aftermath of the storm, she begins to develop feelings for another girl at school"--Provided by publisher.
FIC BOUBourne, Shakirah author. Josephine against the sea. First edition.
When she discovers her father's new girlfriend, Mariss, is actually a sea creature eager to take her place as his first love, Josephine must convince her friends to help her and use her cricket skills to save her dad from Mariss' clutches.
FIC BRABradley, Kimberly Brubaker. The war that saved my life. New York, N.Y. : Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, [2015].
A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother.
FIC CALCalejo, Ryan. Charlie Hernández and the league of shadows. 1st Aladdin hardcover ed. New York : Aladdin, 2018.
"Steeped in Hispanic folklore since childhood, middle schooler Charlie Hernández learns the stories are true when, shortly after his parents disappearance, he grows horns and feathers and finds himself at the heart of a battle to save the world"--Provided by publisher.
FIC CALCallender, Kacen. Hurricane Child. 1st ed., April 2018. New York : Scholastic Press, 2018.
Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother.
FIC CARCartaya, Pablo. Each tiny spark. New York : Kokila, [2019].
Sixth-grader Emilia Torres struggles with ADHD, her controlling abuela, her mother's work commitments, her father's distance after returning from deployment, evolving friendships, and a conflict over school redistricting.
FIC CARCartaya, Pablo. The epic fail of Arturo Zamora. New York, N.Y. : Viking, 2017.
Tells the story of Arturo, who is looking forward to a relaxing summer until Carmen, a cute and funny girl moves into his apartment complex and while he deals with his stomach turning into a deep fryer over a girl, a smarmy land developer rolls into town and threatens to change it.
FIC CARCartaya, Pablo. Marcus Vega doesn't speak Spanish. New York, N.Y. : Viking, 2018.
"After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mother takes him and his younger brother, who has Down syndrome, to Puerto Rico to visit relatives they do not remember or have never met, and while there Marcus starts searching for his father, who left their family ten years ago and is somewhere on the island"--Provided by publisher.
FIC CERCervantes, Angela. Allie, first at last. 1st ed., April 2016. New York : Scholastic Press, 2016.
Born into a family of over-achievers, fifth-grader Allie Velasco has never finished first in anything, and lately things have been going badly: her science project is ruined by a well-meaning student, her former best friend is hanging out with another girl--but now she is determined to win the Trailblazer contest with a photographic presentation about her great grandfather, the first Congressional Medal of Honor winner from their town.
FIC CERCervantes, Angela. Me, Frida, and the secret of the peacock ring.
"Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. She's hoping that spending time in Mexico will help her unlock memories of the too-brief time they spent together. While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with an irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward -- and the thanks of all Mexico. What better way to honor her father than returning a priceless piece of jewelry that once belonged to his favorite artist!"--Publisher.
FIC CERCervantes, Jennifer. The storm runner. 1st pbk. ed. Los Angeles : Disney-Hyperion, 2019.
To prevent the Mayan gods from battling each other and destroying the world, thirteen-year-old Zane must unravel an ancient prophecy, stop an evil god, and discover how the physical disability that makes him reliant on a cane also connects him to his father and his ancestry.
FIC CLAClarke, Cat. The pants project. Naperville, Ill. : Sourcebooks Young Readers, [2019].
"Eleven-year-old Liv fights to change the middle school dress code requiring girls to wear a skirt and, along the way, finds the courage to tell his moms he is meant to be a boy"--OCLC.
FIC CLICline-Ransome, Lesa. Finding Langston. 1st ed. New York : Holiday House, [2018].
Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.
FIC CORCórdova, Zoraida author. The way to Rio Luna. First edition.
Eleven-year-old Danny Monteverde believes in magic, he believes that the enchanted land of Rio Luna in his older sister's favorite book is real, and most of all he believes that if he can find the way to Rio Luna he will find his sister Pili there, because he does not believe that his sister would run away from the group home where they lived and leave him behind; but after years of being passed from one foster family to another his faith begins to fade--until one day he finds a mysterious book in the library that contains a map to Rio Luna...and a way to find Pili.
FIC CUECuevas, Adrianna. The total eclipse of Nestor Lopez. 1st ed. New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 2020.
"A Cuban-American boy must use his ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town when they are threatened by a witch that transforms into animals"--OCLC.
FIC CURCurtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2007.
In 1859, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American South, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom.
FIC CURCurtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. New York : Delacorte Press, 1995.
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastcally changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
FIC DASDasGupta, Sayantani, author. The chaos curse. First edition.
Prince Lal has been spirited away to, of all places, Parsippany, so Kiranmala must leave the the Kingdom Beyond and return home to rescue him; but reality seems to be wavering around her because something is causing a dangerous disruption in the multiverse, and she must face the disturbing prophecy about her own role in the approaching conflict between good and evil--not to mention her own growing feelings for Prince Neel.
FIC DASDasGupta, Sayantani, author. Force of fire. First edition.
A descendent from a long line of demons who build interspecies relationships to fight tyranny works competitively to control her dangerous fire-breathing skills, before a Serpentine Governor's charming son enlists her help to defeat a growing rebellion.
FIC DRADraper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills). Out of my mind. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2010.
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.
FIC ERDErdrich, Louise. The birchbark house. 1st ed. New York : Hyperion Books for Children, c1999.
Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.
FIC FLOFlorence, Debbi Michiko, author. Keep it together, Keiko Carter. First edition.
Keiko, Audrey, and Jenna have always been best friends, and Keiko desperately wants it to stay that way, but now they are starting seventh grade, and everything seems to be changing; Audrey is obsessed with the idea of them all securing boyfriends, but when she and Jenna focus on the same boy their friendship starts to break apart--and then Keiko finds herself attracted to Audrey's brother, Conner (who has generally been cast as the enemy), and suddenly she finds herself having to choose between the two.
FIC FLOFlores-Galbis, Enrique. 90 miles to Havana. 1st ed. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2010.
Julian's parents, hoping to protect him from the dangers of the turmoil in Cuba, send him to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, not realizing that life in a Miami refugee camp holds its own perils.
FIC GERGerber, Alyson. Focused. First edition.
"Twelve-year-old Clea wants to do her homework, follow instructions, pay attention in school, and play chess on the school team, but somehow she cannot focus on whatever is in front of her, and the other kids at school are starting to notice and make fun of her; when her worried parents take her to be tested she finds out that she has ADHD (only without the hyperactivity)--and with help from the psychiatrist who seems to really understand her, she is determined to learn how to focus." --.
FIC GINGino, Alex. George. 1st ed., September 2015. New York : Scholastic Press, 2015.
"When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all"--provided by publisher.
FIC GONGonzalez, Christina Diaz, 1969- author. Concealed. First edition.
"Katrina doesn't know any of the details about her past, but she does know that she and her parents are part of the Witness Protection Program. Whenever her parents say they have to move on and start over, she takes on a new identity. A new name, a new hair color, a new story. Until their location leaks and her parents disappear. Forced to embark on a dangerous rescue mission, Katrina and her new friend Parker set out to save her parents--and find out the truth about her secret past and the people that want her family dead. But every new discovery reveals that Katrina's entire life has been built around secrets covered up with lies and that her parents were actually the ones keeping the biggest secret of all"--OCLC.
FIC GRAGratz, Alan, 1972-. Ground zero. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
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.
FIC GRIGriffiths, Andy, 1961- author. The 91-story treehouse. First U.S. edition.
Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world's most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller's tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!.
FIC GRIGrimes, Nikki, author. Words with wings. First edition.
When Gabby's parents separate, her tendency to daydream becomes essential to coping with life's difficuties, which only increase when she moves with her mother to a new home and a new school.
FIC HIGHiguera, Donna Barba. Lupe Wong won't dance. New York : Levine Querido, [2020].
"Lupe Wong is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. She's also championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy . . . like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles. And some not so much . . . like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons. Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who's Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym? Obviously she's not gonna let that slide"--Provided by publisher.
FIC HITHitchcock, Shannon, author. Flying over water. First edition.
Twelve-year-old Noura and her family, fleeing war in Syria, have been granted asylum in the United States, but they arrive in Florida to the chaos of the president's Muslim ban; twelve-year-old Jordyn is a member of the Christian church that is sponsoring the Alwan family, and Noura's student ambassador in middle school; their inevitable culture clash is made far worse by the wave of hate crimes unleashed by the Muslim ban, and personal problems of both girls--Noura's fear of water (Jordyn is a champion swimmer) and Jordyn's worry over her mother's recent miscarriage.
FIC HITHitchcock, Shannon. One true way. First edition.
From the moment she met Samantha, star of the school basketball team, on her first day at Daniel Boone Middle School, Allison Drake felt she had found a friend, something she needs badly since her brother died and her father left--but as their friendship grows it begins to evolve into a deeper emotion, and in North Carolina in 1977, it is not easy to discover that you might be gay.
FIC HUNHunt, Lynda Mullaly. Fish in a tree. New York, NY : Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), [2015].
"Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read"--Provided by publisher.
FIC HUNHunter, Sara Hoagland. The unbreakable code. Flagstaff, AZ : Northland Pub., c1996.
Because John is afraid to leave the Navajo Reservation, his grandfather explains to him how the Navajo language, faith, and ingenuity helped win World War II.
FIC IBUIbura, K., author. When the world turned upside down. First edition.
What do you do when the world shuts down? A heartwarming story of friendship and overcoming adversity in a time of COVID, When the World Turns Upside Down is about community, giving back, and understanding the world around us through the power of generosity from debut middle grade author K. Ibura. Nobody expected a tiny little virus to change the whole world in such a big way, especially not Shayla, Liam, Ai, and Ben. But when school closes to keep everyone safe, their lives turn upside down. It is one thing to learn that the outside world isn’t safe, but why does it seem that the virus is causing trouble inside their homes too? As they each struggle to adjust to life in quarantine, they discover they are not alone: their apartment building is full of people who need their help. Working together, they begin to see that there is power in numbers. When they cooperate, they can ease each other’s challenges and help their neighbors through tough times. It’s a lesson they’ll need when protests explode in the streets. Soon, each friend has to decide what it means to be part of a community--and how much they’re willing to do to make this world safer for everyone. Set against the onset of COVID, When the World Turned Upside Down navigates issues of race and social justice in a heartwarming story of generosity, friendship, and the power of youth.
FIC JOHJohnson, Varian. The Parker inheritance. 1st ed. New York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., [2018].
Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.
FIC JOHJohnson, Varian. Playing the cards you're dealt. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
"Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table. Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly who he has in mind. She talks a whole lot of trash- way more than his old partner. Plus, he's not sure that his father wants him playing with a girl. But she's smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley--and keep his plans a secret. Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart . . ."--Dust jacket.
FIC KELKeller, Tae. When you trap a tiger. 1st ed. New York : Random House, [2020].
When Lily, her sister Sam, and their mother move in with her sick grandmother, Lily traps a tiger and makes a deal with him to heal Halmoni.
FIC KEPKeplinger, Kody, author. Lila and Hadley. First edition.
Hadley is an angry girl: angry at her mother for embezzling money, angry at her estranged older sister, Beth, whom she has to live with while her mother is in jail, angry at having to move to Kentucky away from her friends, and angry at the world because she has retinitis pigmentosa and is slowly going blind; but then she meets Lila, a rescued pit bull who has not responded to anyone else--so if Hadley can train Lila, maybe the dog can get adopted into her forever home, and just maybe Lila can help Hadley deal with her own problems.
FIC KHAKhan, Hena. Amina's voice. 1st ed. New York : Salaam Reads, [2017].
"A Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family's vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community"--Provided by publisher.
FIC KIMKimmel, Eric A. The jar of fools : eight Hanukkah stories from Chelm. 1st ed. New York : Holiday House, 2000.
Drawing on traditional Jewish folklore, these Hanukkah stories relate the antics of the people of Chelm, thought--perhaps incorrectly--to be a town of fools.
FIC KIMKimmel, Eric A. The spotted pony : a collection of Hanukkah stories. New York : Holiday House, 1992.
Eight stories, with a "shammes" story for each, to be read on the eight nights of Hanukkah.
FIC KIMKimmel, Eric A. When Mindy saved Hanukkah. 1st. ed. Scholastic Press, c1998.
A tiny Jewish family living behind the wall of a synagogue must battle a frightening cat if they want candles for their Hanukkah menorah.
FIC LAILai, Thanhha. Inside out & back again. 1st ed. New York : Harper, c2011.
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
FIC LATLatham, Irene. The cat man of Aleppo. New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, [2020].
"In the midst of the Syrian Civil War, Alaa takes care of Aleppo's abandoned cats"--Provided by publisher.
FIC LEVLevine, Ellen. Henry's freedom box. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, c2007.
A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.
FIC LEZLeZotte, Ann Clare. Set me free. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
Three years after being kidnapping from her home in Martha's Vineyard, fourteen-year-old Mary Lambert receives a letter from Nora O'Neal, a servant in the house where she was held, who tells her of an eight-year-old girl where she is now employed whom Nora believes to be a deaf-mute, but who is being treated as insane, and asks Mary to come and teach the nameless child; a little scared, but intrigued, and bored with domestic life, Mary agrees--only to find that there is more to the child's story, and that freeing her from a world of silence and imprisonment may be more dangerous than anyone anticipated.
FIC LEZLeZotte, Ann Clare. Show me a sign. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2020.
It is 1805 and Mary Lambert has always felt safe among the deaf community of Chilmark on Martha's Vineyard where practically everyone communicates in a shared sign language, but recent events have shattered her life; her brother George has died, land disputes between English settlers and the Wampanoag people are becoming increasingly bitter, and a "scientist" determined to discover the origins of the islands' widespread deafness has decided she makes the perfect "live specimen"--and kidnapped her.
FIC LINLin, Grace. Dumpling days : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2012.
Pacy and her family go to Taiwan to celebrate Grandma's sixtieth birthday, and Pacy is excited when her parents sign her up for a Chinese painting class, but she cannot speak the language and struggles to make friends and understand the teacher's instructions.
FIC LINLin, Grace. Starry River of the Sky. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2012.
An innkeeper's chore boy discovers that a visitor's stories hold the key to returning the moon to the Starry River of the Sky.
FIC LINLin, Grace. When the sea turned to silver. 1st ed.: October 2016. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2016.
"Pinmei, a storyteller's granddaughter, must find the Luminous Stone that Lights the Night to rescue her grandmother, who has been kidnapped by the Tiger Emperor"--Provided by publisher.
FIC LINLin, Grace. Where the mountain meets the moon. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2009.
Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.
FIC LINLin, Grace. The year of the dog : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2006.
Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog, those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.
FIC LOOLook, Lenore. Alvin Ho : allergic to birthday parties, science projects, and other man-made catastrophes. 1st ed. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, c2010.
Hoping for an invitation to a much-anticipated party but receiving instead a request for his presence at a girl's birthday celebration, disgusted second-grader Alvin resists his mother's requirement that he accept and resorts to several tricks to avoid attending.
FIC LORLord, Bette. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. 1st ed. New York, N.Y. : Harper & Row, c1984.
In 1947, a Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball.
FIC LORLord, Cynthia. Rules. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2006.
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic.
FIC MARMarquez, Melissa Cristina, author. Wild Survival : swimming with sharks.
Twelve-year-old Adrianna Villalobos and her older brother Fey's latest adventure takes them to the coast of Sri Lanka where they must rescue an injured tiger shark.
FIC MARM©Łrquez, Melissa Cristina, author. Crocodile rescue!
"Twelve-year-old Adrianna Villalobos fights for survival against the legendary Mega Croc of Cuba.
FIC MBAMbalia, Kwame author. Last gate of the Emperor. First edition.
Enduring an isolated existence in hardscrabble Addis Prime, a star underground augmented reality gamer finds his small family targeted by city-razing monsters waging a galaxy-spanning war.
FIC MCMMcManis, Charlene Willing, 1953-2018. Indian no more. 1st ed. New York : Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc., [2019].
"When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home"--OCLC.
FIC MEDMedina, Meg, author. Merci Suarez changes gears. First U.S. edition.
Merci Suarez begins the sixth grade and knows things will change, but she did not count on her grandfather acting strangely, not fitting in at her private school, and dealing with Edna Santos' jealousy.
FIC MIAMian, Zanib. Accidental trouble magnet. 1st American ed. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2020.
"Imaginative Omar goes through the ups and downs of starting a new school and making new friends with the help of his wonderful (and silly) Muslim family"--Provided by publisher.
FIC MOCMOCHIZUKI, KEN. BASEBALL SAVED US. NEW YORK : LEE & LOW BOOKS, 1993.
A JAPANESE AMERICAN BOY LEARNS TO PLAY BASEBALL WHEN HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE FORCED TO LIVE IN AN INTERNMENT CAMP DURING WORLD WAR II, AND HIS ABILITY TO PLAY HELPS HIM AFTER THE WAR IS OVER.
FIC NIENielsen, Jennifer A. A night divided. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2015.
When the Berlin Wall went up, Gerta, her mother, and her brother Fritz were trapped on the eastern side where they were living, while her father, and her other brother Dominic were in the West--four years later, now twelve, Gerta sees her father on a viewing platform on the western side and realizes he wants her to risk her life trying to tunnel to freedom.
FIC OLDOlder, Daniel José. Freedom fire. First edition.
Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are heading southwest on the back of Stella, the giant pteranodon, to find Montez, her brother, wounded during the siege of Vicksburg; now they are heading into the heart of the fighting, depending on Magdalys's ability to communicate telepathically with dinosaurs--but one of the companions is not quite what she seems, and Magdalys's talent could make her a target for both sides.
FIC OLDOlder, Daniel José. Thunder run. 1st ed.
"Now that she has found her brother Montez, Magdalys and her squad have embarked on a secret mission for General Grant, taking them deep into the Louisiana swamplands, to New Orleans, and eventually to the Mexican border where Imperial troops are forming an alliance with the Confederates in pursuit of spreading slavery--and once more Magdalys will have to use her telepathic link to the dinosaurs to save herself, her squad, and the union she believes in"--Publisher.
FIC ORTOrtega, Claribel A. Ghost Squad. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2020.
"Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late"--Amazon.com.
FIC PALPalacio, R. J. Auggie & me : three wonder stories. 1st omnibus ed. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, [2015].
Three previously-published novellas that shed further light on the world of Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, set before he entered Beecher Prep and during his first year there and told from other characters' points of view. "The Julian Chapter" reveals why the bully dislikes Auggie so much. "Pluto" is about the lifelong friendship between Auggie and Christopher. And, finally, "Shingaling" offers a view of how the girls at Beecher Prep see Auggie when he first comes on the scene.
FIC PALPalacio, R. J. Wonder. 1st ed. New York : Knopf, c2012.
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunts and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
FIC PANPancholy, Maulik, 1974-. The best at it. 1st ed. New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2019].
"Twelve-year-old Rahul Kapoor, an Indian-American boy growing up in small-town Indiana, struggles to come to terms with his identity, including that he may be gay"--Provided by publisher.
FIC PERPeretti, Paola. The distance between me and the cherry tree. 1st Atheneum Bks. for Young Readers ed. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019.
When nine-year-old Mafalda learns she will go blind in six months from Stargardt Disease, she needs the help of family and friends to retain what is essential to her.
FIC PINPinkney, Andrea Davis. With the might of angels. New York : Scholastic, 2011.
In 1955 Hadley, Virginia, twelve-year-old Dawnie Rae Johnson, a tomboy who excels at baseball and at her studies, becomes the first African American student to attend the all-white Prettyman Coburn school, turning her world upside down. Includes historical notes about the period.
FIC REYReynolds, Jason. As brave as you. 1st ed. New York : A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, [2016].
"When two brothers decide to prove how brave they are, everything backfires -- literally."--Provided by publisher.
FIC REYReynolds, Jason. Ghost. 1st ed. New York, N.Y. : Atheneum Books For Young Readers, [2016].
"Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential"--Provided by publisher.
FIC REYReynolds, Jason. Look both ways : a tale told in ten blocks. 1st ed. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, [2019].
"A collection of ten short stories that all take place in the same day about kids walking home from school"--Provided by publisher.
FIC ROBRobertson, Robbie. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker. New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2015.
Hiawatha, a Mohawk, is plotting revenge for the murder of his wife and daughters by the evil Onondaga Chief, Tadodaho, when he meets the Great Peacemaker, who enlists his help in bringing the nations together to share his vision of a new way of life marked by peace, love, and unity rather than war, hate, and fear.
FIC ROSRosenberg, Madelyn, 1966- author. Not your all-American girl. First edition.
Sixth-graders Lauren and Tara have always done everything together so it is only natural that they both try out for their middle school musical play, about an "all-American" girl in 1958; Tara gets the lead role, as usual, because in the teacher's mind Lauren, half-Jewish and half-Chinese, does not fit the image of all-American girl--Lauren is hurt but resolved to support her friend, but her two grandmothers are furious and they intend to do something about it.
FIC RUTRutter, Helen (Children's author), author. The boy who made everyone laugh. First edition.
Billy Plimpton wants to be a famous comedian when he grows up but his stutter is getting in the way, and right now he is so worried about being made fun of by the kids in his new school that he plans on not talking at all, but the plan backfires because his persistent silence only draws attention of the school bully--and Billy realizes that he needs another plan, one that does not depend on him speaking without a stutter.
FIC RYARyan, Pam Muñoz. Paint the wind. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, c2007.
Maya is held captive in her grandmothers house in California but her imagination runs wild in Wyoming with a horse called Artemisia and the memory of her mother.
FIC SAYSay, Allen. Silent days, silent dreams. 1st ed., November 2017. New York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books, An Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2017.
A fictional biography of James Castle, a deaf, autistic artist whose drawings hang in major museums throughout the world.
FIC SCOScott, Libby, author. Can you see me?
Eleven-year-old Tally is starting sixth grade at Kingswood Academy and she really wants to fit in, which means somehow hiding her autism, hypersensitivity to touch, and true self, and trying to act "normal" like her former best friend, Layla, who is distancing herself from Tally and her fourteen-year-old sister, Nell, who is always angry with Tally for being different; but as she records her thoughts and anxieties in her coping diary, Tally begins to wonder--what is "normal" anyway?.
FIC SHAShabazz, Ilyasah, author. Betty before X. First Square Fish edition.
Raised by her aunt until she is six, Betty, who will later marry Malcolm X, joins her mother and stepfamily in 1940s Detroit, where she learns about the civil rights movement.
FIC SIDSiddiqui, Maleeha, author. Barakah Beats. First edition.
"It's Nimra Sharif's first time going to public school. Nimra's nervous, but as long as she has her best friend, Jenna, by her side, she figures she can take on just about anything. Unfortunately, middle school is hard. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and Jenna starts giving hijab-wearing Nimra the cold shoulder aorund the other kids. Desperate to fit in and save her friendship with Jenna, Nimra accepts an unlikely invitation to join Barakah Beats, a band mad up of popular eighth-grade boys. The only problem is, Nimra was taught that music isn't allowed in Islam, and she knows her parents would be disappointed in her. So she devises a plan: join the band just until she wins Jenna back, then quit before her parents find out. but Nimra's lies quickly start to unravel. And as she grows to care about her bandmates, Nimra has to decide whether to betray her new friends or herself"--Provided by publisher.
FIC SONSonnenblick, Jordan, author. The boy who failed show and tell.
In a typical school year, every kid has one or two things go wrong. But for Jordan, there's A LOT going wrong ALL THE TIME. Take this year. Here are some of the thing going wrong: His teacher hates him. Like, really hates him. Like, is totally out to get him even when he's trying to be good, and is willing to fail him on the simplest things, like show and tell. He has a slight breathing problem because of his asthma. And breathing is never really an optional activity. His pet snake has given birth to way, way, way too many baby snakes, all who need a home. He is finding that becoming The World's Best Drummer in no time whatsoever is maybe not the easiest goal. There are bullies ready to stomp him when all he has to defend himself with is a lunchbox. And all this doesn't even include the freak swing set accident, the fears inside his head, or the funniest class presentation ever. By keeping his cool (some of the time), banging on the drums (a lot), and keeping his sense of humor (all the time), Jordan's going to try to make it through the year . . . and grow up to write a book about it!.
FIC STOStone, Nic. Clean getaway. 1st Yearling ed. New York : A Yearling Book, 2021.
"For the life of him, William 'Scoob' Lamar can't seem to stay out of trouble--and now the run-ins at school have led to lockdown at home. So when G'ma, Scoob's favorite person on Earth, asks him to go on an impromptu road trip, he's in the RV faster than he can say freedom. With G'ma's old maps and a strange pamphlet called the 'Travelers' Green Book' at their side, the pair takes off on a journey down G'ma's memory lane. But adventure quickly turns to uncertainty: G'ma keeps changing the license plate, dodging Scoob's questions, and refusing to check Dad's voice mails. And the farther they go, the more Scoob realizes that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--G'ma included"--OCLC.
FIC TARTarshis, Lauren. I survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863. New York : Scholastic, c2013.
Witnessing the harrowing events of the Civil War from the sidelines, eleven-year-old Henry endures the most grueling challenges of his life throughout a hot July week when he becomes inadvertently involved in the historic battle.
FIC TAYTaylor, Mildred D. Roll of thunder, hear my cry. New York : Dial Press, c1976.
A black family living in the South during the 1930's are faced with prejudice and discrimination which their children don't understand.
FIC UCHUchida, Yoshiko. The bracelet. New York : Philomel, 1993.
Emi, a Japanese American in the second grade, is sent with her family to an internment camp during World War II, but the loss of the bracelet her best friend has given her proves that she does not need a physical reminder of that friendship.
FIC VANVan Otterloo, Ash, author. A touch of ruckus.
Twelve-year-old Tennessee Lancaster, burdened by her ability to pry into folks' memories by touching their belongings and by her prideful family's secrets, finds solace in ghost hunting with her nonbinary crush inside a nearby forest in Howler's Hollow, but when the ghosts reveal that the forest's existence is threatened, Tennie must find the link between how they died and her own family's secrets.
FIC VILVillanueva, Gail D. My fate according to the butterfly. First edition.
In one week Sabrina will be eleven-years-old and she would really like to get her estranged parents and her older sister Nadine together for the celebration, especially since the black butterfly landing on her locket has convinced her that she is going to die; Sabrina and her friend Pepper come up with a bucket list, and enlist Nadine's help--but aspiring reporter Nadine is working on a story about the Philippines' war on drugs, and she has uncovered something that may endanger them all, and prove the butterfly is indeed a harbinger of death in Manila.--.
FIC VILVillanueva, Gail D., author. Sugar and spite. First edition.
"Jolina can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she's still in-training to use her grandfather's arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion. And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolina -- now she wants to be Jolina's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks. But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love -- or hate -- will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm..."--Amazon.com.
FIC WARWarga, Jasmine. Other words for home. 1st ed. New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2019].
"Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven't quite prepared her for starting school in the US --and her new label of 'Middle Eastern,' an identity she's never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises--there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude just might try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is"--Provided by publisher.
FIC WATWatson, Renée. Some places more than others. New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019.
Amara visits her father's family in Harlem for her twelfth birthday, hoping to better understand her family and herself, but New York City is not what she expected.
FIC WATWatson, Renée, author. Ways to grow love.
In the summer before fifth grade, Ryan Hart continues to grow through changes and challenges, such as waiting for a new baby sister to be born, a summer camp trip, and more.--.
FIC WATWatson, Renée. Ways to make sunshine. New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020.
The Hart family of Portland, Oregon, faces many setbacks after Ryan's father loses his job, but no matter what, Ryan tries to bring sunshine to her loved ones.
FIC WILWilliams-Garcia, Rita. One crazy summer. 1st ed. New York : Amistad, c2010.
In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
FIC WILWilliams-Garcia, Rita. P.S. be eleven. 1st ed. New York, NY : Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2013].
After spending the summer of 1968 with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern return home to Brooklyn with a new feeling of independence, but they discover their father has a new girlfriend, Uncle Darnell has come home from Vietnam a changed man, and Big Ma still expects Delphine to take care of everything. Feeling overwhelmed, Delphine writes to her mother, who reminds her to enjoy being eleven and not grow up too fast.
FIC WOOWoodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007.
When a new, white student nicknamed "The Jesus Boy" joins her sixth grade class in the winter of 1971, Frannie's growing friendship with him makes her start to see some things in a new light.
FIC WOOWoodson, Jacqueline. Harbor me. New York, NY : Nancy Paulsen Books, [2018].
"When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world"--Provided by publisher.
FIC YANYang, Kelly, author. Front desk. First edition.
Recent immigrants from China and desperate for work and money, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents take a job managing a rundown motel in Southern California, even though the owner, Mr. Yao is a nasty skinflint who exploits them; while her mother (who was an engineer in China) does the cleaning, Mia works the front desk and tries to cope with demanding customers and other recent immigrants--not to mention being only one of two Chinese in her fifth grade class, the other being Mr. Yao's son, Jason.
FIC YANYang, Kelly. Room to dream. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
"After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family--to China! A total dream come true. Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like . . . 1. Lupe's taking classes at the high school! And Mia's own plans to be a big writer are . . . stuck. 2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it. 3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing. Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has . . . room to dream!"--Provided by publisher.
FIC YANYang, Kelly, author. Three keys : a Front desk novel. First edition.
Mia Tang's sixth grade year complicated by a hard-to-please teacher, financial setbacks at her parents' motel, and a looming immigration law that threatens to derail her entire life.
FIC YOUYoussef, Bassem, author. The magical reality of Nadia.
"Nadia loves fun facts. Here are a few about her: She collects bobbleheads -- she has 77 so far. She moved from Egypt to America when she was six years old. The hippo amulet she wears is ancient... as in it's literally from ancient Egypt. She's going to win the contest to design a new exhibit at the local museum. Because how cool would that be?! (Okay, so that last one isn't a fact just yet, but Nadia has plans to make it one.) But then a new kid shows up and teases Nadia about her Egyptian heritage. It's totally unexpected, and totally throws her off her game. And something else happens that Nadia can't explain: Her amulet starts glowing! She soon discovers that the hippo is holding a helpful -- and hilarious -- secret. Can she use it to confront the new kid and win the contest? From The Daily Show comedian Bassem Youssef and author Catherine R. Daly comes a humorous and heartfelt story about prejudice, friendship, empathy, and courage. Includes sections of black-and-white comics as well as lively black-and-white illustrations throughout"--.
PB FIC ARNArnold, Elana K., author. A boy called Bat.
For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises?some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat?s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he?s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.
PB FIC BOOBooth, Coe, author. Kinda like brothers. First edition.
When his mother takes in a twelve-year-old foster boy, Jarrett is forced to share his room and his friends with the new boy.
PB FIC BRUBruchac, Joseph, 1942-. Peacemaker. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2021.
"A twelve-year-old Iroquois boy rethinks his calling after witnessing the arrival of a mystical figure with a message of peace in this historical novel based on the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy"--Provided by publisher.
PB FIC DONDonoghue, Emma, 1969- author. The Lotterys plus one. First edition.
Once upon a time, two couples with Jamaican, Mohawk, Indian, and Scottish ethnic roots won the lottery and bought a big house where all of them, four adults and seven adopted and biological children, could live together in harmony--but change is inevitable, especially when a disagreeable grandfather comes to stay.
PB FIC DRADraper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills). Out of my mind. 1st Atheneum Books for Young Readers pbk. ed. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012, c2010.
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.
PB FIC FLOFlores-Galbis, Enrique. 90 miles to Havana. 1st Square Fish ed. New York : Square Fish, 2012, c2010.
Julian's parents, hoping to protect him from the dangers of the turmoil in Cuba, send him to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, not realizing that life in a Miami refugee camp holds its own perils.
PB FIC GINGino, Alex, author. You don't know everything, Jilly P! First edition.
Publisher Annotation: A new novel from Alex Gino, the award-winning author of George Jilly thinks she's figured out how life works. But when her sister Emma is born Deaf, she realizes how much she still has to learn. A big fantasy reader, Jilly connects with another fan, Derek, who is a Deaf Black ASL user. She goes to Derek for advice but doesn't always know the best way to ask for it and makes some mistakes along the way. Jilly has to step back to learn to be an ally, a sister, and a friend, understanding that life works in different ways for different people, and that being open to change can make you change in the best possible ways.
PB FIC HUNHunt, Lynda Mullaly. Fish in a tree. New York, N.Y. : Puffin Books, 2017.
"Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read"--Provided by publisher.
PB FIC LAILai, Thanhha. Inside out & back again. 1st pbk. ed. New York : Harper, 2013, c2011.
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
PB FIC LINLin, Grace. Where the mountain meets the moon. 1st pbk. ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2011, c2009.
Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.
PB FIC LORLord, Cynthia. Rules. New York : Scholastic, 2006.
PB FIC MENMéndez, Yamile Saied, author. Wish upon a stray.
María Emilia's life turns upside down when she and her family immigrate from Argentina to the US. How can she make new friends when simply speaking English all day is exhausting? Luckily, she has the company of a stray dog in the neighborhood, who happens to look and act just like her beloved pet cat back home. Eventually, it turns out the pup isn't a stray after all--she belongs to María Emilia's new neighbor, Donovan. In order to spend more time with the dog (who totally isn't her reincarnated cat ... right?), she agrees to sing in Donovan's band. But can Emilia find her new voice without losing herself?--.
PB FIC PINPinkney, Andrea Davis. Loretta Little looks back : three voices go tell it : a monologue novel. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2020.
Loretta, Roly, and Aggie B. Little relate their Mississippi family's struggles and triumphs from 1927 to 1968 while struggling as sharecroppers, living under Jim Crow, and fighting for Civil Rights.
PB FIC RICRichardson, Rhiannon, author. Pizza my heart.
"Maya Reynolds has practically grown up in her family's Brooklyn pizza shop, Soul Slice, and is a true city girl. When her family moves to a small town in Pennsylvania to open another pizza place, everything changes. Being the new girl is hard enough. At Soul Slice 2.0, Maya is assigned delivery duty. And her first delivery is a disaster. Can you make a worse impression than tripping... and falling face-first into a rude boy's pizza order? When that same rude--and, okay, cute--boy shows up at her school, Maya's convinced nothing can go right. But she may be in for some surprises. Could good friends, secret crushes, and creative pizza toppings turn Maya's new home into her own slice of heaven?"--.
PB FIC SALSalazar, Aida. The moon within. First edition.
Eleven-year-old (nearly twelve) Celi Rivera, who is a mix of Black-Puerto Rican-Mexican Indian is uncomfortable about her approaching period, and the changes that are happening to her body; she is horrified that her mother wants to hold a traditional public moon ceremony to celebrate the occasion--until she finds out that her best friend Magda is contemplating an even more profound change of life.
PB FIC SHAShang, Wendy Wan Long. The great wall of Lucy Wu. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, c2011.
Eleven-year-old aspiring basketball star and interior designer Lucy Wu is excited about finally having her own bedroom, until she learns that her great-aunt is coming to visit and Lucy will have to share a room with her for several months, shattering her plans for a perfect sixth-grade year.
PB FIC STOStoudemire, Amar'e. Home court. New York : Scholastic Press, c2012.
Between sports, school, and working for his father, eleven-year-old Amar'e's life is full and he is not yet ready to concentrate on basketball--but when a group of older boys start hogging the local basketball court he knows that he has to do something to help his friends.
PB FIC STOStoudemire, Amar'e. Slam dunk. New York : Scholastic, 2013.
Focusing so much on basketball that he is unable to help his dad at work, Amar'e is teased by older players and is forced to take time off for an eye injury that gives him the opportunity to bond with his father.
PB FIC WILWilliams-Garcia, Rita. One crazy summer. 1st pbk. ed. New York : Amistad, 2012, c2010.
After travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, Delphine and her two sisters discover that their mother, a dedicated poet, wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
PB FIC YEEYee, Lisa. Bobby vs. girls (accidentally). 1st ed. New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009.
When Bobby inadvertently gets into a fight with his best friend Holly, their disagreement develops into a boys versus girls war involving their whole fourth-grade class.
PB FIC YEEYee, Lisa. Millicent Min, girl genius. 1st ed. New York : Arthur A. Levine, c2003.
In a series of journal entries, eleven-year-old child prodigy Millicent Min records her struggles to learn to play volleyball, tutor her enemy, deal with her grandmother's departure, and make friends over the course of a tumultuous summer.
An assignment to paint a large billboard in the desert changes the life of an aspiring artist.
FIC ARNArnold, Elana K. A boy called bat. 1st ed. New York, NY : Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2017].
"When his veterinarian mom brings home a stray baby skunk that needs rehabilitation before it can be placed in a wild animal shelter, Bat, who has austim, resolves to prove that he is up to the challenge of caring for the skunk permanently"--OCLC.
FIC BEABeaty, Andrea. Ada Twist and the perilous pants. New York : Amulet Books, 2019.
"When Rosie Revere's Uncle Ned gets a little carried away wearing his famous helium pants, it's up to Ada and friends to chase him down. As Uncle Ned floats farther and farther away, Ada starts asking lots of questions: How high can a balloon float? Is it possible for Uncle Ned to float into outer space? And what's the best plan for getting him down?"--Provided by publisher.
FIC BEABeaty, Andrea. Iggy Peck and the mysterious mansion. New York : Amulet Books, 2020.
Iggy is delighted when Ada Twist's Aunt Bernice inherits a mansion featuring his favorite architectural periods, but unless the Questioneers can find its missing antiques, the house may be lost forever. Includes information about Art Deco and Art Nouveau, facts about unusual cats, a recipe for ice cream, and a biographical note on Ida B. Wells.
FIC BLABlake, Ashley Herring. Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world. 1st ed.: March 2018. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2018.
"Twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed in a tornado, and in the aftermath of the storm, she begins to develop feelings for another girl at school"--Provided by publisher.
FIC BOUBourne, Shakirah author. Josephine against the sea. First edition.
When she discovers her father's new girlfriend, Mariss, is actually a sea creature eager to take her place as his first love, Josephine must convince her friends to help her and use her cricket skills to save her dad from Mariss' clutches.
FIC BRABradley, Kimberly Brubaker. The war that saved my life. New York, N.Y. : Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, [2015].
A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother.
FIC CALCalejo, Ryan. Charlie Hernández and the league of shadows. 1st Aladdin hardcover ed. New York : Aladdin, 2018.
"Steeped in Hispanic folklore since childhood, middle schooler Charlie Hernández learns the stories are true when, shortly after his parents disappearance, he grows horns and feathers and finds himself at the heart of a battle to save the world"--Provided by publisher.
FIC CALCallender, Kacen. Hurricane Child. 1st ed., April 2018. New York : Scholastic Press, 2018.
Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother.
FIC CARCartaya, Pablo. Each tiny spark. New York : Kokila, [2019].
Sixth-grader Emilia Torres struggles with ADHD, her controlling abuela, her mother's work commitments, her father's distance after returning from deployment, evolving friendships, and a conflict over school redistricting.
FIC CARCartaya, Pablo. The epic fail of Arturo Zamora. New York, N.Y. : Viking, 2017.
Tells the story of Arturo, who is looking forward to a relaxing summer until Carmen, a cute and funny girl moves into his apartment complex and while he deals with his stomach turning into a deep fryer over a girl, a smarmy land developer rolls into town and threatens to change it.
FIC CARCartaya, Pablo. Marcus Vega doesn't speak Spanish. New York, N.Y. : Viking, 2018.
"After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mother takes him and his younger brother, who has Down syndrome, to Puerto Rico to visit relatives they do not remember or have never met, and while there Marcus starts searching for his father, who left their family ten years ago and is somewhere on the island"--Provided by publisher.
FIC CERCervantes, Angela. Allie, first at last. 1st ed., April 2016. New York : Scholastic Press, 2016.
Born into a family of over-achievers, fifth-grader Allie Velasco has never finished first in anything, and lately things have been going badly: her science project is ruined by a well-meaning student, her former best friend is hanging out with another girl--but now she is determined to win the Trailblazer contest with a photographic presentation about her great grandfather, the first Congressional Medal of Honor winner from their town.
FIC CERCervantes, Angela. Me, Frida, and the secret of the peacock ring.
"Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. She's hoping that spending time in Mexico will help her unlock memories of the too-brief time they spent together. While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with an irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward -- and the thanks of all Mexico. What better way to honor her father than returning a priceless piece of jewelry that once belonged to his favorite artist!"--Publisher.
FIC CERCervantes, Jennifer. The storm runner. 1st pbk. ed. Los Angeles : Disney-Hyperion, 2019.
To prevent the Mayan gods from battling each other and destroying the world, thirteen-year-old Zane must unravel an ancient prophecy, stop an evil god, and discover how the physical disability that makes him reliant on a cane also connects him to his father and his ancestry.
FIC CLAClarke, Cat. The pants project. Naperville, Ill. : Sourcebooks Young Readers, [2019].
"Eleven-year-old Liv fights to change the middle school dress code requiring girls to wear a skirt and, along the way, finds the courage to tell his moms he is meant to be a boy"--OCLC.
FIC CLICline-Ransome, Lesa. Finding Langston. 1st ed. New York : Holiday House, [2018].
Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.
FIC CORCórdova, Zoraida author. The way to Rio Luna. First edition.
Eleven-year-old Danny Monteverde believes in magic, he believes that the enchanted land of Rio Luna in his older sister's favorite book is real, and most of all he believes that if he can find the way to Rio Luna he will find his sister Pili there, because he does not believe that his sister would run away from the group home where they lived and leave him behind; but after years of being passed from one foster family to another his faith begins to fade--until one day he finds a mysterious book in the library that contains a map to Rio Luna...and a way to find Pili.
FIC CUECuevas, Adrianna. The total eclipse of Nestor Lopez. 1st ed. New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 2020.
"A Cuban-American boy must use his ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town when they are threatened by a witch that transforms into animals"--OCLC.
FIC CURCurtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2007.
In 1859, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American South, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom.
FIC CURCurtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. New York : Delacorte Press, 1995.
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastcally changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
FIC DASDasGupta, Sayantani, author. The chaos curse. First edition.
Prince Lal has been spirited away to, of all places, Parsippany, so Kiranmala must leave the the Kingdom Beyond and return home to rescue him; but reality seems to be wavering around her because something is causing a dangerous disruption in the multiverse, and she must face the disturbing prophecy about her own role in the approaching conflict between good and evil--not to mention her own growing feelings for Prince Neel.
FIC DASDasGupta, Sayantani, author. Force of fire. First edition.
A descendent from a long line of demons who build interspecies relationships to fight tyranny works competitively to control her dangerous fire-breathing skills, before a Serpentine Governor's charming son enlists her help to defeat a growing rebellion.
FIC DRADraper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills). Out of my mind. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2010.
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.
FIC ERDErdrich, Louise. The birchbark house. 1st ed. New York : Hyperion Books for Children, c1999.
Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.
FIC FLOFlorence, Debbi Michiko, author. Keep it together, Keiko Carter. First edition.
Keiko, Audrey, and Jenna have always been best friends, and Keiko desperately wants it to stay that way, but now they are starting seventh grade, and everything seems to be changing; Audrey is obsessed with the idea of them all securing boyfriends, but when she and Jenna focus on the same boy their friendship starts to break apart--and then Keiko finds herself attracted to Audrey's brother, Conner (who has generally been cast as the enemy), and suddenly she finds herself having to choose between the two.
FIC FLOFlores-Galbis, Enrique. 90 miles to Havana. 1st ed. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2010.
Julian's parents, hoping to protect him from the dangers of the turmoil in Cuba, send him to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, not realizing that life in a Miami refugee camp holds its own perils.
FIC GERGerber, Alyson. Focused. First edition.
"Twelve-year-old Clea wants to do her homework, follow instructions, pay attention in school, and play chess on the school team, but somehow she cannot focus on whatever is in front of her, and the other kids at school are starting to notice and make fun of her; when her worried parents take her to be tested she finds out that she has ADHD (only without the hyperactivity)--and with help from the psychiatrist who seems to really understand her, she is determined to learn how to focus." --.
FIC GINGino, Alex. George. 1st ed., September 2015. New York : Scholastic Press, 2015.
"When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all"--provided by publisher.
FIC GONGonzalez, Christina Diaz, 1969- author. Concealed. First edition.
"Katrina doesn't know any of the details about her past, but she does know that she and her parents are part of the Witness Protection Program. Whenever her parents say they have to move on and start over, she takes on a new identity. A new name, a new hair color, a new story. Until their location leaks and her parents disappear. Forced to embark on a dangerous rescue mission, Katrina and her new friend Parker set out to save her parents--and find out the truth about her secret past and the people that want her family dead. But every new discovery reveals that Katrina's entire life has been built around secrets covered up with lies and that her parents were actually the ones keeping the biggest secret of all"--OCLC.
FIC GRAGratz, Alan, 1972-. Ground zero. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
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.
FIC GRIGriffiths, Andy, 1961- author. The 91-story treehouse. First U.S. edition.
Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world's most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller's tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!.
FIC GRIGrimes, Nikki, author. Words with wings. First edition.
When Gabby's parents separate, her tendency to daydream becomes essential to coping with life's difficuties, which only increase when she moves with her mother to a new home and a new school.
FIC HIGHiguera, Donna Barba. Lupe Wong won't dance. New York : Levine Querido, [2020].
"Lupe Wong is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. She's also championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy . . . like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles. And some not so much . . . like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons. Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who's Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym? Obviously she's not gonna let that slide"--Provided by publisher.
FIC HITHitchcock, Shannon, author. Flying over water. First edition.
Twelve-year-old Noura and her family, fleeing war in Syria, have been granted asylum in the United States, but they arrive in Florida to the chaos of the president's Muslim ban; twelve-year-old Jordyn is a member of the Christian church that is sponsoring the Alwan family, and Noura's student ambassador in middle school; their inevitable culture clash is made far worse by the wave of hate crimes unleashed by the Muslim ban, and personal problems of both girls--Noura's fear of water (Jordyn is a champion swimmer) and Jordyn's worry over her mother's recent miscarriage.
FIC HITHitchcock, Shannon. One true way. First edition.
From the moment she met Samantha, star of the school basketball team, on her first day at Daniel Boone Middle School, Allison Drake felt she had found a friend, something she needs badly since her brother died and her father left--but as their friendship grows it begins to evolve into a deeper emotion, and in North Carolina in 1977, it is not easy to discover that you might be gay.
FIC HUNHunt, Lynda Mullaly. Fish in a tree. New York, NY : Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), [2015].
"Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read"--Provided by publisher.
FIC HUNHunter, Sara Hoagland. The unbreakable code. Flagstaff, AZ : Northland Pub., c1996.
Because John is afraid to leave the Navajo Reservation, his grandfather explains to him how the Navajo language, faith, and ingenuity helped win World War II.
FIC IBUIbura, K., author. When the world turned upside down. First edition.
What do you do when the world shuts down? A heartwarming story of friendship and overcoming adversity in a time of COVID, When the World Turns Upside Down is about community, giving back, and understanding the world around us through the power of generosity from debut middle grade author K. Ibura. Nobody expected a tiny little virus to change the whole world in such a big way, especially not Shayla, Liam, Ai, and Ben. But when school closes to keep everyone safe, their lives turn upside down. It is one thing to learn that the outside world isn’t safe, but why does it seem that the virus is causing trouble inside their homes too? As they each struggle to adjust to life in quarantine, they discover they are not alone: their apartment building is full of people who need their help. Working together, they begin to see that there is power in numbers. When they cooperate, they can ease each other’s challenges and help their neighbors through tough times. It’s a lesson they’ll need when protests explode in the streets. Soon, each friend has to decide what it means to be part of a community--and how much they’re willing to do to make this world safer for everyone. Set against the onset of COVID, When the World Turned Upside Down navigates issues of race and social justice in a heartwarming story of generosity, friendship, and the power of youth.
FIC JOHJohnson, Varian. The Parker inheritance. 1st ed. New York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., [2018].
Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.
FIC JOHJohnson, Varian. Playing the cards you're dealt. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
"Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table. Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly who he has in mind. She talks a whole lot of trash- way more than his old partner. Plus, he's not sure that his father wants him playing with a girl. But she's smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley--and keep his plans a secret. Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart . . ."--Dust jacket.
FIC KELKeller, Tae. When you trap a tiger. 1st ed. New York : Random House, [2020].
When Lily, her sister Sam, and their mother move in with her sick grandmother, Lily traps a tiger and makes a deal with him to heal Halmoni.
FIC KEPKeplinger, Kody, author. Lila and Hadley. First edition.
Hadley is an angry girl: angry at her mother for embezzling money, angry at her estranged older sister, Beth, whom she has to live with while her mother is in jail, angry at having to move to Kentucky away from her friends, and angry at the world because she has retinitis pigmentosa and is slowly going blind; but then she meets Lila, a rescued pit bull who has not responded to anyone else--so if Hadley can train Lila, maybe the dog can get adopted into her forever home, and just maybe Lila can help Hadley deal with her own problems.
FIC KHAKhan, Hena. Amina's voice. 1st ed. New York : Salaam Reads, [2017].
"A Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family's vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community"--Provided by publisher.
FIC KIMKimmel, Eric A. The jar of fools : eight Hanukkah stories from Chelm. 1st ed. New York : Holiday House, 2000.
Drawing on traditional Jewish folklore, these Hanukkah stories relate the antics of the people of Chelm, thought--perhaps incorrectly--to be a town of fools.
FIC KIMKimmel, Eric A. The spotted pony : a collection of Hanukkah stories. New York : Holiday House, 1992.
Eight stories, with a "shammes" story for each, to be read on the eight nights of Hanukkah.
FIC KIMKimmel, Eric A. When Mindy saved Hanukkah. 1st. ed. Scholastic Press, c1998.
A tiny Jewish family living behind the wall of a synagogue must battle a frightening cat if they want candles for their Hanukkah menorah.
FIC LAILai, Thanhha. Inside out & back again. 1st ed. New York : Harper, c2011.
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
FIC LATLatham, Irene. The cat man of Aleppo. New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, [2020].
"In the midst of the Syrian Civil War, Alaa takes care of Aleppo's abandoned cats"--Provided by publisher.
FIC LEVLevine, Ellen. Henry's freedom box. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, c2007.
A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.
FIC LEZLeZotte, Ann Clare. Set me free. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
Three years after being kidnapping from her home in Martha's Vineyard, fourteen-year-old Mary Lambert receives a letter from Nora O'Neal, a servant in the house where she was held, who tells her of an eight-year-old girl where she is now employed whom Nora believes to be a deaf-mute, but who is being treated as insane, and asks Mary to come and teach the nameless child; a little scared, but intrigued, and bored with domestic life, Mary agrees--only to find that there is more to the child's story, and that freeing her from a world of silence and imprisonment may be more dangerous than anyone anticipated.
FIC LEZLeZotte, Ann Clare. Show me a sign. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2020.
It is 1805 and Mary Lambert has always felt safe among the deaf community of Chilmark on Martha's Vineyard where practically everyone communicates in a shared sign language, but recent events have shattered her life; her brother George has died, land disputes between English settlers and the Wampanoag people are becoming increasingly bitter, and a "scientist" determined to discover the origins of the islands' widespread deafness has decided she makes the perfect "live specimen"--and kidnapped her.
FIC LINLin, Grace. Dumpling days : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2012.
Pacy and her family go to Taiwan to celebrate Grandma's sixtieth birthday, and Pacy is excited when her parents sign her up for a Chinese painting class, but she cannot speak the language and struggles to make friends and understand the teacher's instructions.
FIC LINLin, Grace. Starry River of the Sky. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2012.
An innkeeper's chore boy discovers that a visitor's stories hold the key to returning the moon to the Starry River of the Sky.
FIC LINLin, Grace. When the sea turned to silver. 1st ed.: October 2016. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2016.
"Pinmei, a storyteller's granddaughter, must find the Luminous Stone that Lights the Night to rescue her grandmother, who has been kidnapped by the Tiger Emperor"--Provided by publisher.
FIC LINLin, Grace. Where the mountain meets the moon. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2009.
Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.
FIC LINLin, Grace. The year of the dog : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2006.
Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog, those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.
FIC LOOLook, Lenore. Alvin Ho : allergic to birthday parties, science projects, and other man-made catastrophes. 1st ed. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, c2010.
Hoping for an invitation to a much-anticipated party but receiving instead a request for his presence at a girl's birthday celebration, disgusted second-grader Alvin resists his mother's requirement that he accept and resorts to several tricks to avoid attending.
FIC LORLord, Bette. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. 1st ed. New York, N.Y. : Harper & Row, c1984.
In 1947, a Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball.
FIC LORLord, Cynthia. Rules. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2006.
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic.
FIC MARMarquez, Melissa Cristina, author. Wild Survival : swimming with sharks.
Twelve-year-old Adrianna Villalobos and her older brother Fey's latest adventure takes them to the coast of Sri Lanka where they must rescue an injured tiger shark.
FIC MARM©Łrquez, Melissa Cristina, author. Crocodile rescue!
"Twelve-year-old Adrianna Villalobos fights for survival against the legendary Mega Croc of Cuba.
FIC MBAMbalia, Kwame author. Last gate of the Emperor. First edition.
Enduring an isolated existence in hardscrabble Addis Prime, a star underground augmented reality gamer finds his small family targeted by city-razing monsters waging a galaxy-spanning war.
FIC MCMMcManis, Charlene Willing, 1953-2018. Indian no more. 1st ed. New York : Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc., [2019].
"When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home"--OCLC.
FIC MEDMedina, Meg, author. Merci Suarez changes gears. First U.S. edition.
Merci Suarez begins the sixth grade and knows things will change, but she did not count on her grandfather acting strangely, not fitting in at her private school, and dealing with Edna Santos' jealousy.
FIC MIAMian, Zanib. Accidental trouble magnet. 1st American ed. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2020.
"Imaginative Omar goes through the ups and downs of starting a new school and making new friends with the help of his wonderful (and silly) Muslim family"--Provided by publisher.
FIC MOCMOCHIZUKI, KEN. BASEBALL SAVED US. NEW YORK : LEE & LOW BOOKS, 1993.
A JAPANESE AMERICAN BOY LEARNS TO PLAY BASEBALL WHEN HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE FORCED TO LIVE IN AN INTERNMENT CAMP DURING WORLD WAR II, AND HIS ABILITY TO PLAY HELPS HIM AFTER THE WAR IS OVER.
FIC NIENielsen, Jennifer A. A night divided. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2015.
When the Berlin Wall went up, Gerta, her mother, and her brother Fritz were trapped on the eastern side where they were living, while her father, and her other brother Dominic were in the West--four years later, now twelve, Gerta sees her father on a viewing platform on the western side and realizes he wants her to risk her life trying to tunnel to freedom.
FIC OLDOlder, Daniel José. Freedom fire. First edition.
Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are heading southwest on the back of Stella, the giant pteranodon, to find Montez, her brother, wounded during the siege of Vicksburg; now they are heading into the heart of the fighting, depending on Magdalys's ability to communicate telepathically with dinosaurs--but one of the companions is not quite what she seems, and Magdalys's talent could make her a target for both sides.
FIC OLDOlder, Daniel José. Thunder run. 1st ed.
"Now that she has found her brother Montez, Magdalys and her squad have embarked on a secret mission for General Grant, taking them deep into the Louisiana swamplands, to New Orleans, and eventually to the Mexican border where Imperial troops are forming an alliance with the Confederates in pursuit of spreading slavery--and once more Magdalys will have to use her telepathic link to the dinosaurs to save herself, her squad, and the union she believes in"--Publisher.
FIC ORTOrtega, Claribel A. Ghost Squad. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2020.
"Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late"--Amazon.com.
FIC PALPalacio, R. J. Auggie & me : three wonder stories. 1st omnibus ed. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, [2015].
Three previously-published novellas that shed further light on the world of Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, set before he entered Beecher Prep and during his first year there and told from other characters' points of view. "The Julian Chapter" reveals why the bully dislikes Auggie so much. "Pluto" is about the lifelong friendship between Auggie and Christopher. And, finally, "Shingaling" offers a view of how the girls at Beecher Prep see Auggie when he first comes on the scene.
FIC PALPalacio, R. J. Wonder. 1st ed. New York : Knopf, c2012.
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunts and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
FIC PANPancholy, Maulik, 1974-. The best at it. 1st ed. New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2019].
"Twelve-year-old Rahul Kapoor, an Indian-American boy growing up in small-town Indiana, struggles to come to terms with his identity, including that he may be gay"--Provided by publisher.
FIC PERPeretti, Paola. The distance between me and the cherry tree. 1st Atheneum Bks. for Young Readers ed. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019.
When nine-year-old Mafalda learns she will go blind in six months from Stargardt Disease, she needs the help of family and friends to retain what is essential to her.
FIC PINPinkney, Andrea Davis. With the might of angels. New York : Scholastic, 2011.
In 1955 Hadley, Virginia, twelve-year-old Dawnie Rae Johnson, a tomboy who excels at baseball and at her studies, becomes the first African American student to attend the all-white Prettyman Coburn school, turning her world upside down. Includes historical notes about the period.
FIC REYReynolds, Jason. As brave as you. 1st ed. New York : A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, [2016].
"When two brothers decide to prove how brave they are, everything backfires -- literally."--Provided by publisher.
FIC REYReynolds, Jason. Ghost. 1st ed. New York, N.Y. : Atheneum Books For Young Readers, [2016].
"Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential"--Provided by publisher.
FIC REYReynolds, Jason. Look both ways : a tale told in ten blocks. 1st ed. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, [2019].
"A collection of ten short stories that all take place in the same day about kids walking home from school"--Provided by publisher.
FIC ROBRobertson, Robbie. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker. New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2015.
Hiawatha, a Mohawk, is plotting revenge for the murder of his wife and daughters by the evil Onondaga Chief, Tadodaho, when he meets the Great Peacemaker, who enlists his help in bringing the nations together to share his vision of a new way of life marked by peace, love, and unity rather than war, hate, and fear.
FIC ROSRosenberg, Madelyn, 1966- author. Not your all-American girl. First edition.
Sixth-graders Lauren and Tara have always done everything together so it is only natural that they both try out for their middle school musical play, about an "all-American" girl in 1958; Tara gets the lead role, as usual, because in the teacher's mind Lauren, half-Jewish and half-Chinese, does not fit the image of all-American girl--Lauren is hurt but resolved to support her friend, but her two grandmothers are furious and they intend to do something about it.
FIC RUTRutter, Helen (Children's author), author. The boy who made everyone laugh. First edition.
Billy Plimpton wants to be a famous comedian when he grows up but his stutter is getting in the way, and right now he is so worried about being made fun of by the kids in his new school that he plans on not talking at all, but the plan backfires because his persistent silence only draws attention of the school bully--and Billy realizes that he needs another plan, one that does not depend on him speaking without a stutter.
FIC RYARyan, Pam Muñoz. Paint the wind. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, c2007.
Maya is held captive in her grandmothers house in California but her imagination runs wild in Wyoming with a horse called Artemisia and the memory of her mother.
FIC SAYSay, Allen. Silent days, silent dreams. 1st ed., November 2017. New York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books, An Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2017.
A fictional biography of James Castle, a deaf, autistic artist whose drawings hang in major museums throughout the world.
FIC SCOScott, Libby, author. Can you see me?
Eleven-year-old Tally is starting sixth grade at Kingswood Academy and she really wants to fit in, which means somehow hiding her autism, hypersensitivity to touch, and true self, and trying to act "normal" like her former best friend, Layla, who is distancing herself from Tally and her fourteen-year-old sister, Nell, who is always angry with Tally for being different; but as she records her thoughts and anxieties in her coping diary, Tally begins to wonder--what is "normal" anyway?.
FIC SHAShabazz, Ilyasah, author. Betty before X. First Square Fish edition.
Raised by her aunt until she is six, Betty, who will later marry Malcolm X, joins her mother and stepfamily in 1940s Detroit, where she learns about the civil rights movement.
FIC SIDSiddiqui, Maleeha, author. Barakah Beats. First edition.
"It's Nimra Sharif's first time going to public school. Nimra's nervous, but as long as she has her best friend, Jenna, by her side, she figures she can take on just about anything. Unfortunately, middle school is hard. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and Jenna starts giving hijab-wearing Nimra the cold shoulder aorund the other kids. Desperate to fit in and save her friendship with Jenna, Nimra accepts an unlikely invitation to join Barakah Beats, a band mad up of popular eighth-grade boys. The only problem is, Nimra was taught that music isn't allowed in Islam, and she knows her parents would be disappointed in her. So she devises a plan: join the band just until she wins Jenna back, then quit before her parents find out. but Nimra's lies quickly start to unravel. And as she grows to care about her bandmates, Nimra has to decide whether to betray her new friends or herself"--Provided by publisher.
FIC SONSonnenblick, Jordan, author. The boy who failed show and tell.
In a typical school year, every kid has one or two things go wrong. But for Jordan, there's A LOT going wrong ALL THE TIME. Take this year. Here are some of the thing going wrong: His teacher hates him. Like, really hates him. Like, is totally out to get him even when he's trying to be good, and is willing to fail him on the simplest things, like show and tell. He has a slight breathing problem because of his asthma. And breathing is never really an optional activity. His pet snake has given birth to way, way, way too many baby snakes, all who need a home. He is finding that becoming The World's Best Drummer in no time whatsoever is maybe not the easiest goal. There are bullies ready to stomp him when all he has to defend himself with is a lunchbox. And all this doesn't even include the freak swing set accident, the fears inside his head, or the funniest class presentation ever. By keeping his cool (some of the time), banging on the drums (a lot), and keeping his sense of humor (all the time), Jordan's going to try to make it through the year . . . and grow up to write a book about it!.
FIC STOStone, Nic. Clean getaway. 1st Yearling ed. New York : A Yearling Book, 2021.
"For the life of him, William 'Scoob' Lamar can't seem to stay out of trouble--and now the run-ins at school have led to lockdown at home. So when G'ma, Scoob's favorite person on Earth, asks him to go on an impromptu road trip, he's in the RV faster than he can say freedom. With G'ma's old maps and a strange pamphlet called the 'Travelers' Green Book' at their side, the pair takes off on a journey down G'ma's memory lane. But adventure quickly turns to uncertainty: G'ma keeps changing the license plate, dodging Scoob's questions, and refusing to check Dad's voice mails. And the farther they go, the more Scoob realizes that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--G'ma included"--OCLC.
FIC TARTarshis, Lauren. I survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863. New York : Scholastic, c2013.
Witnessing the harrowing events of the Civil War from the sidelines, eleven-year-old Henry endures the most grueling challenges of his life throughout a hot July week when he becomes inadvertently involved in the historic battle.
FIC TAYTaylor, Mildred D. Roll of thunder, hear my cry. New York : Dial Press, c1976.
A black family living in the South during the 1930's are faced with prejudice and discrimination which their children don't understand.
FIC UCHUchida, Yoshiko. The bracelet. New York : Philomel, 1993.
Emi, a Japanese American in the second grade, is sent with her family to an internment camp during World War II, but the loss of the bracelet her best friend has given her proves that she does not need a physical reminder of that friendship.
FIC VANVan Otterloo, Ash, author. A touch of ruckus.
Twelve-year-old Tennessee Lancaster, burdened by her ability to pry into folks' memories by touching their belongings and by her prideful family's secrets, finds solace in ghost hunting with her nonbinary crush inside a nearby forest in Howler's Hollow, but when the ghosts reveal that the forest's existence is threatened, Tennie must find the link between how they died and her own family's secrets.
FIC VILVillanueva, Gail D. My fate according to the butterfly. First edition.
In one week Sabrina will be eleven-years-old and she would really like to get her estranged parents and her older sister Nadine together for the celebration, especially since the black butterfly landing on her locket has convinced her that she is going to die; Sabrina and her friend Pepper come up with a bucket list, and enlist Nadine's help--but aspiring reporter Nadine is working on a story about the Philippines' war on drugs, and she has uncovered something that may endanger them all, and prove the butterfly is indeed a harbinger of death in Manila.--.
FIC VILVillanueva, Gail D., author. Sugar and spite. First edition.
"Jolina can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she's still in-training to use her grandfather's arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion. And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolina -- now she wants to be Jolina's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks. But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love -- or hate -- will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm..."--Amazon.com.
FIC WARWarga, Jasmine. Other words for home. 1st ed. New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2019].
"Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven't quite prepared her for starting school in the US --and her new label of 'Middle Eastern,' an identity she's never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises--there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude just might try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is"--Provided by publisher.
FIC WATWatson, Renée. Some places more than others. New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019.
Amara visits her father's family in Harlem for her twelfth birthday, hoping to better understand her family and herself, but New York City is not what she expected.
FIC WATWatson, Renée, author. Ways to grow love.
In the summer before fifth grade, Ryan Hart continues to grow through changes and challenges, such as waiting for a new baby sister to be born, a summer camp trip, and more.--.
FIC WATWatson, Renée. Ways to make sunshine. New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020.
The Hart family of Portland, Oregon, faces many setbacks after Ryan's father loses his job, but no matter what, Ryan tries to bring sunshine to her loved ones.
FIC WILWilliams-Garcia, Rita. One crazy summer. 1st ed. New York : Amistad, c2010.
In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
FIC WILWilliams-Garcia, Rita. P.S. be eleven. 1st ed. New York, NY : Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2013].
After spending the summer of 1968 with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern return home to Brooklyn with a new feeling of independence, but they discover their father has a new girlfriend, Uncle Darnell has come home from Vietnam a changed man, and Big Ma still expects Delphine to take care of everything. Feeling overwhelmed, Delphine writes to her mother, who reminds her to enjoy being eleven and not grow up too fast.
FIC WOOWoodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007.
When a new, white student nicknamed "The Jesus Boy" joins her sixth grade class in the winter of 1971, Frannie's growing friendship with him makes her start to see some things in a new light.
FIC WOOWoodson, Jacqueline. Harbor me. New York, NY : Nancy Paulsen Books, [2018].
"When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world"--Provided by publisher.
FIC YANYang, Kelly, author. Front desk. First edition.
Recent immigrants from China and desperate for work and money, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents take a job managing a rundown motel in Southern California, even though the owner, Mr. Yao is a nasty skinflint who exploits them; while her mother (who was an engineer in China) does the cleaning, Mia works the front desk and tries to cope with demanding customers and other recent immigrants--not to mention being only one of two Chinese in her fifth grade class, the other being Mr. Yao's son, Jason.
FIC YANYang, Kelly. Room to dream. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, 2021.
"After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family--to China! A total dream come true. Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like . . . 1. Lupe's taking classes at the high school! And Mia's own plans to be a big writer are . . . stuck. 2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it. 3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing. Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has . . . room to dream!"--Provided by publisher.
FIC YANYang, Kelly, author. Three keys : a Front desk novel. First edition.
Mia Tang's sixth grade year complicated by a hard-to-please teacher, financial setbacks at her parents' motel, and a looming immigration law that threatens to derail her entire life.
FIC YOUYoussef, Bassem, author. The magical reality of Nadia.
"Nadia loves fun facts. Here are a few about her: She collects bobbleheads -- she has 77 so far. She moved from Egypt to America when she was six years old. The hippo amulet she wears is ancient... as in it's literally from ancient Egypt. She's going to win the contest to design a new exhibit at the local museum. Because how cool would that be?! (Okay, so that last one isn't a fact just yet, but Nadia has plans to make it one.) But then a new kid shows up and teases Nadia about her Egyptian heritage. It's totally unexpected, and totally throws her off her game. And something else happens that Nadia can't explain: Her amulet starts glowing! She soon discovers that the hippo is holding a helpful -- and hilarious -- secret. Can she use it to confront the new kid and win the contest? From The Daily Show comedian Bassem Youssef and author Catherine R. Daly comes a humorous and heartfelt story about prejudice, friendship, empathy, and courage. Includes sections of black-and-white comics as well as lively black-and-white illustrations throughout"--.
PB FIC ARNArnold, Elana K., author. A boy called Bat.
For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises?some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat?s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he?s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.
PB FIC BOOBooth, Coe, author. Kinda like brothers. First edition.
When his mother takes in a twelve-year-old foster boy, Jarrett is forced to share his room and his friends with the new boy.
PB FIC BRUBruchac, Joseph, 1942-. Peacemaker. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2021.
"A twelve-year-old Iroquois boy rethinks his calling after witnessing the arrival of a mystical figure with a message of peace in this historical novel based on the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy"--Provided by publisher.
PB FIC DONDonoghue, Emma, 1969- author. The Lotterys plus one. First edition.
Once upon a time, two couples with Jamaican, Mohawk, Indian, and Scottish ethnic roots won the lottery and bought a big house where all of them, four adults and seven adopted and biological children, could live together in harmony--but change is inevitable, especially when a disagreeable grandfather comes to stay.
PB FIC DRADraper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills). Out of my mind. 1st Atheneum Books for Young Readers pbk. ed. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012, c2010.
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.
PB FIC FLOFlores-Galbis, Enrique. 90 miles to Havana. 1st Square Fish ed. New York : Square Fish, 2012, c2010.
Julian's parents, hoping to protect him from the dangers of the turmoil in Cuba, send him to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, not realizing that life in a Miami refugee camp holds its own perils.
PB FIC GINGino, Alex, author. You don't know everything, Jilly P! First edition.
Publisher Annotation: A new novel from Alex Gino, the award-winning author of George Jilly thinks she's figured out how life works. But when her sister Emma is born Deaf, she realizes how much she still has to learn. A big fantasy reader, Jilly connects with another fan, Derek, who is a Deaf Black ASL user. She goes to Derek for advice but doesn't always know the best way to ask for it and makes some mistakes along the way. Jilly has to step back to learn to be an ally, a sister, and a friend, understanding that life works in different ways for different people, and that being open to change can make you change in the best possible ways.
PB FIC HUNHunt, Lynda Mullaly. Fish in a tree. New York, N.Y. : Puffin Books, 2017.
"Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read"--Provided by publisher.
PB FIC LAILai, Thanhha. Inside out & back again. 1st pbk. ed. New York : Harper, 2013, c2011.
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
PB FIC LINLin, Grace. Where the mountain meets the moon. 1st pbk. ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2011, c2009.
Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.
PB FIC LORLord, Cynthia. Rules. New York : Scholastic, 2006.
PB FIC MENMéndez, Yamile Saied, author. Wish upon a stray.
María Emilia's life turns upside down when she and her family immigrate from Argentina to the US. How can she make new friends when simply speaking English all day is exhausting? Luckily, she has the company of a stray dog in the neighborhood, who happens to look and act just like her beloved pet cat back home. Eventually, it turns out the pup isn't a stray after all--she belongs to María Emilia's new neighbor, Donovan. In order to spend more time with the dog (who totally isn't her reincarnated cat ... right?), she agrees to sing in Donovan's band. But can Emilia find her new voice without losing herself?--.
PB FIC PINPinkney, Andrea Davis. Loretta Little looks back : three voices go tell it : a monologue novel. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2020.
Loretta, Roly, and Aggie B. Little relate their Mississippi family's struggles and triumphs from 1927 to 1968 while struggling as sharecroppers, living under Jim Crow, and fighting for Civil Rights.
PB FIC RICRichardson, Rhiannon, author. Pizza my heart.
"Maya Reynolds has practically grown up in her family's Brooklyn pizza shop, Soul Slice, and is a true city girl. When her family moves to a small town in Pennsylvania to open another pizza place, everything changes. Being the new girl is hard enough. At Soul Slice 2.0, Maya is assigned delivery duty. And her first delivery is a disaster. Can you make a worse impression than tripping... and falling face-first into a rude boy's pizza order? When that same rude--and, okay, cute--boy shows up at her school, Maya's convinced nothing can go right. But she may be in for some surprises. Could good friends, secret crushes, and creative pizza toppings turn Maya's new home into her own slice of heaven?"--.
PB FIC SALSalazar, Aida. The moon within. First edition.
Eleven-year-old (nearly twelve) Celi Rivera, who is a mix of Black-Puerto Rican-Mexican Indian is uncomfortable about her approaching period, and the changes that are happening to her body; she is horrified that her mother wants to hold a traditional public moon ceremony to celebrate the occasion--until she finds out that her best friend Magda is contemplating an even more profound change of life.
PB FIC SHAShang, Wendy Wan Long. The great wall of Lucy Wu. 1st ed. New York : Scholastic Press, c2011.
Eleven-year-old aspiring basketball star and interior designer Lucy Wu is excited about finally having her own bedroom, until she learns that her great-aunt is coming to visit and Lucy will have to share a room with her for several months, shattering her plans for a perfect sixth-grade year.
PB FIC STOStoudemire, Amar'e. Home court. New York : Scholastic Press, c2012.
Between sports, school, and working for his father, eleven-year-old Amar'e's life is full and he is not yet ready to concentrate on basketball--but when a group of older boys start hogging the local basketball court he knows that he has to do something to help his friends.
PB FIC STOStoudemire, Amar'e. Slam dunk. New York : Scholastic, 2013.
Focusing so much on basketball that he is unable to help his dad at work, Amar'e is teased by older players and is forced to take time off for an eye injury that gives him the opportunity to bond with his father.
PB FIC WILWilliams-Garcia, Rita. One crazy summer. 1st pbk. ed. New York : Amistad, 2012, c2010.
After travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, Delphine and her two sisters discover that their mother, a dedicated poet, wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
PB FIC YEEYee, Lisa. Bobby vs. girls (accidentally). 1st ed. New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009.
When Bobby inadvertently gets into a fight with his best friend Holly, their disagreement develops into a boys versus girls war involving their whole fourth-grade class.
PB FIC YEEYee, Lisa. Millicent Min, girl genius. 1st ed. New York : Arthur A. Levine, c2003.
In a series of journal entries, eleven-year-old child prodigy Millicent Min records her struggles to learn to play volleyball, tutor her enemy, deal with her grandmother's departure, and make friends over the course of a tumultuous summer.