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| The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie AndersonWhat it's about: At age 12, Marinka is already training to take over her grandmother's role as a Yaga, a guardian who guides the dead through the gates to the afterlife. But Marinka longs for more: a permanent home (not just a traveling, chicken-legged house) and a real, living friend.
Try this next: For another creepy yet touching spin on Russian folk tales, try Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola.
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| Small Spaces by Katherine ArdenIntroducing: Ollie, a bookish sixth-grader who realizes that the scary antique book she's been reading is actually local history -- and that her entire class might be in danger unless Ollie and her new friends can save them.
Featuring: Scarecrows, shapeshifters, a smiling specter, and a frightening journey through a fog-shrouded forest.
Series alert: Set during autumn in Vermont, this spooky chiller is the 1st in a seasonal 4-book series. |
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| Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows by Ryan CalejoWhat it's about: First, Charlie Hernández's house burns down and his parents vanish. Then he grows feathers and horns (awkward!). Now, the legends he learned from his beloved abuela -- La Llorona, El Sombrerón, Justo Juez -- are coming to life.
Read it for: Exciting action, a likable hero, and a winning blend of Hispanic and Latin American myths. You might also like: J.C. Cervantes' The Storm Runner, which offers a modern take on Maya mythology. |
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The Whirlpool : Stories
by Laurel Croza
What it's about: A collection of short stories features characters breaking out of the expectations placed upon them, including a teenager taking small steps to escape her controlling father and a squirrel ruminating on the nature of life and death.
Also by the author: The award-winning picture books I Know Here and From There to Here.
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The Journey of Little Charlie
by Christopher Paul Curtis
What it's about: Striking a deal with a formidable local in the aftermath of his father's death, 12-year-old Charlie, the child of sharecroppers, agrees to track down a band of thieves only to confront a difficult moral choice when he learns the true identities and circumstances of his targets.
Award-winning titles by this author: The Newbery Medal-winning The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 (1995) and Bud, Not Buddy (2000).
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| You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex GinoFeaturing: Jilly, who's 12 years old, white, and obsessed with fantasy books; her friend and fellow fan Derek, who's black and Deaf; and her baby sister Emma, who's hearing impaired.
What happens: While trying to stick up for the people she cares about, confident Jilly begins to realize how much she doesn't know.
Why you might like it: Similar to the way in which George (author Alex Gino's first book) encourages you to be yourself, Jilly's story will inspire you to learn more about others. |
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| It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison LevyWhat it's about: Who vandalized Theo's photos in the school gallery? All five suspects claim innocence, so their teacher puts them -- and Theo -- in a "justice circle" where they can get to know each other...and eventually uncover the truth.
For fans of: Author Dana Alison Levy's Family Fletcher series (Jax Fletcher is one of the suspects), as well as other realistic reads that break down middle-school stereotypes. |
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| Bluecrowne: A Greenglass House Story by Kate MilfordWhat it's about: After spending her childhood at sea, captain's daughter Lucy Bluecrowne dreads the boredom of living ashore. But she's not bored for long: shortly after they move to Nagspeake, her pyrotechnically talented half-brother Liao is kidnapped by a mysterious time traveler.
Series alert: Though it stands alone as a thrilling mashup of history, fantasy, and science fiction, this is a prequel to The Left-Handed Fate also includes clever connections to the author's Greenglass House series. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Guelph Public Library at (519)-824-6220, 100 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON N1H 4J6
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