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Show Me a Sign
by Ann Clare LeZotte
The setting: 1805, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, where 11-year-old Mary is one of many deaf islanders.
What happens: While still grappling with her brother’s recent death, Mary meets a scientist who claims he wants to study the island’s unique form of sign language, but whose real purpose is much more sinister.
Read it for: a captivating and unfiltered view of American history, as well as a brave, clever deaf heroine written by a deaf author.
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Don't check out this book!
by Kate Klise
The award-winning sibling creators of the 43 Old Cemetery Road books present the story of a fifth grade group of student detectives that investigates a corrupt new school board president who uses her position to line her own pockets. 15,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations.
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The great upending
by Beth Kephart
When a reclusive children’s book author rents the silo apartment on their farm, a 12-year-old girl, who does not have the resources for a much-needed surgery, and her brother scheme to swipe the ending of their tenant’s best-selling series. 40,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook.
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Like nothing amazing ever happened
by Emily Blejwas
Struggling to pick up the pieces after the sudden death of his father, a young boy struggles with estranged classmates, his brother’s depression and his mother’s newfound religion before discovering that some things are simply not fully understandable. By the author of Once You Know This. Simultaneous eBook.
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Ma©łanaland
by Pam Mu©łoz Ryan
Growing up on legends about a mythical gatekeeper who assists worthy travelers, a young fútbol enthusiast from Santa Maria wonders about the mother he never met before uncovering a long-buried family secret involving an underground network that guides people to safety.
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Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin What it's about: Eleven-year-old Thyme can't stop feeling guilty. She knows that her family's recent move from California to New York was the only way for her little brother, Val, to get the cancer treatment he needs. But if she really wants her brother to get better, why can't she shake her homesickness?
Read it for: a sensitive, heartfelt story about a loving family dealing with a crisis. | | Halfway Normal by Barbara Dee Starring: Nora Levy, who's survived leukemia but now has to face seventh grade after being out of school for two years.
What happens: It's tough to go back to normal when her parents are over-protective and everyone in her grade treats her like she's different, so Nora decides not to tell her new friend Griffin about her cancer.
You might also like: Jordan Sonnenblick's After Ever After, another bittersweet yet hopeful read about the challenges of life after cancer. | | The Someday Suitcase by Corey Ann Haydu What it's about: Lifelong best friends Danny and Clover are so close that quiet, scientific Clover thinks they're symbiotic -- they can't live without each other. So, when Danny develops major health problems, Clover wonders: Can her friendship help him get better? And if not, how will she get by without him?
For fans of: Ali Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish, another sincere story about the connections between science, friendship, and loss. | | More to the Story by Hena Khan What it is: an update of Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women, starring Jameela, Maryam, Bisma, and Aleeza, four sisters from a close-knit Pakistani American family.
What happens: With a job on the school newspaper and an exciting new friendship with British newcomer Ali, Jameela's 7th-grade year is looking up... until her dad goes overseas for work and Bisma becomes seriously ill.
Who it's for: readers who like feisty heroines, cozy vibes, and modern, realistic family stories. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
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