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| The Line Tender by Kate AllenStarring: Twelve-year-old Lucy, who inherited a fascination with sharks from her late mother, a marine biologist.
What happens: After a second tragic loss leaves Lucy devastated, her summer project -- an illustrated field guide to her coastal hometown -- becomes her lifeline.
Who it’s for: anyone looking for sensitive, honest stories about finding hope during tough times. |
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| The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali BenjaminWelcome to: the tiny, tumbledown Mitchell School, where goats trim the soccer field and newcomer Caitlyn’s arrival is overshadowed by the unexplained absence of Paulie Fink, a legendary seventh-grade prankster.
What happens: Caitlyn becomes the judge in a contest to decide who will replace Paulie as the person who makes school memorable.
Why you might like it: This 2nd book from the author of The Thing About Jellyfish is deep, offbeat, and as funny as Paulie himself. |
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| Apocalypse Taco by Nathan HaleWhat it’s about: While on a late-night fast food run for the school theater crew, Ivan, Axl, and Sid suddenly find themselves battling tentacled taco monsters in a gross, goopy, alternate reality.
Art alert: Bright pops of nacho cheese orange highlight the detailed illustrations in this graphic novel.
Who it’s for: readers who like freaky, fast-paced science fiction served with a side of horror. |
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| Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy StrangeWhat it’s about: World War II turns life upside down for Pet, a British lighthouse keeper’s daughter.
What happens: After her German-born mother is unfairly imprisoned, Pet is filled with fear -- and questions. Why are her Pa and her sister acting so secretive? What are those strange lights in the fields? And how does it all relate to an age-old local legend?
Read it for: haunting, multi-layered mysteries and an unforgettable heroine. |
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| Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring BlakeWhat it's about: Twelve-year-old Ivy is reeling after her family's home is destroyed by a tornado, her treasured private sketchbook goes missing, and she starts crushing on a girl in her class. Then someone begins anonymously returning her drawings -- along with notes encouraging her to come out.
You might also like: Lisa Jenn Bigelow's Drum Roll, Please, another authentic, relatable story about a girl finding the courage to be herself. |
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| The Pants Project by Cat ClarkeWhat it's about: Liv knows he's transgender, but he hasn't told anyone yet -- a situation that's more difficult at his new middle school, where they see him as a girl and require him to wear a uniform with a skirt.
Why you might like it: You'll be rooting for the likable, determined Liv as he and his moms challenge the school dress code.
Try this next: Lisa Moore Ramée's A Good Kind of Trouble, another story about a brave kid shaking things up at school. |
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| The Other Boy by M.G. HennesseyWhat it’s about: Twelve-year-old Shane is a baseball player, a graphic novel artist, and a trans guy. He keeps that last fact private from his sixth grade classmates, but when someone shatters his privacy, Shane is forced to deal with people’s reactions.
Don’t miss: the snippets from Shane’s sci-fi graphic novel, which reflect his real-world situation.
Further reading: For a different (but no less encouraging) take on life as a trans middle schooler, try Ami Polonsky’s Gracefully Grayson. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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Massapequa Public Library at Bar Harbour 40 Harbor Lane Massapequa Park, New York 11762 (516) 799-0770
Massapequa Public Library at Central Avenue523 Central Avenue Massapequa, New York 11758 (516) 798-4607
www.massapequalibrary.org/ |
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