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Amari and the Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston
Thirteen-year-old Amari, a poor Black girl from the projects, gets an invitation from her missing brother to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and join in the fight against an evil magician.
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Finn and the Time-traveling Pajamas
by Michael Buckley
A sequel to Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox finds Finn advised by an older version of himself to include Lincoln and Julep in his time-traveling adventures, before the trio become stranded in different timelines by malfunctioning time-travel pajamas.
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The Girl who Stole an Elephant
by Nizrana Farook
Becoming a secret Robin Hood to her impoverished community, a nobleman’s outspoken daughter endures a series of near misses before her reputation as both a hero and thief challenge the realities and perspectives of her followers.
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| Flood City by Daniel José OlderWelcome to: Flood City, humanity's last stronghold on a drowned Earth.
What happens: With war brewing between Flood City's Star Guard and the spaceship-dwelling Chemical Barons, an unexpected alliance between City musician Max and renegade Baron Ato might be the only thing preventing the city's destruction.
Why you might like it: This science fiction standalone boasts a pulse-pounding plot and a future setting packed with memorable characters, mutant hybrid animals, and divided loyalties. |
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| Amber and Clay by Laura Amy SchlitzWhat it is: a poetic historical fantasy set in ancient Greece, starring two central characters -- enslaved artist Rhaskos and wealthy, rebellious Melisto -- whose fates don't intersect until one of them dies.
How it's told: through several diverse voices (both human and godly), as well as through richly detailed illustrations of archaeological artifacts.
Who it's for: mythology-obsessed readers, as well as those who love an up-close glimpse of life in a different time. |
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| Scar Island by Dan GemeinhartThe setting: Slabhenge Reformatory for Troubled Boys, an eerie, ramshackle island prison.
What happens: Twelve-year-old Jonathan has only just arrived at Slabhenge when a lightning strike kills all of the cruel adults, leaving the juvenile offenders to a wild, unsupervised lifestyle...until a storm threatens the island and a ruthless new leader rises.
Read it for: a suspenseful, high-stakes survival story.
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| The Explorers: The Door in the Alley by Adrienne KressIntroducing: Sebastian, a cautious science geek who takes a wrong turn and winds up trespassing in the mysterious Explorers Society.
What happens: A puzzle box from the Society leads Sebastian to an orphan named Evie, a pig wearing a teeny hat, and a group of explorers known as the Filipendulous Five.
Series alert: If you like the quirky humor and clever, Lemony Snicket-style narration in this series opener, don't miss the next book, The Reckless Rescue. |
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| The Skeleton Tree by Iain LawrenceWhat it's about: After a sailing trip ends in shipwreck, 12-year-old Chris finds himself stranded on a remote Alaskan coast with Frank, an older boy he barely knows and doesn't trust.
Why you might like it: Chris and Frank are both layered characters, and the strained bond between them provides just as much tension and drama as their struggle for survival amid the frigid weather and hungry animals of the Alaskan wilderness. |
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Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother.
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| The Explorer by Katherine RundellThe disaster: Following a tragic plane crash, Fred, Con, Lila, and Max are stranded in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.
The survivors: Combining their skills and following an ancient map, the kids journey downriver and gain firsthand experience of nature's challenges (dodging piranhas, eating grubs) and wonders (pink dolphins, baby sloths). Try this next: Ben Mikaelson's Jungle of Bones, another survival adventure with a vivid jungle setting. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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Chester Library 250 W Main St. Chester, New Jersey 07930 (908) 879-7612
chesterlib.org
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