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Aru Shah and the City of Gold
by Roshani Chokshi
Searching for her mentors in a city of gold on the brink of war, Aru questions her own commitment to fighting the demon army on behalf of increasingly devious gods.
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War and Millie Mcgonigle
by Karen Cushman
Millie McGonigle may live in sunny California but times are tough. Hitler is attacking Europe and it looks like the United States may be going to war. Food is rationed, money is tight, and Millie's sickly little sister gets all the attention. Will Millie be able to keep calm and find her balance as the world around her loses its own?
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Billy Miller Makes a Wish
by Kevin Henkes
On his birthday, Billy Miller wishes for something exciting to happen. But he immediately regrets his wish when an ambulance rushes to his neighbor’s house. Is Billy responsible? This short, funny story includes misplaced love letters, surprising critters, art projects, misguided tattoos and one big surprise for Billy and his family.
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| Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee NutterWhat it's about: Feeling overlooked in her family and lonely at her new school, Maggie longs for a puppy to keep her company. When a trip to the animal shelter causes a major allergic reaction, however, Maggie realizes that finding the perfect animal friend will be more complicated than she expected.
Why you might like it: If you deal with allergies of your own or you've ever felt confused about your family and friends, you might relate to Maggie's experiences in this colorful, slice-of-life graphic novel. |
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Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom
by Matthew Swanson
Simultaneously alarmed and inspired by a fortune-cookie fortune that advises him to live every day as if it were his last, literal-minded Ben tackles a bucket list of unfinished tasks that get him in and out of trouble before his parents realize what is going on.
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| Granted by John David AndersonWelcome to: the Haven, where fairy Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets has just gotten her first assignment to fulfill a human's wish.
What happens: Traveling in the human world is tough for tiny Ophelia, but she finds friendship with homeless dog Sam. As she gets closer to her goal, however, she can't stop wondering: who decides which wishes are important, and why?
Try this next: For further feel-good fantasies focused on wishes, try Faith Harkey's Genuine Sweet or Lauren Myracle's Wishing Day. |
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| The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah HendersonThe setup: After messing up his audition for the school musical, 11-year-old dancer and rapper Ailey confides in his Grampa, who confesses his own childhood regret and offers a magical gift: a pair of tap shoes that transport Ailey to Grampa's youth in 1939 Harlem.
The question: Can changing Grampa's past help Ailey change his own future?
You might also like: Rita Williams-Garcia's Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, another moving story about a kid finding himself through his grandfather's legacy. |
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| Inkling by Kenneth OppelWhat it's about: Grieving the loss of his mom and stuck with a school project he can't finish, Ethan Rylance is struggling. Luckily, help arrives in the form of Inkling, a living inkblot who can read, write, draw, and (most importantly) listen.
Why you might like it: With true-to-life characters, off-kilter humor (Inkling talks like whatever he's read recently), and interesting ideas about creativity and friendship, Inkling is a quirky and memorable read. |
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| Orphan Island by Laurel SnyderThe rules: Each year, a boat delivers a new youngest child to the magical island of orphans. Then the boat takes away the Elder, so that there are always nine kids remaining.
The rulebreaker: When it's Jinny's turn to be the Elder, she refuses to leave, upsetting the island's peaceful balance.
Why you might like it: This unusual, mysterious fantasy will make you ask questions about the way things are done on the island, as well as in the real world. |
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Clover Twig and the Magical Cottage
by Kaye Umansky
When organized and tidy Clover Twig ends up working for a boisterous and messy witch, she knows she will have to do all she can to maintain her composure and cleanliness amidst the madness and mayhem that breaks out without warning inside the witch's small cottage.
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
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Chester Library 250 W Main St. Chester, New Jersey 07930 (908) 879-7612
chesterlib.org
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