Books for Kids and Tweens
February 2022
Recent Releases
Dream, Annie, Dream
by Waka T. Brown

Starring: Aspiring actor and Japanese-American seventh-grader Aoi Inoue -- or Annie Enoway, as she's called by her mostly white Kansas classmates. 

What happens: At the start of the 1987 school year, a fed-up Annie begins chasing her dreams of theater and basketball, defying other people's narrow-minded expectations of her as an Asian kid. 

 
The Ghoul of Windydown Vale
by Jake Burt

Welcome to: Windydown Vale, a remote town surrounded by deadly quicksand and haunted by the terrifying, legendary Ghoul.

The big secret: Copper Inskeep's family invented the Ghoul ages ago to keep bandits out of town and townspeople out of the swamps. Nowadays, Copper wears the Ghoul costume -- so how come a newcomer is claiming that a very real Ghoul kidnapped her father?

 
Just Roll With It
by Lee Durfey-Lavoie; illustrated by Veronica Agarwal

What it's about: For Maggie Sankhar, 6th grade means new friends, a tabletop RPG club, and a ton of stress. Soon, she can't make decisions without her 20-sided die, and she discovers a label for her behavior: obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Why you might like it: Maggie's OCD challenges are balanced by fun, as well as support from her diverse friends and family.

Also available in eBook on Libby
Also available in eBook & eAudiobook on CloudLibrary
Tiger Honor
by Yoon Ha Lee

Starring: Juhwang Sebin, a shapeshifting, nonbinary, 13-year-old tiger spirit who longs to captain a battle cruiser in the Space Forces.

What happens: Just as Sebin finally joins the Space Forces, their Uncle Hwan is exposed as a traitor, forcing the new cadet to prove their clan's honor.

Also available in eBook & eAudiobook on Hoopla
Also available in eBook on CloudLibrary
Operation Sisterhood
by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

The setup: When her single mom gets married, 11-year-old New Yorker Bo goes from being an only child to being one of four sisters, all living in a single building alongside four grown-ups and five kinds of pets.

Growing pains: Bo isn't sure if she fits in until she and her sisters bond over music and begin planning an epic wedding party.

Also available in eBook on CloudLibrary
Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs
by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Great power: Just before her quinceañera and coronation as princess of San Gregorio, Solimar Guadalupe has a magical encounter that gives her the power to predict the near future.

Great responsibility: With her new ability, Solimar is also tasked with protecting her kingdom's fragile monarch butterflies…and, when a neighboring king invades, with protecting the kingdom itself.

 
Retro Reads
Check out these awesome books from the the not-so-distant past. 
 
Fuzzy
by Tom Angleberger and Paul Dellinger

Featuring: Fuzzy, the first robot student at Vanguard Middle School; Max, the free-thinking classmate who becomes Fuzzy's guide; and Vice Principal Barbara, the controlling supercomputer who's out to get them both.

Reviewers say: "A day-after-tomorrow cautionary tale of friendship with a fuzzy, robotic heart" (Kirkus Reviews).

 
A Most Magical Girl
by Karen Foxlee

Starring: Annabel, a middle-class, ladylike Victorian girl -- and the only one who can save the world from a wicked wizard.

What happens: Annabels' predictable life is upended after meeting her elderly witch aunts and discovering that she -- with help from a wild "betwixter" and a hairy troll -- is destined to stop the power-hungry Mr. Angel and his dark magic machine.

 
Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen
by Anne Nesbet

The promise: Every day, 12-year-old Darleen promises her doting dad that she'll stay safe, risking only the planned stunts she performs as the star of a 1914 silent film adventure series.

The problem: A publicity stunt turns into an actual kidnapping, and Darleen, along with orphaned heiress and fellow captive Victorine Berryman, must risk very real dangers in order to escape.

 
The Tea Dragon Society
by K. O'Neill

Introducing: Greta, a part-goblin, part-human blacksmith who rescues a lost miniature dragon, leading her to the enchanting world of tea-growing dragons and the people who take care of them.

Why you might like it: Dreamy pastel colors, manga-style illustrations, and adorable tiny dragons make this graphic novel perfect for readers who enjoy art just as much as words.

Also available in eBook on Hoopla
Aster and the Accidental Magic
by Thom Pico; illustrated by Karensac

What it's about: Figuring she'll be bored after moving from the city to the country, impulsive Aster is surprised when a ramble in the mountains introduces her to a fluffy dog companion, three tiny knights, a magical fox, and the wish-granting Trickster Rapscallion. 

For fans of: The whimsical world and cute characters of Luke Pearson's Hilda comics (and the Netflix show they inspired).

 
The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane
by Nikki Shannon Smith; illustrated by Mari Lobo

What Azaleah wants to do: Make a super-awesome tiger diorama to earn extra credit in her third-grade class.

What Azaleah has to do instead: Follow the clues to find her little sister Tiana's missing stuffed frog. But can she solve the mystery before running out of time to finish her diorama -- or running out of patience with Tiana?

 
Also available in eBook on Hoopla
 
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-13!