Dwight Foster Public Library: Kids' Books (for Ages 8-12): December 2025

A sea of lemon trees : The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez by Marâia Dolores âAguila

A sea of lemon trees : The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez
by Marâia Dolores Aguila

Twelve-year-old Roberto Alvarez is the youngest of his siblings, born on United States soil. He's el futuro, their dream for a life away from the fire of the Mexican Revolution. Moved by anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican propaganda, the Lemon Grove school board and chamber of commerce create a separate "Americanization" school for the Mexican children attending the Lemon Grove Grammar School. But the new Olive Street School is an old barn retrofitted for the children forced to attend a segregated school. Amid threats of deportation, the Comité de Vecinos risk everything to stand their ground and, with the support of the Mexican Consulate, choose Roberto as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the school board in this vivid and uplifting novel in verse based on true events. From critically-acclaimed author María Dolores Águila (Barrio Rising) comes an inspiring novel in verse set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and Mexican Repatriation, based on the true story of the United States' first successful school desegregation case, two decades before Brown v. Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.

The last ember / : The Aerimander Chronicles Book 1
by Lily Berlin Dodd

Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could level entire cities and upend world orders. But when twelve-year-old Eva Alexander, a wealthy chemistry student in the city of Porttown, walks into a fashionable department store and walks out (accidentally) with the world’s last aerimander egg, everything changes. Suddenly, Eva is the target of unwanted attention―including from the Thieves’ Union, a mysterious organization with a rebellious streak and fingers in every pie in Porttown. The Union orders its youngest member, the orphaned dairy delivery boy Dusty St. Ichabod, to steal the egg from Eva. Which is far easier said than done. When Eva and Dusty meet one autumn night under extraordinary circumstances, an epic game of cat and mouse unfolds across the Kingdom. Initially at odds, the unlikely pair must come together to navigate a maze of sinister crime syndicates, elite boarding schools, and an incredibly slow getaway pony named Gourd―all while fighting to keep the egg out of the hands of power-hungry Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets. As the duo races against time, their fates and that of the whole world are at stake. Because there’s one question no one dares to ask: What happens when the egg hatches?

Wings of Fire Legends : Darkstalker
by Tui Sutherland

Three dragons. One unavoidable, unpredictable destiny. This is the beginning...of the end. In the SeaWing kingdom, a young prince learns he is an animus―capable of wonderful magic that comes with a terrible price. In the mind of a NightWing dragonet, a thousand futures unfold―and almost all of them, she knows, lead to disaster and destruction. And under three full moons and the watchful eyes of his NightWing mother and IceWing father, the most powerful dragon Pyrhhia will ever know is clawing his way out of his egg: Darkstalker, the dragon who will change the world forever. Long before the SandWing war, lifetimes before the Dragonet Prophecy...darkness is born.

Keeper of the Lost Cities the Graphic Novel Part 2: Volume 1
by Shannon Messenger

The epic first book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series is being reimagined into stunning graphic novels, and the story continues now with Part Two! After learning she's actually an elf, twelve-year-old Sophie Foster made the impossible decision to leave her human life--and family--behind and start over in the Lost Cities. And life with the elves has been unlike anything Sophie has ever known, filled with new friends, amazing creatures, and incredible powers. But it's also had its share of challenges. Sophie had been an advanced student in the human world--but thanks to her struggles with alchemy, she's not even sure if she will pass her Foxfire Academy midterms! And then there are the bigger worries. Guardians who may or may not adopt her. Whispers of conspiracies. Mysterious fires. Memories in her brain that don't feel like hers. Could someone have hidden those secrets in Sophie's head? Why would they do that?

How Rude! : Animals That Burp, Toot, Spit, and Screech to Survive
by Chana Stiefel

Grown-ups expect kids to avoid all sorts of “rude” behaviors. But in nature, spits, burps, and toots can happen for surprisingly strategic reasons. When animals exhibit every gross habit—from toxic sneezes to deadly farts— they’re not aiming to act rude. They do what they can to survive. This book features the most dazzlingly disgusting creatures on planet Earth—indecent insects, repulsive reptiles, cute-yet-crude mammals, and more. You’ll also hear from scientists who are investigating what humans can learn from these bold behaviors. Prepare to be gobsmacked by good reasons for rudeness.

How the Ghost Army hoodwinked Hitler : the story of American artistry and deception in World War II
by Rebecca Siegel

Right around D-Day of World War II, a small, unarmed American army unit deployed to Nazi-occupied France. Instead of artillery, this unit fought with stagecraft, artistry, and deception. Their “weapons” included inflatable rubber tanks and giant speakers broadcasting fake military maneuvers. The soldiers called themselves the Ghost Army. Many of them had creative backgrounds in fashion, theater, and music, and they used their talents to trick and confuse the enemy. Often, their mission was to draw enemy fire away from other soldiers and toward themselves. One of the most stunning parts of this story is just how effective the Ghost Army was. They successfully carried out mission after mission and undeniably helped secure Allied victory.