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| Spindlefish and Stars by Christiane M. AndrewsWhat it's about: After her thieving father disappears, loner Clo follows his last instructions and journeys to an eerie gray island. There, she meets a strange old weaver woman who orders Clo to spin the island's silver fish into thread.
Why you might like it: Dreamy hints of Greek mythology begin to surface as Clo learns more about the island, her family, and her own destiny, making Spindlefish and Stars a good choice for readers who like thoughtful, richly detailed fantasy. |
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The map of stories
by Anna James
Tilly Pages and her friend Oskar journey to Washington, D.C., where she wanders inside the books at the Library of Congress and they try to stop a nefarious plan with some powerful help
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| Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte; illustrated by Ann XuWhat it's about: Although Cici likes her new hometown of Seattle, Washington, she still misses Taiwan and her A-má. Hoping to claim enough prize money to buy A-má a plane ticket, Cici (an expert with Taiwanese food) enters a cooking contest and begins a crash course on how to be an American chef.
Why you might like it: Colorful, manga-style art will keep you turning the pages of this graphic novel as Cici makes new friends, learns new recipes, and tries to balance her two cultures. |
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Starting from Seneca Falls
by Karen Schwabach
A centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment follows the story of an orphaned survivor of the Irish Potato Famine who runs away from abusive caretakers to 1848 Seneca Falls, New York, where her prospects are shaped by the suffrage activism of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Simultaneous eBook.
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Star
by Jennifer Li Shotz
Feeling scared and alone after her elderly owner passes away, a hearing-disabled Australian shepherd is adopted from a Lake Michigan shelter by a 12-year-old volunteer who becomes her inseparable companion in a search for a lost treasure they hope will provide essential funds.
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Classics-Inspired Stories
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| More to the Story by Hena KhanWhat it is: an update of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, starring Jameela, Maryam, Bisma, and Aleeza, four sisters from a close-knit Pakistani American family.
What happens: With a job on the school newspaper and an exciting friendship with British newcomer Ali, Jameela's 7th-grade year is looking up... until her dad goes overseas for work and Bisma becomes seriously ill.
Who it's for: readers who like feisty heroines, cozy vibes, and modern, realistic family stories. |
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| Lock and Key: The Initiation by Ridley PearsonWhat it is: a modern-day reimagining of brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes and criminal mastermind James Moriarty, recast here as reluctant boarding school roommates at Baskerville Academy.
Why you might like it: Through the perspective of James' clever sister Moira, you'll get an up-close look at how a theft at the Academy activates Sherlock's sleuthing instincts, while a shady secret society pulls James into its sinister orbit.
Series alert: This is the suspenseful 1st in the Lock and Key trilogy. |
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| Sisterland by Salla Simukka; translated by Owen F. WitesmanWhat it is: a bewitching and moving fantasy with roots in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, The Snow Queen, and other classic tales.
What happens: From a world of seemingly endless winter, curious Alice tumbles into Sisterland, a green and vibrant world where she meets Marissa, the friend she's always dreamed of. Eternal summer has a price, however, and the girls must undertake a dangerous quest to protect their home from the magic of Sisterland's Queen Lili. |
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| Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel VailWhat it is: a middle school spin on the classic "it's complicated" love story of Cyrano de Bergerac.
Why it's complicated: Gracie ikes her classmate A.J., only A.J. likes Gracie's best friend Sienna, so loyal sidekick Gracie agrees to help Sienna text him, even though A.J.'s texts seem like they might actually be written by Emmett, Gracie's other best friend.
You might also like: Joanne Levy's Crushing It, another angsty yet adorable twist on mistaken-identity romance. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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