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The Only Black Girls in Town
by
Brandy Colbert
What it’s about: Easygoing surfer Alberta and her dads are the only black people in their cozy little California neighborhood...until black goth girl Edie moves in across the street, complicating Alberta’s social life and encouraging her to ask questions about their town’s past.
Read it for: authentic, relatable characters; an intriguing historical mystery; the bewildering ups and downs of middle school friendship.
Try this next: Varian Johnson’s The Parker Inheritance or Lisa Moore Ramée’s A Good Kind of Trouble.
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Five Things About Ava Andrews by Margaret Dilloway Starring: quiet, creative Ava, who has anxiety, a heart condition, and a best friend she thought she could depend on.
What happens: After Ava's best friend moves away, Ava reluctantly joins an improv group and is shocked to realize that improv helps her unleash her ideas, find her voice, and speak up for the things that matter.
Why you might like it: Whether or not you relate to Ava's situation, you'll be rooting for her throughout this hopeful read. | |
Rick
by
Alex Gino
What if: you suddenly realized that your longtime best friend was actually a bully?
What happens: After hanging out with his sci-fi-loving grandpa and joining his school’s Rainbow Spectrum club, 6th-grader Rick starts to understand himself better, leading him to face the uncomfortable truth about his best friend, Jeff.
Book buzz: This companion book to author Alex Gino’s George features some of the same characters, as well as a similarly hopeful story about speaking up and being yourself.
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Glitch by Laura Martin The rule: All time-traveling Glitchers are trained to track down history-altering "Butterflies," but they're completely forbidden from changing the past themselves.
The problem: Glitcher cadet Reagan and her classmate/nemesis Elliot receive a letter from the future warning them of disaster unless they go back in time to change events in U.S. history.
Is it for you? If you used to love the blend of history and adventure in the Magic Tree House books, you might enjoy this more mature take on a similar idea. | | Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters by Carlyn Beccia What it is: a smart and snarky guide to the science and history behind famous monsters such as werewolves, vampires, Frankenstein's creature, and Godzilla.
Questions answered: Is the Kraken just a giant squid? How can you prepare for a zombie attack? Is King Kong too big to be mathematically possible? Should you play with a cute baby Bigfoot?
Why you might like it: Short sections and eye-catching graphics make browsing easy, so you can read at your own pace. | | Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship" by Deborah Heiligman What it is: A suspenseful and heart-wrenching account of the SS City of Benares, which sunk after being torpedoed during its World War II voyage to transport evacuated British children to Canada.
What's inside: photos, letters, and profiles of the people on board, from the crew to the chaperones to the many children who died in the icy waters.
Further reading: For a more action-focused view of underwater warfare during World War II, pick up Deborah Hopkinson's Dive! | | Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at Roadkill by Heather L. Montgomery What it is: a funny yet respectful overview of how the bodies of roadkill animals can become museum specimens, art, food (yes, really), or an important source of scientific information.
Who it's for: Filled with matter-of-fact gore, Something Rotten is "not for squeamish souls," but those who are drawn to animal biology will be intrigued.
Try this next: For a broader look at decomposition, try Anita Sanchez's Rotten!; for a magical spin on roadkill, try Kat Leyh's graphic novel Snapdragon. | | The Magician and the Spirits: Harry Houdini and the Curious Pastime... by Deborah Noyes Starring: escape artist and magician Harry Houdini, who led a crusade to expose how the sham séances and fake psychics of early 1900s spiritualism took advantage of grieving people.
Why you might like it: In reading about how Houdini debunked the tricks of spiritualists, you'll get the inside scoop on the ways in which magic tricks of the time were performed.
Did you know? Houdini was friends with Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and a devoted spiritualist. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 10-13!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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