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. | | Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone What it's about: Eighth-grader Molly is beyond frustrated by her school's impossible dress code. Why is it only girls who get in trouble, especially girls who look a certain way? Since the school won't listen, Molly convinces her classmates to pour their dress code horror stories into a podcast.
How it's told: through letters, lists, and transcripts from Molly's rebellious podcast.
Who it's for: readers who like stories that tell it like it is. | | A Ceiling Made of Eggshells by Gail Carson Levine What it's about: In late 1400s Spain, with the Inquisition threatening the nation's Jews, young Jewish Paloma travels with her grandfather, Belo, as he uses their family's influence to keep their community safe.
Why you might like it: Rich details will make you feel like you're right there with Paloma as she bravely faces danger and longs to pursue her own dreams.
Author alert: Paloma's story was inspired by the real-life family history of award-winning author Gail Carson Levine. | |
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The Brave
by James Bird
What it's about: Targeted by bullies for his escalating OCD, Collin is sent to live with his biological mother on an Ojibwe reservation where his differences are accepted and where he finds companionship in a physically challenged girl whose circumstances inspire Collin to make a difficult choice.
Should I read this? Read this for a moving story about a boy living with an invisible disability.
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Something to Say
by Lisa Moore Ramée
What it's about: A friendless girl who has developed a knack for keeping her head down at school resists a red-headed newcomer who wants to make friends, before the two are paired for a class assignment that she hopes will secure her position on the debate team.
Read this if: you like believable, likeable characters and realistic fiction about friendship.
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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. | | Caught! Nabbing History's Most Wanted by Georgia Bragg What it is: a clever and comical collection of notorious figures -- including spies, assassins, pirates, revolutionaries, con artists, and thieves -- who all got caught, one way or another.
What's inside: cartoon illustrations and mini-biographies of people such as Joan of Arc, Rasputin, Mata Hari, and Blackbeard.
You might also like: the scares, scandals, and absurd situations in author Georgia Bragg's earlier books, How They Croaked and How They Choked. | | 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. | |
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