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| Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally CarterWelcome to: Winterborne House, a huge cliffside mansion turned group home where 12-year-old April and four fellow foster kids discover secret passages, surprising dangers, and unexpected bonds.
Read it for: the likable characters, fast-paced adventure, and the satisfaction of watching a twisty mystery unspool.
Try this next: Jessica Lawson’s Nooks & Crannies, for another puzzling mystery featuring a group of kids in an eerie old manor. |
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| Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah KapitWhat it’s about: After a coach sees her amazing knuckleball, 11-year-old Vivy lands her first spot on a real baseball team, despite her mom’s worries about her being the only girl and the only autistic kid on the team.
Why you might like it: Told through letters between Vivy and her pen-pal (a major league pitcher), this authentic story will leave you cheering as Vivy finds new confidence both on and off the field. |
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| The Best Worst Thing by Kathleen LaneWhat it’s about: Are all the doors in the house locked? Is anyone hiding under the beds? Did she recite the right words to protect herself and her family? These questions plague 11-year-old Maggie after a shooting at the local convenience store.
Why you might like it: Even as Maggie's anxious thoughts become harder for her to control, you can relate to her concerns about staying safe in an unpredictable world. |
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| Some Kind of Happiness by Claire LegrandWhat it’s about: While visiting the grandparents she’s only just met, Finley Hart writes stories about the imaginary world of Everwood. It’s easier to retreat into a magical forest than it is to deal with her parents fighting, or with the “blue days” when she can’t hold back her panic and sadness.
Who it’s for: readers who like quiet, realistic family stories flavored with fantasy and intrigue. |
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| The Notations of Cooper Cameron by Jane O'ReillyStarring: Cooper, who can’t stop thinking that his family won't be safe unless he counts things, or washes his hands, or takes careful notes of his observations.
What happens: Dealing with his thoughts and the loss of his grandfather becomes even tougher when Cooper's dad angrily refuses to understand what he’s going through.
Read it for: an honest, moving look at a kid with obsessive-compulsive disorder. |
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| Stanley Will Probably Be Fine by Sally J. PlaWhat it's about: Stanley Fortinbras may be a master of comics trivia, but plenty of other things in his life are hard to handle: his suddenly distant best friend, the sensory processing disorder that makes middle school feel like too much, and his worries about the upcoming Trivia Quest treasure hunt.
Who it's for: comic-book fans (of course), as well as anyone looking for a likable character who's facing his fears and figuring out his friendships. |
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| Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki VivatWhat it’s about: Worrywart Abbie Wu is about to start middle school, and as a middle child, she knows that nothing good happens in the middle. Can she survive changing friendships, cafeteria injustice, and choosing an elective without completely freaking out?
Series alert: 1st in the Frazzled series, followed by Ordinary Mishaps and Inevitable Catastrophes.
For fans of: the cartoon art, relatable humor, and underdog characters in Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid books or Rachel Renee Russell’s Dork Diaries series. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
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