|
Walk This Underground World
by Kate Baker
This lift-the-flap book takes the reader on a journey all around the globe and deep underground. There they'll find amazing hidden worlds, teeming with life from prairie dog towns and ant cities, to opal mines and treasure-filled tombs. Each spread is bursting with details and has new surprises to discover in the cutaway artwork and under the flaps. With so much to see and explore, this is a perfect gift for young adventurers. This book includes factual information on underside of flaps.
|
|
|
Ten Nasty Little Toads : The Zephyr Book of Cautionary Tales
by Steve Cole
In these delightfully humorous tales of a decidedly blackish hue, ten follysome toads can never change their beastly habits despite the efforts of goodly witch Madame Rana who reminds them 'It's never too late to change.' The Toad With Square Eyes develops mutant thumbs and fingers and finds himself on the other side of the screen; Cherry Oddfellow, the Dirty Little Toad, is part-girl, part-mudslide; and Jeremiah Bratson, the Spoiled Little Toad, finds himself face-to-face with a perfect robot replica.
|
|
| Henry Heckelbeck Gets a Dragon by Wanda CovenWhat it’s about: Henry’s mom and sister are witches, but Henry is a regular kid who doesn’t know he can do magic until he tries out a spell that brings his toy dragon to life.
Series alert: This fun, easy-to-read chapter book is the 1st in the Henry Heckelbeck series. There’s a whole series about Henry’s sister, Heidi, too!
You might also like: For another book about a surprise pet dragon, try There’s A Dragon in My Dinner by Tom Nicoll. |
|
|
Boy-crazy Stacey
by Gale Galligan
A latest graphic novel adaptation of a fan-favorite Baby-Sitters Club story finds Stacey and Mary Anne babysitting for two weeks at the Jersey shore, where Stacey is distracted by a cute lifeguard. By the Newbery Honor-winning author of A Corner of the Universe.
|
|
|
Catch Cat
by Claire Grace
Travel the world with this spotting book for curious cats everywhere. As young readers explore each continent from America to Antarctica to search for the elusive cat hiding on every page, they will encounter hundreds of icons unique to each place.
|
|
| The Starspun Web by Sinead O'HartWhat it’s about: In 1941, 12-year-old Tess de Sousa is uprooted from her happy home at Miss Ackerbee’s orphanage when she’s adopted by the sketchy, scheming Mr. Cleat, who wants to take advantage of Tess’ newfound ability to travel between parallel worlds.
What’s inside: a tarantula named Violet; an uncanny device called a Star-Spinner; a twisty, cross-dimensional adventure; and a brave, curious heroine who’s determined to find her way home. |
|
| I, Cosmo by Carlie SorosiakWhat it’s about: Aging golden retriever Cosmo would do anything for his human brother, Max, but with Mom and Dad fighting all the time, Cosmo and Max worry that their family will be divided by divorce.
They say old dogs can’t learn new tricks... but Cosmo and Max decide to learn a routine for a dance contest, hoping that a big win will prove that their family belongs together.
For fans of: dogs (of course) and heartfelt family stories. |
|
|
The dragon warrior
by Katie Zhao
Training in secret when the Jade Society shuns them for their half-Chinese heritage, 12-year-old Faryn Liu conquers a demon in San Francisco’s Chinatown before resolving to prove herself by finding the gods’ island home before the end of the Lunar New Year.
|
|
| Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan AuxierWhat it's about: As a chimney sweep in Victorian London, orphan Nan Sparrow is used to loneliness and grimy, dangerous work. Then one day she's rescued from an accident by a strange creature -- a golem -- who becomes her loyal companion.
Why you might like it: Blending fantasy, history, and Jewish folktales, Sweep has something for lots of different readers.
Try this next: Katherine Rundell's Rooftoppers, another historical tale offering a kid's rooftop view of a famous city. |
|
| The Parker Inheritance by Varian JohnsonWhat it's about: After finding intriguing clues in her grandmother's attic, bookish 12-year-old Candice and her new friend Brandon search for buried treasure in a small Southern town haunted by the ugly history of racism.
Why you might like it: Switching between Candice's present-day story and her grandmother's in 1957, this suspenseful puzzle mystery encourages you, just like the characters, to piece the clues together. |
|
|
Where the World Ends
by Geraldine McCaughrean
An award-winning young adult novel by the best-selling author of Peter Pan in Scarlet traces the story of eight boys who participate in an annual bird-hunting expedition on a remote island only to become stranded when nobody arrives to take them home.
|
|
|
The lost words : a spell book
by Robert Macfarlane
All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. The rich landscape of wild imagination and wild play is rapidly fading from our children's minds.The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of nature words and the natural world they invoke. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and hand-painted illustration by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages..
|
|
|
The dog runner
by MacDibble, Bren
'We're gonna starve if we stay here,' Emery said. 'If we're gonna go, best go now.' And he said it like going was something easy. Like all we have to do is walk away. Ella and her brother Emery are alone in a city that's starving to death. If they are going to survive, they must get away, up-country, to find Emery's mum. But how can two kids travel such big distances across a dry, barren, and dangerous landscape? Well, when you've got five big doggos and a dry-land dogsled, the answer is you go mushing. But when Emery is injured, Ella must find a way to navigate them through rough terrain, and even rougher encounters with desperate people..."
|
|
|
Art-tastic : An Art Activity Book for Young People With Minty-fresh Imaginations!
by Pepperle, Sarah
By the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. "Bold, bright and a little bit bananas, Art-tastic gets into the nitty gritty of how to look at, connect with and make art. This Art-tastic book has some of the best art you'll ever see in Aotearoa New Zealand. There are activities to do and questions to answer - and by the time they've finished, kids will have their own artist's workbook full of masterpieces that will make them famous all around the world. Or at least at home. Featuring artworks by Rita Angus, Steve Carr, Martin Creed, Tony Fomison, Lonnie Hutchinson, Jess Johnson, Michael Parekowhai, Reuben Paterson, Zina Swanson, Yvonne Todd and many more!
|
|
| The House That Lou Built by Mae RespicioThe project: Although 12-year-old Lou loves her large Filipino family, she craves a space of her own, and has big plans to build a tiny house on the patch of land she inherited from her dad.
The problem: After Lou’s ownership of the land is challenged, she has to act fast and get creative to make her dream house a reality.
Why you might like it: You’ll be rooting for bold, capable Lou and her colorful collection of family and friends. |
|
|
His Name Was Walter
by Rodda, Emily
'Once upon a time, in a dark city far away, there lived a boy called Walter, who had nothing but his name to call his own.' The handwritten book, with its strangely vivid illustrations, has been hidden in the old house for a long, long time. Tonight, four kids and their teacher will find it. Tonight, at last, the haunting story of Walter and the mysterious, tragic girl called Sparrow will be read, right to the very end. An extraordinary story within a story; a mystery, a prophecy, a long-buried secret. And five people who will remember this night as long as they live.
|
|
| Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild by Catherine ThimmeshWhat it is: A fascinating, fact-filled book about how humans are helping to increase the threatened giant panda population by preparing panda cubs for life in the wild.
Art alert: Camp Panda is packed with photos of cute, fuzzy baby pandas, as well as memorable pictures of human scientists wearing panda costumes!
You might also like: Nancy F. Castaldo’s Back from the Brink, another hopeful book that explores efforts to save endangered species. |
|
| The Collectors by Jacqueline WestBe careful what you wish for: After Van, a hearing impaired kid with talent for noticing things, spots a strange girl and a silver squirrel diving for pennies in a fountain, he follows them back to the underground realm of the Collectors, who collect wishes and try to prevent their scariest consequences.
Series alert: This imaginative and fast-moving fantasy is followed by a sequel, A Storm of Wishes. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 8-11!
|
|
|