Kids' Books February 2018 Recent Releases In the Country of Queens by Cari Best What it's about: In the summer of 1961, timid Shirley Burns gets some shocking news and decides to stop waiting around to be brave. For the first time in her life, Shirley stands up to her over-protective mother, skips summer camp for a vacation with her cousins, and finally begins to deal with the loss of her father. Why you might like it: Whether or not you agree with Shirley's hatred of ballet class or love of Pippi Longstocking, you can still relate to her authentic feelings and problems. Elsie Mae has something to say by Nancy J Cavanaugh Devastated to learn that a shipping company has decided to build a canal right through Okefenokee Swamp, young Elsie Mae writes a letter imploring President Franklin Roosevelt to save the beloved swamp before uncovering the nefarious activities of a gang of hog bandits. By the award-winning author of This Journal Belongs to Ratchet. Battle of the boss-monster by Troy Cummings In the year since Alexander and his father moved to Stermont, he and his friends in the Super Secret Monster Patrol of Stermont Elementary have defeated all kinds of monsters, but now they face their greatest challenge, the boss-monster who has kidnapped fellow monster fighter Ms. Vanderpants and stolen the Notebook of Doom--and they have to do it before Alexander turns eight and stops being able to see monsters. The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis Starring: Charlie Bobo, the son of a white sharecropper whose debts force Charlie into working for Cap'n Buck, the scary plantation overseer. Now it's Charlie's job to help Cap'n Buck track down stolen property -- but how can he finish the job after he finds out that the "property" they're tracking is people, including a boy Charlie's age? For fans of: author Christopher Paul Curtis' Elijah of Buxton, which offers a different -- but equally honest and powerful -- point of view on the lives of former slaves in 1850s America and Canada.  The Last Gargoyle by Paul Durham What it's about: Don't call Penhallow Fitch a gargoyle. He's a Grotesque, thank you very much, and the guardian of a Boston apartment building. When the Boneless King, ruler of the underworld, comes after the building's newest residents, Penhallow -- along with a peculiar new friend, Viola -- is determined to fight. You might also like: Similar to The Last Gargoyle, Anne Nesbet's A Box of Gargoyles offers intriguing mysteries, sinister villains, touches of humor, and (you guessed it) gargoyles. On a mission for her majesty by Kate Egan Taking in the landmark sights and activities of London, Stanley teams up with the world-famous detectives of Scotland Yard for a secret spy mission to help the queen reclaim a ring that has been stolen from the royal treasury. Super Rabbit Boy vs. Super Rabbit Boss! by Thomas Flintham ucked into a strange mirror world, Super Rabbit Boy navigates challenging upside-down environments and greets the opposite-personality doppelgangers of familiar friends and enemies before forging ties with a benevolent King Viking and organizing a good Robot Army to tackle his own evil alter ego, Super Rabbit Boss.  The legend of Shadow High by Shannon Hale When cracks in their World of Stories cause Frankie and Draculaura to be accidentally transported from Monster High to Ever After High, they team up with Raven Queen and Apple White to foil an escaped Evil Queen's plot. Co-written by the author of the Newbery Honor-winning Princess Academy.  Attack of the not-so-virtual monsters by Kim Harrington When Bex and Charlie unwittingly make real all of the monsters Bex had captured through Monsters Unleashed, they must find and recapture them in real life. The magic misfits by Neil Patrick Harris A middle-grade debut by the beloved actor and best-selling author of Choose Your Own Autobiography follows the experiences of a young New England street magician who teams up with other talented street kids to protect their community from a greedy crime boss.  Whistling in the dark by Shirley Hughes Enduring the terror and shortages caused by the Blitz in 1940 Liverpool, thirteen-year-old Joan is unable to spend time with her friends in the face of intensifying bombing raids and makes a shattering discovery about a stranger and a local mill. Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when ten-year-old Anjali's mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother's work. Threads of blue by Suzanne M LaFleur Mathilde escapes war-torn Sofarende and reunites with Megs and the other children who are working for the army to retake Sofarende from the enemy, but Mathilde must come to terms with her past treasonous actions and determine what she must do in order toprove her friendship to Megs. The keymaster's quest by Jason Lethcoe When his famous archaeologist grandfather goes missing during a search for a temple hidden deep within the Amazonian jungle, Andy receives a mysterious letter and key and is drawn into a quest to prevent several magical artifacts from falling into the wrong hands.  Fire! fire! by Hilde Lysiak When Nina's antique store burns down, nine-year old reporter Hilde and her sister/photographer, Izzy, are determined to investigate the cause for the Orange Street News--and their main clue is a bird's nest of baby blue jays. Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano What it's about: Annoyed at being told she's too young to help with Dia de los Muertos preparations at her family's small-town Texas bakery, Leo Logrono snoops around and discovers that her mom and sisters are brujas (witches) who bake spells into every batch. Eager to test her own powers, Leo steals their magical recipe book and cooks up a big mess. Don't miss: the recipes at the end (magic not required). Series alert: If you're charmed by the magical mayhem and cozy family bonds in this bilingual fantasy, you're in luck -- it's 1st in a series. Pigsticks and Harold lost in time! by Alex Milway Aspiring to win his community's science fair so that he can follow in the footsteps of his brilliant inventor great-aunt, Pigsticks uses his aunt's time-travel machine to give himself more time to work on his spaceship invention, with unexpected consequences. Have sword, will travel by Garth Nix Odo is the seventh son of the village miller and he just wants to get away from work for awhile, Eleanor's mother was a soldier, and she yearns for adventure, but it is Odo who finds the magic talking sword named Biter, and thereby instantly becomes a knight--and together they set out on a quest (somewhat reluctantly on Odo's part) to save their kingdom from threats both human and dragon. In the deep blue sea by Bill Nye Jack, his genius siblings, and inventor Hank Witherspoon go to Hawaii and help technology billionaire Ashley Hawking find out who is sabotaging her revolutionary electric plant that harvests energy from the deep ocean. Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce Introducing: Ellie Bell, third-grade engineer. From a water balloon launcher to a hair braider, there's nothing Ellie won't try to build. She's got big plans to make a dog house for her best friend's new dog, but keeping the project a surprise might be even harder than building it, especially since the friends who are helping her can't get along. Who it's for: anyone who likes making stuff (diagrams and a tool guide are included), and anyone who's tired of being told what boys or girls are "supposed" to do. Better off undead by James Preller Returning from the dead after a mishap that ended his mortal life, a young zombie outcast notices that the world around him is changing in disturbing ways, from bees going missing to the outbreaks of super-flus, and teams up with new friends to investigate these and other environmental mysteries. By the author of the Jigsaw Jones series. The long way home by Gigi Priebe When Henry Whiskers finds a crinkly old map in the dollhouse library, he and his best friend Jeremy embark on their biggest adventure ever to find the treasure. Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald L. Smith What it's about: Years before he becomes the superhero Black Panther, Prince T'Challa is sent from his homeland of Wakanda to a school on the South Side of Chicago. The move is supposed to keep him safe, but even middle school can be dangerous...and T'Challa's school might be hiding a paranormal threat. For fans of: the recent Black Panther movie, or Shannon and Dean Hale's The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (another story about a Marvel superhero's school days). Just like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard Teased by a school bully because she does not resemble the dark-skinned grandfather who is raising her, young Robbie wonders about her other family members and worries when her grandfather's memory begins to fail. A first novel.  I spy Deuce Gorgon! by Misty Von Spooks A latest entry in the creeperific new Monster High: Monster Rescue series continues the adventures of Frankie Stein, Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf and their fangtastic friends.  Caleb and Kit by Beth Vrabel When Caleb, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, meets Kit, he is introduced to a world where rules don't apply through an adventurous friendship that makes him eventually question whether engaging in risk is really the best for both of them. Baker's magic by Diane Zahler Bee is an orphan in the poor kingdom of Aradyn, and when she is caught stealing a bun from a bakery, the lonely baker offers to take her on as an apprentice--but when she meets Princess Anika, and the evil mage Joris who is her "guardian" she embarks on a journey to save Anika, and restore the kingdom its rightful ruler. Diaries and Journals My Diary from the Edge of the World by Jodi Lynn Anderson What it's about: In Gracie's world, migrating dragons attack strip malls, ghosts linger in backyards, sasquatches lurk in the woods, and Dark Clouds appear before people die. After a Dark Cloud arrives for Gracie's brother, their parents take the family on a wild road trip in search of a safe haven from the supernatural. Is it for you? If you prefer fantasy stories rooted in reality, you'll love the eccentric characters and bittersweet plot in this imaginative read, written in the form of Gracie's diary. From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot Starring: average New Jersey sixth-grader Olivia Harrison, who's just as shocked as anyone when Princess Mia Thermopolis shows up at school and informs Olivia that they're half-sisters.  Why you might like it: Whether or not you're familiar with the Princess Diaries movies or books, you can enjoy all of the exciting (and awkward) moments that Olivia shares in her notebook as she adjusts to a royal lifestyle. Adventures from the land of stories : the Mother Goose diaries by Chris Colfer Fan-favorite character Mother Goose from the best-selling The Land of Stories series discloses some of her secret adventures, from her gossip sessions with Elizabeth I and efforts to teach geography to Napoleon to her participation in equal rights marches with Martin Luther King Jr. and service as a muse to Andy Warhol.  Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville Starring: Scottish brownie Angus Cairns, a pint-sized magical creature bound by a curse to serve his new mistress, Alex Carhart. Through Angus' diary (as well as through texts, zany illustrations, and hilariously bad poetry), you can watch as neat-freak Angus clashes with messy 11-year-old Alex...and as the two reluctantly join forces after the curse threatens Alex's family.  Read this next: Want more funny books about magical creatures in the human world? Try Adam Rex's Cold Cereal Saga. Baxter is missing : A Branches Book by Rebecca Elliott Learning that a famous author will be visiting Treetopolis, Eva and her classmates excitedly begin writing stories to share with the author until Eva's pet bat, Baxter, goes missing and Eva can't think of anything to write because she is so worried about him. By the award-nominated author of Zoo Girl.  The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata What it's about: After their parents are called away to Japan, Summer and her brother Jaz have to spend wheat-harvesting season with their old-fashioned grandparents instead. Jiichan and Obaachan are equal parts caring and frustrating, and their health isn't great -- which means that when things go wrong, it's up to Summer to make her own luck.  Is it for you? If you're looking for realistic yet offbeat characters, you'll enjoy getting to know Summer's family through this peek into her journal. The professor and the puzzle by Carolyn Keene Attending the annual Greek mythology gala at Oracle College, Nancy, Bess and George race to assist when a student falls from a balcony in the middle of her speech, an accident the sleuthing trio links to collegiate sabotage.  The pages between us by Lindsey Leavitt Disappointed to learn that they will not be in many classes together when starting the sixth grade, best friends Piper and Olivia stay in touch by sharing a journal only to realize that their respective goals are taking them further apart.  Marty Frye, private eye : The Case of the Missing Action Figure & Other Mysteries Book one, The case of the missing action figures & other mysteries by Janet Tashjian Rereleased with a new design, a first entry in a popular chapter book series begins the adventures of poet-detective Marty Frye, who in three short mysteries tracks down a friend's diary, searches for a missing bag of flour and unravels the truth behind a lost action figure. Ava and Pip by Carol Weston What it's about: Outgoing "word nerd" Ava uses her diary to describe her attempts to help her older sister Pip make friends despite her extreme shyness. After plans for Pip's birthday party go awry, Ava writes out her anger, only to be surprised by the results when her words become public. Why you might like it: Clever wordplay and the honest ups and downs of being a sister make Ava and Pip a good pick for young writers and fans of warmhearted family stories. Contact your librarian for more great books! Jessamine County Public Library 600 South Main Street Nicholasville, Kentucky 40356 859-885-3523 www.jesspublib.org