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Great Books for 6th & 7th Grade: |
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Before We Were Free
by Julia Alvarez
Noticing that nearly all of her family has left the Dominican Republic for the United States, twelve-year-old Anita begins to question why and quickly comes to understand when her uncle suddenly disappears and her family becomes terrorized by the secret police.
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Blood on the River: James Town 1607
by Elisa Carbone
Traveling to the New World in 1606 as the page to Captain John Smith, twelve-year-old orphan Samuel Collier settles in the new colony of James Town, where he must quickly learn to distinguish between friend and foe.
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Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister Natalie.
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Elijah of Buxton
by Christopher Paul Curtis
As the first child born into freedom in a Canadian town for runaway slaves, eleven-year-old Elijah finds himself on a dangerous journey to America to track down an unscrupulous former slave who stole the money from his friend, Mr. Leroy, that was intended to buy his family their freedom from slavery. 75,000 first printing.
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The Diamond of Drury Lane: a Cat Royal Adventure
by Julia Golding
Orphan Catherine "Cat" Royal, living at the Drury Lane Theater in 1790s London, tries to find the "diamond" supposedly hidden in the theater, which unmasks a treasonous political cartoonist, and involves her in the street gangs of Covent Garden and the world of nobility.
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Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam
by Cynthia Kadohata
Trained to sniff out bombs and traps, Cracker the German Shepherd is prepared for action in Vietnam, but when she is teamed up with Rick, a young man whose family doubts he can handle infantry life, the new soldier must find a way to build trust between the two so that they can do their jobs well and make it back alive. Reprint.
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The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by Jacqueline Kelly
Curious about the grasshoppers in her backyard in rural Texas, 11-year-old Calpurnia turns to her grandfather and avid naturalist for information and ends up with a newfound respect for the natural world, the way it operates, and the similarities it shares with her own life as the only daughter in a family with six brothers, in this coming-of-age tale set in 1899.
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Prairie Lotus
by Linda Sue Park
A young half-Asian girl arriving in 1880s America struggles to adjust to new surroundings while navigating the almost unanimous prejudice of the townspeople in her heartland community. By the Newbery Medal-winning author of A Single Shard. 75,000 first printing.
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Jip: His Story
by Katherine Paterson
After Jip is sent to live in a poor town, he makes his living by tending to the animals on the farm, but his quiet life is disturbed when a strange man comes around claiming he knows Jip's father. Reprint.
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Letters from Wolfie
by Patti Sherlock
Thirteen-year-old Mark donates his dog, Wolfie, to the Army's scout program during the Vietnam War, but when the Army won't say when--or if--the dogs will be returned to their owners, Mark grows more unsure of his decision to send Wolfie, in a gripping story about loyalty, dissent, patriotism, and the heartbreaking contradictions of war. Reprint.
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One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn, New York, to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, 11-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of their intrusion and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. 15,000 first printing.
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The Girl who Drank the Moon
by Kelly Regan Barnhill
An epic fantasy about a young girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, who must unlock the powerful magic buried deep inside her.
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Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer
Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl, heir to the Fowl family empire and centuries-old legacy of scams and underworld machinations, decides to uncover the secret treasure of the Fairy People by stealing one of their magical books, decoding with his computer, kidnapping leprechaun Holly Short, and taking on the entire forces of the fairy kingdom. 150,000 first printing.
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The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina finds part of an ancient message that she is sure holds a secret to save her underground city from ruin, but Lina and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever. Reader's Guide available.
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Ranger's Apprentice Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan
by John Flanagan
With Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, on the brink of attacking the kingdom, fifteen-year-old Will is chosen as the Ranger's new apprentice and must learn all the skills necessary to take part in the fierce battle ahead with their unique form of magic in the hopes of saving the villagers from pending annihilation.
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The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
Raised since he was a baby by ghosts, werewolves, and other residents of the cemetery in which he has always resided, Bod wonders how he will manage to survive amongst the living with only the lessons he has learned from the dead.
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Island of the Aunts
by Eva Ibbotson
On a mysterious island somewhere in the Atlantic, Etta, Coral, and Myrtle care for a menagerie of strange creatures, but when they decide to search for someone to replace them in their old age, they try to kidnap a few sensible children.
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Savvy
by Ingrid Law
Eagerly waiting to discover what her secret power will be when she turns thirteen in just two days, Mib's plans are thrown for a loop when she discovers her Poppa has been in an accident and so tries to reach him by sneaking on a salesman's bus; taking her on a curious adventure in the wrong direction where other's secrets are suddenly revealed. 75,000 first printing.
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Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine
Young Ella of Frell embarks on a quest to overcome the gift of obedience, a curse bestowed on her at birth by a fairy, and along the way, she encounters princes, ogres, fairy godmothers, and other fairy-tale creatures.
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Fablehaven
by Brandon Mull
When Kendra and Seth go to stay at their grandparents' estate, they discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures and that a battle between good and evil is looming.
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Ikenga
by Nnedi Okorafor
Vowing to avenge the murder of his police chief father by a powerful criminal, 12-year-old Nnamdi receives a magical object that gives him superpowers that he is challenged to use for good or bad. A first middle grade novel by the award-winning author of the Binti series.
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The Magic Thief
by Sarah Prineas
When a local pickpocket puts his hand in the pocket belonging to the wizard Nevery, Conn gets more than he expected when he is drawn into the world of wizardry as a result of his mischievous deed. 100,000 first printing.
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The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
A deluxe illustrated gift edition of the internationally best-selling first entry in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series features lavish artwork by the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor-winning Blackout. 150,000 first printing.
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Dealing with Dragons
by Patricia C. Wrede
Bored with traditional palace life, Princess Cimorene goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.
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The Angel Factory
by Terence Blacker
After hacking into his father's computer, Thomas Wisdom discovers many secrets about himself and his family and their big plan, as a family of angels, to save humanity on earth. Jr Lib Guild.
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The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters
by James Dashner
Thirteen-year-old Atticus "Tick" Higginbottom begins receiving mysterious letters from around the world signed only "M.G.," and the clues contained therein lead him on a journey to the perilous 13th Reality and a confrontation with evil Mistress Jane.
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The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patrón, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States. A Newbery Honor book. Reader's Guide available. Reprint.
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The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
by Nancy Farmer
In 2194 in Zimbabwe, General Matsika's three children are kidnapped and put to work in a plastic mine while three mutant detectives use their special powers to search for them.
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Eager
by Helen Fox
Gavin Bell and his sister Fleur become immersed in mystery and adventure when their new, child-like household robot EGR3, a.k.a. Eager, makes a startling discovery about the high-tech, humanesque BDC4 robots.
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Among the Hidden
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.
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Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
by Carlos Alberto Hernandez
A teen troublemaker with a talent for sleight of hand clashes with his school's student council president when the latter accuses him of putting a raw chicken inside a friend's locker. By the author of The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria. 75,000 first printing.
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The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Living in a "perfect" world without social ills, a boy approaches the time when he will receive a life assignment from the Elders, but his selection leads him to a mysterious man known as the Giver, who reveals the dark secrets behind the utopian facade.
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Only You Can Save Mankind
by Terry Pratchett
Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell endures tensions between his parents, watches television coverage of the Gulf War, and plays a computer game called Only You Can Save Mankind, in which he is increasingly drawn into the reality of the alien ScreeWee. Reprint.
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Jumpman Rule #1: Don't Touch Anything
by James Valentine
In a futuristic world, kids play with a special game that allows them to be transported to any place back in time, but when the creators of the JumpMan games decide to rig the machines against their users, Theo finds himself in a real bad place when he stumbles upon his best friend asking his girl out on a date.
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The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.
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The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
by Tom Angleberger
When unpopular sixth grader Dwight successfully dispenses sound advice to his classmates via an origami finger puppet, his classmate Tommy investigates the source of Dwight's accuracy and makes a surprising discovery.
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Millions
by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Two brothers, Damian and Anthony Cunningham, discover a huge sum of cash, and must decide how, or even if, to spend it, all while the bank robbers who actually stole the money pursue them.
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The Princess Diaries
by Meg Cabot
Fourteen-year-old Mia, who is trying to lead a normal life as a teenage girl in New York City, is shocked to learn that her father is the Prince of Genovia, a small European principality, and that she is a princess and the heir to the throne.
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12 Again
by Sue Corbett
On the morning of her fortieth birthday, Bernadette McBride wakes to find that her dream of being young again has come true after being magically transformed into a twelve-year-old, but the joys of youth aren't as easy as she remembers now that she is living it once again. Reprint.
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Last Shot: a Final Four Mystery
by John Feinstein
After winning the prize of a press pass to New Orleans to watch the Final Four, Steven and his fellow winner, Susan, delight in all the behind-the-scenes activities, but when they overhear a blackmail plot involving an MSU star player that could result in the big game being thrown, the two junior guest reporters know that it is up to them to break the story and put a stop to the devious plan.
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Hoot
by Carl Hiaasen
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, befriends a mysterious boy who introduces him to potty-trained alligators, burrowing owls, and sparkly-tailed poisonous snakes.
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My One Hundred Adventures
by Polly Horvath
Hot air balloon rides, a new friendship with a preacher, and an encounter with an aspiring psychic make 12-year-old Jane's boring summer vacation an adventure to remember while teaching her a lot about herself in the process. 35,000 first printing.
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We Dream of Space
by Erin Entrada Kelly
Joining their fellow seventh graders to watch the 1986 Challenger launch, three siblings struggle with respective difficulties including falling grades, an out-of-control temper and depressed NASA ambitions. By the Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, Universe. 125,000 first printing. Illustrations.
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Silent to the Bone
by E. L. Konigsburg
When Branwell refuses to speak after his half-sister Nikki is injured, people begin to wonder if he had anything to do with it, yet Connor, his best friend, knows better and starts probing to find out who was really responsible. Reissue.
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No More Dead Dogs
by Gordon Korman
Truthful Wallace gives a thumbs-down to a book much to the chagrin of his English teacher, who sentences him to help with a stage version of the book but is unaware that Wallace's plot-improvement suggestions will wind up changing the entire production.
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Rules
by Cynthia Lord
Having always tried to manage her autistic brother's embarrassing behavior, Catherine is excited about her new relationship with Jason and friendship with the girl next door, but when the pressures from home take their toll on her, Catherine acts out badly and so begins to consider reviewing and revising her own coping skills.
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The Only Game
by Mike Lupica
Sixth grade was supposed to be the year that Jack Callahan would lead his team to a record-shattering season and the Little League World Series, but after the death of his brother, Jack loses interest in baseball and only Cassie, star of the girls' softball team, seems to understand.
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I Funny
by James Patterson
Resolving to become the world's greatest stand-up comedian despite less-than-funny challenges in his life, wheelchair-bound middle school student Jamie Grimm endures bullying from his mean-spirited cousin and hopes he will be fairly judged when he enters a local comedy contest. 600,000 first printing.
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The Fire Pony
by W. R. Philbrick
Orphans and half-brothers Roy and Joe have a fresh start at their new home, the Bar None Ranch, but a dark secret from Joe's past threatens everything the boys have worked for. Reprint.
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Ghost
by Jason Reynolds
Aspiring to be the fasted sprinter on his elite middle school's track team, a gifted runner finds his goal challenged by a tragic past with a violence-prone father, in a debut entry of a series about four teammates from very different backgrounds. By the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award-winning author of When I Was the Greatest.
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Becoming Naomi León
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Happily living with Gram and her little brother at the Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho, talented soap carver Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw, labelled by her classmates as "nothing special," finds her life forever changed by the return of her mother, who has been gone for seven years. An ALA Notable Book. Reprint.
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Regular Guy
by Sarah Weeks
Because he is so different from his eccentric parents, twelve-year-old Guy is convinced he has been switched at birth with a classmate whose parents seem more normal.
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Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery
by Peter Abrahams
When the director of her school play suddenly has an accident, her shoes go missing, and things in town start becoming more strange with every passing moment, Ingrid must find a way to get to the bottom of the matter in order to set things right in her small community of Echo Falls once again. Reprint.
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Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator
by Jennifer Allison
While on a visit to her strange uncle's home in San Francisco, aspiring detective Gilda Joyce puts her psychic skills to the test after she learns about dark family secrets and encounters a frightening ghost who has taken up permanent residence within the home.
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The London Eye Mystery
by Siobhan Dowd
When Salim doesn't come back from his ride on the London Eye, his cousins Ted and Kat turn to the authorities for help, but when they offer no viable suggestions, the two use their sleuthing skills to figure out what actually happened.
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The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson
Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.
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The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance, in a special twenty-fifth edition that features a brand new cover.
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The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
As the only four children to pass the series of tests provided, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are asked to go on a secret mission as undercover agents at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened and quickly realize they will have to use their collective wit to get their important task complete.
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Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
by Wendelin Van Draanen
Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother.
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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
by Avi
Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle relies on her resourcefulness to survive an 1832 voyage aboard the Seahawk commanded by the murderous Jaggery, as she assumes sailor's garb and is accused of murder. A Newbery Honor Book. Reissue.
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The Palace of Laughter: The Wednesday Tales No. 1
by Jon Berkeley
Orphaned eleven-year-old Miles Wednesday and his companion, a Song Angel named Little, are helped by a talking tiger as they set off to find a missing Storm Angel and Miles's beloved stuffed bear, ending up in a peculiar circus where the audience cannot stop laughing.
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Stormbreaker
by Anthony Horowitz
Seeing the bullet holes in his uncle's car, Alex realizes that the story he has been told about his death is a lie and so begins to look for the truth, but soon he uncovers great secrets and must run for his life to save not only himself but all the children of England.
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Lost at Sea
by Jonathan Neale
When their mother's new boyfriend goes overboard while on a sail across the Atlantic, it is up to brothers Orrie and Jack to get control of the 36-foot vessel and bring their family safely back to land.
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Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
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Night of the Howling Dogs
by Graham Salisbury
In 1975, eleven Boy Scouts, their leaders, and some new friends camping at Halape, Hawaii, find their survival skills put to the test when a massive earthquake strikes, followed by a tsunami.
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New Kid
by Jerry Craft
Enrolled in a prestigious private school where he is one of only a few students of color, talented seventh grade artist Jordan finds himself torn between the worlds of his Washington Heights apartment home and the upscale circles of Riverdale Academy. 20,000 first printing. Illustrations.
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Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword
by Barry Deutsch
Longing to fight dragons over taking the advice of various family members, spunky 10-year-old Mirka Herschberg hones her skills in her Orthodox Jewish community before accepting a challenge from a witch to defeat a giant troll, in a story inspired by an award-nominated web comic.
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Rapunzel's Revenge
by Shannon Hale
Using her long, braided hair as a lasso, Rapunzel teams up with a wild outlaw named Jack and heads west to start a brand new life filled with grand adventures and crazy characters in this colorful graphic novel. Simultaneous. 50,000 first printing.
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Roller Girl
by Victoria Jamieson
Astrid discovers roller derby right as she and her best friend Nicole are growing apart.
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When Stars Are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson
A Somali refugee who spent his childhood at the Dadaab camp and the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl present the graphic-novel story of a young refugee who struggles with leaving behind his nonverbal brother when he has an opportunity to help his family by going to school. Illustrations.
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The Girl Who Owned a City
by O. T. Nelson
When a plague sweeps over the earth killing everyone except children under twelve, ten-year-old Lisa organizes a group to rebuild a new way of life.
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Bone: Out from Boneville
by Jeff Smith
A special rerelease of the best-selling graphic novel complements the debut adventure of Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone with mini-comics and artwork by 16 award-winning artists.
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Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy
by Noelle Stevenson
Best friends Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley spend a fun summer at Lumberjane scout camp where they encounter yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons while solving a mystery that holds the fate of the world in the balance.
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Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
by James Sturm
A rerelease of an Eisner Award-winning graphic-novel biography separates fact from fiction in a portrait of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Leroy ""Satchel"" Paige that places his life, career and remarkable achievements against a backdrop of the segregated American South.
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Smile
by Raina Telgemeier
In this coming-of-age true story, Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader, but one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear and even a retainer with fake teeth attached--on top of all that, there's a major earthquake, boy confusion and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.
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Robot Dreams
by Sara Varon
Tired of being alone, Dog orders a mail-order robot kit and makes himself a special friend who happily partakes in all of his new friend's adventures, in a wordless graphic novel from the author of Chicken and Cat.
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Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
by Simone Biles
The gymnast relates how her faith and family saw her through several challenges, beginning from her childhood in foster care, and shares the professional journey that led to her earning a spot on the 2016 Olympic team.
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Corpses, coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial
by Penny Colman
Providing extensive historical and anthropological research, intimate accounts, and interviews with people who work in the funeral industry, this intriguing book examines the subjects of death and burial across cultures and societies. Jr Lib Guild.
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The Dumbest Idea Ever!
by Jimmy Gownley
A renowned comics creator recounts his adventures as he grows from an eager-to-please boy into a teenage comic book artist, sharing the real-life story of how the DUMBEST idea ever became the BEST thing that ever happened to him.
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Howtoons: Tools of Mass Construction
by Saul Griffith
Siblings Celine and Tucker use scientific and engineering principles to experiment with everyday objects, completing such projects as turning a soda bottle into an underwater scope and a turkey baster into a flute.
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An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
by Jim Murphy
Accompanied by black-and-white archival photos and drawn from first-hand accounts, a compelling true story vividly recreates the devastation rendered to the city of Philadelphia in 1793 by an incurable disease known as yellow fever, detailing the major social and political events as well as 18th-century medical beliefs and practices.
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My Life in Dog Years
by Gary Paulsen
The author presents young readers with amusing tales about the interesting and diverse collection of dogs he has possessed throughout the years, complete with pen-and-ink illustrations throughout. Reprint.
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All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai boys' Soccer Team
by Christina Soontornvat
Combines firsthand interviews with scientific and cultural insights in a middle grade account of the 2018 Thai cave rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team and the critical, sophisticated engineering operation that saved the lives of 13 young people. Illustrations.
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