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The Sea of Trolls

Nancy Farmer

Jack was eleven when the berserkers loomed out of the fog and nabbed him. "It seems that things are stirring across the water," the Bard had warned. "Ships are being built, swords are being forged."

"Is that bad?" Jack had asked, for his Saxon village had never before seen berserkers.

"Of course. People don't make ships and swords unless they intend to use them."

The year is A.D. 793. In the next months, Jack and his little sister, Lucy, are enslaved by Olaf One-Brow and his fierce young shipmate, Thorgil. With a crow named Bold Heart for mysterious company, they are swept up into an adventure-quest in the spirit of The Lord of the Rings.

Award-winner Nancy Farmer has never told a richer, funnier tale, nor offered more timeless encouragement to young seekers than "Just say no to pillaging."

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Maya and the Rising Dark

Rena Barron

In this highly anticipated contemporary fantasy, twelve-year-old Maya's search for her missing father puts her at the center of a battle between our world, the Orishas, and the mysterious and sinister Dark world. Perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and The Serpent's Secret.

Twelve-year-old Maya is the only one in her South Side Chicago neighborhood who witnesses weird occurrences like werehyenas stalking the streets at night and a scary man made of shadows plaguing her dreams. Her friends try to find an explanation--perhaps a ghost uprising or a lunchroom experiment gone awry. But to Maya, it sounds like something from one of Papa's stories or her favorite comics.

When Papa goes missing, Maya is thrust into a world both strange and familiar as she uncovers the truth. Her father is the guardian of the veil between our world and the Dark--where an army led by the Lord of Shadows, the man from Maya's nightmares, awaits. Maya herself is a godling, half orisha and half human, and her neighborhood is a safe haven. But now that the veil is failing, the Lord of Shadows is determined to destroy the human world and it's up to Maya to stop him. She just hopes she can do it in time to attend Comic-Con before summer's over.

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Curse of the Night Witch

Alex Aster

After changing the fate he has known since birth, twelve-year-old Tor Luna, accompanied by his friends Engle and Melda, must visit the notorious Night Witch to break the curse he now faces.

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Ikenga

Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor's acclaimed first novel for middle grade readers introduces a boy who can access super powers with the help of the magical Ikenga.

Nnamdi's father was a good chief of police, perhaps the best Kalaria had ever had. He was determined to root out the criminals that had invaded the town. But then he was murdered, and most people believed the Chief of Chiefs, most powerful of the criminals, was responsible. Nnamdi has vowed to avenge his father, but he wonders what a twelve-year-old boy can do. Until a mysterious nighttime meeting, the gift of a magical object that enables super powers, and a charge to use those powers for good changes his life forever. How can he fulfill his mission? How will he learn to control his newfound powers?

Award-winning Nnedi Okorafor, acclaimed for her Akata novels, introduces a new and engaging hero in her first novel for middle grade readers set against a richly textured background of contemporary Nigeria.

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Rick Riordan Presents: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky-A Tristan Strong Novel, Book 1

Kwame Mbalia

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia's epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods.

*"Mbalia expertly weaves a meaningful portrayal of family and community with folklore, myth, and history--including the legacy of the slave trade--creating a fast-paced, heroic series starter."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal from the tragedy.

But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature's hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world.

Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left Black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

Winner of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor

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Loki's Wolves

K. L. Armstrong

Calling all fans of myths, action-adventure, and the Percy Jackson series - don't miss this first book in the Blackwell Pages trilogy from bestselling authors K.L. Armstrong and Melissa Marr.
While thirteen-year-old Matt Thorsen has always known he's a modern-day descendent of Thor, he's been living a normal kid's life. In fact, most people in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. No big deal.
But now Ragnarok is coming, and it's up to the champions to fight in the place of the long-dead gods. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team, find Thor's hammer and shield, and prevent the end of the world.
In their middle grade debut, bestselling authors K.L. Armstrong and Melissa Marr begin the epic Blackwell Pages series with this action-packed adventure, filled with larger-than-life legends, gripping battles, and an engaging cast of characters who bring the myths to life.

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The Dragon Warrior

Katie Zhao

"An exhilarating tale. . . Readers will be enthralled." --J.C. Cervantes, New York Times bestselling author of The Storm Runner

A debut novel inspired by Chinese mythology, this middle-grade fantasy follows an outcast as she embarks on a quest to save the world from demons--perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and The Serpent's Secret.

As a member of the Jade Society, twelve-year-old Faryn Liu dreams of honoring her family and the gods by becoming a warrior. But the Society has shunned Faryn and her brother Alex ever since their father disappeared years ago, forcing them to train in secret.

Then, during an errand into San Francisco, Faryn stumbles into a battle with a demon--and helps defeat it. She just might be the fabled Heaven Breaker, a powerful warrior meant to work for the all-mighty deity, the Jade Emperor, by commanding an army of dragons to defeat the demons. That is, if she can prove her worth and find the island of the immortals before the Lunar New Year.

With Alex and other unlikely allies at her side, Faryn sets off on a daring quest across Chinatowns. But becoming the Heaven Breaker will require more sacrifices than she first realized. . . What will Faryn be willing to give up to claim her destiny?

This richly woven contemporary middle-grade fantasy debut, full of humor, magic, and heart, will appeal to readers who love Roshani Chokshi and Sayantani DasGupta.

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Two Roads

Joseph Bruchac

A boy discovers his Native American heritage in this Depression-era tale of identity and friendship by the author of Code Talker

It's 1932, and twelve-year-old Cal Black and his Pop have been riding the rails for years after losing their farm in the Great Depression. Cal likes being a "knight of the road" with Pop, even if they're broke. But then Pop has to go to Washington, DC--some of his fellow veterans are marching for their government checks, and Pop wants to make sure he gets his due--and Cal can't go with him. So Pop tells Cal something he never knew before: Pop is actually a Creek Indian, which means Cal is too. And Pop has decided to send Cal to a government boarding school for Native Americans in Oklahoma called the Challagi School.

At school, the other Creek boys quickly take Cal under their wings. Even in the harsh, miserable conditions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, he begins to learn about his people's history and heritage. He learns their language and customs. And most of all, he learns how to find strength in a group of friends who have nothing beyond each other.

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The Giver

Lois Lowry

In Lois Lowry's Newbery Medal-winning classic, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community.

This movie tie-in edition features cover art from the movie and an exclusive Q&A with cast members, including Taylor Swift, Brenton Thwaites, and Cameron Monaghan.

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.

Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test--when he must try to save someone he loves--he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time. Don't miss the powerful companion novels in Lois Lowry's Giver Quartet: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

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A Wrinkle in Time: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition

Madeleine L'Engle


Fifty years ago, Madeleine L'Engle introduced the world to A Wrinkle in Time and the wonderful and unforgettable characters Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe.

When the children learn that Mr. Murry has been captured by the Dark Thing, they time travel to Camazotz, where they must face the leader IT in the ultimate battle between good and evil—a journey that threatens their lives and our universe.

A Newbery Award winner, A Wrinkle in Time is an iconic novel that continues to inspire millions of fans around the world. This special edition has been redesigned and includes an introduction by Katherine Paterson, an afterword by Madeleine L'Engle's granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis that includes photographs and memorabilia, the author's Newbery Medal acceptance speech, and other bonus materials.

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Zora and Me

Victoria Bond

Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner 2011!

Endorsed by the Zora Neale Hurston Trust


Whether she’s telling the truth or stretching it, Zora Neale Hurston is a riveting storyteller. Her latest creation is a shape-shifting gator man who lurks in the marshes, waiting to steal human souls. But when boastful Sonny Wrapped loses a wrestling match with an elusive alligator named Ghost — and a man is found murdered by the railroad tracks soon after — young Zora’s tales of a mythical evil creature take on an ominous and far more complicated complexion, jeopardizing the peace and security of an entire town and forcing three children to come to terms with the dual-edged power of pretending. Zora’s best friend, Carrie, narrates this coming-of-age story set in the Eden-like town of Eatonville, Florida, where justice isn’t merely an exercise in retribution, but a testimony to the power of community, love, and pride. A fictionalization of the early years of a literary giant, this astonishing novel is the first project ever to be endorsed by the Zora Neale Hurston Trust that was not authored by Hurston herself.

Also includes:
*an annotated bibliography of the works of Zora Neale Hurston
*a short biography of Zora Neale Hurston
*a timeline of Zora Neale Hurston’s life

"It is with sheer genius that Bond and Simon have created something for readers young and old — there are familiar references, like the ‘Brazzles,’ for true Zora-philes, as well as revelatory and wondrous information for those readers as yet uninitiated in the masterful storytelling of Zora Neale Hurston. This is a grand and accessible work that educates, informs, and entertains, and one that I am personally grateful was written for all of us." —Lucy Anne Hurston, niece of Zora Neale Hurston

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Framed!

James Ponti

Get to know the only kid on the FBI Director’s speed dial and several international criminals’ most wanted lists all because of his Theory of All Small Things in this hilarious start to a brand-new middle grade mystery series.

So you’re only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help…What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country?

If you’re Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both.

Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls.

But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn’t little. In fact, it’s HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL.

Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?

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The Cay

Theodore Taylor

Now available in a paperback edition comes the award-winning story of two castaways who have much to learn from each other when the Germans invade the small island of Curacao during World War II. A New York Times Best Book of the Year.

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The Mysterious Benedict Society

Trenton Lee Stewart

For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society Series is now on Disney Plus!


"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children--two boys and two girls--succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.

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Mighty Jack

Ben Hatke

Jack might be the only kid in the world who's dreading summer. But he's got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It's a lot of responsibility, and it's boring, too, because Maddy doesn't talk. Ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk—to tell Jack to trade their mom's car for a box of mysterious seeds. It's the best mistake Jack has ever made.

In Mighty Jack, what starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything...a dragon.

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Friend Me

Sheila M. Averbuch

What happens when an online friend becomes a real-life nightmare?

 

Roisin hasn't made a single friend since moving from Ireland to Massachusetts. In fact, she is falling apart under constant abuse from a school bully, Zara. Zara torments Roisin in person and on social media. She makes Roisin the laughingstock of the whole school.

Roisin feels utterly alone... until she bonds with Haley online. Finally there's someone who gets her. Haley is smart, strong, and shares anti-mean-girl memes that make Roisin laugh. Together, they are able to imagine what life could look like without Zara. Haley quickly becomes Roisin's lifeline.

Then Zara has a painful accident, police investigate, and Roisin panics. Could her chats with Haley look incriminating?

Roisin wants Haley to delete her copies of their messages, but when she tries to meet Haley in person, she can't find her anywhere. What's going on? Her best friend would never have lied to her, right? Or is Haley not who she says she is...

With twists, turns, and lightning-fast pacing, this is a middle-grade thriller about bullying, revenge, and tech that young readers won't be able to put down.

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Harriet the Spy

Louise Fitzhugh

It's no secret that Harriet the Spy is a timeless classic that kids will love! Every day can be an adventure if you just look carefully enough!
Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she’s written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together?

"What the novel showed me as a child is that words have the power to hurt, but they can also heal, and that it’s much better in the long run to use this power for good than for evil."—New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot

 

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Chasing Vermeer

Blue Balliett

When strange and seemingly unrelated events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal. First book in the series featuring art sleuth friends Calder and Petra.

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The Westing Game

Ellen Raskin


     A highly inventive mystery begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of the very stranger will of the very read Samuel W. Westing. They could become millionaires, depending on how they play a game. All they have to do is find the answer - but the answer to what? The Westing game is tricky and dangerous, but the heirs play on - through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings, Sam Westing may be dead ... but that won't stop him from playing one last game!

Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
An ALA Notable Book
School Library Journal One Hundred Books That Shaped the Century

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Denis Ever After

Tony Abbott

Written by award-winning author Tony Abbott and perfect for fans of The Ethan I Was Before and The Thing About Jellyfish, this bittersweet middle grade novel follows the ghost of Denis Egan as he teams up with his living twin brother to solve the mystery of his death.

Denis Egan is dead. 

He’s okay with that. It’s been five years since he died, and the place where souls go is actually pretty nice. Sure, there are some things about his life and how it ended he can’t quite recall, but that’s how it’s supposed to be. Remembering could prevent Denis from moving on to whatever’s next. 

However, something is standing in his way. His twin brother Matt can’t let go of him, and as long as the living are holding on to his memory, Denis can’t rest in peace.

To uncover the truth about what happened that day five years before, Denis returns to his hometown and teams up with Matt. But visiting for too long has painful consequences for Denis, and Matt’s renewed interest in his brother’s passing is driving a wedge between his still-grieving parents.

Can the two boys solve the mystery of Denis’s death without breaking apart the family he’s left behind? 

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Greenglass House

Kate Milford

New York Times Bestseller
National Book Award Nominee
Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery



It's wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler's inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo's home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook's daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House--and themselves.

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The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away

Ronald L. Smith

In this delightfully creepy novel from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Ronald L. Smith, twelve-year-old Simon thinks he was abducted by aliens. But is it real, or just his over-active imagination? Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and Louis Sachar.

Twelve-year-old Simon is obsessed with aliens. The ones who take people and do experiments. When he's too worried about them to sleep, he listens to the owls hoot outside. Owls that have the same eyes as aliens--dark and foreboding.

Then something strange happens on a camping trip, and Simon begins to suspect he's been abducted. But is it real, or just the overactive imagination of a kid who loves fantasy and role-playing games and is the target of bullies and his father's scorn?

Even readers who don't believe in UFOs will relate to the universal kid feeling of not being taken seriously by adults that deepens this deliciously scary tale.

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A Tale Dark and Grimm

Adam Gidwitz

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.

 

 

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City of Ghosts

Victoria Schwab

From #1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of "Stranger Things" and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

A New York Times bestseller

Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.

So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger.

When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself.

And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

#1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab delivers a thrillingly spooky and action-packed tale of hauntings, history, mystery, and the bond between friends (even if that friend is a ghost . . .).

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Nightmares!

Jason Segel

"Coraline meets Monsters, Inc. in this delightfully entertaining offering from actor [Jason] Segel and co-author [Kirsten] Miller."--Publishers Weekly

The hilariously frightening, middle-grade novel Nightmares! is the first book in a trilogy about a boy named Charlie and a group of kids who must face their fears to save their town.


Sleeping has never been so scary. And now waking up is even worse!

Charlie Laird has several problems.

1. His dad married a woman he is sure moonlights as a witch.
2. He had to move into her purple mansion, which is NOT a place you want to find yourself after dark.
3.He can't remember the last time sleeping wasn't a nightmarish prospect. Like even a nap.

What Charlie doesn't know is that his problems are about to get a whole lot more real. Nightmares can ruin a good night's sleep, but when they start slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world--that's a line that should never be crossed.

And when your worst nightmares start to come true . . . well, that's something only Charlie can face. And he's going to need all the help he can get, or it might just be lights-out for Charlie Laird. For good.

 

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Drama: a Graphic Novel

Raina Telgemeier

Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department's stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a funny and charming exploration of friendship, crushes, and all-around drama!

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The Grimm Legacy

Polly Shulman

Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual library—a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. That's where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White's stepmother's sinister mirror that talks in riddles.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crime—or captured by the thief.

Polly Shulman has created a contemporary fantasy with a fascinating setting and premise, starring an ordinary girl whose after-school job is far from ordinary—and leads to a world of excitement, romance and magical intrigue.

 

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Well, That Was Awkward

Rachel Vail

Gracie has never felt like this before.  One day, she suddenly can’t breathe, can’t walk, can’t anything—and the reason is standing right there in front of her, all tall and weirdly good-looking: A.J.
 
But it turns out A.J. likes not Gracie but Gracie’s beautiful best friend, Sienna. Obviously Gracie is happy for Sienna. Super happy! She helps Sienna compose the best texts, responding to A.J.’s surprisingly funny and appealing texts, just as if she were Sienna. Because Gracie is fine. Always! She’s had lots of practice being the sidekick, second-best.

It’s all good. Well, almost all. She’s trying.

Funny and tender, Well, That Was Awkward goes deep into the heart of middle school, and  finds that even with all the heartbreak, there can be explosions of hope and moments of perfect happiness.

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Flipped

Wendelin Van Draanen

Wendelin Van Draanen's highly acclaimed he-said, she-said teen romance is going to be a major motion picture. Written and directed by Rob Reiner, the film features a stellar cast, including Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe as Juli and Bryce, and Aidan Quinn, Rebecca De Mornay, Anthony Edwards, Penelope Ann Miller, and John Mahoney.

This movie tie-in edition will feature full-color movie stills, an interview with the author, and a preview of her next romantic comedy, Confessions of a Serial Kisser.

Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That's pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn't as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.

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Over Sea, Under Stone

Susan Cooper

"I DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU CHILDREN WOULD BE THE ONES TO FIND IT. OR WHAT DANGER YOU WOULD BE PUTTING YOURSELVES IN."

Throughout time, the forces of good and evil have battled continuously, maintaining the balance. Whenever evil forces grow too powerful, a champion of good is called to drive them back. Now, with evil's power rising and a champion yet to be found, three siblings find themselves at the center of a mystical war.

Jane, Simon, and Barney Drew have discovered an ancient text that reads of a legendary grail lost centuries ago. The grail is an object of great power, buried with a vital secret. As the Drews race against the forces of evil, they must piece together the text's clues to find the grail -- and keep its secret safe until a new champion rises.

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Akata Witch

Nnedi Okorafor

Affectionately dubbed "the Nigerian Harry Potter," Akata Witch weaves together a heart-pounding tale of magic, mystery, and finding one's place in the world.

Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing--she is a "free agent" with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too?

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The Serpent's Secret

Sayantani DasGupta

From New York Times bestselling author comes a world packed with action and adventure, perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Soman Chainani.

 

MEET KIRANMALA: INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMON SLAYER(Only she doesn't know it yet.)On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey . . . until her parents mysteriously vanish and a drooling rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents' fantastical stories-like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess and how she comes from a secret place not of this world.To complicate matters, two crush-worthy princes ring her doorbell, insisting they've come to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and battle demons all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld and the Rakkhoshi Queen in order to find her parents and basically save New Jersey, her entire world, and everything beyond it . . .

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A Wizard of Earthsea

Ursula K. Le Guin

The first novel of Ursula K. Le Guin's must-read Earthsea Cycle. "The magic of Earthsea is primal; the lessons of Earthsea remain as potent, as wise, and as necessary as anyone could dream." (Neil Gaiman)

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world.

This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

With stories as perennial and universally beloved as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of The Rings--but also unlike anything but themselves--Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature. They have received accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike.

Join the millions of fantasy readers who have explored these lands. As The Guardian put it: "Ursula Le Guin's world of Earthsea is a tangled skein of tiny islands cast on a vast sea. The islands' names pull at my heart like no others: Roke, Perilane, Osskil . . ."

The Earthsea Cycle includes:

  • A Wizard of EarthseaThe Tombs of AtuanThe Farthest ShoreTehanuTales from EarthseaThe Other Wind
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The Golden Compass

Philip Pullman

Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.

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The Revenge of Magic

James Riley

“This imaginative and exciting story feels like the start of something big. The brilliant premise unfolds into a thrilling first book that has me impatient for the next one.” —Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven and Dragonwatch

When long-dead magical creatures are discovered all around the world, each buried with a book of magic, only children can unlock the dangerous power of the books in this start to a thrilling new series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Story Thieves!

Thirteen years ago, books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside the bones of dragons. Only those born after “Discovery Day” have the power to use the magic.

Now, on a vacation to Washington, DC, Fort Fitzgerald’s father is lost when a giant creature bursts through the earth, attacking the city. Fort is devastated, until an opportunity for justice arrives six months later, when a man named Dr. Opps invites Fort to a government run school, the Oppenheimer School, to learn magic from those same books.

But life’s no easier at the school, where secrets abound. What does Jia, Fort’s tutor, know about the attacks? Why does Rachel, master of destructive magic, think Fort is out to destroy the school? And why is Fort seeing memories of an expelled girl every time he goes to sleep? If Fort doesn’t find out what’s hiding within the Oppenheimer School, more attacks will come, and this time, nothing will stop them!

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The Riverman

Aaron Starmer

Alistair Cleary is the kid who everyone trusts. Fiona Loomis is not the typical girl next door. Alistair hasn't really thought of her since they were little kids until she shows up at his doorstep with a proposition: she wants him to write her biography. What begins as an odd vanity project gradually turns into a frightening glimpse into the mind of a potentially troubled girl. Fiona says that in her basement, there's a portal that leads to a magical world where a creature called the Riverman is stealing the souls of children. And Fiona's soul could be next. If Fiona really believes what she's saying, Alistair fears she may be crazy. But if it's true, her life could be at risk. In this novel from Aaron Starmer, it's up to Alistair to separate fact from fiction, fantasy from reality.

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A New Beginning

Wendy Pfeffer

The spring equinox signals the time of year when the days are getting longer, the growing season has begun, and animals give birth to their young. With accessible, lyrical prose and vibrant illustrations, this book explains the science behind spring and shows how the annual arebirtha of Earth has been celebrated by various cultures throughout the ages and the world. Teachers will appreciate the simple science, the multicultural history, and the hands-on activities in this book. Parents and librarians will enjoy sharing it with children at Easter and Passover time.

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Spring for Sophie

Yael Werber

From snowy days to gray skies, a little girl watches and waits and wonders, will spring ever come? And then one day…

Sophie listens and watches for the signs of spring. Day after day, the same snow is frozen outside her window and the skies above are as gray as the day before. And then Sophie thinks will spring ever come and how will I know it is here?

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Raindrops Roll

April Pulley Sayre

Discover the wonder of water in this refreshingly fun and fascinating exploration of rain, raindrops, and the water cycle from the creator of Rah, Rah, Radishes! and Go, Go Grapes!

Raindrops drop. They plop. They patter. They spatter. And in the process, they make the whole world feel fresh and new and clean.

In this gorgeously photo-illustrated nonfiction picture book, celebrated author April Pulley Sayre sheds new light on the wonders of rain, from the beauty of a raindrop balanced on a leaf to the amazing, never-ending water cycle that keeps our planet in perfect ecological balance.

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Hello Spring!

Shelley Rotner

A vibrant celebration of the natural changes and human joys of springtime
 
A cacophonous celebration of nature's return to vibrancy after a long, quiet winter, Hello Spring! features bright, enticing photographs from award-winning National Geographic photographer Shelley Rotner. 
 
The simple, lyrical text speckled with action-packed verbs—Crocuses tease . . . Dandelions dot . . . Cherry blossoms pop and parade . . . —is accessible for new readers as it introduces the glories and biological rhythms of springtime.
 
The bright nature photographs will have young readers bursting with enthusiasm for the season as they learn about the changes in the landscape, as snow melts and living things begin to grow.

Shelley Rotner's energetic portraits of diverse children add vitality and warmth to this celebration of the season, showcasing the joy of kids interacting with the natural world.
 
Follow the changing seasons with the rest of Shelley Rotner's acclaimed Hello Seasons! series!

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Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms

Julia Rawlinson

"Captivating." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

In this companion to Fletcher and the Falling Leaves and Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas, Fletcher the fox returns for another seasonal adventure. A perennial favorite for storytime sharing!

Fletcher enjoys the sunny weather and the warmth of spring. But when he stumbles across snowy flakes gently floating to the ground, he spreads the news of winter's return to all his friends. But spring is full of wonderful surprises for Fletcher and his friends.

The Fletcher books are enjoyable picture books for sharing at home or in the classroom and are perfect for units on the seasons.

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Spring Is for Strawberries

Katherine Pryor

There's nothing like the sounds and smells of the first farmers market of the year. The sweetness of fresh fruits and local vegetables permeates the air and breathes new life into our recipes just as the spring brings new life to the earth. This illustrated tale follows the budding friendship between two girls who meet at their local farmers market and reminds us that food is the great unifier of all humankind.

When a farm family brings their spring crops to a city farmers market, the farmer's daughter befriends the daughter of a neighborhood family doing their weekly shopping. Over the course of a year, the girls explore the bounty of each season. Sweet spring strawberries and crisp, fresh greens make way for corn on the cob, peppers, and a rainbow of tomatoes. Fall brings pumpkin patches and the crunch of apples. The friends part at the final winter market, already looking forward to the sweet red strawberries that will unite them again next spring.

Katherine Pryor's lyrical celebration of seasonal local foods is brought to life by Polina Gortman's portrait of a growing friendship between two children from seemingly different worlds. Spring Is for Strawberries reminds us to seek pleasure in the changing harvests around us, and that all things--even friendships--have seasons worth waiting for.

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Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

Kenard Pak

In a simple, cheerful conversation with nature, a young boy observes how the season changes from winter to spring in Kenard Pak's Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring.

As days stretch longer, animals creep out from their warm dens, and green begins to grow again, everyone knows—spring is on its way!

Join a boy and his dog as they explore nature and take a stroll through the countryside, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the melting brook to chirping birds, they say goodbye to winter and welcome the lushness of spring.

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How Robin Saved Spring

Debbie Ouellet

If Lady Winter has her way, the world will stay covered in blankets of snowy white and icy blue. Sister Spring will slumber forever and the winter will never end. Can Lady Winter really keep spring from coming or is there something the animals might do to help? Led by harbinger Robin, the animals are determined to wake Sister Spring, but what price will they each have to pay?

 

Through beautiful words and pictures, this enchanting tale about the battle of the seasons highlights one special bird who saves much more than just the day.

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Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Kate Messner

In this exuberant and lyrical follow-up to the award-winning Over and Under the Snow, discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves . . . and down in the dirt.

Explore the secret world beneath the dirt that brings the world of nature to life: Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt exists a busy world—earthworms dig, snakes hunt, skunks burrow—populated by all the animals that make a garden their home. With Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, you can explore the hidden world and many lives of a garden through the course of a year!

• Follow a young girl and her grandmother as they journey through the year planning, planting, and harvesting their garden—and learn about what's happening in the dirt to help make it all happen
• The stunning and bright illustrations feature dark earthy tones mixed with beautiful pops of color inspire a love of nature and encourage young minds to explore the world around them
• Includes a glossary of animals that live in, around, and under the garden to enrich the reading experience

 

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Happy Springtime!

Kate McMullan

When winter is at its coldest and darkest, take heart! Every day the sun shines longer, Spring is on its way!

All winter, the days grow a little bit longer,
The nights grow a little bit shorter,
until the day becomes exactly as long as the night.
On that day we say...
HAPPY SPRINGTIME!

This bright, bouncy, and deliriously colorful picture book is an ode to the joys of spring, encouraging everyone who waits out the slow lengthening of days through the end of winter. From earmuffed crossing guards to sweater wearing dogs, from painters of flowers to planters of seeds, Happy Springtime! celebrates the burst of life following the thaw of winter.

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Opal's Springtime Birdhouse

Emily Matheis

A charming picture book tale that showcases how the rewards of our efforts can come from the most unexpected of places.

Bang! Whack! Whirr!

It's time for a birdhouse-building contest!

Opal's friends all have endless ideas on how to make their constructions stand out. There are bells, pom-poms, basketballs, and many more materials to use--and yet Opal still feels stuck.

Maybe a simple, sturdy piece wood...a few nails and screws will be just right. But when the judges don't pick Opal's birdhouse, she may still discover that her humble home is just right for someone else.

In this charming picture book tale, creators Emily Matheis and Albert Arrayásor showcase how the rewards of our efforts can come from the most unexpected of places.

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First Notes of Spring

Jessica Kulekjian

Not Quite Narwhal meets And Then It's Spring in this funny, charming picture book debut about marching to the beat of your own drum to create a song that wakes Spring.

Juniper can't wait to audition for the First Notes of Spring, the orchestra that melts away winter and wakes up spring with its melodies. With her strong sticks, thumpity toadstool, and rowdy rhythms, she plays with all her might. BOOMEY-BOOM-BOOM!

But Mr. Moose says there's no room in the band for her loud percussion skills. Juniper is heartbroken, until she discovers other tappers, clappers, and noisemakers in the woods. As they parade through the forest playing music together, they learn that maybe their song can wake spring too.

Watch the seasons change in this delightful picture book about being true to yourself, sure to leave readers with a spring in their step.

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Spring Parade

Camelia Kay

Spring Parade is a playful and vibrant picture-book ode to the arrival of spring in all its glory from author Camelia Kay and illustrator Allyn Howard.

Here comes spring! March along with Mama and Baby Bunny as they welcome a festive parade of budding flowers and blossoming trees, new birds, butterflies and bees, and all of their beloved friends, emerging from the winter season.

 

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Spring is Here

Will Hillenbrand

Mole can smell that spring is in the air, but Bear is still asleep after his long winter nap!

Excitedly he taps on the window and knocks on the door-- he even tries playing a trumpet to wake his friend so they can celebrate together.  But Bear keeps snoozing. 

But Mole is determined, so he milks and gathers and bakes a special springtime surprise for his friend-- the perfect way to wake up!

A perfect read-aloud, full of simple sound-words and lots of repetition, Spring is Here is ideal to share with young readers to celebrate the changing of the seasons.  Cozy mixed-media illustrations of big, fuzzy, dozing bear and his eager mole friend add detail and humor to the tale.

Don't miss the other Bear and Mole adventures-- First Star, All For a Dime, Off We Go!, and Kite Day.

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Spring Stinks-A Little Bruce Book

Ryan T. Higgins


Ruth the bunny is excited to share the smelly springtime smells of spring with Bruce! But what will Bruce think of all that stink?

"Higgins' sparse text is humorously juxtaposed with his signature, detail-packed, engaging illustrations. The mouse-sized treehouse and the despondent, dripping moose are especially delightful. Bruce's unibrow is practically a protagonist in and of itself. Ruth's exuberance plays off Bruce's disgruntledness like a sweet pear off gorgonzola." ---Kirkus Reviews

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When Spring Comes

Kevin Henkes

The award-winning, bestselling husband-and-wife team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek collaborate on this beautiful picture book celebrating the arrival of spring.

Before spring comes, the trees are dark sticks, the grass is brown, and the ground is covered in snow. But if you wait, leaves unfurl and flowers blossom, the grass turns green, and the mounds of snow shrink and shrink.

Spring brings baby birds, sprouting seeds, rain and mud, and puddles. You can feel it and smell it and hear it—and you can read it!

Kevin Henkes uses striking imagery, repetition, and alliteration to introduce basic concepts of language and the changing of the seasons. And Laura Dronzek’s gorgeous, lush paintings show the transformation from quiet, cold winter to the joyful newborn spring.

Watch the world transform when spring comes!

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Spring is Here

Taro Gomi

"A delightful introduction to the seasons for the very youngest" ("Booklist"). Using simple words and bright illustrations, Taro Gomi takes children on a playful tour of the four seasons. Full-color.

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It's Spring!

Linda Glaser

A child observes the arrival of spring and its effects on plants and animals. Includes suggestions for nature study projects.

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And Then It's Spring

Julie Fogliano

Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they've had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way.

Julie Fogliano's tender story of anticipation is brought to life by the distinctive illustrations Erin E. Stead, recipient of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.

This title has Common Core connections.

And Then It's Spring is one of The Washington Post's Best Kids Books of 2012.
One of Kirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of 2012

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Wake Up, It's Spring!

Lisa Campbell Ernst

One day the earth gets a warm wake-up call from the sun -- it's Spring!

Earth tells a little worm, and before long the happy gossip travels far and wide. . . .

Lisa Campbell Ernst celebrates the awakening of life that comes with Spring.

Her playful words and pictures resonate with the cheeriness that rises with the season.

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Finding Spring

Carin Berger

Instead of hibernating as he should, a little bear cub goes out in search of spring—and he thinks he's found it! Gloriously illustrated with dioramas and cut-paper collages by the award-winning designer and illustrator Carin Berger, this stunning picture book celebrates the changing of the seasons.

A baby bear cub named Maurice is curious about spring—and he's upset when Mama tells him that before he can experience his first spring, he has to hibernate through his first winter! Mischievous Maurice decides to leave their warm den and go find spring for himself. He asks all his friends for help . . . and finally finds something beautiful and full of magic and light. Spring! He wraps it up and takes it home, determined to show Mama and everyone else. The only problem? When Maurice wakes up, his little piece of spring (a snowball) has melted. This gloriously illustrated book celebrates friendship, curiosity, discovery, and the meaning and beauty of two seasons—winter and spring. Ideal for the classroom, seasonal story times, and bedtime reading.

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Bulldozer Friends

Andrea Zimmerman

Oliver and Annie love to play trucks together at preschool in Bulldozer Friends, part of Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha's bestselling Truck picture book series that includes: Digger Man, Fire Engine Man, and Train Man.

At school, Oliver loves to play trucks with his friend Annie. They use their favorite bulldozer to dig tunnels, carve moats around the castle, and build bridges—just like a real construction crew. This action-packed companion story introduces a female character and is anchored in a diverse classroom setting. It’s perfect for children who love imaginative adventures.
 

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Truck Stuck

Sallie Wolf

Move that truck!
When a truck gets stuck under a bridge, it causes a terrible traffic jam that soon turns into a block party. When attempts to remove the truck fail, two kids, some balloons, and a dog save the day.
Sparse text, energetic rhyme, and clever illustrations bring depth to this simple tale.

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Digger, Dozer, Dumper

Hope Vestergaard

Each truck and big machine in these enticing rhyming poems is different -- and little readers are invited to find a vehicle that's like them.

Sixteen boisterous, rhyming poems -- each one highlighting the job and personality of a different vehicle, from a backhoe to an ambulance to a snowplow -- invite young children to meet their favorite trucks face-to-face. Cheerful illustrations show each one in action, digging (or dozing, or dumping) away. Engaging visual details like an anxious turtle crossing the street just ahead of a steamroller are sure to keep preschoolers poring over the pages as they consider the question, "Trucks as far as eyes can see. . . . Which truck would you like to be?"

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Monster's Trucks

Rebecca Van Slyke

Monster loves his construction vehicles. They help him dig deep trenches, push dirt and rocks, and carry all kinds of materials around his construction site.

But Monster does not like sharing his trucks! No one can touch his bulldozer, fork lift, or crane. So what happens when the reader does exactly what Monster has said NOT to do?

Monster is in for a wild and hilarious ride, getting scooped and raised and dumped all over the place. Thankfully, the end result -- after pushing levers, buttons, and gears galore -- is a surprise that's good fun for everyone (especially Monster).

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Big Truck Little Island

Chris Van Dusen

That big truck is stuck! How will the island residents get where they’re going? A tale of community and ingenuity from the celebrated Chris Van Dusen, inspired by a true story.

When a big truck and its big load get stuck on a narrow road, traffic on the little island comes to a halt. Some cars need to go south and some have to travel north. How will Meg get to her swim meet? What about Barry’s ballet class? Luckily, the kids come up with an ingenious solution: why not just swap cars? Inspired by an incident that happened on Vinalhaven, Maine, Chris Van Dusen tells a fun tale of resourcefulness and community through clever, rhyming wordplay and whimsical illustrations, sprinkled with plenty of cars and trucks for transportation-loving readers.

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Alphabet Trucks

Samantha R. Vamos

Perfect for the lover of all things that go, ALPHABET TRUCKS provides a fun and accessible way for the littlest of readers to learn their trucks and their ABCs.

Each letter of the alphabet is accounted for in this introductory concept book for young readers. From the familiar to the unusual, Samantha Vamos writes in snappy verse to present twenty-six different kinds of trucks, explaining where they work and what they do. From a dump truck that unloads a pile of dirt containing the letter "D," to a fuel truck filling up at a tank shaped like the letter "F," Ryan O’Rourke’s playful and light-hearted illustrations involve the letters in supporting roles in each scene.
 

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The Runaway No-wheeler

Peter Stein

Trucks! Counting! Tire-eating aliens! This wonderful, rhyming, super-silly book has it ALL...including Bob Staake's awesome artwork.

THE RUNAWAY NO-WHEELER is a clever spin on a counting book and the perennial favorite, a book starring trucks. Tony is a sturdy, long-hauling 18-wheeler with a delivery to make, but many obstacles are in the way -- from potholes to slime to rescue missions to aliens' space rockets. In the style of counting classics like Dr. Seuss' Ten Apples Up on Top -- though in this case, subtractive counting -- Tony finds himself losing wheel after wheel with each hurdle he encounters. Will he be able to make his delivery?

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The Diggers Are Coming!

Susan Steggall

The diggers are coming! The diggers are coming, with massive metal mouths. Their teeth are tearing at the ground and their tracks trudge round and round and round. Follow all the people and vehicles involved in building a house - from the wreckers coming to clear the ground, through planners, bulldozers, diggers, tippers, mixers, trucks, builders, cranes, rollers and vans, to the people coming to move into the new houses. A lively and colourful new book by Susan Steggall, the successful author-illustrator of Life of a Car, On the Road, Rattle and Rap and Busy Boats, who uses her trademark vivid collage illustrations to bring a busy building site to life for young readers.

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Little Blue Truck

Alice Schertle

Beep! Beep! Meet Blue! Filled with truck sounds and animal noises, Little Blue Truck is a rollicking homage to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.

A muddy country road is no match for this little pick-up--that is, until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck.

Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road.

Little Blue Truck is a joyful cacophony of animal and truck sounds that will have youngsters beeping and quacking--and begging for one more go-round!

Along the way, readers see that it pays to be kind to our animal friends. If we show a friendly respect to others, we're more likely to get help when we're, say, stuck in the muck in a truck!

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The Mixed-Up Truck

Stephen Savage

It's Cement Mixer's first day on the job and he doesn't want to make any mistakes. How can he help the other trucks on the construction site? By mixing some powdery white cement, of course!

He mixes it up, adds a little water, and presto . . . a cake?! He must have mixed flour instead of cement.

Not to worry, he'll try again . . . and presto! Frosting?! He'll keep trying until he gets it just right and it's time for one more mixing: a bubble bath!

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Truck Stop

Anne F. Rockwell

Early each morning,
before the sun is even up,
the Truck Stop opens for breakfast,
and the trucks start pulling in.
Eighteen wheeler,
milk tank,
moving van,
and flatbed!
Their drivers order eggs and bacon,
pancakes with syrup,
and a blueberry muffin.
For the boy who helps his parents at the counter, there is nothing better than seeing all the trucks roll in; he knows every single one . . . and can tell when one is missing!

Here is a story for very young truck lovers, worth stopping for again and again.

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Three Cheers for Kid McGear!

Sherri Duskey Rinker

From the New York Times bestselling author that brought you Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site comes a heartwarming and inspiring tale featuring the first female character to join the core construction crew!

She might be small, but she's got it all—she's Kid McGear, Skid Steer! Kid McGear is the newest truck to join the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site crew and she's eager to help with even the roughest and toughest construction work. But when a steep cliff puts the other trucks in danger, can the new Kid on the site prove she's big enough for even this big, big job?

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Busy Builders, Busy Week!

Jean Reidy

In this bright, bold picture book, a cast of animal characters are building a brand-new playground in a local park for their community! Each day of the week contains a different construction plan as the steam-rolling, digging, and planting gets underway.

Tuesday! Mix day!
Pipe and boards and bricks day.
Stack, spin, pour it in.
Give the fence a fix day.

Wednesday! Load day!
Take it on the road day.
Hoist, haul, pull it all.
Something being towed day!


The construction project comes together for a joyful, rhyming walking tour of a neighborhood, where young readers can learn the days of the week while watching everyone work as a team!

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The Old Truck

Jarrett Pumphrey

A young girl turns her imagination into action in this beautifully crafted and intricately designed debut picture book.

When is an old truck something more? On a small, bustling farm, a resilient and steadfast pickup works tirelessly alongside the family that lives there, and becomes a part of the dreams and ambitions of the family’s young daughter.

 

After long days and years of hard work leave the old truck rusting in the weeds, it’s time for the girl to roll up her sleeves. Soon she is running her own busy farm, and in the midst of all the repairing and restoring, it may be time to bring her faithful childhood companion back to life.

With an eye-catching retro design and cleverly nuanced illustrations, The Old Truck celebrates the rewards of determination and the value of imagination.

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How to Walk a Dump Truck

Peter Pearson

From the creators of the absurdly funny picture book How to Eat an Airplane comes a new spin on adopting a pet...truck.

This vehicular spin on pet adoption features an unlikely pet: a dump truck. Kids will not only laugh, but learn.

Just like a new pet, a new dump truck is a heap of responsibility, but it’s also loads of fun. Just remember: If you take care of it well, your dump truck will be your forever friend.

Includes tips on: selecting the perfect leash at the hardware store; whether to feed your truck diesel or regular; cleaning up your truck’s messes at the dump; socializing with other trucks, and much more.

Peter Pearson and Mircea Catusanu’s follow-up to How to Eat an Airplane is clever fun for pet lovers and truck aficionados—whether their pet (or truck) barks, meows, or honks.

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Big Truck Day

Rosanne Parry

Get ready for Big Truck Day! Celebrate trucks, reading, sharing, and community with award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author Rosanne Parry and debut illustrator Niki Stage. Big Truck Day is a wonderful choice for readers who love vehicles of all kinds and for fans of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and Little Blue Truck.

Told in a lively rhyming text, two parallel stories follow children and drivers motoring to the library for a very special event: a book drive! Join friends and neighbors of all ages as they salute big trucks, great books, and community helpers . . . and stay for the reveal of the new library bookmobile made possible by book donations from the community. Hooray!

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Sunny's Tow Truck Saves the Day!

Anne Marie Pace

When a family car gets a flat on the way to a picnic, help is needed and time is ticking! Cranes are lifting, and pavers are paving. Diggers are digging, and workers are waving. But where is Sunny and her trusty tow truck? Written in sparse rhyme wonderful for reading aloud, Sunny's Tow Truck Saves the Day! is the perfect book to introduce little readers to the concept of time, as well as to various workers and their vehicles. The bold, colorful illustrations by Christopher Lee bring this dynamic world to life.

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Construction Countdown

K. C. Olson

Ten mighty dump trucks rolling down the road.
Nine earthmovers scraping up
a load . . .

Count down from ten to one with the busy
construction trucks!

Something wonderful is going on, and every kind of truck has an important job. But what are all those bulldozers and backhoes doing? This bright and lively counting book will delight young construction fans everywhere.

Construction Countdown is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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The Construction Crew

Lynn Meltzer

The construction gang is tearing down an old building and laying the foundation for a new home. Workers use all kinds of trucks and tools to get the job done. And just in time for a family to move in.

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I Stink!

Kate McMullan

Know what I do at night while you're asleep?

Eat your trash, that's what!

With ten wide tires, one really big appetite, and an even bigger smell, this truck's got it all. His job? Eating your garbage and loving every stinky second of it!

And you thought nighttime was just for sleeping.

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Trucks Roll!

George Ella Lyon

"Trucks bring ice cream.

Trucks bring blocks,

books and bulldozers,

dolls and socks."

Through mountains and flatlands, past deserts and towns, the trucks are rolling! With its rhyming text and bold illustrations, Trucks Roll! invites kids along on a day in a trucker's life and shows that many things we enjoy depend on the trucker's work.

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Hot Rod Hamster

Cynthia Lord

The award-winning, bestselling team Cynthia Lord and Derek Anderson are back with the best Hot Rod Hamster adventure yet: Monster Truck Mania!

It's Fair Day, and Fearless Franco's famous Monster Truck Mania has come to town. Hot Rod Hamster and his friends are geared up for a roaring, soaring great time, so they set out to find the best ride at the fair. The water boats, spinning teacups, and bumper cars are great, but Hamster can't seem to find the BEST ride. That is, of course, until Fearless Franco needs a last-minute back-up driver for his monster truck. Can Hot Rod Hamster help him out, and still find the best ride of all? In this rollicking new adventure, Hot Rod Hamster proves once again that being small doesn't mean you can't think BIG!

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A Truck Goes Rattley-Bumpa

Jonathan London

Here come the mighty trucks to get the job done!

Trucks can be big or small, red or blue. Trucks can make exciting noises. Trucks can haul and dig and stop and go. There are just so many things that trucks can do. But can they help to build a house? With teamwork anything is possible! Here is the perfect picture book for preschoolers who are fascinated with trucks of all kinds.

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My Truck is Stuck!

Kevin Lewis

My Truck Is Stuck. Rotten luck. Can't go! My truck is stuck. Tug and tow. Two engines roar. But the truck won't go. Not one inch more. Does anyone know how to make my stuck truck go? In this lyrical read-aloud, young drivers are introduced to the ins and outs of hauling, beeping, and repairing -- get ready for a fun ride!

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Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street

Mark Lee

Count the trucks getting stuck in a traffic jam in this rhythmic read-aloud sure to draw in kids who love everything on wheels.

One ice-cream truck selling everything sweet breaks down and blocks the middle of our street.
If you’re a little boy on a bike, an ice-cream truck on your street is always a welcome sight. But what if the truck breaks down and blocks the mail truck behind it (now there are two), not to mention a third truck carrying hay? One by one, trucks of all types and sizes and functions are sure to pile up behind, offering ample opportunity for ogling — and counting. And maybe the boy’s idea for putting one of the trucks to good use might even save the day!

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Big Rig Rescue!

Chris Gall

Chris Gall gives truck books a fresh set of wheels in a bright story of wreckers, tools, towing, and teamwork.

When a semi-truck crashes in the snow, Big Orange is ready. With a crane, chains, a webbing strap, outriggers, and a winch, Orange will get the semi back on its wheels—and when the job is too tough to tackle alone, Big Blue is there to help. Together they get the semi free and upright. Now, Orange is ready to tow the semi back to the shop, but a storm is coming.?.?.?.?Good thing Blue is around to help when Orange hits ice!

 

With lively storytelling and engaging artwork, acclaimed author-illustrator Chris Gall motors through a brave and stormy tale of big-rig gadgets and collaboration.

 

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Metaracism

Tricia Rose

The definitive book on how systemic racism in America really works, revealing the vast and often hidden network of interconnected policies, practices, and beliefs that combine to devastate Black lives

In recent years, condemnations of racism in America have echoed from the streets to corporate boardrooms. At the same time, politicians and commentators fiercely debate racism's very existence. And so, our conversations about racial inequalities remain muddled.

In Metaracism, pioneering scholar Tricia Rose cuts through the noise with a bracing and invaluable new account of what systemic racism actually is, how it works, and how we can fight back. She reveals how--from housing to education to criminal justice--an array of policies and practices connect and interact to produce an even more devastating "metaracism" far worse than the sum of its parts. While these systemic connections can be difficult to see--and are often portrayed as "color-blind"--again and again they function to disproportionately contain, exploit, and punish Black people.


By helping us to comprehend systemic racism's inner workings and destructive impacts, Metaracism shows us also how to break free--and how to create a more just America for us all.

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The Riddles of the Sphinx

Anna Shechtman

Combining the soul-baring confessional of Brain on Fire and the addictive storytelling of The Queen's Gambit, a renowned puzzle creator's compulsively readable memoir and history of the crossword puzzle as an unexpected site of women's work and feminist protest.

The indisputable "queen of crosswords," Anna Shechtman published her first New York Times puzzle at age nineteen, and later, spearheaded the The New Yorker's popular crossword section. Working with a medium often criticized as exclusionary, elitist, and out-of-touch, Anna is one of very few women in the field of puzzle making, where she strives to make the everyday diversion more diverse.

In this fascinating work--part memoir, part cultural analysis--she excavates the hidden history of the crossword and the overlooked women who have been central to its creation and evolution, from the "Crossword Craze" of the 1920s to the role of digital technology today. As she tells the story of her own experience in the CrossWorld, she analyzes the roles assigned to women in American culture, the boxes they've been allowed to fill, and the ways that they've used puzzles to negotiate the constraints and play of desire under patriarchy.

The result is an unforgettable and engrossing work of art, a loving and revealing homage to one of our most treasured, entertaining, and ultimately political pastimes.

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Anita de Monte Laughs Last

Xochitl Gonzalez

New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a mesmerizing novel about a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death

A Most Anticipated Book of 2024: TIME, The Washington Post, Refinery 29, Barnes & Noble, Marie Clare, Real Simple, Entertainment Weekly, LA Daily News, LitHub, The Millions, TODAY.com, HipLatina, Book Riot, Kirkus, and more!

"Incandescent." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.

But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.

Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women, Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.

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The Autoimmune Cure

Sara Szal Gottfried

New York Times bestselling author Dr. Sara Gottfried reveals how trauma can rewire your body to trigger autoimmune diseases--and provides a comprehensive plan to reset your immune system and finally heal.

We know that autoimmune disease--a condition when the body's immune system attacks its own healthy tissue and cells--affects about one in ten Americans, or 24 million people, with prevalence increasing worldwide. But as New York Times bestselling author Dr. Sara Gottfried explains in this eye-opening new book, autoimmune disease may be even more pervasive than we realize--and its root cause may surprise you.

Conventional medicine falls short when it comes to both diagnosing and treating autoimmune disease. Many people suffer from mysterious symptoms--like severe fatigue, brain fog, aches and pains, feelings of tingling and numbness, stubborn weight gain, abdominal pain, digestive problems, hair loss, insomnia, and even anxiety--and don't realize their immune system is at the root of their symptoms. In her precision medicine practice, Dr. Gottfried noticed a seemingly unusual pattern: many of her patients who suffer from autoimmune disease and symptoms have a history of trauma. Emerging research shows that up to 80% of patients with autoimmune disease experienced significant emotional distress before getting sick.

With The Autoimmune Cure, there is hope on the horizon for the tens of millions of people who suffer from autoimmune disease. Dr. Gottfried has created a powerful program designed to break the vicious cycle of autoimmune disease, reset your immune system, and restore your health, with advice on:

  • diet
  • sleep
  • supplements
  • breathwork
  • microbiome restoration
  • somatic therapy
  • ketamine-assisted treatment
  • microdosing psilocybin
  • MDMA-assisted therapy

The Autoimmune Cure offers a roadmap to lasting relief from autoimmune disease by addressing the root cause of the condition and healing the body, mind, and spirit.

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Great Expectations

Vinson Cunningham

A historic presidential campaign changes the trajectory of a young Black man’s life in the highly anticipated debut novel from one of The New Yorker’s rising stars.

“Brilliantly written, piercingly smart, quietly subversive, Great Expectations will be one of the talked-about novels of the year.”—Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin, winner of the National Book Award

“Vinson Cunningham’s novel is a coming-of-age story that captures the soul of America.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

I’d seen the Senator speak a few times before my life got caught up, however distantly, with his, but the first time I can remember paying real attention was when he delivered the speech announcing his run for the Presidency.

When David first hears the Senator from Illinois speak, he feels deep ambivalence. Intrigued by the Senator’s idealistic rhetoric, David also wonders how he’ll balance the fervent belief and inevitable compromises it will take to become the United States’ first Black president.

Great Expectations is about David’s eighteen months working for the Senator's presidential campaign. Along the way David meets a myriad of people who raise a set of questions—questions of history, art, race, religion, and fatherhood—that force David to look at his own life anew and come to terms with his identity as a young Black man and father in America.

Meditating on politics and politicians, religion and preachers, fathers and family, Great Expectations is both an emotionally resonant coming-of-age story and a rich novel of ideas, marking the arrival of a major new writer.

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Blessed Water

Margot Douaihy

Sister Holiday is back with a newly minted PI apprentice certificate, a twisty mystery to solve, and something to prove in this fast-paced, blistering follow-up to Scorched Grace.

Tattooed from her neck to her toes and sporting a gold tooth as sharp as her wisecracks, Sister Holiday struggles to stay on the righteous path. Never one to make things easy for herself, she's committed to taking her permanent vows with the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and joining former fire inspector Magnolia Riveaux's latest venture, Redemption Detective Agency--both in service of satisfying her eternal quest for answers.

When Sister Holiday and Riveaux set out to bust a philandering husband, they instead find the body of a priest floating in the swollen Mississippi River, and with it, Redemption's next case. It's significantly more gruesome than their original mission, but Sister Holiday feels called on by God to hunt down the murderer and keep her community safe.

As a torrential rainstorm drowns New Orleans for three harrowing days over Easter weekend, Sister Holiday and Riveaux follow the clues. With the stakes rising alongside the relentless floodwaters, our favorite punk nun-sleuth throws herself into the deep end yet again.

A lacerating and lyrical plunge into obsession, deception, and the questions that hold us captive, Blessed Water is a lights-out mystery that will leave you breathless.

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The Underground Library

Jennifer Ryan

When the Blitz imperils the heart of a London neighborhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to save the community’s beloved library in this novel based on true events from the author of The Chilbury Ladies Choir.

When the new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn’t the bustling hub she is expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running the library, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her?

Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she is only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help.

Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe.

When a slew of bombs destroys the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever?

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Bashirah and The Amazing Bean Pie

Ameenah Muhammad-Diggins

Invite Your Children To Enjoy The Rich And Beautiful Culture Of African American Muslims. Bashirah And The Amazing Bean Pie Shares A Fantastic Story Of A Multi Generational African American Muslim Family. A Ramadan and Eid Story A Heart Warming Tale Filled With Faith, Food And Family. Join Bashirah As She Celebrates The Eid Holiday! Celebrating Diversity.

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The Night Before Eid

Aya Khalil

Celebrate the end of Ramadan with this luminous Muslim family story about faith, history, and delicious foods.

On the night before Eid, it's finally time to make special sweet treats: Teita's famous ka'ak. Zain eagerly unpacks the ingredients from his grandmother's bulky suitcase: ghee from Khalo Karim, dates from Amo Girgis, and honey from Tant Tayseer--precious flavors all the way from Egypt. Together with Mama and Teita, Zain follows his family's recipe and brings to life Eid songs and prayers, pharaonic history, and the melodies and tastes of his Egyptian heritage.

This Muslim holiday story, featuring a delicious ka'ak recipe, is a satisfying addition to a joyful and expansive Eid.

A CCBC Children's Choice Best Book of the Year

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Badir and the Beaver

Shannon Stewart

It's Ramadan, a time to focus on good deeds and to fast, and Badir and his brother, Anis, are out for a walk one evening while they wait for their iftar meal.

In the park Badir sees a rat. A very, very large rat. He soon learns it's actually a beaver, an animal that doesn't live in Tunisia, the country Badir and his family have emigrated from. It turns out that some of the neighbors who enjoy the park think this beaver is a bit of a pest, but Badir thinks it's wonderful and learns everything he can about the iconic Canadian animal. When a petition is started to remove the beaver, Badir, who knows firsthand how difficult it is to leave your home behind, rallies his classmates to save it. And with a little help from new friends, the kids learn that collaboration and faith can change the way we think about the world.

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The Most Powerful Night - a Ramadan Story

Ndaa Hassan

""The Most Powerful Night" is a heartwarming Ramadan story of angels, sweet prayers and blessed nights! It is about the night of power and glory - Laylat Al-Qadr. This is a night so special that it only comes once a year. What is the Most Powerful Night, when is it it and why is it Powerful, are all questions Laila has. She wants to know everything about this beautiful night. Join Laila and her mom for this bedtime story of "The Most Powerful Night - Laylat Al-Qadr."" --Amazon.com.

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It's Ramadan, Curious George

H. A. Rey

It's the first day of Ramadan, and George is celebrating with his friend Kareem and his family. George helps Kareem with his first fast and joins in the evening celebration of tasting treats and enjoying a special meal. Then, George helps make gift baskets to donate to the needy, and watches for the crescent moon with the man in the yellow hat. Finally George joins in the Eid festivities to mark the end of his very first Ramadan.
This playful tabbed board book, with a foil-stamped cover, makes a great holiday gift for all fans of Curious George--those who celebrate Ramadan, and those who are learning about it for the first time

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Moon Watchers

Reza Jalali

For Muslim people around the world, Ramadan is a month-long time for prayer, fasting, and charity. This "month of blessing" is not viewed as a time of hardship but instead as a time to develop self-discipline and increase awareness of and compassion for the poor and the hungry. It is a time to deepen connection with Allah through prayer and community. For this much-anticipated month, Muslim people gather together in homes, shops, and restaurants to break their fasts and pray.

Islam uses a lunar calendar, so the timing of Ramadan depends on the cycles of the moon. Ramadan lasts a lunar month: from new moon to full moon and back to new moon. Ramadan always begins on the first night of the new moon of the ninth month of the year. Because the lunar calendar's months are shorter than the solar calendar's months, Ramadan appears to "move" from year to year. As a result, fasting (no food or water) during the winter months is not quite so much a challenge as fasting during long, hot summer days.

It is the custom to start the day with a pre-dawn meal called suhoor, then not eat or drink again until after the sun has set. That post-daylight meal is called iftar. Sharing these pre-dawn and post-sunset meals is an important part of community and family bonding, which is part of why Shirin feels a bit left out.

Ramadan is as important to many Muslims as Christmas and Easter are to many Christians, and Passover, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah are to many Jewish people. Ramadan ends with a gift-giving celebration called Eid ul-Fitr, which means "festival of breaking the fast."

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