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Melonhead and the Vegalicious Disaster
Gillian Johnson, Katy Kelly
It's not fair! Not only is Melonhead's new fifth-grade teacher notoriously strict and mean, his mother is making him eat more and more vegetables. So Melonhead and his pals come up with a genius idea to get out of eating his mom's vegalicious meals, all the while convincing her that they actually love them. But the genius idea leads to totally unexpected and stinky results!
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Pie in the Sky
Jane Smiley
Abby Lovitt doesn't realize how unprepared she is when she takes her beloved horse, True Blue, to a clinic led by the most famous equestrian anyone knows. The biggest surprise, though, is that Sophia, the girl who never makes a mistake, suddenly makes so many that she stops riding. Who will ride her horse? Abby's dad seems to think it will be Abby. Pie in the Sky is the most expensive horse Abby has ever ridden. But he is proud and irritable, and he takes Abby's attention away from the continuing mystery that is True Blue.And then there's high school—Abby finds new friends, but also new challenges, and a larger world that sometimes seems strange and intimidating. She begins to wonder if there is another way to look at horses, people, and life itself.Accompanied by the beautiful imagery of 1960s Northern California, Abby's charming mix of innocence and wisdom guide us through Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley's latest middle-grade horse novel.
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Outcasts United
Warren St. John
A moving account of how a soccer team made up of diverse refugees inspired an entire community here in the United States. Based on the adult bestseller, Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference, this young people's edition is a complex and inspirational story about the Fugees, a youth soccer team made up of diverse refugees from around the world, and their formidable female coach, Luma Mufleh. Luma Mufleh, a young Jordanian woman educated in the United States and working as a coach for private youth soccer teams in Atlanta, was out for a drive one day and ended up in Clarkston, Georgia, where she was amazed and delighted to see young boys, black and brown and white, some barefoot, playing soccer on every flat surface they could find. Luma decided to quit her job, move to Clarkston, and start a soccer team that would soon defy the odds. Despite challenges to locate a practice field, minimal funding for uniforms and equipment, and zero fans on the sidelines, the Fugees practiced hard and demonstrated a team spirit that drew admiration from referees and competitors alike. Outcasts United explores how the community changed with the influx of refugees and how the dedication of Lumah Mufleh and the entire Fugees soccer team inspired an entire community. Praise for Outcasts United “An uplifting underdog story.”—Kirkus Reviews “Motivating messages that will resonate with teen readers.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review Praise for Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference “Wonderful, poignant book is highly recommended..."–Library Journal, Starred Review “Engagingly written.”—School Library Journal “Richly detailed, uplifting … educational and enriching.”—Kirkus Reviews “Dee"Inspiring...richly detailed...Deeply satisfying...a bighearted book."—Shelf Awareness
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Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
From the author of National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo.It's picture day at Thompson Brook, but the students are plagued by a freak acne epidemic. While the Breakfast Bunch scrambles to put their best faces forward, their hifalutin photographer raises Lunch Lady's eyebrows. She suspects the photographer may have an underhanded plan to break into the world of high fashion that puts the students in danger! Will Lunch Lady be able to storm the runway and stop the vogue rogue without blowing her cover?
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One Year in Coal Harbor
Polly Horvath
Readers rejoice—Primrose Squarp is back! The wise and curious heroine of the Newbery Honor Book Everything on a Waffle is facing another adventure-filled year in Coal Harbor. Even though her parents, once lost at sea, are home, there’s a whole slew of problems and mysteries to keep Primrose—and eager fans—busy. There’s Uncle Jack and Kate Bowzer, who may (or may not) be in love. There’s Ked, a foster child who becomes Primrose’s friend. And there’s the new development on the outskirts of town that threatens the Coal Harbor Primrose knows and treasures. From National Book Award–winning author Polly Horvath comes a masterful sequel to a beloved novel, sure to please old fans and gain new ones. A perfect charmer…. Hilarious and touching.” —The Boston Globe “Nobody does middle grade like Horvath.” —The Horn Book Magazine
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Calvin Coconut: Rocket Ride
Jacqueline Rogers, Graham Salisbury
Calvin's dad is a famous pop singer, and he's going to be in a concert on the island! Everyone wants to go. Dad gave Calvin's mom 10 tickets, and Calvin has to decide who gets the last ticket: teacher's pet Shayla, who has a crush on him (ick!) or Tito the bully? But much more important: Calvin hasn't seen his dad in four years. And he's never met Dad's new wife. Will Dad still like Calvin now?
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The City of Ember
In the spring 2003, kids, parents, teachers, librarians—whole communities—discovered and fell in love with Jeanne DuPrau's story about a doomed city, and the two children who found a way out. Nearly 10 years later, that story, The City of Ember, is a bona fide classic, with over 1.7 million copies sold. Now experience Jeanne DuPrau's vision anew as artist Niklas Asker faithfully brings to life the glare of the lamps, the dinginess of the streets, and the brilliance of the first sunrise.
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Squish #4: Captain Disaster
Matthew Holm, Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, Jennifer L. Holm
Introducing Squish—a hilarious, action packed graphic novel series from the award-winning creators of Babymouse! Filled with superheroes, comics within comics, and gross-out science, Squish is perfect for fans of Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants, Dan Gutman's Weird School, and Jarrett Krosoczka's Lunch Lady. It's soccer season! But the Waterfleas (Hey, it could be worse—Okay, maybe it couldn't.) are getting pummelled game after game. Squish knows winning isn't everything, but it's something right? Can Squish turn the losing streak around when he becomes team captain? Will Pod figure out how to harness the power of lightning? And how can amoebas play soccer when they don't have any feet? Find out in the electrifyingly funny page-turner Squish #4: Captain Disaster—saving the world, one cell at a time! Yowza! You can draw comics, too! Look in the back to find out how to draw one of the Squish characters! Also includes instructions for a sensational science experiment you can do at home! Shazam! Here's what people are saying about everyone's favorite amoeba! New York Times: "An energetic, good-hearted escapade, one that young readers will enjoy." Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews: * "Hilarious. If ever a new series deserved to go viral, this one does." The Bulletin: "A perfect mix of writing that is simple enough for early readers but still remarkably snarky, clever, and entertaining. Kids will soak up the humor, tidbits of science instruction, and adventure."
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Eleanor & Park
Rainbow Rowell

An Amazon Best Book of the Month, March 2013: While Eleanor & Park is technically classified as YA lit and has a cutesy cover, don’t let the stigma of “books for teens” fool or deter you. It is written about teens, sure, but the themes are so universal that anyone who survived high school will relate to the lives of the two protagonists. Eleanor is the new girl in town and her wild red hair and patchwork outfits are not helping her blend in. She ends up sitting next to Park on the bus, whose tendencies towards comic books don’t jibe with the rest of his family’s love of sports. They sit in awkward silence every day until Park notices that Eleanor is reading his comics over his shoulder; he begins to slide them closer to her side of the seat and thus begins their love story. Their relationship grows gradually--making each other mixed tapes (it is 1986 after all) and discussing X-Men characters--until they both find themselves looking forward to the bus ride more than any other part of the day. Things aren’t easy: Eleanor is bullied at school and then goes home to a threatening family situation; Park’s parents do not approve of Eleanor’s awkward ways. Ultimately, though, this is a book about two people who just really, really like each other and who believe that they can overcome any obstacle standing in the way of their happiness. It’s a gem of a book. --Caley Anderson
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Super
Matthew Cody
A superpowered sequel to Matthew Cody’s popular debut novel, Powerless! Daniel Corrigan is as regular as can be, especially when compared to the Supers: kids in his new hometown with actual powers like flight and super-strength. But Daniel’s not powerless. Only he was able to stop the Shroud, a supervillain bent on stealing his newfound friends’ powers. And thanks to him, his friends got to keep those powers. Now Daniel himself is starting to display powers, while at the same time his friends are losing theirs. His friend Eric thinks Daniel is just becoming a Super himself, a late-blooming one. But Daniel worries there may be something more sinister at work, since his power-stealing ability is uncomfortably like the Shroud’s. Of course, the Shroud is gone now . . . isn't he? Or could Daniel himself be his new vessel?