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When the Sea Turned To Silver
Synopsis: A New York Times Bestseller A National Book Award FinalistAn IndieBound Bestseller

This breathtaking, full-color illustrated fantasy is inspired by Chinese folklore, and is a companion to the Newbery Honor winner Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
Pinmei's gentle, loving grandmother always has the most exciting tales for her granddaughter and the other villagers. However, the peace is shattered one night when soldiers of the Emperor arrive and kidnap the storyteller.
Everyone knows that the Emperor wants something called the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night. Determined to have her grandmother returned, Pinmei embarks on a journey to find the Luminous Stone alongside her friend Yishan, a mysterious boy who seems to have his own secrets to hide. Together, the two must face obstacles usually found only in legends to find the Luminous Stone and save Pinmei's grandmother--before it's too late.
A fast-paced adventure that is extraordinarily written and beautifully illustrated, When the Sea Turned to Silver is a masterpiece companion novel to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky.
Publication Date: 10/04/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
The Only Road
Alexandra Diaz
Synopsis: PURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK
ALA NOTABLE BOOK

“Powerful and timely.” —Booklist (starred review)
“An important, must-have addition to the growing body of literature with immigrant themes.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.

Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.

Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.

Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.
Publication Date: 10/04/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Ashes
Laurie Halse Anderson
Synopsis: Return to the American Revolution in this blistering conclusion to the trilogy that began with the bestselling National Book Award Finalist Chains and continued with Forge, which The New York Times called “a return not only to the colonial era but to historical accuracy.”

As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon have narrowly escaped Valley Forge—but their relief is short-lived. Before long they are reported as runaways, and the awful Bellingham is determined to track them down. With purpose and faith, Isabel and Curzon march on, fiercely determined to find Isabel’s little sister Ruth, who is enslaved in a Southern state—where bounty hunters are thick as flies.

Heroism and heartbreak pave their path, but Isabel and Curzon won’t stop until they reach Ruth, and then freedom, in this grand finale to the acclaimed Seeds of America trilogy from Laurie Halse Anderson.
Publication Date: 10/04/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Time Traveling With a Hamster
Synopsis: Back to the Future meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in this original, poignant, race-against-time story about a boy who travels back to 1984 to save his father’s life.
 
My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty-nine and again four years later, when he was twelve. On his twelfth birthday, Al Chaudhury receives a letter from his dead father. It directs him to the bunker of their old house, where Al finds a time machine (an ancient computer and a tin bucket). The letter also outlines a mission: travel back to 1984 and prevent the go-kart accident that will eventually take his father’s life. But as Al soon discovers, whizzing back thirty years requires not only imagination and courage, but also lying to your mom, stealing a moped, and setting your school on fire—oh, and keeping your pet hamster safe. With a literary edge and tons of commerical appeal, this incredible debut has it all: heart, humor, vividly imagined characters, and a pitch-perfect voice.
Publication Date: 10/04/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Welcome to Wonderland #1 Home Sweet Motel
Synopsis: “Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series

From the bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author with James Patterson of I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters, comes a hilarious illustrated series about all the wacky things that happen when you live in a motel!
 
Eleven-year-old P. T. Wilkie may be the greatest storyteller alive. But he knows one thing for a fact: the Wonderland Motel is the best place a kid could ever live! All-you-can-eat poolside ice cream! A snack machine in the living room! A frog slide! A giant rampaging alligator! (Okay, that last one may or may not be made up.) There’s only one thing the Wonderland doesn’t have, though—customers. And if the Wonderland doesn’t get them soon, P.T. and his friend Gloria may have to say goodbye to their beloved motel forever.
 
They need to think BIG. They need to think BOLD. They need an OUTRAGEOUS plan. Luckily for them, Gloria is a business GENIUS, and OUTRAGEOUS is practically P.T.’s middle name. With Gloria’s smarts and P.T.’s world-famous stories and schemes, there’s got to be a way to save the Wonderland!
 
BONUS: Includes fun extras like P. T. Wilkie’s outrageous (and sometimes useful) things you learn living in a motel. Installment 1: How to say “Help! The toilet is clogged!” in over twenty languages!

Here's What People are saying about Welcome to Wonderland!

* A New York Times Bestseller * Sunshine State Young Readers Award List * Winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award *  

“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars! Kids who check into this madcap motel will want to stay forever!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series

"So funny I fell off my bed!"--Izzy B., age 10

"Classic Grabenstein. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein’s “Mr. Lemoncello” followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. This new series should be a hit."—School Library Journal

“A  delight. P.T. is a hoot and a half. A funny, madcap dash. Grabenstein . . .  threads in a mystery that blooms in the last act and that puts this particular read over the top."—Kirkus Reviews 

“Charm galore. Easy and breezy, this well-paced novel . . . belongs in the hands of any readers wanting their bad guys bad, their good guys great, and a little of Wonderland’s promised fun in the sun.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books  
Publication Date: 10/04/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Deadman Anchor
K. R. Coleman
Synopsis: A spring break mountain-climbing trip could be a chance for Kendal to connect with her distant father. A little adventure and time together seem like a good idea, but there's one problem: the mountain might be cursed. Soon a father-daughter getaway turns dangerous, and they might not make it to the summit. That's the thing about bonding you have to be alive to do it.
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Director's Cut
Vanessa Acton
Synopsis: The Sanford's Folly movie set has been abandoned since burning to the ground in the 1980s. Rumor has it the place is cursed after a film shoot gone terribly wrong. But that's not enough to scare Alex and his buddies away. After all, they live on an air force base. There's plenty of real-life stuff that's scarier than some fake western town, right?
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
A Twist of Fate
Natasha Shaloshvili, Laurie Friedman
Synopsis: April is stunned when her grandma announces she has cancer. And rather than undergo difficult treatment, Gaga wants to cross an item off her bucket list: going skiing in the mountains. So she's taking the whole family to Utah! Despite their matching ski outfits, April is looking forward to time with her grandma and cousins. But tension builds as Sophie mysteriously shuts April out, Harry swoons over another skier, the aunts tiptoe around Gaga's feelings, and April faces peer pressure on the slopes. When disaster strikes, April has to try to embrace Gaga's approach: that life is what you make of it.
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
On Guard
Patrick Jones
Synopsis: Point guard Mercedes Morgan is on track to set the all-state record for three-pointers. She's even caught the attention of a big-time college recruiter. But her sister has fallen in with a gang from the old neighborhood, and a drive-by shooting lands her in a coma. Now their little brother might be headed down the same dangerous path. Can the star player help her family leave the past behind them while also saving her season, or will they always be on guard?
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Skeleton Tower
Vanessa Acton
Synopsis: Jason's parents have been hired to work at a historic lighthouse along the California coast. The lighthouse is built along steep cliffs, surrounded by fog, and far from the nearest town. The last caretakers left in a hurry, and it doesn't take long to see why. Several accidents and the discovery of a hidden diary convince Jason the lighthouse is cursed. Will The Atlas of Cursed Places provide some answers before someone gets hurt...or worse?
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Thief's Apprentice
Bryan Methods
Synopsis: Oliver, the meek son of a wealthy British industrialist, discovers the identity of a notorious thief, a man who has been skillfully evading Scotland Yard and snatching priceless artifacts for sport: Mr. Scant, his family butler. After first fearing for his life, Oliver discovers Mr. Scant's secret within a secret: the butler's crimes are actually a series of strikes against an underground group of business tycoons trying to master black magic.
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
The Secret of Goldenrod
Jane O'Reilly
Synopsis: A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle-Grade Book of 2016

When Trina and her father move into Goldenrod, an abandoned Victorian mansion, Trina hopes she will finally have a place to call home and a chance to make friends at her new school. But school doesn't go as planned, and Goldenrod might be haunted.

Then Trina discovers Augustine, a tiny and very unusual porcelain doll that belonged to the little girl who lived at Goldenrod a century ago. With help from Augustine, Trina realizes Goldenrod is trying to tell her an important secret, one that may just change her life.
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Chick Lit
The Stand-In
Steve Bloom
Synopsis: When Brooks volunteered to be a stand-in for Burdette's cousin who got stood up for Homecoming, it was with the noblest of intentions helping a fellow human being, free of charge. But when he gets a tip of more than three hundred bucks, word spreads quickly and Brooks seizes the opportunity to offer his impeccable escort services to super-wealthy parents who want their daughters to experience those big social events of senior year.

Besides, Brooks could use the cash to hire a tutor to get admitted to Columbia University. So what if along the way he goes along with a few minor deceptions and cuts a few moral corners? What could be the harm?
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Vampire Boy (Carpathia Chronicles Book 1)
Synopsis: WINNER of the Reader Views Literary Awards, 2016-2017. WINNER of the Purple Dragonfly Awards, 2017.WINNER of the Pinnacle Awards, 2017.WINNER of the Silver Medal for Reader's Favorite Awards, 2017.Trailer:youtube.com/watch?v=mH6eAe0434g                'The Adventures of Alex Vambarey is a masterpiece. This is the best children's book I have read in years after Rick Riordan." - Readers' Favorite
When Alex Vambarey attends his first year at the Carpathian Academy, he has no idea that there are other creatures besides vampires. He's never met a gargoyle, or a pixie for that matter. Of course he's read about them -- in the Vampedia -- but in real life? No way. And why in the world are all the janitors collecting dirt? That was just plain weird. No, there was definitely something bigger going on. Way bigger. And if he was right, it was hidden somewhere in the Night Gallery--the secret about Carpathia, and the secret about himself.          
Publication Date: 10/01/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
The Secret Keepers
Diana Sudyka, Trenton Lee Stewart
Synopsis: A New York Times Bestseller!
By the author of The Mysterious Benedict Society, this heart-pounding mystery adventure is laced with magic and humor.
When Reuben discovers an extraordinary antique watch with a secret power, his life takes an intriguing turn. As one secret leads to another, Reuben finds himself torn between his honest nature and the lure to be a hero.
Now he is on a dangerous adventure--full of curious characters, treacherous traps, and hairsbreadth escapes--as he races to solve the mystery before it is too late. With fearless Penny, mighty Jack, and the wise Mrs. Genevieve on his side, can Reuben outwit a sly villain called The Smoke and save the city from a terrible fate?
In this ingeniously crafted novel, acclaimed author Trenton Lee Stewart invites readers to join the adventure, decipher the clues, and ask themselves the question: Is knowing a secret a gift or a curse?
Publication Date: 09/27/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Mystery
More Than Magic: Secret Friends to the Rescue
Synopsis: Girls who enjoy spunky heroines such as Merida from Brave (Disney/Pixar) and Ella from Ella Enchanted will want to join Rory and Ryder in their adventures in our world—and the world beyond the TV. An exciting new middle-grade fantasy from Kathryn Lasky, bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.
 
Ryder Holmsby is the same age as Rory, the popular TV cartoon character her animator parents created. Ryder and Rory are alike—bold and brave! But Ryder is a bit lonely: Mom passed away a couple of years ago, and Dad is dating a woman with snooty teenage daughters. Ryder doesn’t fit in with them at all.
 
And then: Shazam! Rory jumps out of the TV into Ryder’s bedroom to tell her that the TV studio behind her parents’ show is trying to turn Rory into a dopey princess—no more adventures. She needs Ryder’s help! The two girls team up with a crew of animated and real-life friends to save the day in both worlds.
 
Kathryn Lasky, bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’hoole series, the Wolves of the Beyond series, and the Horses of the Dawn series, delivers a whimsical tale in which inner strength is the greatest form of magic.
Publication Date: 09/27/16
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy

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