Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 42 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
A World Without Heroes
Brandon Mull
Synopsis: Jason tumbles into a quest to save a magical in this #1 New York Times bestselling start to Brandon Mull’s Beyonders fantasy series.

Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.
Publication Date: 02/14/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Oddfellow's Orphanage
Emily Winfield Martin
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Emily Winfield Martin brings a strange and wonderful place to life with her unique style of both art and writing.

What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They are all orphans at Oddfellow's Orphanage! This unusual and charming chapter book tells an episodic story that follows a new orphan, Delia, as she discovers the delights of her new home. From classes in Cryptozoology and Fairy Tale Studies to trips to the circus, from Annual Hair Cutting Day to a sea monster-sighting field trip, things at Oddfellows are anything but ordinary . . . except when it comes to friendships. And in that, Oddfellows is like any other school where children discover what they mean to each other while learning how big the world really is.
Publication Date: 01/24/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Stealing Magic
Greg Call, Marianne Malone
Synopsis: Ruthie and Jack thought that their adventures in the Thorne Rooms were over . . . until miniatures from the rooms start to disappear. Is it the work of the art thief who's on the loose in Chicago? Or has someone else discovered the secret of the Thorne Rooms' magic? Ruthie and Jack's quest to stop the thief takes them from modern day Chicago to 1937 Paris to antebellum South Carolina. But as more items disappear, including the key that allows them to shrink and access the past worlds, what was once just an adventure becomes a life and death race against the clock. Can Ruthie and Jack catch the thief and help the friends they meet on the way before the magic—and the rooms—are destroyed forever? Fans of magic, mystery, and adventure will love this rollicking sequel to Marianne Malone's The Sixty-Eight Rooms.
Publication Date: 01/24/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Mystery
Brendan Buckley's Sixth-Grade Experiment
Synopsis:

Read about Brendan, a biracial boy who loves science, and his middle school adventures in this sequel to the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award-winner Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It.
 
Brendan Buckley is headed to middle school on a whole new adventure. When his alternative energy idea gets him paired with new girl Morgan Belcher for the national science competition, Brendan is skeptical. But their partnership clicks, and they embark on a methane-producing experiment involving bottles, balloons, and the freshest cow manure they can find.
As Brendan spends more time on the experiment, he has a lot of big questions: Does his police detective dad really think he’s a science-nerd whimp? Will he and Khalfani, his best friend and Tae Kwon Do sparring partner, remain best friends? And can Brendan prove that his scientific pursuits really could be world-changing?
 
*Brendan is both nerdy and immensely likable. . . . The prickliness between Brendan and his father is handled with particular deftness.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Recommended
 
"Middle schoolers and science projects make for enjoyable combustible fiction. . . . The role of racism and family history is key in shaping these multifaceted characters. . . . appealing Brendan should keep readers fully engaged."—Kirkus Reviews

“Children will enjoy the ups and downs of Brendan’s sixth-grade year and wait eagerly for his future exploits.”—School Library Journal

“The complexity of the characters and the strength of Brendan’s family sets the book apart, as does Brendan’s biracial identity.”—Booklist

Publication Date: 01/10/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Whole Story of Half a Girl
Veera Hiranandani
Synopsis: What greater praise than to be compared to Judy Blume!--"Each [Blume and Hiranandani] excels in charting the fluctuating discomfort zones of adolescent identity with affectionate humor."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred

After her father loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni, half Indian and half Jewish American, finds herself yanked out of private school and thrown into the unfamiliar world of public education. For the first time, Sonia's mixed heritage makes her classmates ask questions—questions Sonia doesn't always know how to answer—as she navigates between a group of popular girls who want her to try out for the cheerleading squad and other students who aren't part of the "in" crowd.

At the same time that Sonia is trying to make new friends, she's dealing with what it means to have an out-of-work parent—it's hard for her family to adjust to their changed circumstances. And then, one day, Sonia's father goes missing. Now Sonia wonders if she ever really knew him. As she begins to look for answers, she must decide what really matters and who her true friends are—and whether her two halves, no matter how different, can make her a whole.
Publication Date: 01/10/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Eep!
Joke Van Leeuwen
Synopsis: One day Warren sees something strange lying under a bush. He doesn't know whether it is a bird in the form of a girl, or a girl in the form of a bird. He takes the creature home. His wife Tina wants to keep it and raise it as her own child. But it has wings...
Publication Date: 01/01/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Humor
The Case of the Diamonds in the Desk
Amy Wummer, Lewis B Montgomery
Synopsis: Detectives-in-training Milo and Jazz must work backward to solve the case of the diamonds that mysteriously appeared in Milo's desk at school.
Publication Date: 01/01/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Little Wings: Willa Bean's Cloud Dreams
Kristi Valiant, Cecilia Galante
Synopsis: Cecilia Galante, the author of The Patron Saint of Butterflies, makes her Stepping Stones debut with a sweet series about a lovable curly-haired cupid.

Most cupids have soft straight hair, rosy cheeks, and silky white wings. Not Willa Bean! She has a crazy mess of hair, a million-bajillion freckles, and bright purple wings with silver tips. And lately those bright purple wings with silver tips have been giving Willa Bean an awful lot of problems. They won't fly! Cupid Academy is starting soon, and what if she's the only cloudbound cupid there? Nope, nope, nopeity, nope. Willa Bean just has to make her wings behave!
Publication Date: 12/27/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Little Wings: Be Brave, Willa Bean!
Kristi Valiant, Cecilia Galante
Synopsis: Cecilia Galante, the author of The Patron Saint of Butterflies, makes her Stepping Stones debut with a sweet series about a lovable curly-haired cupid.

Willa Bean is all wiggly with excitement. Her best friend Harper is coming for a sleepover! Willa Bean wants to make Snoogy Bars and play tricks on her big sister. But Harper has a different idea. She wants to go for a night flight. Willa Bean is not okay with that. Why? Willa Bean is scared of two things . . . flying up high . . . and the dark!
Publication Date: 12/27/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Abraham Lincoln
Sal Murdocca, Natalie Pope Boyce, Mary Pope Osborne
Synopsis: The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! Getting the facts behind the fiction has never looked better.

Track the facts with Jack and Annie!


When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #19: Abe Lincoln at Last!, they had lots of questions. What was it like to grow up in a log cabin? How did Lincoln become president? What was his family like? Why did the US fight the Civil War? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts. Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discovered in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures. And teachers can use Fact Trackers alongside their Magic Tree House fiction companions to meet common core text pairing needs.

Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid?

Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books
Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader
Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure
Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures

Have more fun with Jack and Annie at MagicTreeHouse.com!
Publication Date: 12/27/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: For Reluctant Readers
Abe Lincoln at Last!
Sal Murdocca, Mary Pope Osborne
Synopsis: Are you ready for a presidential adventure? Jack and Annie are! They are whisked back to Washington, D.C., in 1861. Jack can’t wait to meet Abraham Lincoln himself! But the new president is too busy to see them, as he is desperately trying to save a nation in crisis. It’s a race against time as Jack and Annie try to aid a president and a troubled nation!

Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid?

Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books
Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader
Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure
Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures

Have more fun with Jack and Annie at MagicTreeHouse.com!
Publication Date: 12/27/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Moon Over Manifest
Clare Vanderpool
Synopsis: Winner of the 2011 Newbery Award.

The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future.
 
Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.
Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”
Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.
 
Powerful in its simplicity and rich in historical detail, Clare Vanderpool’s debut is a gripping story of loss and redemption.


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date: 12/27/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Storm Before Atlanta
Karen Schwabach
Synopsis: At a time when most people have grown weary of the war between the states, two young children are desperate to find their way to the battlefields. Jeremy DeGroot wants nothing more than to join a troop as a drummer boy. For Dulcie, a runaway slave, freedom means she must head directly toward the fighting in the hopes that she'll become "contraband," that is, property of the Union troops. Both Jeremy and Dulcie find a place with the 107th New York Volunteer Regiment and even start to forge a friendship. But all that is threatened when they cross paths with the mysterious Charlie, a young Confederate soldier, who may look like the enemy but feels more like a friend.

Young readers who like their fiction filled with exciting historical details, rich characters, and action-packed adventures will be drawn to The Storm Before Atlanta.
Publication Date: 12/13/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Singled Out
Sara Griffiths
Synopsis: There was a time when all was right in Taylor Dresden's world―that is, as long as she was on the baseball diamond, pitching with all her heart. But that was years ago. Now, there's no competition in her New Jersey high school, and summer league is not much better. With the scouts losing interest due to her poor grades, and with the challenge of the game gone, Taylor has made a difficult decision: she won't be playing her senior year. Everything changes when a local, elite, all-boys prep school recruits Taylor for its own baseball team. But the Hazelton School is a rich boy's world, its student body run by the Statesmen, an organization determined to force Taylor and the other girls out of their school. Taylor knows she's a great pitcher, but can she be a great student? Can she succeed in the face of devious boys who will stop at nothing to get rid of her? Will she rise above them, sink to their level, or will she be gone before she can do either? Singled Out, the exciting sequel to Thrown a Curve, will answer these questions as Taylor struggles to find her place beyond the pitcher's mound.
Publication Date: 12/01/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
An Accidental Adventure We Dine With Cannibals
Synopsis: When we last saw Oliver and Celia Navel, they had fallen into the clutches of Sir Edmund S. Titheltorpe-Schmidt III and were doomed to spend their entire summer vacation doing his deadly bidding.

In their second unwanted adventure, We Dine with Cannibals, Oliver and Celia will travel from the ruins of ancient temples to the shadowy forests of the Amazon. They'll need all their reality TV survival skills when they ride a llama, race the rapids, and even fly an airplane! If that's not enough excitement for you (it is decidedly too much excitement for Oliver and Celia Navel), they'll be forced to learn the proper etiquette for a cannibal feast and confront the strangest and most brutal rite of passage ever devised by human imagination: dodgeball.

The second installment of the Accidental Adventures series is just as funny, just as exciting, and just as kid-friendly as the first.
Publication Date: 11/14/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Poppy (The Deadly Flowers Series)
Synopsis: Poppy, a young female Warrior Faery from the Unseelie Court is sent out to retrieve Halflings from the human world to help build her Kings army. A seasoned warrior, she sets out on what should be a routine exercise, but not this mission. Suddenly Poppy's world is turned upside down. She meets an odd Halfling - Reed, portals between worlds close, assassin attempts, and much much more.
Publication Date: 11/11/11
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Mystery

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS