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Scream Street: Fang of the Vampire
Ltd. Cartoon Saloon, Tommy Donbavand
Synopsis: Welcome to Scream Street — a hilarious middle-grade series that will spook kids silly. (Ages 8-10)

When Luke Watson turns into a werewolf for the third time, the Government Housing of Unusual Lifeforms (G.H.O.U.L.) moves his family to Scream Street — a frightful community of vampires, zombies, witches, and sundry undead. Though Luke quickly makes friends, he vows to find a way to take his terrified parents home. The secret to opening the exit, he learns, is collecting six powerful relics the founding fathers left behind. But with a sinister landlord determined to thwart Luke at every turn, will he even get past the first hurdle alive?
Publication Date: 08/25/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Curse of the Romany Wolves
Christian Slade, S. Jones Rogan
Synopsis: Penhaligon takes on pirates and sea serpents on the high seas.

The creatures of Porthleven are suffering from a mysterious illness that looks like Febra lupi, the curse of the Romany wolves, which has no known cure. The dashing apothecary fox Penhaligon must find a cure or risk losing everyone he holds dear!

Penhaligon uncovers a fragment of parchment that just might be a recipe for a cure—and it includes ingredients found only on the haunted Howling Island. But the obstacles Penhaligon must face on his quest for the cure make ghosts seem friendly: Pirates! Sea serpents! Double-crossing ferrets! Can Penhaligon make it back in time to save his village?
Publication Date: 08/11/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
My Rotten Life
David Lubar
Synopsis:

Ten-year-old Nathan Abercrombie is having a really bad day. First, Shawna Lanchester, the prettiest girl in his class, doesn't invite him to her party. Then he gets picked last in gym class. Things couldn't get any worse…until he gets doused with an experimental serum that turns him into a half-dead zombie!

Nathan soon discovers that being half dead isn't all bad. He doesn't need any sleep, so he can stay up all night and play games online. He doesn't feel any pain, so there's no need to worry about Rodney the bully anymore. Still, Nathan would rather be human. Will he find a cure? Or will Nathan be half-dead forever?

Fans of David Lubar's popular Weenies short story collections―which have sold more than one million copies―will love My Rotten Life, the first of a series of hilariously rotten adventures starring Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie.

Publication Date: 08/04/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Dodger For President
Jordan Sonnenblick
Synopsis:

What would you do if your best friend was:

1. Still imaginary (and still an oversize blue chimp with major junk-food issues)?

2. Nominating you to run for class president - against the most popular kid in your grade?

3. In charge of your campaign posters…all blue, of course, including your face!?

4. Planning a magical secret weapon to help you win (not fair and square, right?)?

5. Driving you crazy?!?!

Now you have an idea of what Willie Ryan's life is like as his adventures with Dodger continue. The last thing Willie wants to do is run for class president, but both his running mate, Lizzie, and Dodger won't let him quit - and have their own ideas of how to run a campaign, especially against James Beeks, Mr. Popularity. In this second installment of the Dodger and Me series, the humor runs high, the friendships run deep, and Dodger continues to run on French fries and good intentions.

Publication Date: 06/23/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute: Lunch Lady #1
Synopsis: From the author of National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo.

Serving justice . . . and lunch!

Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!
Publication Date: 06/01/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Franny Parker
Hannah Roberts McKinnon
Synopsis: “Rings on a tree tell a story,” Franny Parker tells Lucas Dunn. “They tell you about its seasons, if they’ve been plentiful or not.” So far, the rings of Franny’s life have been marked by her family, their farm, their dusty little Oklahoma town – all of it so familiar. But in the summer of her thirteenth year, the Dunns move in next door, harboring painful secrets. From the moment Franny meets Lucas, the two begin a friendship that introduces Franny to the large world beyond her barnyard fence. As their town endures one of the harshest droughts in decades, Franny learns that those in need are not just those others you hear about in church or school; they can be injured wildlife or even the family next door. When her own family suffers a loss, Franny must find the courage to look beyond her sadness to aid a friend in need.

This tender, beautifully written debut novel is the story of a summer full of promises and pain, a season that, although one of the hardest in Franny Parker’s life, turns out to be plentiful.
Publication Date: 05/26/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Biography
Hunter Jones Joins the Civil War
Synopsis: Hunter Jones Joins The Civil War (Indian Territory) *Hunter Jones is a 12-years-old orphan. Without a family or a place to go, when the Civil War breaks out, Hunter gets sucked up into it and carried off to high adventures and exciting escapades. We’re with him when he learns about how the Indians got to Indian Territory and why some fought for the North and some fought for the South. We’re with him when he learns about how Confederate soldiers from Texas plan to go up through the New Mexico Territory and capture the gold mines in Colorado to help pay for the Southern war effort. We’re with him in Arizona where the Westerner most battle between the North and the South is fought and in New Mexico when Cochise and his father-in-law Mangas Coloradas and Geronimo turned on the white soldiers and start scalping them. *In the first Hunter Jones book he gets kicked in the head by a mules and goes into a coma. While in his hospital room his two close friends Patch and Peg Leg (old-timers) read to him headlines and stories from the battlefield newspapers. With his fertile imagination and dreams Hunter is carried away to events, battles and firsts that changed or altered the direction of the Civil War - West of the Mississippi. In this book he is still in a coma. We go with him to points west of the Arkansas border, out into the New Mexico Territory and the Arizona Territory and nearly to California and the Pacific Ocean. Yes, most of the major battles of the Civil War were fought in the east but the west saw its share of battles and skirmishes between soldiers from the North and South, including soldiers of color and soldiers drawn from the Native American population. *As you read, you’ll feel the push and pull, the sweat and strain, the pleasures and the pain of Hunter Jones’ life in the Confederate army. NOTE: Even though he and his story are fictional, the sad details, facts, figures and events of the Civil War are historically correct. Reading it, you’ll laugh, cry and be glad as Hunter Jones dodges bullets and cleverly escapes sudden death but, more importantly, you’ll carry away a sense of American History that is still alive today, 148 years later. *Visit: www.HunterJones.Info or search title & order at: www.Amazon.com
Publication Date: 05/19/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Educational
The Second Gateway
Sam Wilding
Synopsis: This, book two in the Denthan series, tests family-ties and friendships to the limit in a new and epic setting where the odds are stacked heavily against James and his wizard-goldfish, Mendel. One year on from their extraordinary adventure in Denthan, the zany villagers of Drumfintley are, yet again, all that stand between a peaceful world and certain disaster. When a whole new array of monsters and dark magic begins to emerge from the murky waters of Loch Echty all hell breaks loose. Beneath the Scottish loch, Mendel and James discover the submerged village of Fintley, a huge obelisk and a new crystal key. It is soon clear that they face a greater threat than ever before. In this, the second epic struggle to keep the Peck family together, some souls may be lost for good... Will James, Craig and Bero still be able to save us all? Will Mendel, the wizard-goldfish, continue to outwit his oldest and greatest adversary? Will the second gateway take the villagers of Drumfintley on a one-way trip to catastrophe?
Publication Date: 04/17/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
Summerhouse Time
Eileen Spinelli, Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Synopsis: Every year a rented pink cottage full of family, swapping stories, and riding waves mean Summerhouse Time for Sophie. Best of all is sharing a room with her favorite cousin and laughing and trading secrets like two happy peas in a cousin pod. Sophie can't wait! But when she asks the now-a-teenager Colleen if she's looking forward to their time together, Colleen just says "I guess so."

What? It's the best time of the year, the time they both love. In just a little bit, they will all be together in the cottage on the beach. Will this year be just as wonderful, just like always?

Accompanied by charming black-and-white illustrations, classic growingup experiences radiate throughout the pages of this sunny, anytime story.


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date: 04/14/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Humor
Manolito Four-Eyes
Emilio Urberuaga, Elvira Lindo
Synopsis: The unforgettable Manolito Four-Eyes is back. So are his equally unforgettable family and friends, including the Bozo (his favorite and only little brother), Big Ears (his best friend, even though he’s a dog traitor), Ozzy (the biggest bully in the worldwide world), and his grandfather (Manolito’s unconditional ally).
Publication Date: 04/01/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Emma Dilemma and the Camping Nanny
Abby Carter, Patricia Hermes
Synopsis: Instead of spending free time with Emma and her family, Annie the nanny chooses to spend it with Bo. They have signed up for Irish dance class on Sunday nights, and Bo seems to show up whenever Annie has an evening off. To make matters worse, Emma’s mother has invited "The boyfriend" to come along on a family camping trip. Emma has another problem, too. Her best friend, Luisa, has been spending time with her worst friend, Kate. No wonder Emma is feeling a bit lonely. Betrayed, even.

How is Emma going to solve both dilemmas? Will she come out on top and a little wiser, as she always has before?
Publication Date: 04/01/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Samurai 7
Akira Kurosawa, Mizutaka Suhou
Synopsis: Honor Against Thieves

Threatened by plundering cyborg bandits, an innocent village defies its inhuman enemies with the help of mortal men born to do battle and bound to die for honor: humanity’s champions, the seven samurai. This thrilling manga is based on the classic film by Akira Kurosawa.

Includes special extras after the story!
Publication Date: 03/24/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Manga/Graphic Novel
The Pirates of Crocodile Swamp
Synopsis: A long way from home, Sandy and Jack Casperin escape their abusive father and disappear into Crocodile Swamp, a remote wilderness in the Florida Keys. With nothing but their wits and limited supplies, the boys must learn to fend for themselves as they survive surrounded by snakes, massive crocodiles and a territorial hammerhead shark.

But it is only with the help of newfound friends?a local girl their age, and an old sailor (who might be a real pirate!)? that they can truly escape from their tragic past and make a new life for themselves.

Publication Date: 03/05/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Phoenix Wright
Synopsis: TAKE THAT!

Phoenix Wright, ace attorney, has faced down many clever and corrupt prosecutors in the courtroom: Winston Payne, Manfred von Karma and his whip-cracking daughter, Franziska, and Godot. But only one is his true rival: the mysterious Miles Edgeworth. Get ready for these new stories of crime, justice, and courtroom drama!
Publication Date: 02/24/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Attack of the Chicken Nugget Man
Synopsis:

This laugh-out-loud children's book is aligned with the Standard Course of Study for elementary school language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. It's an exciting story that teaches and references second through fifth grade skills, and even though it's 100% correlated to the third grade North Carolina curriculum, it's designed for elementary school readers in all states!

This breakthrough educational book tells the story of a struggling third-grader (Chris Robb) who desperately wants to pass the third grade End of Grade (EOG) standardized test. Chris's school is a very strange place and his teacher has the strangest name he has ever heard: Ms. Bubblebrain. Every character in the book has a unique personality trait. Smelly Sam stuffs random objects up his nose (sushi, socks, etc), the bus driver waves around his stinky shoe to get the kids to settle down, and the principal harbors an incomprehensible infatuation with strawberry milk. Meanwhile, a menacing Chicken Nugget Man appears to be sneaking into schools and causing all kinds of chaos. A task force is created to capture this mysterious creature. The country's smartest children will be chosen to join the effort because for some reason, no adult has ever seen the Chicken Nugget Man. Chris, who can barely remember his teacher's name, has the odds stacked against him when it comes to passing the North Carolina EOG test, but as the reader discovers, he might have a little help, and a little hope, after all.

The book has built-in Bloom's Taxonomy higher-order critical thinking questions that are written in kid-friendly language. A strong emphasis is placed on character education in the book and every time a character makes a poor choice, the narrator reminds readers of the consequences, encouraging them to suggest more responsible choices.

This delightful comedy makes learning fun and helps students in all states prepare for standardized tests.

Key educational features in the book:
NEW! Silly fill in the bubble questions at the end of most chapters to prepare students for standardized tests in a fun way!
Built-in comprehension questions
Math, science, social studies, language arts and reading concepts taught through a fun, fictional plot
Educational illustrations
Tricky words are labeled with images for ELLs and struggling readers
Officially leveled text
Full list of referenced educational standards/concepts in the back of the book
EOG question stems to help with standardized test prep
Math word problems
"Knowledge Nugget" educational fact boxes
Math skills, including: probability, fractions, geometry, graphing, decimals, and elapsed time
Social Studies skills, including: history, citizenship, leadership, and economics
Science skills, including: plant science, life cycles, pollination, astronomy, and life science
Publication Date: 02/12/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Educational
Airs of Night and Sea
Toby Bishop
Synopsis: Country girl Larkyn Hamley, who has been bonded with a winged foal, and her fellow flyers at the Academy, who are secretly learning their craft, must take a stand against Duke William, who, driven by jealousy, has launched his own school and has forced their instructor into hiding. Original.
Publication Date: 01/01/09
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure

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