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Charis: Journey to Pandora's Jar
Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Charis Parks has five days to save mankind. What she thought was mere mythology has become her reality … she alone must reverse the curse of Pandora’s Jar. If Charis is to fulfill her destiny, she has to face her fears against the darker forces of Hades and the blood-thirsty Erinyes Sisters who help him. Together with the gods and her best friend Gabe, Charis takes a fantastic journey to Pandora’s Jar where she must release the only spirit that remains trapped inside – the spirit of Hope. Or else …
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Lara's Gift
Annemarie O'Brien
Synopsis: Young Lara is being groomed in the family tradition to take over as Count Voronstov's next kennel steward, breeding borzoi dogs worthy of the Tsar. But then Lara's baby brother is born and she finds herself supplanted as her father decides to make her brother the next kennel steward. Going against her father's wishes and becoming increasingly sure of her special gift of understanding these incredible dogs, Lara risks everything when she reveals the truth about her visions. Now she must save Zar, her favorite borzoi and the one she raised from birth, from a hungry pack of wolves. Only then can she find her own, extraordinary destiny. . . .
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
The Monster in the Mudball
Synopsis: A monster is loose in England! And it’s kind of Jin’s fault that Zilombo, the monster, got
loose. Jin tracks the monster, but he can’t figure out how to get her back into the artifact from
which she hatched. Then Jin meets Chief Inspector of Ancient Artifacts A. J. Zauyamakanda—
Mizz Z, for short—who has arrived to inspect the artifact. She and Jin team up to find Zilombo.

Joining them is Frankie, Jin’s older sister, who has lost their baby brother—and Zilombo is
the most likely culprit for his disappearance. Zilombo gains new, frightening powers every time
she hatches. Now the monster is cleverer than ever before . . . and she likes to eat babies!

Will Jin’s baby brother be next on Zilombo’s menu? As the monster’s powers continue to
grow, Jin, Frankie, and Mizz Z must find a way to outsmart Zilombo!
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Too Cool For This School
Kristen Tracy
Synopsis: A terrific novel about middle school friendship, family, fitting in, and finding out who you are when no one's looking. 

Lane Cisco loves, loves, loves her life at Rio Chama Middle School—until her offbeat cousin comes for an extended visit and turns everything upside down. With her individual sense of style and nonconformist attitude, Angelina "Mint" Taraval is everything Lane isn't. And instead of branding her a loser the way Lane and her friends expect, people actually want to hang out with her. Including the boys Lane and her best friend, Ava, like. 

When Ava comes up with a plan to ruin Mint, Lane feels stuck. She doesn't want to be mean . . . but she doesn't really want to stick up for her weird cousin either. Why can't things go back to the way they were before Mint arrived? 

And don't miss Kristen's other cool books:
PROJECT (UN)POPULAR
PROJECT (UN)POPULAR: TOTALLY CRUSHED
CAMILLE MCPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUS
THE REINVENTION OF BESSICA LEFTER
BESSICA LEFTER BITES BACK

“Believable and drily funny . . . an empathetic and entertaining read.” —Publishers Weekly
  
“High drama so compelling middle school readers won't realize they're being exposed to a lesson in ethics.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Snappy, intelligent prose . . . an excellent title.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Kristen Tracy reminds us of our best and worst moments in middle school, handling both the triumphs and the mortifying moments with just the right mix of surprise and worry.” —readergirlz.com
 
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Joshua Dread
Lee Bacon
Synopsis: The second book in the series! From the moment Joshua Dread receives an invitation to Gyfted & Talented, the mysterious program for kids with superpowers, his plans for a normal summer turn upside down. Evil maniac Phineas Vex is still alive—and he wants Joshua dead. So if G&T can help prepare Joshua for battle, he's all in. And so are Sophie and Milton.

Except they get more than they bargained for. The truth is that Joshua and his friends have been chosen to form the greatest superhero team of all time. That is, if they make it through G&T's rigorous training.

Suddenly Joshua is thrust into the media spotlight, and it's not as glamorous as people think. And what will happen if his supervillain parents find out that the new celebrity superhero is . . . Joshua? 

No one ever said fighting evil would be easy.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Dragon at the North Pole
John Shroades, Kate Klimo
Synopsis: Perfect for readers who’ve finished Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series but who aren’t quite ready for Harry Potter, this accessible fantasy series is imaginative and adventure-filled!
 
“Funny and wonderfully written. A tall-tale adventure that will grab readers!” —Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House series
 
In The Dragon at the North Pole, Dragon Keepers Jesse and Daisy wake on Christmas morning to a winter wonderland—it snowed overnight! Knowing that their dragon, Emmy, has never seen snow before, they hurry to the barn only to discover that she’s disappeared. She’s left a note behind: “Gone to help Santa.” Santa?! Can it be true? With the help of two pairs of magic snowshoes, Jesse and Daisy visit the North Pole to find out!


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
Lion
Jeff Stone
Synopsis: Road bike racing rules in this action-packed adventure perfect for cycling fans, readers of the popular Five Ancestors series, and anyone who loves a fast-paced page-turner.
 
Ryan Vanderhausen is psyched. After his mountain biking disaster, he discovers that his size and strength make him a natural for road bike racing. So he and his friends Phoenix, Jake, and Hú Dié head to California to train with Ryan’s cousin Peter. But right away, things get weird. Experienced cyclists are dropping dead, and someone from the kids’ past pays them a very unwelcome visit. Then Peter is kidnapped in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Can the kids save Peter, evade the bad guys, and still manage to compete in their biggest race yet?


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Sky Jumpers
Peggy Eddleman
Synopsis: In this thrilling sci-fi adventure, epic danger and impossible odds are no match for one girl's courage!
  
Twelve-year-old Hope lives in White Rock, a town of inventors struggling to recover from World War III. But adventurous Hope is terrible at inventing. She would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb’s Breath, the deadly band of air that surrounds the town.

When bandits invade White Rock to steal its greatest invention—priceless antibiotics—the town is left with a heartbreaking choice: hand over the medicine and die from disease, or die fighting the bandits. Help lies in a neighboring town, but the bandits count everyone fourteen and older each hour. Now Hope and her friends Aaren and Brock are only ones who can escape through the Bomb’s Breath.

For once, the daring and rebelliousness that usually get Hope into trouble might just save them all.


A Texas Library Association’s Bluebonnet Award Selection

“Eddleman brings a strong sense of atmosphere to this post-apocalyptic coming-of-age piece, and the underlying message—that it’s possible to contribute in unexpected ways—is a positive one.” —Publishers Weekly
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Will in Scarlet
Matthew Cody
Synopsis: This reimagining of the Robin Hood legend tells the story of the young boy behind the bandit hero's rise to fame.
 
Will Shackley is the son of a lord, and though just thirteen, he’s led a charmed, protected life and is the heir to Shackley House, while his father is away on the Third Crusade with King Richard the Lionheart.
 
But with King Richard’s absence, the winds of treason are blowing across England, and soon Shackley House becomes caught up in a dangerous power struggle that drives Will out of the only home he’s ever known. Alone, he flees into the dangerous Sherwood Forest, where he joins an elusive gang of bandits readers will immediately recognize.
 
How Will helps a drunkard named Rob become one of the most feared and revered criminals in history is a swashbuckling ride perfect for anyone who loves heroes, villains, and adventure.


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
The Templeton Twins Make a Scene
Jeremy Holmes, Ellis Weiner
Synopsis: With its kid-perfect humor and dynamic illustrations, Book 1 of the hilarious Templeton Twins series left young readers clamoring for more. This time, Abigail and John Templeton find themselves at TAPAS (the Thespian Academy of the Performing Arts and Sciences) where their father, the illustrious Professor Templeton, has been hired to invent a groundbreaking theatrical device. Once again, there is drama (of course!), silliness, and suspense, as the twins (and their ridiculous dog) must thwart the dastardly Dean brothers in order to save the invention as well as their father (and the dog). Oh yes, there is sure to be another recipe. This time for guacamole. Or is it coleslaw?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The League
Thatcher Heldring
Synopsis: "This book is a solid choice for reluctant readers who also happen to love football."--School Library Journal 


Just when it seems that his football dreams are history, Wyatt's older brother, Aaron, makes an unexpected offer: If Wyatt ditches golf camp, he can play with Aaron in the League of Pain: the roughest and most secretive rogue football league in town.

Now Wyatt has a choice. He can play by the rules like he always does, or he can follow his heart—even if it means lying to the people he cares about the most. 

But if Wyatt wants to play in the league, he must learn to accept the penalties.


From the Hardcover edition.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: For Reluctant Readers
Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold
Synopsis: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new series of adventure mystery stories that are one part travel, one part history and five parts adventure. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations.

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada and as the plot continues to unfold this spirited story will have armchair explorers and amateur detectives alike anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climactic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon, the harsh land made famous in the stories and poems of such writers as Jack London, Robert Service and Pierre Berton. It is a riveting tale that brings to glorious life the landscape and history of Alaska's inside passage and Canada's Yukon, as Kitty is caught up in an epic mystery set against the backdrop of the scenery of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves as Kitty prepares for her next adventure - flying around the world!
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Saving Hascal's Horrors
Synopsis: Mike Hascal can’t wait for the day when he grows up and gets to take over his family’s horror shop. He and his friends go to Hascal’s Horrors every day after school where Mike’s sister, Julie, has run the store ever since their father died. However, a tragedy seven years ago forced the shop to close to the public. A boy, Shawn Mackey, went into the woods to try to take a picture of a ghost for a contest the shop was holding, and he never made it out. The Mackey family then forced the Hascal family to take customers by appointment only and never let any kids into the store.
When business, gets slow and a woman complains about her grandson, Freddy, hanging out at the store, Julie is forced to ban Mike and his friends from the shop. To save his store, Mike and his friends decide to solve the mystery of what happened to the missing boy, hoping that the Mackey family will let them reopen the shop to the public. Using their knowledge of horror movies, Freddy’s help, and Mike’s family’s supernatural powers, they go on an adventure to save the family’s shop and bring Shawn Mackey’s family peace.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Paranormal
Anna Was Here
Jane Kurtz
Synopsis:

Ten-year-old Anna Nickel is moving from Colorado to Kansas, and she is not happy about leaving her friends behind! This is a moving, often humorous coming-of-age story about family, faith, God's love, and the meaning of home, perfect for fans of Katherine Paterson and The Penderwicks.

Ten-year-old Anna Nickel's worst nightmare has come true. Her father has decided to move the family back to Oakwood, Kansas—where he grew up—in order to become the minister of the church there. New friends, new school, a new community, and a family of strangers await, and what's even worse, it's all smack-dab in the middle of Tornado Alley. Anna has always prided herself on being prepared (she keeps a notebook on how to cope with disasters, from hurricanes to shark bites), but she'll be tested in Oakwood! This beautifully written novel introduces a family who takes God's teachings to heart while finding many occasions to laugh along the way, and an irrepressible and wholesome ten-year-old who, with a little help from Midnight H. (her cat), takes control of her destiny.

Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Time Hunters (Book 1)
Andrew Gaia, Carl Ashmore
Synopsis: If you love Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Artemis Fowl you may well enjoy 'The Time Hunters', the first chapter in the time travelling adventure series for children of all ages.

Becky is a typical thirteen year old girl. She likes Facebook, her friends, and plenty of sleep. So when she and her brother, Joe, are invited to stay with their 'loony' Uncle Percy at his stately home, she thinks it’ll be the worst summer ever. What she doesn't realise is that Bowen Hall is also home to a baby Triceratops, two Sabre-tooth tigers and the mythic hero, Will Scarlet...

'The Time Hunters' is a thrilling adventure that takes Becky, Joe, Uncle Percy and Will on a quest through time to find the legendary Golden Fleece.

Praise for The Time Hunters:

'From every angle, it’s an excellent work. This series couldn’t ask for a more vibrant opening chapter.' KIRKUS REVIEWS (awarded the KIRKUS STAR *)

'I really enjoyed reading THE TIME HUNTERS. You start off the action with a bang, drawing the reader in right away. Your writing is strong, and in places has a classic feel....It has terrific potential.' HARPER COLLINS

***** Carl Ashmore has written an entertaining book that children will love. READERS FAVOURITE

'This is a wonderful adventure. It has the magic of Lewis Carroll and Kenneth Grahame, the inventiveness of Roald Dahl and the writing skill of Rudyard Kipling in my opinion. It is the natural successor to Harry Potter. Brilliant!'

Four other books in the Time Hunters saga are also available: 'The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity', 'The Time Hunters and the Spear of Fate', 'The Time Hunters and the Sword of Ages' and 'The Time Hunters and the Lost City'.

JOIN THE HUNT!
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Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Silly and Stinky Stories My Grandpa Tells
Kellie Hultgren, Simon Goodway, Jerry Hines
Synopsis: Luke thinks his grandpa is cool because he tells such great stories—like the about the time Grandpa’s mother took splinters out of his butt in front of the whole neighborhood or the time Luke’s dad went ice fishing with his own grandpa and had to use the fish bucket for a toilet. All of Grandpa’s stories are funny, silly, embarrassing and sometimes gross, but always entertaining.

The collection of stories in Silly and Stinky Stories my Grandpa Tells is drawn from real life experiences that occurred in the author’s family—at least for the most part anyway. As Luke records these stories, he explores the differences between his life and the childhood experiences of his father and grandfather, while discovering the trials of becoming a writer
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy

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