Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 10 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
The Emperor's Riddle
Synopsis: From acclaimed author Kat Zhang comes a “fast-paced mystery adventure” (BCCB) about a girl who embarks on a hunt for a long-lost treasure while on a summer trip to China.

Mia Chen is on what her mother calls a Grand Adventure. She’s not sure what to make of this family trip to China, and didn’t want to leave her friends for the summer, but she’s excited about the prospect of exploring with her Aunt Lin, the only adult who truly understands her.

Then Aunt Lin disappears, right after her old nemesis, a man named Ying, comes to visit. Mia knows that years ago, when Aunt Lin and Ying were sent to the Fuzhou countryside to work as laborers, the two searched for an ancient treasure together—one that still hasn’t been found. She’s suspicious that their shared history might be linked to Aunt Lin’s disappearance.

When Mia discovers an old map filled with riddles in Aunt Lin’s room, she quickly pieces together her mission: find the treasure, find her aunt. Now, Mia, along with her big brother, Jake, must solve the clues to rescue the person she knows best in the world—and maybe unearth a treasure greater than her wildest dreams.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Bubble
Stewart Foster
Synopsis: Wonder meets Mark Haddon in the poignant and uplifting debut novel about superheroes, super-nurses, and the beauty you can find in hope.

Eleven-year-old Joe has never had a life outside of the hospital, with its beeping machines and view of London’s rooftops. His condition means he’s not allowed outside, not even for a moment, and his few visitors risk bringing life-threatening germs inside his bubble. Then a new nurse offers Joe the possibility of going outside. But Joe doesn’t know if the nurse is serious—or whether he could survive the adventure.

Bubble is the touching story of how Joe spends his days, copes with his loneliness and frustration, and looks—with superhero-style bravery, curiosity, and hope—to a future without limits.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh
Synopsis: Nine-year-old Maria Singh longs to play softball in the first-ever girls' team forming in Yuba City, California. It's the spring of 1945, and World War II is dragging on. Miss Newman, Maria's teacher, is inspired by Babe Ruth and the All-American Girls' League to start a girls' softball team at their school. Meanwhile, Maria's parents--Papi from India and Mama from Mexico--can no longer protect their children from prejudice and from the discriminatory laws of the land. When the family is on the brink of losing their farm, Maria must decide if she has what it takes to step up and find her voice in an unfair world. In this fascinating middle grade novel, award-winning author Uma Krishnaswami sheds light on a little-known chapter of American history set in a community whose families made multicultural choices before the word had been invented.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Arrow of Lightning
Joseph Bruchac
Synopsis: Months after she has been healed from the Enemy Sickness that afflicted her in Trail of the Dead, Lozen and her family have gathered a community around them in Valley Where First Light Paints the Cliffs and have begun to rebuild. Lozen knows danger still stalks them and she intends to be ready to defend her people, but she hopes to avoid killing another human being--though gemod monsters are not off the table. Miles away, the remaining Ones plot Lozen's demise, and a threat Lozen thought she'd eliminated comes closer. And a newfound power will complicate everything for Lozen. Masterful storyteller Joseph Bruchac delivers a satisfying conclusion of the acclaimed Killer of Enemies series.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
City of Grit and Gold
Maud Macrory Powell
Synopsis: The streets of Chicago in 1886 are full of turmoil. Striking workers clash with police…illness and injury lurk around every corner…and twelve-year-old Addie must find her way through it all. Torn between her gruff Papa—who owns a hat shop and thinks the workers should be content with their American lives—and her beloved Uncle Chaim—who is active in the protests for the eight-hour day—Addie struggles to understand her topsy-turvy world, while keeping her family intact. Set in a Jewish neighborhood of Chicago during the days surrounding the Haymarket Affair, this novel vividly portrays one immigrant family’s experience, while also eloquently depicting the timeless conflict between the haves and the have-nots.
Publication Date: 04/25/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Oh Susannah: It's in the Bag
Mateya Arkova, Carole P Roman
Synopsis:

From award-winning author Carole P. Roman comes a new chapter book featuring Susannah Logan, a young student having a very bad day. It all begins with homework trouble and an invitation to a sleepover that she doesn't want to go to. Would you want to go to a sleepover in a creepy house? Rather than dealing with her problems, Susannah stuffs them into her backpack. But how much can a backpack take? Will she be able to confront her worries before the backpack bursts? Or will she just continue to hide them away? Join Susannah and her friends in this story sure to charm busy young readers everywhere.

Publication Date: 04/24/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Fable Nation 2: Journey to Africa (Series)
Synopsis:

Mitch thought being stuck in the video game Fable Nation
was tough on level one, but level two is fierce! Advancing to
the Wilds of Africa is a crazy ride, full of dangerous quests
and unbelievable characters. Teamed with his trusty
companions, as well as a few new ones, he must once
again, channel his inner hero.

From the African Savanna to an Elephant Kingdom where
beast and human collide, they'll need to find the Elephant
King’s wits, defeat a village-eating monster, and stop the
volcano from erupting and destroying everything in its
path.

Mitch will also have to overcome an unexpected loss and
the menacing virus that is mutating the game, in order to
level up and ultimately find his way home.  Log back in to
join the mission, where reality and gaming collide!

Publication Date: 04/20/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Adventures of Little Yaga and Her Friends
Synopsis:

From author L. B. O’Milla comes an exciting new adventure classic with an unforgettable combination of American fantasy elements and Russian folklore.

Little Yaga lives with her old hag of a grandmother in a house on top of a chicken leg, deep within the Enchanted Forest. Little Yaga would have enjoyed her life if she weren’t troubled by her own appearance. While all the other forest inhabitants have magnificent fangs, thunderous roars, and bony legs, Little Yaga looks like a human. She even wears custom crafted dentures to give herself fangs! In her quest to fit in with the Foresters, Little Yaga travels to the human world and meets a group of teenagers on the run from an evil sorcerer. Together with her new friends she returns to the forest.

Scraggard the Immortal, the ruler of the forest, uses the energy of humans to remain immortal. When he captures Ashley, a human girl, Little Yaga takes pity on her. She gathers a group of both old friends and new to help Ashley escape Scraggard and save the forest from his malevolent reign.

As Little Yaga discovers the secrets of her forest home and her own origins, she comes into contact with creatures and settings straight out of Russian fables and mythology.

Publication Date: 04/20/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
Under Locker and Key
Allison K. Hymas
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Jeremy Wilderson teams up with his rival crime fighter to stop the stealing spree that’s wreaking havoc on Scottsville Middle School in this action-packed MAX novel.

Jeremy Wilderson is not a thief. In fact, he is his middle school’s one and only retrieval specialist. Confiscated cell phones, stolen lunch money—he’ll discretely retrieve it before the last bell rings. Business is good, and if it weren’t for the meddling of preteen private investigator Becca Mills, he’d be happier than a gym teacher on dodgeball day.

But a new job shatters his comfortable lifestyle. Now, thanks to Jeremy, the master key to the schools’ lockers is in the hands of an aspiring crime kingpin who doesn’t exactly have Jeremy’s strong moral character. Soon not even combination locks can protect the students’ textbooks and jackets. Retrieving the key is too big a job for one crime fighter, and only one person wants the key returned as much as Jeremy does: Becca Mills.

Lockers are being robbed, the teachers are looking for the culprit, and the only person Jeremy can turn to is the girl who most wants to see him in the principal’s office. Will Jeremy be able to trust Becca enough to get the key back in the right hands? Or could he end up in detention until the end of high school instead?
Publication Date: 04/18/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Twice Betrayed
Gayle C. Krause
Synopsis: Middle Grade Historical Fiction - Colonial Philadelphia. The thread of friendship is stretched to the breaking point… With the spark of independence crackling in Colonial Philadelphia, Perdy Rogers chafes under the strict rule of her Quaker grandmother and the endless duties of her apprenticeship in Betsy Ross’s upholstery shop. So when her best friend shares a secret and invites Perdy to help plan an elopement, she’s thrilled to be with her friends again. But Perdy has no idea that one favor will unravel the stable fabric of her life and involve her in a tangled web of deceit, lies and treachery. Disguised as boys, three girls head to the river to put Perdy’s plan into action, but only two return. When the third, a young milliner’s assistant, is found drowned with gold coins sewn into her hems, coded spy letters in her bodice, and a journal implicating another sewing apprentice as her co-conspirator, all eyes turn to Perdy Rogers. But she’s no spy! Accused of treason, she struggles to prove her innocence with the help of a handsome stranger and learns the hard way that freedom, whether an individual’s or a country’s, comes at a cost.
Publication Date: 04/03/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Bolds to the Rescue
David Roberts, Julian Clary
Synopsis: The Boldsthe hyena family successfully impersonating as humanshave become legendary in the animal kingdom. Soon their house is full of visitors hoping to learn how to pass as humans too. There's a crocodile who can't quite tame her appetite, a poodle who wants to be a famous singer, and runaway racehorses hiding from their owner. With so many houseguests, the Bolds have their hands (ahem, paws) full. Can they teach these outcast critters to survive in the human world?
Publication Date: 04/01/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Seaborne: Strangers In Atlantis
Synopsis: After breaking ties with the deadly Pirate King, Dean Seaborne thought he had left his life of spying and pirating behind. But when the merciless thief Captain Skinner threatens Dean's allies, Dean agrees to one last job. Along with his trusted friends Ronan and Waverly, he agrees to help rob a sea-based resort for the richest of nobles. They'll pose as a band of traveling performers and then lead Skinner to the loot. But the moment Dean reaches the resort, the plan changes. The getaway is actually a gateway—to the undersea kingdom of Atlantis. And a civil war is brewing in the depths, with Dean soon to be caught in the middle of it. As his enemies multiply, above and below the waves, Dean finds himself in over his head like never before.
Publication Date: 04/01/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Amina's Voice
Hena Khan
Synopsis: A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2017

“For inspiring empathy in young readers, you can’t get better than this book.” —R. J. Palacio, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder

“Amina’s anxieties are entirely relatable, but it’s her sweet-hearted nature that makes her such a winning protagonist.” —Entertainment Weekly

A Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family’s vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community in this sweet and moving middle grade novel from the award-winning author of It’s Ramadan, Curious George and Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns.

Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she’s in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more “American.” Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized.

Amina’s Voice brings to life the joys and challenges of a young Pakistani American and highlights the many ways in which one girl’s voice can help bring a diverse community together to love and support each other.
Publication Date: 03/14/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Chick Lit
For Love & Honor
Jody Hedlund
Synopsis:

A wealthy noblewoman. A desperate knight. A dangerous secret that threatens their love … and their lives. If you’re looking for a good, clean read that combines the setting and mood of a medieval fairytale with the heat of historical romance—you’ll find it in For Love and Honor!

Lady Sabine is harboring a skin blemish, one, that if revealed, could cause her to be branded as a witch, put her life in danger, and damage her chances of making a good marriage. After all, what nobleman would want to marry a woman so flawed?

Sir Bennet is returning home to protect his family from an imminent attack by neighboring lords who seek repayment of debts. Without fortune or means to pay those debts, Sir Bennet realizes his only option is to make a marriage match with a wealthy noblewoman. As a man of honor, he loathes the idea of courting a woman for her money, but with time running out for his family’s safety, what other choice does he have?

As Lady Sabine and Sir Bennet are thrust together under dangerous circumstances, will they both be able to learn to trust each other enough to share their deepest secrets? Or will those secrets ultimately lead to their demise?

For Love and Honor:

A historical YA romance novel from bestselling author Jody HedlundTold in alternating chapters of first-person narrationIdeal for fans of Melanie DickersonPerfect for readers ages 14-18 who enjoy clean fairy-tale romance; and readers ages 13-35 who enjoy the same
Publication Date: 03/07/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Romance
Effie Starr Zook Has One More Question
Synopsis: “An excellent addition to middle grade collections.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

After being shipped off to stay with her aunt and uncle in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania, city girl Effie Starr Zook stumbles upon a mystery that leads her to an old family feud in this “accessible and exciting” (School Library Journal, starred review).

A rich girl from New York City, Effie Starr Zook isn’t afraid of much. When her parents go on a dangerous round-the-world adventure in a solar airplane, she’s packed off to her aunt and uncle’s farm for the summer. Expecting boredom, she runs smack dab into a family secret. Why does the neighbor kid want to avoid her? What are her aunt and uncle so worried about? And what does “bad blood” mean, anyway?

Effie’s got a brand-new bicycle, time on her hands, and an unlimited capacity for asking questions. With these, she sets out to uncover whatever it is the grownups are hiding. Along the way, she’ll contend with crackpot politics, serve coffee in a bookstore café, and learn more than she bargained for about her famous great-grandfather, the inventor of the barf bag. Fast-paced and funny, this is a story about having the courage to find out who you really are. Look out, world—when Effie Starr Zook has questions, she won’t take no for an answer!
Publication Date: 03/07/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Humor
Will Wilder: The Lost Staff of Wonders
Synopsis: “Open the cover, fasten your seat belt, and get ready for a rip-roaring ride!” —Ridley Pearson, author of the New York Times bestselling series Kingdom Keepers

Will Wilder is back to protect the town of Perilous Falls from another ancient evil—the fearsome demon, Amon, in this series that’s been described as having “shades of Indiana Jones and Percy Jackson” (Booklist).
 
When the storied Staff of Moses—responsible for summoning the plagues of ancient Egypt—vanishes from the museum in Perilous Falls, Will Wilder is suspect number one. Desperate to prove his innocence and stop the thief from unleashing terrors upon the town of Perilous Falls, Will must use his supernatural gift to locate the beast—but it’s nowhere to be found.
 
As the river runs with blood, sharp-toothed frogs surround his home, and clouds of swarming gnats choke the streets, Will must rely on his supernatural ability, everything he learned from his training, and help from his friends, siblings, and Great-Aunt Lucille to find the missing staff and unmask the hidden evil before time runs out for all of them.

“This new Will Wilder tale will have readers itching for adventures of their own.” —N. D. Wilson, author of the acclaimed 100 Cupboards series


Praise for Book 1 in the Will Wilder series, The Relic of Perilous Falls:
“You’ll love this wild and thrilling tale. It DOES NOT STOP!” —Dave Barry, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“[A]n action-packed story of pith helmets and secret passageways, prophecy and skepticism, temptation and wickedness, and the most agile and lethal great-aunt a boy could hope to have.” —The Wall Street Journal
 
“Suspense, adventure, humor, a compelling story, and characters that fired my imagination. Great fun and great frights.” —Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Publication Date: 03/07/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS