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Flight of a Starling
Lisa Heathfield
Synopsis:

Best friends and sisters Lo and Rita have spent their lives flying through the air on the trapeze under the lights in the big top. The nomadic circus community is a close-knit family, but those bonds are threatened as secrets and lies surface and Lo finds forbidden love with a boy from outside the circus. The two sisters find themselves at odds with each other for the first time as they both search for love and test the limits of family loyalty. Lo must face up to a family member's deception and navigate her newfound love. Will she manage to land on her feet?

Publication Date: 02/01/19
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Meena Meets Her Match
Rayner Alencar, Karla Manternach
Synopsis: Graduates of the Ramona Quimby series will adore Meena Zee as she navigates the triumphs and challenges of family, friendship, and personal secrets in this charming middle grade debut.

Meena’s life is full of color. She wears vibrant clothes, eats every shade of the rainbow, and plucks eye-catching trash from the neighborhood recycling bins.

But when Meena’s best friend, Sofía, stops playing with her at recess and she experiences an unexpected and scary incident at breakfast, nothing can fight off the gray.

That’s when Meena comes up with a plan to create the BEST and most COLORFUL Valentine’s Day Box in the class. With the help of her cousin, Eli, and her stuffed zebra, Raymond, Meena discovers that the best way to break through the blah is to let her true colors shine.
Publication Date: 01/29/19
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Cold Is In Her Bones
Peternelle van Arsdale
Synopsis: One girl must uncover secrets of the past to save her friend from a terrible curse in this dark and mesmerizing story of love, revenge, and redemption inspired by the myth of Medusa.

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe.

Milla’s whole world is her family’s farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she’s forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will come for next.

Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself.

Suspenseful and vividly imagined, The Cold Is in Her Bones is a novel about the dark, reverberating power of pain, the yearning to be seen and understood, and the fragile optimism of love.
Publication Date: 01/22/19
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Genesis Begins Again
Alicia D. Williams
Synopsis: This deeply sensitive and powerful debut novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself.

There are ninety-six things Genesis hates about herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list. Like #95: Because her skin is so dark, people call her charcoal and eggplant—even her own family. And #61: Because her family is always being put out of their house, belongings laid out on the sidewalk for the world to see. When your dad is a gambling addict and loses the rent money every month, eviction is a regular occurrence.

What’s not so regular is that this time they all don’t have a place to crash, so Genesis and her mom have to stay with her grandma. It’s not that Genesis doesn’t like her grandma, but she and Mom always fight—Grandma haranguing Mom to leave Dad, that she should have gone back to school, that if she’d married a lighter skinned man none of this would be happening, and on and on and on. But things aren’t all bad. Genesis actually likes her new school; she’s made a couple friends, her choir teacher says she has real talent, and she even encourages Genesis to join the talent show.

But how can Genesis believe anything her teacher says when her dad tells her the exact opposite? How can she stand up in front of all those people with her dark, dark skin knowing even her own family thinks lesser of her because of it? Why, why, why won’t the lemon or yogurt or fancy creams lighten her skin like they’re supposed to? And when Genesis reaches #100 on the list of things she hates about herself, will she continue on, or can she find the strength to begin again?
Publication Date: 01/15/19
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Slayer
Kiersten White
Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes a brand-new series set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that introduces a new Slayer as she grapples with the responsibility of managing her incredible powers that she’s just beginning to understand.

Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.
Publication Date: 01/08/19
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Better You Than Me
Jessica Brody
Synopsis: It's Freaky Friday meets Hannah Montana when two twelve-year-old girls--one a famous TV star, the other an obsessive fan--switch bodies with hilarious and disastrous results.

Ruby Rivera is a twelve-year-old superstar with millions of followers. Skylar Welshman is a seventh grader who wants to be cool--and she's Ruby's biggest fan. When Skylar and Ruby meet on the set of Ruby's hit show, Ruby of the Lamp, and wish they could switch places . . . it happens!

Now Ruby is living Skylar's life--going to a normal school, eating fro-yo, sleeping in, texting boys . . . it's amazing. And being Ruby is even better than Skylar imagined--her fancy closet is huge, everyone wants to be her friend, and she gets to spend every day with Ryder Vance, her dreamy costar. Life is a blast!

But when Ruby finds herself dealing with mean girls and Skylar discovers that being a celebrity isn't all red-carpet glamour, the girls start to wonder if being yourself isn't so bad after all. Can they swap bodies again? Or are they stuck being each other forever?
Publication Date: 11/13/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
It Wasn't Me
Dana Alison Levy
Synopsis:
THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets middle school with a prank twist in this hilarious and heartwarming story about six very different seventh graders who are forced to band together after a vandalism incident.

When Theo's photography project is mysteriously vandalized at school there are five suspected students who all say "it wasn't me."

Theo just wants to forget about the humiliating incident but his favorite teacher is determined to get to the bottom of it and has the six of them come into school over vacation to talk. She calls it "Justice Circle." The six students—the Nerd, the Princess, the Jock, the Screw Up, the Weirdo, and the Nobody—think of it as detention. AKA their worst nightmare.

That is until they realize they might get along after all, despite their differences. But what is everyone hiding and will school ever be the same?

*PW Best Books of 2018 *Winter 2018-2019 Kids' Indie Next List * JLG selection * Three starred reviews


"Every reader will find some piece of themselves in Levy's sharp, humorous, and heartfelt novel. A twisty mystery with quirky, unforgettable characters and a positive message to boot."
—JOHN DAVID ANDERSON, the critically acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day and Posted

"What at first seems like a novel solely about bullying becomes a story about six kids who find their way to true friendship and fierce loyalty, and why restorative justice is worth the time and effort it takes." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A timely, introspective whodunit with a lot of heart." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Levy writes in an easy style with laugh-out-loud humor, offering characters that slowly reveal deeper complexity." —School Library Journal, starred review



Publication Date: 11/13/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?
Synopsis: This laugh-out-loud sequel to Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer has EVEN MORE MAGIC CHICKENS!

Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown is finally settling into her new home and her new role as keeper of some highly unusual chickens--chickens with secret superpowers!

But the arrival of two new magical chickens for her flock and some unusual eggs to be incubated and hatched (what will their superpowers be?), plus an impending inspection from the Unusual Poultry Committee (who even knew this existed?) has Sophie feeling pretty stressed out. Her older cousin, Lupe, is coming to stay with her family, which is great--but will Lupe like chickens too? And on top of it all, Sophie's first day at her new school is rapidly approaching!

In this wildly funny and quirky novel told in letters and lists and quizzes, Sophie learns that even an exceptional poultry farmer can use some help.
Publication Date: 11/06/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Mission Alert: Lab 101
Kanako and Yuzuru, Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Synopsis:

Tom and Zilla are on a field trip to a robotics lab—and on a secret mission to uncover its true purpose. But soon the situation gets out of control. If they want to survive, they'll have to face off against an army of robots. Can secret agents find out the lab's sinister purpose and save themselves?

Publication Date: 11/01/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Mission Alert: Island X
Kanako and Yuzuru, Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Synopsis:

Tom and Zilla need to investigate one of their classmates. His dad is a billionaire who's up to something shady on his private island. But can Tom and Zilla get close enough to uncover the plot? It's up to secret agents Tom and Zilla to save the day.

Publication Date: 11/01/18
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Fiction
The Broken Branches
Becky Villareal
Synopsis: A school project begins a journey for Sarafina Garcia that will change her life forever. In an attempt to gain a scholarship to a prestigious school, she is thrown headfirst into a labyrinth of family history that will confuse and deepen her search. Dont dig up old bones, was the response Sarafina received from her mother when she asked for help. What was it in the family history that was so horrible that she wouldnt discuss it? Only by delving into historical records will she solve the lingering mystery of her parentage and mend the broken branches of her childhood one last time.
Publication Date: 11/01/18
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Girls on the Line
Jennie Liu
Synopsis: "An affecting and original thrill ride." — Kirkus Reviews A powerful, dual-narrative coming-of-age story set in 2009 China.
Publication Date: 11/01/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Charlie Hernandez & The League of Shadows
Synopsis: “This is a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan’s many series, particularly for those eager for mythologies beyond Greek and Roman stories.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A winner for all kids, but it will be especially beloved by Latinx and Hispanic families.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Lightning Thief meets the Story Thieves series in this middle grade fantasy inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America.

Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist. Even barely out of diapers, he knew the stories were just make-believe—nothing more than intricately woven fables meant to keep little kids from misbehaving.

But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. And even stranger, they seem to know more about him than he knows about himself.

Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. With only the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother’s stories to guide him, Charlie must navigate a world where monsters and brujas rule and things he couldn’t possibly imagine go bump in the night. That is, if he has any hope of discovering what’s happening to him and saving his missing parents (oh, and maybe even the world).

No pressure, muchacho.
Publication Date: 10/23/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Dragons in a Bag
Geneva B, Zetta Elliott
Synopsis:

★ An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year selection
The dragon's out of the bag in this diverse, young urban fantasy from an award-winning author!

When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she's not his grandmother--but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering baby dragons to a magical world where they'll be safe. There are two rules when it comes to the dragons: don't let them out of the bag, and don't feed them anything sweet. Before he knows it, Jax and his friends Vikram and Kavita have broken both rules! Will Jax get the baby dragons delivered safe and sound? Or will they be lost in Brooklyn forever?

AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Publication Date: 10/23/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
I'm OK
Patti Kim
Synopsis: “So funny and heartfelt.”—Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese
“I love the profound honesty of I’m Ok.” —Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park

Ok Lee is determined to find the perfect get-rich-quick scheme in this funny, uplifting novel for fans of Counting by 7s and Crenshaw.

Ok Lee knows it’s his responsibility to help pay the bills. With his father gone and his mother working three jobs and still barely making ends meet, there’s really no other choice. If only he could win the cash prize at the school talent contest! But he can’t sing or dance, and has no magic up his sleeves, so he tries the next best thing: a hair braiding business.

It’s too bad the girls at school can’t pay him much, and he’s being befriended against his will by Mickey McDonald, the unusual girl with a larger-than-life personality. Who needs friends? They’d only distract from his mission, and Ok believes life is better on his own. Then there’s Asa Banks, the most popular boy in their grade, who’s got it out for Ok.

But when the pushy deacon at their Korean church starts wooing Ok’s mom, it’s the last straw. Ok has to come up with an exit strategy—fast.
Publication Date: 10/16/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Perfected By Girls (eBook)
Karen Grove, Jennifer Martino Nehrbauer, Alfred C. Martino
Synopsis: Navigating high school isn't easy for Melinda Radford. She’s the lone girl on the Ashton High wrestling team, grappling with opponents who refuse to compete against her, a few who want to crush her, and a coach who's less-than-pleased having a female in his practice room. At home, Mel’s parents forbid her from seeing her new boyfriend, her grandmother insists she start preparing for her future by taking a dreary office internship, and her infuriating older brother, who’s the varsity team captain, flirts with her best friend, Jade. Just when it seems things can't get any more complicated, an off-handed comment puts Mel at odds with her teammates, her brother, and, worst of all, her coach. But through a twist of tragedy and fate, Mel is given an unexpected opportunity to accomplish something no girl in her school's history has ever done—something that just may redeem her in the eyes of her detractors. Is she strong enough to handle the pressure?Alfred C. Martino is the author of two highly-acclaimed young adult novels, Over The End Line and the Jr. Library Guild Selection and Best Books For Young Adults nominee, Pinned. Amateur wrestling has been a part of Alfred's life for over thirty-five years. He has competed on the midget, junior high, high school and collegiate levels, as well as coached Millburn's youth program for nearly a decade. Mr. Martino was born and raised in Short Hills, NJ, and graduated from Millburn High School, where he was captain of school's 1982 wrestling team. He is a graduate of Duke University and The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He currently lives in Jersey City, NJ.
Publication Date: 10/06/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

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