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The Brilliant World of Tom Gates
Synopsis: The top-selling U.K. series for middle-grade readers now crosses the pond!

Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don’t have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures and write about stuff, like last summer’s worst camping vacation ever (five merits!), or how much he hates sitting next to nosy Marcus Meldrew, the most annoying boy at school. All Tom really wants is to score tickets to see the best band ever, Dude3, when they come to town, and to impress Amy Porter, who is very nice and smart (but is currently ignoring him). Tom’s teachers think he is easily distracted and “lacks focus,” but that’s a bit harsh — can he help it if his grumpy big sister, Delia, made him late for school (again), or that last night’s homework had to be sacrificed to stave off a vicious dog attack? Master of excuses, creative storyteller, and middle-school comedian extraordinaire, Tom Gates is guaranteed to get kids turning the pages — and keep them laughing.
Publication Date: 08/26/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Birds Like Us, The Pi Phillecroix Story
Synopsis: It all started one day when a NYC pigeon hopped onto a subway car, took the train one stop and then walked off Pi Phillecroix, daughter and only offspring of Piette and Paul Phillecroix V attempts to survive a world that preys on the weak and vulnerable when she leaves the protection of her Paris home and journeys to the shores of England to find a cure for her dying father. Flightless, she bears the expectations of seventeen centuries of France’s most heroic and decorated flying families. Can one little bird bear the expectations of seventeen centuries? The Phillecroix’ have long been respected the world over for their daring and flying excellence. Each and every member of their lineage has devoted their lives to flock and country. The tragedy is that Pi, the last and only progeny of these decorated heroes, cannot fly. Intelligent, loving, virtuous, enormously devoted and reverential to mother and father, Pi bears the weight of her parents’ disappointment when they learn that the family’s tradition of flying excellence has ended. At a time when most young birds frolic and play in and around the fountains of the Tuileries, Pi relegates herself to a small corner of the family nest atop the l'Arc de Triomphe in order to hide her handicap and escape endless torment from the arrondissement’s teenage birds. When her war-decorated and beloved father becomes seriously ill, Pi steals away in the middle of the night to walk from Paris to England in an attempt to find Dr. Allbewell, the only one who may have the powers to save his life. Flightless, Pi makes her way on two scrawny pink feet, north to Normandy. During her journey she uncovers a host of characters that sometimes halt and other times hasten her journey with a blend of cruelness and helpfulness. Gervaise, an angelic force of wisdom rescues Pi from the throes of two sadistic Starlings; Etienne, a Giant Sea Fish helps Pi navigate the river Seine; Quick Jac Carlson a short-tempered, red-bellied woodpecker strangles her in an attempt to prevent her from seeking a night’s refuge; and Big Fella, a humble stallion who befriends and carries Pi to Cherbourg are just a few of the multifarious characters that drive this colorful and eclectic narrative. Readers from ages twelve and older will identify with Pi’s journey and feelings of inadequacy, the ridicule she has to endure for being ‘different,’ and ultimately the courage she exhibits in facing her fears one step at a time. Readers from ages twelve and older will identify with Pi’s journey and feelings of inadequacy, the ridicule she has to endure for being ‘different,’ and ultimately the courage she exhibits in facing her fears one step at a time.
Publication Date: 08/13/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Kate the Great
Suzy Becker, Suzy Becker
Synopsis: Fans of Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries will love this illustrated series by the New York Times bestselling author of All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat. Meet Kate Geller, a sassy flute-playing artist, who comes up with an original way to redefine friendship.
 
Kate’s older sister is way too perfect. Her younger sister is way too cute. And her mom wants her to be pals with her frenemy, Nora. Her art teacher, Mrs. Petty, is way too uncreative, and how can Kate pay attention at Junior Guides when her pod leader has a sweat stain the size of the town beach? Now she has to get through her Christopher Columbus role during Discovery Day and her “Colonial Buddies” report, but little does she know how much “help” she’ll be getting from Eleanor Roosevelt and Albert Einstein.
 
This humorous debut novel features more than 350 illustrations.


Praise for Kate the Great:
"She's funny. Quirky. Original. Kate's the greatest."  -Lincoln Peirce, author of Big Nate

"May Kate continue to be this great." –The Horn Book

“Becker’s first illustrated novel falls neatly in line with many others of its ilk, series such as Big Nate and Diary of a Wimpy Kid…” –Booklist

“Becker does an excellent job of channeling the behind-adults’-backs humor and friendship frustrations of the middle-school crowd…” –Publishers Weekly

“Debut novelist Becker employs doodles, cartoons, and comic strips reminiscent of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Lincoln Peirce’s Big Nate.” –School Library Journal
Publication Date: 08/05/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Kissing Atticus Primble
Stephanie Hoina
Synopsis: Like any other girl her age, Kathleen was ready for the excitement of a first love. What she wasn't ready for was Atticus. He had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, and the subtle change in their relationship as they started high school caught her off guard.

Turns out, the switch from best friend to boyfriend was so natural, and being with Atticuswas so wonderful, Kathleen didn't even think about the challenges dating someone like Atticus presented.

When Bobby O'Hare, the most popular boy in school, sets his sights on Kathleen, she is torn between her love and loyalty to Atticus and the excitement, popularity, and ease of being Bobby's girlfriend. She needs to make a decision. The question is...will it be the right one?

About the Author: Stephanie Hoina

As a young girl, Stephanie would write about anything and everything simply because it made her happy. She parlayed her love of the written word into a successful marketing and communications career, while a host of never submitted or unfinished picture book and romance novels clogged up her computer's hard drive. Stephanie resides in her hometown of the Bronx, NY, with her son, husband and crazy boxer pup named Bella. She continues to write simply because it makes her happy. Kissing Atticus Primble-which made a daring escape from her computer's hard drive-is her first published novel.
Publication Date: 08/02/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
My Wizard Buddy: Wizard Planet (Book Two)
Scott Spotson, PhD, Brian W Wu MD
Synopsis: Prepare yourself to go in a fun and adventurous travel to Adgiligda, the wizard planet! 
Dirk, Tyler's wizard buddy, has often driven him to distraction even as he amicably conjured feats of incredible magic to help Tyler out of tight spots. Now, both boys are 12 years old, and Dirk has invited Tyler to visit Adgiligda, his own planet. This interplanetary travel guarantees one giant adventure after the other when Tyler joins in amazing games of wizardry and tangles with fearsome magical beasts!


This is the second book of My Wizard Buddy Series, a magic and exciting trilogy that blends eye-popping fantasy along with valuable coming-of-age lessons. 
Publication Date: 07/30/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Never Girls
Jana Christy, Kiki Thorpe
Synopsis: Big baking plans turn into tiny little cupcakes when Mia gets a fairy’s help for her neighborhood bake sale. Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies star in a magical early chapter book series for readers ages 6 to 9—The Never Girls!
Publication Date: 07/22/14
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Shadow Lantern
Teresa Flavin
Synopsis: Sunni and Blaise face their most dangerous challenge yet in their third and final adventure.

When a mysterious oil lantern and a box of painted slides appear at Blackhope Tower, Sunni and Blaise are drawn back to the place where their adventures first began. When they discover that the slides conceal secrets about artist-magician Fausto Corvo, the pair find themselves once again caught up in a deadly pursuit. An old enemy is still tracking Corvo and will stop at nothing to find him. Sunni and Blaise must fight to protect Corvo’s secrets and rid themselves of Soranzo’s evil threat once and for all.
Publication Date: 07/22/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Family Ties
Gary Paulsen
Synopsis:

Family fun takes center stage in three-time Newbery Honor winner Gary Paulsen’s hilarious novel for middle-school boys. Kevin Spencer is the glue that holds his family together. When his wacky relatives decide to have a double wedding in the backyard, Kevin takes charge. Planning two weddings is a great way to impress his girlfriend, Tina Zabinski, the Most Beautiful and Best-Smelling Girl in the World. 
   But as more and more relatives come to stay, things spiral out of control. Tying the knot has Kevin tied up in knots in this laugh-out-loud story.
   “When it comes to telling funny stories about boys, no one surpasses Paulsen.”—Booklist
   “[Paulsen is] one of the best-loved writers alive.”—The New York Times

Praise for Family Ties
“Kevin seems to truly have his heart in the right place as he tries to bring order to the disparate parts [of his family] and restore some missing familial affection.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“The Spencers may not be a conventionally perfect family, but by the end of the novel it is clear that, despite their oddball antics, they are a loving one. Fans of the series and new readers will enjoy this offering.”—School Library Journal

“[A] goofy, rollicking ride.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Publication Date: 07/22/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher
Synopsis: ”Fans of Beverly Cleary’s Quimbys, Judy Blume’s Hatchers, and, more recently, Jeanne Birdsall’s Penderwicks will fervently hope that more Fletcher misadventures are yet to come.” —School Library Journal, Starred

The start of the school year is not going as the Fletcher brothers hoped. Each boy finds his plans for success veering off in unexpected and sometimes diastrous directions. And at home, their miserable new neighbor complains about everything. As the year continues, the boys learn the hard and often hilarious lesson that sometimes what you least expect is what you come to care about the most.

 Praise for The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher 
 
A Junior Library Guild Selection 

[set star] ”Their banter is realistic, and the disorder of their everyday lives, convincing. The Fletcher family rules!” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred 

”Dana Alison Levy has gloriously reimagined the classic family story into a thoroughly modern mold, and it works perfectly.” —Bruce Coville, bestselling author of My Teacher Is an Alien and the Unicorn Chronicles

[set star] ”With its semi-episodic structure, laugh-out-loud humor, and mix of zaniness and love, Levy’s debut offers something truly significant: a middle-grade family story featuring gay parents and interracial families that is never about either issue.” —School Library Journal, Starred 

”Levy provides a compelling, compassionate, and frequently hilarious look at their daily concerns. By book’s end readers will want to be part of (or at least friends with) this delightful family.” —The Horn Book 





Publication Date: 07/22/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
My Wizard Buddy (Book One)
PhD, Brian W Wu MD, Scott Spotson
Synopsis: One day, lonely 11-year-old Tyler Dunsmore wishes out loud for a best friend. Not only does his wish come true, but his new best buddy is Dirk, a 11-year-old wizard--a magical being who is from another world and is unfamiliar with Earth. Dirk often is too eager to help Tyler out with tough dilemmas in his day-to-day life, but his antics often backfire, leaving Tyler to wonder: is having a wizard for a buddy worth it? Enjoy the bonding between two very different boys in My Wizard Buddy.
Publication Date: 07/15/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur
Synopsis: Adventure, mystery, and monsters converge in this fast-paced middle-grade series perfect for fans of Goosebumps, Cirque du Freak, the Cooper Kids, and the Hardy Boys.

If you enjoyed Journey to the Center of the Earth and Jurassic World, you'll love Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur!

* DELUXE EDITION, with 19 illustrations! *

They're alive!

When the floor of a cave collapses, taking 12-year-old Alec Kerley and his friends with it, the outside world thinks they are as good as dead. But what those on the surface don't know is that they are alive and exploring a fantastical underground world never before seen.

Following a subterranean river through a series of caverns in their search for a way back home, Alec and his friends discover a gigantic cave filled with prehistoric life -- dinosaurs! In their desperate struggle for survival, can they find their way out before becoming the meal for a Tyrannosaurus rex? And what other malevolence lurks deep underground, watching, waiting?

Join Alec Kerley and the Monster Hunters as they enter a land filled with the Roar of the Dinosaur!

****

Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is a middle grade inspirational monster novel filled with adventure. It is a legitimately scary story, and a great read for all ages -- middle graders, teens, and adults. Parental guidance is suggested. 27 chapters, 60,000 words.

Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is the third book in a series. The other titles are Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot (Book One) and Alec Kerley and the Wrath of the Vampire (Book Two).
Publication Date: 07/12/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Fearless Joe Dearborne
Lisa Whitney Mitchell
Synopsis:

Some might say he’s courageous, while others would say he’s daring, maybe even a little crazy. But when Joe Dearborne risked his life and ran into a burning building to save a puppy, the local newspaper referred to him as “fearless”—and that’s a pretty big title for a sixth-grader to live up to.

Plus, Joe already has plenty else to worry about. After other daring feats in the past, Joe promised his father he wouldn’t do anything dangerous again, and, alas, he’s just broken that promise.

But whatever trouble he expects to get into with his father, and despite the dangers he’s triumphed over in the past, nothing could prepare Joe for what he’s about to encounter when a cold, bitterness creeps into his home.

A mysterious and peculiar woman named Mrs. Chill has just been hired to care for Joe while his father is away on business. In no time, however, Joe discovers that she’s up to more than cooking and cleaning, and she has plans to destroy his family. Joe’s effort to save them results in perilous, sometimes humorous, encounters, and leads him on a journey through the threatening wilderness where he faces his greatest challenge yet.

Publication Date: 07/11/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
WhipEye (Book 1)
Geoffrey Saign
Synopsis: SamGreen. Wildlife expert. Warrior. And desperately missing her mom.
She also doesn't think her 16th birthday should be a survival test.
 
 But she is about to learn she could die in the next 24 hours. Creepy monsters and a giant called Uncle Biggie do exist. Along with a scary guardian who wants to take over the world, and an ancient wise-cracking parrot who wants to stop him. It's up to Sam to save two worlds. With a supernatural staff named WhipEye--that she has no clue how to use.
 
Impossible.
 
Unless Sam heals her broken heart. Gets help from magical creatures called Great Ones.And the boy next door--Jake--decides he's on board for an adventure out of his worst nightmares.
 
Sam must also find the courage to fight the biggest battle of her life...and risk everything for love...
Publication Date: 06/19/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Gray's Domain (Purgatorium 2)
Synopsis: After enduring Dr. Hortense Gray’s experimental therapy on an island off the coast of California at a compound known as The Purgatorium, seventeen-year-old Daphne is delighted to learn she will now have a chance to have revenge on her parents and boyfriend by participating in their therapy. It’s payback time, and Daphne can’t wait to begin. Dr. Gray defends her dubious methods by claiming that all treatments come with risks, but when real bullets fly and lives are at stake, Daphne decides she wants no part of it and hatches a plan to save her family.
Publication Date: 06/02/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Tooth Fairy Trap
Amy Cullings Moreno, Rachelle Burk
Synopsis: Bluma is a young tooth fairy who is allergic to her own fairy dust. She faces many problems during this night of tooth collecting, but her biggest challenge is Brian's fairy trap. Bluma can succeed in collecting his tooth only with the help of the boy's grouchy hamster, and a few things she has collected through the night. An illustrated chapter book for young readers. (PLEASE NOTE:  Amazon's "LOOK INSIDE" review feature may skip over many full-page illustrations.)
Publication Date: 05/31/14
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Orion Poe and the Lost Explorer
Pritesh Rane, Will Summerhouse
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Orion lives with his stodgy grandfather in eastern Maine, where nothing exciting ever happens. But then a series of strange events draws him into the mystery of a lost explorer, and Orion is swept up in a whirlwind of adventure that takes him to the top of the world. To survive he must outwit a scheming treasure hunter, team up with a gang of flimps, and take on a tyrant with an anger management problem. Can Orion solve the mystery and get back home alive? And just what are flimps, anyway? Orion Poe is about to find out. Join him as he laughs, cries, bluffs, and shoots his way to the heart of one of the greatest mysteries in the history of exploration. Along the way he discovers that the world is far bigger—and stranger—than he ever imagined.
Publication Date: 05/16/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction

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