8 - 12

The Templeton Twins Make a Scene
Jeremy Holmes, Ellis Weiner
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?
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Will in Scarlet
Matthew Cody
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.
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Sky Jumpers
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
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Lion
Jeff Stone
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.
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The Dragon at the North Pole
John Shroades, Kate Klimo
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.
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Joshua Dread
Lee Bacon
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.
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Mister Max
Iacopo Bruno, Cynthia Voigt
Newbery medalist Cynthia Voigt presents a rollicking mystery in three acts!Max's parents are missing. They are actors, and thus unpredictable, but sailing away, leaving Max with only a cryptic note, is unusual even for them. Did they intend to leave him behind? Have they been kidnapped? Until he can figure it out, Max feels it's safer to keep a low profile. Hiding out is no problem for a child of the theater. Max has played many roles, he can be whoever he needs to be to blend in. But finding a job is tricky, no matter what costume he dons.Ironically, it turns out Max has a talent for finding things. He finds a runaway child, a stray dog, a missing heirloom, a lost love. . . . So is he a finder? A detective? No, it's more. Max finds a way to solve people's problems—he engineers better outcomes for them. He becomes Mister Max, Solutioneer. Now if only he could find a solution to his own problems . . .
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Stained
Cheryl Rainfield
Sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.
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Too Cool For This School
Kristen Tracy
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)POPULARPROJECT (UN)POPULAR: TOTALLY CRUSHEDCAMILLE MCPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUSTHE REINVENTION OF BESSICA LEFTERBESSICA 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
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The Monster in the Mudball
S.P. Gates
A monster is loose in England! And it’s kind of Jin’s fault that Zilombo, the monster, gotloose. Jin tracks the monster, but he can’t figure out how to get her back into the artifact fromwhich 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 isthe most likely culprit for his disappearance. Zilombo gains new, frightening powers every timeshe 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 togrow, Jin, Frankie, and Mizz Z must find a way to outsmart Zilombo!