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12 and up | Page 118 | LitPick Book Reviews
12 and up
Brendan Buckley's Sixth-Grade Experiment
Brendan Buckley's Sixth-Grade Experiment
Sundee T. Frazier
Read about Brendan, a biracial boy who loves science, and his middle school adventures in this sequel to the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award-winner Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It.   Brendan Buckley is headed to middle school on a whole new adventure. When his alternative energy idea gets him paired with new girl Morgan Belcher for the national science competition, Brendan is skeptical. But their partnership clicks, and they embark on a methane-producing experiment involving bottles, balloons, and the freshest cow manure they can find. As Brendan spends more time on the experiment, he has a lot of big questions: Does his police detective dad really think he’s a science-nerd whimp? Will he and Khalfani, his best friend and Tae Kwon Do sparring partner, remain best friends? And can Brendan prove that his scientific pursuits really could be world-changing?   *Brendan is both nerdy and immensely likable. . . . The prickliness between Brendan and his father is handled with particular deftness.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Recommended   "Middle schoolers and science projects make for enjoyable combustible fiction. . . . The role of racism and family history is key in shaping these multifaceted characters. . . . appealing Brendan should keep readers fully engaged."—Kirkus Reviews “Children will enjoy the ups and downs of Brendan’s sixth-grade year and wait eagerly for his future exploits.”—School Library Journal “The complexity of the characters and the strength of Brendan’s family sets the book apart, as does Brendan’s biracial identity.”—BooklistFrom the Hardcover edition.

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Crow
Crow
Barbara Wright
The summer of 1898 is filled with ups and downs for 11-year-old Moses. He's growing apart from his best friend, his superstitious Boo-Nanny butts heads constantly with his pragmatic, educated father, and his mother is reeling from the discovery of a family secret. Yet there are good times, too. He's teaching his grandmother how to read. For the first time she's sharing stories about her life as a slave. And his father and his friends are finally getting the respect and positions of power they've earned in the Wilmington, North Carolina, community. But not everyone is happy with the political changes at play and some will do anything, including a violent plot against the government, to maintain the status quo.One generation away from slavery, a thriving African American community—enfranchised and emancipated—suddenly and violently loses its freedom in turn of the century North Carolina when a group of local politicians stages the only successful coup d'etat in US history.

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The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Evil Penguin Plan
The Flying Beaver Brothers and The Evil Penguin Plan
Maxwell Eaton III
Meet Ace and Bub, the flying beaver brothers! Ace loves extreme sports and is always looking for a new adventure. Bub loves napping and, well, napping. But when penguins threaten to freeze Beaver Island for "resort and polar-style living," the brothers put their talents to work saving their tropical island paradise. Can they save Beaver Island from environmental destruction? And can they do it in time to still win the annual Beaver Island Surfing Competition?

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Horse Diaries #8: Black Cloud
Horse Diaries: Black Cloud
Patricia Hermes, Astrid Sheckels
Born in Northern Nevada in 1950, Black Cloud is a black-and-white mustang colt. He loves roaming free with the rest of his herd, playing with the other foals, and learning the ways of wild horses. But when humans intrude on this wandering life, Black Cloud's world is changed forever. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about mustangs and the history of the laws protecting them.

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Ice Island
Ice Island
Sherry Shahan
What begins as a training run with sled dogs turns into a race against time for Tatum and her new friend, a Siberian Yupik boy named Cole. When a freak blizzard hits this remote island off the coast of Alaska, the duo seeks shelter overnight in a dilapidated hunting cabin. Their harrowing ordeal goes from bad to worse when wind-driven snow forces them to risk an alternate route. Stranded in the untamed wilderness, they must rely on each other—as well as their faithful huskies—to survive sub-zero temperatures and bone-numbing exhaustion. Worse still, their food supply is dangerously low. The most daunting decision comes when the strongest dog runs away. One person must go for help, while one must stay behind. Either way, they'll both be alone in the wild for an uncertain amount of time.

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Mason Dixon: Basketball Disasters
Mason Dixon: Basketball Disasters
Guy Francis, Claudia Mills
Here's the third entry in Claudia Mills' charming middle-grade series. Mason Dixon survived the school choir. He survived adopting his now-beloved dog named, uh, Dog. But now he faces his biggest challenge yet: joining the local basketball team. Not by choice, of course. Not only do his parents encourage it, but his dad even volunteers to be his coach. Now, with his best pal Brody and a team of misfits even worse at basketball than him (if that's possible), Mason must try to rally to beat his arch-rival, the school bully Dunk. Just another day-in-the-life of a disaster-prone fourth grader.

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Solo
Solo
Sarah Schofield
Eliana Davis is no stranger to moving from one place to another, but moving in the middle of the school year to the small town where her parents grew up is something she never thought would happen. Knowing she will only be there the year her dad is deployed, Eliana is torn between letting people in or keeping to herself. Will she listen to her heart or keep flying solo?

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Oreo
Oreo
Valerique Williams
Thirty years ago when Jayenia’s parents immigrated from Africa to America and worked their way from the bottom up to secure a life for their children that they could not have, they never dreamed it would result in the unavoidable unhappiness of their youngest daughter. For Jayenia, growing up in white suburbia as an African American girl takes a toll on her self image and skews her understanding of who she thinks she is suppose to be. When she looks in the mirror she does not like what she sees: Too black on the outside to be white and too white on the inside to be black, leaving Jayenia feeling confused and alone during what should be a "fun" time in her life. According to her, everything is wrong about her: Her hair, her skin, her voice, the way she acts, everything! On top of all this she is just entering high school, which she happens to be excited about, until after the first day. Oreo, sheds light on what many African Americans go through when trying to fit into a society that has not always been a fan of dark skin. While being ridiculed by her own race and rejected by the other Jayenia has mental battles with herself that result in what will be some of the most difficult times of her adolescent life.

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The Rock of Ivanore (The Celestine Chronicles)
The Rock of Ivanore
Laurisa White Reyes
The annual Great Quest is about to be announced in Quendel, a task that will determine the future of Marcus and the other boys from the village who are coming of age. The wizard Zyll commands them to find the Rock of Ivanore, but he doesn’t tell them what the Rock is exactly or where it can be found. Marcus must reach deep within himself to develop new powers of magic and find the strength to survive the wild lands and fierce enemies he encounters as he searches for the illusive Rock. If he succeeds, he will live a life of honor; if he fails, he will live a life of menial labor in shame. With more twists and turns than a labyrinth, and a story in which nothing is at it seems, this tale of deception and discovery keeps readers in suspense until the end.Middle readers will find that The Rock of Ivanore fits nicely among the traditional fantasies they so enjoy. They will also appreciate its fresh and inventive take on the genre.

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Perfected By Girls
Perfected By Girls
Karen Grove, Jennifer Martino Nehrbauer, Alfred C. Martino
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.

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