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Juvenile Fiction | Page 139 | LitPick Book Reviews
Juvenile Fiction
One Came Home (Newbery Medal - Honors Title(s))
One Came Home
Amy Timberlake
A Newbery Honor BookAn ALA-ALSC Notable Children's BookWinner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel “An adventure, a mystery, and a love song to the natural world. . . . Run out and read it. Right now.”—Newbery Medalist Karen CushmanIn the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.

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Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City
Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City
Wendelin Van Draanen
"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" —Midwest Children's Book ReviewIn this pivotal book in the Sammy Keyes series, Sammy tackles the persistent mysteries of her own life. Mysteries like: Who is her father? And why has her mother kept it such a secret? How long can she manage to hide out in Grams' seniors-only building before someone catches on? Is her mother really planning to marry her boyfriend's father? (Ew.) And why, why is Heather Acosta so nasty?During one crazy weekend in Las Vegas, with the help of an entire army of Elvis impersonators, Sammy finally gets some answers. But of course knowledge comes at a price—and solving the mysteries of her own life will cost Sammy more than she ever meant to pay. . . .The Sammy Keyes mysteries are fast-paced, funny, thoroughly modern, and true whodunits. Each mystery is exciting and dramatic, but it's the drama in Sammy's personal life that keeps readers coming back to see what happens next with her love interest Casey, her soap-star mother, and her mysterious father.

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The Resisters #3: Titan Base
The Resisters #3: Titan Base
Eric Nylund
Million-copy bestselling Halo author and game developer Eric Nylund brings action-packed science fiction to a young audience with the third book in the Resisters series.  Despite their recent victory over the alien Ch'zar, Ethan Blackwood and his squadron have no time to rest. The Ch'zar are still relentlessly searching for the Seed Bank, the Resisters' secret base—and they're getting dangerously close. If they find it, all the adults in the Seed Bank will be absorbed into the the aliens' collective mind. Now Ethan and his friends must evade all Ch'zar scouts and find a new home for the Resistance. Once again, it's all up to the kids.

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Horse Diaries #10: Darcy
Horse Diaries #10: Darcy
Ruth Sanderson, Whitney Sanderson
Ireland, 1917. Darcy is a light gray Connemara pony with silver dapples. She's fast and tough, whether she's pulling a load of peat from the bog or riding around the rugged countryside with Shannon McKenna, her human family's eldest daughter. But when Mrs. McKenna needs a doctor, Darcy discovers a skill that will change her and her family's life forever. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Connemara ponies and Irish history.

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Island Eyes, Island Skies
Island Eyes, Island Skies
Richard Levine
This is the story of a friendship that develops between Rob, an introspective middle school boy, and D.C., a tall, smart-alecky girl from another town. The two meet and are drawn to each other at D.C.'s cousin's early summer party, but as soon thereafter tragedy strikes their respective families, they don't see each other again until the following fall. Although generally lighthearted and humorous in tone, the novel is at times serious, expressing honest, heart-felt emotion as it recounts the growth of the friendship -- until tragedy strikes one more time.  Recommended for ages 11 and up.Show More Show Less

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Big Brother
Big Brother
Tracey Morait
When his dad leaves for a job in New York Ash is left to cope with his drug-addicted, alcoholic mother Rhonda, who decides to move away from the life she hates in Bristol to her home town of Liverpool, taking Ash away from his school, his mates, and his gran. Not only does Ash have problems at home with a harassing, demanding mother, he becomes the easy target of a gang of bullies at his new school, the Jessop crew, because he talks with a different accent and wears a hearing aid. Then one day Ash meets the mysterious Big Brother, who wants to help Ash seek revenge on the Jessops, but it seems Big Brother has an agenda of his own. Just why is he so keen to help Ash destroy his enemies, and where did he come from? The pair strike up a partnership Ash is very soon desperate to break; the problem is Big Brother refuses to let him go.

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Storm
Storm
Melissa Kline
2013 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD FINALIST (Young Adult Category) 2012 FOREWORD BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALIST (Young Adult Category) Sixteen-year-old Storm enjoys skateboarding, fixing broken electronics, and building things with his hands. They distract him from the tormented thoughts surrounding the circumstances of his mother’s death. But his problems can’t be avoided forever… Since his mother’s death, tensions are high at home, the girl of Storm’s dreams is dating someone else, and an argument with his father lands him in the school counselors’ office. Will Storm overcome his fears, let go of the feelings that have been haunting him, and reveal his long-held secrets? Can his dad ever forgive him? Will the girl of his dreams ever see him as more than a friend? A true-to-life young adult novel teeming with mystery, romance and intrigue. “Breathtaking. A powerful story of the heart ... Kline has the amazing talent of sharing a tragedy through the viewpoint of a young man.” ~ Elizabeth Mueller, YA Author of Darkspell "A must read for teens, teachers, parents and anyone who would like to add to their understanding of how young people maneuver through their world.” ~Loyce Crawford, LCSW

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Road Trip (Road Trip Series)
Road Trip
A summer adventure you'll never forget, from a beloved Newbery Honor winning author!Dad and Ben haven't been getting along lately, and Dad hopes a road trip to rescue a border collie will help them reconnect. But Ben is on to Dad's scheme, and he's got ideas of his own. Like inviting his buddy, Theo, who's sure to get into fun (and trouble) along the way. And if Dad wants a family road trip, then the family dog, Atticus, should get to come, too. What could go wrong?But when their truck breaks down, the family trip takes plenty of unexpected turns. Before they know it, they've commandeered an old school bus and joined forces with its cranky mechanic, Gus. Next, they pick up Mia, a waitress escaping a tense situation. Only sharp-eyed Atticus realizes that Theo is on the run from something bad—and someone is following them. With alternating chapters from both Ben and his dog, Atticus, this fast-paced book takes readers on an unpredictable ride that's all about family, friendship, and surprises.

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Magicalamity
Magicalamity
Kate Saunders
Tom is in shock. He's just discovered that his dad is an escaped fairy on the run. And that he must trust his life to three dangerous fairy godmothers he's never met. Two of them are hardened criminals, and one falls out of the window when she tries to fly . . . Will their mad magic be enough to help Tom rescue his dad from the clutches of some killer fairies?

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Little Wings #4: The One and Only Willa Bean
Little Wings #4: The One and Only Willa Bean
Kristi Valiant, Cecilia Galante
Cecilia Galante's sweet series about a lovable curly-haired cupid soars on in book #4.Every cupid has a one-of-a-kind flying friend, right? Wrong! Willa Bean has Snooze, an owl, but the new girl in school, Lucy, has an owl, too! And Lucy's owl is bigger, and maybe even smarter, than Snooze. What if Mr. Wingston overshadows Snooze at Noble Nimbus Day? Nope, nope, nope-ity nope. Willa Bean has to make sure Snooze is the best owl at Cupid Academy!

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