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Ultraball #1: Lunar Blitz
by Jeff ChenEnter the exhilarating game of Ultraball—fly over pass rushers and explode into slingshot zones—through Jeff Chen’s dazzling future world on the moon. Here Ultraball is life, and survival is all that matters. Perfect for sci-fi and sports fans alike. Strike Sazaki loves defying gravity on the moon in his Ultrabot suit. He’s the best quarterback in the league, but while Strike’s led the Taiko Miners to the Ultrabowl three years in a row, each one has ended in defeat. This year, Strike thinks he’s finally found the missing piece to his championship quest: a mysterious girl who could be his new star rocketback. But Boom comes from the Dark Siders, a mass of people who left the United Moon Colonies to live in exile. And not all his teammates are happy sharing a field with her.When rumors surface of a traitor on the Miners, Strike isn’t sure who he can trust. If Strike can’t get his teammates to cooperate and play together, they’ll lose more than just the Ultrabowl. The stake of the colony’s future is on his shoulders.
Ultraball #2: Deathstrike
by Jeff ChenThe stakes are extreme in the second book of Jeff Chen’s futuristic, action-packed Ultraball series. Win-or-lose turns into life-or-death in this thrilling middle grade adventure tailor-made for sports and sci-fi fans.Strike and the Miners are hungrier than ever for a championship after losing yet another Ultrabowl. When they suffer a shocking defeat in their season opener, Strike knows that something is off with his game, but the secret hampering his play is too large to reveal.If he can’t perform at the highest level, what chances do the Miners have against the unstoppable Neutrons?Worse yet, his powerful enemy, Raiden Zuna, knows Strike is hiding something. Zuna offers to help, and Strike is tempted—but the information Zuna wants in return threatens Strike’s friend Boom, as well as the growing Dark Side resistance. When rumors surface about Zuna’s mysterious grand plan, code-named Operation Deathstrike, Strike’s choice could have consequences he never anticipated.Even as the Ultraball games ratchet up in intensity, with teams using explosive new tactics to reach the Ultrabowl, Strike has bigger decisions to make if he wants to keep his teammates—and the moon—safe.
The Umbrella Maker's Son
by Katrina LenoFrom a critically acclaimed author comes a fantastical middle grade novel about a boy determined to prove there&’s more than just the weather behind his rainy town. Oscar Buckle lives in a city where it&’s always raining. And when it isn&’t raining, it&’s about to rain, so the townspeople have learned to embrace it. Oscar&’s father is an umbrella maker—appropriate for a place where you can&’t leave home without one!—but while Buckle Umbrellas are strong, reliable, and high quality, they&’re expensive. Because of this, people are buying from the competitor instead, which is threatening Oscar&’s family&’s business. To make ends meet, Oscar is forced to quit school and work in his father's shop as an apprentice. But when extraordinary events start to occur in their rainy town, Oscar becomes suspicious of their competitor. Desperate to save his town, Oscar must enlist the help of his best friend, Saige, to discover if there's more than nature involved in their city's weather.
The (Un)Popular Vote
by Jasper SanchezRed, White, & Royal Blue meets The West Wing in Jasper Sanchez’s electric and insightful #ownvoices YA debut, chronicling a transmasculine student’s foray into a no-holds-barred student body president election against the wishes of his politician father. Optics can make or break an election. Everything Mark knows about politics, he learned from his father, the Congressman who still pretends he has a daughter and not a son.Mark has promised to keep his past hidden and pretend to be the cis guy everyone assumes he is. But when he sees a manipulatively charming candidate for student body president inflame dangerous rhetoric, Mark risks his low profile to become a political challenger.The problem? No one really knows Mark. He didn’t grow up in this town, and his few friends are all nerds. Still, thanks to Scandal and The West Wing, they know where to start: from campaign stops to voter polling to a fashion makeover.Soon Mark feels emboldened to engage with voters—and even start a new romance. But with an investigative journalist digging into his past, a father trying to silence him, and the bully frontrunner standing in his way, Mark will have to decide which matters most: perception or truth, when both are just as dangerous. “Mind-bogglingly good. This is a novel that every teen needs.” —Kacen Callender, author of Felix Ever After "Charming, stunning, and unapologetically queer." —Mason Deaver, bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best and The Ghosts We Keep
The Unadoptables
by Hana TookeNeil Gaiman meets Hans Christian Andersen in this delicious fairy tale full of mysterious spirits, daring escapes, and a beautiful message about the power of found families. <P><P>In all the years that Elinora Gassbeek has been matron of the Little Tulip Orphanage, not once have the Rules for Baby Abandonment been broken. Until the autumn of 1880, when five babies are left in outrageous circumstances; one in a tin toolbox, one in a coal bucket, one in a picnic hamper, one in a wheat sack, and finally, one in a coffin-shaped basket. <P><P>Those babies were Lotta, Egg, Fenna, Sem, and Milou. And although their cruel matron might think they're "unadoptable," they know their individuality is what makes them special--and so determined to stay together.When a most sinister gentleman appears and threatens to tear them apart, the gang make a daring escape across the frozen canals of Amsterdam. <P><P>But is their real home--and their real family--already closer than they realize?
The Unbeatable Lily Hong
by Diana MaA smart, funny, and heartfelt middle grade novel about Lily Hong’s attempts to save her parents’ Chinese school and the town’s community center using all the resources she has—devoted friends, ingenuity, a passion for filmmaking, mediocre dance moves (at best), and perhaps even her archnemesis.If there’s one thing Lily Hong can’t stand, it’s being second best. That’s why she and Max Zhang have been bitter rivals ever since he swooped into town as the new kid with the cool clothes and his fancy downtown Chinese school and showed her up in the fifth-grade reading challenge. She had wanted to be the one to win the pizza party for their class. Okay, so that was two years ago . . . her best friends Kelli and Lauren didn’t totally get it, but they were on her side. And that’s why they agreed to help Lily with her submission for the Clarktown’s Got Talent video competition. Filmmaking is Lily’s passion—which means winning is more important to her than ever.Unfortunately, finding time to work on her video submission is proving harder than ever. In addition to doing regular homework and attending the Chinese school her parents own and run out of the Clarktown Community Center, Lily’s been getting weird vibes from her parents lately and she can tell something is up. Then her mom announces that the Clarktown Community Center is having its first showcase, and the students of Hong Chinese Academy will be performing as a group—traditional Chinese dance!Lily is more confused than anything else—the community center is practically falling apart and they think this is a good time to put on a show? Could it be that the community center is in trouble and the only way to save it is to make the showcase a huge success? Lily has no choice. She’ll have to juggle the video competition and the art of Chinese dance simultaneously. But when Max Zhang unexpectedly shows up in her class at Chinese school with his perfect Mandarin and his surprisingly good dance skills, Lily might just have to embrace her longtime rival as a key part of her plan to save the community center.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl:: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious (A Squirrel Girl Novel)
by Shannon HaleDoreen Green, age fourteen, is a little too busy wiping out crime in her suburban New Jersey neighborhood to focus on her overdue homework. That's because she also happens to be Squirrel Girl, a bushy-tailed, squirrel-powered Super Hero! After foiling the nefarious plot of an amateur Super Villain, Squirrel Girl is finally finding her groove--and group texting with the Avengers, like, all the time. Doreen, on the other hand, is still trying to navigate friendships, evil teachers, and all the pitfalls that come with middle school. (Seriously, it's complicated.) An announcement goes out that sends waves of excitement through the community: There's a new mall opening on the border of Shady Oaks and neighboring town Listless Pines, and they all get to vote on the mall's mascot! Everyone goes wild over the election . . . a little too wild, if you ask Squirrel Girl and her BHFF (Best Human Friend Forever), Ana Sofia. Soon the two towns are at war--even the trusty Squirrel Scouts are going berserk. Is there something sinister at work in Shady Oaks? Something that has less to do with quality shopping choices and more to do with world domination? And will Squirrel Girl be able to unleash the furry paws of justice in time to save the day?
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl:: Squirrel Meets World (A Squirrel Girl Novel)
by Shannon HaleWHO RUNS THE WORLD? SQUIRRELS! Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of...a squirrel! After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, liked a caged animal. Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born! She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and dissuades vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy. Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go...NUTS?
The Unbelievable FIB 1: The Trickster's Tale (The Unbelievable FIB #1)
by Adam ShaughnessyWhen mythical beings invade the usually ordinary Middletown, it’s up to eleven-year-old Pru and her classmate ABE--with help from an uncommonly rude squirrel and the enigmatic Mister Fox--to save their town from being destroyed by battling Norse gods. But first they have to find the lost Eye of Odin, source of all knowledge--and the key to stopping a war that could destroy both human and immortal realms. Author Adam Shaughnessy draws from classic lore to create a new world where uncertainty opens the door to magic and the last thing you should do is believe your own eyes.A 2015 Summer/Fall Indies Introduce Pick A Fall 2015 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
The Unbelievable FIB 2: Over the Underworld (The Unbelievable FIB #2)
by Adam Shaughnessy“It’s started. Ragnarok has started. It’s the end of the world.” It’s been a year since friends ABE and Pru joined Mister Fox’s Fantasy Investigation Bureau to save their hometown from an invasion of Viking gods and giants. Life has been incredibly ordinary ever since. Then the Norse Allfather, Odin, appears with terrible news: Baldur, his favorite son, has been murdered—the first step in a fated chain of events that leads to Ragnarok.In the second book in the Unbelievable FIB series, ABE and Pru must outrun trolls, explore Asgard and the Viking underworld, and try to outsmart the Queen of the Dead herself to save the world—and survive seventh grade.
The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig
by Emer StampThis laugh-out-loud funny debut will please boys, girls, pigs, vegetarian farmers, ducks--everyone save for evil chickens.This is me. I is Pig! If you is reading this, you can read Pig, and you is very clever. Unless you is an Evil Chicken, in which case, don't read this!Pig is troubled. Usually, life on the Farm is pretty good. He has yummy slops, a true friend in Duck, mud to roll in, and Farmer to scratch his back and call him Roast Pig (his special nickname). But the Evil Chickens are up to something evil, involving a tractor-rocket. And Duck has something else to show his porcine friend: a shed where Farmer prepares to eat Pig for dinner!What can Pig do? If he goes in the Chickens' trocket, he might run out of slops. If he stays, he'll become sausages and bacon. But if Pig and Duck can come up with a plan that involves the chicken house, the trocket, some itchy sheep, and an imaginary fox--maybe they can fix the Farm...or maybe they'll land in even more trouble. Don't miss the hysterically funny debut from Emer Stamp and Pig!
Unbelievably Boring Bart
by James Patterson Duane Swierczynski Xavier BonetThere's more than meets the eye in James Patterson's newest illustrated middle grade novel--a book so fun kids will actually put down their games to read it!Invisible creatures are attacking the school, and 12-year-old Bartholomew Bean is the only one who can stop them! Okay, so maybe Bart is only a hero in the video game app he created. But if he reveals his identity as the genius behind the game, he'll become the most popular kid in school! Or he could secretly use the game to get back at his bullies...Press Button A: RevealPress Button B: RevengeWhich would you choose?
Unbound: A Novel in Verse
by Ann E. BurgFrom the award-winning author of All the Broken Pieces and Serafina's Promise comes a breathtaking new novel that is her most transcendent and widely accessible work to date.The day Grace is called from the slave cabins to work in the Big House, Mama makes her promise to keep her eyes down. Uncle Jim warns her to keep her thoughts tucked private in her mind or they could bring a whole lot of trouble and pain. But the more Grace sees of the heartless Master and hateful Missus, the more a rightiness voice clamors in her head-asking how come white folks can own other people, sell them on the auction block, and separate families forever. When that voice escapes without warning, it sets off a terrible chain of events that prove Uncle Jim's words true. Suddenly, Grace and her family must flee deep into the woods, where they brave deadly animals, slave patrollers, and the uncertainty of ever finding freedom. With candor and compassion, Ann E. Burg sheds light on a startling chapter of American history--the remarkable story of runaways who sought sanctuary in the Great Dismal Swamp--and creates a powerful testament to the right of every human to be free.
Unboxing Libby
by Steph CherrywellAI meets American Girl Dolls in this quirky novel about a group of preteen androids who have been cast aside and have to make their own way in the world. Max isn't always sweet and bubbly. That wouldn't be an issue except for the fact that she's programmed to be. "Max" isn't even her real name. She's a Libby– one of the most popular A.I.Cademy Girl social robots, which top the sales charts for girls ages eight to twelve. They look almost human and there&’s a companion to fit every personality. Wendys are smart. Robins are sporty. Noras are artistic. And Libbys? As the box they come in says: Always chipper, cheerful, and sweet, Libby(TM) makes the perfect friend. But despite her packaging and her programmed memories, Max is feeling the opposite of perfect. The only thing she wants to know is why. But this question uncovers bigger answers than she bargained for – like the shocking fate of the other A.I.Cademy Girls, and what the founders of their idyllic community are really hiding. Max may not be the perfect Libby, but she&’ll have to embrace what makes her uniquely Max to save herself and her friends before they're all sent to the junkyard.
The Unbreakable Zamperini: A World War Ii Survivor's Brave Story (Amazing World War Ii Stories Ser.)
by Nel YomtovIn the 1930s Louis Zamperini was a promising Olympic track athlete. But when World War II broke out, he enlisted and served as a bombardier with the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1943 Zamperini miraculously survived when his bomber crashed in the Pacific Ocean. But that was just the beginning of his ordeal. After surviving for more than six weeks on a raft at sea, he was captured by Japanese forces and sent to a POW camp. For the next two years Zamperini endured brutal treatment at the hands of the Japanese officer who chose to make an example of him. But no matter how horrible things things became, Zamp refused to be broken. Learn all about Louis Zamperini and his unbreakable spirit as a prisoner of war in World War II.
Unbroken
by Jessie HaasA Publishers Weekly Best Book and Parents Choice Gold Award: Following her mother&’s death, a thirteen-year-old has to adjust to life on a farm—and tame a wild young coltIt&’s 1910, and Harriet Gibson, orphaned by the death of her mother in a horse-and-buggy accident, is sent to live on a relative&’s hillside Vermont farm with her two-year-old colt. Grieving her loss, Harry now has to adjust to a new life and make new friends. And Aunt Sarah is a harsh taskmaster. Desperate to get away from her stern, domineering aunt, Harry decides to break in her untrained young Morgan so she can ride the seven miles to her new school. But an accident will force Harry to adapt once more as she makes surprising discoveries about her aunt . . . and a family secret comes to light. This is a stunning novel about love, loss, and blood ties—and about how even when the heart is shattered, the human spirit remains unbroken.
Unbroken
by Jessie HaasA Publishers Weekly Best Book and Parents Choice Gold Award: Following her mother&’s death, a thirteen-year-old has to adjust to life on a farm—and tame a wild young coltIt&’s 1910, and Harriet Gibson, orphaned by the death of her mother in a horse-and-buggy accident, is sent to live on a relative&’s hillside Vermont farm with her two-year-old colt. Grieving her loss, Harry now has to adjust to a new life and make new friends. And Aunt Sarah is a harsh taskmaster. Desperate to get away from her stern, domineering aunt, Harry decides to break in her untrained young Morgan so she can ride the seven miles to her new school. But an accident will force Harry to adapt once more as she makes surprising discoveries about her aunt . . . and a family secret comes to light. This is a stunning novel about love, loss, and blood ties—and about how even when the heart is shattered, the human spirit remains unbroken.
Unbuilding (Sandpiper Bks.)
by David MacaulayThis fictional account of the dismantling and removal of the Empire State Building describes the structure of a skyscraper and explains how such an edifice would be demolished.
Uncertain Glory
by Lea WaitJoe Wood has dreams. Big dreams. He wants to be a newspaperman, and though he's only fourteen, he's already borrowed money to start his own press. But it's April, 1861, and a young nation is teetering on the brink of a civil war. As effects of war begin to spread over Joe's hometown of Wiscasset, Maine, he must juggle his personal ambitions with some new responsibilities. He has to help Owen, his young assistant, deal with the challenges of being black in a white world torn apart by color. He needs to talk his best friend, Charlie, out of enlisting. He wants to help a young spiritualist, Nell, whose uncle claims she can speak to the dead. And when Owen disappears, it's up to Joe to save him. Lea Wait skillfully draws on the lives of real people in Maine's history to tell this story of three young adults touched by war and the tension it brings, forcing them into adulthood--before they may be ready.
Uncertain Summer
by Jessica Lee AndersonFor decades, something has lurked in the swampy lakes of East Texas. When a TV show offers a million dollars to the person that can provide conclusive proof of the creature, Everdil, her brother, and two friends form a team to snap a picture of Bigfoot. But tracking a monster, especially one nobody's been able to catch, proves trickier than Everdil expected. With each new adventure, Everdil seems to create more problems with her friends and family than she solves. In the end, she has to hope that her brave, foolish actions will ultimately make things right with everyone, including Bigfoot. This book will remind readers that hope and loyalty are traits that we all share, no matter our size.
Uncharted Waters
by Leslie BulionMost teenage boys would love to spend a summer with a bachelor uncle in a seaside cabin. But not Jonah Lander. He has secrets—lots of them—and they weigh heavily on his mind. One deception leads to another, and he lies to his Uncle Nate about joining the local swim team, not wanting to explain his fear of the dark salt water. When Sumi, a budding marine biologist, asks him to be her research assistant, he jumps at the chance to make some money. But he gets into a lot more than he bargained for. Soon he will have to face his greatest fears and give up his secrets forever.Bulion's satisfying novel is further enhanced by a rich ensemble of supporting characters, interesting facts about marine life, and a text that perfectly captures the special rhythms of small town seaside living.
Uncivil Acts
by Carolyn KeeneA Civil War reenactment should be fun, right? Not in our town! It feels like war fever's taken over. The tension started to build when we all chose sides. Confederate and Union sympathizers never did mix. And if that wasn't enough to heat things up, someone started to secretly dig large holes in the battlefield. Pretty odd -- and very suspicious. Is someone waging a little war of their own, and trying to cheat? And if so, the bigger question is why?
Unclaimed Treasures
by Patricia MaclachlanOh, to do something special, something extraordinary. That, and to find a true love.... Willa does fall in love, but it isn't at all the way she dreamed it would be. And just what is extraordinary? Willa and twin brother Nicky's mother is going to have a baby-how ordinary. Their friend Horace's mother has left to "seek her fortune." That, Willa thinks, is extraordinary. Willa is on the verge of learning something important. And by the end of the long summer, Willa, Nicky, and Horace each do something extraordinary and unforgettable.
Uncle
by J. P. Martin Neil Gaiman Quentin BlakeIf you think Babar is the only storybook elephant with a cult following, then you haven’t met Uncle, the presiding pachyderm of a wild fictional universe that has been collecting accolades from children and adults for going on fifty years. Unimaginably rich, invariably swathed in a magnificent purple dressing-gown, Uncle oversees a vast ramshackle castle full of friendly kooks while struggling to fend off the sneak attacks of the incorrigible (and ridiculous) Badfort Crowd. Each Uncle story introduces a new character from Uncle’s madcap world: Signor Guzman, careless keeper of the oil lakes; Noddy Ninety, an elderly train conductor and the oldest student of Dr. Lyre’s Select School for Young Gentlemen; the proprietors of Cheapman’s Store (where motorbikes are a halfpenny each) and Dearman’s Store (where the price of an old milk jug goes up daily); along with many others. But for every delightful friend of Uncle, there is a foe who is no less deliriously wicked. Luckily the misbegotten schemes of the Badfort Crowd are no match for Uncle’s superior wits. Quentin Blake’s quirky illustrations are the perfect complement to J.P. Martin’s stories, each one of a perfect length for bedtime reading. Lovers of Roald Dahl and William Steig will rejoice in Uncle’s wonderfully bizarre and happy world, where the good guys always come out on top, and once a year, everybody, good and bad, sits down together for an enormous Christmas feast.