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George and the Big Bang (George's Secret Key #3)
by Stephen Hawking Lucy Hawking Garry ParsonsExplore how the universe began--and thwart evil along the way--in this cosmic adventure from Stephen and Lucy Hawking that includes a graphic novel. George has problems. He has twin baby sisters at home who demand his parents' attention. His beloved pig Freddy has been exiled to a farm, where he's miserable. And worst of all, his best friend, Annie, has made a new friend whom she seems to like more than George. So George jumps at the chance to help Eric with his plans to run a big experiment in Switzerland that seeks to explore the earliest moment of the universe. But there is a conspiracy afoot, and a group of evildoers is planning to sabotage the experiment. A mysterious message from George's old nemesis, Reeper, brings shocking new information, but whose side is Reeper really on? And can George repair his friendship with Annie and piece together the clues before Eric's experiment is destroyed forever? This engaging adventure features essays by Professor Stephen Hawking and other eminent physicists about the origins of the universe and ends with a twenty-page graphic novel that explains how the Big Bang happened--in reverse!
The Bad Apple
by T. R. Burns"It's easy to get drawn into this fast-paced, funny, and entertaining adventure" (Publishers Weekly) about a school where making trouble is highly encouraged.Twelve-year-old Seamus Hinkle is a good kid with a perfect school record--until the day of the unfortunate apple incident. Seamus is immediately shipped off to a detention facility--only to discover that Kilter Academy is actually a school to mold future Troublemakers, where demerits are awarded as a prize for bad behavior and each student is tasked to pull various pranks on their teachers in order to excel. Initially determined to avoid any more mishaps, Seamus nonetheless inadvertently emerges as a uniquely skilled troublemaker. Together with new friends Lemon and Elinor, he rises to the top of his class while beginning to discover that Kilter Academy has some major secrets and surprises in store....
A World of Trouble
by T. R. BurnsThe mischief continues in the second book of a trouble-loving middle-grade series.Sometimes you find trouble, and sometimes trouble finds you. It's Seamus Hinkle's second semester at Kilter Academy, where he's quickly become an ace troublemaking student. In fact, the headmistress has even entrusted him with a special assignment--one he's forbidden to share with any of his friends. But Seamus has also come up with his own mission, and it's a doozy. If Seamus and Lemon, Abe, and Gabby can pull off this cross-country adventure to rescue one of their own, they'll earn extra-credit demerits for sure. And they might just learn the truth about some huge secrets the adults around them have been keeping.... The second book in T.R. Burns's Merits of Mischief series boasts the same "irresistible appeal" (BCCB) of Book One, and is sure to leave readers clamoring for the next installment.
A World of Trouble
by T. R. BurnsSometimes you find trouble, and sometimes trouble finds you. The mischief continues in the second book of a trouble-loving middle grade series!It's Seamus Hinkle's second semester at Kilter Academy, where he's quickly become an ace troublemaking student. In fact, the headmistress has even entrusted him with a special assignment--one he's forbidden to share with any of his friends. But Seamus has also come up with his own mission, and it's a doozy. If Seamus and Lemon, Abe, and Gabby can pull off this cross-country adventure to rescue one of their own, they'll earn extra-credit demerits for sure. And they might just learn the truth about some huge secrets the adults around them have been keeping... The second book in T.R. Burns's Merits of Mischief series boasts the same "irresistible appeal" (BCCB) of Book One, and is sure to leave you clamoring for the next installment.
Watch Your Step
by T. R. BurnsWhen the Kilter Academy students go on retreat with their parents, it's the more mischief the merrier in this third book of a trouble-loving middle grade series!Seamus Hinkle has encountered a good deal of mystery and a lot of secrets since he first started at Kilter Academy. The longer he's there, the more unanswered questions he seems to have. At last it seems like he just might get some answers as he and his troublemaker friends prepare for a huge event: a Kilter Academy retreat in the Adirondack mountains with all the students...and their parents. Will Seamus finally learn how his own mother is connected to Annika, the mercurial headmistress of Kilter? Will he discover Annika's true purpose for the Kilter students? And how will the students from the rival school, the Incriminators, play into all of this? It's hard to say, but one thing is for sure--there will be plenty of trouble along the way!
Ghost Town
by Phoebe RiversIn this start to a paranormal series, Sara's new town has a lot of history--and a lot of ghosts who want to tell her all about it.Sara Collins is a normal twelve-year-old girl with an abnormal secret: She is psychic. She's had her abilities for as long as she can remember, but she doesn't like to talk about them. She hopes that if she ignores them, they might go away. Sara wants nothing more than to have a normal life, and to her, "normal" doesn't include anything paranormal. But Sara's life is about to be turned upside down, because she's moving across the country with her dad to an old shore town in New Jersey. A shore town with a lot of history...and more than its fair share of ghosts roaming around. As Sara tries to settle into her new home, she discovers that for the first time, the ghosts around her can communicate with her. One ghost in particular desperately needs something from her and won't leave her alone. Sara wants to help, but she's scared. Can Sara put her fear aside and help the spirit? Will doing so put her in jeopardy? Meanwhile, Sara meets a great local girl named Lily Randazzo, and against all odds, really bonds with her. Sara has made a true friend for the first time in her life. Maybe New Jersey isn't so bad after all....
Haunted Memories
by Phoebe RiversIn this second installment of a paranormal series, Sara's ready to fall in love--if the ghost standing in her way will allow it! Sara has settled in to her new hometown of Stellamar and even made a good friend in Lily Randazzo. Now it's time to start school, and Sara has her first psychic vision. In the vision, she sees herself with a cute stranger--and when she starts school a few days later, she meets him. His name is Jayden Mendes, and Sara knows with complete certainty that he is destined to be her first boyfriend. But there's something else Sara knows about Jayden: He has a ghostly companion who stays by his side at all times. The ghost seems intent on keeping Sara and Jayden apart. Who is this ghost, and what is his problem with Sara? What secrets does Jayden hold--and will these secrets keep Sara from falling in love?
Parallel Journeys
by Eleanor H. AyerShe was a young German Jew. He was an ardent member of the Hitler Youth. This is the story of their pareallel journey through World War II. Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck were born just a few miles from each other in the German Rhineland. But their lives took radically different courses: Helen's to the Auschwitz extermination camp; Alfons to a high rank in the Hitler Youth.While Helen was hiding in Amserdam, Alfons was a fanatic believer in Hitler's "master race." While she was crammed in a cattle car bound for the death camp Aushchwitz, he was a tennage commander of frontline troopes, ready to fight and die for the glory of Hitler and the Fatherland. This book tells both of their stories, side-by-side, in an overwhelming account of the nightmare that was WWII. The riveting stories of these two remarkable people must stand as a powerful lesson to us all.
The Yearling
by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Patricia Reilly GiffNo novel better epitomizes the love between a child and a pet than The Yearling. Young Jody adopts an orphaned fawn he calls Flag and makes it a part of his family and his best friend. But life in the Florida backwoods is harsh, and so, as his family fights off wolves, bears, and even alligators, and faces failure in their tenuous subsistence farming, Jody must finally part with his dear animal friend. There has been a film and even a musical based on this moving story, a fine work of great American literature.
Caddy's World (Casson Family #0)
by Hilary MckayThe amazing and hilarious Casson family is back in this all-new novel from award-winning author Hilary McKay.Cadmium Casson is twelve years old the summer that everything changes. Not only are her closest friendships in jeopardy, but her mom is expecting a baby. And when the baby arrives early, Caddy's world turns upside down. Her mother spends all her time at the hospital, and her father takes over the household, which of course turns into one chaotic (though hilarious) crisis after the next.When her charmingly dense boyfriend dumps her, Caddy is at her wits' end. Then she discovers that the fragile baby she is so afraid of losing is not an ending, but a beginning for her whole family. And that love and friendship don't need to be destroyed by change--they can be strengthened. Another refreshingly wise, funny, and poignant novel from the inimitable Hilary McKay.se "McKay has set the standard of brilliance." --Horn Book, on Caddy Ever After* "Simply lovely." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review), on Forever Rose
Accidental Hero (A Jack Blank Adventure #1)
by Matt MykluschFans of Brandon Mull and James Riley will love this middle grade fantasy trilogy about a regular kid who discovers that the truth about his past could be the answer to saving the future.All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby&’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks more and more into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His aptitude tests project him as spending a long, unhappy career as a toilet brush cleaner. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the orphanage that he secretly reads in the dark corners of the library. Everything changes one icy gray morning when Jack receives two visitors that alter his life forever. The first is a deadly robot straight out of one of his comic books that tries its best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate—including Jack. Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability—one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they&’ve ever faced.
Green Boy
by Susan CooperGreen Boy is an imaginative and culturally revealing 200 page fantasy for children written by the highly acclaimed and award winning novelist Susan Cooper and first published in 2002.<P><P> Twelve-year-old Trey and seven-year-old Lou, who does not speak, cross the barrier between two worlds, that of their island in the Bahamas, and a land called Pangaia, and play a mysterious role in restoring the natural environment in both places. The natural habitat of their Bahaman island is being threatened by foreign developers, while the world of Pangaia is a dystopian extrapolation of environmentally destructive trends. The world has become a large sprawling city shrouded in smog, Run-away genetic experiments have unbalanced nature, and the government has degenerated into a repressive police state. People concerned about the environment are forced to live in the underground. They know about the window that opens at rare times between the worlds, and they have plans for Tray and Lou.<P> This short novel shows another side of Susan Cooper, the celebrated author of award winning children's fantasy. The view of nature depicted in the work is informed by the Gaia hypothesis, and the struggle between good and evil takes the political form of a conflict between those who want to own and exploit the land and those who want to harmonize with it and preserve its blessings.
Sacred Stories: Wisdom from World Religions
by Marilyn Mcfarlane Caroline O. BergThis comprehensive collection of timeless and powerful stories puts the wisdom of world religions in the hands of young readers.When attempting to find a simple, engaging, and unbiased approach to world religions for her own family, Marilyn McFarlane discovered such a book did not exist. Understanding how important it is for children to build both respect for and knowledge of a variety of religions, regardless of their own faith, McFarlane created Sacred Stories: Wisdom from World Religions.Each captivating story and accompanying sidebar facts and spot illustrations brings to life the key tenets of a particular belief system, while the comprehensive glossary and resource list enable readers to expand their explorations. Including easy-to-understand descriptions and essential stories from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Native American, and Sacred Earth, Sacred Stories is perfect for parents and teachers who want to expand young readers' understanding of world traditions.The simple, informative, unbiased language of Sacred Stories, combined with its comprehensive resource list and glossary, makes it an ideal learning tool for teachers, librarians, and other educators.
Dead City (Dead City #1)
by James PontiA tween takes on undead New Yorkers in this paranormal action-adventure that "breathes new life into the zombie genre" (Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games).Most kids have enough to deal with between school, homework, extracurricular activities, and friends, but Molly Bigelow isn't your typical tween. By day, Molly attends MIST--the Metropolitan Institute of Science and Technology--but it's what she's learning outside of school that sets her apart from her classmates. Molly is a zombie hunter, just like her mother. This, however, is news to Molly. Now she must come to terms with not only the idea that zombies exist, but also that they're everywhere, and it's her job to help police them and keep the peace. Sure, she'd like to be a regular kid, but "regular" just isn't possible when it turns out the most revered (or feared, depending on your perspective) zombie hunter in the history of New York City is your mother. It seems Molly's got some legendary footsteps to follow...
Blue Moon: Dead City; Blue Moon; Dark Days (Dead City #2)
by James PontiMolly is ready for more nonstop, undead action in this follow-up to Dead City, which Kirkus Reviews described as “a fast-paced read for those who like their zombies with just a little fright.”When Molly Bigelow discovered that zombies shared New York with humans, she didn’t think life could get more shocking. Then she learned that her mother was once one of the greatest zombie killers ever—and she discovered that her dead mother is not technically dead after all (although she isn’t alive, either). Molly’s efforts to keep these secrets and to help her Omega team track down the identity of the original thirteen zombies will take her from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade to New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Her loyalties to friends and family will be put to the test. And her life will be changed in ways she never could have imagined.
Dive In!
by Cassie WatersPut on your sunscreen, grab a towel, and get ready to meet the Pool Girls in this all-new tween series set to make a splash!Memorial Day weekend is finally here, and Grace Davis is having the best time at the Riverside Swim Club. (RSC to those in the know.) There are adorable swim team boys to check out, the warm sun to soak up, and her troubled friendship with a certain former best friend (ahem, Christina Cooper) to forget about. Grace can't wait to spend the entire summer lounging poolside. There's just one little problem--she doesn't actually belong to RSC. Her parents say she can join if she earns the money for membership herself. With two weeks left in the school year before the summer really heats up, will Grace be able to make enough money, or will her summer be totally sunk?
Heat Wave
by Cassie WatersThe sparks fly in this heated addition to Spotlight's swim club-centric tween series.The 4th of July is supposed to be the perfect summer night at Riverside Swim Club, but expectations are turned upside down when RSC's star swimmer, Jen Cho, breaks her leg! The next morning, the coach tells Grace she'll have to fill in for Jen at next week's big swim meet. The problem? Grace is a totally terrible swimmer. Meanwhile, Christina is trying everything under the sun to get Mike Morris to notice her. When Mike offers to help Grace with her swimming, Christina sees the perfect opportunity for Grace to talk to Mike about her. But what happens when it seems that Mike likes Grace instead? And when Grace starts to realize that she might like Mike's best friend best? One thing's for sure: It's the heat of the summer and the sparks are about to fly!
D Is for Drama
by Jo WhittemoreA lead role means lots of drama in this sparkling story of one tween's efforts to shine in the spotlight. Sunny Kim is done with one-line roles at Carnegie Arts Academy--she's ready for the lead. But even after a summer of studying with an acting coach, Sunny doesn't snag the role of Mary Poppins in her school's upcoming production. Unfortunately, her entire family mistakenly thinks otherwise, including her former-actress mother. Desperate for a solution, Sunny convinces her theater adviser to let her produce a one-woman show. But when the rest of her friends find out--the friends that never seem to make the playbill either--they all want to join in. Before long, Sunny is knee-deep in curtains, catfights, and chorus lines as her one-woman work turns into a staging of the hit musical Wicked. And when a terrible misunderstanding pits the entire cast against Sunny, can the show--and Sunny's future acting career--be saved in time for opening night?
Stealing Popular
by Trudi TrueitIn middle school, popularity is power--and in this modern spin on a Robin Hood tale, Coco Sherwood is bringing justice to the social scene.At Briar Green Middle School, you are either a Somebody, a Sorta-body, or a Nobody. Twelve-year-old Coco Sherwood falls directly in the Nobody category--the kids who are considered the misfits and outcasts of the school. It's not fair. It's not right. And it's time to even the score. With clever planning and sneaky tactics, Coco becomes the Robin Hood of Briar Green. Girls who never thought they had a chance to be noticed are now making cheer squad and turning into beauty queens. But when Coco takes on the ultimate challenge--taking down Popular Girl #1 Dijon Randle--her dream of equality on the middle-school social ladder may turn into a nightmare. Can Coco and the rest of the Nobodies triumph in a world where popularity is power? Or will the Somebodies win--again?
Darkbeast Rebellion
by Morgan KeyesBetrayal threatens everything Keara dreams of in this fast-paced, exciting sequel to Darkbeast. Keara, her friend Goran, and the wily old actor, Taggart, are fleeing for their lives. They have all spared their darkbeasts, the creatures that take on their darker deeds and emotions and lift their spirits. But their actions defy the law, which dictates that all citizens must kill their darkbeasts on their twelfth birthdays. There are rumors of safe havens, groups of people called Darkers who spared their darkbeasts and live outside the law. To find the Darkers, the trio must embark on a dangerous journey—and evade the Inquisitors who are searching for them everywhere. In the middle of winter, freezing and exhausted, Keara and her companions are taken to an underground encampment that seems the answer to all their hopes. But are these Darkers really what they appear to be?
The Year of Shadows
by Claire LegrandOlivia wants a new life—and her wish might be granted by the unlikeliest allies. A heartfelt, gently Gothic novel from Claire Legrand that School Library Journal calls a “not-too-scary ghost story.”Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year. Her mother’s left, her neglectful father—the maestro of a failing orchestra—has moved her and her grandmother into the city’s dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat. Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall. They need Olivia’s help—if the hall is torn down, they’ll be stuck as ghosts forever, never able to move on. Olivia has to do the impossible for her shadowy new friends: Save the concert hall. But helping the dead has powerful consequences for the living…and soon it’s not just the concert hall that needs saving.
Neil Flambé and the Crusader's Curse
by Kevin SylvesterIn the third book in The Neil Flambé Capers, the sudden disappearance of Neil's skills in the kitchen is the real mystery. Could a curse to blame?World-class chef--and royal pain in the neck--Neil Flambé is used to serving his dishes to resounding applause and overwhelming approval. And Neil's super-sensitive nose does more than enable him to cook sophisticated meals and run his own restaurant; it also allows him to help local police solve mysteries in his spare time. Then things start going wrong. His plates are returned. A group of critics visit the restaurant and leave completely dissatisfied. Worse yet, Chez Flambé is closed by an order of the Department of Health! Suddenly, Neil finds himself amid the cook-off of his life--and his entire reputation is at stake. Then he discovers the root of all his problems: a dark curse that has plagued Flambé chefs for centuries. Has Neil finally met a mess he can't smell his way out of?
Neil Flambé and the Tokyo Treasure
by Kevin SylvesterSomething smells fishy--and it's not the sushi--in the fourth book in The Neil Flambé Capers, the culinary mystery series celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey calls "good fun."Superstar teen chef Neil Flambé isn't thrilled when his cousin Larry moves to Japan to work on an online manga comic book. Now who'll help him in the kitchen? But he finds a replacement in Gary the bike courier, and life, and the restaurant, moves on without Larry. That is, until the news comes that Larry has been in a fatal boating accident and is lost at sea. Neil is devastated. But then he checks Larry's online manga. There's a subtle change in the plot, something Neil and Larry had discussed--something only Neil would notice. Is this a cryptic message from beyond the grave--or is Larry still alive? Determined to find out, Neil heads to Japan to solve his next mystery.
Among the Barons: Among The Hidden; Among The Impostors; Among The Betrayed; Among The Barons; Among The Brave; Among The Enemy; Among The Free (Shadow Children #4)
by Margaret Peterson HaddixIn this fourth installment of a series about a society that allows only two children per family, Luke Garner is finally adjusting to his new life at Hendricks School as Lee Grant. While the Grants belong to the highest class of society called the Barons, Luke avoids snobbish affectations and befriends his classmates, who are also illegal thirds. When the real Lee Grant's younger brother arrives at the school, along with his fierce body guard, Luke worries that Smits will expose him to the government. However, Smits has come to enlist Luke's help in discovering how his older brother really died, suspecting that he was murdered. The intrigue and danger grow more acute when both boys are called "home" and Luke discovers that the Grants have plans for him that could turn out to be fatal.
Among the Betrayed: Among The Hidden; Among The Impostors; Among The Betrayed; Among The Barons; Among The Brave; Among The Enemy; Among The Free (Shadow Children #3)
by Margaret Peterson HaddixIn the third installment of Haddix's series about a futuristic society in which families are forbidden to have more than two children, Nina, a secondary character in Among the Impostors, is falsely accused of treason and imprisoned by the Population Police. Her interrogator gives her an ultimatum: either she can get three other child prisoners, illegal third-borns like Nina, to reveal who harbored them and where they got their fake identification cards, or she will be executed. Nina sees a chance to escape the prison and, taking the prisoners with her, quickly discovers their street smarts. But when their food supply runs out, Nina seeks the boy she knew as Lee.