Children and Teens

2010 Summer Favorites - Middle Grade Fiction

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home (Hardcover)

By Henry Cole, Henry Cole
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780061704109
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Katherine Tegen Books, 3/2010
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Celeste is a clever mouse who weaves baskets for food and other collectibles she forages from the dining room of her early 19th-century house.  One evening, the cat discovers Celeste’s mouse hole, and she is forced to search for a new NEST FOR CELESTE (Katherine Tegen Books, $16.99).  That same evening, John Audubon, an artist who draws birds, and his apprentice, Joseph, visit Celeste’s home.  Joseph befriends Celeste, carrying her in his pocket on many adventures.  Henry Cole’s use of illustrations to tell this lovely story will help young readers transition from chapter books to full-length novels.  Ages 7-10.  DDL

The Night Fairy (Hardcover)

By Laura Amy Schlitz, Angela Barrett
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780763636746
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Candlewick, 2/2010
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Flory THE NIGHT FAIRY (Candlewick, $16.99) was born a little before midnight during the full moon. When she was less than three months old, a brown bat mistook her for an insect.  Swooping down, he caught her and badly damaged her wings.  Flory sought shelter in a beautiful garden and was befriended and protected by Skuggle, a hungry squirrel who trades assistance for food.  But not every creature is as willing to bargain as Skuggle, and Flory needs help if she is going to fly again.  Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz and miniaturist Angela Barrett have created a sumptuously illustrated classic fairy tale.  Ages 7-11.  HWP

The Sixty-Eight Rooms (Hardcover)

By Marianne Malone, Greg Call
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375857102
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2/2010
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In Marianne Malone’s debut book, Ruthie takes hold of a magic key and shrinks to five inches tall – just the right size to explore THE SIXTY-EIGHT ROOMS (Random House, $16.99) of period miniatures in the Art Institute of Chicago. With her best friend Jack, Ruthie discovers that each room reveals a different time period complete with its own cast and historical details.  Ruthie and Jack try to help their friends while fending off giant cockroach attacks, escaping the Salem witch trials, and completing a research project for their sixth-grade class.  Ages 9-12. AJK

Cosmic (Hardcover)

By Frank Cottrell Boyce
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780061836831
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Walden Pond Press, 1/2010
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In Frank Cottrell Boyce’s (Millions) book, twelve-year-old Liam is very tall for his age – so tall that many mistake him for an adult.  In a COSMIC (HarperCollins, $16.99) turn of events, he finds himself posing as an adult on a rocket ship headed into outer space – but the rocket ship appears to be veering off course.  If he weren’t so incredibly tall he wouldn’t have to act grown up, but he’s become the dad on board, even if all he really wants is his own father.  Ages 10-14.  JEH

 

Crunch (Hardcover)

By Leslie Connor
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780061692291
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Katherine Tegen Books, 4/2010
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Dewey’s parents are away from the farm, and the five Marriss kids are running things.  Dewey, 14, is watching over The Bike Barn, his dad’s side business.  Everything is fine until the entire country runs out of gasoline.  Their parents can’t drive home, and everyone in town is riding their bikes. There is tons of business at The Bike Barn, and life on the farm has turned into one big CRUNCH (HarperCollins, $16.99).  Leslie Connor delivers a terrific, family-centered story with a decisively modern twist.  Ages 9-14.  JEH

Alchemy and Meggy Swann (Hardcover)

By Karen Cushman
$16.00
ISBN-13: 9780547231846
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Clarion Books, 4/2010
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Meggy Swann’s uncaring mother sends her to filthy, chaotic London to live with her father, an inept alchemist.  As hopeless at parenting as he is at alchemy, he sends her on numerous errands, oblivious or unconcerned that she walks with difficulty using sticks, making it hard to maneuver the crowded streets.  Life takes a happier turn when Meggy and the apprentice Roger form a belligerent but strong friendship.  Meggy is a feisty charmer whose gritty and amusing idioms will delight readers.  Karen Cushman’s fans will welcome her return to a medieval setting for ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN (Clarion, $16). Ages 10-14. JKS

Countdown (Hardcover)

By Deborah Wiles
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9780545106054
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Scholastic Press, 5/2010
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COUNTDOWN (Scholastic, $17.99) is set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War.  Franny’s father is an Air Force pilot, her college-age sister joins civil rights organizations, and her younger brother wants to be an astronaut.  The threat of nuclear war looms over the family after they listen to President Kennedy’s address about nuclear missiles in Cuba.  Deborah Wiles’s “docu-novel” about life in the 1960s features newspaper clippings and photographs from the period, anchoring the harsh reality of Franny’s world.  Ages 10-14.  ESL

The Song of the Whales (Hardcover)

By Uri Orlev, Hillel Halkin
$16.00
ISBN-13: 9780547257525
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 4/2010
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When Michael moves from Long Island Sound to Israel, he gets to know and love his grandfather.  The two forge a special bond that transcends the many waking hours they spend together.  Michael first learns of his grandfather’s unique gift of dream sharing when they dream together about THE SONG OF THE WHALES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16).  Uri Orlev uses surreal imagery to tell a very real and poignant story of love and letting go.  Ages 9-12.  HWP

The Dreamer (Hardcover)

By Pam Munoz Ryan, Peter Sis
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9780439269704
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Scholastic Press, 4/2010
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 Pablo Neruda’s early life is imagined in THE DREAMER (Scholastic $17.99), an enchanting fictionalized biography. Pam Muñoz Ryan's poetic language echoes Neruda’s sense of wonder, whimsy, and passion.  She captures this shy young poet’s resolve to overcome the castigations of an overbearing father and later, a militaristic government. Peter Sís’s illustrations heighten the magic of the story and encapsulate young Neruda’s fears. This beautifully crafted book is printed in green ink, the color Neruda chose to write his own works and to signify “esperanza,” or hope. Representative poems, author notes, and sources are final perfecting touches.  Ages 10 and up.  MAG

The Death-Defying Pepper Roux (Hardcover)

By Geraldine McCaughrean
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780061836657
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperCollins, 1/2010
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For a boy destined to die at 14, THE DEATH-DEFYING PEPPER ROUX (HarperCollins, $16.95) has an uncanny ability to survive.  Pepper begins his escape from death by impersonating his drunken father as a ship captain, where he quickly learns that people see only what they want to.  Whether selling sausages, fabricating newspaper articles, or signing up for the Foreign Legion, Pepper Roux lives every day as if it were his last.  Will Geraldine McCaughrean let him outlive his destined demise?  Ages 11-14.  KLP

The Agency 1: A Spy in the House (Hardcover)

By Y.S. Lee
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780763640675
Availability: Not currently shipping from publisher – Subject to future availability
Published: Candlewick, 3/2010
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In 1850s London, the misconception that women aren’t capable of anything important makes the all-female spy group, the Agency, successful.  Seventeen-year-old orphan Mary Quinn’s first assignment: to go undercover as A SPY IN THE HOUSE (Candlewick, $16.99), acting as a companion for spoiled Angelica Thorold in order to investigate her father’s suspicious dealings in India.  As Mary becomes more involved in the Thorold household, she makes shocking discoveries about the family, the other staff, and, most surprisingly, her own identity.  The debut of Y.S. Lee’s series about the Agency is filled with action, plot twists, and unforgettable characters.  Ages 11-15.  AJK

 

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth (Hardcover)

By Lynne Rae Perkins
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780061870903
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Greenwillow Books, 5/2010
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Ry dashes out of the house to catch his train to summer camp before he has time to open the director’s letter cancelling camp.  When the train makes an unannounced stop, he gets off to call his grandfather, only to watch the train leave without him.  There go his belongings – money, cell phone charger, and ID.  So begins Lynne Rae Perkins’ tale of a “fortunately-unfortunately” summer of mishaps, missed chances, and mayhem that are AS EASY AS FALLING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH (Greenwillow, $16.99). Ages 10-14. JKS

Heist Society (Hardcover)

By Ally Carter
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9781423116394
Availability: Not currently in the store – Usually ships in 1-5 days
Published: Hyperion, 2/2010
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To put her family’s art theft business behind her, Katarina Bishop leaves home for boarding school. When someone steals a mobster’s priceless collection of masterpieces, Kat’s father is the prime suspect. With help from her friends, Kat sets out to solve the case and clear her father’s name. Ally Carter has created another page-turner in HEIST SOCIETY (Hyperion, $16.99). Ages 11-15. ESL

A Million Shades of Gray (Hardcover)

By Cynthia Kadohata
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9781416918837
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1/2010
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When American troops pull out of Vietnam and North Vietnamese forces attack his village, 13-year-old Y’Tin must use his knowledge of the jungle and his skills as an elephant trainer to survive. Forced to make difficult choices, Y’Tin reflects that the jungle has A MILLION SHADES OF GRAY (Atheneum, $16.99), just like the hide of an elephant. Newbery award-winning author Cynthia Kadohata brings to life a young man’s personal struggles over friendship, kinship, and change in the context of war-torn Vietnam. Ages 11-16. HWP

Out of My Mind (Hardcover)

By Sharon M. Draper
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9781416971702
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 3/2010
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Melody was born with cerebral palsy and has never spoken one word, but in the internal voice created for her by Sharon Draper, she reveals herself as a brilliant and frustrated child. The introduction of a communication board allows Melody to take her thoughts OUT OF MY MIND (Atheneum, $16.99) and reveal her intelligence to her schoolmates and everyone else. Melody makes the journey from a special education class to her fifth-grade year, when inclusion in regular classes is mandated and Melody faces the challenge of acceptance by her “normal” peers.Ages 10-14. MAG

You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems About Boys (Hardcover)

By Sharon Flake
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9781423100140
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Jump At The Sun, 2/2010
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Sharon Flake captures the joys, sorrows and worries of teen boys in YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW ME: STORIES AND POEMS ABOUT BOYS (Hyperion, $16.99). Harvey protects his loving, adoptive, 500-pound father from strangers’ stares and abusive words. Sixteen-year-old Tow-Kaye is about to become a husband and a father. La ‘Ron writes a letter telling his uncle he’s HIV positive. Here are the poignant, funny, honest voices of African-American teen boys growing up in urban America. Ages 14 and up. HWP

And Both Were Young (Hardcover)

By Madeleine L'Engle, Léna Roy
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780374303648
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 4/2010
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Flip is not happy about being sent away from her father to an all-girls boarding school in Switzerland. She is miserable, but a bright spot appears in the form of a new, unlikely friend. She meets Paul walking on the mountain and the two immediately connect, but his life remains a mystery to Flip. Originally published in 1949, Madeleine L’Engle’s AND BOTH WERE YOUNG (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $16.99) tells a story of first love and healing in post-World War II Europe. Ages 13 and up. JEH