The Wild RobotPeter Brown

Roztherobotdiscoversthatsheisalone

onaremote,wildislandwithnomemory

ofwheresheisfromorwhysheisthere,

andheronlyhopeofsurvivalistotryto

learnabouthernewenvironmentfrom

theisland'shostileinhabitants.

Paper WishesLois Sepahban

NearthestartofWorldWarII,youngManami,

herparents,andGrandfatherareevacuated

fromtheirhomeandsenttoManzanar,an

ugly,drearyinternmentcampinthedesertfor

Japanese-Americancitizens.I ncludes

bibliographical references

The Vanishing CoinKate Egan

Sofar,fourthgradeisnotthefreshstartMikewanted.Despite

new“strategies,”hestillcannotsitquietlyinclass.Worse,henow

spendseveryafternoonwithNora,hisacademicallygiftednew

neighbor,fromwhomhecouldn’tbemoredifferent.Whereas

Norasucceedsateverything,Mikefeelslikehe’saconstantfailure.

Thatis,untiltheystumbleonastrangemagicstore,andtheowner

teachesMike—andonlyMike—amagictrick.Soonhe’shooked

andpracticingallkindsoftrickstoimpresshisfriendsand

confoundtheclassbully.Yethewondersifallthemagicinthe

shopisjustanillusion.Couldsomeofitbereal?Theslightlyolder

protagonist,amplelinespacing,cartoonillustrations,and

accessiblevocabularymakethisagoodchoiceformiddle-grade

studentsreadingslightlybelowgradelevel.Andifthequickpace,

well-developedcharacters,andhumor-lacedstoryaren’tenough,

Lane,amagicianhimself,andEganincludeinstructionsforfour

simpletricks.Asolidnewseriesforschoolandpublic-library

collections.Booklist

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible Ursula Vernon

Neveraconventionalprincess,Harriet

becomesanadventurerafterlearningsheis

cursedtofallintoadeepsleeponhertwelfth

birthday,butaftertwoyearsofslayingogres,

cliff-diving,andmorewithherridingquail,

Mumfrey,thingsgoawryathomeandshe

mustseekaprincetosetthingsright.

CrenshawKatherine Applegate

InherfirstnovelsincetheNewbery-winningTheOneandOnly

Ivan(HarperCollins,2012),Applegatetellsthestoryofa10-year-

oldboywhoseimaginaryfriendhelpshimcopewithafamilycrisis.

Jackson,hisparents,andhisfive-year-oldsisteronceagainare

staringdownthebarrelofanimpendingevictionnotice.What

frustratesJacksonisn'tjustthelackofmoney:it'shisartistically

mindedparents'tendencytoglossovertheirwoeswithhumor

andcheerratherthanacknowledgingtherealityoftheirsituation.

It'sunderstandablyashocktoJacksonwhenanoldfriend

reappears:Crenshaw,aseven-foot-talltalkingcat,whofirstcame

intohislifeseveralyearsagowhentheboyandhisfamilywere

livingoutoftheircarshortlyafterhisfatherwasdiagnosedwith

multiplesclerosis.SkepticalJacksontriestodismissCrenshawasa

figmentofhisimagination,butthecat'swordsofwisdomstartto

resonatewithhim.Employingsparsebutelegantprose,Applegate

hascraftedanauthenticprotagonistwhoseself-possessionand

maturityconcealrelatablevulnerabilityandfears.Whilesardonic

Crenshawmaynotbethewarmandcuddlyimaginaryfriend

readersareexpecting,he'sthecompanionthatJacksontruly

needsashebeginstorealizethathedoesn'tneedtocarrythe

weightoftheworlduponhisshoulders.Thoughtheendingwraps

upashadetooneatly,overall,childrenwillappreciatethis

heartbreakingnovel.VERDICTAcompellingandunflinchingly

honesttreatmentofadifficulttopic.SLJ

The Diamond Mystery#1(The Whodunit Detective agency)Martin Widmark

Somebodyisstealingdiamondsfromthe

jewelerMohammedCarat!Itlookslikethe

culpritissomeoneonhisstaff,butwho?Isit

LukeSmith,therecentlyhiredfitnessfanatic

withatasteforthefinerthingsinlife?Itsurely

can’tbeVivianLeander,theloyalshop

assistantwhoisnowshortofmoney...The

policeinthelittletownofValleby arestuck,so

theycontactyoungdetectivesJerryandMaya,

classmateswhoruntheirowndetective

agency.WillJerryandMayabeabletouse

theirdetectiveskillstofindthethief?Asthey

wellknow,evenatinyclueisworthitsweight

ingol

The NestKenneth Oppel

Stevehasalwaysbeenaworrier,butsincehisbrotherwasbornhe's

becomeevenmoreanxious.WhenStevestartshavingdreamsabout

otherworldlywasps,hetakescomfortintheirmessagethateverything

willbeokay.Butthemorehelearnsabouttheirplanto"fix"thebaby's

congenitalcondition,themorehe'sconflicted.Thetensionandunease

growasStevebeginstowonderifthewaspsarerealorimagined.The

storycomestoaclimacticendthatiscatharticandcomforting.Setina

modern-daysuburb,thisquietyetemotionallyhauntingbook

thoughtfullyexploresthemesofsafety,anxiety,andthebeautyofthe

imperfect.Klassen'sblack-and-whitegraphiteillustrationscomplement

thesensitiveandpowerfulnarrative,writteninfirstpersonfromSteve's

perspective.Theimageshavearetro,printmakerfeelandneverrevealthe

entirepicture,leavingmuchtotheimagination-whatishiddeninthe

unknown?Isitsomethingbadorgood?Howcanyouknow?The

charactersarebelievableandstronglydeveloped,especiallySteve,who

dealswithanxietyandpossiblyobsessivecompulsivedisorder.Scientific

informationonthelifecycle,anatomy,andbehaviorsofwaspsiswovenin

awaythatfurtherstheplot.VERDICTThisaffectingmiddlegrade

psychologicalthrillerisrecommendedasafirstpurchaseforlibraries

The Road to RatenburgJoy Cowley

AFamilyofratsisforcedtoleavetheirhome,

sosetsouttofindthefabledcityof

Ratenburg.Alongthewaytheyoutwitvicious

dogs,trickyrattraps,andsharp-beaked

hawks,andmakesomeverydangerous

crossings.Theratfamily’sadventurestest

theircharacterandgrowbondsbetween

sistersandbrothers,fatheranduncle,mum

anddad.

Gabby Duran and the unsittablesElise Allen & Daryle Conners

Gabbyworkshardasababysitter,earningmoneytohelpher

mothersupporttheirfamily.SheplaystheFrenchHornand

desirestoattendaprestigiousmusiccollegeinthefuture.Herskill

withchildrenhasledtojobsworkingwithmoviestarsaswellas

neighbors.Butnoneofherpreviousbabysittingexperienceshave

completelypreparedherforwhatcomesherwaywhenanold

womanoffersGabbyajobshecan'trefuse.Withherdreamof

attendingtheexpensivemusicschoolsquarelyinmind,the

compassionatetweenacceptstheassignmenttobabysitthe

"unsittable."Thesealienchildrenbringmoreexcitementand

secretsintoGabby'slifethansheispreparedtohandle.Sincethe

workishighlysecretiveandcancomeatanytime,Gabbyhasto

decideifsheisreallywillingtodowhatittakestocareforand

protectthesechildren,possiblyatthecostofherownfriendships

andmusic.Anentertaininglookatthepossibilitiesinherentin

alienlifeonearth,Gabby'sadventureswillenthrallreaderseager

toexploreaworldofsurprisesandsecrets.VERDICTThe

humorousdetailsandquickplotmakethisafunbookforreluctant

andavidreadersalike.SLJ

MastermindsGordon Korman

Agroupofkidsdiscoverstheywerecloned

fromtheDNAofsomeofthegreatestcriminal

mastermindsinhistoryforasociological

experiment

Dear Mrs.NaiduMathangi Subramanian

Twelve-year-oldSarojini’s bestfriend,Amir,mightnotbeherbestfriend

anymore.EversinceAmirmovedoutoftheslumandstartedgoingtoa

poshprivateschool,itseemslikeheandSarojini havenothingin

common.ThenSarojini findsoutabouttheRighttoEducation,alaw

thatmighthelphergetafreeseatatAmir’sschool– or,betteryet,

convincehimtocomebacktoanewandimprovedversionofthe

governmentschooltheywenttotogether.Asshestrugglestokeepher

bestfriend,Sarojini getshelpfromsomeunexpectedcharacters,

includingDeepti,afeisty

classmatewholivesataconstructionsite;Vimala Madam,ahuman

rightslawyerwhomightalsobeanevilgenius;and

Mrs.Sarojini Naidu,along-deadfreedomfighterwhobecomes

Sarojini’s secretpenpal.ToldthroughletterstoMrs.Naidu,

thisisthestoryofhowSarojini learnstofight– forherfriendship,her

family,andherfuture.

Diamonds and DaggersElen Caldecott

MeetPiotr,Minnie,Andrew,FloraandSylvia- true

friendsandevenbettermystery-solvers!Hollywood

sensation,BettyMassino,hascometostarinthe

theatredowntheroadandPiotrandhisfriends

AndrewandMinniecouldn'tbemoreexcited!But

whenthefamousactress'shugelyexpensive

diamondnecklacegoesmissing,Piotr'sdad,a

securityguardatthetheatre,isaprimesuspect.

Soon,Piotrfacestheveryrealthreatofbeingsent

'home'toPoland.WiththehelpofSylvieandher

twinsisterFlora,canPiotr,AndrewandMinniesolve

thecrimeorwilltheylosePiotrforever?Thefirstin

afantasticnewseriesfilledwithfriendship,

adventureandmystery!PerfectforfansofLaurenSt

John,thisisTHEnewmysteryadventureseriesby

WaterstonesBookPrizeshortlistedauthorElen

Caldecott.

The Night ParadeKatryn Tanqaury

Duringsummervacationthirteen-year-oldSaki

Yamamotounintentionallyinvokesadeath

curseatheroldfamilygraveyardandnowshe

mustenterthedangerousspiritworldofthe

NightParadewherethreedifferentguideswill

seeifshecanperformthedeedsthatwillallow

hertoovercomethecurse.

Book ScavengerJennifer Chambliss Bertman

Fortwelve-year-oldEmily,thebestthingaboutmovingto

SanFranciscoisthatit'sthehomecityofherliteraryidol:

GarrisonGriswold,bookpublisherandcreatoroftheonline

sensationBookScavenger(agamewherebooksarehidden

incitiesalloverthecountryandcluestofindthemare

revealedthroughpuzzles).Uponherarrival,however,Emily

learnsthatGriswoldhasbeenattackedandisnowina

coma,andnooneknowsanythingabouttheepicnewgame

hehadbeenpoisedtolaunch.ThenEmilyandhernew

friendJamesdiscoveranoddbook,whichtheycometo

believeisfromGriswoldhimself,andmightcontaintheonly

copyofhismysteriousnewgame.Racingagainsttime,

EmilyandJamesrushfromcluetoclue,desperatetofigure

outthesecretattheheartofGriswold'snewgame―before

thosewhoattackedGriswoldcomeafterthemtoo.

The JumbiesTracy Baptiste

CorinneLaMer isabrave11-year-oldgrowinguponaCaribbean

island.OnAllHallow’s Eve,whenapairoftroublemakingbrotherstie

herdeceasedmother’sprizednecklacetoawildanimal,Corinne

chasestheanimalintotheforesttoretrieveit.However,thisisno

ordinaryforest:It’sknownforbeingtheabodeof“jumbies,”

creatures“hiddenintheshadows,alwayswaitingfortheirmoment

toattack.”ThoughCorinnedoesn’tbelieveinthem,ajumbie follows

heroutoftheforest.Thethird-personnarrationtellstheback

story—inbitsandpieces—ofthisjumbie,whorevealsherselftobe

Corinne’smother’ssister.It’sneversatisfactorilyexplainedwhy

Severine (asCorinne’sjumbie auntcallsherself)seeksoutherniece,

nearlyadecadeafterhersister’sdeath.InordertofightSeverine—

who,sympathetically,onlywantsafamilybutisbentonturning

humanstojumbies togetone—Corinnemustrelynotonlyonher

ownstrength,butthatofnewfoundfriends.Thenovelisbasedona

Haitianfolktale,accordingtotheauthor’snote,andit’srefreshingto

seeafantasywithitsrootsoutsideEurope.Baptisteneverquite

managestocontrolthestory’spacing,though,andcertainelements

intheendingfeelarbitrary.

PaxSara Pennypacker

Pax andPeterhavebeeninseparableeversince

Peterrescuedhimasakit.Butoneday,the

unimaginablehappens:Peter'sdadenlistsinthe

militaryandmakeshimreturnthefoxtothewild.

Athisgrandfather'shouse,threehundredmiles

awayfromhome,Peterknowsheisn'twherehe

shouldbe—withPax.Hestrikesoutonhisown

despitetheencroachingwar,spurredbylove,

loyalty,andgrief,tobereunitedwithhisfox.

Stella by StarlightSharon M. Draper

StellalivesinthesegregatedSouth—in

Bumblebee,NorthCarolina,tobeexactabout

it.Somestoresshecangointo.Somestoresshe

can’t.Somefolksarerightpleasant.Othersare

alotlessso.ToStella,itsortofevensout,and

heck,theKlanhasn’tbotheredthemforyears.

Butonelatenight,laterthansheshouldeverbe

up,muchlesswanderingaroundoutside,Stella

andherlittlebrotherseesomethingthey’re

neversupposedtosee,somethingthatisthe

firstflickerofchangetocome,unwelcome

changebyanystretchoftheimagination.As

Stella’scommunity—herworld—isupended,

shedecidestofightfirewithfire.Andshelearns

thatashesdon’tnecessarilysignifyanend.

The map to EverywhereRyan Carrie

ToMasterThiefFin,anorphanfromthemurky

pirateworldoftheKhaznot Quay,theMapis

thekeytofindinghismother.Tosuburban

schoolgirlMarrill,it'sheronlywayhomeafter

gettingstrandedonthePirateStream,the

magicalwaterwaythatconnectseveryworldin

creation.Withthehelpofabumblingwizard

andhiscrew,theymustscourthemanyworlds

ofthePirateStreamtogatherthepiecesofthe

MaptoEverywhere--buttheyaren'ttheonly

oneslooking.Asinisterfigureishotontheirtail,

andiftheycan'tbeathisghostlyshiptofindthe

Map,itcouldmeanthedestructionof

everythingtheyholddear!

The Turtle of OmanNaomi Shihab Nye

AnenthusiasticboyfromOmanhasserious

misgivingsabouttemporarilymovingfromhis

homelandtoMichigan.Aref hatessaying

goodbyetohisfriendsandworriesaboutbeing

anew,foreignkidatanAmericanpublicschool.

SpanningAref’s finalweekinOman,this

sensitivechronicleperceptivelyconveysthe

feelingsandfearsofaboyabouttoleavethe

knownandfacetheunknown.A warmand

humorouspeekattheprofoundandmundane

detailsofmovingfromonecountryto

another—aperfectpickforkidsonthemove.

(Fiction.8-12)Kirkus Review