Kids
The worst class trip ever
Dave Barry
eBOOK
Kids
When the eighth grade civics class of Miami's Culver Middle School goes on a trip to Washington, D.C., Wyatt Palmer finds himself in deep trouble before the plane even lands because his best friend, Matt, has decided the men sitting behind them are terrorists and it is up to the boys to stop them.
A funny and quite well paced action and misadventure tale of a group of eight graders during a class trip to Washington DC. Centered on Wyatt Palmer and his various personal anxieties, the tale follows him, his nerd buddies, and assorted other classmates as they deal with teacher chaperones, a pair of menacing and creepy strangers they meet during their plane ride, and a series of mostly bad and ill-informed choices made not only by Wyatt but others as well. Make no mistake, things get quite dangerous and potentially quite fatal for several of the characters along the way. -Paul
Pax
Sara Pennypacker
eBOOK
Kids
"After being forced to give up his pet fox Pax, a young boy named Peter decides to leave home and get his best friend back"--
This is a beautiful story about a twelve-year-old boy named Peter and his fox, Pax. With the onset of war, Peter is forced to leave home and release Pax back into the unfamiliar wild. That separation fills Peter with remorse, and he makes the decision to prepare for a journey to reunite with Pax. Chapters alternate between the viewpoints of Peter and Pax, and through their parallel adventures, you can see the power of friendship and devotion, as well as the power that comes from self-discovery, survival and peace. There are so many powerful messages to be gained through this story and I highly recommend it! -Becky
Pie
Sarah Weeks
eBOOK
Kids
After the death of Polly Portman, whose award-winning pies put the town of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania, on the map in the 1950s, her devoted niece Alice and Alice's friend Charlie investigate who is going to extremes to find Aunt Polly's secret pie crust recipe. Includes fourteen pie recipes.
In this historical mystery set in 1955, Alice’s beloved Aunt Polly dies suddenly, taking with her the secret recipe for her world-famous pie crust that has put tiny Ipswitch, Pennsylvania on the map and won her thirteen Blueberry Medals (for best pie in the nation) running. Polly operated PIE, a charming cafe where customers flock from near and far to partake in familiar favorites like buttermilk and apple pie as well as more creative concoctions like green tomato and Concord grape pie. After Polly’s death, Alice is told that Polly left the pie crust recipe to her cat, Lardo, and Lardo has been left to Alice. How does one leave a recipe to a cat? The whole town is desperate to uncover the recipe and win this year’s Blueberry Award - by any means necessary. It’s up to Alice and her new friend Charlie to piece together the mystery and keep their town intact. Bonus: there are twelve delectable pie recipes woven throughout, in case you feel inspired! -Anne W
The fourteenth goldfish
Jennifer L Holm
eBOOK
Kids
Ellie's scientist grandfather has discovered a way to reverse aging, and consequently has turned into a teenager--which makes for complicated relationships when he moves in with Ellie and her mother, his daughter.
This is an offbeat science fiction story in which 11-year-old Ellie’s scientist grandfather, Melvin, discovers how to reverse aging and becomes, essentially, a cranky elderly man trapped in the body of the 13-year-old boy. Melvin begins living with Ellie and attending her middle school, and, despite the deep weirdness of the arrangement, she loves getting to spend time with her grandfather. Ultimately, he teaches her about how possibility, wonder, observation, discovery, and persistence are important in science and in life. But will she be able to stop him when she thinks he’s gone too far? -Anne W
Doll bones
Holly Black
eAUDIO
Kids
Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.
Zac, Poppy and Alice are friends that are deeply linked in a magical world that they created for their action figure toys. In “Doll Bones,” these friends are faced with a question of whether this made-up fantasy contains elements of truth, when Poppy’s dreams become haunted about a figure that is supposedly made out of bones. This question leads them on a quest, where they attempt to break an imminent curse and discover the full story behind the doll. This story is a good read for young readers who like plot driven adventure stories with a bit of spookiness. -Becky
Ella enchanted
Gail Carson Levine
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Levine, Gail Carson
Kids, Fantasy, Classics
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
This is the book that made me a reader at the age of nine. I recently shared this one on a road trip with my family and loved it just as much as I did in 1997. The first fairytale retelling I ever read, and a fantastic story to boot, if you've never met Ella, it might be time to do so. -Casey
Lalani of the distant sea
Erin Entrada Kelly
jFICTION Kelly Erin
Kids, Fantasy
"Twelve-year-old Lalani Sarita takes on the impossible task of traveling to the legendary Mount Isa, towering on an island to the north. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest--how can a timid young girl in a tiny boat survive the epic tests of the archipelago?"--
What an amazing story inspired by Filipino folklore! “Lalani of the Distant Sea” is an engrossing story that weaves in superstition, gender roles, friendship and choice in a way that is thought-provoking and inspiring. I loved this story and would highly recommend it! -Becky
Breadcrumbs
Anne Ursu
jFICTION Ursu, Anne
Kids, Fantasy
"Hazel and Jack are best friends until an accident with a magical mirror and a run-in with a villainous queen find Hazel on her own, entering an enchanted wood in the hopes of saving Jack's life " -- Provided by publisher.
I think that this story offers many themes that upper-elementary kids would relate to: friendship, family, change, and belonging. Hazel and Jack are best friends and neighbors, but their friendship changes drastically when a piece of glass from a magical mirror gets caught in Jack’s eye. From that moment, we enter into the story of the Snow Queen and Hazel’s quest to get Jack back. -Becky
Ella enchanted
Gail Carson Levine
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Levine, Gail Carson
Kids, Fantasy, Young Adult
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
This is such a wonderful adaptation of the story of Cinderella. What I especially love about “Ella Enchanted” is that Ella is such a positive role model for girls. She is strong, bright, funny and self-aware. As a baby, Ella was given the ‘gift’ of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda, but we quickly see that the gift is truly a curse and could have many implications on the life of Ella and those connected with her. Beautifully written! -Becky
This is a great early nonfiction picture book that can spark all sorts of conversations about “the hidden world, beneath the pond” and the animals that make its waters their home. -Casey