| J FIC ADL |
| CAM JANSEN AND THE MYSTERY OF THE BABE RUTH BASEBALL, David Adler |
| In the blink of an eye an autographed Babe Ruth baseball disappears from a hobby show, leaving Cam Jansen and her friend Eric with a mystery to solve. Can Cam use her photographic memory to track down the thief and return the ball to its owner? |
| J FIC ANDERSON |
| WHALES ON STILTS, M. T. Anderson |
| Part adventure, part science fiction, this thrilling read follows the sleuthing of 12-year-old Lily and her friends as they uncover an evil plot to develop an army of whales to conquer the world. |
| J FIC BALLIETT |
| CHASING VERMEER, Blue Balliett |
| Chicago 6th-grader Calder always carries his pentominoes, convinced they help him make decisions. When a Vermeer painting of a mysterious woman disappears, Calder and classmate Petra follow clues from the pentominoes and the lady in the painting to discover the painting's whereabouts. Can you solve the mystery before they do? |
| J FIC BARRY |
| PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS, Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson |
| In this book about Peter Pan's early life, Peter and other orphan boys are deckhands on the ship Never Land. Black Stache, the pirate, seeks treasure - "star stuff" that falls from the sky and can make people fly! |
| J FIC BIRDSALL |
| THE PENDERWICKS, Jeanne Birdsall |
| This National Book Award winner tells of a magical summer for the four Penderwick sisters, their father, their neighbor Jeffrey and their big dog, Hound. |
| J FIC COLLINS |
| GREGOR THE OVERLANDER, Suzanne Collins |
| Gregor and his sister Boots fall down a ventilation shaft in their apartment building, into a huge underground world with cockroaches big enough to ride. Trying to escape, Gregor meets giant rats that want to eat him, beginning a war between the underground humans and the rats. |
| J FIC CUR |
| THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM - 1963, Christopher Paul Curtis |
| "Bud, Not Buddy" lovers will love this first novel about "The Weird Watsons of Flint, Mich." Byron, 13, younger sister Joetta and 10-year-old narrator Kenny travel with their parents to visit Grandma Sands in Birmington, Ala., where they are faced with segregation, hatred and murder. |
| J FIC DELANEY |
| BIRDBRAIN AMOS: MR. FUN, Michael Delaney |
| Amos the Hippo loves staying home, but Amoeba, the tickbird who lives in a nest on his head, has other ideas. When they set off for the Serengeti, Amoeba's friends join them, and soon Amos is playing mediator for the squabbling birds. |
| J FIC DOWELL |
| DOVEY COE, Frances O'Roark Dowell |
| It is 1928 in Indian Creek, N.C., and 12-year-old Dovey Coe says her brother, 13-year-old Amos, who is deaf, is "the best friend I had." Dovey also loves her beautiful sister Caroline, who must choose between getting an education or marrying the rich, charming, but ruthless Parnel Caraway. This fast-paced and suspenseful book shows how siblings' relationships come together during good times, as well as times of crisis. |
| J FIC DOWNER |
| HATCHING MAGIC, Ann Downer |
| With her father and best friends away, Theodora is resigned to a boring summer. Then a dragon and her egg travel forward through time, ending up in Theodora's neighborhood, and things get more than lively. |
| NEW J FIC FEIFFER |
| A ROOM WITH A ZOO, Jules Feiffer |
| Nine-year-old Julie loves animals, particularly dogs. When her mom and dad say no to having a dog until she's 10-1/2, they settle on a cat…and a hamster…and a fish, until Julie's love for animals gets zanily out of control. |
| J FIC FERRIS |
| ONCE UPON A MARIGOLD, Jean Ferris |
| Edrick the troll finds young Christian wandering the forest. Chris has fallen in love with Princess Marigold, who doesn't like any of the suitors her queen mother has found for her. Will Chris have a chance? |
| J FIC HANNIGAN |
| IDA B…AND HER PLANS TO MAXIMIZE FUN, AVOID DISASTER, AND (POSSIBLY) SAVE THE WORLD, Katherine Hannigan |
| When her mom gets sick, homeschooled Ida B. has to go to public school. Her dad sells part of their property to pay the bills, but Ida B. hates losing the trees, and she tries to frighten off the new property owners. |
| J FIC HIAASEN |
| FLUSH, Carl Hiaasen |
| Who is dumping something really stinking into the clear blue waters off the Florida Keys? Noah Underwood, with help from his younger sister Abbey and a wacky group of characters, must find out fast in order to redeem their dad's act of eco-terrorism. |
| J FIC HIAASEN |
| HOOT, Carl Hiassen |
| Roy Eberhardt is the new kid in a small Florida community where he befriends a kid nicknamed Mullet Fingers. The two join forces to save a group of burrowing owls that are living on a piece of property destined to become a pancake house. |
| NEW J FIC HOLM |
| PENNY FROM HEAVEN, Jennifer Holm |
| It's 1953, the summer Penny turns 12. Good times, like a perfect day at the beach and her first trip to see the Dodgers, contrast with worries, including her widowed mother's romance with the milkman. |
| J FIC JOHNSTON |
| ANY SMALL GOODNESS: A NOVEL OF THE BARRIO, Tony Johnston |
| For Arturo, Luis and Rosa Rodriquez, life in an L.A. barrio puts each of them to the test. They pull through tough times with the strong support of each other, of friends, of family who always supply hope. In English, peppered with Spanish words and a glossary of their meanings at the end. |
| J FIC KARBO |
| MINERVA CLARK GOES TO THE DOGS: A MINERVA CLARK MYSTERY |
| Minerva comes to the aid of her rich, annoying classmate Chelsea, who unknowingly sells a rare diamond to someone next to her in line at a coffee shop. Summer vacation allows Minerva plenty of time for this adventure, - if she can stay clear of her oldest brother's bossiness. An evil dog walker and some homing pigeons play a role in this funny, very modern mystery. |
| J FIC KLISE |
| DELIVER US FROM NORMAL, Kate Klise |
| "Nothing's normal in Normal, Illinois," so the saying goes. Charlie Harrisong wishes his family was more normal; unfortunately, they're nowhere near it. An unpleasant incident for Charlie's older sister Clara leads the family to make a move, bringing challenges and changes. |
| J FIC KOCHKA |
| THE BOY WHO ATE STARS, Kochka |
| Twelve-year-old Lucy and her family have moved to a new apartment where she sets out to befriend everyone in the building, but then she meets autistic, 4-year-old Matthew. With the help of a cast of characters, Lucy learns how to be with Matthew and to help others be with him in the midst of his sometimes confusing behavior. |
| NEW J FIC LALICKI |
| DANGER IN THE DARK: A HOUDINI & NATE MYSTERY, Tom Lalicki |
| In 1911 Manhattan, 13-year old Nate's summer job at Bennett & Sons, Gentlemen's Hatters, brings him into contact with the famous escape artist Houdini. The boy's great-aunt hires a spiritualist to contact Nate's father, who died before he was born, and Houdini's distrust of the situation triggers an exciting turn of events. |
| J FIC LUPICA |
| HEAT, Mike Lupica |
| Twelve-year-old Cuban immigrant Michael has a dream - he longs to play in the Little League World Series. He also has a secret. His father has died, and if the authorities find out, he and his older brother may be sent to foster homes. |
| J FIC MCK |
| COLOR ME DARK: THE DIARY OF NELLIE LEE LOVE - THE GREAT MIGRATION NORTH, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 1919, Patricia C. McKissack |
| In 1919, Nellie Lee Love received a diary as a Christmas present from her mother. Over the next year she documents her move from a rural southern town to the big city of Chicago. |
| J FIC MOC |
| BASEBALL SAVED US, Ken Mochizuki |
| For one young boy and his family sent to live at a internment camp during World War II, the creation of a baseball field there lets the boy hone his skills and use baseball to fight racism when he returns home. |
| J FIC RITTER |
| CHOOSING UP SIDES, John H. Ritter |
| For Luke Bledsoe, whose father is a Baptist preacher, playing baseball is considered meddling in the devil's playground. Luke, born with an incredible pitching arm, is challenged with his desire to please his father and his need to plot his own course - and figure out if baseball fits in. |
| J FIC ROBINET |
| CHILDREN OF THE FIRE, Harriet Gillem Robinet |
| As the Great Chicago Fire of 1919 starts to break out across the city, 11-year old Hallelujah escapes the watchful eye of her guardian and goes on the adventure of her life. |
| J FIC RYAN |
| BECOMING NAOMI LEON, Pam Munoz Ryan |
| Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw and her brother live happily in California with their grandmother, until one day when their mother and her boyfriend show up to take Naomi away. But Gram and the kids have run off to Mexico to find the kids' father. |
| J FIC ZINNEN |
| HOLDING AT THIRD, Linda Zinnen |
| Life for Matt Bainter is not easy. He is faced with the tough decision of leaving his friends and baseball team behind to accompany his mother and sick older brother to get treatment for cancer. Matt knows the decision he must make, but can he stand up to all the pressure he is feeling at home and on the field? |
| J BIO BRADY |
| HANA'S SUITCASE, Karen Levine |
| Fumiko Ishioka shows school children the little suitcase in the Tokyo Holocaust Center. They want to know more about "Hana Brady," whose name is on the suitcase. This book is about Hana's life and how Fumiko is able to learn about it. |
| J BIO CODELL |
| SING A SONG OF TUNA FISH: HARD-TO-SWALLOW STORIES FROM THE FIFTH GRADE, Esme Raji Codell |
| Would you ever ask your best friend to beat you up so you wouldn't have to go to piano lessons? Esme would. Find out what other crazy things Esme would and did do during her childhood in this "95 percent" true account. |
| J GRAPHIC NOVEL HOLM |
| BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD!, Jennifer L. Holm |
| Told in graphic-novel style, Babymouse creatively copes with the frustrations of her uneventful life by imagining herself as queen of the world or as a detective while trying to fit in at school. |
| J GRAPHIC NOVEL RUNTON |
| OWLY: THE WAY HOME & THE BITTERSWEET SUMMER, Andy Runton |
| A very unpredatory owl's motives are misunderstood by the smaller animals he wants to help. Kids will relate to Owly's joy when Wormy takes a leap of faith and decides to be his friend. Together, the new buddies free a captive hummingbird and enjoy the fleeting days of summer. |
| J 306.85 KUK |
| FAMILIES, Susan Kuklin |
| What's your family like? Is it exactly like any other family you know? Kids from 15 diverse families share their ideas about what makes their own families special. |
| J 323.65 MAR |
| I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson |
| Did you know the Pledge of Allegiance was written especially for children in 1892? But how could they understand it? By reading this book filled with illustrations by Caldecott winner Chris Raschka. |
| J 393.3 TAN |
| MUMMIES: THE NEWEST, COOLEST AND CREEPIEST FROM AROUND THE WORLD, Shelley Tanaka |
| King Tut has plenty of company in this detailed look at mummies from around the world. Full of graphic pictures and interesting details, this captivating archeological dig through history is not for the squeamish. |
| J 597.956 COW |
| CHAMELEON, CHAMELEON, Joy Cowley |
| Step by step, a hungry chameleon leaves his home in search of food and a new place to live. He encounters strange-looking creatures and also makes a new friend in this vivid photographic journey. |
| J 796.357 LIP |
| HEROES OF BASEBALL: THE MEN WHO MADE IT AMERICA'S FAVORITE GAME, Robert Lipsyte |
| Lipsyte focuses on many different ways of being heroic, including playing through pain (Mickey Mantle), having the guts not to fight back (Jackie Robinson), and paying the ultimate price on a relief trip for earthquake victims (Roberto Clemente). |
| J 811.54 WOO |
| LOCOMOTION, Jacqueline Woodson |
| Lonnie Collins Motion (LoCoMotion) writes this book of poetry about things that happen every day, about his classmates, his little sister Lili, and finally about their parents' deaths in a fire. A quick and memorable book. |
| J 940.531 KRI |
| MEMORIES OF SURVIVAL, Esther Nisenthal Krinitz and Bernice Steinhardt |
| Moving tale of Esther Nisenthal and sister Mania's survival in Poland during the Nazi regine. Esther's embroidered pictures of their lives then are lush and stark. A powerful non-fiction story of sibling survival. |
| J 973.099 STG |
| SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT?, Judith St. George |
| Learn the good things and the bad things about being the president. Anyone can become the president, including you. |
| YA FIC FARMER |
| SEA OF TROLLS, Nancy Farmer |
| Jack is kidnapped and brought across the sea to the North Men's country. They believe he is a bard who can sing and tell stories. He offends the queen and all her hair falls off, so he goes on a quest to drink from Mirmir's well to restore her hair. |
| YA FIC FEINSTEIN |
| LAST SHOT: A FINAL FOUR MYSTERY, John Feinstein |
| Stevie is excited to be attending the college basketball championship games in New Orleans. He hopes to meet his hero, Chip Graber. But first he overhears a conversation between Graber and a blackmailer, and realizes he has to help. |
| YA FIC HOWE |
| THE MISFITS, James Howe |
| In the complex world of junior high, who others say you are can carry more weight than we'd like to believe. This group of junior high friends decides to take a stand at their school against name-calling. It's a journey of self discovery for "the misfits" and their school, as well as for the adults in their lives. |
| YA FIC MONTGOMERY |
| ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, L. M. Montgomery |
| Orphaned Anne is in search of a "kindred spirit." When she ends up on the farm of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert she is hopeful that her searching days are over, but will a misunderstanding land her back at another orphanage, or will she finally find the friend she's been longing for? |
| YA FIC OATES |
| BIG MOUTH & UGLY GIRL, Joyce Carol Oates |
| High schoolers Matt and Ursula are not friends - not even acquaintances, really. But when a horrible accusation is flung Matt's way, Ursula comes forward with the truth. |
| YA FIC PECK |
| FAIR WEATHER, Richard Peck |
| The three Beckett children are used to leading a simple, hard-working life on their family farm until one day when a letter from their Aunt Euterpe changes everything. Travel along with the Beckett family as they visit their aunt in Chicago and attend the World's Columbian Exposition. |
| YA FIC WEYR |
| MY HEARTBEAT, Garrett Freymann-Weyr |
| Ellen, 14, wants to really know her older brother, Link. He is guarded, however, especially when it comes to his close relationship with his friend James. |