Cool New Books for July

In this month's roundup of cool new books, Nancy Drew returns for her sixth all-new adventure. This time, our young sleuth is ready to add "professional acting" to her already impressive list of accomplishments --- but a huge fire breaks out on the set of her movie, and it's up to Nancy to solve this baffling case. We also present the fast-paced and suspenseful sequel to Elizabeth Kay's debut children's novel THE DIVIDE, a fun, action-packed tale from award-winning author M.T. Anderson, and the newest installment in the hilarious Amber Brown series. Its author, the late Paula Danziger, will not be forgotten.

ACTION!: Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective #6
Carolyn Keene
Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN: 0689865716
Ages 8-12
160 pages

Nancy has finally figured out who was behind all the trouble that began in LIGHTS, CAMERA… But just as soon as filming for the River Heights movie resumes, a huge fire breaks out on the set. The production is delayed --- again --- and some believe that the flick is doomed. The good news is that the fire turns up a key clue about who started it, but Nancy must continue doing double duty as an actress and a detective. Can Nancy and George solve this case before the film goes up in flames?

BACK TO THE DIVIDE
Elizabeth Kay
The Chicken House/Scholastic
ISBN: 0439634105
Ages 9-12
384 pages

After his adventures in THE DIVIDE, Felix is living quietly at home with his parents. But Snakeweed, the arch villain, is still at large. Having failed to sell bad magic to the real world, he wants to go back home. All he needs to get there is the spell hidden in Felix's notebook. So Snakeweed pays a visit to Felix --- and freezes his parents with a horrible curse that begins to spread like a magical disease. Soon the curse is affecting everything --- and the Earth itself may be in danger. Felix must return to The Divide to find the counter-charm that can cure his parents --- and save the world!

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF ZOE FLYNN
Janet Lee Carey
Atheneum
ISBN: 0689856040
Ages 8-12
240 pages
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Zoe can't imagine living anywhere but in her house on 18 Hawk Road. But when her dad loses his job, Zoe and her family are forced to leave their old neighborhood and live out of a van, as they search for work and a new home. To protect her family's secret, Zoe starts lying to her teachers, her new friend, and even a policeman. Her parents try to make life in their van seem like an adventure, but Zoe is not feeling very optimistic --- she wonders if any place will ever feel like home again.

THE GAME OF SUNKEN PLACES
M. T. Anderson
Scholastic
ISBN: 0439416604
Ages 9-12
272 pages
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When Brian and Gregory receive an invitation to stay at a distant relative's strange mansion, they agree to make the trip. Once there, they stumble upon The Game of Sunken Places, a board game that represents the dark woods outside the mansion. Soon the boys are dealing with a number of sinister characters, including trolls and elves. Luckily, they have wit, observation, and a keen sense of adventure on their side. But will this be enough to make them the ultimate victors?

UNDER THE WATSON'S PORCH
Susan Shreve
Knopf
ISBN: 0375826300
Ages 10-13
208 pages
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Twelve-year-old Ellie Tremont is bored and wishes that something --- anything --- could happen to spice up her life. So when 14-year-old Tommy Bowers moves in next door, a boy with a troubled past, Ellie knows her summer will be interesting after all. She quickly agrees to Tommy's suggestion of starting a camp for the kids on their street under the porch of their elderly neighbors, the Watsons. In fact, Ellie is so obsessed with Tommy that she finds herself agreeing with everything he says and does. Soon, however, Tommy goes too far and even Ellie isn't sure what to make of him.

THE A+ CUSTODIAN
Louise Borden
Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0689849958
Ages 7-10
40 pages

John Carillo, Dublin Elementary School's custodian, has an important job. He mops and sweeps, polishes and scrubs, changes light bulbs, washes windows, fixes pipes, moves furniture, and more. The teachers, students, parents and principal all count on Mr. Carillo to perform such tasks, and he never lets them down. Now his early-bird helpers, Gracie and Zach, want to do something to show Mr. Carillo how much they appreciate all of his hard work.

MY SCHOOL'S A ZOO!
Stu Smith
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060285109
Ages 5-8
40 pages

When a young boy goes to school after a class trip to the zoo, he discovers bookworms in the library, mice in the computer lab, and yaks talking on the phone. And to top it all off, his teacher is a bear. Talk about a school gone wild!

SECOND GRADE RULES, AMBER BROWN
Paula Danziger
Putnam
ISBN: 0399234721
Ages 5-up
48 pages

Second grade is almost as wonderful as Amber expected, but there's one problem: the rules. Most of them are easy for Amber, but she just can't manage to keep her desk clean. Even when Ms. Light tells them about Deskarina, the fairy who gives treats to kids with neat desks (a cousin of Dentalina, the tooth fairy), Amber has trouble. But seeing other kids get treats while her desk is skipped is quite frustrating --- just enough for her to take some action.

THINGS I LEARNED IN SECOND GRADE
Amy Schwartz
Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060509368
Ages 4-7
32 pages

Before the second grade, Andrew didn't know how to spell "neighborhood," how to subtract 348 from 411, how to write in cursive, how to read a chapter book (imagine that!), or how to play the xylophone. But by the end of second grade, he knows how to do all of these things -- and more!

--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio

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