Cool New Books for April

Among the titles featured in April's roundup of cool new books is THE CONVICTS, an intriguing novel by Iain Lawrence about a boy who is convicted of a murder he did not commit. Beverly Cleary and the late Shel Silverstein will delight their fans once again, and Kenneth C. Davis provides readers with a wealth of information about world myths and mummies as his "Don't Know Much About" series continues.

Chapter Books

CLICK HERE (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade)
Denise Vega
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0316985600
Ages 8-12
224 pages

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Seventh-grader Erin Swift has a talent for computers, a love of Snickers, and big feet that are great for soccer but useless for dancing. She has a lot on her mind: a new school where she and her best friend Jilly are separated for the first time, a crush on a boy in her homeroom, leading the school intranet project, and a role as a corncob in the school play. Despite her jampacked schedule, Erin must deal with a major crisis, when her secret blog lands on the school website for all to see!

THE CONVICTS
Iain Lawrence
Delacorte Press
ISBN: 038573087X
Ages 10-up
208 pages

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After seeing his father sent off to debtor's prison, Tom Tin resolves to take revenge on Mr. Goodfellow, the man responsible for his family's misfortunes. But the fog-filled London streets are full of sinister characters who cause Tom a multitude of problems. Ultimately, and shockingly, Tom is accused of murder and given a seven-year sentence. He is to be transported to Van Diemen's Land with other juvenile convicts. But Tom simply cannot accept life on the Lachesis, the old ship where the boys are temporarily held, so he decides to escape.

DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT WORLD MYTHS
Kenneth C. Davis
illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 006440837X
Ages 8-12
144 pages

• www.dontknowmuch.com/kids

Why did the Mesopotamian hero Gilgamesh search for eternal youth? What is the Chinese recipe for creating the universe? How did the Blackfoot maiden Feather Woman turn the world upside down?

New York Times bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis gives readers a taste of these enchanting myths and the diverse people who tell them. In his trademark question-and-answer format, complete with entertaining sidebars and quotes, he also shows how almost every civilization's mythology shares common themes.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: An Echo Falls Mystery
Peter Abrahams
Laura Geringer Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060737018
Ages 10-up
384 pages

Ingrid is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least her shoes are. Getting them back means becoming involved in a murder investigation, but Ingrid is busy enough with club soccer, school, and her starring role in the Echo Falls production of Alice in Wonderland. But just like Alice's adventures down the rabbit hole, things in Ingrid's small town are getting more and more bizarre. Her favorite director has a serious accident onstage, and the police chief grills Ingrid about everything from the bike-helmet law to the color of her cleats. Echo Falls has turned into a nightmare, and Ingrid is determined to wake up.

A FRIEND CALLED ANNE: One Girl's Story of War, Peace, and a Unique Friendship with Anne Frank
Jacqueline van Maarsen
Viking Children's Books
ISBN: 0670059587
Ages 9-up
176 pages

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Jacqueline van Maarsen met Anne Frank in 1941, and the two girls quickly became best friends. A FRIEND CALLED ANNE explores their relationship and reveals Anne to be a typical, fun-loving girl. The book, complete with black-and-white photographs, also shares Jacqueline's own chilling experience of narrowly escaping Nazi deportation thanks to her Catholic mother. But survival meant helplessly watching Jewish friends and family disappear one by one.

GNAT STOKES AND THE FOGGY BOTTOM SWAMP QUEEN
Sally Keehn
Philomel Books
ISBN: 0399242872
Ages 10-up
160 pages

"Save me!" When twelve-year-old Gnat Stokes comes upon this message from Goodlow Pryce, who's been missing for the past seven years, Gnat knows he's still alive. She's determined to save him and bring him home to his Appalachian mountain cove even if it means facing the evil Swamp Queen, Zelda, who lurks in nearby Foggy Bottom. All that Gnat has come to know of life and love --- even her own identity --- is about to be tested.

THE MIDNIGHT DIARY OF ZOYA BLUME
Laura Shaine Cunningham
Laura Geringer Books/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060722592
Ages 8-12
176 pages

When her mother must leave home, promising to return in seven days, Zoya Blume begins a midnight diary to keep away the dark night forces that threaten her. Perhaps Zoya can defeat her childhood fear: Buka, a monstrous witch composed of shadows who captured her once long ago and now, in her mother's absence, threatens to reclaim her forever. Can Zoya conquer her fear by facing her past?

MY THIRTEENTH SEASON
Kristi Roberts
Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 0805074953
Ages 10-up
160 pages

Fran Cullers is having an awful summer. She was a star player on the Little League team in her old town, but her new squad, the Highwater Hardwares, could care less --- they hate girls. In response to their total disregard for her, Fran sets out to destroy the Hardwares. But she soon learns that vengeance is a dangerous thing. Because Fran, who has already faced some terrible losses, is about to lose the most important thing in her life --- unless her family and friends step up to the plate and come to her aid when she needs them most.

ROSALIE, MY ROSALIE: The Tale of a Duckling
Jacquelyn Mitchard
illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060722193
Ages 8-12
128 pages

Henry Marie desperately wants a pet. She would be happy with a pony, a kitten, or even a baby brother, but her parents always have an excuse for why she can't have one. The situation is looking hopeless for Henry --- until her father comes home with a fuzzy little yellow head and a rosy beak peeking out of the top of his overall pockets. That's when the trouble begins!

SECRET AGENT
Robyn Freedman Spizman & Mark Johnston
Atheneum
ISBN: 0689870442
Ages 9-12
240 pages

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Kyle Parker's parents are getting a divorce, but Kyle isn't too worried…yet. He's positive that he can find a way to help them stay together. The real reason that his mom is always so mad at his dad, according to Kyle, is that his dad spends all his time trying to get his novel published instead of looking for a "real" job. So all Kyle needs to do is take care of that for him and then everything will be back to normal. But getting a book published turns out to be tougher than he thought, so he teams up with his next-door neighbor Lucinda to help get the novel into the hands of New York City's most famous editor.

TWO TIMES THE FUN
Beverly Cleary
illustrated by Carol Thompson
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060579218
Ages 3-7
96 pages

• www.BeverlyCleary.com

Jimmy and Janet are twins, but that doesn't mean they're exactly alike. When we first meet Jimmy, he wants to dig the biggest hole in the world with a real, grown-up shovel. While he's working, his sister, Janet, pretends to be a bird --- she enjoys using her imagination. But the twins both like silly jokes, brand-new boots, and talking to Mr. Lemon, the mailman.

WHALES ON STILTS! M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales
M. T. Anderson
illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
Harcourt Children's Books
ISBN: 0152053409
Ages 10-up
208 pages

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This first installment in M.T. Anderson's wonderfully weird new series introduces readers to Lily Gefelty and her two best friends, who just happen to be the stars of their own middle-grade series of novels: Jasper Dash (better known as the Boy Technonaut) and Katie Mulligan (beloved by millions as the heroine of the Horror Hollow series). Together, they're determined to save the world from an army of stilt-walking, laser-beaming, misbehaving whales.

Picture Books

PARTY PRINCESS (Teach Your Children Well, Book 2)
Dr. Vanita Braver
illustrated by Cary Pillo
Child & Family Press
ISBN: 1587600382
Ages 4-8
24 pages

It's Madison's sixth birthday, and she wants to look her very best on this special occasion. She's wearing her favorite dress but she isn't completely satisfied with her appearance. So she sneaks into her parents' bathroom, picks up her mom's makeup case, and starts applying lipstick, blush and eyeshadow to her face. Despite all efforts to look like a beautiful princess, Madison ends up making a huge mess, as red nail polish spills all over the counter and ruins her dress. Madison's mom is disappointed that Madison used her things without permission, and Madison is feeling sorry for herself. But thanks to a present from her best friend, Emily, and some encouraging words by her stuffed owl, Wisdom, Madison learns what real beauty is.

PARTY PRINCESS is the second book in Dr. Vanita Braver's nine-book "Teach Your Children Well" series, which conveys to young readers the importance of values, giving them the confidence to face tough problems and make the right decisions.

BEETLE MCGRADY EATS BUGS!
Megan McDonald
illustrated by Jane Manning
Greenwillow
ISBN: 0060013540
Ages 4-up
32 pages

Beetle McGrady considers herself to be a brave and adventurous girl because she has never once shied away from anything. So why can't she eat a tiny ant? After all, it's not like exploring the North Pole (which she looks forward to doing) or wrestling with a Tiger (a battle she's confident about winning). Everything is at stake here: her reputation, her future, her friendships. Will Beetle McGrady live up to her name and eat that bug?

DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT MUMMIES
Kenneth C. Davis
illustrated by S. D. Schindler
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060287810
Ages 6-9
48 pages

• www.dontknowmuch.com/kids

What do mummies have in common with raisins? What did a well-dressed mummy wear? Did mummy makers ever make mistakes?

These questions and many others are answered in this book by bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis as he unwraps the fascinating history of mummies from around the world. Quotes, fact-filled sidebars, fun pop quizzes, and hilarious art are also featured in Davis's trademark question-and-answer format.

PLEASE BURY ME IN THE LIBRARY
J. Patrick Lewis
illustrated by Kyle M. Stone
Gulliver Books
ISBN: 0152163875
Ages 6-9
32 pages

There's nothing more relaxing than immersing yourself in a good book, but you have to be careful. Before you know it, a minute turns into an hour, an hour turns into a day, and a day may turn into…eternity. J. Patrick Lewis, the author of ARITHME-TICKLE and SCIEN-TRICKERY, has created a collection of original poems about books and reading that range from sweet to silly to laugh-out-loud funny.

RAYMIE, DICKIE, AND THE BEAN: Why I Love and Hate My Brothers (Book and CD)
Ray Romano, with his brothers, Richard and Robert Romano
illustrated by Zachary Pullen
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 0689864515
Ages 4-7
32 pages

Everybody may love Raymond now, but when Ray Romano was ten years old, he and his brothers didn't always get along.

Raymie has two brothers, Dickie and the Bean. Sometimes he loves them, sometimes he hates them. One day Raymie's family takes a trip to the amusement park. In the car Raymie tells a very funny joke that Dickie says isn't funny at all, which upsets Raymie. When they get to the park, Raymie and Dickie can't wait to ride the Vomitizer because it's the scariest ride in the whole park. But first Mom makes them ride on Chuckie the Choo-Choo with Bean. Having a younger brother can really spoil the fun!

RUNNY BABBIT: A Billy Sook
Shel Silverstein
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060256532
Ages 4-8
96 pages

From the legendary creator of WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC, FALLING UP, and THE GIVING TREE comes the unforgettable Runny Babbit. He and his friends --- Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others --- speak a topsy-turvy language all their own, in this new book of poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein, who died in 1999.

--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio

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