|
|
Cool New Books for January
January's roundup of Cool New Books includes THE PHANTOM ISLES by Stephen Alter, in which a late-night excursion to a public library turns into a ghostly adventure with unpredictable consequences; THE TREASURES OF WEATHERBY, a spellbinding tale of mystery and magic from Zilpha Keatley Snyder that centers on the search for long-lost treasure hidden in the Weatherby mansion; THE COBRA KING OF KATHMANDU, the third installment in P. B. Kerr's Children of the Lamp series featuring djinn twins John and Philippa Gaunt; THE NAVIGATOR, in which author Eoin McNamee takes readers on a thrilling adventure traveling through time; and THE ANNOTATED CAT, an exploration of the world's most famous cat and the man who created him, as Random House celebrates the 50th birthday of Dr. Seuss's THE CAT IN THE HAT.
 |
|
Stand-Alone Chapter Books/Middle Grade Novels
|
 |
|
 DEXTER THE TOUGH
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 1416911596
ISBN-13: 9781416911593
Ages 7-10
144 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
It's only the first day of school for Dexter, but already he's upset with the principal, the secretary, the janitor and the kids who laugh at him. When his teacher tells the class to create a story of their own, Dexter writes about how tough he is --- and how he has already gotten into a fight. Is any of Dexter's story true? Why was the other boy crying before Dexter hit him? And why would this other boy still want to be Dexter's friend? Not even Dexter knows the answers to some of those questions.
|
|
|
 THE NAVIGATOR
Eoin McNamee
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN-10: 0375839100
ISBN-13: 9780375839108
Ages 9-12
352 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
One day the world around Owen shifts oddly: Time flows backwards, and the world and family he knew disappear. Time can only be set right when the Resisters vanquish their ancient enemies, the Harsh. Unless they are stopped, everything Owen knows will vanish as if it has never been. And Owen discovers that he has a terrifying role to play in this battle: he is the Navigator.
|
|
|
 THE PHANTOM ISLES
Stephen Alter
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
ISBN-10: 1582347387
ISBN-13: 9781582347387
Ages 10-14
244 pages
• Read a Review & an Excerpt
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
When Ming, Orion and Courtney read an incantation from the pages of a book titled THE COMPLEAT NECROMANCER, they have no way of knowing that they're about to conjure up the ghosts of an entire nation. Because the ghosts that the three friends summon aren't just any ghosts. They were captured from an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean --- the Ilhas dos Fantasmas --- a place where the living and the dead once co-existed peacefully. Now confined to the pages of a few dozen library books in a New England town thousands of miles from their home, the ghosts must rely on the children and a determined librarian to free them before they are lost forever.
|
|
|
 SWORDBIRD
Nancy Yi Fan
HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061130990
ISBN-13: 9780061130991
Ages 8-12
240 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
The blue jays and cardinals of Stone-Run Forest have turned against each other. According to legend, only Swordbird, son of the Great Spirit, has the power to conquer evil and restore peace to the land. But is he real or just a myth? Can Swordbird arrive in time to save the forest…or will it be too late? Written when author Nancy Yi Fan was in the fifth grade, this extraordinary fantasy portrays a world of warfare, deception, bravery and freedom.
|
|
|
 THE THING ABOUT GEORGIE
Lisa Graff
Laura Geringer Books/HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0060875895
ISBN-13: 9780060875893
Ages 8-12
224 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Nine-year-old Georgie Bishop's world has been turned upside down. His mother is having a baby, who probably will be taller than Georgie very soon. And his best friend, Andy, has found another best friend --- one who can do things Georgie can't. In addition, Jeanie the Meanie, who has been bullying Georgie since he was in kindergarten, is now his partner for a school project. But worst of all, Georgie is convinced that his concert-musician parents would love him more if he played the violin. Debut author Lisa Graff has created an unforgettable character who struggles to grow up when he isn't getting any taller.
|
|
|
 THE TREASURES OF WEATHERBY
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 141691398X
ISBN-13: 9781416913986
Ages 8-12
224 pages
• Read a Review & an Excerpt
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
At age 12 Harleigh J. Weatherby IV is about as tall as a six-year-old, and no one lets him forget it. Now he is homeschooled at the Weatherby mansion, where strict Aunt Adelaide is always on his case about something. Then Harleigh meets Allegra, who literally flies over the walls of Weatherby and into Harleigh's life, and the two form an unlikely friendship. Allegra is fascinated by the enormous mansion and against Harleigh's orders sneaks inside. Together they discover that someone is trying to find -- and steal -- the long-lost Weatherby treasure. Will Harleigh and Allegra be able to outsmart the villain and save Weatherby House?
|
|
|
Nonfiction
 THE ANNOTATED CAT: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats
Philip Nel
Random House
ISBN-10: 0375833692
ISBN-13: 9780375833694
Ages 10-up
192 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
How did Dr. Seuss come to write THE CAT IN THE HAT? How long did it take him to write THE CAT IN THE HAT and THE CAT IN THE HAT COMES BACK? Were these books instantly successful, or did their popularity build? The answers to these questions and more can be found in this fascinating illustrated study of two books that changed the way children learn how to read. Included in THE ANNOTATED CAT is the text of both books, along with photographs, draft material and essays by Dr. Seuss himself.
|
|
|
Series Books
Children of the Lamp
 THE COBRA KING OF KATHMANDU: Children of the Lamp #3
P. B. Kerr
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN-10: 0439670233
ISBN-13: 9780439670234
Ages 9-12
384 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
As djinn twins John and Philippa Gaunt travel from New York to London to Nepal and India on a whirlwind adventure, they try to help fellow djinn, Buck, find out who killed his friend using the venomous snakebite of the king cobra. All too soon, John and Philippa find themselves caught up in the lethal world of the Cult of the Nine Cobras, only to discover that they themselves are a target of the creepy cobra cult.
|
|
|
Flint Future Detectives
 MR. CHICKEE'S MESSY MISSION
Christopher Paul Curtis
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN-10: 0385327757
ISBN-13: 9780385327756
Ages 9-12
240 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
When Russell's dog, Rodney Rodent, jumps into a mural to chase a demonic-looking gnome and disappears, the Flint Future Detectives are on the case. With the secret password (Bow-wow-wow yippee yo yippee yay!) Steven, Richelle and Russell enter the mural, only to find the mysterious Mr. Chickee on the other side. In order to find a way out, the detectives must complete a mission --- finding Rodney Rodent. And that means they're in some wild adventure!
|
|
|
Follow-up to THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS
 THE CASE OF THE LEFT-HANDED LADY: An Enola Holmes Mystery
Nancy Springer
Sleuth/Philomel Books
ISBN-10: 0399245170
ISBN-13: 9780399245176
Ages 9-up
192 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Enola Holmes is hiding from the world's most famous detective --- her own brother, Sherlock Holmes. But when she discovers a hidden cache of bold, brilliant charcoal drawings, she can't help but venture out to find who drew them: young Lady Cecily, who has disappeared from her bedroom without a trace. Enola must unravel the various clues, but in order to save Lady Cecily from a powerful villain, Enola risks revealing more than she should.
|
|
|
Picture Books
 DUCK AT THE DOOR
written and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic
HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061214388
ISBN-13: 9780061214387
Ages 4-7
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
One winter night, a cozy house full of animals is awakened by a knock at the front door. They have no idea what they'll find on the other side, and Max the duck is the last thing they expect. Soon this larger-than-life houseguest is making himself at home --- and forcing his way into the hearts of his reluctant hosts.
|
|
|
 MICHAEL'S GOLDEN RULES
Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 0689870167
ISBN-13: 9780689870163
Ages 6-10
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Jonathan wants to win more than anything, but the Badgers haven't done much of that lately. For Jonathan, the only good thing about the baseball season is being on the same team as his best friend, Michael. Jonathan wants to believe in himself and his team, but it's getting harder to do. Then when Michael's uncle Jack tells the boys about his golden rules of baseball, Jonathan is confused. What could Uncle Jack mean --- there is more to a good game than winning or losing?
|
|
|
 TERRIBLE STORM
Carol Otis Hurst
illustrated by S. D. Schindler
Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0060090014
ISBN-13: 9780060090012
Ages 5-8
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Grandpa Otis and Grandpa Clark are more than willing to tell readers about the terrible storm. They remember it well, and unfortunately they are unable to forget every awful moment. Why was it so terrible? Grandpa Otis and Grandpa Clark each have different reasons of their own. But there is one thing that both will agree on. It was a terrible storm.
|
--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
Back to top.
|
