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Cool New Books for June
June’s roundup of Cool New Books includes THE ICEBOUND LAND, a heartstopping adventure that continues John Flanagan’s bestselling Ranger’s Apprentice series; NO TALKING, a middle-grade novel from Andrew Clements that pits boys against girls in an experiment that will determine which team can say the fewest words during the course of two full days; DOGKU, a delightful picture book told entirely in haiku by Clements; and FAERIES OF DREAMDARK: BLACKBRINGER, a startling new fantasy from debut novelist Laini Taylor in which a determined faerie sets out to defeat an ancient evil that rises to unmake the world.
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Stand-Alone Chapter Books/Middle Grade Novels
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 BILLY CREEKMORE
Tracey Porter
Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 006077570X
ISBN-13: 9780060775704
Ages 10-up
320 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Billy Creekmore is a boy with mystifying powers and the glorious gift of storytelling. But what does life hold for someone growing up in the cruel clutches of the Guardian Angels Home for Boys, where Billy's gifts do more harm than good? Escaping the orphanage seems an impossible feat, but when a stranger comes to claim Billy, he sets off on an extraordinary journey. With only a tin box that holds precious mementos of his beloved mother and mysterious father, Billy travels from the coal mines of West Virginia to the spectacular world of a traveling circus in search of his past, his future and his own true self.
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 FAERIES OF DREAMDARK: BLACKBRINGER
Laini Taylor
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN-10: 0399246304
ISBN-13: 9780399246302
Ages 8-12
437 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
When the ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world, only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While her kind live in seclusion deep in the forests of Dreamdark, she has devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago. With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee.
But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King himself --- the creator of the world --- she may be in over her head. How can a single faerie, even with the help of her friends, hope to defeat the impenetrable darkness of the Blackbringer?
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FIRST LIGHT
Rebecca Stead
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN-10: 0375840176
ISBN-13: 9780375840173
Ages 9-12
336 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Peter is thrilled to join his parents on an expedition to Greenland, where his father studies global warming. Peter will get to skip school, drive a dogsled and share in his dad’s adventures. But on the ice cap, Peter struggles to understand a series of visions that both frighten and entice him.
Thea has never seen the sun. Her extraordinary people, suspected of witchcraft and nearly driven to extinction, have retreated to a secret world they’ve built deep inside the arctic ice. As Thea dreams of a path to Earth’s surface, Peter’s search for answers brings him ever closer to her hidden home.
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 MOSTLY MONTY
written by Johanna Hurwitz
illustrated by Anik McGrory
Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 076362831X
ISBN-13: 9780763628314
Ages 6-9
96 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Six-year-old Monty has asthma, which sometimes makes it hard to breathe and often makes him feel like he’d rather be somebody else. And now that he’s starting first grade, he’s very nervous about being with all those kids he won’t know. Luckily, he loves to read and has a talent for finding things, from a cocooning caterpillar to classmates who want to be in his very own club. Witness Monty come into his own in this appealing story for early chapter book readers.
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NO TALKING
Andrew Clements
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 1416909834
ISBN-13: 9781416909835
Ages 8-12
160 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
The fifth-grade boys and girls at Laketon Elementary don't get along very well. But the real problem is that these kids are loud and disorderly. That's why the principal makes frequent use of her trusty red plastic bullhorn. Then one day, loudmouth Dave Packer bumps into an idea --- a big one that makes him try to keep quiet for an entire day. But when he hears a girl jabbering away, Dave breaks his silence with an insult. This sparks a contest: Which team --- the boys or the girls --- can say the fewest words during two whole days?
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SAMUEL BLINK AND THE FORBIDDEN FOREST
Matt Haig
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN-10: 0399247394
ISBN-13: 9780399247392
Ages 8-12
352 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Samuel and Martha have just moved to Norway to live with their aunt Eda. Unfortunately, she has too many rules, no television and insists that they eat local delicacies like brown cheese and reindeer soup. Then there’s the most peculiar thing about her --- her irrational fear of her own backyard. Uncle Henrik hasn’t been heard from since he disappeared into it 10 years ago…but that can’t be the forest’s fault, can it?
Samuel is skeptical, until he disobeys Rule #1 --- Never go up to the attic --- and finds an unusual book: THE CREATURES OF SHADOW FOREST, which gives scary descriptions of the fantastic creatures supposedly living in the forest. So when Sam starts seeing strange things venture past the treeline after dark, he can’t help but wonder: Could Aunt Eda be right? And what really happened to Uncle Henrik?
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Series Books/Sequels
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Amelia Bedelia
 AMELIA BEDELIA'S MASTERPIECE
written by Herman Parish
illustrated by Lynn Sweat
Greenwillow Books
ISBN-10: 0060843551
ISBN-13: 9780060843557
Ages 6-up
64 pages
• Read the Series Feature
• Buy from Amazon.com
With everyone’s favorite literal-minded housekeeper by your side, a trip to the art museum is sure to be full of surprises! From discovering the next big art-world talent in a group of schoolchildren to foiling a theft, Amelia Bedelia keeps museumgoers on their toes. Herman Parish and Lynn Sweat deliver another masterpiece of mishaps, mix-ups and side-splitting laughs. |
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Ranger’s Apprentice
 RANGER'S APPRENTICE: The Icebound Land - Book Three
John Flanagan
Philomel Books
ISBN-10: 0399244565
ISBN-13: 9780399244568
Ages 8-12
260 pages
• Buy from Amazon.com
Kidnapped after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue Will and will do anything to keep his promise --- even defy his King.
Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will’s friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged constantly by freelance knights --- but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon he begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. Even so, will they be in time to rescue Will from a horrific life of slavery? |
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The Cronus Chronicles
THE SIREN SONG: The Cronus Chronicles, Book Two
Anne Ursu
Atheneum
ISBN-10: 1416905898
ISBN-13: 9781416905899
Ages 8-12
448 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Ever since Charlotte Mielswetzski and her cousin, Zee, saved the world, life has returned to the way it was before they traveled to the Underworld and rescued all mankind from Philonecron, a deranged demigod with delusions of grandeur. However, things aren’t quite as normal as they seem. Philonecron is the grandson of Poseidon, and you don't mess with a relative of the second most powerful god in the universe. And Philonecron himself isn't so happy about having all of his plans thwarted by mortal children. He wants revenge, and with his grandfather to help him, he is going to get what he wants.
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Picture Books
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 CATOPIA: A Cat Compendium
written by Caroline Rephuk
illustrated by Anne Mortimer
Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061240044
ISBN-13: 9780061240041
Ages 8-12
24 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
A treasure trove of information, CATOPIA covers cats from all angles: tracing their ancestry, exploring their physiology, unraveling the folklore and superstitions that surround them and celebrating famous cats from around the world. It is packed with ingenious novelties, fascinating facts, tips and anecdotes all accompanied by beautiful, detailed illustrations. Novelties include bookplates, booklets, flaps, photo frame and a zodiac wheel.
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 DOGKU
written by Andrew Clements
illustrated by Tim Bowers
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 068985823X
ISBN-13: 9780689858239
Ages 4-8
40 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Wandering through the neighborhood in the early-morning hours, a stray pooch follows his nose to a back-porch door. After a bath and some table scraps from Mom, the dog meets three lovable kids. It’s all wags and wiggles until Dad has to decide if this stray pup can become the new family pet. Has Mooch finally found a home?
DOGKU is told entirely in haiku by master storyteller Andrew Clements.
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 THE JOHN HANCOCK CLUB
written by Louise Borden
illustrated by Adam Gustavson
Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 1416918132
ISBN-13: 9781416918134
Ages 7-10
48 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Sean McFerrin and his third grade class can't wait to learn how to write in cursive handwriting. Their teacher promises that whoever learns to use a legible and elegant cursive will be inducted into the John Hancock Club. Joining a club sounds exciting, but who is John Hancock? As Sean and his classmates practice cursive writing, they also learn about Hancock, a patriot in the American Revolution who had a very special signature and who was cheered in an extra special way: "Huzzah! Huzzah!" Will Sean's cursive ever be good enough for him to join a club named after such an important man?
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 PHOOEY!
written and illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0060752483
ISBN-13: 9780060752484
Ages 4-8
40 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
When a restless red-headed boy proclaims, "Nothing ever happens around here!", he kicks a can and sets into motion a series of wonderfully hilarious slapstick events that occur behind him --- and because of him. With elephants on parade, pirates around every corner, pies flying and oranges on the loose, Marc Rosenthal creates an adventure-filled world that is anything but boring! Kids will love the silly sounds that abound (SKREE! BOING! PLOINK!), making PHOOEY! a feast for the eyes and ears.
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--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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