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Cool New Books for January
January’s roundup of Cool New Books includes RUNEMARKS, a fresh, funny and wonderfully irreverent new take on the old Norse tales, marking the fantasy debut of bestselling author Joanne Harris; AIRMAN, a story of high adventure from Artemis Fowl creator Eoin Colfer about a boy whose happy, carefree life is changed forever when he discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king; THE DAY OF THE DJINN WARRIORS, the fourth installment in P. B. Kerr's Children of the Lamp series featuring djinn twins John and Philippa Gaunt; and three titles that pay tribute to the struggles and achievements of African Americans, as we celebrate Black History Month in February --- FREEDOM TRAIN, NIGHT RUNNING: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog, and WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball.
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Stand-Alone Chapter Books/Middle Grade Novels
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AIRMAN
Eoin Colfer
Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 9781423107507
Ages 10-up
416 pages
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Conor Broekhart was born to fly. In fact, legend has it that he was born flying in a hot air balloon at the World’s Fair. In the 1890s Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. He spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king’s daughter, Princess Isabella.
But the boy’s idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king. When Conor tries to expose the plot, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life as he and the other prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions.
There is only one way to escape Little Saltee, and that is to fly.
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ELEVEN
Patricia Reilly Giff
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN: 9780385730693
Ages 8-13
176 pages
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Sam is almost 11 when he discovers a locked box in the attic above his grandfather Mack’s room, and a piece of paper that says he was kidnapped. There are lots of other words, but Sam has always had trouble reading. He’s desperate to find out who he is, and if his beloved Mack is really his grandfather. At night he’s haunted by dreams of a big castle and a terrifying escape on a boat. Who can he trust to help him read the documents that could unravel the mystery?
Then he and the new girl, Caroline, are paired up to work on a school project, building a castle in Mack’s woodworking shop. Caroline loves to read, and she can help. But she’s moving soon, and the two must hurry to discover the truth about Sam.
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FREEDOM TRAIN
Evelyn Coleman
Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9780689847165
Ages 8-12
160 pages
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Twelve-year-old Clyde Thomason is proud to have an older brother who guards the Freedom Train, which travels around the country with documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. But in Clyde’s hometown of Atlanta in 1947, not everyone is truly free. When an African-American boy named William Dobbs saves Clyde from a beating, Clyde is shocked. He’s even more taken aback when he learns that William’s family lives in the rich --- and white --- part of town. When townspeople threaten William’s family, Clyde must make a choice: Will he speak out to protect their freedom?
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GHOST LETTERS
Stephen Alter
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781582347394
Ages 9-12
240 pages
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When two modern-day kids discover a grotesque secret in an abandoned mailbox, they have no idea that they are about to be drawn into a mystery that began on the other side of the world. Through the help of an English genie and a phantom postman, they begin to communicate with a young calligrapher’s apprentice who lived 125 years ago in a small, Himalayan village. Writing back and forth, across continents and centuries, the three children eventually realize the possibility of changing history by delivering three letters that were never received. If they succeed in doing so, love may be restored, the life of a kidnapped child could be saved and a secret agent might be able to prevent a pointless war.
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RUNEMARKS
Joanne Harris
Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780375844447
Ages 10-up
544 pages
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Seven o’clock on a Monday morning, five hundred years after the end of the world, and goblins had been at the cellar again…. Not that anyone would admit it was goblins. In Maddy Smith’s world, order rules. Chaos, old gods, fairies, goblins, magic, glamours --- all of these were supposedly vanquished centuries ago. But Maddy knows that a small bit of magic has survived. The “ruinmark” she was born with on her palm proves it --- and makes the other villagers fearful that she is a witch (though helpful in dealing with the goblins-in-the-cellar problem). But the mysterious traveler One-Eye sees Maddy’s mark not as a defect, but as a destiny. And Maddy will need every scrap of forbidden magic One-Eye can teach her if she is to survive that destiny.
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Series Books/Sequels
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Children of the Lamp
THE DAY OF THE DJINN WARRIORS: Children of the Lamp #4
P. B. Kerr
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439932141
Ages 9-12
400 pages
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Djinn twins John and Philippa are off on another whirlwind adventure, and it's a race against time as they attempt to rescue their mother from her fate as the Blue Djinn of Babylon. While the twins and their friends travel around the globe on their rescue mission, they notice that something very strange is happening: An evil force has awakened the terracotta warriors created by an ancient Chinese emperor, and someone with very bad intentions has cast a spell possessing the soldiers with wicked spirits. And now, the very fate of the world hangs in the balance.
Can the twins stop the mysterious terracotta warriors, rescue their parents AND save the world before it's too late? |
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Enola Holmes
THE CASE OF THE BIZARRE BOUQUETS: An Enola Holmes Mystery
Nancy Springer
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399245183
Ages 8-12
176 pages
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Dr. Watson is missing, and not even Sherlock Holmes has the slightest clue as to where he could be. Enola is intrigued, but weary; she’s still hiding from her older brothers --- and getting involved could be disastrous. But when a bizarre bouquet shows up at the Watson residence, full of convolvulus, hawthorn and white poppies, Enola must act. She dons her most discerning disguise yet to find the sender --- and quickly, because Enola knows that the blossoms symbolize death! |
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Grey Griffins
THE FALL OF THE TEMPLAR: Grey Griffins, Book 3
Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis
Orchard Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 9780439837767
Ages 9-12
304 pages
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The epic battle between the Grey Griffins and forces of evil continues, as Max, Harley and Natalia face off against Morgan La Fey and Lord Sumner. The friends also struggle to find a way to save Ernie, who remains trapped in an enchanted coma, and Max must come to terms with his father's most wicked betrayal. The Grey Griffins and the Templar Knights stage the last stand-off to save the world and the Land of Faerie. |
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Prequel to SWORDBIRD
SWORD QUEST
Nancy Yi Fan
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061243356
Ages 8-12
288 pages
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When archaeopteryxes begin to dominate birdworld, the Great Spirit causes a magical sword to be forged. The bird who wields it can use it for good or for evil. Will it be Wind-voice, the unlikely archae-dove, or the archaeopteryx Maldeor, who has turned to evil? As the two rivals race to find the Great Spirit’s sword, the future of birdworld and Wind-voice’s destiny as Swordbird rests in the balance. |
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Picture Books
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THE COW THAT LAID AN EGG
written by Andy Cutbill
illustrated by Russell Ayto
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061372957
Ages 4-8
32 pages
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Marjorie is an insecure cow who wishes she had some special talent. She can't ride a bicycle or do handstands like the other cows. But one morning (thanks to a bunch of scheming chickens and a paintbrush), Marjorie is astonished to discover something extraordinary: she has laid an egg! But does the baby inside the egg really belong to her?
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DUCK SOUP
written and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780061214417
Ages 4-7
32 pages
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It’s time for a second helping of Max the duck! Introduced to readers in DUCK AT THE DOOR, Max is now cooking up an amazing soup. But what's this? A feather floating in the soup! And where's Max? Brody the dog, Dakota the cat and Bebe the bird race about in their hilarious search for the missing Max. But remember, sometimes things just aren't as they appear.
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NAUGHTY CHERIE!
written by Joyce Carol Oates
illustrated by Mark Graham
HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780060743581
Ages 4-8
40 pages
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Naughty Chérie is the cutest kitten in the litter, but she certainly isn't the best-behaved one! She tries, but she can't seem to stay out of trouble. Sitting alone in the corner as punishment, she finds a small crack in the wall that leads to a place called Little Friends Kindercare. But after seeing the naughty behavior of the other baby animals in the kindercare, Little Chérie returns home a changed kitten.
This lovable tale from Joyce Carol Oates and Mark Graham includes a valuable message that makes for a purrrfect bedtime story.
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NIGHT RUNNING: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog
written by Elisa Carbone
illustrated by E. B. Lewis
Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780375822476
Ages 5-8
40 pages
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It's 1838, and James has made a secret plan to escape Master Graham’s farm and a life of slavery. James tells his dog Zeus he has to stay behind: he’s simply too noisy to bring along on a dangerous nighttime journey. But when two white men capture James soon after he runs, he’s grateful that his faithful hunting dog didn’t obey. Zeus has followed behind, and the scrappy hound rescues James from his captors.
An author’s note describes the real-life inspiration behind the book: James Smith, a slave who escaped with the help of his dog and went on to become a farmer and Baptist minister.
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WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball
written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 9780786808328
Ages 8-up
96 pages
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The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball.
Using an “Everyman” player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947.
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--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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