Science Fair

By David Barrry
"Grdankl the Strong, president of Kprshtskan, is plotting to take over the American government. His plan is to infiltrate the science fair at Hubble Middle School, located in a Maryland suburb just outside Washington. The rich kids at Hubble cheat by buying their projects every year, and Grdankl's cronies should have no problem selling them his government-corrupting software. But this year, Toby Harbinger, a regular kid with Discount Warehouse shoes, is determined to win the $5,000 prize-even if he has to go up against terrorists to do it. With the help of his best friends, Tamara and Micah, Toby takes on Assistant Principal Paul Parmit, aka "The Armpit", a laser-eyed stuffed owl, and two eBay buyers named Darth and the Wookiee who seem to think that the Harrison-Ford-signed BlasTech DL-44 blaster Toby sold them is a counterfeit. What transpires is a hilarious adventure filled with mystery, suspense, and levitating frogs."
J BAR

Green Algae and Bubble Gum Wars

by Annie Bryant

Beacon Street Girls

Science isn't exactly Maeve's favorite subject, but she's still excited to be going to the Sally Ride Science Festival at MIT with her hunky tutor, Matt. Sure, the BSG and her annoyingly brilliant younger brother are going as well, but it's still almost kind of a date, isn't it?
The festival gives the BSG a super idea -- an environmental science fair at Abigail Adams Junior High. But plans for a bubble gum factory nearby put Avery and Katani on opposite sides of an environmental issue -- and Avery finds herself in a bubble gum war with the Queens of Mean!
J PB BRY

Chains

By Laurie Halse Anderson

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

Great research makes this a good example of historical fiction.

J AND

Hard Gold

An I Witness Novel: A Tale of the Old West
"Early Whitcomb's family needs a miracle. Their Iowa farm has been in the family for generations, but a long drought has withered their savings and left them in debt. Meanwhile, the great Chicago and Northwestern Railroad wants their land, and if the Whitcombs can't pay their loans, the local banker, Judge Fuslin, will foreclose and sell the farm as his own. Early's uncle (though he's more like a brother), Jesse, thinks he has the solution: to head West and dig for gold. Fueled by reports of prospectors striking it rich in the Rocky Mountains, Jesse can't think about anything but gold, and his determination to get to the western territories grows stronger by the day. Early is wild to go with him, as much for the adventure as for the gold. But the journey costs money--more than the boys can afford--and when Jesse flees during the night, after being accused of a robbery, Early doesn't know what to believe. "
J
AVI

Dog Lost

by Ingrid Lee
"11-year-old Mackenzie has got one friend in the whole world: Cash, his brown-eyed pit bull. His dad won the runt after a long night of drinking and gambling--ever since Mac's mom died, that's all he seems to do, and soon he erupts in a rage at the innocent pup, takes her away in the trunk of his car, and dumps her in the middle of nowhere. Mac vows to find Cash and bring her back home--he has to: all strays are about to be outlawed! Little does he know that while he searches for Cash, she's surviving her own adventures and proving in the process that all dogs--even pit bulls--are born good.
J
LEE

Tales From Africa

Retold by Kathleen Arnott

Drawn from all parts of Africa, these stories convey the fierce sense of justice inherent in African peoples, their powers of patience and endurance, and their supreme ability as storytellers. A greedy spider, an evil shark, flying horses, a cruel baboon, a scheming tortoise, and a cunning hare are among the many animal characters in this riveting collection. Yet even though animals feature prominently in most of the stories, humans are not neglected either. Meet blacksmiths, kings, chiefs, peasants, and even an African Superman. There are also answers to such important questions as why the crab has no head, why the sun and moon live in the sky, and why flies buzz. The tales are collected from all across the continent--from Nigeria to Congo to South Africa--and translated from over a dozen languages like Swahili, Bantu, Fulani, Zulu, and Yoruba.
J398.2ARN
Also try: Tales From West Africa J398.2BEN

CandyFloss

by Jacqueline Wilson

Floss's Mom and Dad are separated and are not at all alike anymore. When Mom decides to move the family to Australia to follow the new stepdad's job, Floss thinks she might just stay with her Dad. After all, her Dad runs a cool diner and lives upstairs over it. Floss quickly finds out the diner is in trouble and her Dad has run out of money. Will Floss's friends all abandon her now that she is poor? Will she change her mind and go live in luxury with her Mom?

J PB WIL

Magic Pickle

By Scott Morse

Meet the world's greenest, bumpiest, briniest superhero! Now in graphic novel format -- Magic Pickle faces his worst nightmare, the Brotherhood of Evil Produce. Will the world be conquered by vegetables gone wild?

J MOR

Jerry Spinelli: Master Teller of Teen Tales

By John Micklos, Jr.

Spinelli has written more than 20 books, including Maniac Magee, Stargirl, and Milkweed. Find out what he is really like, and where he got his inspiration from. If you are needing to report on a biography -- report on a person whose work you love!

Y813.54 SPI

Ruby Lu: Empress of Everything

By Lenore Look

Ruby's cousing Flying Duck comes from China to live with her. Ruby gets to be a Smile Buddy and help her cousin out, but that gets old when Ruby discovers that everything at home is changing -- and not for the better. Her parents have stopped speaking English and expect her to be able to eat with chopsticks. And, they expect her to learn Chinese sign language! Is it worth having this new friend in her life?

This is Ruby's second book, check out Ruby Lu: Brave & True for the first installment of her adventures. If you like Ramona -- you'll like Ruby Lu.

J LOO

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat

By Chris Riddell

Meet Ottoline Brown. Her parents spend their time traveling around the world adding to their collection of "intersting things." Meanwhile Ottoline stays home with her pet/friend Mr. Monroe, always on the lookout for a good mystery to solve. Ottoline has discovered a string of burglaries that has hit the city, and is distressed that many small lapdogs have disappeared. can she and Mr. Munroe come up with a plan to stop this crime wave?

A chapter book that is loaded with great illustrations -- you'll wnat to race to the end to solve the case!

J RID

Claire and the Bakery Thief

By Janice Poon

Claire moves to the country, where her parents have started an organic bakery. Claire finds a great new best friend, the bakery is a success -- but something is really wrong. All of a sudden her parents won't stop fighting, and then her mother suddenly disappears with the Artificial Flavoring Salesman. Can Claire and Jet solve the real mystery?

This book includes recipes that will make you hungry!
J POO

The Battle of Bunker Hill: An Interactive History Adventure

By Michael Burgan

You cannot rewrite the past -- or can you? You choose being a Patriot, a British soldier, or a Boston civilian as you make your way through the pages of history. A fascinating and fun way to discover all sides of historical events.

You make the choices that determine 14 different possible endings to your plot. A great book to share with a friend.
J973.3 BUR

Warning From The Waves

By Justine Smith

This review written by Tiana Span
"Warning from the Waves is about a girl named Tara who gets a message from a boy she meets in her dreams. Tara Lives by the ocean, and the message says she is to 'turn on the light in the lighthouse'."

Find out what happens next in this exciting book -- but you may have to get in line to check it out!

Cooking The Turkish Way

By Karl Cornell

Review written by Jabrae Thomas
"This book is about cooking and it is a lot of fun. It shows the ingredients. The food is like Chinese food -- I like Chinese food-- this is the best food book I have had."

Jabrae is right -- this is a good ethnic cookbook, with mostly vegetarian meals to prepare. The directions are simple. If you would like to surprize your parents with your culinary talents, check out one of our hundreds of cookbooks at the library. (Did I mention we have whole books about cupcakes?)

Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book

By Bill Waterson

A Collection of Sunday Calvin and Hobbes Cartoons

This book reviewed by Robert (Shaq) Drivers

"This book is about a boy named Calvin. He is bad and funny. He cheats off his friend -- she will tell him the wrong answer if he asks. "

The magical friendship shared by Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes has endeared them to millions of fans in their comic strip appearing in more than 800 newspapers and in millions of books. Calvin is Spaceman Spiff when he take trips to other planets some days, but other days he is content to just hang around with Hobbes. Each day is a funny adventure.

5 Brothers 5 Sisters Revenge Takedown

Is It Over?
An Original and Yet-Unpublished Work By Alston Flanner
(This means "Don't Look For It, We Don't Have It.")
"In this book there are 10 brothers and sisters -- 5 brothers, 5 sisters. They have powers of fire, earth, and wind, psychic, electricity, water, plants, animal talking, and shape shifting. they had to battle a lava monster and they think it's an IT. This book is Book 3 of a series, and they haven't discovered their Mom yet. I think you should read it bevause it has crime, action, and it's hilarious. But --read Book 1 and Book 2 first!"

Another Original Written and Reviewed by Author Alston Flanner--
"The Adventures of Maria and Takeo and the Other Knights
This book is about how MAria and Takeo live with each other and how another castle attacked them. The book is sad and a fairy tale -- and the knights nearly die."

Ricky Ricotta's giant robot vs. the mutant mosquitoes from Mercury : the second robot adventure novel

By Dav Pilkey
Review written by Tiana Span

"Ricky Ricotta is a mouse who has a giant robot. When a mosquito from MErcury gets tired of the way he is living he spots Ricky and his robot in Squeakyville. So he makes an evil plan to destroy Ricky and his robot and take over Squeakyville. So, if you like excitement and action, read the book. Out of 1 to 10, I would give it a 10. "
J PIL

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales

By Jon Scieszha
Reviewed by F. L. Wessely

"You've all heard of the "Gingerbread Man" and "Little Red Riding Hood." Well, be prepared to meet the Stinky Cheese MAn and Little Red Riding Shorts. In this book, you'll read your favorite fairy tales and fables, but with a funky new twist. The stories are hilarious and the illustrations by Lane SMith are unbelievably creative and fun to look at. If you enjoy silly stories from a new perspective, then this is just the book for you. "
JP+ SCI

Stardust

By Neil Gaiman & Charles Vess

Tristan Thorne has always been warned away from the magical land on the other side of the wall. When he finds out his mother is on the other side of the wall, he goes over to faerieland to find a falling star. Thus begins his adventures with pirates, witches, stars, and nine princes (half of which are dead.) Stardust is a funny, action-filled fairie tale full of excitement and magic.

Y SPA

The Case of the Missing Monkey

By Cynthia Rylant

Review Written by Jabrae

"This book is good to read because it is a fun book and a mystery book. It is really funny when a sign reads "the grill next door" and it is funny when they say "oh, yummy -- powdered doughnuts" and when he says "Does anybody care about my monkey?" Read it --it's great!"

There's a mystery at The Grill Next Door-a missing glass monkey and a restaurant full of suspects. Just the sort of case for high-rise private eyes Bunny Brown and Jack Jones. While Jack uses his ability to sniff out what's on the menu, Bunny is on the way to solving the mystery using her keen observation skills.

The Witches

By Roald Dahl

The rollicking story of how a mouse-hero and his intrepid grandmother (a retired witchophile) take on the Grand High Witch and her coven. This book is funny and disgusting -- a winning combination!

Murder, My Tweet

By Bruce Hale
A Chet Gecko Mystery

There's a smear of red on the playground.
Is it jelly -- or is it blood? Could something have happened to Chet's partner Natalie? He fears the worst!

Trouble on Planet Earth

By R.A. Montgomery

The ever-popular Choose Your Own Adventure format!
Some one or some thing is draining the earth's oil reserves. The world's economy may come to a complete halt unless you can solve the mystery. Will you follow those that you feel may be guilty or will you search the house where they have been? Each decision you make can change the outcome of the adventure.

Into The Abyss

Tom Swift, Young Inventor

By Victor Appleton

Tom Swift is not your average teenager -- he's a science prodigy who loves to invent things. Bud and Yo, Tom's best friends, are always willing to help him test out the latest technolology. But this time it looks like Tom is in some deep-sea trouble.

A great adventure for guys and girls (did I mention that YO is a girl?) that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Keeping Score

By Linda Sue Park

Maggie and her friend Joey-Mick are diehard Dodger fans. They know all the players and all their stats. But despite praying year after year their team is never going to win the World Series. Doesn't anything Maggie wishes for ever happen? She also wishes Jim -- who is serving in the army in Korea -- would answer her letters. She is really beginning to worry about this man who has been her friend and baseball mentor. Mom and Dad want her to have faith, but does faith really work?

Clementine's Letter

By Marla Frazee

What could happen when your favorite teacher decides to leave school in the middle of the year and go off on an adventure? Clementine knows that Mr. D'MAst is the only teacher who understands what it is like to be impulsive and restless in school. What will happen to her if he goes off on this research trip to Egypt? CAn she find a way to ruin his plans?

A great beginning chapter book with very funny drawings.

The Golden Age of Pirates

An Interactive History Adventure

By Bob Temple

Do you want to be the pirate who is searching for the spoils, the merchant on a ship that is about to be invaded, or a member of the Royal Navy who is trying to keep the seas safe? You choose your own adventure and decide your own fate. You may end up rich -- or dead!

The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah

By Nora Raleigh Baskin
Nana has died and left Caroline a Star of David necklace. Caroline has never really thought of herself as Jewish, even tho her Mom is. She starts to wonder what it would be like to attend a synagogue -- and maybe even have a Bat Mitzvah like her best friend Rachael.

This is a great book about finding out more about yourself and your heritage. It's not wrong to always be asking questions!

Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls Book One: Moving Day

By Meg Cabot

Nine year old Allie Finkel does not want to move. She would have to give up her room, her friends, and even change schools. And why did her parents pick out such a creepy old house? Could the neighbor boy be right about what might be hiding in the attic? And how will all this affect the "rules" that Allie has been collecting? Will she ever fit in anyplace again?

This is a great story about true friends by the author of The Princess Diaries.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules

Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules by Jeff Kinney

Greg is writing another diary -- and hopes his big brother Roderick doesn't get his hands on it. Roderick already knows way too much -- especially the details of that horrible incident over summer vacation. Will Roderick be too busy with his band to care about Greg, or will that awful secret finally leak out? This is the sequel to the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

The Bronze Pen

The Bronze Pen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

When a white duck leads Audrey to a cave, magic starts to change her life. An old woman is sitting in the cave -- a woman that seems to know all about Audrey's deepest desires. She gives Audrey a bronze pen, and warns her to put it to good use. When Audrey tries to write stories with the pen, strange things begin to happen. Can Audrey write the future with her pen -- or will the pen lead to trouble?
Read this book and untangle the deep mysteries hidden inside.

Oggie Cooder

Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks

Oggie Cooder likes to chew cheese -- actually he likes to carve it out (or charve as he calls it) into unusual shapes. When a talent contest comes to town, Oggie has a chance to be a star, and since he's been known as the "weird kid" this seems like a pretty good deal. But will it be as great as Oggie thinks? A hilarious book that will make you look at your sandwich differently!

Baseball Crazy: Ten Short Stories That Cover All The Bases

Written by a starting line-up of your favorite authors, including Jerry Spinelli, Ron Koertge, and John H. Ritter.

This book is for anyone, boy or girl, that has ever stood in the outfield praying that the ball wouldn't come that far, shook with sweaty fear standing in the batter's box, or dreamed of hearing cheering crowds out on the diamond. Each story features a trading card that covers personal bits about the author including BBI's (Books Batted In.) J BAS

as if being 12 3/4 isn't bad enough, my mother is running for president!

By Donna Gephart

Vanessa's mother is running for president , and it is ruining her life. Reporters are snapping pictures of her at awkward moments -- when she is tripping and falling on her face, or when her secret crush is exposed. And her mother is so caught up in campaigning that she forgets to show up at important events like the County Spelling Bee. Doesn't her Mom understand that Vanessa needs her way more than the country does? And how can Vanessa be sure that her Mom will stay safe?

If you think that it is glamorous having a parent who's running for office -- read this!

No Castles Here

By A.C.E. Bauer

When you're in sixth grade in a school plunked down in a neighborhood that hosts gangs and drug dealers you have to watch yourself. Keeping your head down and trying not to attract a lot of attention to yourself works – but Augie runs out of luck when he is caught walking home from a bookstore carrying a book of fairy tales. Then his mother, who worries, signs him up for the Big Brothers program, and his Big Brother turns out to be gay. When he tries to hide out at school, he finds himself forced to try out for the school chorus. Could things get any worse? They could – when the school district decides to shut down Augie’s school, and send everyone across town to random locations. Augie has had enough! Can a (as he describes himself) “scrawny loser” make a difference in the world? Can an enchanted book teach him how to change his life?

You’ll be cheering Augie on before this book is through!

Regarding the Fountain

by Kate Klise

The Dry Creek Middle School needs a new drinking fountain, so Principal Walter Russ request bids from Flowing Waters Fountain, Etc. "We need a new drinking fountain, please send catalog." But Flo Waters, the artist/owner of the fountain company doesn't do ordinary fountains. So she starts sending return letters asking for suggestions about the design and uses of the fountain. Principal Walter Russ does not think this is appropriate, but Mr. Sam N's fifth grade class is ready to send their imaginative ideas to Flo Waters, "big enough to splash in. . .dispenses root beer."

The very funny letters that travel back and forth would make a great read -- but you should also know that while all this writing back and forth is happening a great mystery is also waiting to be exposed. Will Dry Creek Middle School ever get their fountain?

Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper

by Kazu Kibuishi

A tragic accident finds the family in this graphic novel forced into moving to an old ancestral home. Quickly the daughter finds herself the owner of a unique amulet. But, can she control the powers of this necklace well enough to save her family from the mysterious creatures that dwell in the house? Action-packed and thick with unforgettable mechanical characters that assist in the fight for survival, this book is sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Will the amulet save them -- and does it really have the power to turn back time? Just a warning, this is Book One. You'll be watching for the sequel!

Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key

by Jack Gantos

Joey Pigza doesn’t mean to be in trouble all the time –it just happens. Joey feels “wired” most of the day, and feeling that way causes him to do things like sharpening his own finger in the pencil sharpener, swallowing his house key, and eating a whole pie. Joey Pizga has what the doctors call Attention Deficit Disorder. Joey just knows that most times his “meds” don’t work and he feels out of control. Can anyone help Joey so he doesn’t have to stay in a special school?

This is a funny book – but it’s also a book that helps us know what it feels like to be different than the rest of the kids.

J GAN

My Big Sister Is So Bossy She Says You Can't Read This Book

by Mary Hershey

Effie is having a hard enough time without any further complications. Her father is in jail (pretty embarrassing at school), her mother is busy working two jobs, and her older sister Maxie spends a lot of free time bullying her. Effie feels pretty alone and wishes she could find a best friend. She tries to partner up with Aurora to do an unusual science project, but gets totally distracted when she finds out that Maxie has stolen the money from Effie’s Scout treasury box. Read this book (as Effie says, “At Your Own Risk”) to see if anything will go right for Effie!