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Nolen, Jerdine.
CALICO GIRL
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.2
ISBN 1481459813
Callie is a 12 year old girl living as a slave in Virginia. The country is about to go to war as the southern states have voted to secede from the union. Some of the slaves on the plantation have been sold off to help pay for the war and now Callie is wondering if the promise of her freedom is ever going to happen. This is the story of Callie's journey to freedom. Callie finds her way to Fort Monroe where slaves find refuge as contraband of war and cannot be sent back to their "owners". Here, Callie's life changes and she now has decisions to make about her future.
Miles, Chris.
SPURT
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 4.8
ISBN 1481479725
Meet Jack. A former reality television star and current 8th grader. Some people might feel he has it made with the tv bit but Jack is just trying to live a normal life. But that is not so easy when you think you are the only 8th grader who hasn't gone through puberty yet. Jack is obsessed with this and he tries to fake it so the other kids won't make fun of him. There are many cringe-worthy events along the way and Jack must also deal with a reunion show of the tv show he was on.
McMullen, Beth.
MRS. SMITH'S SPY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
New York : Aladdin, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 5.8
ISBN 1481490206
Abigail is not sure why her
mother sent her to this elite boarding school. She has
never even heard of it. She is able to make a few friends but
the work is hard and things are going on that she doesn't
understand. When she sneaks into the head mistress's
office after hours, she learns that this school is not at all
what she thought. It is actually a school for training
spies! Children as spies. Now Abigail is caught up in the
intrigue when she discovers a secret about her own mother.
Full of adventure and secrets, Abigail's middle school year is
not like anything you may ever experience.
Littman, Sarah.
FAIREST OF THEM ALL
New York : Aladdin, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 6.0
ISBN 1481451308
Do you like fashion? Do you have your own style? Maybe you are that person who just knows how to dress and maybe even make your own fashion. Well, Aria is that person. She wants to make her own clothes and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. When a new club starts at school, she just knows she has to join. The Couture Club is just the opportunity Aria needs to show her stuff. But there is one problem. One big problem. Aria is the daughter of Brier Rose and Prince Charming. They are now living in New York and have a fairly modern life after Rose's long sleep but Aria is not allowed near sharp objects. Especially needles. Just in case. Talk about a helicopter mother! How is Aria supposed to design fashion without touching a needle? Come on. That sleeping spell can't be handed down could it?
Mancusi, Mari.
PRINCESSES, INC.
New York : Aladdin, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 5.3
ISBN 1481479016
Eighth graders Hailey and her BFFs are all obsessed with Collin Prince, a youtube star. They watch all his videos and Hailey and Sarah even write fan fiction about him. When they find out that he will be at Comic-pa-looza this summer, they know they just have to get there. When the parents say no, the girls come up with a way to make the money themselves. They will babysit. But most of the jobs are taken by older girls. They need a hook. Something that will make them stand out. Something like Princesses and Pirates. They will dress as princesses and make it more of a party than a babysitting gig. And boy is it popular. They are in demand and parents are now calling them instead of their regular sitters. This is such a great way to make the money they need to get to Houston and meet Collin Prince. Or is it?
Johnson, Rebecca L. CHERNOBYL'S WILD KINGDOM
New York : Twenty First Century Books, 2015
It was just an ordinary Friday night in the small town Pripyat, Ukraine. On April 26, 1986, a routine test on the nuclear power plant went horribly wrong. In less than a minute, the plant exploded releasing radiation. The explosion released four hundred times more radioactivity than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. But the locals did not know what happened. Radioactivity is invisible and may take awhile to kill. The officials realized that they could not keep this a secret so by Sunday, the town was evacuated. The power plant was encased in concrete but an 18 mile radius around the plant was deemed uninhabitable and blocked off. This area was considered the Dead Zone. No life could live in it for years if ever. But thirty years after the disaster, scientists found something extraordinary. Life found a way. They found plants and animals flourishing in the dead zone. How could that be? And what types of life is found there?
Green, Tim.
BASEBALL GENIUS
New York : Jeter Children's/Aladdin, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.8
ISBN 1481468642
Jalen was only doing this so he could afford to pay for the travel team this summer. No way could his dad afford to pay for the team. They were living what his teacher had called "hand to mouth". But Jalen needed money to play on the summer travel team. Baseball was his life and he just had to be on the team. So he snuck onto James Yager's property to steal baseballs. James Yager was giving these baseballs away anyway so it should be no big deal. Just 10 signed baseballs and Jalen would have the money he needed. He hadn't counted on being caught -- by James Yager himself. He gets away but that is not the end to this story. When he meets James Yager again, the two strike up a deal to help both of them. What does Jalen have that could possibly save Yager's baseball career?
Foster, Stewart.
BUBBLE
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 3.2
ISBN
1481487426
Joe has been in the hospital so long that he doesn't even remember what it is like to be outside. Joe has an autoimmune disease which means he is allergic to just about everything. He lives in a special room in the hospital in London that keeps him alive. The air is pure and everyone who comes in must wash with antiseptic soap and wear special clothes. It is hard for an 11 year old boy to be cooped up all the time. His sister and nurses are very good to him but it is still hard. When a new nurse is assigned to his case, Joe believes the nurse is crazy. Amir talks about aliens and crop circles and landing fields. But as Joe gets to know Amir, he begins to find him exciting. And maybe a bit dangerous. When Amir suggests that Joe do something against all the rules, what will Joe do?
Cronin, Doreen.
CYCLONE
New York : Atheneum Books 2017
IL 3-6, RL 5.8
ISBN 1481435256
Can she take it back? Nora just really, really wanted to ride the the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island. And this was her last chance. Her parents wouldn't ride with her so her cousin Riley was her only chance. But Riley really, really didn't want to ride the Cyclone. She was so scared. But Nora blackmailed her into it. It will be all over in a couple of minutes. It will be fine. But it wasn't. And Riley will never be the same. What do you do when you have blackmailed your favorite cousin to do something and it goes so wrong?
Nolen, Jerdine.
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