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Durham, Paul.
THE LAST GARGOYLE
New York ; Random, 2018
IL 5-8
ISBN 1524700568
"What goes bump in the night? If you're lucky, I do." Meet Penhallow. Maybe you have even seen him. You know those stone creatures that are in the tops of some buildings? They crouch on the roofs and scowl at you. You may call them gargoyles. But don't call Penhallow a gargoyle. He gets offended easily. He is a grotesque and his job is keeping the residents in the apartment building in Boston safe And they are going to need him more than they know. There are only 3 grotesques left in Boston and they are trying their best to keep their charges safe. But things are getting more and more dangerous as someone or something is trying to kill off the grotesques of Boston.
Williams-Garcia, Rita.
CLAYTON BYRD GOES UNDERGROUND
New York : Amistad, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 4.4
ISBN 0062215914
Cool Papa Byrd is a blues man. And his grandson Clayton thinks he is the best. Cool Papa lets Clayton come to some of his gigs even though they have to keep it secret from his mother. Clayton doesn't understand why she hates her own father so much. Especially since it is Cool Papa Byrd. But she wants nothing to do with the blues or that life even mentioned in her house. When Cool Papa dies in the night, Clayton's life is turned upside down. How can he go on without Cool Papa? Without the blues? He has to come up with a plan.
Colfer, Eoin.
ILLEGAL
New York : Sourcebooks, 2018
IL 5-8
ISBN 1492662143A powerful graphic novel that follows Ebo, a young boy from Ghana as he tries to escape to Europe. Ebo's brother leaves their village without him but Ebo searches for Kwame and Finally finds him in the city. They travel through the desert towards the sea. Join the boys on their harrowing journey to Europe as they face hardships along the way.
Riordan, Rick.
THE HAMMER OF THOR
Orlando : Disney Hyperion, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 5.1
ISBN 1423160924
Thor's hammer is missing yet
again. He loses that thing so often. But this time it is a bit
different. The hammer is in enemy hands. And Magnus is going to
try to help get it back.After all, that is the only way to stop
Ragnarok. His friend Samirah is being forced to marry a
giant king. And her father Loki may be behind it. And then there
is her gender fluid half-brother Alex who may be working with
Loki. Come along on another adventure with Magnus Chase and his
friends as they make the most of death.
Reynolds, Jason.
GHOST
New York : Atheneum, 2016
Caleb Cranshaw has been running for three years. Ever since his father tried to kill him and his mother. Dad is in prison and his mother is working at the hospital cafeteria to pay the bills. Caleb, or Ghost as he prefers to be called, is a pretty good runner. When he watches a track team practice, he decides to show up the cocky kid who thinks no one can beat him. And he smokes him. He wasn't doing it to get on the team but when the coach sees how fast he is, that is just what happens. His mother has said it is fine as long as he doesn't get into trouble at school. Well, that has been happening quite a bit recently. Try as he might, Ghost just can't do it. But as he realizes how much being part of the track team means to him, he is determined to stay.
Perez, Celia C.
THE FIRST RULE OF PUNK
New York : Viking, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 6.2
ISBN 0425290409
Twelve-year-old Maria Luisa, or Malu as she prefers to be called, loves punk. She loves the music. She loves the look. She also loes skateboarding and zines. She shares these interests with her dad but now she and her mom are moving away. Her mother has a new job in Chicago and they move just before the start of 7th grade. Not a great time to be the new kid. And Malu find herself in trouble right from the start. She has violated the dress code by wearing makeup. And the class queen bee has her sights on Malu. It is not a great start. But Malu does find a few kids with similar interests and they decide to start their own punk band. But Malu learns that it is not always easy to stand up for what you believe in and be yourself.
Pearson, Scott.
ZEBRA MUSSELS (INVASIVE SPECIES TAKEOVER)
Mankato, MN : Black Rabbit Books, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 5.0
ISBN 1680720198
People in Monroe, Michigan had a
problem. Something was clogging the water pipes and cutting
off the supply. When they investigated, they found that the
pipe were clogged with lots of shells. These were shells of
zebra mussels. This was a big problem. Zebra mussels were not
usually found in Michigan and they were spreading into lots of
pipes and they stuck to everything. This is what is knows as
an invasive species. There are no natural predators in the
area to keep the zebra mussels from taking over. But how were
the mussels getting in to Michigan? And what can be
done?
Olson, Tod.
LOST IN THE PACIFIC, 1942: NOT A DROP TO DRINK
New York : Scholastic, 2016
Imagine being lost at sea and having no one know where you are. That is just what happened to a group of military men during World War II. The plane was on the way across the Pacific Ocean to deliver war hero Eddie Rickenbacker to a meeting. But the plane went down and in their haste to evacuate, they have left all the food and water on the plane. Now it is 8 men on 3 tiny rubber boats on a very large ocean with no one knowing where they are. How can they survive? Is anyone even looking for them? As they days go by, their hopes lesson.
Laybourne, Emmy.
BERSERKER
New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2017
IL YA
ISBN 1250055202
This is part historical fiction and part fantasy. Hanne and her family live in Norway in 1883. Most of the children have inherited the power of the Nytte. These powers are a gift from the Norse gods and are handed down from generation to generation. Hanne's father is a ship-wright. Older brother Steig is a storm-born. But Hanne is a Berserker. These are the most dangerous of the Nyttes. The Berserkers are killers. If anyone Hanne loves is in danger, she can't help herself. And that is what happens. Her father is in danger and Hanne's Nytte takes over. The men who threatened them are now dead as is her father. And now the kids are running for their lives. If they are found out, they will be killed. They take a ship to America and head west searching for an uncle who they believe can help Hanne control her Nytte. But they are being chased by men who have a different idea of what should happen to them.
Kline, Christina Baker.
ORPHAN TRAIN
GIRL : THE YOUNG READERS' EDITION OF ORPHAN TRAIN
New York : Harper, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 5.6
ISBN 0062445944
Molly Ayer was only eight
when she was placed in foster care. She has not had an easy life
and now she is in trouble and forced to perform community
service. She is assigned to an elderly woman who needs some help
cleaning out her attic. Molly is not thrilled with this
assignment but how bad can it be? As they get to know each
other, Molly learns that Vivian was orphaned as a young child
and sent from New York on a train to find a new home. These
"orphan trains" were devised as a good way to find homes for
city orphans and to help people in the midwest who could use
help. Vivian tells of her adventures on the train and of the
homes that did not work out. Molly begins to bond with Vivian
and can't wait to hear the next installment of the story.
Khan, Khizr.
THIS IS OUR CONSTITUTION : DISCOVER AMERICA WITH A GOLD STAR FATHER
New York : Knopf, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 6.1
ISBN 1524770914
Few who watched Mr. Khan at the 2016 Democratic National Convention can forget his powerful words. As an immigrant who lost his son while fighting for America, he gave an impassioned speech on the value, principals and ideals that America was founded on. Using the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, he inspires us all to believe in the ideals of the Founding Fathers again.
Anderson, John David.
POSTED
New York : Walden Pond Press, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 5.3
ISBN 006233820X
Middle schoolers without their cell phones. You just know they will find a way around this. When the school bans cell phones, the students turn to sticky notes to communicate with each other. It starts with Deedee passing silly notes to his friends. And then it spreads. The notes become mean and disturbing. So the school bans sticky notes. But the harm has already been done. Deedee, Frost, Wolf and Bench have been friends through middle school. When a new girl joins their circle, or should I say square, things begin to change for them. First Bench starts hanging out with other kids. Then Rose takes on the class bully. And then things change forever.
Durham, Paul. 
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