West Bend Community Memorial Library

June Books

How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell - The rollicking sequel to "How to Train Your Dragon" and "How to Be a Pirate" offers a fast-paced plot, slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and imaginative black-and-white illustrations to enhance an exciting tale featuring Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge - Twelve-year-old Mosca Mye doesn't have much. Her cruel uncle keeps her locked up in his mill, and her only friend is her vicious pet goose. But she does have one small, rare thing: the ability to read. She doesn't know it yet, but this gift will change her life.

The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau - In this prequel to The City of Ember (2003) and The People of Sparks (2004, both Random), 11-year-old Nickie accompanies her aunt to Yonwood, NC, to help get her great-grandfather's house ready to be sold. Months earlier, a woman in the community named Althea Tower had a vision and collapsed, muttering about fire and disaster. The townspeople interpreted it as a premonition of events since war between the U.S. and the Phalanx Nations is eminent. Althea is hailed as a Prophet and an ambitious Mrs. Beeson appoints herself Althea's interpreter. Soon she's urging everyone to give up sinful things like singing. The townspeople believe that by being virtuous they will build a shield of goodness around themselves and not be harmed. In her effort to be a good person, Nickie falls prey to this collective brainwashing and betrays a friend. She has her own secret. She's hiding a dog in the house. When Mrs. Beeson thinks the Prophet has said no dogs and forces everyone to get rid of them, the child is outraged and confronts the Prophet to demand the truth behind her pronouncements.

Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park - The Newbery Medal-winning author of "A Single Shard" delivers a funny and suspenseful adventure, incorporating intriguing bits of Korean history and lore that will captivate even reluctant readers.

May Books

Gossamer by Lois Lowry - In a haunting story that tiptoes between reality and imagination, a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another, renewed by the strength that comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see.

Blue by Joyce Hostletter - A compelling story of resourcefulness, loss, and the healing power of friendship. When Ann Fay Honeycutt's father goes off to war in 1944, the 13-year-old steps into his overalls as the oldest of four children. Despite support from Junior, her 17-year-old neighbor, the daunting tasks of tending the family's large vegetable garden, helping with household chores, and looking after her sisters and brother suddenly become overwhelming. Then Bobby, four, contracts polio and is taken to an emergency quarantine hospital. He dies, and Ann Fay must help her family deal with their grief. While the escalating trials have served to increase her toughness and determination, Ann Fay's world is further rocked when she contracts the devastating disease and is herself hospitalized. The races are not separated in the contagious ward in Hickory, NC, and she and Imogene, a colored girl, become fast friends. Hostetter based this novel on the true story of the polio hospital built in Hickory during the epidemic.

Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix - The final episode of Margaret Peterson Haddix's futuristic Shadow Children sequence brings conclusions, but also surprises. Illegal third-born Luke Garner is working undercover in Population Police headquarters. Endangered by exposure at every turn, he is offered a dangerous mission that he cannot refuse: He is assigned to travel around the region to issue new identification. At the very first stop, however, things go terribly wrong when Luke unintentionally sparks a local revolt. Before he can quell the disturbance, the uprising has blown into widespread revolution.

Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck - Once again, Peck (The Teacher's Funeral) combines warmth, humor and local color to create a vibrant rendering of small-town America. Set in 1914, an era when women hobbled their skirts, and automobiles with "an electric self-starter" were still a novelty ("Crank from your seat, not from the street," went the Cadillac motto), the novel traces the eventful 14th summer of narrator "Peewee" McGrath, an orphaned tomboy who would rather help her brother tinker with cars than go to school. Both Peewee and her brother, Jake, long for the day when a road is built through their Indiana township, bringing business to their makeshift auto repair shop. In the meantime, four young librarians arrive from Indianapolis and stir up some dust—they're bent on spreading culture and reviving the long defunct local library. Irene, their ringleader, teaches Peewee a thing or two about being a lady. Her coworker Grace, the daughter of an automobile mogul, wheedles smiles and conversation out of painfully shy Jake. The story culminates at the county fair where Irene, Grace, Jake and Peewee join forces and skills to compete in the township's first annual road race.

The Wonder Kid by George Harrar - It's 1954, a year when polio, known as the great crippler of children, terrified parents. Jesse's mom won't let him go to the playground or hang out with friends for fear that he will catch the disease- so Jesse stays home, making up his own games with his grandfather and dog, Gort. No matter what Jesse does, he can't seem to please his father, who wanted a basketball-baseball-football kind of son. Instead, Jesse spends his days drawing pictures, watching cowboy movies, and playing war with his army of metal soldiers. Then polio strikes, paralyzing Jesse's legs. With the help of an unlikely girlfriend, Jesse turns his imagination to creating comic strips, reinterpreting his life as The Wonder Kid, with the power to make things happen by thinking them. In this strange summer of UFOs and fallout shelters and deadly hurricanes, Jesse discovers just how much he has in common with his father and what it really means to be a hero.

The Face of the Shadow by Erik L'Homme - Robin has been taken prisoner by the evil, faceless Shadow. Locked in a tower high above the dark city of Yenibohr, he must endure The Shadow's increasingly brutal attacks. But when Robin's best friends discover his disappearance, they sneak through the Door to the Uncertain World to save him. Can Robin and his friends take on the most evil power in the multiverse… before time runs out?

April Books

Flyte by Angie Sage - It's been a year since Septimus Heap discovered his real family and true calling to be a wizard. As Apprentice to Extra Ordinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, he is learning the fine arts of Conjurations, Charms, and other Magyk, while Jenna is adapting to life as the Princess and enjoying the freedom of the Castle. But there is something sinister at work. Marcia is constantly trailed by a menacing Darke Shadow, and Septimus's brother Simon seems bent on a revenge no one understands. Why is the Darke Magyk still lingering? Bringing fantasy to new heights, Angie Sage continues the journey of Septimus Heap with her trademark humor and all of the clever details readers have come to love.

Travels with my Family by Marie-Louise Gay - A husband-and-wife team combine their own family memories to produce a very different kind of travelogue. The story of an eccentric family is told from the point of view of a long-suffering boy who must keep tabs on his parents and little brother while they travel.

The Valley of the Wolves by Laura Gallego Garcia - Ever since Dana was a little girl, Kai has been her best friend and constant companion--even though she's the only one who can see him. Then the mysterious Maestro comes to her farm and offers her the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to study sorcery in the Valley of the Wolves. And Dana knows she must go, for the Maestro can see Kai too....

Third Grade Wedding Bells by Colleen McKenna - Ms. Tingle is Gordie's most favorite teacher ever. Just when he begins to have problems at school, Gordie starts finding clues that suggest that Ms. Tingle is getting married and moving far away. Can Gordie and the gang stop her before it's too late, or will they lose the best third-grade teacher Gordie's ever had? A companion to Third Grade Stinks! and Third Grade Ghouls.

Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - Nine-year-old Roxie Warbler knows to stay calm when faced with danger. She learns this from her favorite book, but there's no advice on how to handle Helvetia's Hooligans, the bullies who torment her at school. Or is there?

Small Steps by Louis Sachar - In his first major novel since "Holes," the acclaimed author explores issues of race, the nature of celebrity, the invisible connections that determine a person's life, and what it takes to stay on course.

Two Steps Forward by Rachel Cohn - Told in alternating chapters, this sequel to Cohn's acclaimed novel "The Steps" finds stepsisters Annabel and Lucy together again for a summer in Los Angeles.

The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck - "If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it," says Russell Culver, fifteen, who's raring to light out for the endless skies of the Dakotas to join a team of harvesters working the new 1904 all-steel threshing machines. School's only standing in the way of his Dakota dreams. Maybe now with his teacher in the ground, Hominy Ridge School will shut down for good.No such luck. Russell and his schoolmates-Pearl, Flopears, Little Britches; the whole bunch-are about to be ruled by a new teacher who's Russell's worst nightmare.Despite stolen supplies, rustic vandalism, a blazing boys' privy, and more snakes than you can shake a stick at, the new teacher will keep the school afloat and set Russell on a new course entirely.As he did in A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder, Richard Peck here creates a whole world of folksy, one-of-a-kind characters in his funniest novel yet. There will be no forgetting Russell, his new teacher, and all the inmates of Hominy Ridge School, on both sides of teacher's desk.

Mom for Mayor by Nancy Edwards - Eric would rather daydream about space aliens than do homework. But when his favorite playground is about to be sold to real estate developers, he launches into action. Discovering that the plan to sell the park comes from Mayor Bishop, who happens to be up for reelection, Eric convinces his mother to run for office -- or so he thinks! Eric is so busy organizing petitions, designing signs, thinking up cool giveaways, and arguing with his nemesis Caitlin, Mayor Bishop's niece, that he forgets one important detail: telling his mom she's running for mayor! How can Eric persuade his mother to run, fend off Caitlin's rivalries, and still manage to get his homework done?

Southpaw by Rich Wallace - Jimmy Fleming is the new kid in town, having chosen to accompany his recently divorced father to Hudson City, NJ. He makes the middle school baseball team and tries to fit in with this diverse group of boys unlike the kids back home in rural Pennsylvania. Success is slow in coming as the team opens the season with a series of close losses, and Jimmy--often the last pitcher on the mound--feels the pressure. But with a little soul searching and encouragement from his teammates, he settles in and the Hornets finally win their first game.

The One Left Behind by Willo Davis Roberts - In her final novel, Roberts tells the story of a young girl, still mourning the death of her twin sister, who meets two boys on the run from men who wish to do them harm. The boys turn to her for help, but how can she help them when she can barely take care of herself?

The Unvisibles by Ian Whybrow - Two very different boys live next door but have taken pains to avoid each other. Oliver is rowdy and loud and doesn't mind being in constant trouble one bit. Nicky is so quiet and self-effacing that he is nearly invisible. One day Oliver finds himself in desperate need of help from his next-door neighbor.

Sheep by Valerie Hobbs - Known for her rich character development, the author brings all her skills to delving into the mind of a clever, philosophical, and hopeful Border Collie searching for a home.

Mary Margaret, Center Stage by Christine Kole MacLean - Mary Margaret likes to do things her way. The problem is, her way isn’t always perfect, but Ellie’s is. When a community play of Cinderella is announced, Mary Margaret comes up with the best fund-raising idea and even convinces some VIPs to help out. So she figures she’s a "shoe-in" for the part of Cinderella. But the shoe goes on Ellie’s foot instead. Fans of unforgettable girl characters like Junie B. Jones, Amber Brown, and Ramona will enjoy seeing how Mary Margaret gets her fifteen minutes of fame and discovers that it is sometimes better not to be perfect.

Trading Places by Claudia Mills - Todd and Amy Davidson may be twins, but they’re complete opposites – Todd is organized and is the family “engineer,” while Amy is outgoing and has been dubbed the “poet.” So it would seem that for a fifth-grade economics project, Todd would come up with a master invention, and Amy would have a blast with her best friends as partners. To their surprise, Todd can’t think of a single idea, and Amy gets stuck working with the class crybaby. Then Todd begins writing poetry . . . But this is nothing compared to the switch their parents have made. Their father has been unemployed for months and their mother has started to work at a crafts store. Now there’s never enough food in the house, everybody is always on edge, and when Amy’s friends come over after school, they find Mr. Davidson, uncombed and unshaven, in his ratty old bathrobe. Will life ever return to normal? With chapters that alternate between Todd’s and Amy’s points of view, this novel is a realistic and sometimes funny portrayal of a family adapting to changing roles.

February Books

Satch and Me by Dan Gutman - To see if Satchel Paige really was the fastest pitcher in the history of baseball, Stosh and his coach, Flip, travel back to 1942 to watch Satch pitch in the Negro League World Series. Stunning black-and-white photos of the league's superstars are included.

The Blue Djinn of Babylon by Philip Kerr - In this follow-up to "The Akhenaten Adventure" a powerful book of djinn magic goes missing, so twins John and Philippa Gaunt are called upon to retrieve it. When Philippa is abducted by the Blue Djinn, John and his uncle, Nimrod, must find Philippa before it's too late.

Punished! by David Lubar - When Logan runs afoul of the wrong person in the library, he gets cursed to speak in puns. To save himself from a lifetime of groans, he must complete three word-related quests. A chapter book for young readers, language lovers, and hopeless punsters.

The Sloppy Copy Slipup by DyAnne DiSalvo - Brian does not have his sloppy copywriting assignment ready to turn in, and it takes all of his imaginative powers and storytelling techniques to prevent him from getting a zero.

Evangeline Mudd and the Great Fink Escapade by David Elliott - Elliott's spirited heroine from "Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle" returns to join the fight for animal rights in a funny, fast-paced novel with whimsical illustrations by Wesson.

Secrets of Dripping Fang: The Vampires Curse by Dan Greenburg - The Shluffmuffin twins' long-lost father reappears years after his tragic accident, but he looks an awful lot like a zombie. Professor Spydelle has developed a special life-restoring elixir, the only known cure for zombiism. It cures Dad only to turn him into . . . a vampire.

Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett - Shortlisted for Britain's Carnegie Medal, this follow-up to "Only You Can Serve Mankind" begins as Johnny Maxwell takes on developers and the city council to save the local cemetery at the insistence of the cemetery's residents.

The Revenge of the Shadow King by Derek Benz - Filled with scares, surprises, and loads of fun, this fantastic page-turner begins the saga of four friends who form a secret club called the Grey Griffins, and find themselves caught up in the dangerous quest to save their town when the wicked creatures from a card game come to life.

January Books

Escape from Skull Island by Laura Burns - After finding a massive gorilla on an expedition, a film crew has two missions: save their star actress from the beast, and capture the enormous creature in this chapter book based on the upcoming film from Universal Pictures, in theaters in December.

Goom by Joshua Wright - Featuring the comic humour that Joshua Wright has made his own, Goom is a wild romp in the style of The Sorcerer's Apprentice as written by Monty Python. Sick of taking orders? Sick of being shoved around? Sick of working for an insanely evil necromancer who spreads fear and chaos with his legion of mindless zombies? Goom is. It may take an exe. It may take a sword. It may take a cliff. Whatever it takes, it's time to take action. Will Goom get going? Or will Goom get got? It's gruesome. It's ghastly. It's gross. It's GOOM.

Interference Powder by Jean Hanff Korelitz - The day Nina Zabin finds a luminous bottle of mysterious powder in her substitute teacher's art bag, she inadvertently wreaks havoc on her world. Suddenly, the 62 she got on her social studies test turns into a 100, and she is representing her fifth-grade class in the Brain-Busters Extravaganza. Her best friend, Isobel, always the smart one, is green with envy, while her clueless mother is pleased as punch.

Ugly by Donna Jo Napoli - Armed only with his natural curiosity and a few good pieces of advice, the ugly duckling must find his way alone. Luckily, the friendship of a few wonderful characters makes his journey a lot easier in this fresh and funny look at the classic tale.

Mystery of Silas Finklebean by David Baldacci - In this sequel to Fries Alive!, Freddy Funkhauser discovers the lab of long-lost scientist Silas Finklebean, along with instructions on how to build a time machine. With Finklebean's help, Freddie is determined to prove himself to bully Adam Spanker.

Flashcards of my Life by Charise Mericle Harper - When Emily receives a pack of note cards labeled "Flashcards of My Life" as an unexpected birthday present, she uses them as inspiration to journal and to untangle her knotted life.

Identity Theft by Scott Lobdell - Who or what is the mysterious organization known as A.T.A.C.? And how are Frank, Joe, and even Fenton Hardy involved? Are the Hardys leaving Bayport forever? How has Laura Hardy's life changed? Why is Aunt Gertrude acting so strange? Where's Iola and Callie? Uncover the clues to these questions and more as Frank and Joe take to the skies to crack a diamond-smuggling team of sky-divers and then encounter a young woman whose identity has been stolen - literally! Or at least that's what a young woman claiming to be Joy Gallagher claims - that another girl is now living her life, with her friends, her family, and in her body! Action, thrills, and lots of mystery!

Walter: the Story of a Rat by Barbara Wersba - An unlikely friendship develops between Walter, literate rat, and Amanda Pomeroy, elderly writer of children's books. With frequent references to adult literature (Edna St. Vincent Millay, Stephen King, Tennessee Williams, and Sir Walter Scott, and that's just the first page), Wersba lovingly describes Walter's path through Ms. Pomeroy's library and his discovery that she has created a whole series of books about a secret-agent mouse. He also becomes aware of Stuart Little, Noisy Nora, and a host of other mouse characters (but no rats).

December Books

So Be It by Sarah Weeks - After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and agora phobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.

The Search for Belle Prater by Ruth White - In this sequel to the beloved Newbery Honor book "Belle Prater's Boy," White reveals how Woodrow, Belle's son, Gypsy, and Cassie come to understand the truth about the missing Belle.

Urchin of the Riding Stars (Mistmantle Chronicles) by Margaret McAllister - A group of animals, led by an orphaned squirrel, learns about friendship and loyalty when they band together to defend their island kingdom against evil forces.

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (Spiderwick Chronicles) by Tony DiTerlizzi - It all began with a strange, mysterious correspondence left for authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black at a small New England bookstore. Written by three siblings, the letter told of their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick and an unfinished tome filled with eyewitness accounts of creatures otherwise thought to be the stuff of legend. In the #1 New York Times bestselling serial the Spiderwick Chronicles, readers were enthralled by the account of the those siblings, Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace, as they battled dwarves, goblins, elves, and a diabolical ogre in their efforts to hold on to their uncle Spiderwick,s life work. Now, through the combined efforts of the Grace children and authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, Simon & Schuster is thrilled to present that work to you!

Step into Narnia by E.J. Kirk - Now young fans can share in the magic with this full-color tour through the wardrobe and back again through original book illustrations by Pauline Baynes and photos of scenes from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media's film adaptation, set for release in December.

Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy by Ellen Potter - Twelve-year-old Olivia Kidney and her father move into a Manhattan brownstone that has a lagoon in the living room, hosts visiting strangers in the middle of the night, and is mysteriously close to the spirit world.

Ellen Fremedon by Joan Givner - During one long summer Ellen Fremedon decides to write a novel. Her small village, Partridge Cove, is full of interesting people to write about. There's Larry, the librarian who let her photocopy her sneakers, and crotchety old Mr. Floyd, the shopkeeper with an insult for every customer. There's also Ellen's family: her philosopher father; her mother who suffers from multiple sclerosis; the twins, who thrive on making her life miserable; her opinionated grandmother; and her grandmother's boyfriend, who has charmed everyone except Ellen with his good manners and fancy car.With the help of her friend Jenny, Ellen realizes there's plenty of mystery and intrigue in town to create a plot for her novel. Why did the loathsome new neighbors purchase the house next door? Who will benefit from the housing development being built right on top of the village's aquifer? But just when Ellen's story gets going, her novel must take a back seat to real life when life suddenly becomes very complicated and very personal.

The Trimoni Twins and the Shruken Treasure by Pam Smallcomb - Beezel and Mimi Trimoni cant wait to perform their magic show in the famed Destiny Hotel in Amsterdam. But it isnt long before the girls are embroiled in a dramatic mystery involving another of the magic coinsa coin that can shrink almost any object to a twelfth of its original size! Only with their trademark ingenuity and teamwork can the girls once again solve the mystery and save the day.

Vox (The Edge Chronicles #6) by Paul Stewart - In the second novel in the Rook Barkwater sequence, the young knight librarian attempts to stop the dark might of the Most High Academe. High in the crumbling Palace of Statues, oily Vox Verlix is brewing a terrible plot to take over power in Edgeworld once again. Can Rook foil Vox's plan and save the lives of his librarian colleagues?

My Secret Life as a Ping Pong Wizard by Hank Zipzer - Hank secretly takes up Ping-Pong and lands a spot in the championship. When he finds out the contest is held at "Nick the Tick" McKelty's bowling alley, will he risk being the laughing stock of the fifth grade because it's not a "real" sport?

Sports Shorts, a collection of short stories - While many of the stories are about failed physical efforts, others celebrate athletic achievement. Many are endearingly and identifiably familiar, either from a nostalgically bittersweet perspective, or from the point of view of a young and hopeful athlete. The element of humor counters the trip-ups, bruised egos, and foiled attempts that accompany organized play. The revelation, especially for students, is that everybody (even successful authors) has had pitfalls. Sometimes the failures are more interesting and laughable than the triumphs. The sports theme will make this book a hit with kids, and the well-crafted prose will assure its repeated use by teachers. Laughter, action, and personal anecdotes are a perfect fit for middle-schoolers wrestling with the pressures to conform to unrealistic social and physical norms.

Barry Boyhound by Andy Spearman - Barry wakes up one morning and finds that he is turning into a dog. Well, not quite. He's a boyhound, human on the outside, but definitely canine within. He thinks the change is rather cool. Dogs don't have to wear clothes, they can eat practically anything, and they don't have much in the way of responsibility. Of course, since he doesn't actually look like a dog, his family and friends have no idea that Barry has undergone this transformation. So, when he chases the cat, sniffs a strange woman's rear end, and bites his best friend, they figure that he has simply gone crazy.

The Bamboozlers by Michael De Guzman - Nothing exciting ever happens to twelve-year-old Albert Rosegarden until he meets his grandfather for the first time, and the pair travel to Seattle, Washington, where Albert becomes a partner in his grandfather's elaborate scheme to "con a con man."

Girl with a Broken Wing by Heather Dyer - Twins Amanda and James take an angel, well, under their wing and keep her otherworldly secret hidden. The day after Hilary arrives at the siblings' window and announces that she thinks her wing is broken, logical James and imaginative Amanda conduct an amusing conversation about whether or not the winged girl could be in fact an angel. James argues that angels don't exist and Amanda speculates that Hilary is of the guardian variety. The impulsive, energetic angel proves hard to restrain—broken wing or not: she tags along on a family picnic, causes a ruckus on a class field trip and, in the story's most comical scenario, steals the show when she usurps the role of the student cast as the angel Gabriel in the school Nativity play, sending sheep and shepherds shrieking offstage.

October Books

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke - This sequel begins a year after the conclusion of Funke's popular Inkheart. In this fantasy world, certain readers have the power to bring characters out of books–and send them back. Meggie and Farid, apprentices to the fire-eater Dustfinger, follow him to the Inkworld, the land of the book-within-a-book, Inkheart, after he has been read back into its story by a mysterious man named Orpheus. Orpheus uses his powers to read Mortola and Basta, some of the villains of the first volume, into the story, along with Meggie's parents. In Inkworld, Meggie enlists the help of Fenoglio, the original author of Inkheart, to help create a new future for her parents and herself as palace intrigues, war, and the Silver Prince threaten.

The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket - After any harrowing struggle, it is nice to consider checking into a hotel for a rest. In fact, this might be just the break Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire could use after their wearying deep-sea adventure. A hotel can be a good choice for any family vacation. With so many floors, such a variety of rooms, and a curious array of guests, spending time in the safety of the right hotel can be the perfect learning environment for children of any age. A keen researcher like Klaus, an adept inventor like Violet, and a sharp-toothed culinary master like Sunny are all sure to find engaging diversions during their stay. Regardless of how they pass their time while at a hotel, the three siblings will be sure to take in all the interesting sights and sounds -- and write them down -- just in case this episode turns out to be the darkest yet in a series of unfortunate events.

For Your Paws Only by Heather Vogel Frederick - Just when Glory Mouse, private eye, and Oz Levinson, fifth grade sleuth, think the evil rats have lost, it's time to get back to the race.... On a fifth grade trip to New York City, Oz, Glory, and the spy gang discover that the Big Apple is swarming with rats...RATS WHO CAN READ!
And if they dont think fast, Glory will be mousemeat pie just in time for Thanksgiving. Join the battle of good vs. evil --- where it's time for good to pump up the volume once and for all!

Pond Scum by Alan Silberberg - Oliver is the type of kid who enjoys pulling the wings off flies just to hear the little "snap." Needless to say, he's more friendly with his television than with other kids. Oliver's life takes a turn, though, when his mom gets a new job and moves the family to a small town. Worse, his mom has fallen in love with a rundown old house near a pond. But there's something weird about the house. It seems to be guarded by creatures from the pond-creatures who decidedly don't want the family move in.

Replay by Sharon Creech - His family calls Leo "fog boy." He's always dreaming, always replaying things in his brain, and fantasizing about who he is in order to discover who he will become. In the play that is his life, Leo is eager to discover what part will be his in this latest work from Newbery Medalist Creech.

Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time by Lisa Yee - Stanford Wong is having a bad summer. He flunks English and will have to trade basketball camp for summer school. Even worse, his mother has hired the world's biggest nerdball and most annoying genius Millicent Min to tutor him.

Three Good Deeds by Vivian Vande Velde - If Howard had known the old hag was a witch, he never would have taunted her. She responded with a curse and now he's a goose. The only way to break the curse is to do three good deeds, but how can he with webbed feet, wings, and only a "honk?"

Interplanetary Avenger by Caroline Luzzatto - When Sam accidentally opens a strange box and finds himself sitting in the principal's office of an intergalactic middle school, he is pressed to take on the challenge of capturing an obnoxious shape-shifting alien.

Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway by Wendelin Van Draanen -
The bad news: Sammy's made a deadly mistake.
The good news: No one knows she did it.
The delicious dilemma: Everyone thinks her archenemy Heather is to blame.
Now Heather's in a major jam, and in some ways it's only fair--Heather's pinned more than a few crimes on Sammy. Besides, there are distractions galore to keep Sammy from confessing. Like the end of the school year. And the Farewell Dance. Especially the dance, because she's going with Heather's brother, Casey. But Sammy knows that the truth has an uncanny way of resurfacing, and when it does, the stench can be more vile than the junior high cafeteria. . . .

Riddle in the Mountain by Daryl Burkhard - Celtic mythology and the American West combine to create an unusual, well-researched, and fast-paced adventure.

Indigo Blue by Cathy Cassidy - This is a powerful, moving, and tender book about love, family, domestic violence, and feeling blue. With a little sister who's too small to understand, and a mom who's feeling desperate, Indigo's the one who's got to take charge.

Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff - 1944 Meggie Dillon's life has been turned upside down by World War II. Her older brother Eddie enlisted and was shipped off to fight in Europe. And people say that anywhere else Grandpa would be turned in because he's German, and people might think he's a spy. Is it true? Could Grandpa be taken away? Meggie's father has announced that they must help the war effort and move to Willow Run, Michigan, where he'll work nights in a factory building important war planes that will help fight the enemy in Europe. Willow Run will be the greatest adventure ever, Meggie thinks. There she meets Patches and Harlan, other kids like her whose parents have come here to do their part in the war. And there she faces questions about courage, and what it takes to go into battle, like Eddie, and how to keep hope alive on the home front.

Measle and the Dragodon by Ian Ogilvy - When Measle Stubbs broke free from Basil Tramplebone's evil spell, he was ready to live happily ever after. But he wasn't expecting the Dragodon.Now, faced with his most terrifying opponent yet and stranded in a sinister amusement park, this little ex-orphan must gear up for another heroic battle.Colossal adventures continue in this second book about one of the most likeable and intrepid heroes ever!

The Invisible Detective; Double Life by Justin Richards - After finding a mysterious stone and an old casebook, fourteen-year-old Arthur finds himself remembering the 1936 adventures of a boy named Art who, under the identity of the Invisible Detective, works with three friends in London to solve the mystery of sinister puppets who are replacing real people.

Tackling Dad by Elizabeth Levy - From the author of Frankenstein Moved in on the Fourth Floor, Tackling Dad is the story of 13-year-old Cassie's struggle to make her father understand that even though she's a girl, she can still play football -- just as he did.

A Bear Named Trouble by Marion Dane Bauer - In Anchorage, Alaska, two lonely boys make a connection--a brown bear injured just after his mother sends him out on his own, and a human whose father is a new keeper at the Alaska Zoo and whose mother and sister are still in Minnesota.

Thora by Gillian Johnson - Ten-year-old Thora, daughter of a mermaid mother and a human father, has many adventures at sea until she must return to the English seaside town of Grimli and save her mother who has been captured by the greedy real estate developer, Frooty de Mare.

Hot Off the Press - New Children's Books (updated 01/11/2007)