Calvert Library's Book Bites for Kids
102 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago -Calvert librarians share some of their favorite books by reading a chapter or two to whet your appetite. We will cover a wide variety of genres, so you are sure to find something to sink your teeth into. All titles shared are available through Calvert Library’s Digital Collection: https://bit.ly/CalvertLibraryDigitalPlatforms
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Episodes
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
October 06, 2021 16:00 - 3 minutes - 2.39 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Crossover written by Kwame Alexander and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Thirteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. The Crossover was awarded the Newbery Medal and was a Coretta Scott King Honor title. The Crossover is recommended for ages 9 and up. See review for more information: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kwame-alexander/th...
Island of Thieves by Josh Lacey
September 29, 2021 16:00 - 10 minutes - 7.52 MBEnjoy our presentation of Island of Thieves written by Josh Lacey and published by Houghton Mifflin. Tom goes with his Uncle Harvey to Peru, where they narrowly escape imprisonment and death as they hunt for buried treasure after tracking down a journal written by John Drake, a young relative of Sir Francis Drake, on a voyage to Lima in 1577. Includes biographical information on John and Francis Drake. Island of Thieves was named a Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2013 Island of Thieves i...
If We Were Giants by Dave Matthews and Clete Barrett Smith
September 22, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.52 MBEnjoy our presentation of If We Were Giants written by Dave Matthews and Clete Barrett Smith and published by Hyperion. Fourteen-year-old Kirra must summon the courage to face her own mistakes before she can help save her peaceful community from a gigantic threat. If We Were Giants is recommended for ages 8 and up for discussions of trauma and PTSD. Please see review for more information. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dave-matthews/if-we-were-giants/ This title is available ...
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell
September 08, 2021 16:00 - 3 minutes - 3.05 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Explorer written by Katherine Rundell and published by Simon & Schuster. Left stranded in the Amazon jungle when their plane crashes on their way back to England from Manaus, Brazil, four children struggle to survive for days until one of them finds a map that leads them to a ruined city and a secret hidden among the vines. The Explorers was given the Costa Children's Book Award. The Explorer is recommended for ages 8 and up. See review for more informatio...
Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar
September 01, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.04 MBEnjoy our presentation of Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar and published by Katherine Tegen Books. You’ve never seen Earth like this before: continents reshaped, oceans re-formed, cities rebuilt, and mountains sculpted anew. Dinosaurs roam the plains alongside herds of buffalo, and giant robots navigate the same waters as steam-powered ships. This is the world Diego Ribera was born into. The past, present, and future coexisting together. In New Chicago, Di...
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
August 25, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.28 MBEnjoy our presentation of Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, published by Levine Querido. At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But, no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much. But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries,...
Brother from a Box by Evan Kuhlman
August 18, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 8.12 MBEnjoy our presentation of Brother from a Box by Evan Kuhlman published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Matt Rambeau is officially a big brother—to a robot! Matt’s super-computer-genius dad is always getting cool tech stuff in the mail, but the latest box Matt opens contains the most impressive thing he’s ever seen: a bionically modified lifeform that looks human and calls Matt “brother." Brother from a Box is recommended for readers age 10 and up. Please see Common Sense Media for more...
Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera
August 11, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 9.49 MBEnjoy our presentation of Lupe Wong Won’t Dance written by Donna Barba Higuera and published by Levine Querido. Lupe Wong is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. She's also championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy ... like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles. And some not so much...like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons. Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitch...
The Riverman by Aaron Starmer
August 04, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 7.18 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Riverman by Aaron Starmer and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Twelve-year-old Alistair Cleary lives in a town where everyone knows each other. One afternoon, his neighbor, Fiona, shows up at Alistair's doorstep with a strange proposition. She wants him to write her biography because in her basement there's a gateway that leads to the magical world of Aquavania, the place where stories are born. In Aquavania, there's a creature called the Riverman and he'...
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
July 28, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 9.21 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Key to Extraordinary written by Natalie Lloyd and published by Scholastic Press. Twelve-year old orphan Emma Casey lives by a haunted graveyard in her Tennessee town, giving tours, and helping her brother and Granny Blue with the family bakery, and waiting for the destiny dream of her ancestors--but when it comes it shows her only a key, and she finds that she must solve a ghostly mystery that has haunted her town for generations. The Key to Extraordinary was a...
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
July 21, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 7.09 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Moon Within written by Aida Salazar and published by Scholastic Inc. Celi Rivera is an 11-year-old who is experiencing some new changes in her life. Her body is changing, she’s attracted to a boy for the first time, and her best friend is exploring what it means to be genderfluid. But the biggest thought swirling through her mind is about her mother’s insistence on holding a moon ceremony for Celi when her first period arrives. This is an ancestral Mexican ritua...
The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry
July 14, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 14.9 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Worst Class Trip Ever written by Dave Barry and published by Hyperion. When the eighth grade civics class of Miami's Culver Middle School goes on a trip to Washington, D.C., Wyatt Palmer finds himself in deep trouble before the plane even lands because his best friend Matt's decided the men sitting behind them are terrorists--and it's up to the boys to stop them. The Worst Class Trip Ever is recommended for ages 9 and up for violence. Please see Common Sense M...
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
July 07, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 7.16 MBEnjoy our presentation of When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller, published by Random House Books for Young Readers. When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. When You Trap a Tiger is the winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal. When You Trap a Tiger is recommended for readers ...
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
June 30, 2021 16:00 - 5 minutes - 3.19 MBEnjoy our presentation of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, published by Scholastic Press. When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen. Seemingly unrelated events begin to connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; and an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. Chasing Vermeer won the Edgar...
Guest: A Changeling Tale by Mary Downing Hahn
June 23, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 8.47 MBEnjoy our presentation of Guest: A Changeling Tale by Mary Downing Hahn and published by Clarion Books. When her adorable baby brother is replaced by an ugly, ill-tempered changeling, Mollie is determined to find the so-called Kinde Folke who took Thomas, return the changeling she calls Guest, and make them give her brother back. Guest: A Changeling Tale is recommended for readers age 9 and up for some scary scenes. For more information and reviews please see Kirkus Reviews. https://bit.ly...
Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang
June 16, 2021 16:00 - 9 minutes - 6 MBEnjoy our presentation of Girl Giant and the Monkey King written by Van Hoang and published by Roaring Brook Press. Eleven-year-old Thom Ngho is keeping a secret: she's strong. Like suuuuper strong. Freakishly strong. And it's making it impossible for her to fit in at her new middle school. In a desperate bid to get rid of her super strength, Thom makes a deal with the Monkey King, a powerful deity and legendary trickster she accidentally released from his 500-year prison sentence. Thom agre...
Flunked by Jen Calonita
June 09, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 7.06 MBEnjoy our presentation of Flunked by Jen Calonita and published by Sourcebooks Young Readers. Gilly wouldn't call herself wicked, exactly. But when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly's a pretty good thief (if she does say so herself). Until she gets caught. And sent to Fairy Tale Reform School. Flunked is recommended for readers age 8 and up. For more information and reviews, please see School Library Jou...
Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox by Michael Buckley
June 02, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 10.8 MBEnjoy our presentation of Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox written by Michael Buckley and published by Delacorte Press. When Earth is threatened by an invading race of bugs called the Hunger, 11-year-old Finn, his arch-nemesis, Lincoln, his crush, Julep, and one pink unicorn lunchbox become Earth's last best hope against destruction. Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox is recommended for ages 10 and up for mild violence. Please see Kirkus Reviews for more information. http://bit.ly/Finn...
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
May 26, 2021 16:00 - 15 minutes - 9.5 MBEnjoy our presentation of Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston and published by Balzer and Bray. Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization hold...
Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit
May 19, 2021 16:00 - 14 minutes - 6.38 MBEnjoy our presentation of Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit and published by Under the Stars. Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world's leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there's more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize ...
Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker
May 12, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 14.6 MBEnjoy our presentation of Written in Bone : Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland written by Sally M. Walker and published by Carolrhoda Books. Bright white teeth. Straight leg bones. Awkwardly contorted arm bones. On a hot summer day in 2005, Dr. Douglas Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution peered into an excavated grave, carefully examining the fragile skeleton that had been buried there for four hundred years. "He was about fifteen years old when he died. And he was European," ...
The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein
May 05, 2021 16:00 - 10 minutes - 6.69 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Smartest Kid in the Universe written by Chris Grabenstein and published by Random House. When seventh-grader Jake McQuade mistakes the world's first ingestible knowledge pills for jelly beans, he suddenly knows all about physics and geometry and can speak Swahili (though Spanish would be a lot more useful)--but his sort-of girlfriend Grace thinks they can use his new found brilliance to save their middle school from the new principal, who is conspiring to get i...
The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly by Rebecca K.S. Ansari
April 28, 2021 16:00 - 6 minutes - 2.84 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly written by Rebecca K.S. Ansari and published by Walden Pond Press. Charlie O’Reilly is an only child. Which is why it makes everyone uncomfortable when he talks about his brother, Liam. Up until a year ago, Liam slept in the bunk above Charlie, took pride in being as annoying as possible, and was the only person who could make Charlie laugh until it hurt. Then came the morning when the bunk, and Liam, disappeared forever. No one...
The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
April 21, 2021 16:00 - 9 minutes - 5.92 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Good Thieves written by Katherine Rundell and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. In 1920s New York City, Vita recruits some new friends, a pickpocket and two circus performers, to help recover an emerald from her grandfather's mansion in upstate New York after he loses his home to an unscrupulous tycoon. This title was a Lectio Book Award Finalist. The Good Thieves is recommended for readers age 8 and up for violence. Please see Common S...
Bernard Pepperlin by Cara Hoffman
April 14, 2021 16:00 - 4 minutes - 2.12 MBEnjoy our presentation of Bernard Pepperlin by Cara Hoffman and published by HarperCollins. When the drowsy Dormouse from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is transported to modern-day New York City, he's in for the adventure of a lifetime. After he uncovers a plot by some weasels to stop time with a bad ukulele concert, he and his new friends must work together to save their city. Great for fans of Stuart Little and Geronimo Stilton! Bernard Pepperlin is a Junior Library Gui...
Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
April 07, 2021 16:00 - 12 minutes - 7.19 MBEnjoy our presentation of Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini written by Sid Fleischman and published by Greenwillow Books. A biography of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists whose amazing feats are remembered long after his death. Profiling his early years, personal life, and great accomplishments in show business, the story of the famous magician, Harry Houdini, comes to life through a review of his greatest tricks and most amazing feats. Escape! was named a...
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
March 31, 2021 16:00 - 5 minutes - 3.59 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, and published by Abrams. Dwight, the weirdest kid in the sixth grade, has started talking to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. But, as though that wasn't weird enough, origami Yoda actually seems to know things. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment. Dwight's classmate Tommy wo...
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles
March 24, 2021 16:00 - 8 minutes - 5.71 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles, published by Versify. Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time...
Mermaid Kingdom: Secrets Beneath the Sea by Janet Gurtler
March 17, 2021 16:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBEnjoy our presentation of Mermaid Kingdom: Secrets Beneath the Sea by Janet Gurtler and published by Stone Arch Books. Like most 12-year-old girls, Shyanna, Rachel, and Cora deal with the daily dramas of growing up. Unlike most 12-year-old girls, they deal with it underwater as mermaids. Mermaid Kingdom is recommended for readers age 7 and up. Please visit Kirkus for more information and reviews. http://bit.ly/MermaidKingdom_Review This title is available as an eBook on Hoopla. Hoopla eB...
Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
March 10, 2021 17:00 - 5 minutes - 4.29 MBEnjoy our presentation of Bomb : the Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon written by Steve Sheinkin and published by Roaring Brook Press. The fascinating and frightening true story of the creation of the most destructive force in the world. Recounts the scientific discoveries that enabled atom splitting, the military intelligence operations that occurred in rival countries, and the work of brilliant scientists hidden at Los Alamos. This title was awarded the Newberry Me...
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
March 03, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 12.6 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser, published by HMH Books for Young Readers. The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. The Vanderbeekers o...
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
February 24, 2021 17:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBEnjoy our presentation of Winterhouse written by Ben Guterson and published by Simon & Schuster. Orphan Elizabeth Somers has been sent away by her malevolent Aunt Purdy and Uncle Burlap on a train ride to the Winterhouse Hotel. She is to stay there while they are away on vacation for three weeks. Elizabeth isn’t looking forward to staying in this boring, stuffy hotel, but she doesn’t anticipate the charms that await her. Within the hotel’s library, she discovers a magical book of puzzles tha...
The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 9.2 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Wig in the Window written by Kristen Kittscher and published byHarper. When their game of neighborhood spying takes a dark turn one night, pre-teen sleuths Sophie Young and Grace Yang find themselves caught in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with their bizarre guidance counselor, who may be hiding something sinister. The Wig in the Window iis recommended for ages 8 and up for some violence and scariness. Please see Common Sense Media for more information and re...
Rick by Alex Gino
February 10, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 8.63 MBEnjoy our presentation of Rick written by Alex Gino and published by Scholastic Press. Eleven-year-old Rick Ramsey has generally gone along with everybody, just not making waves, even though he is increasingly uncomfortable with his father's jokes about girls, and his best friend's explicit talk about sex; but now in middle school he discovers the Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities can express themselves--and maybe among them he can find new friends and discover...
Miss Ellicott's School for Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood
February 03, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 12.1 MBEnjoy our presentation of Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood. Chantel would much rather focus on her magic than on curtsying, which is why she often finds herself in trouble at Miss Ellicott’s School for Magical Maidens. But when Miss Ellicott mysteriously disappears along with all the other sorceresses in the city, Chantel’s behavior becomes the least of her problems. Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded is recommended for ages 8 and up. Please see...
Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood
February 03, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 12.1 MBEnjoy our presentation of Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood. Chantel would much rather focus on her magic than on curtsying, which is why she often finds herself in trouble at Miss Ellicott’s School for Magical Maidens. But when Miss Ellicott mysteriously disappears along with all the other sorceresses in the city, Chantel’s behavior becomes the least of her problems. Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded is recommended for ages 8 and up. Please see...
Coo by Kaela Noel
January 27, 2021 17:00 - 8 minutes - 6.37 MBEnjoy our presentation of Coo by Kaela Noel and published by Harper Collins. Ten years ago, an impossible thing happened: a flock of pigeons picked up a human baby who had been abandoned in an empty lot and carried her, bundled in blankets, to their roof. Coo has lived her entire life on the rooftop with the pigeons who saved her. But when a hungry hawk nearly kills one of her flock Coo must make a perilous trip to the ground for the first time to find Tully, a retired postal worker who can...
Ungifted by Gordon Korman
January 20, 2021 17:00 - 12 minutes - 7.34 MBEnjoy our presentation of Ungifted written by Gordon Korman and published by Balzer + Bray. Due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school. Ungifted was the winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Award in 2013-2014. Ungifted is recommended for ages 9 and up for crude language and robot violence. Please see Common Sense Media for more inf...
Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective by A.B. Greenfield
January 13, 2021 17:00 - 8 minutes - 6.22 MBEnjoy our presentation of Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective written by A. B. Greenfield and published by Holiday House. When a valuable amulet goes missing, Pharaoh's pampered cat Ra and his scarab-beetle sidekick must solve the mystery and catch the thief, before an innocent servant girl takes the blame. Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective was nominated for an Edgar Award. Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective is recommended for ages 7 and up for theft and suspense. Please see the author's website for more in...
Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
January 06, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 8.99 MBEnjoy our presentation of Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. Thirteen-year-old Min comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you'd never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min's mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic; they must appear human at all times. Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. S...
Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake
December 30, 2020 17:00 - 14 minutes - 11.3 MBEnjoy our presentation of Skunk and Badger written by Amy Timberlake and published by Algonquin Young Readers. The last thing Badger wants is a roommate, and certainly not Skunk, but since the house does not belong to him he does not have a choice; and soon everything in Badger's quiet and ordered life studying rocks is turned upside down (and where on earth did all the chickens come from)--but after he drives Skunk and his chickens away, Badger starts to miss his roommate and sets out to fi...
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
December 27, 2020 19:00 - 10 minutes - 6.32 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Iron Trial, Magisterium Book 1, by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare and published by Scholastic. Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial, but not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he's sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst -- and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awai...
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
December 23, 2020 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.35 MBEnjoy our presentation of Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, published by Hyperion. In 19th century London, a boy named Peter and fellow orphans James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted are shipped out on the decrepit Never Land, under the command of First Mate Slank and the incompetent Captain Cyrus Pembridge. A mysterious trunk is on board, as well as a young girl named Molly Aster. Peter, Molly and the boys get wrapped up in the mysteries of the Never Land and enco...
Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate
December 20, 2020 19:00 - 4 minutes - 3.5 MBEnjoy our presentation of Endling: The Last written by Katherine Applegate and published by HarperCollins. Byx, the youngest member of her doglike Dairne pack, fears she has become the last of her species when her family is hunted to near-extinction. Setting out to find safe haven, and to see if the legends of other hidden Dairnes are true, she joins a ragtag group of animals and humans who help put into motion events that could trigger war throughout their kingdom. Endling: The Last is rec...
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
December 16, 2020 17:00 - 2 minutes - 1.79 MBEnjoy our presentation of Ghost Boys written by Jewell Parker Rhodes and published by Little, Brown and Company. Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that's been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing. Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Ghost Boys is a New York Ti...
Magyk by Angie Sage
December 13, 2020 19:00 - 9 minutes - 8.92 MBEnjoy our presentation of Magyk, the first book in the Septimus Heap series, written by Angie Sage and published by HarperCollins. Septimus Heap, the seventh son of the seventh son, disappears the night he is born, pronounced dead by the midwife. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across an abandoned child in the snow—a newborn girl with violet eyes. Who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to the Heaps' beloved son Septimus? Magyk is recommended for age...
Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes
December 09, 2020 17:00 - 7 minutes - 4.98 MBEnjoy our presentation of Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes, published by Candlewick. Italy, 1944: Florence is occupied by Nazi forces. The Italian resistance movement has not given up hope— and neither have thirteen year old Paolo and his sister, Costanza. As their mother is pressured into harboring escaping POWs, Paolo and Costanza each find a part to play in opposing the German forces. But what can two siblings — with only a bicycle to help them — do against a whole army? Hero on a Bic...
The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
December 06, 2020 19:00 - 8 minutes - 6.17 MBEnjoy our presentation of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book I: The Mysterious Howling written by Maryrose Wood and published by Balzer + Bray. Fifteen-year-old Miss Penelope Lumley, a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, is hired as governess to three young children who have been raised by wolves and must teach them to behave in a civilized manner quickly, in preparation for a Christmas ball. Great for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Eno...
Codename Zero by Chris Rylander
December 02, 2020 17:00 - 9 minutes - 5.85 MBEnjoy our presentation of Codename Zero, written by Chris Rylander and published by Walden Pond Books. There are places in the world where heroes are born. There are places where the fate of our planet is being decided, even now as we speak... None of these places are in North Dakota. Carson Fender, seventh grader and notorious prankster, knows this. He's lived in North Dakota for his entire life, going to the same boring school every day, the same boring movie theater every week, and the sa...
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
November 29, 2020 19:00 - 13 minutes - 8.24 MBEnjoy our presentation of Front Desk, written by Kelly Yang and published by Arthur A. Levine Books. Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. First, she lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel. Second, her parents hide immigrants, and if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Third, she wants to be a wr...