Magic Pickle

Magic Pickle by Scott Morse

Magic Pickle, or "Weapon Kosher," as his creator, Dr. Jekkel Formaldehyde likes to call him, is the product of a top-secret U. S. Army lab. Unfortunately, the 1950s experiments to turn vegetables into soldiers went wrong. Sure, they created Magic Pickle, the flying dill soldier, but they also let loose a bunch of rotten vegetables, like the Romaine Gladiator, Chili Chili Bang Bang, the Phantom Carrot, and Peashooter. This Brotherhood of Evil Produce is out to take over the world and they've started with art museum heists and bank robberies. Play around with JoJo and Magic Pickle at Scholastic!

The Big Field

The Big Field by Mike Lupica

For Hutch, shortstop has always been home. It's where his father once played professionally, before injuries relegated him to watching games on TV instead of playing them. And it's where Hutch himself has always played and starred. Until now. The arrival of Darryl "D-Will" Williams, the top shortstop prospect from Florida since A-Rod, means Hutch is displaced, in more ways than one. Second base feels like second fiddle, and when he sees his father giving fielding tips to D-Will-the same father who can't be bothered to show up to watch his son play-Hutch feels betrayed. With the summer league championship on the line, just how far is Hutch willing to bend to be a good teammate?

Someday When My Cat Can Talk

Someday When My Cat Can Talk by Caroline Lazo, Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker

Collage and oil paint whimsically animate this clever concoction of story-in-rhyme, geography, a young girl's fantasy and a traveling cat. "Someday when my cat can talk . . . . / He'll tell me how he hopped a ship / and where he stowed away. / He'll describe the wind that blew his fur / as he sailed beyond the bay." The endpapers list the 13 places on the cat's itinerary as he recalls the fog on England's coast, boasts of winning a prize for art in France, complains of the rabbits that chased him into Rome, crows about gondolas, salutes Greek athletes and remembers Holland's tulips; backmatter adds "Facts Behind the Story" for seven countries. Kirkus Reviews

Simon's Dream: The Fog Mound Series #3

Simon's Dream: The Fog Mound Series #3 by Susan Schade, Jon Buller (Illustrator)
Thelonious Chipmunk and his friends face a whole new series of adventures after they reach the mysterious Mattakeunk Institute and discover...a time machine! Will the time machine lead them to the answers they seek? Perhaps some of the answers will come when the animals' traveling companion, Bill the Human, regains his ability to speak. However, there is one pressing need above all others -- the need to save their beloved Fog Mound from the Dragon Lady herself, and her evil ratmink assistants. Find out more about the author and illustrator here.

The Bloodwater Mysteries #3: Doppelganger

The Bloodwater Mysteries #3: Doppelganger by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue
Brian and Roni are looking for another case to crack when Roni finds an age-progressed picture of a boy who looks alarmingly like Brian on a missing children website. Brian is sure it is only a coincidence-after all, he's lived happily with his adoptive parents for as long as he can remember. But then again, his parents have never really told him about his adoption . . . Could there be more to his family history than he knows? As Roni and Brian piece together the clues, other people emerge from the shadows of the past and suddenly Brian isn't just a detective on the case-he's the key to a mystery that everyone is after. Can he and Roni uncover the truth before it's too late?

Lost Boy

Lost Boy by Linda Newbery
New house, new school, new friends–but Matt Lanchester knows it won’t all be that easy when he moves to the town of Hay-on-Wye. Almost as soon as he arrives, he is drawn into a mystery when he sees a roadside memorial marked by a little wooden cross with the initials M.L. carved into it. His initials! Then he meets Robbo and Tig and Old Wil Jones and his wife, Gwynnie. There’s history here and a well-kept village secret–and Matt is desperate to find out more.

Six Innings: A Game in the Life

Six Innings: A Game in the Life by James Preller
Earl Grubb's Pool Supplies plays Northeast Gas & Electric in the Little League championship game, while Sam, who has cancer and is in a wheelchair, has to call the play-by-play instead of participating in the game. Find out more about James Preller and his books.

Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: Enola Holmes Mystery #3

Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: Enola Holmes Mystery #3 by Nancy Springer
It is March, 1889, in London, and Enola is still lodging in the East End and evading her brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock, so as to avoid boarding school. For six months, she has been using the alias Ivy Meshle and pursuing her "life's calling" as a Perditorian ("finder of the lost") but, afraid that she has been discovered, she must choose a new identity: Viola Everseau. Her new disguise: a beautiful woman. Her new case: finding the missing Dr. Watson. Her first act is to visit Dr. Watson's wife, and her first clue is a bizarre bouquet the frantic woman has received. Want to read about other books in the Enola Holmes Series?

Twice Upon a Marigold: Part Comedy, Part Tragedy, Part Two

Twice Upon a Marigold: Part Comedy, Part Tragedy, Part Two by Jean Ferris
Since Queen Olympia's fateful fall into the river, newlyweds Christian and Marigold have been living happily ever after. And they had every intention of keeping it that way--until they find out that Olympia may not be as gone as they thought. Turns out Olympia is alive and well in a faraway village, having lost her memory after her ill-timed tumble. But one day she awakes and remembers her previous glory as queen. Accompanied by Lazy Susan (Sleeping Beauty's slacker sister) and Stan Lucasa (a gentleman with a surprising destiny), Olympia returns, determined to take back the kingdom. Yet, thanks to a cast of familiar characters, grabbing the throne may not be as easy as Olympia thinks! For full appreciation, readers should start with the opener.

Honeybee: Poems and Short Prose

Honeybee: Poems and Short Prose by Naomi Shihab Nye
Honey. Beeswax. Pollinate. Hive. Colony. Work. Dance. Communicate. Industrious. Buzz. Sting. Cooperate. Where would we be without them? Where would we be without one another? In eighty-two poems and paragraphs, Naomi Shihab Nye alights on the essentials of our time—our loved ones, our dense air, our wars, our memories, our planet—and leaves us feeling curiously sweeter and profoundly soothed. If you like "Honeybee" try "I'll ask you three times, are you OK?" Listen to Naomi read a poem.

One Hundred Young Americans

One Hundred Young Americans by Michael Franzini
You will meet every kind of teenager in this book -the cheerleaders, football jocks, student body presidents, prom queens and other popular kids - the nerds, band geeks, gamers and other not-so-popular kids. Also the skaters, stoners, goths, punks, druggies and a lot of kids whose uniqueness defies labels. What they ultimately have in common is that they are struggling to find their identity and become independent. Check out the website.

The Postcard

The Postcard by Tony Abbott
One phone call changes Jason’s summer vacation–and life!–forever. When Jason’s grandmother dies, he’s sent down to her home in Florida to help his father sort through her things. At first he gripes about spending the summer miles away from his best friend, doing chores, and sweating in the Florida heat, but he soon discovers a mystery surrounding his grandmother’s murky past.An old, yellowed postcard . . . a creepy phone call with a raspy voice at the other end asking, “So how smart are you?” . . . an entourage of freakish funeral-goers . . . a bizarre magazine story–all contain clues that will send Jason on a thrilling journey to uncover family secrets. Visit Tony Abbott's website!

Oops!

Oops! Poems by Alan Katz, Drawings by Edward Koren
These 100 light verses contain references to stale gum, troublesome siblings, outwitted parents, dirty underwear, farting in church, belly buttons and enough smelly things to make a fourth-grade boy laugh out loud in the library. Although the meter frequently stumbles, the topics are quirky ("I'm writing a love song to eggs./ They don't have eyes,/ they don't have legs./ They cannot sing,/ they cannot dance. / You cannot keep them / in your pants./ But they're my friends..."). They're often contemporary, too, as in a poem that begins, "I put my brother on eBay,/ but nobody made a bid."

The House of Djinn

The House of Djinn by Suzanne Fisher Staples

It has been ten years since Shabanu staged her death to secure the safety of her daughter, Mumtaz, from her husband's murderous brother. Mumtaz has been raised by her father's family with the education and security her mother desired for her, but with little understanding and love. Only her American cousin Jameel, her closest confidant and friend, and the beloved family patriarch, Baba, understand the pain of her loneliness. When Baba unexpectedly dies, Jameel's succession as the Amirzai tribal leader and the arrangement of his marriage to Mumtaz are revealed, causing both to question whether fulfilling their duty to the family is worth giving up their dreams for the future.

Stuck in the Mud

Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke, Illustrated by Garry Parsons
A hysterical hen is convinced that her beloved chick is meeting his doom in the farmyard's deep, thick mud. After getting stuck herself trying to free him, she enlists the entire farm population to help her; one by one, each gets entrapped in the mud as well. The chain of pullers and pushers grows long enough to require a gatefold spread, at which point the cheeky chick reveals that he was never in any danger: "It's time I got out," he announces. "And with a small plop,/ Chick jumped off the mud/ with a skip and hop." This is a picture book.

Barack Obama: The Politics of Hope

Barack Obama: The Politics of Hope by William Michael Davis

Drawing on Barack Obama's memoirs as well as diverse interviews from newspapers, television shows, radio programs, and magazines, this biography begins with his birth in Hawaii and ends with the beginning of his 2008 presidential campaign. Each chapter highlights life-defining moments and experiences. Stages of his life, education, and career are examined. Impressions from friends and colleagues help round out the factual narrative.

Trout Are Made of Trees

Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre

"In fall, trees let go of leaves,/ which swirl and twirl/ and slip into streams." Beginning with the leaves that fall off into streams, the cycle continues as bacteria feed on the leaves, and algae grow. Creatures eat these, and are in turn eaten by predators. Then come the trout that eat them, and produce more trout. And then "the people…catch the trout and eat them." The brief, brisk text joins all into the circle of life. This is a picture book.

The Great Race: The Amazing Round-the-World Auto Race of 1908

The Great Race: The Amazing Round-the-World Auto Race of 1908 by Gary L. Blackwood

On February 12, 1908, a group of auto-industry pioneers and self-proclaimed madmen set off on an unthinkable journey-the first automobile race around the world. Six cars-including only one from the United States, the Thomas Flyer-left New York City for Alaska and drove straight into a blizzard toward Paris, France, the final destination. The race was followed worldwide via telegraph and newspaper for the next six months: They crossed rivers on ferry boats and rickety wooden bridges; dug foot-by-foot through snow drifts that threatened to bury them; ate and slept in lean-tos at the side of the railroad tracks they used when there were no paved roads; and waited for days for parts or fuel to arrive in villages that had never seen a motor vehicle. The obstacles and battles they fought were epic, as were the personalities of the racers and their cars. In the end, even what should have been a clear victory was muddled by the egotistical claims by some of the drivers.

Uh-oh, Cleo

Uh-oh, Cleo by Jessica Harper
Saturdays are usually nothing but fun in the Small household. Cleo and her twin brother, Jack, always play games, torture their older sister, and then bike to the best Candy store in town. But this Saturday is different. Jack decided to Spider-Man up the toy shelf and made the whole thing tip over. And one of the things that flew off hit Cleo in the head, making her bleed and everything.

Sunrise Over Fallujah

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers
Robin's parents aspire for him to go to college, but following September 11, he feels compelled to join the Army instead. By early 2003, Robin has completed Basic Training and is deployed to Iraq where he becomes part of a Civil Affairs Unit charged with building the trust of the Iraqi people to minimize fighting. Civil Affairs soldiers are often put into deadly situations to test the waters, and Robin finds that the people in his unit, who nickname him "Birdy," are the only ones he can trust. Robin quickly learns that the situation in Iraq will not be resolved easily and that much of what is happening there will never make the news. Facing the horrors of war, Robin tries to remain hopeful and comforting in his letters to his family, never showing his fear or the danger he actually faces.

Black Stars in a White Night Sky

Black Stars in a White Night Sky by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sherwin Tjia
An adventure begins in these entertaining poems for young readers that explore everything from love and conformity to the nature of time. Philosophy and tomfoolery are equally at home.

Fearless

Fearless by Elvira Woodruff
In late seventeenth-century England, eleven-year-old Digory, forced to leave his hometown after his father is lost at sea, becomes an apprentice to the architect Henry Winstanley, who built a lighthouse on the treacherous Eddystone Reef -- the very rocks that sank Digory's grandfather's ship years before.

I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee

I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields
Archival records, correspondence, newspaper articles, and interviews have all been mined to add personal color to this story of a very unorthodox young girl and woman. Nelle Harper Lee befriended Truman Capote at age seven. Together they create a world filled with literature, immersing themselves in books, and after Lee's father gave them a typewriter jumping into writing as well. Truman's mother resurfaces a few years later and takes him to New York City, but they continue to see each other during the summers and then reconnect when she moves to the city as an adult. A thinly disguised Monroeville, the small Alabama town where she grew up and to which she returned in later life, served as the setting of her Pulitzer prize winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Her family relationships also shaped her work, and the main character is clearly modeled on her adored father.

Once Upon a Time in the North

Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman
Another glimpse into the world of His Dark Materials - it's 35 years before the trilogy, and young aeronaut Lee Scoresby has put down on Novy Odense in the North, looking for work and adventure. He finds the latter in spades. A corrupt corporation and a sleazy politician are obstructing a schooner's Captain from claiming his own cargo. Lee throws himself recklessly onto the side of good, operating on instinct and fearlessness. A bear-whom Lee thinks is named York Burningson-joins the deadly skirmish, shoving an enemy tanker-gun into the harbor while Lee engages in a gunfight in a warehouse. Scrawny, sardonic Hester-Lee's daemon-plays a key role in defeating a vicious hired gun.

Rex Zero: King of Nothing

Rex Zero: King of Nothing by Tim Wynne-Jones
Rex Norton-Norton (known as Rex Zero to his friends) has plenty of worries. He's in major trouble for skipping out on Armistice Day ceremonies to play football with his friends. His teacher Miss Garr is totally nuts. His sister Annie Oakley is convinced that their dad fathered a half-German kid during the war. But all of that fades when Rex finds a missing address book which leads him to adventure in the form of a beautiful woman in grave peril.

Skin Deep

Skin Deep by E.M. Crane
Sixteen-year-old Andrea Anderson begins her sophomore year feeling hopelessly average and plain, struggling to survive each school day unnoticed and to avoid her single mother's wrath. But when her homeroom teacher commits suicide in the teachers' lounge, Andrea begins to reevaluate her cautious existence. She doesn't shy away when a reclusive neighbor, diagnosed with cancer, needs help caring for her Saint Bernard and sprawling gardens.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks: A Novel

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks: A Novel by E. Lockhart
Boarding-school sophomore Frances "Frankie" Landau-Banks is tired of being underestimated by the men in her life, including her upperclassman boyfriend Matthew and his wittier-than-thou friends. She infiltrates Matthew's secret and exclusive male club-The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds-and, unbeknownst to them, begins orchestrating their elaborate pranks. She hopes the boys will be awed by her ingenuity and finally acknowledge her brains as well as her recently developed body. But Matthew & Co. are less than pleased to discover Frankie's deception, and she learns the hard way that "it's better to be alone . . . than to be with someone who can't see who you are."

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
The poems offer rich character portraits through concise, heightened language, and their order within the cycle provides suspense. Four characters tell the bulk of the story: Rosa, a child who grows up to be a nurse who heals the wounded, sick and starving with herbal medicine; her husband, Jose, who helps her move makeshift hospitals from cave to cave; Silvia, an orphaned girl who escapes a slave camp so that she may learn from Rosa; and Lieutenant Death, a hardened boy who grows up wanting only to kill Rosa and all others like her. Stretching from 1850 to 1899, these poems convey the fierce desire of the Cuban people to be free.

Puddlejumpers

Puddlejumpers by Mark Jean and Christopher C. Carlson
Kidnapped as a baby by Puddlejumpers, little people who live in a world below puddles, twelve-year-old Ernie must find courage to save the Puddlejumpers by leading them into battle against their mortal enemies, the Troggs.

My Friend, the Starfinder

My Friend the Starfinder by George Ella Lyon, Illustrated by Stephen Gammell

A story told in evocative free verse and graced with exuberant watercolors. A girl begins her narration when she was "no bigger than you are." She describes an old man who sits "in an old chair/on an old green porch" and tells tales of the time he found a falling star, and when he went for a walk and wound up at the end of the rainbow. The child feels certain that the outlandish stories must all be true. This is a picture book.