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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Cover Reveals - Middle Grade (54)




Eleven and Holding by Mary Penney
Goodreads
Like The Thing About Jellyfish and Counting by 7s, this sweet, heartfelt middle grade novel illustrates for readers what it’s like to tackle loss, confront hard truths, and find the courage to begin again.

Macy Hollinquest is eleven years old, and don’t count on her to change that anytime soon.

Her birthday is just days away, but she has no intention of turning twelve without her dad by her side. He’d promised to be there for her big day—and yet he’s been gone for months, away doing some kind of secret “important work” after being discharged from the Marines. So she’s staying eleven, no matter what—that is, until she meets Ginger, a nice older lady who is searching for her missing dog. Could Ginger be the perfect cover for attempting to locate her dad?

Macy’s search puts her on a path to a head-on collision with the truth, where she discovers that knowing can sometimes be a heavy burden. And that change, when finally accepted, comes with an unexpected kind of grace.

Mary Penney’s earnest, heartfelt story of change, loss, and new beginnings will resonate with readers on the cusp of new beginnings, and stay in their hearts long after it’s done.
The Color of Darkness by Ruth Hatfield
Goodreads
After rescuing his parents, Danny returns to his old life, burying the taro that allowed him to speak to animals, trees, and the very storms that led to his adventure. Danny thinks he's left magic and mystery behind, but Sammael, a creature of terrible imagination, refuses to let him go.

A strange new girl, Cath, enters Danny's world, bringing with her a message: Danny's cousin Tom has sold his soul to Sammael. It's up to Danny and Cath to find Tom and stop Sammael, who seeks to destroy humankind once and for all.
Lucky Strikes by Louis Bayard
Goodreads 
With her mama recently dead and her scoundrel pa sight unseen since birth, fourteen-year-old Amelia is suddenly in charge of her younger brother and sister--and of the family gas station. Harley Blevins, local king and emperor of Standard Oil, is in hot pursuit to clinch his fuel monopoly. To keep him at bay and to stay out of the state orphanage, Melia must come up with a father--and fast. And so when a hobo rolls out of a passing car into their drive, Melia grabs opportunity by its beard. Can she hold off the hounds till she turns sixteen?
Mischief at Midnight by Esme Kerr
The thrilling follow-up to the boarding school mystery The Girl with the Glass Bird.

There's a new girl at Knight's Haddon, and she isn't like anyone the other girls have ever met before. Janet is cool and confident, so Edie is thrilled that they become friends. And when Edie's friendship with Anastasia becomes rocky, Janet is there for her. But mischief begins to unfold, leading Edie to think Janet may not be all she seems -- and suddenly events take a dangerous turn.

Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth by Ned Rust
Goodreads
Join a twelve-year-old boy's accidental adventure through parallel worlds in this sweeping, new action-adventure series.
When Patrick Griffin passes out after a chemistry experiment gone bad, he wakes up in a strange parallel world, where everyone has huge eyes and tiny ears, and is addicted to smartphones called "binkies." At first, Patrick thinks he's in a weird dream, but he's about to realize he's on an adventure beyond his wildest imagination.

Meanwhile, a huge rabbit-like creature named Mr. BunBun is roaming through Patrick's hometown, leaving a trail of chaos behind it. Its mission? To save Earth from imminent doom.

See what happens when the fate of three worlds lies in the hands of one boy and one gigantic bunny . . .

It's Douglas Adams-meets-Kurt Vonnegut in this hilarious, smart, and mind-bending new series. Imagine if 1984 were even remotely funny.
The Secret Destiny of Pixie Piper by Annabelle Fisher
Goodreads
Pixie Piper, an ordinary fifth grader, discovers she is a direct descendent of Mother Goose, and she has the magical ability and poetry power to prove it! A lively and funny twist on a classic character for fans of the Clementine books, Wendy Mass, and Lisa Graff.
Fifth grader Pixie Piper has always known she was a little different. She has a wild mop of hair that won’t stay put, her best friend is a boy, and to top it all off, she’s constantly coming up with rhymes and poems that just seem to pop out of her. Then, when Pixie thinks it can’t get any worse, she finds out that she actually is different—she’s a descendant of Mother Goose! This surprising and clever novel features family, friendship, poetry, a toilet museum, just the right amount of magic, as well as a goose, a fox, and a beautiful golden retriever puppy. Rich, multigenerational characters and the real and powerful portrayal of grade school friendships, with all their ups and downs, distinguishes this terrific elementary school story that will appeal to fans of Judy Moody, Clementine, and novels by Wendy Mass and Lisa Graff.

The Underdogs by Sara Hammel
Goodreads
A debut summer mystery with a breathtaking twist you won't see coming
Who killed Annabel Harper?

When a popular teen beauty’s body is discovered by the pool at an elite tennis club, the regulars are shocked—especially twelve-year-old Evie and her best friend, Chelsea. While everyone else is haunted by the teen’s death, Evie and Chelsea jump on the case, dogging the footsteps of the lead detective as he investigates this suspicious death. As the two shadow the detective, the girls learn secrets about the club’s regulars—and stumble upon a disturbing truth that will test their friendship and prompt an act of heroism that may change both of their lives forever.

Wishing Day by Lauren Myracle
Goodreads
On the third night of the third month after a girl’s thirteenth birthday, every girl in the town of Willow Hill makes three wishes.

The first wish is an impossible wish.
The second is a wish she can make come true herself.
And the third is the deepest wish of her secret heart.

Natasha is the oldest child in a family steeped in magic, though she’s not sure she believes in it. She’s full to bursting with wishes, however. She misses her mother, who disappeared nearly eight long years ago. She has a crush on one of the cutest boys in her class, and she thinks maybe it would be nice if her very first kiss came from him. And amid the chaos of a house full of sisters, aunts, and a father lost in grief, she aches to simply be...noticed.

So Natasha goes to the willow tree at the top of the hill on her Wishing Day, and she makes three wishes. What unfolds is beyond anything she could have imagined.
Five Times Revenge by Lindsay Eland
Goodreads
Adam is the prank mastermind. Perk is his best friend and the computer genius. Pearl is the prettiest girl in school—and a violin prodigy. Ray looks like a big dumb jock, but he secretly wants to be an engineer. And Dutch is the often-bullied dork who is in tune with everyone’s feelings. The five of them couldn’t be more different. But there’s one thing they have in common: they are fed up with Hill Parmar, the school bully—and his dad, their school principal, who is always turning a blind eye. When Hill finally steps over the line, the five unlikely schemers band together for a prank like nothing Mt. Nittany Middle School has ever seen before. Lindsay Eland weaves the five alternate points of view together for an accessible and funny school story—and a friendship story—for every reader. Teamwork, trust, and seeing below the surface are at the heart of this novel for readers who snap up books by Wendy Mass, Jennifer L. Holm, and Kate Messner.
The Brightest Stars of Summer by Leila Howland
Goodreads
Wedding bells are ringing on the Cape! It’s summer again and Marigold, Zinnia, and Lily are heading back to their beloved Pruet to help bride-to-be Aunt Sunny plan her big day. But cake and decorations aren’t the only items on the girls’ agenda this summer. Marigold can’t wait to escape the embarrassment of being cut from one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters—especially after she bragged to all of her West Coast friends that she was in it. And Zinnie is trying her hardest to write a story good enough to get into an elite writing program. She finds unexpected inspiration in Marigold’s heartbreak over last summer’s crush, Peter Pasque, and a cute boy named Max she meets on the beach.

But when it becomes clear that Max has eyes for Marigold, Zinnie can’t contain her hurt, and it leads her to betray Marigold with an unthinkable sister crime. With a wedding on the horizon and tension simmering between them, will the Silver sisters be able to overcome their hurt in time to give Sunny what she’s already given them: a summer to remember?
Every Single Second by Tricia Springstubb
Goodreads
A single second. That’s all it takes to turn a world upside down.

Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini’s life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn’t seem concerned; she’s busy figuring out the best way to spend the “leap second”—an extra second about to be added to the world’s official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being “secret sisters” to not talking at all.

Then Angela’s idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela’s situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge—the future will be up to her.

Tricia Springstubb’s extraordinary novel is about the shifting bonds of friendship and the unconditional love of family, the impact of class and racial divides on a neighborhood and a city, and a girl awakening to awareness of a world bigger and more complex than she’d ever imagined.
Which new covers are your favorite?  Let me know in the comments!

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