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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Cover Reveals - Middle Grade (59)


Thornghost by Tone Almjhell
Fans of Gregor the Overlander and Five Kingdoms will love this alternate-realm fantasy full of heart-racing action

Something strange is happening to the woods and water around Niklas Summerhill’s home: Animals are dying, Niklas’s grandmother doesn’t seem like herself, and his uncle is suddenly lost in grief over his sister, Niklas’s mother, who died seven years ago. When Niklas discovers an ancient key, he and his talking lynx companion, Secret, leave home behind to travel to a different realm. But this realm, populated by animals, is in danger as well: A tribe of evil trolls is wreaking havoc, a mysterious enemy called the Sparrow King is bringing his wrath down upon the animals, and the Rosa Toraquata, the root that connects this realm to Niklas’s own, has developed a dark twist that is infecting the land. Can Niklas and Secret save the animal realm—and their own?

From the author of The Twistrose Key comes a fantasy brimming with intriguing mystery, fast-paced action, and a cast of unforgettable human and animal characters.
The Trouble With Twins by Kathryn Siebel
Kate DiCamillo meets Lemony Snicket in this darkly comic novel about two sisters who learn they are each others' most important friend.

Imagine two twin sisters, Arabella and Henrietta—nearly identical yet with nothing in common. They’re the best of friends . . . until one day they aren’t. Plain and quiet Henrietta has a secret plan to settle the score, and she does something outrageous and she can’t take it back.

When the deed is discovered, Henrietta is quickly banished—sent to live with her eccentric great-aunt Priscilla on Chillington Lane, where black cats roam the dark rooms and tonight’s menu is fish-head stew! Suddenly life with pretty, popular Arabella doesn’t seem so awful.

And, though she’s been grievously wronged, Arabella longs for her sister, too. So she hatches a plan of her own and embarks on an unexpected journey to reunite with her other half.

The Trouble with Twins is an adventure and a comedy—a tale of the power of unlikely friendships, the bond between sisters . . . and the way a bit of mischief sometimes sets everything right.
Teddycats by Mike Storey
Goodreads
Bill is a young Teddycat, which means he’s one of the most special--and mysterious--animals in the jungle. Teddycats can climb higher than any other mammal around. And because the Teddycats can climb so high, they get to live way up in the highest branches of the tallest trees, in a well-hidden and protected place called Cloud Kingdom.
There are a lot of perks to Teddycat life, but there’s also a lot of responsibility--and rules--that come with it.

Here are some things that Teddycats CANNOT do:
   • Use their super-strong, razor-sharp claws for anything except climbing or life-or-death situations
   • Reveal their existence or the location of Cloud Kingdom to humans and other predators

And the number one thing that Teddycats can definitely, no matter what, NEVER do:

   • Bring outsiders into Cloud Kingdom

That last rule is the most serious one of all. Unfortunately, it’s also the rule that Bill breaks one fateful day, when he brings his buddy Luke, an Olingo, up into Cloud Kingdom. All of a sudden, predators are circling, the ground beneath Cloud Kingdom is littered with human traps, and the Teddycat sanctuary is under attack. Their secret has been exposed, and Bill’s in danger of being banished for his crime.
            When a baby Teddycat is trapped and taken by a potentially vicious human, Bill knows he has to make things right. Along with a brave but ragtag team of comrades, he sets out into the jungle, determined to fight for the future of his species.

Will curiosity kill the Teddycats? Or will Bill find a way to claw his way out of this mess? 
Avenging the Owl by Melissa Hart
Goodreads
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo avenged the destruction of an innocent planet by helping Luke Skywalker blow up the Death Star. Han walked away with a gold medal and the love of his life. But when Solo Hahn—named in honor of the beloved action hero—tries to avenge the death of his gray-and-white kitten, he gets eight months of community service. Eight months of working at the local raptor center helping owls—his now sworn enemies.

For the first time in his life, Solo is labeled a troubled kid, an at-risk youth. He’d always gotten good grades, had good friends, and gotten along with his parents. He used to volunteer to read Reader’s Digest to old people at the retirement home next door, and his favorite thing in the whole wide world was to surf. He wrote screenplays for fun. But when his parents uproot him and move the family from California to backwoods Oregon, Solo starts to lose track of the person he was. Everything is upside down, and he finds himself dealing with things way beyond his understanding. He’s the new kid in town, and he’s got a bad reputation. The question is: What will he do next?

This is a story about staying true to yourself when things get tough. Solo has every reason to lash out, but he ultimately needs to find a way to cope. Avenging the Owl deals with the difficult issues of suicide and depression, but more than anything it captures the powerlessness of being a kid. It won’t be easy, but the wild beauty of Oregon, its cold, empty beaches and captivating wildlife, may be just what Solo and his family need to help them start over.
The Many World of Albie Bright by Christopher Pike

Goodreads 
When Albie’s mum dies, it’s natural he should wonder where she’s gone. His parents are both scientists and they usually have all the answers. Dad mutters something about Albie’s mum being alive and with them in a parallel universe. So Albie finds a box, his mum’s computer and a rotting banana, and sends himself through time and space to find her…
Zoe in Wonderland by Brenda Woods
Goodreads
Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods introduces introverted, daydream-prone Zoe, who’s afraid her real life will never be as exciting as her imaginary one.

Zoe Reindeer considers herself “just Zoe”—never measuring up to her too-perfect older sister or her smarty-pants little brother. Truthfully, though, she’d rather just blend in with the plants at the family business, Doc Reindeer’s Exotic Plant Wonderland. She does have one friend, Q, and he’s the best one ever—but he’s moving away, leaving Zoe to fend for herself, and she doesn’t know what she’ll do without him. That is until a tall astronomer from Madagascar comes to the nursery looking for a Baobab tree. His visit starts a ball rolling that makes Zoe long for real adventures, not just imaginary ones—and shows her that perhaps her first real adventure is finally beginning.

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson
Goodreads
Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The good ones. The not-so-good ones. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard. The ones you’ll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. But Ms. Bixby is none of these. She’s the sort of teacher who makes you feel like the indignity of school is worthwhile. Who makes the idea of growing up less terrifying. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind.

Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she is very sick and won’t be able to finish the school year, they come up with a plan. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand just what Ms. Bixby means to Topher, Brand, and Steve—and what they are willing to go to such great lengths to tell her.

John David Anderson, the acclaimed author of Sidekicked, returns with a story of three kids, a very special teacher, and one day that none of them will ever forget.
 Platypus Police Squad: Never Say Narwhal by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Goodreads
Book 4.
Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom by David Neilsen
Goodreads
When the mysterious Dr. Fell moves into the abandoned house that had once been the neighborhood kids’ hangout, he immediately builds a playground to win them over. But as the ever-changing play space becomes bigger and more elaborate, the children and their parents fall deeper under the doctor’s spell.

Only Jerry, Nancy, and Gail are immune to the lure of his extravagant wonderland. And they alone notice that when the injuries begin to pile up on the jungle gym, somehow Dr. Fell is able to heal each one with miraculous speed. Now the three children must find a way to uncover the doctor’s secret power without being captivated by his trickery.
Secret of the Time Tables (Cleopatra in Space #4) by Mike Maihack
Goodreads
Cleo and her friends journey from Yasiro Academy to the city of Hykosis, where some of the most notorious thieves and assassins live. They're in search of information about the time tablets that could determine Cleo's fate - whether she wants them to or not. But the group is separated when Xaius Octavian's fleet attacks their ship, and Cleo and Akila are on their own until they run into an old nemesis. Will Cleo find the information she needs and get out of Hykosis alive?

This Is Not the Abby Show by Debbie Reed Fischer
Goodreads
Fans of Joey Pigza, Meg Cabot, and Because of Mr. Terupt will root for hilarious, one-of-a-kind Abby as she navigates ADHD, middle school, family, and friendships.

Abby was born for the spotlight. Now it’s her time to shine!

Abby is twice exceptional—she is gifted in math and science, and she has ADHD. Normally, she has everything pretty-much-sorta-kinda under control. But when Abby makes one HUGE mistake that leads to “The Night That Ruined My Life,” or “TNTRML,” she lands in summer school.
     Abby thinks the other summer school kids are going to be total weirdos. And what with her parents’ new rules, plus all the fuss over her brother’s bar mitzvah, her life is turning into a complete disaster.
     But as Abby learns to communicate better and finds friends who love her for who she is, she discovers that her biggest weaknesses could be her greatest assets.
     Hilarious and heartwarming, This Is Not the Abby Show is for everyone who knows that standing out is way more fun than blending in.
Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team by Daniel O'Brien
Goodreads
Fans of How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous and Kid Presidents can draft their own presidential fantasy team, based on these hilarious-but-true profiles of our past leaders.

What if a zombie apocalypse or a robot uprising threatened the nation and you had the power to recruit some of the nation’s finest presidents to help save the day?

By studying the most successful squads in history, Daniel O’Brien has identified the perfect ingredients for a victorious team.

Which president would you choose for: the Brain, the Brawn, the Moral Compass, the Loose Cannon, and the Roosevelt?

Choose wisely—the fate of the world is in your hands!
The Secret Fire by Whitaker Ringwald
Goodreads
Book 3!
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Which new covers are your favorite?  Let me know in the comments!

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