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Cool New Books for November and December
November and December’s roundup of Cool New Books includes SNAKEHEAD, the seventh installment in Anthony Horowitz’s action-packed series starring 14-year-old secret agent Alex Rider; THE CHRONICLES OF SPIDERWICK, an interactive look at the world of Arthur Spiderwick that is a must-read for loyal fans of the series and a vital introduction for new ones; THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA POP-UP, yet another masterpiece by award-winning paper engineer Robert Sabuda, who devotes a spectacular pop-up spread to each of the seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia; THE MAGIC HALF, Annie Barrows’s delightful middle-grade novel in which an unsuspecting girl travels back in time to the year 1935; and ANGELA AND THE BABY JESUS, Frank McCourt’s captivating Christmas story about the childhood of Angela, from his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir ANGELA’S ASHES.
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Stand-Alone Chapter Books/Middle Grade Novels
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100 CUPBOARDS
N.D. Wilson
Random House
ISBN: 9780375838811
Ages 8-12
304 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Twelve-year-old Henry York wakes up one night to find bits of plaster in his hair. Two knobs have broken through the wall above his bed and one of them is slowly turning. Henry scrapes the plaster off the wall and discovers cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he can hear the sound of falling rain. Through another he sees a glowing room --- with a man pacing back and forth! Henry soon understands that these are not just cupboards, but portals to other worlds.
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THE MAGIC HALF
Annie Barrows
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781599901329
Ages 7-10
224 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Miri is the non-twin child in a family with two sets of them --- older brothers and younger sisters. The family has just moved to an old farmhouse in a new town, where the only good thing seems to be Miri’s ten-sided attic bedroom. But when Miri gets sent to her room after accidentally bashing her big brother on the head with a shovel, she finds herself in the same room…only not quite. Without meaning to, she has found a way to travel back in time to 1935 where she discovers Molly, a girl her own age very much in need of a loving family.
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PRINCESS ALYSS OF WONDERLAND
written by Frank Beddor
illustrated by Catia Chien
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780803732513
Ages 8-up
30 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Enter the exciting world of the real Alyss of Wonderland! Behold the stunning proof that the fictitious little girl you have known as Alice was actually a very real little princess named Alyss. Assembled in this scrapbook are the collected letters, journals and art of the princess who fled her world of wonder only to find herself alone in our world with nothing but her imagination to sustain her. Lavishly illustrated and fully interactive, this book will captivate and delight princess enthusiasts and fans of the original ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.
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VASCO, LEADER OF THE TRIBE
Anne-Laure Bondoux
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385733632
Ages 8-12
352 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Like all the rats in his tribe, Vasco loves nothing more than to scurry around the harbor in search of discarded fish. But one day he discovers that the members of his tribe have died under mysterious circumstances. Now Vasco is alone…until he reluctantly joins some fearsome rats who live deep in the sewers. Among them, he makes some loyal friends and some daunting enemies. And, as he begins to understand that humans are masterminding the extinction of all the rats in the city, Vasco sees only one solution: to flee aboard a ship.
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Series Books/Sequels
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Alex Rider
SNAKEHEAD:
An Alex Rider Adventure
Anthony Horowitz
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399241611
Ages 8-12
400 pages
• Read a Review
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
What goes up must come down, and when we last saw Alex Rider, he was as up as can be --- in outer space. When he crash lands off the coast of Australia, the Australian Secret Service recruits him to infiltrate one of the ruthless gangs operating across South East Asia. Known as snakeheads, the gangs smuggle drugs, weapons and, worst of all, people. Alex accepts the assignment, in part for the chance to work with his godfather and learn more about his parents. What he uncovers, however, is a secret that will make this his darkest and most dangerous mission yet…and that his old nemesis, Scorpia, is still very much a part of his life.
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The Spiderwick Chronicles
THE CHRONICLES OF SPIDERWICK:
A Grand Tour of the Enchanted World, Navigated by Thimbletack
Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781416950387
Ages 7-10
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Take a tour with Thimbletack, resident and caretaker of the Spiderwick mansion, as he guides you through his scrapbook and personal collection of faerie artifacts. Learn the history of the Spiderwick estate and its former occupants; peruse lost letters that uncover long-hidden secrets; browse through personal items from the Grace kids; and read clips of stories from around the world about other encounters with strange and mythical creatures. THE CHRONICLES OF SPIDERWICK comes complete with pullouts, pop-ups, foldouts and more.
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Pop-Up Books
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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA POP-UP
based on the books by C. S. Lewis, pop-ups by Robert Sabuda and illustrated by Matthew Armstrong
HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780061176128
Ages 5-up
14 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
C. S. Lewis's classic Narnia books spring to life in the hands of award-winning paper engineer Robert Sabuda. Each of the seven books in the series has its own pop-up spread rendered in spectacular detail with stunning special effects. Experience a different adventure from Narnia on every spread in this beautiful addition to the Narnia library --- sure to enchant fans of both C. S. Lewis and Robert Sabuda.
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Picture Books
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ANGELA AND THE BABY JESUS
(Children’s Edition)
written by Frank McCourt
illustrated by Raul Colon
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781416937890
Ages 5-10
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Frank McCourt's first Christmas book is by turns tender and heartwarming, and wholly unforgettable. Angela is six years old and worries for the Baby Jesus on the altar of St. Joseph's Church near School House Lane in Limerick, Ireland, where she lives. December nights are damp and cold, and the church is dark. The Baby Jesus' mother doesn't even have a blanket to cover him. The Baby is sure to need Angela's help, even if she is not allowed to step near the altar, especially by herself.
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OH, BROTHER!
written by Nikki Grimes
illustrated by Mike Benny
Amistad/Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780688172947
Ages 5-10
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
It's bad enough that Xavier's new stepbrother, Chris, has moved into Xavier's room, but now it looks like he's also trying to steal Mami by being the perfect kid. Chris's "Mr. Perfect" act may fool grown-ups, but Xavier can see straight through it. He promises himself that he'll never become real brothers with such a fake.
In 20 powerful poems, two strangers learn to become brothers. Nikki Grimes captures the struggles --- and eventual sweetness --- of bringing together a family.
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THE SILK PRINCESS
Charles Santore
Random House
ISBN: 9780375836640
Ages 3-7
40 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Princess Hsi-Ling Chi has heard tales of a sleeping dragon and ancient gods residing in the Holy Mountains beyond her father’s palace. However, when she emerges from the gates for the first time, she is not afraid. She has with her a magical thread unraveled from a tiny cocoon that dropped into the Empress’s teacup, and she knows it will lead her back to the palace garden. But she is very far from home when she notices that the thread has broken, and that she is lost. How will she find her way back? And will the secret of silk be lost forever?
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WE BELONG TOGETHER:
A Book About Adoption and Families
written and illustrated by Todd Parr
Little, Brown for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316016681
Ages 4-8
32 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Bestselling author/illustrator Todd Parr has received hundreds of requests to write a book about adoption. And as he did with his beloved books IT'S OKAY TO BE DIFFERENT and THE PEACE BOOK, he has found a way to approach this challenging subject matter with humor and sensitivity through his bold and colorful illustrations and unique reassuring messages.
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WHEN RANDOLPH TURNED ROTTEN
written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper
Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780375840715
Ages 5-8
40 pages
• Click here to buy from Amazon.com
Most of the time, Randolph is very, very nice. But when his friend Ivy gets invited to a really great sleepover birthday party and he doesn't, Randolph feels a little left out, and is both sad and mad. Then he goes a little crazy! Will he ever turn back to the nice friend he once was? This nutty friendship story recognizes that even best friends aren't always good friends (sometimes they can be downright rotten!).
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--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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