Odder (DB110420)
By Katherine Applegate
Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself–and about the humans who hope to save her.
Fuzzy Mud (DB82092 BR21131)
By Louis Sachar
While taking a shortcut home from school, two kids discover something that looks like fuzzy mud. However, it is actually a substance with the potential to wreak havoc on the entire world. (For grades 3-6)
Ella Enchanted (DB45186, BR15992, JLT Lev)
By Gail Carson Levine
Ella was cursed at birth by a fairy — who thought she was bestowing a gift — to always be obedient. After her mother dies, Ella is at the mercy of two bossy girls and their mother. The enchantment even puts her love for Prince Charmont at risk, and Ella is determined to get rid of it. (For grades 3-6)
Wink (DB116813)
By Rob Harrell
After being diagnosed with a rare eye cancer, twelve-year-old Ross discovers how music, art, and true friends can help him push through treatment and survive middle school. (For grades 3-6)
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II (JLT Gid)
By Adam Gidwitz
To find his way back home to his family in Germany during WWII, Max Bretzfeld, with a kobold named Berg on one shoulder and a dybbuk named Stein on the other, sets out to do the impossible–become a British spy. (For grades 4-6)
The Human Kaboom (DB114731)
By Adam Rubin
Here are six thrilling stories — ranging from sci-fi to fantasy to adventure — set in six different worlds, featuring artwork from six different illustrators. In a swanky New York City hotel, a reclusive guest appears to have spontaneously combusted. On a school field trip to a human anatomy museum in space, two kids try to pull off the greatest prank in history. Somewhere on a deserted island, three siblings try to make a life for themselves after the rest of the planet has been decimated by gigantic rock monsters. And then there’s the small, quaint fishing town where a boy visiting his sister stumbles across an ancient curse; the traveling circus where a young girl becomes the assistant to a death-defying human cannonball; and the rugged wilderness where one kid with superpowers just can’t seem to find some peace.
The Eyes & the Impossible (DB116273)
By Dave Eggers
Free dog Johannes’ job is to observe everything that happens in his urban park and report back to the park’s three bison elders, but changes are afoot, including more humans, a new building, a boatload of goats, and a shocking revelation that changes his view of the world. (For grades 4-7)
PAX (DB84036)
By Sara Pennypacker
After being forced to give up his pet fox, Pax, when his father enlists in the military, Peter decides to leave home and get his best friend back. (For grades 4-7)
Pax, Journey Home (DB105262)
By Sara Pennypacker
It has been a year since newly orphaned Peter and his pet fox Pax, now a protective father, have seen each other. But their paths cross again when Pax’s kit falls desperately ill, forcing him to turn to the one human he knows he can trust. (For grades 4-7)
Haven: a Small Cat’s Big Adventure (DB109671)
By Megan Wagner Lloyd
When her cherished Ma Millie falls ill, a timid housecat ventures into the wild to seek help in this adventure about love, loss, and finding the truest version of ourselves. A warm, cozy lap. The toasty smell of baking bread. Tasty food served in a bright-blue bowl. These make Haven’s life as an indoor pet heaven. All thanks to her beloved human and rescuer, Ma Millie. But when Ma Millie becomes too sick to care for her, the cat’s cozy life is turned upside down, and Haven decides she must seek out another human for help. Anything for Ma Millie! Her vow pulls her out of her safe nest into the shadowy forest and down unfamiliar and dangerous roads. When her first plan fails, Haven meets a wilderness-savvy fox who volunteers as an ally, and their perilous journey together brings some victories. But Haven finds herself pitted against creatures far wilder than she ever could be, testing her strength and spirit to their limits. Will her loyalty to Ma Millie–and her newfound confidence in herself–be enough to help Haven see the quest through to its conclusion? Can she stand up against the fierce predator that is tracking her every move? (For grades 4-7)
Alone (JBR Fre)
By Megan Freeman
When Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking to a nightmare. She’s alone in a town mysteriously evacuated and abandoned. With only a rottweiler named George as companion, Maddie learns to survive on her own. (For grades 5-8)
Autumn Street (BRN2542)
By Lois Lowry
Elizabeth’s father has gone to fight in World War II, and she now lives in her grandfather’s big house in Pennsylvania, on Autumn Street. There are many things to be frightened of, but big, strong, black Tatie in the kitchen, and Charles, Tatie’s street-wise grandson, are comfort points in her new life. Charles teaches her to take risks, but risks also mean confronting the realities of life. (For grades 5-8)
Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind (DB113473)
By Misa Sugiura
All Momo wants for her twelfth birthday is an ordinary life, but instead she finds out she is half human, half goddess and must unlock her divine powers to save her mother’s life and keep countless evil spirits from escaping Yomi, the land of the dead. (For grades 5-8)
