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Click below to see the other books in each age band.
BIRTH TO 4
GRADES K TO 2
GRADES 3 TO 5
GRADES 6 TO 8
GRADES 9 TO 12
ADULT
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The unbelievable true story of the American soldiers who used inflatable tanks and fake radio broadcasts as weapons in World War II. Right around D-Day of World War II, a small, unarmed American army unit deployed to Nazi-occupied France. Instead of artillery, this unit fought with stagecraft, artistry, and deception. Their “weapons” included inflatable rubber tanks and giant speakers broadcasting fake military maneuvers. The soldiers called themselves the Ghost Army. Many of them had creative backgrounds in fashion, theater, and music, and they used their talents to trick and confuse the enemy. Often, their mission was to draw enemy fire away from other soldiers and toward themselves. One of the most stunning parts of this story is just how effective the Ghost Army was. They successfully carried out mission after mission and undeniably helped secure Allied victory. Rebecca Siegel uses original research, declassified records and photos, and a boots on the ground narrative style to tell the incredible experiences of these heroic soldiers.
Millie of the Manor: A Graphic Novel
by Karina Evans and Andrea Bell
Amy has always loved a good mystery. So when her classmate Reagan invites her to a murder-mystery-themed birthday party, she should be ecstatic. But…she’s not. Instead, she’s worried that her social anxiety will mess everything up. Thankfully, all the guests are given characters to play for the night, so Amy doesn’t have to go to Reagan’s party as herself—she’ll go as “Millie Morgan,” a scientist looking to solve the murder and clear her name. With newfound confidence as Millie, she must work with the other partygoers to solve the crime. But when evidence piles up and clues begin to incriminate her alter ego, Amy’s anxiety comes rushing back. With the help of her new friends, Amy must learn to navigate her own anxiety as Millie works to solve the mystery and prove her innocence.
Severe and Unusual Weather
by Jessie Ann Foley
In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid: 1. Keep your head down; 2. Mind your own business; and 3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on. Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago. But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM. Try as they might, they can’t figure out two things: Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?
The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine
by Z Brewer
Viktor Valentine can’t think of a better way to end his summer vacation than playing All the Vampires Everywhere, his favorite video game, with his best friend, Damon. Yet his parents, who make cringey jokes and call him dorky nicknames, seem set on ruining his plans. Viktor knows he can’t really compete with Damon’s “cool” friends—so their epic video game playing is the best Viktor can do to come close to being cool in Damon’s eyes. But then Viktor slowly starts to realize that his parents may be hiding something from him. They’re acting very suspicious; they sneak out after midnight and return with bloody mouths. But he’s probably just played too many video games. After all, vampires aren’t real . . . right? Seventh grade is tough enough without having to figure out if your family has fangs. And to make matters worse, the new girl that moved in across the street seems particularly interested in things that go bump in the night. Can Viktor protect his family, or will his sleuthing come back to bite him?
The Scott Fenwick Diaries: A Novel
by Kristin Nilsen
In this laugh-out-loud, feel-good sequel to Worldwide Crush, superfan Millie grows out of her celebrity crush and lands awkwardly in something even more dramatic: her first ever IRL middle school crush. Is Millie ready to graduate from posters on the wall to a living, breathing boy who sits next to her in Social Studies? By herself, absolutely not. But with a little help from her friends—maybe! Feeling comically unprepared for this next phase of middle school, Millie calls on an adorkable cast of characters for instructions and support: Shauna, her wise bestie who uses her Magic 8 Ball for advice; her two cranky grandmas, who call cute boys “foxes”; Pringles, her beloved bulldog; and her bunny-loving neighbor, Tibbs, who dedicates herself to getting Millie an invite to the bar mitzvah of her dreams. But when a secret game of Truth or Dare at the bar mitzvah leads to her ultimate fantasy—Millie and Scott swaying together on the dance floor—the moment is ruined in humiliating fashion. And Millie doubts she’ll ever be ready for real-world middle school love after all. Amidst a whirlwind of embarrassing family shenanigans and side-splitting missteps, Millie learns to trust her own instincts, grow up on her own terms, and never, ever sacrifice her friends for a crush.
The Song of Orphan’s Garden
by Nicole M. Hewitt
In an arctic world that’s getting colder every day, Lyriana’s only hope of survival is to get her little brother Zave and herself to the fabled Orphan’s Garden. It’s rumored to be the one place in the world not controlled by deadly Winter Spirits or ruled by the tyrant Giant king. In Orphan’s Garden, healing trees will melt away Winter’s pains, and Lyriana and Zave can live safely in the warmth of Spring. If the garden exists, they must find it. They won’t live much longer without it. Brob, a Giant boy, also needs sanctuary. When the Giant king banishes his family to the Winter Blight, it’s a death sentence. Orphan’s Garden is his family’s only hope, and as far as Brob’s concerned, it belongs to him. After all, he was the one who accidentally used an ancient magic to grow the garden years ago. He has no intention of sharing his haven with pesky humans, who will just use up its magic and ruin it. When it becomes clear that Orphan’s Garden is in danger of being destroyed, Lyriana and Brob are the only ones who can save it—but only if they can put the ages-old battle between Humans and Giants aside and find a way to work together.