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Angels in the Sand by Lori Keating

Tender, nostalgic, and deeply moving… A young girl searches for love and connection as she faces heartbreaking loss in Keating’s poignant novel. Jess Alexander has already lost her father. Now, just before Christmas, she learns her beloved Grandma Evelyn doesn’t…
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THE DRAGON WAY HOME by Margaretta James

Fierce, tender, and unforgettable… James’ latest novel is a taut, emotionally charged middle-grade novel that weaves magical realism with the raw ache of a fractured family. Trying to come to terms with his parents’ divorce and a canceled trip to…
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Hidden by Olivia Gold 

A wildly entertaining ride that’s as heartfelt as it is hilarious… Gold combines sharp wit, wild turns, and middle school madness into a taut, thrilling story in her latest novel. Xander thought he had middle school figured out: stay low,…
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Animal Revolution: General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms #5 by David Bush

Intense, insightful, and unputdownable… In the chaos of revolution, two roosters dare to challenge an empire of eagles in Bush’s fifth installment of the General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms series. It’s 1793. France is in turmoil.…
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Digger: Dig or Die! by Deborah Cholette

Gripping, relentless, and timely… Cholette’s razor-sharp dystopian thriller thrusts two siblings into a race for survival as they battle a world unraveling around them. A climate disaster drains Earth’s atmosphere, forcing humanity to flee. Siblings Nick and Lily must adapt…
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Stjarna’s Stars by Patricia Squire

Whimsical and enchanting; a heartfelt journey of courage, family, and new beginnings. Squire’s compelling novel transports readers to 19th-century Iceland, where a young girl faces the upheaval of her life as her family sets out on a journey from their…
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Animals at War: General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms #4 by David Bush

Powerful, layered, and suspenseful; a compelling exploration of loyalty, survival, and moral conflict. Bush’s thrilling latest novel plunges readers into the chaos of 1536, a Europe divided by ideological conflicts, through the lives of its vivid animal characters. Gert, a…
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Animals Divided: General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms #3 by David Bush

A riveting tale of loyalty, division, and redemption… Bush’s latest installment in the General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms series plunges readers into a divided world where anthropomorphic animals wrestle with war, loyalty, and loss. Amid the…
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Call of the Desert: Crossing by A. A. Vogel

A raw, evocative, and atmospheric coming-of-age story. Vogel delves into the complexities of self-discovery through a young girl’s journey in a new culture in her compelling novel. In a new country and school, Claire sees the chance to reinvent herself.…
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Star People: Mystery of the Hologram by James Schwartz

A stellar tale that blends friendship, the exploration of the unknown, and the timeless quest for understanding. Schwartz kicks off his Star People series with this engrossing adventure that takes readers on an adolescent’s journey to distant lands. In 1964,…
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Animal Quest ( General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms,#2) by David Bush

A modern twist on the classic adventure quest… A determined little cat leads a group of animals on a perilous journey in Bush’s second installment of the General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms series. In 1349, a…
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Izzy Strikes Gold by Larry Sommers

A Whimsical Adventure with Heartfelt Lessons… Set in the 1950s, Sommers’ latest novel takes readers on a young boy’s journey to personal growth. Twelve-year-old Izzy’s life is in turmoil. He wants to fit in with his peers and dreams of…
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Marvelous Jackson by Laura Anne Bird

Tender, captivating, and thought-provoking… Bird masterfully blends themes of family, loss, self-discovery, and fortitude in the quaint backdrop of a Midwestern town in her latest middle grade novel, taking readers on a troubled boy’s journey to self-discovery. Following the loss…
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Final Video Game by Craig Speakes

Lively, entertaining, and technologically compelling… A total hoot. Speakes’ thrilling middle grade sci-fi offers an exhilarating plunge into a world where technology and humanity collide in spectacular fashion. Thirteen-year-old Oliver and his mother move to a new town, leaving behind…
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The Rise of The Legends by Jake Zortman

Entertaining, educational, and empowering… a nail-biting adventure full of twists and turns  With the fate of the world and future of humanity hanging in the balance, a group of teenagers race against time to stop an evil plot to take…
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Slacksville’s Worst Superheroes (Tales from Slacksville) by K. Peach

Entertaining, fantastical, eccentric fun. The extraordinary inhabitants of Slacksville return for yet another uproarious escapade in Peach’s newest addition to the series. Officer John Cop of Slacksville is determined to catch the infamous criminal Peep and his gang. His appeals…
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Sid Johnson and The Well-Intended Conspiracy by Frances Schoonmaker

Spellbinding… In Schoonmaker’s second in the Sid Johnson series, his young protagonist sets off on a long journey to California, trekking across the old western trails. Sid Johnson has a letter entrusted to him that he needs to bring to…
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Déjà View: A Kid Nightmare by Michael Thomas Perone

Evocative, well-written, and emotionally stirring… Perone weaves a captivating story set in the 1980s, where changing social dynamics and fear of growing up set the stage for a journey full of anguish. At twelve years old, Bobby Dalton still desperately…
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The Adventures of Toby Baxter—Book 2: RiverHome for the Holidays by Tim Wright 

A fun, imaginative, and vibrant story full of high action and wordplay… A must-read middle grade fantasy. In Wright’s enthralling second installment in The Adventures of Toby Baxter, thirteen-year-old Toby has to interrupt his winter break to save the dying…
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Never Less (The Pablo & Mindy Mysteries) by Geoffrey Wells

Gripping, entertaining, and impactful… A solid read. Drug crisis and murder add a thrilling allure to middle-grade drama as two pre-teens find themselves entangled in a dangerous conspiracy in Wells’ engrossing debut installment in The Pablo & Mindy Mysteries. Mindy…