A riveting middle-grade fantasy about sibling bonds, enchanted houses, and encroaching wildness, lyrically told in eerily beautiful proseThe grass grew taller than the house itself, surrounding it on all sides. It stuffed the keyholes and scraped against the roof. It shook the walls and made paintings shiver.Seven years ago, the Ballastian sisters' parents left them … Continue reading THE SISTERS OF STRAYGARDEN PLACE, by Hayley Chewins, Candlewick Press
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A WISH IN THE DARK, by Christina Soontornvat, Candlewick Press
A boy on the run. A girl determined to find him. All light in Chattana is created by one man — the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the … Continue reading A WISH IN THE DARK, by Christina Soontornvat, Candlewick Press
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THE SUMMER WE FOUND BABY, by Amy Hest, Candlewick Press
Set during World War II, this poignant, briskly paced historical novel relays the events of one extraordinary summer from three engaging points of view. On the morning of the dedication of the new children's library in Belle Beach, Long Island, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on … Continue reading THE SUMMER WE FOUND BABY, by Amy Hest, Candlewick Press
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GOLD RUSH GIRL, by Avi, Candlewick Press
Newbery Medalist Avi brings us mud-caked, tent-filled San Francisco in 1848 with a willful heroine who goes on an unintended -- and perilous -- adventure to save her brother. Victoria Blaisdell longs for independence and adventure, and she yearns to accompany her father as he sails west in search of real gold! But it is … Continue reading GOLD RUSH GIRL, by Avi, Candlewick Press
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SPINDLE AND DAGGER, by J. Anderson Coats, Candlewick Press
This rich literary novel follows Elen, who must live a precarious lie in order to survive among the medieval Welsh warband that killed her family.Wales, 1109. Three years ago, a warband raided Elen’s home. Her baby sister could not escape the flames. Her older sister fought back and almost killed the warband’s leader, Owain ap … Continue reading SPINDLE AND DAGGER, by J. Anderson Coats, Candlewick Press
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WEIRD LITTLE ROBOTS, by Carolyn Crimi, Illustrated by Corinna Luyken, Candlewick Press
When two science-savvy girls create an entire robot world, they don’t expect the robots to come alive. But life may be a bit more magical than they thought. Nine-year-old Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and so far the robots she builds herself are her only company. But with just a bit … Continue reading WEIRD LITTLE ROBOTS, by Carolyn Crimi, Illustrated by Corinna Luyken, Candlewick Press
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ZORA & ME: THE SUMMONER, by Victoria Bond, Candlewick Press
In the finale to the acclaimed trilogy, upheaval in Zora Neale Hurston's family and hometown persuade her to leave childhood behind and find her destiny beyond Eatonville. For Carrie and her best friend, Zora, Eatonville--America's first incorporated Black township--has been an idyllic place to live out their childhoods. But when a lynch mob crosses the … Continue reading ZORA & ME: THE SUMMONER, by Victoria Bond, Candlewick Press
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NEVERTELL, by Katharine Orton, Walker Books US/Candlewick Press
After escaping a Soviet prison camp, Lina is pursued by a powerful witch and her shadow wolves in a riveting debut that imbues frozen wilderness with fairy-tale magic. All that twelve-year-old Lina knows of the world is the Stalinist labor camp where she was born, a place of hunger, cruelty, and deprivation. After a daring … Continue reading NEVERTELL, by Katharine Orton, Walker Books US/Candlewick Press
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DEEPLIGHT, by Frances Hardinge, Amulet Books/Abrams
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea meets Frankenstein in Frances Hardinge’s latest fantasy adventure The gods are dead. Decades ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. Nobody knows why. But are they really gone forever? When 15-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of a terrifying deity, he risks everything to keep it out of the … Continue reading DEEPLIGHT, by Frances Hardinge, Amulet Books/Abrams
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EARTHLINGS: A NOVEL, by Sayaka Murata, Grove Press/Publishers Group West
Ewww! Natsuki isn't like the other girls. She has a wand and a transformation mirror. She might be a witch, or an alien from another planet. Together with her cousin Yuu, Natsuki spends her summers in the wild mountains of Nagano, dreaming of other worlds. When a terrible sequence of events threatens to part the … Continue reading EARTHLINGS: A NOVEL, by Sayaka Murata, Grove Press/Publishers Group West
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