New Books March 2012
Smile
Raina Telgemeier
Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely
injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces,
surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that,
there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.
Hound Dog True
Linda Urban
Do not let a mop sit overnight in water. Fix things before they get too big for fixing. Custodial wisdom:
Mattie Breen writes it all down. She has just one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as his
custodial apprentice at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School. One week until school starts and she has to
be the new girl again. But if she can be Uncle Potluck’s apprentice, she’ll have important work to do during lunch and
recess. Work that will keep her safely away from the other fifth graders. But when her custodial wisdom goes all wrong,
Mattie’s plan comes crashing down. And only then does she begin to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend
who is hound dog true.
May B.: A Novel
Caroline Starr Rose
I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.
May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but
it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned.
Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming
winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But
she's determined to find her way home again.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
Tom Angleberger
In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that
sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet
of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts
the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularitycrushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart
when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that
forms this novel.
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading
Tommy Greenwalk
Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he’s managed to get through
life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he’s in middle school, avoiding
reading isn’t as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he’s tired of
covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact.This is the
hilarious story of an avid non-reader and the extreme lengths to which he’ll go to get out of reading a book.
Rules
Cynthia Lord
Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with
autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules
from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public"---in order to head off David's
embarrassing behaviors.
But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always
wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?
Touch Blue
Cynthia Lord
Touch Blue and your wish will come true.
"Why take chances?" says eleven-year-old Tess Brooks. "Especially when it's so easy to let the universe
know what you want by touching blue or turning around three times or crossing your fingers."
But Tess is coming to know that it's not always that simple.
The state of Maine plans to shut down her island's schoolhouse, which would force Tess's family to move to the
mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the
numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on
Aaron, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player who has been bounced from home to home. And Tess needs a plan of her
own--and all the luck she can muster. Will Tess's wish come true or will her luck run out?
Bluefish
Pat Schmatz
Thirteen-year-old Travis has a secret: he can't read. But a shrewd teacher and a sassy girl are about to
change everything in this witty and deeply moving novel.
Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he's missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there's just the cramped place
he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he's
called on to read out loud. But that's before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn't take "pass" for an answer--a rare
teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it's before Travis is
noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy,
humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters--and captures the
moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.
A Swift Pure Cry
Siobhan Dowd
Ireland 1984.
After Shell's mother dies, her obsessively religious father descends into alcoholic mourning and Shell is left
to care for her younger brother and sister. Her only release from the harshness of everyday life comes from her budding
spiritual friendship with a naive young priest, and most importantly, her developing relationship with childhood friend,
Declan, who is charming, eloquent, and persuasive. But when Declan suddenly leaves Ireland to seek his fortune in
America, Shell finds herself pregnant and the center of a scandal that rocks the small community in which she lives, with
repercussions across the whole country. The lives of those immediately around her will never be the same again.
The Luck of the Buttons
Anne Ylvisaker
In Iowa circa 1929, spunky twelve-year-old Tugs vows to turn her family s luck around, with the help of a
Brownie camera and a small-town mystery.
Tugs Esther Button was born to a luckless family. Buttons don t presume to be singers or dancers. They aren t athletes or
artists, good listeners, or model citizens. The one time a Button ever made the late Goodhue Gazette - before Harvey
Moore came along with his talk of launching a new paper - was when Great Grandaddy Ike accidentally set Town Hall
ablaze. Tomboy Tugs looks at her hapless family and sees her own reflection looking back until she befriends popular
Aggie Millhouse, wins a new camera in the Independence Day raffle, and stumbles into a mystery only she can solve.
Suddenly this is a summer of change - and by its end, being a Button may just turn out to be what one clumsy, funny,
spirited, and very observant young heroine decides to make of it.
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
James Patterson
Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the
mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: With his best friend
Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of
Conduct. Chewing gum in class-5,000 points! Running in the hallway-10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm-50,000 points!
But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally
ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.
Darth Paper Strikes Back
Tom Angleberger
It is a dark time at Ralph McQuarrie Middle School. After suffering several Origami Yoda–related
humiliations, Harvey manages to get Dwight suspended from school for being a “troublemaker.” Origami
Yoda pleads with Tommy and Kellen to save Dwight by making a new case file—one that will show how
Dwight’s presence benefits McQuarrie. With the help of their friends, Tommy and Kellen record cases such as “Origami
Yoda and the Pre-eaten Wiener,” “Origami Yoda and the Exploding Pizza Bagels,” and “Origami Yoda and Wonderland:
The Musical.” But Harvey and his Darth Paper puppet have a secret plan that could make Dwight’s suspension
permanent . . .
Bigger Than a Bread Box
Laurel Snyder
A magical breadbox that delivers whatever you wish for—as long as it fits inside? It's too good to be true!
Twelve-year-old Rebecca is struggling with her parents' separation, as well as a sudden move to her Gran's
house in another state. For a while, the magic bread box, discovered in the attic, makes life away from
home a little easier. Then suddenly it starts to make things much, much more difficult, and Rebecca is forced to decide
not just where, but who she really wants to be.
Notes from an Accidental Band Geek
Erin Dionne
Elsie Wyatt is a born French horn player, just like her father and her grandfather before her. In order to
qualify for the prestigious summer music camp of her dreams, she must expand her musical horizons and
join - gasp! - the marching band. There are no French horns in marching band (what the heck is a
mellophone??), but there are some cute boys. And marching band is very different from orchestra: they march, they
chant, they . . . cluck? Elsie is not so sure she'll survive, but the new friends she's making and the actual fun she's having
will force her to question her dad's expectations and her own musical priorities.
Poop Happened: A History of the World from the Bottom UP
Sarah Albee
Did lead pipes cause the fall of the Roman Empire?
How many toilets were in the average Egyptian pyramid?
How did a knight wearing fifty pounds of armor go to the bathroom?
Was poor hygiene the last straw before the French Revolution?
Did Thomas Crapper really invent the modern toilet?
How do astronauts go in space?
History finally comes out of the water-closet in this exploration of how people's need to relieve themselves shaped
human development from ancient times to the present. Throughout time, the most successful civilizations were the
ones who realized that everyone poops, and they had better figure out how to get rid of it! From the world's first
flushing toilet invented by ancient Minoan plumbers to castle moats in the middle ages that used more than just water
to repel enemies, Sarah Albee traces human civilization using one revolting yet fascinating theme.
How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous
Georgia Bragg
Over the course of history men and women have lived and died. In fact, getting sick and dying can be a big,
ugly mess-especially before the modern medical care that we all enjoy today. How They Croaked relays all
the gory details of how nineteen world figures gave up the ghost. For example:
It is believed that Henry VIII's remains exploded within his coffin while lying in state.
Doctors "treated" George Washington by draining almost 80 ounces of blood before he finally kicked the bucket.
Right before Beethoven wrote his last notes, doctors drilled a hole in his stomach without any pain medication.
Readers will be interested well past the final curtain, and feel lucky to live in a world with painkillers, X-rays, soap, and
911.
The Name of This Book is Secret
Pseydonymous Bosch
This is the story about a secret. but it also contains a secret story.
When adventurous detectives, Cass, an ever-vigilant survivalist, and Max-Ernest, a boy driven by logic,
discover the Symphony of Smells, a box filled with smelly vials of colorful ingredients, they accidentally stumble upon a
mystery surrounding a dead magician's diary and the hunt for immortality.
Filled with word games, anagrams, and featuring a mysterious narrator, this is a book that won't stay secret for long.
The Adventures of Beanboy
Lisa Harkrader
Never underestimate the power of the bean.
Tucker MacBean has been drawing comic books almost as long as he’s been reading them. When his
favorite comic has a contest for kids, he hopes he has finally found a way to fix his family—all he has to do
is create the winning superhero sidekick . . . Introducing “Beanboy”—the first comic book character to truly harness the
power of the bean for good. He is strong, he is relentless, he can double in size
overnight (if given enough water).
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
Pseydonymous Bosch
Beware!
Dangerous secrets lie between the pages of this book.
OK, I warned you. But if you think I'll give anything away, or tell you that this is the sequel to my first literary endeavor,
The Name of This Book is Secret, you're wrong.
I'm not going to remind you of how we last left our heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest, as they awaited intiation into the
mysterious Terces Society, or the ongoing fight against the evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais. I certainly won't be telling you
about how the kids stumble upon the Museum of Magic, where they finally meet the amazing Pietro!
Oh, blast! I've done it again. Well, at least I didn't tell you about the missing Sound Prism, the nefarious Lord Pharaoh, or
the mysterious creature born in a bottle over 500 years ago, the key to the biggest secret of all.
I really can't help myself, now can I? Let's face it---if you're reading this, it's too late.
This Book Is Not Good for You
Pseydonymous Bosch
Between the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your
taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will
warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you...and this story is particularly
scrumptious!
In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass's mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo!
The ransom...the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it's too late? Will
they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo's chocolate success?
If you're tempted, take a taste, but just remember...this book is not good for you.
This Isn't What It Looks Like
Pseydonymous Bosch
The Secret Series continues in this dangerous and daring fourth adventure.
Cass finds herself alone and disoriented, a stranger in a dream-like, medieval world. Where is she? Who is
she? With the help of a long-lost relative, she begins to uncover clues and secrets--piecing together her family's history
as she fights her way back to the present world.
Meanwhile, back home, Cass is at the hospital in a deep coma. Max-Ernest knows she ate Time Travel Chocolate--and
he's determined to find a cure. Can our expert hypochondriac diagnose Cass's condition before it's too late? And will he
have what it takes to save the survivalist?
You Have to Stop This
Pseydonymous Bosch
I always feared this day would come. A secret is meant to stay secret, after all. And now we've come to this:
the fifth and final (I swear!) book in my saga of secrets.
A class trip to the local natural history museum turns dangerous, or perhaps deadly--and I don't mean in the bored-todeath way--when Cass accidentally breaks a finger off a priceless mummy. Forced to atone for this "crime" of vandalism,
Cass and her friends Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji go to work for the mummy exhibit's curator, only to be blamed when
tragedy strikes. To clear their names--and, they hope, to discover the Secret--the trio must travel deep into a land of
majestic pyramids, dusty tombs, mysterious hieroglyphs, and the walking dead. Egypt? Or somewhere much stranger . . .
In the midst of it all, the Secret still lurks. You're out there, reading and talking about it, and now my life--and chocolate
supply--is in the greatest danger yet. So please, with a cherry on top, I'm begging you: you have to stop this!
Dustlands: Blood Red Road
Moira Young
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The
Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge
from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked
horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable
survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries
called the Free Hawks, Saba’s unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own
civilization.
There Is No Dog
Meg Rosoff
What if God were a teenaged boy?
In the beginning, Bob created the heavens and the earth and the beasts of the field and the creatures of the
sea, and twenty-five million other species (including lots of cute girls). But mostly he prefers eating junk food and leaving
his dirty clothes in a heap at the side of his bed.
Every time he falls in love, Earth erupts in natural disasters, and it's usually Bob's beleaguered assistant, Mr. B., who is
left cleaning up the mess. So humankind is going to be very sorry indeed that Bob ever ran into a beautiful, completely
irresistible girl called Lucy . . .
First Kill: The Slayer Chronicles
Heather Brewer
Joss McMillan’s perfect life crashes down the night he witnesses his sister’s murder — at the hands of a
vampire. He then finds out his family’s secret heritage: They are part of the Slayer Society, a group whose
mission is to rid the world of vampires. Joss is their new recruit. As Joss trains, bent on seeking revenge for
his sister, he discovers powers that could make him the youngest, strongest Slayer in history. But there is a traitor in the
Society, one whose identity would shake Joss to the core . . . if the traitor doesn’t kill him first. With over a million copies
already in print, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is still sinking its fangs into new readers every day. Now, bestselling
author Heather Brewer brings us the other side of the story, from the perspective of Vlad’s former friend turned mortal
enemy: vampire slayer Joss McMillan. This is the first in a series of five books that can be read alongside Vlad Tod or
entirely on their own.