NEW OCTOBER BOOKS
SPY CAMP - STUART GIBBS
Ben Ripley is a middle-schooler whose school is not exactly average—he’s spent the last year training to be a top-level spy and dodging all sorts of associated danger. So now that summer’s finally here, Ben would like to have some fun and relax. But that’s not going to happen during required spy survival training at a rustic wilderness camp, where SPYDER, an enemy spy organization, has infiltrated the spies’ ranks. Can Ben root out the enemy before it takes him out—for good?
THE FRIENDSHIP RIDDLE - MEGAN FRAZER BLAKEMORE
Ruth Mudd-O'Flaherty has been a lone wolf at her new middle school ever since her best friend, Charlotte, ditched her for “cooler” friends. Who needs friends when you have fantasy novels? Roaming the stacks of her town's library is enough for Ruth. Until she finds a note in an old book . . . and in that note is a riddle, one that Ruth can't solve alone. With a tantalizing set of clues before her, Ruth must admit she needs help, the kind that usually comes from friends. Lena and Coco, two kids in her class could be an option, but allowing them in will require courage, and Ruth must decide: Is embarking on this quest worth opening herself up again?
PRIMATES - JIM OTTAVIANI & MARIS WICKS - GRAPHIC NOVEL
Ever wonder about the relationship between apes and us? Well, Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas did - so much that they dedicated their lives to studying them. This book is an accessible, entertaining, and informative look at the field of primatology and at the lives of three of the most remarkable women scientists of the twentieth century. Thanks to the charming and inviting illustrations, this is a nonfiction graphic novel that you'll not want to put down!
HOUSE OF ROBOTS - ROBOTS GO WILD! - JAMES PATTERSON AND CHRIS GRABENSTEIN
In book two of the House of Robots series, it's 'bot brains versus 'bot brawn in an all-out war!
Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez and his "bro-bot" E are making new friends every day as E works as his bedridden sister Maddie's school proxy. But disaster strikes when E malfunctions just in time to be upstaged by the super-cool new robot on the block--and loses his ability to help Maddie. Now it's up to Sammy to figure out what's wrong with E and save his family!
THE GREEN BICYCLE - HAIFAA AL MANSOUR
Spunky eleven-year-old Wadjda lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with her parents. She desperately wants a bicycle so that she can race her friend Abdullah, even though it is considered improper for girls to ride bikes. Wadjda earns money for her dream bike by selling homemade bracelets and mixtapes of banned music to her classmates. But after she's caught, she’s forced to turn over a new leaf (sort of), or risk expulsion from school. Still, Wadjda keeps scheming, and with the bicycle so closely in her sights, she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Set against the shifting social attitudes of the Middle East, The Green Bicycle explores gender roles, conformity, and the importance of family, all with wit and irresistible heart.
ICE DOGS - TERRY LYNN JOHNSON
Fourteen-year-old Victoria Secord is one of the youngest and most skilled dogsledders in Tanana Valley, Alaska. She is determined to win the upcoming White Wolf Classic race in honor of her father, who never won a race and for whose death she feels responsible. Socially withdrawn after the accident, she finds it difficult to talk to anyone except her Uncle Leonard (her dad’s twin brother) and her best friend Sarah. Victoria’s dogs are her life, and the bond she shares with them, especially her lead dog, Bean, is as natural as the Alaskan wilderness. To ensure her chances of a win, she wants a couple of the champion dogs from kindred musher Jeremy Cook, who is getting out of the sport. But Victoria’s mom—not an admirer of the sport—refuses to argue again about buying any more “dogs.” Unable to afford the top-of-the-line dogs, Victoria heads out with her team to Cook’s place to discuss his price. On her way, she becomes lost when she takes an unfamiliar shortcut and stumbles upon a snow mobile without an owner. After searching for the rider, she finds an injured and unconscious boy her age covered by snow. The boy is poorly dressed for the Alaskan elements and will freeze if she does not get him back to town. Along the way, Victoria finds herself and her dogs burdened by this stranger who could endanger all their lives. Thus begins her long journey back to town, back to life. Johnson’s first-hand knowledge of dog sledding in Alaska is evident as she has the reader numb from the biting cold, aching from starvation and lack of sleep, and trembling at the possibility of perishing in the wilderness
DONNER DINNER PARTY - NATHAN HALE - GRAPHIC NOVEL
What did you eat for lunch today? The Donner Party expedition is one of the most notorious stories in all of American history. It’s also a fascinating snapshot of the westward expansion of the United States, and the families and individuals who sacrificed so much to build new lives in a largely unknown landscape. From the preparation for the journey to each disastrous leg of the trip, this book shows the specific bad decisions that led to the party’s predicament in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The graphic novel focuses on the struggles of the Reed family to tell the true story of the catastrophic journey. When you run out of food you do what you have to do!
TELL ME - JOAN BAUER
The unofficial town motto is "Nothing bad ever happens in Rosemont" where twelve-year-old Anna has come to stay with her grandmother, Mim, hoping to forget her worries about her parents' troubled marriage. She'll be busy with the town's annual Flower Festival, a celebration with floats and bands that requires weeks of preparations. But before long, Anna finds herself involved in a very big problem. When she observes a girl her own age who seems to be being held against her will, Anna can't forget the girl's frightened eyes and she is determined to investigate. "When you see something, say something" she's been told—but what good does it do to speak if no one will listen? Luckily, a take-charge girl like Anna is not going to give up.
WOMEN HEROES OF WORLD WAR I - 16 REMARKABLE RESISTERS, SOLDIERS, SPIES, AND MEDICS - KATHRYN J. ATWOOD
Women Heroes of World War I brings to life the brave exploits of 16 women from around the world who served their countries at a time when most women didn’t even have the right to vote. Seventeen-year-old Frenchwoman Emilienne Moreau assisted the Allies as a guide and set up a first-aid post in her home. Russian peasant Maria Bochkareva joined the Imperial Russian Army, was twice wounded in battle and decorated for bravery, and created and led the all-women combat unit the Women’s Battalion of Death. American journalist Madeleine Zabriskie Doty risked her life to travel twice to Germany during the war. Resented, watched, and pursued by spies, she was determined to report back the truth. These and other suspense-filled stories of daring girls and women from around the world are told through fast-paced narrative, dialogue, direct quotes, and document and diary excerpts. Historical background information opens each section, and each profile includes informative sidebars and “Learn More” lists of books and websites for further study, making this a fabulous resource for young history buffs or anyone who likes tales of bravery and courage.
BIG BAD IRONCLAD - NATHAN HALE - GRAPHIC NOVEL
Big Bad Ironclad! tells the history of the amazing Ironclad steam battleships used in the Civil War. From the ship's inventor, who had a history of blowing things up and only 100 days to complete his project, to the mischievous William Cushing, who pranked his way through the whole war, this book is filled with surprisingly true facts and funny, brave characters that you will enjoy reading about - who successfully builds the first warship covered with iron? Read the book to find out!
