Our Middle Grade book spotlight this week is on new books that have come in over the past couple of weeks, because let’s be honest--there is just something awesome about being the first one to read a new book! We have so many coming in that I could not wait to talk about and share some of the titles you will find on the shelf. The books featured in this week’s book talk are kind of all over the place as some are the first in a series while others are a standalone plus we have everything from realistic to adventure and humor. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #2020youthnewbooks as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new Middle Grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
Cape: The League of Secret Heroes by Kate Hannigan--Soon after being recruited by the mysterious Mrs. Boudica to join a secret military intelligence operation, Josie, Mae, and Akiko discover their superhero abilities and use them to thwart a Nazi plot to steal the ENIAC computer.
Wayside School: Beneath the Cloud of Doom by Louis Sachar--The children from Mrs. Jewl's class are all back, including Sharie, Kathy, and Jason, and they are all preparing for the Ultimate Test. However, there is a dark Cloud of Doom hanging over the school that is doing strange things to the students.
Scout: Storm Dog by Jennifer Li Shotz--Scout, a National Guard dog, and his twelve-year-old master, Matt, head to Puerto Rico after a hurricane where they team up with Luisa who tells them about abandoned dogs who are starving and lost. Scout and Matt meet an injured dog named Rosita and take her under their wing, but when Rosita gets lost in the jungle, Scout and Matt brave the wilderness to bring Rosita back safely.
American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar--When a racist incident rocks her small Michigan town, eleven-year-old Lekha must decide whether to speak up or stay silent, even as she struggles to navigate her life at home, where she can be herself, and at school, where she is teased about her culture.
On Thin Ice by Michael Northrop--Ked Eakins is about to lose everything. He's just discovered that his dad has gambled away their rent money. They're going to get kicked out of their home. But Ked is determined to fight back. He hatches a plan to save their apartment by rebuilding a vintage minibike in his school's maker space, which he'll sell for a profit. Still, the plan is a gamble of his own: Going to maker space forces Ked into the path of a school bully, who torments him about his progressive spinal condition. Can Ked -- with the help of some unlikely new friends-- find a way to fix the bike and save his family from going under before it's too late?
Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley--A young girl named Jen feels like she never gets what she wants--she never wanted to leave her city, move in with her mom and her mom's boyfriend on their farm, and leave all her friends and real dad behind. She especially did not want to get two new "sisters," but all the bittersweet adventures with them on the farm may just be what she needs.