Savor Your Summer Reading
Fast Pitch By Nic Stone
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field.
Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way.
Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat.
Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending—and family-name-ruining—crime may have been a setup.
Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified.
It's up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past—and fast—before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.
“Sports, suspense, mystery, history... What more could you want? A funny, charming page-turner.” –Adam Gidwitz, New York Times bestselling author
Maizy Chen's Last Chance By Lisa Yee
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST •
ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR YOUTH LITERATURE WINNER • Twelve year-old Maizy discovers her family’s Chinese restaurant is full of secrets in this irresistible novel that celebrates food, fortune, and family.
Welcome to the Golden Palace!
Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota . . . until now. Her mom’s plan is just to stay for a couple weeks, until her grandfather gets better. But plans change, and as Maizy spends more time in Last Chance (where she and her family are the only Asian Americans) and at the Golden Palace—the restaurant that’s been in her family for generations—she makes some discoveries. For instance:
- You can tell a LOT about someone by the way they order food.
- And people can surprise you. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in disappointing ways.
- And the Golden Palace has secrets.
But the more Maizy discovers, the more questions she has. Like, why are her mom and her grandmother always fighting? Who are the people in the photographs on the office wall? And when she discovers that a beloved family treasure has gone missing—and someone has left a racist note—Maizy decides it’s time to find the answers.
“Heartfelt, personal, and real—this book is a gift.” —TAE KELLER, Newbery Medal–winning author of When You Trap a Tiger
Pizza and Taco: Who's the Best? By Stephen Shaskan
The first in a hilarious young graphic novel series about Pizza and Taco. Two best friends, lots of toppings...but only one of them can be the BEST, right? Fans of Narwhal and Jelly will eat this book up...and be hungry for more!
Best friends are the BEST! But WHO is the BEST? Is it Pizza or Taco? The question is debatable! They both love water slides. They both are friends with Hot Dog and Hamburger. In fact, maybe they should have a debate and get their friends to VOTE for who's the best! Can their friendship survive the race for top spot on the popularity food chain? Cast your VOTE!
This graphic chapter book will tickle the funny bones of kids ages 5-8 and bolster their reading confidence. oung graphic chapter books are also a great step on the way to longer chapter books and graphic novels.
Readers will devour all the books in the series:
Pizza and Taco: Who's the Best?
Pizza and Taco: Best Party Ever!
Pizza and Taco: Super-Awesome Comic!
Pizza and Taco: Too Cool For School
Pizza and Taco: Rock Out!
When You Trap a Tiger By Tae Keller
WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL • WINNER OF THE ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.
Some stories refuse to stay bottled up...
When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal--return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni's health--Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice...and the courage to face a tiger.
Tae Keller, the award-winning author of The Science of Breakable Things, shares a sparkling tale about the power of stories and the magic of family.
"If stories were written in the stars ... this wondrous tale would be one of the brightest." —Booklist, Starred Review
Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game By Chris Grabenstein
Before Mr. Lemoncello became everyone's favorite game maker, he was a kid who liked to roll the dice. . . .
Discover the origins of what James Patterson calls "the coolest library in the world" in this PREQUEL to the New York Times bestselling Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.
Go back to the START and meet thirteen-year-old, PUZZLE-obsessed Luigi Lemoncello!
Luigi has a knack for games and puzzles. But sometimes it feels like the cards are stacked against him. UNTIL a carnival arrives in town and Luigi gets the CHANCE OF A LIFETIME—the opportunity to work for the world famous Professor Marvelmous, a dazzling, banana-hat-wearing barker who puts the SHOW in SHOWMAN! When the carnival closes, Professor Marvelmous leaves behind a mysterious puzzle box along with a clue. A clue that will lead Luigi and his friends on a fantastical treasure hunt to a prize beyond anything they could imagine—if they can find it!
Can Luigi crack the codes and unlock the box's secrets? Will there be puzzles? Of course! Balloons? You bet! Will it be fun? Hello! It’s a Lemon-cello! BONUS! Can YOU solve the hidden puzzle inside?!
"An 'awesometastic' lead-in likely to inspire a wave of revisits to the earlier books." —Booklist, starred review
Pirates Past Noon Graphic Novel By by Mary Pope Osborne; adapted by Jenny Laird; illustrated by Kelly Matthews and Nichole Matthews
The #1 bestselling chapter book series is now a graphic novel! Magic. Mystery. Time-travel. Get whisked to the time of pirates with Jack and Annie!
Captured by pirates! When Jack and Annie are whisked away in the magic tree house, they arrive on a beautiful beach. It’s paradise! That is, until the pirates arrive. . .
The dreaded Cap’n Bones is looking for buried treasure. He thinks Jack and Annie know where it is. And he’s not letting them out of his sight until they find it!
Sail back in time and around the world with Jack and Annie in Magic Tree House® graphic novels! The vibrant and energetic art of Kelly and Nichole Matthews perfectly captures the adventure, mystery, and magic of the original #1 New York Times bestselling series.
For the first time in graphic novel--live the adventure again with new full-color art that brings the magic to life!
The Lion of Mars By Jennifer L. Holm
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Life on Mars is pretty standard…. until a mysterious virus hits. Don’t miss this timely and unputdownable novel from the bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish.
Bell is just like any other kid. He loves cats, eats all kinds of cake, and is curious about everything. Oh, and he lives on another planet! Living on Mars comes with a ton of rules. Like don’t go outside without a buddy. Always keep a glow stick in your pocket. And no contact with the kids in the other settlements. Ever. Then a virus breaks out among the grown-ups, and the children are the only ones who can help. Suddenly it's up to Bell - a regular kid in a very different world - to uncover the truth and save his family ... and possibly unite an entire planet.
