Publisher: Dial Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/10/2012
ISBN-13: 9780803737310
ISBN-10: 0803737319

Nonfiction. Ever been to Mount Rushmore? If not, you're sure to have at least seen pictures of the iconic U.S. sculpture, carved right into South Dakota's granite mountains, of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Well, Lincoln Borglum got to be up ON those sculptures -- his father, Gutzon Borglum began work on the national monument when Lincoln was a teenager, and the project wasn't finished for another 14 years (in fact, Lincoln had to step in and finish the sculptures because his father died before its completion). In fascinating detail, this book tells the story of how the monument was built (along with Lincoln's story) and gives a clear idea of just how vast a project its construction was.

Publisher: Harper
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/03/2012
ISBN-13: 9780061651083
ISBN-10: 0061651087

Animal Fantasy. This exciting entry in the bestselling series that began with Swordbird finds orphaned eaglet Dandelion taken in at the Castle of Sky by golden-eagle princes Fleydur and Forlath -- and struggling with the rigid class traditions and palace intrigue of court life. But despite her difficulties adjusting to high society, Dandelion ultimately gets a chance to prove herself when she and a band of courageous raptors are called on to foil a formidable enemy, the archaeopteryx Kawaka. Fantasy novels with well-realized (if anthropomorphized) bird characters aren't so easy to find; fans of Kathryn Lasky's Guardians of Ga'Hoole series should check this one out.

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/20/2012
ISBN-13: 9780811871068
ISBN-10: 0811871061

Graphic Novel. Bud is the new kid in town, and he's worried that everyone at his new school will think he's weird. But after he accidentally gets on the wrong school bus, he soon realizes he's got much bigger worries -- the bus he boarded takes him clear across the galaxy to Cosmos Academy, where humans are considered the most dangerous (and despicable) beings in the universe! Can Bud convince his alien classmates that he's one of them? And will he ever make it back home to Earth? Fans of wacky, action-packed science fiction like Mark Haddon's Boom! are sure to enjoy finding out.

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/26/2012
ISBN-13: 9781423145394
ISBN-10: 1423145399

Fiction. Rebel McKenzie's family doesn't have enough money to send her to the camp for aspiring paleontologists that she's dreamed about. Instead, she's stuck babysitting her nephew all summer -- but it isn't long before Rebel formulates a Plan B: she'll compete in a local beauty pageant and use the prize money for science camp! Trouble is, Rebel isn't particularly pageant-savvy. Smart, funny, and chock-full of quirky, larger-than-life characters and small-town charm, Rebel McKenzie is a great pick for fans of Susan Patron's Hard Pan trilogy (which begins with The Higher Power of Lucky).

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/29/2012
ISBN-13: 9780399257858
ISBN-10: 0399257853

Adventure. Thirteen-year-old Egbert (a.k.a. "Egg") works on his father's ugly-fruit plantation with an assortment of ex-pirates until the day when his dad and his two unusually violent siblings disappear in a freak ballooning accident. Taken in by wealthy merchant Roger Pembroke, Egg enjoys living in luxury for a change...until he figures out that someone engineered that balloon accident, and that same someone wants Egg dead. Filled with near-nonstop perils and suspense, silly details, swashbuckling pirates, a bit of romance, and plenty of laughs, this 1st book in the Chronicles of Egg series is one fun, wild ride.

Publisher: Harper
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9780061853043
ISBN-10: 0061853046

Humorous Horror. Zack Clarke thinks he's unlucky when his older sister and her friends ambush him, duct-tape him to a chair, and make him the subject of a YouTube video called Hostage Makeover -- but then zombies attack! Zack's big sister (along with most everyone else in Phoenix, Arizona) is mysteriously transformed into a shuffling, moaning, brain-craving menace, and it's up to Zack, his geeky buddy Rice, and super-popular Madison to save the city. Fans of silly yet totally disgusting books will love this gory story and look forward to the next volume, Undead Ahead.

Publisher: Egmont USA
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/24/2010
ISBN-13: 9781606840139
ISBN-10: 1606840134

Humorous Fiction. Attention, puny, undeserving whelps! I, Vordak the Incomprehensible, deign to bestow my limitless knowledge of world domination techniques upon you! (You should know that, should you actually one day rule the world, I will be your automatic and highly untrustworthy second-in-command...) Read this book and use my ingeniously diabolical plans, my advice on what to wear as a Supervillain, and my Inconceivably Evil Evil Name Generator as your first steps toward ultimate control of the planet. (Or, if you aren't quite evil enough, you can just laugh at my blowhard manner and many disgusting jokes...at your own risk.) Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Publisher: Henry Holt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/27/2011
ISBN-13: 9780805092684
ISBN-10: 0805092684

Fiction. After shoving various and sundry "lab supplies" and unread books into his closet for quite some time, middle-schooler Rob is amazed when a creature (who seems to be part Willy Wonka and part Frankenstein) emerges from it. The creature proceeds to wreak havoc and humiliation on totally-average-slacker Rob's life...until Rob figures out how to conquer Wonkenstein. With lots of laugh-out-loud moments and plenty of cartoon illustrations, this tale of an everyday, underdog kid is sure to remind fans of Greg Heffley's journal, but it has its own unique appeal.

Publisher: Henry Holt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/11/2011
ISBN-13: 9780805089042
ISBN-10: 0805089047

Fiction. Twelve-year-old Derek Fallon likes skateboarding, video games, and his pet capuchin monkey; he hates school and reading (sound familiar?). When a chance meeting with a Hollywood stunt coordinator lands him the opportunity of a lifetime -- to perform stunts in a movie featuring tween idol Tanya Billings -- Derek thinks he's set. But then things start to go wrong... Fans of the Wimpy Kid books will enjoy the fast pace, many everyday adventures, and ample (although not quite as smart-alecky) humor of this sequel to My Life as a Book.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/21/2011
ISBN-13: 9780061783784
ISBN-10: 0061783781

Fiction. Brand-new sixth-graders Peter and Drew were popular in elementary school -- really, they were. But as they soon discover (somewhat painfully), middle school changes everything. Struggling with bullies and bad luck at every turn, the two friends try a series of schemes that they're sure will put them back on top, all of which fail. Then it happens: a stint in detention becomes an unlikely opportunity to win friends and influence people. With a tantalizing mystery subplot and lots of hilarious middle-school mishaps, The Detention Club is a fast-paced, fun read.