CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 11, 2011
"Expressive black-and-white spot art heightens the drama. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)"
Unexpectedly cast into alien territory, an inquisitive mouse discovers the world's an amazing place in this classic home-away-home tale.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 18, 2011
"Lengthier accounts of travel on the Underground Railroad abound, but few if any portray the experience with such compelling immediacy. (afterword) (Picture book. 5-9)"
Powerfully expressive imagery will sweep young viewers into this suspenseful journey along the Underground Railroad.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2011
"Be prepared to blast off; this debut is truly out of this world. (Graphic science fiction. 9-12)"
A headstrong young girl makes a hasty decision and finds herself in a galaxy far, far away in this graphic-novel shining star.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 8, 2011
Intelligent, richly detailed fantasy featuring two young cousins battered by losses, personal passions and larger events.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 8, 2011
"A stunning look at an equally stunning lady. (bibliography, Internet resources, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 11, 2011
"An irresistible invitation to test those wings and fly. (Picture book. 4-8)"
To fly or not to fly is the question for a little bird weighing the pros and cons of launching into the unknown.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 19, 2011
"With universal themes of life and death, friendship and respect for the natural world, this is still quite particular, a powerfully memorable story of a boy's grief and determination to keep a promise. (Fiction. 9-13)"
Striving to protect the osprey nesting on his family's farm in Scotland, 11-year-old Callum McGregor watches the bird throughout summer, uses a computer to follow her migration to Africa and sets in motion a remarkable chain of events.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2011
"Look for more twists than a pretzel factory and a possible sequel. (Superhero fantasy. 11-14)"
The author who made a splash with The Big Splash (2008) takes the "costumed superheroes" genre out for a joyride, and anyone who comes along will never read comics the same way again.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2011
"A lush and intelligent opener for a topical eco-fantasy series. (Fantasy. 9-13)"
Nature and science in a vivid Cape Cod setting create layers of meaning as 13-year-old Cara and her brothers confront the puzzle of their mother's disappearance.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 9, 2011
"The story recalls Lloyd Alexander at his wry, humane best; readers will be happy for every moment they spend at castle Hladka Hvorka. (Fantasy. 10-14)"
Noted Native American storyteller and author Bruchac turns to the Slovakian side of his family heritage to produce an entirely fresh and funny fantasy.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 17, 2011
"That readers will be introduced to several more verses than the usual first four is just icing on this particularly luscious cake. (iPad storybook app. 3-7)"
First a poem, then a lullaby, often a book and now an app—how we wonder what you... will be next.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 21, 2011
"A most worthy and enjoyable entry in the "feisty female" fantasy genre. (Fantasy. 10-14)"
Veteran Stanley concocts a delicious blend of familiar fairy-tale motifs and intriguing, well-rounded characters to create an engaging fantasy.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 2, 2011
"An enticing read that is certain to keep both the hero and audience guessing at every carefully plotted reveal. (Fantasy. 9-12)"
A truly splendid amalgamation of mystery, magic and creeping horror will spellbind the middle-grade set.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 6, 2011
"Heroic deeds, narrow escapes, dastardly villains, amazing coincidences and a family rich in love and hope are all part of an intricate and endlessly entertaining adventure. Terrific! (Historical fiction. 10-14) "
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 13, 2011
"Visually stunning, completely compelling, Wonderstruck demonstrates a mastery and maturity that proves that, yes, lightning can strike twice. (Historical fiction. 9 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
"As in his earlier Redwoods, the child reader shares her reading, passing on the book to others. Real-life readers will be eager to do the same. (Informational picture book. 5-9)"
A book on coral reefs transforms the New York Public Library into a reef for its reader as she eagerly learns about those who make and dwell in those unique ecosystems, "cities of the sea."
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
"Readers with great expectations will find them fully satisfied by this tongue-in-cheek romp through a historic public House that is the very opposite of Bleak. (Animal fantasy. 10-12)"
"He was the best of toms. He was the worst of toms." And for all his harsh early life and unnatural dietary preferences, ragged London alley cat Skilley gets to look at a queen, too.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 3, 2011
"A marvelous, mystical romp that doesn't ignore reality. A hint of a possible sequel whets readers' appetite for more: Yes, please! (author's note) (Fantasy. 12 & up)"
Thirteen-year-old Sacha lives in New York City's Lower East Side at the turn of the 20th century. Or does he?
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 4, 2011
"An irresistible read: This book sings. (Fantasy. 8-12)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 11, 2011
"Three true tales of adventure as grand and admirable in the telling as they were in the doing. (Graphic nonfiction. 10-13)"
With uncommon perception and a flair for visual drama, Phelan tracks three intrepid souls' solo journeys around the world.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 13, 2011
"Sheer delight. (final art not seen) (Animal fantasy. 8-12)"
Problem novels, ghost stories, historical fiction--is there anything Newbery Medalist Peck cannot do? Apparently not.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"Pure genius. (Picture book. 2-7)"
Judge's latest may be virtually wordless, but it packs a powerful visual punch that will stick with readers long after the final page is turned.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 10, 2011
"This is history at its best, an original and appealing way to mark the centennial of this familiar disaster. (author's note, source notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction.10-14)"
A memorial edition of an imagined magazine covers the construction and fateful voyage of the R.M.S.
Titanic, Queen of the Ocean, which sank in April 1912.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 15, 2011
"Multilayered, compassionate and thought-provoking, a timely read on the sesquicentennial of America's Civil War. (Historical fantasy. 12 & up)"
It's 1960, but on the decayed Fairchild sugar plantation in rural Louisiana, vestiges of a grimmer past remain--the old cottage, overgrown garden maze, relations between white and black races.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 22, 2011
"Riveting. (Nonfiction. 10-14)"
A terrible explosion devastated Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a neighboring town in 1917, causing local residents and others miles away to act heroically in response to an unprecedented catastrophe.
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