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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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. 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: 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: 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. 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. 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: Sept. 27, 2011
"This intimate narrative makes the stories accessible to young readers and powerfully conveys how personal this history feels for many African-Americans. (Nonfiction. 10 & up)"
In an undertaking even more ambitious than the multiple-award-winning We Are the Ship (2008), Nelson tells the story of African-Americans and their often central place in American history.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 15, 2011
"A big, serious work of historical investigation and imagination; the tale has never before been told this well. (Historical fiction. 9-14) "
It was a secret everybody knew at Monticello: Thomas Jefferson was the father of Beverly, Harriet, Madison and Eston Hemings, and their mother was Sally Hemings, a slave owned by Jefferson.
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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: Sept. 13, 2011
"Characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones. (Autobiographical fiction. 11-13)"
An exhilarating summer marked by death, gore and fire sparks deep thoughts in a small-town lad not uncoincidentally named "Jack Gantos."
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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. 1, 2011
"Aesthetically superb; this will fascinate comics readers and budding artists while creating new Say fans. (author's note) (Graphic memoir. 10 & up)"
Exquisite drawings, paintings, comics and photographs balance each other perfectly as they illustrate Say's childhood path to becoming an artist.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 1, 2011
" "
In her first outing for children, Saller (
The Subversive Copy Editor, 2009) provides a poignant look at boyhood before and during the long years of World War II.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 19, 2011
"Neither a story with a plot nor a full-blown memoir, this brief look at a town suspended in time resonates with happiness and could spark some children to reflect on their own idyllic summers in a new way. (map, author's note) (Picture book/memoir. 7-10)"
Intriguing pictures full of small details bring alive the sights, smells, sounds, tastes and textures of a small Sardinian town in the 1950s.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 10, 2011
"Both tender and insightful, this well-crafted, fast-paced tale should have wide teen appeal. (notes on form) (Poetry. 10-16)"
From the award-winning Frost comes a wildly imaginative, thought-provoking novel in verse that centers on the unlikely friendship that arises between two teenage girls as a result of an accidental kidnapping.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2011
"Both solid introduction and exhortation, this book will thrill budding artists. (glossary, author's note, bibliography, lists of museums and paintings) (Picture book/biography. 5-9)"
A simple picture-book biography of Diego Rivera concentrates on his artistic career and encourages children to imagine themselves painting their own world.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 5, 2011
"Backmatter includes a pithy biography, additional photographs and a letter and drawing from Jane herself—children will thrill at the connection. (Picture book/biography. 2-10)"
Little Jane Goodall and Jubilee (her toy chimpanzee) ramble outside their English country home observing everyday animal miracles and dreaming of a life in Africa, "living with, / and helping, / all animals."
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 5, 2011
"Quotes from Jane augment this inspiring book, encouraging young people to join her as dutiful watchers of the world. (author's note) (Picture book/biography. 2-10)"
Economical art and language produce a fully fleshed-out biography of Jane Goodall, tracing her early years as a watcher of English fauna to her adult work as scholar of animal behavior in Africa.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 5, 2011
"By the end of this tale, replete with allusions to Our Town, Doug realizes he's pretty happy in Marysville, where holding hands with the green-eyed girl—and a first kiss—rival whatever might be happening on the moon. (Historical fiction. 10-14)"