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New & Notable Books for Middle-Graders: October 2012 (page 2)

Cover art for KEEPING SAFE THE STARS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 11, 2012
Kirkus Star KEEPING SAFE THE STARS
by Sheila O'Connor
"Family loyalty, stubbornness and love in an implausible but totally satisfying blend. (Historical fiction. 10-14)"
Left in a Minnesota cabin when their grandfather is hospitalized with encephalitis, 13-year-old Pride and her younger siblings struggle to be self-reliant, but after a bus trip to Duluth to see him, they realize they will have to seek and accept help. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE GIANT AND HOW HE HUMBUGGED AMERICA
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2012
Kirkus Star THE GIANT AND HOW HE HUMBUGGED AMERICA
by Jim Murphy
"After reading this fascinating story, young people will appreciate the old expression, spawned by this very hoax, "There's a sucker born every minute." (research notes, source notes, bibliography, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)"
When a stone giant is found on a farm in upstate New York, William Newell sees the chance to get rich quickly. Read full book review >
Cover art for FOOD
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2012
Kirkus Star FOOD: THE NEW GOLD
by Kathlyn Gay
"A sobering, thought-provoking discussion that provides, yes, much food for thought. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, websites, index) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)"
An intelligent examination of food that probes how it is produced, procured and delivered to consumers--or not. Read full book review >
Cover art for HAND IN HAND
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 23, 2012
Kirkus Star HAND IN HAND: TEN BLACK MEN WHO CHANGED AMERICA
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
"A feast for readers whose eyes are (or should be) on the prize, in a volume as well-turned-out as the dapper W.E.B. Dubois, who was "more handsome than a fresh-cut paycheck." (timeline, index, lists of recommended reading and viewing) (Collective biography. 10-15)"
Addressing the appetites of readers "hungry for role models," this presents compellingly oratorical pictures of the lives and characters of 10 African-American men who exemplify a "birthright of excellence." Read full book review >
Cover art for BUFFALO BIRD GIRL
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2012
Kirkus Star BUFFALO BIRD GIRL: A HIDATSA STORY
retold by S.D. Nelson, illustrated by S.D. Nelson
"Pair with Nelson's Gift Horse (1999) for a broad vision of Plains Indian childhood. (notes, bibliography, index) (Informational picture book. 7-12)"
A noted Native American artist interprets the early life of Buffalo Bird Woman, Waheenee-wea, one of the last of the Hidatsa to live according to old traditions. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FIRE CHRONICLE
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Star THE FIRE CHRONICLE
by John Stephens
"Irreverent humor and swashbuckling adventure collide in a fetching fantasy. (Fantasy. 10-14) "
Time travel, an Arctic ice shelf and frivolous elves converge in this second installment of The Books of Beginning. Read full book review >