May 3, 2024
Suleikha, Leo and Kai, a group of 12-year-olds known as “The Freezies,” befriend the intriguing Mr. Christaki, a traveller who camps with his converted bus on their village green. Exposed as an illegal immigrant from Syria, he goes on the run with a four-year-old girl. The Freezies come up with a risky and audacious scheme to reveal his desperate plight on national TV and manage to rescue him. This rollicking, contemporary novel features three kids (two boys and a girl) in a small town in England, who connect with a vagrant music teacher and ultimately campaign to keep him from […]
May 3, 2024
Infinity Alchemist is a spellbinding fantasy novel about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love and extraordinary power. Acclaimed author Kacen Callender turns their formidable skill to young-adult fantasy for the first time. The story follows Ash Woods, a young alchemist who must hide his practice of alchemy due to strict laws governing its use. Magic used to be believed as a gift only for special people. Now, it’s known that anyone can become an alchemist. But legally, only licensed alchemists can use advanced energy. The first tier is open to everyone, involving basic life […]
May 3, 2024
A hilarious story about a group of underdogs who come together when they are forced to attend summer school—for failing PE. Funny and fast-paced like all of Gordon Korman’s stories, this one offers whacky characters and situations, and winning lines. Its only problem is having so many characters, all written in first person, presented unevenly throughout the book. For instance, the book allots eleven chapters to main character Yash (initially every other chapter, and further on every two-plus chapters). In contrast, it gives six chapters each (of 29) to two other characters, three to one other, and one each to […]
May 3, 2024
What happens when a smart toy gets a little too smart? Victor is thrilled to get the toy he’s always wanted for Christmas. It’s a LenBot―a smart robot that can learn anything. For once, it’s a toy that lives up to the hype. The robot really does become Victor’s best friend. But before long the robot starts learning more than Victor has taught it and acting very strangely. Victor knows LenBot is smart, but a toy robot couldn’t be cruel. It can’t kill… can it? This delightful read is “thriller lite,” as in horror on training wheels. Told in first […]
May 3, 2024
In the real world, Leon isn’t built to be a hero, but he must become one when he gets trapped in a cutting-edge virtual-reality game. Twelve-year-old Leon loves video games. When he plays, he feels confident and amazing for just a little while. The rest of the time he feels like a loser. So Leon is shocked when Nico, the coolest kid ever and the son of a video-game developer, invites him over to test out the newest game at his dad’s high-tech lab. To play, they must submerge themselves in giant tanks filled with nanobots, which are programmed to […]