Children’s Fiction

The gate, the girl, and the dragon

Lin, Grace, author, illustrator.

Jin is a Stone Lion — one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time. What isn’t a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world. But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him. Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate… or risk losing everything. ....

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Beyond Mulberry Glen

Florence, Millie, author.

Eleven-year-old Lydia Green doesn’t want anything to change. She lives happily in Mulberry Glen with her mismatched family of a fairy guardian, a philosopher, and twin troublemakers known as the Zs. But now, rumors swirl about The Darkness, a powerful force that dwells in the forest Tenebrae. Lydia knows The Darkness is nothing to be trifled with, but when a foolish choice by the Zs puts her family in danger, she must leave home and face the strange magical world of The Valleylands. Among the shifting library shelves and new friends of her quest, Lydia uncovers more questions than answers, and the Darkness begins to creep into her mind. If she wants to save her family, she will have to be braver than ever before.....

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The queen bees of Tybee County

Chu, Kyle Casey, author.

After making the buzzer-beating shot at the Georgia basketball state championships, Derrick Chan becomes the star of Bayard Middle School, and Derrick’s single dad could not be prouder. But there are parts of Derrick that no one knows about, like the toenail polish he wears under his basketball sneakers, his secret lip-sync performances in the bathroom mirror, and the feelings he’s developing for his best friend and teammate, JJ. As the school year comes to a close, Derrick’s dad takes an out-of-town job and ships Derrick off to spend the summer with his estranged, eccentric grandmother, Claudia. Soon, Claudia introduces Derrick to the world of small-town southern beauty pageants, and Derrick suddenly feels he’s found where he belongs. But when the opportunity arises to compete in the town pageant, Derrick is forced to decide just how much of himself he’s ready to show the world. Can he learn to love and accept the most unique parts of himself? And what will happen if others—like his father and JJ—can’t do the same? ....

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The young necromancer's guide to ghosts

Ricci-Thode, Vanessa, 1981- author.

Lusi is a perfectly normal 12-year-old wizard except for the part where she can talk to ghosts. But everyone knows ghosts aren't real, so at best they think Lusi is lying and at worst that she's lost her mind. Her big sister Marsi is the only one who believes her, but Marsi is running away to escape Uncle's terrible plan to make her marry his creepy nephew. Lusi can't imagine being separated from her sister and leaves behind the rest of their family to flee with Marsi via merchant caravan to the Wizards Guild for help. All their plans are dashed to pieces when Uncle catches up to them in a matter of days. Uncle's connections to powerful wizards make him far more dangerous than Lusi initially realized. But Lusi isn't crazy or a freak for talking to ghosts: she's a necromancer! Marsi is worried they've always been told that necromancers are monsters. Lusi needs to learn more to set both their minds at ease. She must enlist the help of a ghost girl, a dragon, and a strange wizard from the other side of the world if she wants to control her unusual talents and keep her family safe.....

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Earhart : the incredible flight of a field mouse around the world

Kuhlmann, Torben, 1982- author, illustrator.

For the field mice, the boundary of the garden is the edge of the world. But one little field mouse is determined to discover the wide world beyond the burrow-even if she isn't supposed to fly. With her knack for engineering and help from an experienced mouse aviator, she defies the other field mice and sets off on a daring journey. Could it be that she inspired Amelia Earhart's pioneering aviation career? Amelia Earhart dreamed of becoming a pilot after she attended an airshow, and went on to defy gender barriers when she became the first female to fly non-stop across the Atlantic. Torben Kuhlmann's masterfully rendered illustrations and gripping story, inspired by Earhart, encourage young readers to pursue their passions-despite all obstacles.....

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Tyger

Said, S. F., author.

There are three doors that I may show you. You will find a different kind of power behind each one... In 2021 alternate London, Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump. A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A tyger. And the tyger is in danger. Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn't just the tyger's life at stake. Their whole world is on the verge of destruction. Can they learn to use their powers before it's too late? ....

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The secret of Moonrise Manor

Bearce, Stephanie, author.

Twelve-year-old Raven Gallows lives in a funeral home and is determined to become a famous detective. Her first case is one close to home—find the truth surrounding her mother’s puzzling death six years ago. When a mummified man falls out of the wall at the Moonrise Manor Hotel, Raven is shocked to discover the body is clutching her mother’s silver locket. Raven gathers her friends—Cosmina Wilde, who thinks she can talk to ghosts, Miles Farnsworth, who works at the haunted hotel, and Eric Wong, who possesses unparalleled computer skills—and sets out to learn the identity of the mummy. As they follow the clues, they discover more than they bargained for, including a stash of stolen art and a legend of a secret society. The Secret of Moonrise Manor is a story about family, friendship, and the courage it takes to pursue the truth.....

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Beasties

Lerangis, Peter, author.

On a field trip to Central Park, Riley and his classmates accidentally encounter a supernatural artifact that looks a lot like, well, honestly, a piece of poop. But one of them gets too close, there's a blinding flash, and suddenly the five friends are turned into various critters. Riley's sister's a hawk, the school bully's a raccoon, and Riley? He's transformed into everyone's least favorite animal, a New York City rat. Their once-dull morning quickly turns into a fight for survival. The kids have stayed alive long enough find a way to turn themselves back to normal. But as it turns out, they're not the only humans-turned-into-animals on the loose in Central Park. As it turns out, Riley and his friends have accidentally thrust themselves into the center of a dangerous Manhattan-wide plot, and now they must use all their animal abilities to stop the bad guys, find the cure, and get back home without, you know, getting eaten on the way. It's a wild adventure of a lifetime -- because if they fail, these beasties will stay beasts forever.....

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Abeni and the kingdom of gold

Clark, P. Djèlí, author.

The Children of the Night are free. Abeni and her spirit friends rescued them from a terrible fate in the Witch Priest’s army of monsters. But when Abeni is asked to return home to rebuild her village, she refuses. She must carry on with her mission until all of her people are safe. When Abeni is captured and imprisoned by the legendary Kingdom of Gold Weavers, she must win her freedom by retrieving the mystical Golden Throne―or risk becoming a living statue of gold forever! Legend says the throne is guarded by a dragon who can only be defeated by a magic sword. But stories are not always what they seem. And the truth can change everything. To reclaim the throne, Abeni and her spirit companions must travel to a city of light high in the mountains and a lost kingdom beneath the sands, fight frightening monsters and a golden army, all while evading the Witch Priest’s daughter, who hunts them at every turn. Without courage and strength, even a kingdom of gold will fall to darkness. Will Abeni and her song be enough to save them all?....

View in Catalog

Beyond Mulberry Glen

Florence, Millie, author.

Eleven-year-old Lydia Green doesn’t want anything to change. She lives happily in Mulberry Glen with her mismatched family of a fairy guardian, a philosopher, and twin troublemakers known as the Zs. But now, rumors swirl about The Darkness, a powerful force that dwells in the forest Tenebrae. Lydia knows The Darkness is nothing to be trifled with, but when a foolish choice by the Zs puts her family in danger, she must leave home and face the strange magical world of The Valleylands. Among the shifting library shelves and new friends of her quest, Lydia uncovers more questions than answers, and the Darkness begins to creep into her mind. If she wants to save her family, she will have to be braver than ever before.....

View in Catalog

The young necromancer's guide to ghosts

Ricci-Thode, Vanessa, 1981- author.

Lusi is a perfectly normal 12-year-old wizard except for the part where she can talk to ghosts. But everyone knows ghosts aren't real, so at best they think Lusi is lying and at worst that she's lost her mind. Her big sister Marsi is the only one who believes her, but Marsi is running away to escape Uncle's terrible plan to make her marry his creepy nephew. Lusi can't imagine being separated from her sister and leaves behind the rest of their family to flee with Marsi via merchant caravan to the Wizards Guild for help. All their plans are dashed to pieces when Uncle catches up to them in a matter of days. Uncle's connections to powerful wizards make him far more dangerous than Lusi initially realized. But Lusi isn't crazy or a freak for talking to ghosts: she's a necromancer! Marsi is worried they've always been told that necromancers are monsters. Lusi needs to learn more to set both their minds at ease. She must enlist the help of a ghost girl, a dragon, and a strange wizard from the other side of the world if she wants to control her unusual talents and keep her family safe.....

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Snoop

Korman, Gordon, author.

If Carter hadn't been checking his phone, he might have seen his brother coming down the ski slopes in his direction. And if Carter had seen his brother in time and avoided the crash, he might not have two broken legs right now. Oops. Now Carter is stuck at home for weeks, with both his legs in casts. Bored, he starts checking out the live feeds from police cams around his town. Before he knows it, he's obsessed -- watching his classmates when they don't know he's looking, and discovering some other VERY STRANGE things going on that no one else is noticing. But what happens when Carter is found out... and the people he's watching know where he lives?....

View in Catalog

Tyger

Said, S. F., author.

There are three doors that I may show you. You will find a different kind of power behind each one... In 2021 alternate London, Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump. A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A tyger. And the tyger is in danger. Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn't just the tyger's life at stake. Their whole world is on the verge of destruction. Can they learn to use their powers before it's too late? ....

View in Catalog

The gate, the girl, and the dragon

Lin, Grace, author, illustrator.

Jin is a Stone Lion — one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time. What isn’t a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world. But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him. Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate… or risk losing everything. ....

View in Catalog

The village beyond the mist

Kashiwaba, Sachiko, 1953- author.

Lina’s father had suggested she go "someplace different" for the summer, and she's beginning to wish she hadn’t listened. She could be at her grandma’s house in Nagano now, instead of trudging through a forest in search of a town that might not even exist. But when a gust of wind carries off her umbrella, it leads Lina down a secret path between the trees to a strange and incredible world. In the hidden village of Misty Valley, centaurs roam the cobblestone streets and gnomes visit shops stuffed with spellbooks and enchanted desserts. All magic has a dark side, though, and sometimes even sorcerers need a human’s helping hand.....

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Graciela in the abyss

Medina, Meg, author.

In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela--once an ordinary girl--now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela's spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family's forge. He's heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean's waves -- tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can. When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn't lie within the depths of the abyss.....

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Dad rock dragon quest

Reardon, Joan, author.

Aspiring rockstar Zadie Drake’s world flipped upside-down the moment her mom started dating Lloyd Clutterbuck — a boring risk analyst with an aversion to all things fun. Since Lloyd moved in, he’s made it his mission to drain every drop of joy from Zadie’s life — putting strict limits on her guitar sessions, nitpicking her every move, and filling the house with his utter dullness. Naturally, when Zadie’s daredevil park ranger dad invites Zadie and her older sister to spend the summer at his cabin, Zadie can hardly contain her excitement. But Zadie’s joy is short-lived when her mom announces that Lloyd will be tagging along. Soon after arriving at the cabin, Zadie begins to suspect that there’s more to her dad’s job than meets the eye. Her suspicions are confirmed when family secrets make an explosive entrance in the form of a fire-wielding poacher who kidnaps her dad’s best friend — an enormous, ice-breathing dragon. The revelations launch Zadie and her family into a cross-country rescue mission of epic proportions. As tensions spike, tempers flare, and the family’s differences become glaringly obvious, Zadie realizes her family’s most daunting challenge might not be rescuing the dragon but working together.....

View in Catalog

Abeni and the kingdom of gold

Clark, P. Djèlí, author.

The Children of the Night are free. Abeni and her spirit friends rescued them from a terrible fate in the Witch Priest’s army of monsters. But when Abeni is asked to return home to rebuild her village, she refuses. She must carry on with her mission until all of her people are safe. When Abeni is captured and imprisoned by the legendary Kingdom of Gold Weavers, she must win her freedom by retrieving the mystical Golden Throne―or risk becoming a living statue of gold forever! Legend says the throne is guarded by a dragon who can only be defeated by a magic sword. But stories are not always what they seem. And the truth can change everything. To reclaim the throne, Abeni and her spirit companions must travel to a city of light high in the mountains and a lost kingdom beneath the sands, fight frightening monsters and a golden army, all while evading the Witch Priest’s daughter, who hunts them at every turn. Without courage and strength, even a kingdom of gold will fall to darkness. Will Abeni and her song be enough to save them all?....

View in Catalog

Beasties

Lerangis, Peter, author.

On a field trip to Central Park, Riley and his classmates accidentally encounter a supernatural artifact that looks a lot like, well, honestly, a piece of poop. But one of them gets too close, there's a blinding flash, and suddenly the five friends are turned into various critters. Riley's sister's a hawk, the school bully's a raccoon, and Riley? He's transformed into everyone's least favorite animal, a New York City rat. Their once-dull morning quickly turns into a fight for survival. The kids have stayed alive long enough find a way to turn themselves back to normal. But as it turns out, they're not the only humans-turned-into-animals on the loose in Central Park. As it turns out, Riley and his friends have accidentally thrust themselves into the center of a dangerous Manhattan-wide plot, and now they must use all their animal abilities to stop the bad guys, find the cure, and get back home without, you know, getting eaten on the way. It's a wild adventure of a lifetime -- because if they fail, these beasties will stay beasts forever.....

View in Catalog

The queen bees of Tybee County

Chu, Kyle Casey, author.

After making the buzzer-beating shot at the Georgia basketball state championships, Derrick Chan becomes the star of Bayard Middle School, and Derrick’s single dad could not be prouder. But there are parts of Derrick that no one knows about, like the toenail polish he wears under his basketball sneakers, his secret lip-sync performances in the bathroom mirror, and the feelings he’s developing for his best friend and teammate, JJ. As the school year comes to a close, Derrick’s dad takes an out-of-town job and ships Derrick off to spend the summer with his estranged, eccentric grandmother, Claudia. Soon, Claudia introduces Derrick to the world of small-town southern beauty pageants, and Derrick suddenly feels he’s found where he belongs. But when the opportunity arises to compete in the town pageant, Derrick is forced to decide just how much of himself he’s ready to show the world. Can he learn to love and accept the most unique parts of himself? And what will happen if others—like his father and JJ—can’t do the same? ....

View in Catalog

Dad rock dragon quest

Reardon, Joan, author.

Aspiring rockstar Zadie Drake’s world flipped upside-down the moment her mom started dating Lloyd Clutterbuck — a boring risk analyst with an aversion to all things fun. Since Lloyd moved in, he’s made it his mission to drain every drop of joy from Zadie’s life — putting strict limits on her guitar sessions, nitpicking her every move, and filling the house with his utter dullness. Naturally, when Zadie’s daredevil park ranger dad invites Zadie and her older sister to spend the summer at his cabin, Zadie can hardly contain her excitement. But Zadie’s joy is short-lived when her mom announces that Lloyd will be tagging along. Soon after arriving at the cabin, Zadie begins to suspect that there’s more to her dad’s job than meets the eye. Her suspicions are confirmed when family secrets make an explosive entrance in the form of a fire-wielding poacher who kidnaps her dad’s best friend — an enormous, ice-breathing dragon. The revelations launch Zadie and her family into a cross-country rescue mission of epic proportions. As tensions spike, tempers flare, and the family’s differences become glaringly obvious, Zadie realizes her family’s most daunting challenge might not be rescuing the dragon but working together.....

View in Catalog

The secret of Moonrise Manor

Bearce, Stephanie, author.

Twelve-year-old Raven Gallows lives in a funeral home and is determined to become a famous detective. Her first case is one close to home—find the truth surrounding her mother’s puzzling death six years ago. When a mummified man falls out of the wall at the Moonrise Manor Hotel, Raven is shocked to discover the body is clutching her mother’s silver locket. Raven gathers her friends—Cosmina Wilde, who thinks she can talk to ghosts, Miles Farnsworth, who works at the haunted hotel, and Eric Wong, who possesses unparalleled computer skills—and sets out to learn the identity of the mummy. As they follow the clues, they discover more than they bargained for, including a stash of stolen art and a legend of a secret society. The Secret of Moonrise Manor is a story about family, friendship, and the courage it takes to pursue the truth.....

View in Catalog

Graciela in the abyss

Medina, Meg, author.

In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela--once an ordinary girl--now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela's spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family's forge. He's heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean's waves -- tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can. When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn't lie within the depths of the abyss.....

View in Catalog

The village beyond the mist

Kashiwaba, Sachiko, 1953- author.

Lina’s father had suggested she go "someplace different" for the summer, and she's beginning to wish she hadn’t listened. She could be at her grandma’s house in Nagano now, instead of trudging through a forest in search of a town that might not even exist. But when a gust of wind carries off her umbrella, it leads Lina down a secret path between the trees to a strange and incredible world. In the hidden village of Misty Valley, centaurs roam the cobblestone streets and gnomes visit shops stuffed with spellbooks and enchanted desserts. All magic has a dark side, though, and sometimes even sorcerers need a human’s helping hand.....

View in Catalog

Snoop

Korman, Gordon, author.

If Carter hadn't been checking his phone, he might have seen his brother coming down the ski slopes in his direction. And if Carter had seen his brother in time and avoided the crash, he might not have two broken legs right now. Oops. Now Carter is stuck at home for weeks, with both his legs in casts. Bored, he starts checking out the live feeds from police cams around his town. Before he knows it, he's obsessed -- watching his classmates when they don't know he's looking, and discovering some other VERY STRANGE things going on that no one else is noticing. But what happens when Carter is found out... and the people he's watching know where he lives?....

View in Catalog

The library of unruly treasures

Birdsall, Jeanne, author.

Gwen MacKinnon's parents are dreadful. Truly, deeply, almost impressively dreadful. So Gwen's not upset at all when she's foisted onto her never-before-seen Uncle Matthew for two weeks. Especially when it turns out he has a very opinionated dog named Pumpkin. Things take a turn for the weird when Gwen makes a discovery in the local library. A discovery that involves tiny creatures with wings. And no, they're not birds. They're called Lahdukan. But why can only Gwen and the youngest children, gathered for storytime, see them? The Lahdukan insist that Gwen is destined to help them find a new home. But how can a girl as unwanted, uncourageous, and generally unheroic as Gwen possibly come to the rescue? Pumpkin has a few ideas.......

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Earhart : the incredible flight of a field mouse around the world

Kuhlmann, Torben, 1982- author, illustrator.

For the field mice, the boundary of the garden is the edge of the world. But one little field mouse is determined to discover the wide world beyond the burrow-even if she isn't supposed to fly. With her knack for engineering and help from an experienced mouse aviator, she defies the other field mice and sets off on a daring journey. Could it be that she inspired Amelia Earhart's pioneering aviation career? Amelia Earhart dreamed of becoming a pilot after she attended an airshow, and went on to defy gender barriers when she became the first female to fly non-stop across the Atlantic. Torben Kuhlmann's masterfully rendered illustrations and gripping story, inspired by Earhart, encourage young readers to pursue their passions-despite all obstacles.....

View in Catalog

The library of unruly treasures

Birdsall, Jeanne, author.

Gwen MacKinnon's parents are dreadful. Truly, deeply, almost impressively dreadful. So Gwen's not upset at all when she's foisted onto her never-before-seen Uncle Matthew for two weeks. Especially when it turns out he has a very opinionated dog named Pumpkin. Things take a turn for the weird when Gwen makes a discovery in the local library. A discovery that involves tiny creatures with wings. And no, they're not birds. They're called Lahdukan. But why can only Gwen and the youngest children, gathered for storytime, see them? The Lahdukan insist that Gwen is destined to help them find a new home. But how can a girl as unwanted, uncourageous, and generally unheroic as Gwen possibly come to the rescue? Pumpkin has a few ideas.......

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The Incorruptibles

Magaziner, Lauren, author.

Fiora Barrowling lives in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. After surviving an encounter with The Radiance—the very worst of the sorcerers—she’s whisked away to the incredible Incorruptibles (“Inc”) Academy, a school for resistance fighters in training. But most of the other students think Fiora hasn’t earned her place there, and when things start to go wrong and it seems the sorcerers have a spy in the academy, all eyes are on Fiora. With all odds stacked against her, can Fiora prove that she belongs?....

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The Incorruptibles

Magaziner, Lauren, author.

Fiora Barrowling lives in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. After surviving an encounter with The Radiance—the very worst of the sorcerers—she’s whisked away to the incredible Incorruptibles (“Inc”) Academy, a school for resistance fighters in training. But most of the other students think Fiora hasn’t earned her place there, and when things start to go wrong and it seems the sorcerers have a spy in the academy, all eyes are on Fiora. With all odds stacked against her, can Fiora prove that she belongs?....

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