These titles were recently added to the collection of Yakima Valley Libraries
What we do at night
Stine, R. L., author.
When Noah Baumgardner starts a new school in Georgia, he has a hard time making friends. Everyone already has their groups, and the school year is almost over. Noah is worried he's doomed to be the "new kid" forever. But then Noah meets a group of kids who call themselves the Night Birds. They stay up late and hang out in a vacant lot near his house. The Night Birds seem a little strange, but Noah really wants to fit in with them. However, the Night Birds have a secret. Will making new friends end up being the last thing Noah ever does?....
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The sinking house
Sean knows that one disaster tends to leads to another -- like when his mother got sick and the cost of the treatment meant they had to move out of their cozy Texas home. As they try to get back on their feet, Sean's parents send him to stay with his aunt and cousin, Zeke, in Victorvale, Massachusetts -- a seaside town that has seen its own share of bad luck, with crumbling houses sitting on an eroding coastline that threatens to fall into the sea. It is into one of these decrepit old mansions that Sean and Zeke, along with their classmate Jenny, venture, looking for a neighbor's lost cat. Before they can rescue it, though, lightning cracks, the ground rumbles, and the cliffside crumbles. When Sean and Jenny come to, they find themselves trapped inside a house on its side, half submerged in the ocean, leaning against a sheer wall of rock. Zeke is in a room somewhere below them -- one that is filling with water. And as night falls and the storm picks up, they discover there may be something else in the house with them. Now, the three friends must escape before the cold water -- or whatever lurks within it -- consumes them.....
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Shook
Randall, Julian, author.
Malik Page ― though unless you're his mama, call him "Shake" ― dreams of making the Marshall Grove varsity basketball squad as an eighth grader. Then he'll be on his way to joining the ranks of Chicago legends like his pops and late Uncle Kenny. But when Shake fractures his ankle in a championship game, he's sidelined for the first time since his first dribble. As his world is turned upside down, Shake feels like there’s ginger ale bubbling in his chest and sweat slicking on his palms. With a best friend who’s getting more distant by the day, a growing silence between him and his dad, and varsity tryouts fast approaching, Shake will have to cross up every obstacle to find a way back onto the court ― and back to being himself. Thankfully in Marshall Grove, the sky is always full of hope.....
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The travelers
Howard, Greg (Gregory Steven), author.
When twelve-year-old Ben Turner’s mom unexpectedly passes away, he's forced into the care of the only living relative he has left—a grandmother he’s never met who lives in a place he’s never been. To Ben, who most recently called bustling Nashville home, the quiet of Rutledge, South Carolina is worlds away from the happy life he had with his mother. Upon arriving at his grandmother's house, Ben is dumbfounded by the large, stone and brick building that greets him. Clifton House appears far more haunted mansion than house and Ben can’t get over the fact that this is where his mom grew up. Inside, Ben is surprised to see clocks—clocks of all shapes and sizes on the walls, mantels and tables. What’s even more surprising, is that none of the clocks tell the correct time and some even seem to be moving backwards. Before Ben can ask too many questions, his stern grandmother tells him there are two rules that must be followed at Clifton House: never touch the clocks and never go up to the third floor. But on his very first night, Ben hears footsteps and hushed whispers—all seeming to come from the third floor. Soon Ben begins to suspect there’s something more to Clifton House than broken clocks and dusty old furniture. Is it poltergeists? Or something to do with the very fabric of time itself? With the help of two new friends, Ollie and Ash, Ben embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of Clifton House and his grandmother. Along the way, just maybe he can forget the pain of missing his mother and forgive her for leaving him alone.....
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Still alive
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk, author.
12-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldn’t be more different. Dariia is outgoing and chatty while Rada is quieter and artsy. But what they have in common is their love for each other and their home. The family lives in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is attacked by the Russians on Feb 24th, 2022. The attack separates the family -- Dariia is with her mom and Rada with her dad. The thrilling conclusion to this trilogy will have readers reaching for tissues on the edge of their seats.....
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The Ginghams
Kemper, T. C., author.
When 12-year-old Joni Bird returns home from summer camp, it’s clear something strange is afoot in Olive Springs. May, her usually head-banging best friend, now wears her hair in a tight bun and calls playing the drums “unladylike.” The ice cream shop only serves vanilla ice cream. The women and girls of the neighborhood all sport big pearl earrings and crisp cotton dresses. At the heart of it all? The creepy new family in the neighborhood with their soulless, carnival smiles and retro fashion sense: the Ginghams. Everyone they invite to their Thursday night book club re-emerges as dead-eyed, smiling, Gingham-approved "model citizens," all thanks to Mr. Gingham’s lifestyle guide, The Pillars of Perfection ― and something even more sinister hidden behind his basement door. Through quick thinking and cunning, Joni and her friend Tyler set out to fight not only to get their friend May back, but to save their whole town from forever falling under the Ginghams' control.....
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Raven, rising
Hartman Derr, Christine, author.
Raven Miller just moved to Bear Creek Falls, but she already hates it. There's a clique that has it out for her, a vice principal who keeps targeting her for dress code violations, and a cruel rumor going around that Raven is a witch who killed her parents. If it weren't for her new friends, Laurel and Hazel, she'd be lost. The witch stuff would be easy to shrug off, but Raven does seem to have magical powers in the kitchen -- the treats she makes can mysteriously change the lives of those who eat them. Well, they used to. She doesn't bake anymore -- not since the accident that took her parents' lives. Then the clique's bullying and the vice principal's watchful eye intensify. When Raven's attempts to retaliate fall flat, she wonders if the magical sweets she used to make could whip up a justice so powerful it would set everything right. In order to find out, however, she'll have to face the things she's been avoiding. Can Raven rise above the pain of her past to secure a better future?....
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The thing about giants
Galvin, Christopher, author.
A middle-grade fantasy novel about twelve-year-old Jacq Dyer, who comes from a family of giant hunters in a city that depends on hunting giants for its survival. After becoming stranded in the wilderness, Jacq meets Corman, a young giant whose experiences challenge her understanding of the longstanding conflict between humans and giants. As they work together to return home, they uncover information about their societies and the origins of the conflict that prompts them to question long-held beliefs. The novel explores themes of friendship, prejudice, empathy, and moral choice.....
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Paloma joins the circus
Ruiz-Flores, Lupe author
A story of following your dreams and growing into new ones, of finding home in the people around you, and of creating something beautiful through hard work and perseverance... Twelve-year-old Paloma comes from "circus people" ― a family of performers traveling around Texas with la carpa, a Mexican American tent show. She dreams of becoming a tightrope walker, like her mother was, but her father forbids it. In the summer of 1939, Paloma travels with the circus to help with chores. She hatches a plan to show her father that she has what it takes to join as a permanent performer. While secretly training to walk the high wire, she forges powerful bonds with other circus members. But she also discovers circus life isn't all glamour, and she must decide if la carpa is where she's truly meant to be.....
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Thunder and Mercy
Barr, Jennifer R., author.
Is a hidden diary the key to an unsolved secret from the American Revolution? It’s 1979 and twelve-year-old Theodora “Thunder” Underwood is dreading her summer vacation once again. Every year, her scientist parents disappear on far-flung scientific expeditions, leaving her with relatives who clearly don’t want her around. But this summer, Thunder is sent to Mount Pleasant, her aunt’s historic yet crumbling old mansion outside of Philadelphia once owned by Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold. When Thunder discovers a mysterious diary written by Mercy, a girl her age who lived through the American Revolution, Thunder is plunged into a mystery that involves a shadowy prowler, a hidden ring, and mysterious spies — making her summer far more exciting than she ever expected. Fast-paced and full of twists, this suspenseful middle grade novel transports young readers between the 1770s and 1970s as Thunder uncovers the truth behind a Revolutionary-era spy network — and discovers the importance of friendship, family, and her own voice along the way.....
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Transylvania County
Howard, Jenny, 1986- author.
Twelve-year-old Digby Romer has never lived in one place for very long; despite his best intentions, he’s managed to get kicked out of every European boarding school his parents have shipped him off to. Now, his dad has dragged him to live with his aunt and uncle in small-town USA, with hopes that a slower-paced life will finally fix Dig’s so-called “behavioral issues.” But all is not well here in Transylvania County, even if the locals insist that the legends of cryptids and monsters lurking in the woods are nothing more than lore. On his first night in town, Dig is convinced that he spots a gigantic, fanged beast in the woods ― but nobody believes him. And then the school’s PE teacher disappears, replaced by a greasy, suspicious man named Renfield who must have an ulterior motive. When more people begin to disappear, Dig sets off with a ragtag crew ― his smartypants cousin, the bossy class president, and a survivalist loner ― to get to the bottom of things. Something is hunting in Transylvania County, and these kids might have to break a few rules to find out who. Luckily, if there’s one thing Dig is good at, it’s making trouble.....
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All the sunshine in the world
DuBois, Caroline Brooks, author.
Thirteen-year-old Tolly fears she was to blame for the accident that killed her older sister. If she could just get her phone back, she might find answers about the day Sunny died... It's been almost six months since Tolly's sister died in a distracted driving wreck. Tolly misses Sunny every minute of every day, but is it wrong to want a semi-normal birthday? What about a new phone, to replace the one she lost soon after the accident? Instead, she gets grieving parents and a disappointing, misspelled cake. And so Tolly is stuck starting 8th grade without a phone in hand, without answers to the endless questions she has about her sister's death. Why did it happen... How did it happen... Was it Tolly's fault? She just needs her old phone back to uncover the truth. Ironically, thanks to being phone-less, Tolly gets put in charge of a new Luddite club at school, for kids who want to avoid technology. It's the last place she expected to find herself, but it turns out to be a powerful escape from the unrelenting guilt she feels over Sunny's death — and it might just be the place for her to get those answers, too. ....
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The chismosas only book club
Kemp, Laekan Zea, author.
Cat, Sofia, Ana, and Mari are best friends. Nothing, nada, can break their bond. When Cat's mom scolds them for their loud cackling at the bookstore, calling them a bunch of chismosas, the name sticks. Cat creates the The Chismosas Only Book Club, giving the girls a way to stay connected as they begin high school. But ninth grade is hard, and it seems like no amount of conchas y libros y risas at Milagro's Books, founded generations ago by Cat's great-great-great-grandmother, can repair the ever-growing cracks in their friendship. But maybe the spirit of Milagro herself can.......
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Really Rubie
Frost, Maddie, author, illustrator.
Hello, summer! Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox can’t wait to go to sleepaway camp for the very first time. She and her best friend Riley Swisher will go away for an entire month TOGETHER, and they’ll even be able to spy on Riley’s crush Owen, who will be across from Camp Pineview, over at the boys’ camp, Moose-Ridge. But when Riley drops a bomb—she can’t go to camp because she broke her ankle—Rubie has to go by herself. Which sort of makes her feel RAGE…how can she go to camp without Riley?! But her mom has already paid for it, so she’s stuck with her plushie chicken Jim the Duck and a cabin full of girls she doesn’t know. But Rubie just might make another BFF, break out of her shell, and even meet a boy…all without Riley. Camp might be more eventful than Rubie ever thought it could be—with more drama than she ever imagined!....
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Casting April
Lu, Wendy, author.
Twelve-year-old April is a talented performer who is determined to land the starring role in the school play, but no one believes she can do it because of her tracheostomy tube. A heartwarming story of friendship, identity, and the importance of chasing your dreams. Sixth grader April Xue lives and breathes all things Broadway. When she builds up the courage to audition for the lead role in the school play, she thinks she's knocked it out of the park -- until she finds out that she's been assigned to the stage crew. April is devastated -- it seems like the curtain is closing on her dream of being an actor. A day later, April overhears that the theater director, Ms. Rooney, decided not to cast her because she's disabled. With the help of her best friend, a sneaky student reporter, and her spirited castmates, April learns to confront her own insecurities as a performer and proves to everyone (including Ms. Rooney) that she deserves a fair shot -- all in time for opening night.....
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