These titles were recently added to the collection of Yakima Valley Libraries
The night of the lions, 2025
Tarshis, Lauren, author.
Eleven-year-old Dylan is still reeling from the injury that shattered his all-star Little League dreams back home in Boston. His film-maker older sister offers him the trip of a lifetime: to travel with her as she films a world-famous lion expert in the heart of southern Africa. Dylan's days in the wilds of Botswana are filled with awe and wonder -- elephants splashing in lagoons, leopards growling under star-lit skies, herds of zebras racing through golden grasslands, glittering snakes basking on tree branches -- until disaster strikes. A plane crash hurls Dylan into the unforgiving wilderness, wheredeadly creatures are on the prowl. Alone, injured, and terrified, Dylan must summon every ounce of strength and as he faces the deadliest predator of all: the African lion.....
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Flight : a story of seeking refuge
Gratz, Alan, 1972- author.
Daniela López is on a life-or-death journey. Forced to flee their beloved home in Honduras, Dani and her family were headed north in search of safety--until a treacherous mistake ripped Dani's parents away. Now, Dani and her younger brother Carlos are on their own, and they have no choice but to keep going, in the desperate hope of finding their parents at the Mexico-United States border. But to get there, they will have to ride on top of a roaring freight train known as "The Beast." Rickety and deadly, The Beast makes hairpin turns at terrifying speeds and shoots through dark tunnels. And there is the constant danger of being caught by gangs and kidnappers along the way. Surrounded by hundreds of fellow refugees, Daniela will have to figure out who she can and cannot trust--and fast. Otherwise, she and Carlos might not stand a chance of surviving.......
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Gabby Torres gets a billion followers
Dominguez, Angela, author, illustrator.
Gabby Torres is nine years old and ready to conquer the world. She's already joined the Sea Musketeers, the environmental protection club founded by her idol, Stella Díaz, and plans to be their best (and youngest) member ever. Gabby's latest and greatest idea: start a social media page for her club. But her parents think she's too young! Nothing stops Gabby though... until some online meanies get her in some serious trouble! But she's totally got everything under control all on her own. Right?....
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Rowley Jefferson's awesome friendly spooky stories 2
Kinney, Jeff, author, illustrator.
In this second collection of Rowley Jefferson's spooky stories, Rowley invites readers into his strange and hilarious imagination. The book features a series of short, spooky tales involving monstrous insects, a young Grim Reaper, and a lost pinkie searching for its owner. Although the stories are filled with creepy situations, Rowley's humor makes them entertaining and delightfully frightening for young readers.....
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Sing me a story : short stories in verse by Latine authors
An anthology of short stories in verse by Latine children's literature authors about the power of music. Edited by multi-award-winning author Aida Salazar, this anthology brings together a star-studded cast of Latine kidlit verse novelists for an unprecedented collection of short stories in verse about the power of music. All of your favorite Latine kidlit verse novelists have contributed stories to this powerful collection that pays tribute to the power of various forms of music, from bachata to hip hop, and Selena to dem bow. Stories written by: Andrea Beatriz Arango, David Bowles, Stephen Briseno, Margarita Engle, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Juan Felipe Herrera, JP Infante, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Jasminne Mendez, Rico Pabon, Nonieqa Ramos, Yaccaira Salvatierra, Ari Tison, Aida Salazar, John Santos, and Elisabet Velasquez.....
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The invisibles
Kowitt, Holly, author.
Welcome to the out crowd... Seventh-grader Jimmy Stern can't catch a break. As the new kid at school, he just wants to keep his head down and read his favorite Weird Walt comics. But when he accidentally drops Kyle Scott's phone in the toilet, his social status goes down the drain. Being targeted by the most popular guy in school sucks. Or, at least, it did suck, until Jimmy receives a note from a mysterious group of students called The Invisibles. Social outcasts like himself, The Invisibles have a plan: elect Jimmy as Art Week Secretary and stop Kyle's favorite actor, Bayleigh White, from visiting their school. Jimmy quickly agrees, realizing that he can ask Weird Walt to do the Art Week visit instead. But as campaign tactics spiral out of control, Jimmy will have to decide what he's willing to do to get even.....
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Fight of the flamestrike
Cowell, Cressida, author, illustrator.
Disastrous Lesson Number Two: Boarding-An-Enemy-Ship-At-Sea Hiccup and his fellow Vikings are SUPPOSED to be learning about enemy ships at sea. But when they come across a mysterious vessel, with a ripped sail and nobody driving it, Hiccup's heart sinks. There is something deeply spooky about this ship. They really, really shouldn't get onboard. But like on so many occasions in Hiccup's life, they are going to do it anyway.....
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Snare your crush (in three easy steps)
Berne, Emma Carlson, 1979- author.
You and your best friend Elise are baking cupcakes for the upcoming school dance when she drops some earth-shattering news: Elise has a crush on James (the very same James that you happen to have a crush on) and is planning to ask him out at the dance... tonight! Your friendship -- and your crush -- is on the line. What do you do? Help your BFF ask out your one true love? Or do you snare your crush for yourself?....
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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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