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Time to stock up on books for vacation reading!
Ages 10 and Up
GONE by Michael Grant
Harper Teen, $17.99 (young adult)
In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young, the teens, the middle schoolers, the toddlers. But not one single adult remains – no teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents – unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers – that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else…
MARIAH MUNDI: THE MIDAS BOX by G.P. Taylor
Putnam, $17.99 (young adult)
The Prince Regent is no ordinary hotel-powered entirely by steam, run by an eccentric inventor who doesn't believe in sleep, it's a place full of shadowy characters and dangerous secrets. Mariah has just started working there as a magician's assistant, and when he and his coworker Sacha unwittingly learn more than they were meant to know, they suddenly find themselves pawns in an evil plot so full of twists and turns that even the labyrinth of hidden tunnels and caverns beneath the hotel can't contain it. As they struggle to unravel the mystery and stay alive in the process, encountering secret rooms, enchanted objects and vicious mythical creatures, they question whom to trust. All the adults – even the ones offering help – seem to be hiding something. A new spine-tingling adventure by the author of Shadowmancer.
FROZEN FIRE by Tim Bowler
Philomel, $17.99 (young adult)
It starts with a phone call. "I'm dying," a voice tells Dusty. Who is he and how has he gotten her cell number? Dusty wants no part of this strange boy… until he begins saying things that only someone who knows her intimately could say – things that lead her to think he knows the whereabouts of her brother, who disappeared over a year ago. Suddenly drawn in, Dusty very much wants to save this boy. Trouble is, she cannot find him. Part human, part spirit, he won't let himself be found. A gripping, hair-raising mystery about a boy not of this world, and a girl determined to protect him.
THE OTHERWORLDLIES by Jennifer Anne Kogler
Eos, $16.99 (ages 10 and up)
Fern communicates with her dog, blisters from just moments in the sun, and has correctly predicted the daily weather for more than two years. With the help of her twin brother, Sam, Fern struggles to gain control of her supernatural powers. The arrival of a sinister vampire in town – who seems to have an alarming interest in Fern's powers – causes Fern to question her true identity. Who is she? More importantly, who can she count on? Soon Fern finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old battle – one that could destroy Fern and endanger everyone she loves.
Ages 8-12
ONE SMALL STEP by P.B. Kerr
McElderry Books, $16.99 (ages 9-12)
It's 1969, and thirteen-year-old Scott is doing all the things that normal boys do – and also flying airplanes with his Air Force flight instructor father. When Scott successfully crash-lands a training plane, NASA takes notice. They hope to recruit him for their top-secret space program, which will launch a test flight to the moon before the first lunar landing. This craft was intended to be piloted by chimps, but one chimp had to be dismissed, and now they need a quick substitute – who better than a boy aviator? G-forces collide with government secrets as Scott races to prepare for his journey to the moon. Brimming with nonstop action and adventure, this is the story of a courageous young man who dares to follow his dream.
WELL WITCHED by Frances Hardinge
HarperCollins, $16.99 (ages 8-12)
Ryan and his friends don't think twice about stealing some money from a wishing well. After all, who's really going to miss a few tarnished coins? The well witch does. And she demands payback: Now Ryan, Josh, and Chelle must serve her…and the wishes that lie rotting at the bottom of her well. Each takes on powers they didn't ask for and don't want. Ryan grows strange bumps – are they eyes? – between his knuckles; Chelle starts speaking the secrets of strangers, no matter how awful and bloody; and Josh can suddenly – inexplicably – grant even the darkest of wishes, the kind of wishes that should never come true. Darkly witty, wholly unexpected, and exquisitely sinister, Frances Hardinge's Well Witched is one well-cast tale that readers didn't know they were wishing for.
Ages 4-8
NIGHT OF THE VEGGIE MONSTER by George McClements
Bloomsbury, $14.95 (ages 4-8)
When just a single pea touches the lips of this determined vegetable hater, an enormous battle of war and peas begins. But our hero doesn't just cry, whine, or refuse to swallow. He turns into a VEGGIE MONSTER! That is until – gulp! – he accidentally swallows the pea, and realizes that maybe vegetables aren't so bad after all. At least until broccoli night comes around. With inventive mixed-media illustrations and a short, snappy text that combines a child's dinner-time drama with a hilarious parents' eye-view, George McClements has created a wry and funny story that just might inspire a few veggie monsters out there to give peas a chance.
BUMP IN THE NIGHT by Edward Hemingway, author and illustrator
Putnam, $15.99 (ages 4-8)
No one likes being woken up by a bump in the night. What if it's a ghoulie, a ghosty or a long-leggedy beasty? This fresh and funny story turns this classic premise on its head when Billy's monster turns out to be a yo-yo using, horseback-riding, ghoulie-scaring, beastie-ropin' monster – just the kind you want to have along on adventures. A breakout new talent shares a warm, clever take on the classic premise. (And yes, he's one of those Hemingways – the youngest grandson.)
TRUCKS GO POP! A POP-UP BOOK by Bob Staake
Little, Brown, $17.99 (ages 3 and up)
Trucks of every shape and size come to dimensional life in this bold and innovative new pop-up book, TRUCKS GO POP! From long-armed construction diggers, and roaring fire trucks, to ice-spraying snow plows and speeding Mack trucks, little ones will gasp with delight as they turn each sturdy page and reveal all of their favorite trucks as they pop up and off the pages! Comes with a giant foldout Trucks poster!
BEACH BUGS: A SUNNY POP-UP BOOK by David A. Carter
Little Simon, $11.99 (ages 3 and up)
From picnic bugs and fireflies to rollercoaster bugs on a warm summer night, this next installment of the wildly popular Bugs series captures what everyone loves about summer! Paper-over-board book has cardstock pages and includes pop-ups, flaps, and lights!
ALPHABET ANIMALS: A SLIDE-AND-PEEK ADVENTURE by Sue MacDonald
Little Simon, $12.99 (ages 4-8)
In this innovative book, animals take the shapes of all the letters in the alphabet! From an alligator to a zebra, each animal represents a different letter – but what could it be? To find the answer, children can pull out the pages to find the letter and the animal's name. Parents and kids alike will delight in Suse MacDonald's unique, cut-paper, collage-style artwork.
All Ages
PYRAMIDS AND MUMMIES by Anne Bolton
Simon & Schuster, $21.99 (all ages)
On the northeast of Africa, divided by the river Nile, lies a majestic land that was once home to powerful kings such as King Tutankhamun and King Ramesses II, and extraordinary queens such as Cleopatra. Learn how these magnificent royals lived, read stories about the king of the dead, find out about the puzzling mystery behind the Great Sphinx, and much more! With a pyramid design and an interior that is as packed with surprises as the real thing, Pyramids and Mummies is sure to pique the interest of the explorer in all.
PIRATES MOST WANTED: THIRTEEN OF THE MOST BLOODTHIRSTY PIRATES EVER TO SAIL THE HIGH SEAS by John Matthews
Atheneum, $16.99 (all ages)
Wanted for the most heinous crime of piracy: notorious and knavish captains and sailors, whose evil deeds and bold stratagems have made them the most wanted men – and women! – upon the high seas.
ROBOTS by Clive Gifford, illustrated by Frank Picini
Atheneum, $21.99 (all ages)
Robots are everywhere: in the movies, on TV, in space, in games. This book will bedazzle children with possibilities – all accompanied by detailed photos, illustrations, explanations, and activities.
THE BOXER AND THE SPY by Robert B. Parker
Philomel, $17.99 (first edition, signed on special tipped-in page)
Young Adult
His name was Jason Green and he was dead. When a shy high school student's body is found washed upon the shore of a quiet New England beach town – an alleged suicide linked to steroids – 15-year-old boxer-in-training Terry Novak isn't quite sure what to think. Artsy and withdrawn, Jason wasn't exactly the type to be doing 'roids. So Terry, with the help of his friend Abby, decides to do some investigating of his own.
DOLPHIN SONG by Lauren St. John
Dial, $16.99
Young Adult
Just as Martine (whom we met last in THE WHITE GIRAFFE) is settling into life on the wildlife game reserve, she is whisked away on a school trip. Her class is going on an ocean voyage to witness the Sardine Run off the coast of South Africa. But what begins as an exciting adventure quickly turns perilous when a storm blows up and Martine and her classmates are thrown overboard into shark-infested waters.
LAMPLIGHTER (Book 2 in the Monster Blood Tattoo series) by D.M. Cornish
Putnam, $19.99 (extra shipping will apply due to size)
Young Adult
Rossamund has been sworn into the Emperor's service as a lamplighter, his duty to light the lamps along the highways and to protect travelers from the ferocious bogles that live in the wild. When he teams up with a haughty young girl, a member of a suspiciously regarded society of monster hunters, he finds himself pushed toward a terrible destiny.
HOCUS POCUS: A TALE OF MAGNIFICENT MAGICIANS by Paul Kieve
Scholastic, $14.99
Ages 9-12
Apprentice yourself to award-winning magician Paul Kieve, the magic consultant for the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie! Marvel as great magicians from the golden age of magic materialize before the eyes of a startled young performer in the 21st century! Gasp as they demonstrated their greatest secrets and reveal the secrets behind them! Master over 35 magical tricks to astonish your friends! With an introduction by Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe, and the contents of a secret envelope, you too can become a master of mystery!
INTO THE DARK by Peter Abrahams
Laura Gehringer, $16.99 (signed first edition)
Ages 9-12
In the latest Echo Falls mystery, 13-year-old Ingrid Levin-Hill finds a dead body in the snow on Grampy's land. With Grampy in jail, Ingrid sets out to find the truth of the dead man's identity – and the killer's.
WARRIORS: ALL THE TRUTH, TACTICS, AND TRIUMPHS OF HISTORY'S GREATEST FIGHTERS by James Harpur
Atheneum Books, $21.99 (extra shipping due to size)
Ages 9-12
From the ferocious ancient Assyrians to the fearsome Zulus, Warriors showcases celebrated fighters, highlighting their battles, heroisms, weapons and tactics. With breathtaking illustrations, pop-ups, pullouts and foldouts.
THE POSTCARD by Tony Abbott
Little, Brown, $15.99
Ages 8-12
When Jason's grandmother dies, he's sent down to her home in Florida to help his father sort through her things. Soon he discovers a mystery surrounding his grandmother's murky past that somehow involves an old yellowed postcard, a creepy phone call, and an entourage of freakish funeral-goers – all with clues that will send Jason on a thrilling journey to uncover family secrets.
JULIA GILLIAN (AND THE ART OF KNOWING) by Alison McGhee, with pictures by Drazen Kozjan
Scholastic, $15.99
Ages 8-12
Ten-year-old Julia is a girl who knows a lot about a lot of things – her quirky neighbors, her parents, even the "claw machine" in the back of the corner hardware store. What she doesn't know is how the book she's reading will end – and she doesn't like where it's headed. But being afraid teaches her something new, so now she knows even more…
OTTOLINE AND THE YELLOW CAT by Chris Riddell
HarperCollins, $10.99
Ages 8-12
Meet Ottoline Brown and her best friend, Mr. Munroe, who is small and hairy (and does not like rain or having his hair brushed). Ottoline likes solving tricky problems and working out clever plans. Mr. Munroe likes bringing such problems to her attention. And since Ottoline's parents conveniently travel abroad quite a bit, they're rarely home to stop Ottoline and Mr. Munroe from heading out to do some detective work. With Riddell's amazing pen and ink illustrations and quirky humor, this is the hilarious beginning to a new series.
COWGIRL KATE AND COCOA written by Erica Silverman, painted by Betsy Lewin
Harcourt, $15.00
Ages 6-9
The first book starring our young heroine, Cowgirl Kate and her trusty cowhorse, Cocoa!
And
COWGIRL KATE AND COCOA: PARTNERS (Book 2)
$15.00
COWGIRL KATE AND COCOA: SCHOOL DAYS (Book 3)
$15.00
COWGIRL KATE AND COCOA: RAIN OR SHINE (Book 4)
$15.00
MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMP by Jack Lechner, illustrated by Bob Staake
Bloomsbury, $15.95
Ages 4-8
Mary had a little lamp – the bendy, gooseneck kind. And everywhere that Mary went, she dragged the lamp behind. So begins this sly, funny story about a determined little girl and her very unusual companion, with delightful, sassy illustrations.
BIG PLANS by Bob Shea and Lane Smith
Hyperion, $17.99
Ages 4-8
A little boy sits in the corner of a classroom, plotting his future – and boy, does he have Big Plans! With the help of a mynah bird and lucky stinky hat, he’ll find treasure, boss around big people, and maybe even become the President! Or fly to the moon! Or who knows what else? This exuberant story is perfect for any child who is ready to dream BIG!
I'M BAD! By Kate & Jim McMullan
HarperCollins, $16.99
Ages 4-8
From the creators of I Stink! and I'm Dirty! comes a colorful new picture book adventure starring T. Rex. He's really big, really bad, and really, really hungry.
SKIPPYJON JONES AND THE TREASURE HUNT (Pop-up Matching Game inside!) by Judy Schachner
Grosset & Dunlap, $9.99
Ages 3 and up
Skippyjon Jones has found his treasure map, but where is the treasure? Read, flip and find with Skippyjon Jones and this book with matching game, with tiles that flip and spin!
SKIPPYJON JONES: A SURPRISE FOR MAMA (Sticker Stories) by Judy Schachner
Grosset & Dunlap, $5.99
Ages 3 and up
Skippyjon Jones wants to show Mama Junebug Jones just how much he loves her. Should he make her a card? Should he cook her a tasty dinner? You can help Skippyjon figure out the perfect present by adding more than 75 reusable stickers to build a story!