Tag: 2015-16 DCF

July 9, 2015

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

This novel in verse has already won the Newbery and Coretta Scott King Awards. Will it get your vote?

“With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I’m delivering,” announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell.

He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he’s got mad beats, too, that tell his family’s story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander.

Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story’s heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family (from HRH Books).

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Visit Kwame Alexander.

Here’s the book trailer, thanks to Mya

July 9, 2015

Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

Only two people know about the masterpiece hidden in the Tenpenny home—
and one of them is dead.

The other is Theodora Tenpenny. Theo is responsible for tending the family’s two-hundred-year-old town house, caring for a flock of unwieldy chickens, and supporting her fragile mother, all on her grandfather’s legacy of $463. So, when Theo discovers a painting in the house that looks like a priceless masterpiece, she should be happy about it. But Theo’s late grandfather was a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and if the painting is as valuable as she thinks it is, then her grandfather wasn’t who she thought he was.

With the help of some unusual new friends, Theo’s search for answers takes her all over Manhattan and introduces her to a side of the city—and her grandfather—that she never knew. To solve the mystery, she’ll have to abandon her hard-won self-reliance and build a community, one serendipitous friendship at a time. (Laura Marx Fizgerald)

Find it on the DCF Shelf & be sure to leave your review in the comments below!

Here’s a book trailer that was found by Mya:

July 9, 2015

The Madman of Piney Woods by Christopher Paul Curtis

Benji and Red couldn’t be more different. They aren’t friends. They don’t even live in the same town. But their fates are entwined. A chance meeting leads the boys to discover that they have more in common than meets the eye. Both of them have encountered a strange presence in the forest, watching them, tracking them. Could the Madman of Piney Woods be real?

A companion to Curtis’ Elijah of Buxton.

Find it on the DCF Shelf & be sure to leave your review in the comments below!

July 9, 2015

There Will Be Bears By Ryan Gebhart

Tyson is determined to hunt an elk — even if it means sneaking his grandpa out of a nursing home — in a debut novel sparked with dry wit and wilderness adventure.

Thirteen-year-old Tyson loves hanging out with his roughneck Grandpa Gene, who’s a lot more fun than Tyson’s ex–best friend, Brighton. These days, Bright just wants to be seen with the cool jocks who make fun of Tyson’s Taylor Swift obsession and dorky ways. So when Grandpa Gene has to move to a nursing home that can manage his kidney disease, Tyson feels like he’s losing his only friend. Not only that, but Tyson was counting on Grandpa Gene to take him on his first big hunt. So in defiance of Mom and Dad’s strict orders, and despite reports of a scary, stalking, man-eating grizzly named Sandy, the two sneak off to the Grand Tetons. Yes, there will be action, like shooting and dressing a six-hundred-pound elk. Is Tyson tough enough? There will be heart-pounding suspense: is Grandpa Gene too sick to handle the hunt, miles away from help? And, oh yes, there will be bears. . . . (From Penguin Random House)

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July 9, 2015

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Piper has never seen the mark of the dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the meteor fields.

The girl doesn’t remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she’s from the Dragonfly Territories and that she’s protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home.

The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect–everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible.

Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.” (Jaleigh Johnson)

Check out the book’s page at Random House.

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July 9, 2015

The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson

“In 1860, eleven-year-old Becky Thatcher is the new girl in town, determined to have adventures like she promised her brother Jon before he died. With her Mama frozen in grief and her Daddy busy as town judge, Becky spends much of her time on her own, getting into mischief. Before long, she joins the boys at school in a bet to steal from the Widow Douglas, and Becky convinces her new best friend, Amy Lawrence, to join her.

Becky decides that she and Amy need a bag of dirt from a bad man’s grave as protection for entering the Widow’s house, so they sneak out to the cemetery at midnight, where they witness the thieving Pritchard brothers digging up a coffin. Determined to keep her family safe (and to avoid getting in trouble), Becky makes Amy promise not to tell anyone what they saw.

When their silence inadvertently results in the Widow Douglas being accused of the grave robbery, Becky concocts a plan to clear the Widow’s name. If she pulls it off, she might just get her Mama to notice her again and fulfill her promise to Jon in a most unexpected way . . . if that tattle-tale Tom Sawyer will quit following her around.”

Find it on the DCF Shelf & be sure to leave your review in the comments below!

July 9, 2015

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

“Will Everett has always wished for an adventure.

Little does he know his started the moment he boarded The Boundless. The longest, most glamorous locomotive in the world, it stretches more than eleven kilometres long and pulls an astounding 987 cars: passenger cars, shooting galleries, gardens, an onboard swimming pool, cinema and much more. But its maiden voyage won’t be a smooth ride for Will. After witnessing a murder during a station stop, he barely makes it back onto the train (with a running leap!), then must work his way from the caboose forward to his father in first class – with the murderer and his cronies on his tail. Luckily, a clever and nimble friend is perfecting her act in The Boundless’s circus car, and there the real thrill ride begins. Sasquatches, bog-dwelling hags and illusions abound in this outsized adventure aboard the Titanic of trains!” (Kenneth Oppel’s description).

Find it on the DCF Shelf & be sure to leave your review in the comments below!

July 9, 2015

Unfriended by Rachel Vail

So, for the first time in your life you’re sitting at the popular table. And from the outside, it looks nice. But things are not so easy from the inside, in the virtual world of texts, group chats and social media posts. They get even tougher when you find out that you’ve been hacked by a former friend bent on hurting you. In this tale, a seat with the in-crowd may end up costing you.

Find it on the DCF Shelf & be sure to leave your review in the comments below!

July 9, 2015

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

Two Irish Orphans take work at decrepit Windsor house, despite warnings from townspeople about the strange and fearful place. It doesn’t take them long, however, to discover a menacing tree, tended by the ghostly Night Gardener.

If you are easily creeped out, avoid this book! Looking for chills?…

Visit the author Jonathan Auxier.

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July 9, 2015

The Art of Secrets by James Klise

In the wake of an arson (was it a hate crime?) that leaves her family homeless many people step up to help out, including Saba’s classmates who decide to hold a fundraising auction. But things get REALLY complicated when artworks found in a dumpster turn out to be more valuable than anyone expected… and they they are stolen.

The answers to arson and art theft can be found by reading police reports, text messages and the alternating stories of the suspects. Can you learn The Art of Secrets?

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or find it on the DCF Shelf
& be sure to leave your review in the comments below!