Washington at Valley Forge by Russell Freedman

Summary: Washington’s army nearly perished during the winter of 1777-78. Camped at Valley Forge, the revolutionaries endured severe hardship. The army’s supply system had collapsed and they were without supplies. But when the harsh winter ended, the soldiers had survived, and marched away from Valley Forge more determined than ever. 100 p., Holiday House.

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The Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich

Summary: In 1852, forced by the United States government to leave their beloved Island of the Golden Breasted Woodpecker, fourteen-year-old Omokayas and her Ojibwe family travel in search of a new home. 193 p., HarperCollins Publishers.

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The Magic Half by Annie Barrows

Summary: Eleven-year-old Miri Gill feels left out in her family, which has two sets of twins and her, until she travels back in time to 1935 and discovers Molly, her own lost twin, and brings her back to the present day. 211 p., Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

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Science Fair: A Story of Mystery, Danger, International Suspense, and a Very Nervous Frog by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Summary: The president of Kprshtskan is plotting to infiltrate the science fair at Hubble Middle School in Maryland in order to take over the United States government, but when Toby Harbinger, an ordinary student, makes up his mind finally to win the fair, the terrorists’ plans go awry. 394 p., Disney Editions.

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Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka

Summary: How did Jon Scieszka get so funny? He grew up as one of six brothers with Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, and jokes told at family dinner. 106 p., Viking.

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Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by R.L. LaFevers

Summary: When mummies go missing all over London, eleven-year-old Theodosia puts aside her fight against the Serpents of Chaos to save her father, who is suspected in the thefts, all the while avoiding a string of new governesses. 387 p., Houghton Mifflin Co.

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Big Mouth by Deborah Halverson

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Sherman Thuff, a student at the tomato-obsessed Del Heiny Junior High, has his hopes set on being a competitive eater, but when his training regimen begins to seriously interfere with his enjoyment of life and he even starts losing his friends, he decides he should rearrange his priorities. 342 p., Delacorte Press.

Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: 14 Writers Weigh In edited by Marissa Walsh

Summary: Eight powerful short stories and six moving personal essays sound off on body image, self-esteem, diets, eating disorders, fashion magazines, and more, written by some of the most popular teen writers today, including Carolyn Mackler, Daniel Pinkwater, Megan McCafferty, Eireann Corrigan, and others. 224 p., Clarion Books.

Imperfections by Lynda Durrant

Summary: In 1862 Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, fourteen-year-old Rosemary Elizabeth strives to fit in with the Shaker sisters of this “Heaven on Earth,” but yearns to be reunited with her mother and siblings from whom she was separated when they sought refuge from her abusive father. Includes facts about Shakers and Morgan’s Raiders.  176 p., Clarion Books.

Stolen by Vivian Van Velde

Summary: A girl finds herself running through the forest at the edge of a village with no memory of anything, even her own name, and later learns that she might be twelve-year-old Isabelle, believed to be stolen by a witch six years before. 158 p., Marshall Cavendish.

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The Witches of Dredmoore Hollow by Riford McKenzie

Summary: Strange things begin happening at Elijah’s New England home just before his twelfth birthday in 1927, especially after two aunts he had never met whisk him away to Moaning Marsh, where he realizes that they are witches who need something from him in order to remove a curse. 264 p., Marshall Cavendish Children.

Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee

Summary: After living happily in a warm home with an eleven-year-old boy, a pit bull terrier is forced to survive on the streets, where its brave deeds surprise many residents who dislike or fear pit bulls. 197 p., Scholastic.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Summary: An orphaned boy is raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard. 312 p., HarperCollins Publishers.

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The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan by Nancy Springer

Summary: While fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes endeavors to save her friend Lady Cecily Alistair from an unwelcome arranged marriage, she meets with some assistance from her older brother, Sherlock, and interference by the eldest, Mycroft. 183p., Philomel Books.

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The Letter Writer by Ann Rinaldi

Summary: A young girl who serves as letter writer for her blind stepmother is haunted by her unwitting role in Nat Turner’s Rebellion, one of the bloodiest slave uprisings in the history of America. 224 p., Harcourt Children’s Books.

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