Summary: An unlucky twelve-year-old Norwegian boy named Odd leads the Norse gods Loki, Thor, and Odin in an attempt to outwit evil Frost Giants who have taken over Asgard. 117 p., Harper.
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
October 22, 2009 by Ms. LisaThe Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
October 22, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, Benedict Society members Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance follow clues on an adventure that threatens to separate them from their families, friends, and even one another. 391 p., Little, Brown and Company.
Leo and the Lesser Lion by Sandra Forrester
October 22, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: In Depression-era Alabama, twelve-year-old Mary Bayliss Pettigrew struggles to understand why her beloved older brother, Leo, died and whether she, miraculously, survived for some special purpose. 298 p., Alfred A. Knopf.
The Hanging Hill by Chris Grabenstein
October 22, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: During rehearsals for a play based on his stepmother’s bestselling children’s books, eleven-year-old Zack discovers that the director is planning to raise a horde of evil specters from the dead by offering up a human sacrifice. 322 p., Random House.
Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia
October 12, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: A pale, spotted, almost cloud-like coat makes the snow leopard uncannily invisible in its rocky mountain habitat. Author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop accompany conservationist Tom McCarthy and his team as they travel to Mongolia’s Altai Mountains to gather data about snow leopard populations in an attempt to save this endangered species. 48 p., Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Emmaline and the Bunny by Katherine Hannigan
October 12, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: Everyone and everything in the town of Neatasapin is tidy, except Emmaline who likes to dig dirt and jump in puddles, and wants to adopt an untidy bunny. 94 p., Greenwillow Books.
Everything for a Dog by Ann M. Martin
October 12, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: In parallel stories, Bone, an orphaned dog, finds and loses a series of homes, Molly, a family pet, helps Charlie through the grief and other after-effects of his brother’s death, and lonely Henry pleads for a dog of his own. 211 p., Feiwel and Friends.
The Runaway Dragon by Kate Coombs
October 12, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: When her beloved dragon Laddy runs away from the castle, Princess Meg and some of her friends embark on a quest to find him and bring him home. 292 p., Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
That Doggone Calf by Bill & Carol Wallace
October 12, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: A new calf and a ranch’s loyal herding dog disagree, but eventually they learn to get along together. 137 p., Holiday House.
Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley
October 12, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: After learning that she is an extremely powerful fairy, twelve-year-old Zaria Tourmaline uses her magic to try to learn about her parents’ and brother’s disappearance three years before, and to explore the human world–activities which put her and all of Feyland at risk. 357 p., Egmont USA.
The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman
October 12, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: After the destruction of the planet Atherton, Edgar must journey to a dark and damaged world named Earth in order to find the secrets of his civilization’s past. 350 p., Little, Brown.
A Savage Thunder: Antietam and the Bloody Road to Freedom by Jim Murphy
September 27, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: In September 1862, two great armies faced each other across Antietam Creek. The outnumbered Confederate forces were led by General Robert E. Lee. The Union army was led by General George B. McClellan. Jim Murphy uses archival photographs, maps, and firsthand accounts to recreate one of America’s most important battles. 103 p., Margaret K. McElderry Books.
This Book is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch
September 27, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass’s mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo! The ransom…the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it’s too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo’s chocolate success? 394 p., Little, Brown and Company.
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Color by Joyce Sidman
September 27, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: The names of colors are woven into unrhymed poems that celebrate the seasons. 32 p., Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
September 27, 2009 by Ms. Lisa
Summary: Here is the story of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon — a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away by steady astronauts in their great machines. 48 p., Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
