J.R.R. Tolkien

epic tales

Middle Earth

Chronicles the adventures of the inhabitants of Middle-earth and Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who brought home to The Shire the One Ring of Power

The Hobbit

Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Little Princess is a 1905 children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is a revised and expanded version of Burnett’s 1888 serialised novel entitled Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin’s Boarding School, which was published in St. Nicholas Magazine. According to Burnett, she had been composing a play based on the story when she found out a lot of characters she had missed. The publisher asked her to publish a new, revised story of the novella, producing the novel. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children.” It was one of the “Top 100 Chapter Books” of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.

A Little Princess

Cicely Mary Barker

Experience the beauty and the magic of Cicely Mary Barker’s famous Flower Fairies, with a new edition of Flower Fairies of the Autumn.

The magic and loveliness of Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies, newly rejacketed and updated with a contemporary look, is a perfect gift for Flower Fairies fans and a new generation of readers.

First published in the 1920s, Cicely Mary Barker’s original Flower Fairies books have been loved for generations. The book features poems and full-color illustrations of over 20 flowers and their guardian fairies.

Flower Fairies of the Autumn

Faith  Erin  Hicks

Every time it is invaded the City gets a new name, but to the natives in is the Nameless City, and they survive by not letting themselves get involved–but now the fate of the City rests in the hands of Rat, a native, and Kaidu, one of the Dao, the latest occupiers, and the two must somehow work together if the City is to survive.

The Nameless City

Dana Simpson

“A pink, bubble-gum bonbon of a tale spun of a likable, albeit self-centered, fourth-grader and her magical, self-obsessed, although sometimes-kind, unicorn.” –Kirkus Reviews Book seven in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series! NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR! Marigold Heavenly Nostrils is no ordinary unicorn. She has Wi-Fi-enabled appendages. She’s the most enchanted babysitter of all time. She’s published numerous scholarly articles on the “shimmering” versus “glimmering” debate. She is, in short, a unicorn of many hats. Phoebe and her exceptional hooved pal are back in this all-new collection of comics! Laugh alongside the lovable duo as they question the idea of “coolness,” gain a deeper appreciation for the power of friendship, and put off summer reading assignments for as long as physically possible.

Unicorn of Many Hats

Justin LaRocca Hansen

Two ordinary objects turned a pair of brothers into superheroes. Now they must fight the evil Trench right in their own neighborhood. When Tuck and Hudson return from their first adventure as the superheroes Stretch and Brella, they’re still reeling from the shock of their newfound powers. But there’s no time to slow down. Trench, a supervillain whose powers came from the very same garage sale where Tuck and Hudson found their magic scarves and umbrella, lives around the corner—and he’s out to get the brother superhero duo. With help from their squirrel companion, Steen, and another newly minted superhero, a neighborhood girl named Elvira, the brothers keep fighting the good fight, with plenty of action and adventure along the way.

In The Trenches

Lari Don

When Molly Drummond finds herself in a curse-lifting workshop with four magical classmates - a kelpie, a dryad, a sphinx and a toad - she’s determined not to believe that she can be magically cursed. But whenever a dog barks, Molly suddenly becomes a small and very fast hare.

The Beginner's Guide to Curses

Ben Sears

Plus Man is a roguish knave without equal, an antihero in his own mind. His coolheaded robot, however, knows better. This odd couple has just been given a break: a tip on a score of valuable alloy. The catch? The alloy is in a haunted castle. One really haunted castle.

Night Air

Jennifer Rush

A thrilling new urban fantasy filled with magic and motorcycle gangs from Jennifer Rush, author of the Altered saga–perfect for fans of Beautiful Creatures. Eighteen-year-old Jemmie Carmichael has grown up surrounded by magic in the quiet town of Hawthorne, New York. In her world, magic users are called “kindled,” and Jemmie would count herself among them if only she could cast a simple spell without completely falling apart. It doesn’t help that she was also recently snubbed by Crowe, the dangerous and enigmatic leader of the Black Devils kindled motorcycle gang and the unofficial head of their turf. When the entire kindled community rolls into Hawthorne for an annual festival, a rumor begins spreading that someone is practicing forbidden magic. Then people start to go missing. With threats closing in from every side, no one can be trusted. Jemmie and Crowe will have to put aside their tumultuous history to find their loved ones, and the only thing that might save them is the very flaw that keeps Jemmie from fully harnessing her magic. For all her years of feeling useless, Jemmie may just be the most powerful kindled of all.

Devils & Thieves

Libba Bray

The Diviners are back in this thrilling and eerie third installment by #1 New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray. New York City.1927.Lights are bright.Jazz is king.Parties are wild.And the dead are coming… After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They’re more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. Out on Ward’s Island, far from the city’s bustle, sits a mental hospital haunted by the lost souls of people long forgotten–ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the man in the stovepipe hat, also known as the King of Crows. With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they’ve ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation–a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves. Heart-pounding action and terrifying moments will leave you breathless in the third book of the four-book Diviners series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray.

Before the Devil Breaks You

David Michael Slater

Mauro Sorghienti

Before there were books, there were Words of Power, and those who spoke them could rule the world… Dexter and Daphna Wax don’t quite fit in, even with each other. She loves reading, and he loathes it, but neither is pleased by their “special” thirteenth birthday gift, a ruined old book full of nonsense. But the moment it enters Daphna and Dexter’s lives, bizarre things begin to happen. Why is their father, who found the book, suddenly so distant? Is the old man who took it from him some kind of hypnotist? Why is a giant, red-eyed man-child menacing them? Now Dex and Daphna have to work together to stop the old man from ruining their lives. But as they unravel the secrets of the Book of Nonsense, they will discover the truth about their own extraordinary destiny.

The Book of Nonsense

Nicola Davies

Anastasia Izlesou

A girl who changes into a hare to evade a cruel lover. One in a series of short stories that explore the deeper, darker side of our connection with the natural world.

Inspired by ancient folk tales and a love of nature. Be ready to feel a little bit of magic, and perhaps a few shivers down the spine.

The White Hare

Lisa Mcmann

Ten years after Alex and Aaron Stowe brought peace to Quill and Artimé, their younger twin sisters journey beyond Artimé in the third novel in the New York Times bestselling sequel series to The Unwanteds, which Kirkus Reviews called “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.”

 Devastated by loss and hampered by war, Fifer struggles to regroup and continue the search for her twin. Meanwhile Thisbe, pounded by images of Grimere’s dark history, contemplates her abandonment and considers leaving Rohan behind in a risky move that could take her home…or to her death.

Dragon Ghosts

Amy Chu

Janet K. Lee

Dive into this visually stunning, middle-grade graphic novel about a spunky Vietnamese American surfer girl and her cantankerous talking cat who plunge into a fantasy world of oceanic marvels . . . and mayhem!

Trot, a Vietnamese American surfer girl, and Cap’n Bill, her cranky one-eyed cat, catch too big a wave and wipe out, sucked down into a magical underwater kingdom where an ancient deep-sea battle rages. The beautiful Sea Siren mermaids are under attack from the Serpent King and his slithery minions–and Trot and her feline become dangerously entangled in this war of tails and fins.

This beautiful graphic novel was inspired by The Sea Fairies, L. Frank Baum’s “underwater Wizard of Oz.” It weaves Vietnamese mythology, fantastical ocean creatures, a deep-sea setting, quirky but sympathetic main characters, and fast-paced adventure into an imaginative, world-building story.

Sea Sirens

philosophy

imagination

“One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” Few books have been as universally cherished as The Little Prince, the haunting, lyrical fable that explores the very meaning of life. This deluxe seventieth anniversary gift set includes a hardcover book with the original full-color illustrations, along with two audio CDs (and exclusive download) of the unabridged text, narrated by Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen, beloved for his role as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Rediscover the beloved story that begins with a simple picture and blossoms into a spellbinding adventure. This title has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 4-5, Stories).

The Little Prince

Lois Lowry

memory

values and virtues

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

The Giver

John Bellairs

Mrs. Zimmermann hasn’t regained her powers from her last encounter with dark magic, and Uncle Jonathan and Lewis have left for the summer to travel, leaving her and Rose Rita bored and lonely at home. That is until Mrs. Zimmermann sees visions and shadows of her old magic teacher, Granny Wetherbee, trying to contact her from beyond the grave. Mrs. Zimmermann and Rose Rita set off to Pennsylvania to solve the mystery and in doing so travel back in time to Granny Wetherbee, who tells them that they must save a good wizard who is destined to die for a wrongdoing he didn’t commit.

The Ghost in the Mirror

Lewis Carroll

Christopher Myers

Why shouldn’t the Jabberwocky be a fourteen-fingered, slam-dunking beast?
Lewis Carroll challenged readers’ imaginations with his most famous poem, “Jabberwocky”. Here, Christopher Myers takes on that challenge by brilliantly re-imagining it as a face off on the basketball court. In this fresh take on the classic poem, our brave hero has mad skills, and with the help of his Vorpal 2000s, he emerges triumphant.

Jabberwocky

Neil Gaiman

Michael Reaves

When Newbery Medal winner Neil Gaiman and Emmy Award winner Michael Reaves teamed up, they created the bestselling YA novel InterWorld.  
   
InterWorld tells the story of Joey Harker, a very average kid who discovers that his world is only one of a trillion alternate earths. Some of these earths are ruled by magic. Some are ruled by science. All are at war.  
   
Joey teams up with alternate versions of himself from an array of these worlds. Together, the army of Joeys must battle evil magicians Lord Dogknife and Lady Indigo to keep the balance of power between all the earths stable. Teens—and tweens and adults—who obsessively read the His Dark Materials and Harry Potter series will be riveted by InterWorld and its sequel, The Silver Dream.

InterWorld

Mallory Reaves

The heart-pounding conclusion to the bestselling InterWorld series, from Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, and Mallory Reaves! Eternity’s Wheel is full of time and space travel, magic, science, and the bravery of a young boy who must now face his destiny as a young man.

Joey Harker never wanted to be a leader. But he’s the one everyone is looking to now that FrostNight looms, and he’ll have to step up if he has any hope of saving InterWorld, the Multiverse, and everything in between.

Eternity's Wheel

Chris Riddell

fractured fairy tales

curses

helping others

In a beautiful collaboration, New York Times bestselling and Newbery and Carnegie Medal-winning author Neil Gaiman and Kate Greenaway-winning illustrator Chris Riddell have created a thrillingly reimagined fairy tale, “told in a way only Gaiman can” and featuring “stunning metallic artwork” (GeekInsider.com).

The result is a beautiful and coveted edition of The Sleeper and the Spindle that the Guardian calls “a refreshing, much-needed twist on a classic story.”

In this captivating and darkly funny tale, Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell have twisted together the familiar and the new as well as the beautiful and the wicked to tell a brilliant version of Snow White’s (sort of) and Sleeping Beauty’s (almost) stories.

This story was originally published (without illustrations) in Rags &amp;amp;amp; Bones (Little, Brown, 2013). This is the first time it is being published as an illustrated, stand-alone edition, and the book is a beautiful work of art.

The Sleeper and the Spindle

Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever.

As she did in THE GIVER, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira’s plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future.

Gathering Blue

They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive? She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice.

Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver, as well as Gathering Blue and Messenger where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other? As the future Queen of Arendelle, Princess Elsa’s life is full of expectation and responsibility-not to mention, questions. What type of ruler will she be? When will she have to pick a suitor? And why has she always harbored the feeling that some critical piece of herself is missing? Following the unexpected death of her parents, Elsa is forced to answer those questions sooner than she’d hoped, becoming the sole ruler of her kingdom and growing lonelier than ever. But when mysterious powers begin to reveal themselves, Elsa starts to remember fragments of her childhood that seem to have been erased-pieces that include a very familiar-looking girl. Determined to fill the void she has always felt, Elsa must take a harrowing journey across her icy kingdom to undo a terrible curse . . . and find the missing Princess of Arendelle.

Conceal, Don't Feel: A Twisted Tale

Aisha Saeed

This stunning original novel will tell an all-new story set in the world of the new film, featuring Aladdin and Jasmine. A magic carpet ride full of adventure, suspense, and wonder written by New York Times Bestselling author Aisha Saeed, this story will be a must-read for any Aladdin fans who find themselves drawn into and enchanted by the magical world of Agrabah and beyond.

Aladdin: Far from Agrabah

What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. It should be simple–a dragon defeated, a slumbering princess in a castle, a prince poised to wake her. But when the prince falls asleep as his lips touch the fair maiden’s, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over. With a desperate fairy’s last curse controlling her mind, Princess Aurora must escape from a different castle of thorns and navigate a dangerously magical landscape–created from her very own dreams. Aurora isn’t alone–a charming prince is eager to join her quest, and old friends offer their help. But as Maleficent’s agents follow her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are and, moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

Once Upon a Dream: A Twisted Tale

What if Aladdin had never found the lamp? This paperback edition of the first book in the A Twisted Tale line will explore a dark and daring version of Disney’s Aladdin. Plus, it includes an excerpt of book two, Once Upon a Dream, a twist on Disney’s Sleeping Beauty! When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war. What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again. Praise for A Whole New World “A magic carpet ride of a book! A fun and unpredictable retelling of the classic Aladdin story, a must-read for all of us Disney fans!” -Melissa de la Cruz

Whole New World: A Twisted Tale

What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she’s the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king’s visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king-and the prince-out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella’s own Fairy Godmother. Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it’s too late.

So This Is Love: A Twisted Tale

Gene Luen Yang

Gurihiru

Michael Heisler

Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko bring The Promise to its explosive conclusion! The Harmony Restoration Movement has failed, and the four nations are plunged back into war! In the midst of the battle, can Aang and Fire Lord Zuko mend the rift between them, or will Aang be forced to take actions that can’t be undone? Written by Eisner winner and National Book Award nominee Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and drawn by Gurihiru(Thor and the Warriors Four), this is the adventure Avatar fans have been craving!

Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 3

Hearts and loyalties collide in this electrifying New York Times bestseller from critically acclaimed author Jennifer A. Nielsen – in paperback alongside Book Two!Jennifer A. Nielsen’s New York Times bestseller The Traitor’s Game, which Entertainment Weekly called the next big YA fantasy, is perfect for fans of the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard and the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won’t stop her from being drawn back into her father’s palace politics. He’s second-in-command to the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this – and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home. The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. One of the rebels, Simon, has his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both have to decide what – and who – it is they’re fighting for.

Traitor's Game (the Traitor's Game, Book One), Volume 1

Anne McCaffrey’s best-selling Harper Hall Trilogy is a wonder-filled classic of the imagination. “Dragonsong,” the first volume in the series, is the enchanting tale of how Menolly of Half Circle Hold became Pern’s first female Harper, and rediscovered the legendary fire lizards who helped to save her world.

Dragonsong

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age: Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride–or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia–the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances–one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.This title has Common Core connections.

The Prince and the Dressmaker

Obert Skye

Ozzy Toffy’s adventure, which began in Wizard for Hire, continues when one dark and windy night, he gets out of bed, jumps out his window, and walks straight into the ocean.  More than ever, Ozzy could really use the services of Rin, the wizard he hired to help find his parents–but Rin is missing, despite Ozzy’s continual attempts to contact him. And Clark, the mechanical bird his father left him, is as peculiar and vain as ever.  When a mysterious package arrives, Ozzy and his good friend Sigi are sure that the plane ticket and thumb drive they find inside are from Rin. Trying to get Clark through security at the airport proves complicated–as most things are with Clark. But when they arrive in New York, they discover there’s even more adventure in store for them.  Will Rin return and save the day? Will Ozzy figure out why he keeps walking into the ocean? Can Sigi find a way to trust her delinquent father? Will someone please appreciate Clark the way he’d like to be appreciated? For once? Wizard for Hire: Apprentice Needed is a story filled with humor and excitement that shows us the magic in everyday things.

Apprentice Needed

In The City on the Other Side,  a young girl stumbles into a pitched war between two fairy kingdoms, and the fate of San Francisco itself hangs in the balance!Sheltered within her high-society world, Isabel plays the part of a perfectly proper little girl–she’s quiet, well-behaved, and she keeps her dresses spotlessly clean. She’s certainly not the kind of girl who goes on adventures.But that all changes when Isabel breaches an invisible barrier and steps into another world. She discovers a city not unlike her own, but magical and dangerous. Here, war rages between the fairies of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Only Isabel, with the help of a magical necklace and a few new friends, stands a chance of ending the war before it destroys the fairy world, and her own.From Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson comes a colorful fantasy graphic novel set in early twentieth century San Francisco.

The City on the Other Side

From Tamora Pierce, the first book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet, honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award. “From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.” In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom. Disguised as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, and magic, as well as polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna’s first adventure begins–one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and make her a legend in the land.

Alanna: The First Adventure

Tim Probert

New York Times bestselling author Kazu Kibuishi says of Lightfall: “Beautifully drawn. Tim Probert has created a world readers will want to visit.”For fans of Amulet and middle grade readers who love sweeping worlds like Star Wars, the first book of the Lightfall series introduces Bea and Cad, two unlikely friends who get swept up in an epic quest to save their world from falling into eternal darkness.  Deep in the heart of the planet Irpa stands the Salty Pig’s House of Tonics &amp;amp;amp; Tinctures, home of the wise Pig Wizard and his adopted granddaughter, Bea. As keepers of the Endless Flame, they live a quiet and peaceful life, crafting medicines and potions for the people of their once-prosperous world.All that changes one day when, while walking through the woods, Bea meets Cad, a member of the Galdurians, an ancient race thought to be long-extinct. Cad believes that if anyone can help him find his missing people, it’s the Pig Wizard.But when the two arrive home, the Pig Wizard is nowhere to be found–all that’s left is the Jar of Endless Flame and a mysterious note. Fearing for the Pig Wizard’s safety, Bea and Cad set out across Irpa to find him, while danger fights its way out of the shadows and into the light. Will these two unexpected friends find the beloved Pig Wizard and prevent eternal darkness from blanketing their world? Or has Irpa truly seen its last sunrise?

The Girl & the Galdurian

Emily, Trellis, and Vigo visit Algos Island, where they can access and enter lost memories. They’re hoping to uncover the events of Trellis’s mysterious childhood – knowledge they can use against the Elf King. What they discover is a dark secret that changes everything. Meanwhile, the Voice of Emily’s Amulet is getting stronger, and threatens to overtake her completely.

Firelight

Ryan Andrews

A 2019 Booklist Editor’s ChoiceA 2019 Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the YearA 2019 Parents Magazine Best Children’s Books of the Year Ryan Andrews’s This Was Our Pact is an astonishing, magical-realist adventure story for middle-grade readers. It’s the night of the annual Autumn Equinox Festival, when the town gathers to float paper lanterns down the river. Legend has it that after drifting out of sight, they’ll soar off to the Milky Way and turn into brilliant stars, but could that actually be true? This year, Ben and his classmates are determined to find out where those lanterns really go, and to ensure success in their mission, they’ve made a pact with two simple rules: No one turns for home. No one looks back. The plan is to follow the river on their bikes for as long as it takes to learn the truth, but it isn’t long before the pact is broken by all except for Ben and (much to Ben’s disappointment) Nathaniel, the one kid who just doesn’t seem to fit in. Together, Nathaniel and Ben will travel farther than anyone has ever gone, down a winding road full of magic, wonder, and unexpected friendship. And a talking bear.

This Was Our Pact

Five-hundred years ago, sorcery began to fade from the world. As technology prevailed, combustion engines and computers replaced enchanted plows and spell books. Real magicians were hunted almost to extinction. Science became the primary system of belief, and the secrets of spell-casting were forgotten. That is … until now.  Sorcery for Beginners is no fantasy or fairy tale. Written by arcane arts preservationist and elite mage Euphemia Whitmore (along with her ordinary civilian aide Matt Harry), this book is a how-to manual for returning magic to an uninspired world. It’s also the story of Owen Macready, a seemingly average 13-year-old who finds himself drawn into a centuries-long war when he uses sorcery to take on a school bully. Owen’s spell casting attracts the attention of a ruthless millionaire and a secret society of anti-magic mercenaries, all of whom wish to use Sorcery for Beginners to alter the course of world history forever.

Sorcery for Beginners: A Simple Help Guide to a Challenging & Arcane Art

Boya Sun

Beryl lives in a world full of toys. But these aren’t your ordinary toys–they’re mechanical marvels that almost seem alive! And at the slightest touch, these toys “catalyze,” that is, they merge with their owner and give them special abilities.But not Beryl. She’s a Neon Knight, and Neon Knights can’t catalyze. Beryl does have a special ability that no one knows about–she’s an inventor who can turn a broken toy into an amazing, new creation. When a powerful Oxygen Knight named Coro discovers Beryl’s secret workshop, she wants in on the fun. But can a Neon Knight and an Oxygen Knight ever get along? Find out in Boya Sun and Kate Reed Petty’s Chasma Knights.

Chasma Knights

From the illustrator of the web comic Strong Female Protagonist comes a debut middle-grade graphic novel about family, identity, courage – and magic.In thirteen-year-old Aster’s family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn’t shifted . . . and he’s still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be.When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help – as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family . . . and be truly himself.

Witch Boy

Red is 16 and lives with Granny in a cottage in the village, where boarding up the house and hiding during Wolfstime is a means of survival. Red help’s Granny with Granny’s baked good business, catering as well as door-to-door sales. Red has a constant internal battle between her wild side and her strict, overprotective upbringing, and the issue of “control” as she discovers she has a hot temper when the “mean girls” push her too far. (“When we learn to control it, we needn’t fear it,” Rumpelstiltskin says in the series.) She has flashbacks to her 13th year when she received her cloak and the nickname “Red.” Plagued by nightmares she doesn’t understand and a temper she can’t control, Red struggles to save Granny’s troubled business and to nurture her budding romance with Peter, even as the betrayal of her classmates awakens the wolf within.

Once Upon a Time: Red's Untold Tale

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.’It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backward.’In Carroll’s sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice once again finds herself in a bizarre and nonsensical place when she passes through a mirror and enters a looking-glass world where nothing is quite as it seems. From her guest appearance as a pawn in a chess match to her meeting with Humpty Dumpty, Through the Looking Glass follows Alice on her curious adventure and shows Carroll’s great skill at creating an imaginary world full of the fantastical and extraordinary.

Through the Looking Glass

Cori Doerrfeld

Cici has a lot to figure out. She’s learning how to make friends. She’s learning how to be a better big sister. Oh, and she’s learning how to use her fairy powers! Things look easy for Kendra, a popular girl at Cici’s school. So when Cici finds Kendra’s lost doll, she uses her magic to play a trick: change the doll, and Kendra changes too! It’s only a joke–but the changes could last forever if Cici doesn’t learn to see the best in people.

Truth in Sight

diaries

natural disasters

In this New York Times best-seller, when a meteor knocks the moon closer to earth, Miranda, a high school sophomore, takes shelter with her family in this heart-stopping post-apocalyptic thriller that’s “absorbing from first to last page.”* (Publishers Weekly, starred review)  I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s still would be open. Like one marble hitting another, when the moon slams closer to earth, the result is catastrophic. Worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun.  As August turns dark and wintery in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.  Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, Life as We Knew It chronicles the human struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all–hope–in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

Life as We Knew It

The 4th installment in the New York Times best-selling A TWISTED TALE series asks: What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang’s great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang’s spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise–or become King Yama’s prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it’s too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him–and be lost in the Underworld–forever? For more twisted adventures, dry the other books in the A TWISTED TALE series: A Whole New World by Liz BraswellOnce Upon a Dream by Liz BraswellAs Old As Time by Liz BraswellPart of Your World by Liz BraswellMirror, Mirror by Jen CalonitaConceal, Don’t Feel by Jen CalonitaStraight On Till Morning by LIz BraswellSo This is Love by Elizabeth LimUnbirthday by Liz BraswellGo the Distance by Jen Calonita (on sale 4/06/2021)What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell (on sale 9/07/2021)

Reflection

The 8th book in the New York Times best-selling A TWISTED TALE series asks: What if Wendy first traveled to Never Land . . . with Captain Hook?Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling’s life is not what she imagined it would be. The doldrums of an empty house after her brothers have gone to school, the dull parties where everyone thinks she talks too much, and the fact that her parents have decided to send her away to Ireland as a governess–it all makes her wish things could be different. Wendy’s only real escape is in writing down tales of Never Land. After nearly meeting her hero, Peter Pan, four years earlier, she still holds on to the childhood hope that his magical home truly exists. She also holds on to his shadow. So when an opportunity to travel to Never Land via pirate ship presents itself, Wendy makes a deal with the devil. But Never Land isn’t quite the place she imagined it would be. Unexpected dangers and strange foes pop up at every turn, and a little pixie named Tinker Bell seems less than willing to help.But when Captain Hook reveals some rather permanent and evil plans for Never Land, it’s up to the two of them to save Peter Pan–and his world. For more twisted adventures, try the other books in the A TWISTED TALE series: A Whole New World by Liz BraswellOnce Upon a Dream by Liz BraswellAs Old As Time by LIz BraswellReflection by Elizabeth LimPart of Your World by Liz BraswellMirror, Mirror by Jen CalonitaConceal, Don’t Feel by Jen CalonitaSo This is Love by Elizabeth LimUnbirthday by Liz BraswellGo the Distance by Jen Calonita (on sale 4/06/2021)What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell (on sale 9/07/2021)

Straight on Till Morning

The 10th installment in the New York Times best-selling A TWISTED TALE series asks: What if Wonderland was in peril and Alice was very, very late? Alice is different than other eighteen-year-old ladies in Kexford, which is perfectly fine with her. She’d rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian’s lively salon, ignoring her sister’s wishes that she stop all that “nonsense” and become a “respectable” member of society. Alice is happy to meander to Miss Yao’s teashop or to visit the children playing in the Square. She’s also interested in learning more about the young lawyer she met there, but just because she’s curious, of course, not because he was sweet and charming.  But when Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects–the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar. There’s something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. And as Alice develops a self-portrait, she finds the most disturbing image of all–a badly-injured dark-haired girl asking for Alice’s help. Mary Ann. Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts’ tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so . . . before the End of Time? For more twisted adventures, try the other books in the A TWISTED TALE series: A Whole New World by Liz BraswellOnce Upon a Dream by Liz BraswellAs Old as Time by Liz BraswellReflection by Elizabeth LimPart of Your World by Liz BraswellMirror, Mirror by Jen CalonitaConcel, Don’t Feel by Jen CalonitaStraight On Till Morning by Liz BraswellSo This is Love by Elizabeth LimGo the Distance by Jen Calonita (on sale 4/06/2021)What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell (on sale 9/07/2021)

Unbirthday: A Twisted Tale

Chad Sell

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and All’s Faire in Middle School, this sequel to the Eisner Award-nominated The Cardboard Kingdom follows the kids as they solve the mystery of a new neighborhood monster. A mystery is afoot in the Cardboard Kingdom. Vijay, the Beast, renounces his title after being bullied by neighborhood teenagers. No one–not his big sister Shikha or his friends–can seem to draw him back out of his shell. That very night is when it starts. At first, no one believes Nate, who breaks his leg trying to pursue what he saw from his bedroom window. But then there’s another, and another. An unknown monster has been spotted roaming the Kingdom after dark. It’s ghastly, it’s quick, and it might even have giant tentacles. Or claws. Or wings. Okay, there might be some varied testimonies on what exactly this monster looks like. Forget Halloween–the newly minted Monster Mashers will go to any lengths to protect the Kingdom and uncover this mystery. But how did the monster get here? What does it want? And mostly importantly, who is behind its creation? The Cardboard Kingdom: Roar of the Beast was created, organized, and drawn by Chad Sell with writing from nine other authors: Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, and Barbara Perez Marquez.

Roar of the Beast

From the creator of the acclaimed graphic novel The Witch Boy comes a new adventure set in the world of magic and shapeshifting – and ordinary kids just trying to make friends.Aster and his family are adjusting to his unconventional talent for witchery; unlike the other boys in his family, he isn’t a shapeshifter. He’s taking classes with his grandmother and helping to keep an eye on his great-uncle whose corrupted magic wreaked havoc on the family. Meanwhile, Aster’s friend from the non-magical part of town, Charlie, is having problems of her own – a curse has tried to attach itself to her. She runs to Aster and escapes it, but now the friends must find the source of the curse before more people – normal and magical alike – get hurt.

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