Kyle Keeley just doesn’t stand out. He’s not as strong as his brother Mike, and he’s not as smart as his brother Curtis. However, there’s one thing that can level the playing field between him and his brothers: board games—specifically, board games created by the famous Mr. Lemoncello. Winning board games depends on a good card, a lucky roll of the dice or some quick thinking. In Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, written by Chris Grabenstein, Kyle learns that his hometown’s new library was designed by Mr. Lemoncello himself, and he plans on doing whatever he can to get inside.

By using some quick thinking and ingenuity, Kyle is invited to the invitation-only lock-in at the new library, along with 11 other children. They anticipate an evening of snacks, books, games and fun. What they don’t expect is to be locked in the library and told that they must win a game created by Mr. Lemoncello himself to escape—with the winner starring in advertisements for Mr. Lemoncello’s games! If there is one thing Kyle is good at, it’s games, and he is determined to win this one. Kyle must decide, however, if he can win this game alone, or if he must work with others to decipher the clues, puzzles and tricks laid out for them.

Young readers will find themselves flying through the pages of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library wanting to know what happens next, all while jumping in surprise at what leaps off the page. A mix between playing a game of “Clue” and reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is a fun, fast-paced story, filled with interesting characters and complex puzzles that will keep just about any reader rolling the dice, spinning the spinner and flipping the cards all the way to the end.

Have you ever dreamed of living in a treehouse? Terry and Andy live in a towering treehouse beyond anything I ever imagined spending a night in. This amazing home has everything two boys could need: A secret lab, a see-through swimming pool, a giant catapult and a lemonade fountain are just a few of the surprises.

Terry and Andy work as a team to make books for their publisher, Mr. Big Nose—Terry as author and Andy as illustrator. But with all of the fascinating distractions of the treehouse, they have missed the deadline for their next book. While waiting for inspiration, the boys run into every imaginable—and unimaginable—situation, from sea monsters and mermaids to an out-of-control marshmallow shooter. Along the way, each will learn lessons in friendship and responsibility.

Australians Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, who collaborated on such previous hits as Killer Koalas from Outer Space, star as their younger selves in this clever and entertaining romp. Denton’s black-and-white illustrations, filled with expression and imaginative detail, will draw in even the most reluctant reader. From monkey poop to a burping contest, there’s also plenty of guy humor woven into the story.

In The 13-Story Treehouse, the first in a new series, young readers will find themselves giggling at the crazy antics of Terry and Andy—and undoubtedly dreaming of a treehouse all their own.

Todd Hasak-Lowy’s first book for young readers, 33 Minutes . . . Until Morgan Sturtz Kicks My Butt, is a funny story with some serious insights about middle grade boys and their friendships. While there are a lot of books out there about the friendships of girls, it’s easy to forget that boys have their own codes and paths of growth as they navigate into adulthood. 33 Minutes allows us to peak inside and see how a boy’s brain works.

The first chapter begins on a day in school at 11:41 a.m.—33 minutes until recess and the butt-kicking that Morgan plans to do to our narrator, Sam Lewis. The last chapter ends at 1:16 that afternoon, but Sam manages to tell us all we need to know in that short time. How, for instance, he and Morgan have been best friends for years but now Morgan is so angry that he can barely look at his former pal. Sam explains how the new kid Chris comes between them, along with divergent interests in football and academics, but he is hesitant to say what one thing happened that prompted Morgan to want to beat him up. By the time Sam tells us about the incident, we understand that it wasn’t just that one thing, that there were numerous little things that added up to a busted friendship.

Hasak-Lowy’s fast-paced book keeps the reader wondering—and dying to know—about Sam and what he’s going to do as the fight approaches. The story is about growing up and moving on, but It’s told with great humor as Sam tries to figure his way out of the mess. Bethany Barton’s illustrations add an immediate quality with hand-drawn pictures and funny lists. Morgan and Sam do not end up as you might expect, but the conclusion is highly satisfactory.

Hasak-Lowy has created a genuine voice in Sam Lewis, one with which any reader, whether jock or nerd, can sympathize.

Many readers know the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the story of a flying car that saves the Pott family from gangsters. However, few readers may be aware that the book’s publication in 1964 occurred a few months after the death of its author, Ian Fleming—yes, that Ian Fleming, who also created James Bond.

Two years ago, Fleming's family commissioned Frank Cottrell Boyce, of Millions and Cosmic fame, to write a sequel. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again (2012) retained the British charm of the original book, and Boyce follows that entry with Chitty Chitty Bang Band Rides Again, which ups the level of adventure—and stands on its own for those who haven't read the previous entries in this magical series.

Chitty’s new owners, the biracial Tooting family comprised of Dad, Mum, Jem, Lucy and Little Harry, have discovered a “Chronojuster” lever on Chitty, which allows them to time travel. At the story’s start, the Tootings find themselves in the Cretaceous period with a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex ready to devour them. Amid lively banter among the Tootings, the ever quick-acting Chitty rescues his family again. While the Tootings set a course to find the Potts and save the world from evil supervillains, Nanny and Tiny Jack, Chitty, always the real one in control, steers them all to 1920’s New York City and the Prohibition Era.

As the Tootings hobnob with Duke Ellington and Count Bassie, they meet Chitty’s first owner, Count Zborowski, who’s set to drive in the Prix d’Esmerelda’s Birthday Cake. Boys in particular will appreciate the race’s death-defying moments and the continued mad-cap escapades, chases, kidnappings and narrow escapes.

And as the Tootings are whisked away once more to 16^th century Amazon and a lost city of gold, Chitty goes from Bang Bang to “Bling Bling.” Boyce leaves the ending open for another sequel and time to read (or reread) the original.

Have you ever had a dream so vivid, you were sure it was real? One that you dreamed over and over until you knew the world in the dream as well as you did the real world? What would you do if you found out that world was real? In Haunters, the thrilling new novel by British author Thomas Taylor, David Utherwise must confront this question, and more. After dreaming repeatedly about a boy named Eddie who seems to live in another time and place, David is snatched by a mysterious man and introduced to a secret organization called the Dreamwalker Project.

At the Unsleep House, the heart of the Dreamwalker Project, David begins to learn about the implications of his dreams. It turns out that when David visits Eddie in his dreams, he is visiting a real person in his own time. In fact, David is visiting his own grandfather, the person who eventually discovers the ability to dreamwalk. David must quickly learn as much as he can about dreamwalking because there is a slight problem – someone is determined to bring an end to the Dreamwalker Project, and by default, David himself. In order to save the project and ensure that he will still exist, David must partner with a team of experienced dreamwalkers to discover and stop The Haunting.

Haunters is a unique novel, mixing aspects of thriller, science fiction, ghost story and historical. The mystery of dreamwalking grabs the reader in the first few pages and doesn’t let go until the exciting conclusion. For a first-time author, Taylor demonstrates a rare ability to hold the reader’s attention, and the sequel to this pulse-pounding story will be highly anticipated. 

It’s tough being Benji Wendell Barnsworth. As if being born prematurely, fainting on a regular basis and missing school all the time because of illness wasn’t enough, Benji has now ended up in the hospital after having a major seizure at school. In Jenny Lee’s Elvis and the Underdogs, Benji is faced with an impossible choice: Wear a huge, hideous helmet to protect his fragile head from falls or convince his mom to let him have a dog that can sense seizures. However, getting a dog doesn’t turn out exactly as Benji imagined.

The first clue that Elvis is not an ordinary dog is his size. He’s big—no, not just big, but HUGE! The second, and more obvious, clue, is that Elvis introduces himself to Benji as Parker Elvis Pembroke IV, the dog trained to assist the president of the United States. As in, actually introduces himself with words that Benji can understand, even though no one else seems to be able to. Unfortunately, Elvis decides that until the mistake is corrected and he is sent to help the president, he is going to use his voice to boss Benji around. This, however, begins to lead to some unintended consequences and new experiences.

Elvis manages, through stubbornness and determination, to break through the defenses of some surprising people and teach Benji that talking to new people and making friends may not be as awful as he thought.

Elvis and the Underdogs explores the hidden side of people, making the reader look at bullies, athletes and outcasts in an entirely new way. Convincingly told in Benji’s appealing voice and filled with strong, empathetic and fun characters, this heart-warming story will be enjoyed by readers trying to figure out who they really are, and where they fit in the world.

The character, Timmy Failure, may live up to his name, but the book of the same title is anything but a disappointment. Stephan Pastis, creator of the “Pearls Before Swine” comic strip, ventures into the world of children’s books with Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, bringing middle-grade readers a hilarious, multi-layered story.

As Timmy tells it, readers hold in their hands the most valuable compendium of knowledge about detective work ever written. It is also his life story, which, has had a few road blocks—including an “idiot best friend” and a 1,500-pound polar bear—that make his accomplishments all the more impressive. Timmy goes to great lengths to tell us what a great detective he is, but Pastis’ charming illustrations tell a different story. We first see Timmy and his partner, the aforementioned polar bear, bumble the simplest of cases. A boy named Gunnar hires the pair to find out what happened to his missing Halloween candy. Timmy walks by Gunnar’s brother’s room, sees him in bed surrounded by candy wrappers with chocolate all over his mouth, and jots down a note that reads, “Gabe: not tidy.”

As Timmy works through other cases, including a missing shoe and a toilet-papered house, two major events occur that threaten to keep him from achieving his goal of making Failure, Inc. the best detective agency in the world. First, the Failuremobile (a.k.a. his mom’s Segway) gets stolen, and then at school, he is assigned to work in a group with his arch nemesis, the other kid detective in his class. Timmy has to figure out a way to keep his mom from uncovering the theft of her beloved Segway (that Timmy was not allowed to touch) while also sabotaging the grades of his sworn enemy, Corrina Corrina.

Underneath all the crazy detective hijinks, misbehavior and polar bear fluff is the story of a boy struggling to realize his own potential and of a single-parent family trying to make ends meet. It takes a clever new teacher and a moment of clarity from Timmy’s incredibly understanding mother to turn Timmy’s train wreck of a year into a celebration of achievement.

Timmy Failure is truly a book for all ages–older readers will love unraveling Timmy’s personal story and younger readers will be thoroughly entertained by his sloppy sleuthing skills.

RELATED CONTENT:

Read an illustrated Q&A with author Stephan Pastis.

Watch a sneak peek of Timmy Failure, Book 2.

Sierra Shepherd is a model seventh grader at her middle school. As a member of the Leadership Club and an exclusive choir group, Sierra prides herself on her accomplishments. She makes good grades and follows the rules. The biggest rule is zero tolerance for bringing any kind of weapon to school, and Sierra would never dream of violating that one! So when she realizes that she grabbed her mother’s lunch by mistake one day and it has a paring knife in it, she does the right thing and turns it in immediately. She doesn’t expect to be put on in-school suspension while awaiting a hearing to see if she will be expelled.

The zero tolerance rule turns Sierra’s world upside down, and she begins to rethink what it means to have a one-size-fits-all policy. Meeting other kids she normally wouldn’t in the detention room allows Sierra to broaden her thoughts on “acceptable” behavior. If she thinks rules are a good idea, then shouldn’t she abide by them? Even when there are “extenuating circumstances”? The answers to these questions in Zero Tolerance are satisfying and not necessarily predictable.

Author Claudia Mills has written a compelling story. Schools often face these issues, and it’s interesting to see what such a crisis feels like from a student’s perspective. Readers could fall on either side of the issue and still find something to think about in this well-written book. Though the publisher recommends it for readers ages 8 to 12, a few instances of mature language make the writing most appropriate for the upper end of that age range. Anachronistic mentions of Game Boys and answering machines are a bit confusing, but the importance of this story is timeless.

With two older sisters and three younger brothers, Sunday is often lost in the middle. She is so tired of being overlooked and forgotten, in fact, that she is determined to do something to make herself stand out. When her father moves the family to the small town of Alma to help rebuild the local library, Sunday decides this is her chance. Somehow, some way, she will make her mark while she is there.

Sunday comes up with several ideas—planning a grand opening for the library, getting the local hermit to come out—but the best idea is to discover who wrote the manuscript for a book she finds in the basement of the library. Maybe it’s a famous author! Everyone in the world would know Sunday as the girl who discovered the lost treasure. After making friends with a local boy named Jude, she enlists his help in her quest for fame.

In A Summer of Sundays, author Lindsay Eland’s portrayal of a girl in her tweens trying to find her place in the world is spot on. Her new best friend, Jude, is an only child, helping Sunday to see that the alternative to a big family is not necessarily better. Readers will figure out who the mystery author is before Sunday does, but watching her solve the puzzle is half the fun. In the end, however, she has to decide between fame and friendship, between standing out and fitting in. She’s grown up a lot while in Alma and knows who she is and what is important to her—all of which will help her make the right choice.

Author Rosanne Parry’s first teaching job was on the Quinault Indian reservation in Taholah, Washington. Her fifth grade students at Taholah Elementary asked her why there had never been a book about them. Their questions launched Parry on a career as a writer of award-winning novels for young readers, including Heart of a Shepherd. Now, with Written in Stone, a heartfelt, meticulously researched portrait of a community in transition, Parry has provided an answer for her students, in a story dedicated to the children who inspired and welcomed her into their lives.

In 1923, Pearl is a 13-year-old girl who dreams of hunting whales like her renowned father, Victor Carver, who, she thinks proudly, is “the best whaler of the Makah, probably the best Indian whaler on the whole Pacific coast.” But Pearl’s hopes of accompanying her father are shattered when he is killed on the last whale hunt.

Pearl, who lost her mother and baby sister in the flu epidemic of 1918, must now search for her own path and find a way to carry forward and celebrate the traditions, stories and values of her family and community in a rapidly changing world.

In May 1999, the Makah successfully completed their first traditional whale hunt since the 1920s. Pearl’s story is told as a flashback on this occasion, as she remembers that last whale hunt and her own journey through her life.

In the author’s notes that provide historical context for young readers, Parry writes, “Pearl is a tribute to Native grandparents everywhere who work to keep cultural memory alive.” And it also seems clear that Written in Stone is a tribute to Parry’s fifth grade students, who shared their stories and culture with her.

Because the 11-year-old stuttering narrator of Vince Vawter’s debut novel, Paperboy, finds it too difficult to speak, he tells his story by pounding away at the keys of his father’s forgotten typewriter. Taking is so difficult, in fact, that the paperboy doesn’t even reveal his name until the story’s conclusion.

In the summer of 1959 in Memphis, the local baseball champ and budding writer takes over the neighborhood paper route while his best friend Rat (a nickname that’s easier to say than Art) goes on vacation. The substitute paperboy quickly takes an interest in the lonely, beautiful, redheaded Mrs. Worthington, who also has a penchant for afternoon whiskey, and wise Mr. Spiro, who understands both the boy’s speech impediment and his insatiable curiosity.

Although quiet with little action, this achingly beautiful, autobiographical story involves intense emotions as it shows that children can—and do—handle heavy issues. Perhaps the most painful subject for the boy is watching the racial injustice endured by his stern but loving African-American housekeeper, Mam. The story intensifies when a local vagabond raids the paperboy’s possessions and Mam must rectify the situation.

The end of summer and the paper route bring disappointment both for the boy and for readers, who grow to love the narrator as he finds his voice in a world that values constant, hurried speech. An author’s note adds information on stuttering and suggests resources for further reading.

Three cheers, or perhaps applause is more appropriate, for this fine addition to Southern storytelling that will appeal to children and adults alike.

RELATED CONTENT
Read our interview with Vince Vawter for Paperboy.

With the abundance of sibling rivalry books available, the Annie and Simon books by British author Catharine O’Neill offer a refreshing reminder that there are positive sibling relationships. Annie and Simon (2008) was inspired by the author’s daughter and her much older half-brothers. Now Annie and her “big, big brother” Simon return in Annie and Simon: The Sneeze and Other Stories with more of their gentle, episodic interactions.

In “Living Things,” the pair enjoys a summer day at a lake, with Annie drawing a crayfish, a dragonfly and other living things and Simon providing interesting facts about each one. Other stories involve plenty of fun with the family dog, the unexpected pleasure of watching a squirrel hide autumn horse chestnuts, and an innocuous sneeze from Simon that elicits full-blown TLC from Annie (including a neck blanket, a partially-used hankie and a stash of gummy bears). Loosely drawn, watercolor illustrations by the author emphasize Annie’s zest for life and Simon’s endearing and seemingly endless patience (as well as his long, spindly legs).

This nearly idyllic sister and brother aren’t completely harmonious, however. Quick glimpses of annoyance are shown with a subtle scowl from Annie or an eye roll from Simon. But quick is the key word here, for a moment later the pair is back to their light, and occasionally humorous, banter.

Beginning readers will delight in the charming yet exuberant way Annie learns about the world and plays with her older sibling. And parents won’t be able to resist a big brother who enjoys his little sister enough to give her an occasional kiss on the top of the head.

Cassie’s life has always revolved around water. On the day she was born, her town was drowned under thousands of gallons of water, turning Old Lower Grange into a giant, man-made lake. Because she has breathing problems, her mother and her doctor insist that she swim six laps a day, all summer long, in the town pool. In Below, the lyrical new middle grade novel by Australian writer Meg McKinlay, 12-year-old Cassie feels more and more drawn to the old town beneath the water and begins to realize that the lake might be hiding more than it seems.

New Lower Grange, the town that was built to replace Old Lower Grange, is full of people with secrets. Cassie’s friend Liam wears long shorts to hide the scars running down his legs. Liam’s father wanders the town, eternally constrained by the weight of a tragedy he was thought to have caused. Cassie’s father makes pottery to sell to tourists, but also specializes in ceramic “portraits,” generally made without the subjects’ knowledge or permission. The mayor of the town, Howard Finkle, the man who pulled the lever to drown Old Lower Grange, is obsessively protective of the created lake. And Cassie herself hides a secret—she has stopped swimming in the town pool and instead does her six laps a day in the restricted area of the lake above Old Lower Grange.

Below weaves the lives and stories of all these residents together, creating a narrative that is compelling, suspenseful and unique. Combining aspects of a mystery and a coming-of-age story, Below offers readers an opportunity to look beneath the surface and discover what lies below. And as the secrets of the town begin to be revealed, no amount of water can cover up what happens next!