Friday, July 30, 2010

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve: Book CoverFrom the Publisher: "Eleven-year-old Polly Peabody knows her family's world-famous rhubarb farm is magical. The plants taste like chocolate, jewels appear in the soil, bugs talk to her, and her best friend is a rhubarb plant named Harry. But the most magical thing is that every single Monday, at exactly 1:00, it rains. Until the Monday when the rain just stops. Now it's up to Polly to figure out why—and whether her brother's mysterious illness and her glamorous aunt Edith's sudden desire to sell the farm have anything to do with it. Most of all, Polly has to make it start raining again before it's too late. Her brother's life, the plants' survival, and her family's future all depend on it."

Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 358 pp.

Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt

The Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel: Book CoverFrom the Publisher: "Moxie Roosevelt Kipper has endured thirteen years of being an ordinary girl with an unordinary name. Now that she's entered boarding school, the time is ripe to reinvent herself. She'll become unusual, outlandish, unexpected, sassy—someone worthy of a name like “Moxie.“ But who exactly? From Mysterious Earth Goddess to Hale and Hearty Sports Enthusiast; from Detached, Unique, Coolly Knowing Individual to Assertive Revolutionary Activist, Moxie tries them all, while keeping her true talent for piano-playing a secret. But at boarding school, Moxie isn't the only one who isn't what she claims to be."

Publisher: Penguin, 2010, 256 pp.

Sluggers Blastin' the Blues by Loren Long & Phil Bildner

Blastin' the Blues (Sluggers Series #5) by Loren Long: Book CoverFrom the Publisher: "The year is 1899, and the Travelin' Nine are barnstorming their way across the good ol' U.S. of A., trying to raise money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt. After jumping off the train to retrieve the baseball, Woody and Griffith find themselves stranded. When they come across a familiar face, they get back on track and Griffith learns just how magical their baseball is. With the Rough Riders down a player, Graham finally gets his chance to play with them and show what he is made of. But he better be careful. There is no telling what the Chancellor is willing to sacrifice in order to use Graham's abilities to his own evil ends. And Ruby is still concerned that there is a mole in their midst and is more determined than ever to find out who is betraying them. With the opportunity to raise the most money yet at the game in New Orleans, they can't afford to let anything get back to the Chancellor. All this and there is still a game to play. Things are about to get rough in the Big Easy!"

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010, 434 pp.

Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger: Book CoverFrom the Publisher: "In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel."

Publisher: Abrams, 2010, 141 pp.

House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block

House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block: Book CoverFrom the Publisher: "In a little house from another time, with lace curtains in every window and paintings hung in gold doily frames, Wildflower, Rockstar, and Miss Selene live a warm and cozy life. They wear fancy dresses, bake play-dough cakes, and spend their days enjoying one another's company.  For the three dolls, life is small but good.  But life is not good for Madison Blackberry, the owner of the dollhouse. Her grandmother pays more attention to the dolls than to her. The dolls have one another, but she is lonely in her big, empty apartment. Then one day, as things always do—even for dolls—everything changes."

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010, 61 pp.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Countdown (The Sixties Trilogy Series) by Deborah Wiles: Book Cover
From the Publisher: "It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances. For Franny, as for all Americans, it's going to be a formative year."

Publisher: Scholastic, 2010, 400 pp.