Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate

Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his “becoming”: the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm.

Now, over a century later, Pocket serves as unofficial mayor of Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where stuffed toy animals are refurbished and given a fresh opportunity to be loved. He and his best feline friend Zephyrina, known far and wide as “The Cat Burglar,” have seen it all, and then some.

An unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness, Pocket Bear reminds us all that love comes in many forms (sometimes filled with fluff), and that second chances are always possible.

Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper)
by Kim Bussing

Ella’s spent her life dreaming about adventure, but it’s hard to have adventures when you’re stuck with a stepfamily who treat you like a servant. When she unexpectedly wakes up in a land far, far away, she’s thrilled at the chance to embark on an epic quest. That is, until she finds herself trapped once more—this time in the castle of a dangerous beast.

Belle, meanwhile, has plans. Her family’s trading company is on the brink of ruin, and to save it, she’s going to enter—and win—a royal competition in the prince’s honor. But when she unexpectedly winds up in a cellar with a wicked stepfamily who have their own plans to keep her from the competition . . . things get complicated.

Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Ella escape the beast’s clutches? And can Belle get rid of this stepfamily in time for the competition?

book 1 in The Princess Swap series

Isle of Ever by Jen Calonita

Days after her twelfth birthday, Everly “Benny” Benedict learns she’s the heir to a fortune! But to collect the inheritance, she first has to play—and win—a game. Following clues that her ancestor left, Benny must locate a small island that vanished long ago, according to legend.

She has only two weeks to play the game and find the island. If she’s successful, she’ll break a two-hundred-year-old curse. If she fails, the fortune will be forfeited. And if she’s not careful, she’ll cross paths with someone else who is after the island’s secrets, and who will stop at nothing to get them. Because, as it turns out, there’s far more than a fortune at stake.

book 1 in the Isle of Ever series

House of Horrors by Angel Luis Colón

Marc is always leaving their village to look for excitement. But when a couple of weeks go by without any word from him, Amy can’t help but worry. Digging around, she discovers Marc has gone off alone in search of someplace called Glory’s Haven, a house deep in the forests where (supposedly) the greatest adventurer their town has ever seen stashed a ton of loot. With nobody else to turn to, Amy decides to mount a solo rescue mission for her lost brother. She and Marc explored together all the time when they were little. How hard could it be to find him now?

Turns out—it’s pretty hard. After facing spiders, zombies, a roving band of illagers, and some deceptively difficult cows, Amy is beginning to realize that something is seriously off with Glory’s Haven. Like why does this house seem to go on forever? And where did all these mobs come from? Amy will have to unravel these mysteries—and fast—if she hopes to find her brother and escape the spooky house unscathed. Whether she likes it or not, she’s in for the adventure of a lifetime!

part of the Minecraft series

The Memory Spinner by C.M. Cornwell

Since her mama died, thirteen-year-old Lavender has a disastrous memory problem. She forgets her lessons with her papa, an apothecary. She develops elaborate evasions to hide her lack of memory of the herbs and remedies she must learn to attain her dream of being an apothecary apprentice. Worst of all, she forgets memories of her mama.

Despite her papa’s disdain for magic, Lavender seeks a memory remedy from a clothing enchantress named Frey. As the two develop a friendship, Frey uses her spinning magic to help Lavender re-experience past moments with her mama. Lavender hears her mama’s laughter again, her singing voice, and how it felt to be wrapped in her hugs.

But when Lavender discovers the truth about Frey’s magic and its vengeful purpose she must decide whether to stay immersed in beloved memories with her mama or save the people she loves most in the present.

Worst Wish Ever! by Wanda Coven

When Heidi finds out about a magical wishing well at her school, she’s amazed and delighted—even though students are forbidden to use it. Then, an important exam is scheduled at the very same time her crush invites her on a nature walk, and Heidi needs a magical assist.

Usually, she tries to follow the rules—really!—but she decides to use the well to wish to be in two places at once. What could go wrong?

book 5 in the Middle School and Other Disasters series

The House With No Keys by Lindsay Currie

When a strange invitation shows up in Sarah’s backpack, the Delta’s learn that their favorite funhouse, The Delta Game, is about to get some serious competition. The “Mystery Mansion” is opening just miles away and the ominous and cryptic owner has invited Sarah, West, and Hannah to come test it on opening day. It claims to be the biggest and best escape house ever, and based on the photos of gleaming rooms filled with high-tech puzzles, it just might be.

What’s more, the kids have been offered a ten-thousand-dollar prize if they escape the house. For some reason, West and Hannah seem very interested in the cash prize, but the three friends are torn because they really don’t want to be a walking advertisement for a competitor to The Delta Game. After all, that funhouse changed their lives, Sarah’s life especially.

But maybe the only way to keep the funhouse, and their friend William Taters in business, is to accept the invite to this new Mystery Mansion, escape it in record time, and show just how lame and easy it is by comparison. The trio arrive at the mansion on opening day, armed with their “fortune favors the bold” attitude. But they quickly learn that nothing is as it seems . . . and unfortunately this time, not everyone plays fair.

book 2 in The Delta Games series

Sea Swept by Leah Cypess

Daria grew up in Serema, an underwater city where merfolk and humans live together in peace. She’s not interested in life out of the water, unlike her older sister, Meria, who has fallen in love with a human prince.

Still, when Daria gets a distress message from Meria, she’s willing to trade her mermaid tail for legs if it means getting her sister back below the surface as fast as possible. Except Meria has vanished, and none of the humans will tell Daria where she is.

In the strange world above the sea, Daria will soon discover that she can’t trust anyone—and that whatever happened to her sister might happen to her next.

book 6 in the Sisters Ever After series

Away by Megan E. Freeman

After an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave their homes, a group of kids including an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist find themselves in the same evacuation camp. As they cope with the aftermath of having their world upended, they grow curious about the mysterious threat.

And as they begin to investigate, they start to discover that there’s less truth and more cover-up to what they’re being told. Can they get to the root of the conspiracy, expose the bad actors, and bring an end to the upheaval before it’s too late?

book 2 in the Alone series

Spy School Blackout by Stuart Gibbs

After a devious computer hacker pulls off the CIA’s worst-case scenario, shutting down power networks all over the world, Ben and his fellow spies-in-training are forced to make a harrowing emergency landing of their plane in Indonesia. While chaos begins to erupt around the planet, Ben deduces that his team is closer to the mysterious hacker’s base than anyone else. But with all computers and phones down, there’s no way to communicate with anyone at the CIA.

On their latest mission to save the world, Ben and his friends face a conniving villain, assassins, pirates, sharks, and very big lizards in the most remote—and deadly—location of any spy school yet!

book 13 in the Spy School series

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser

In 731 Chang’An, China, Han Yu rises every day with the first beat of the city drums to sell steamed buns in a bustling market full of whispers about his ability to summon tigers. In 1931 Chinatown, New York, Luli Lee spends her evenings gazing out at the city from the roof of her parents’ restaurant, dreaming of dim sum and Chinese art. There is a comfortable rhythm to the small but content lives of Han Yu and Luli.

But when plague strikes Chang’An and financial crisis threatens Luli’s family, each must venture out into the larger world — and into perilous adventure — to save what they love most.

Filled with wondrous caves and conniving thieves, desert storms and magical lakes, the epic journeys in Karina Yan Glaser’s absorbing and rewarding novel are a testament to the bravery required to face the unknown and the power of art to connect us through the ages.

War Games by Alan Gratz

All that glitters is not gold…

Evie can’t believe she’s made it to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After fleeing the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Evie’s family is still poor and reeling from devastating losses. She could have never guessed that the sport she took up to escape her reality would lead to this.

Now, she’s competing in gymnastics on Team USA, with some of the greatest athletes in the world like track and field star Jesse Owens.

But all is not as it seems in Berlin, a city now ruled by the Nazis and their tyrannical leader, Adolf Hitler.

And Evie has secrets of her own. With two other Olympic athletes, who each have their own reasons for despising the Nazis, Evie has been recruited for the biggest heist of the century by a mysterious criminal mastermind, who intends on robbing the Nazis right under their noses.

But Evie didn’t count on being stuck with an inquisitive Youth Services Host, Heinz, who is determined to follow her every step while concealing his own deadly secret. And she didn’t count on discovering the truth behind all of the glittering fanfare of the the Nazis are harshly persecuting Jewish people and preparing for a devastating war.

When the time comes, Evie is forced to face the reality around her, and the horrors that the Nazis can’t quite hide. She must learn how to see the truth beneath the mirage and choose between what’s right — and what might cost her everything.

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman

Clare is the undead fox of Deadwood Forest. Here, leaves grow in a perpetual state of fall: not quite dead, but not quite alive—just like Clare. Long ago, he was struck by a car, and, hovering between life and death, he was given the choice to either cross into the Afterlife or become an Usher of wandering souls. Clare chose the latter: a solitary life of guiding souls to their final resting place.

Clare’s quiet and predictable days are met with upheaval when a badger soul named Gingersnipes knocks on his door. Despite Clare’s efforts to usher her into the Afterlife, the badger is unable to leave Deadwood. This is unprecedented. Baffling. A disturbing mystery which threatens the delicate balance between the living and the dead.

Desperate for help, Clare and Gingersnipes set out on a treacherous journey to find Hesterfowl—the visionary grouse who recently foretold of turmoil in Deadwood. But upon their arrival, Hesterfowl divulges a shocking revelation that leaves Clare devastated, outraged, and determined to do anything to change his fate.

StormClan’s Folly by Erin Hunter

Stripestar has always imagined a life beyond the forest, but, as leader of ThunderClan, he knows that his duty to his clanmates comes first. When tragedy strikes and WindClan’s leader, Galestar, approaches with an offer of allyship, he swiftly accepts. But he and Galestar have history, a connection that only deepens as they continue to work together.

Galestar loves being a WindClan cat, but her relationship with Stripestar makes her question the strict Warrior code that forbids them from being together. Determined to build a family, she and Stripestar decide to combine their clans into one: StormClan. However, StarClan refuses to approve, and vows to punish them for breaking with Clan tradition.

Stripestar and Galestar decide to leave the forest and seek new land for their Clan. But they are soon faced with the reality of life without StarClan’s guidance, sending them down a path of peril, loss, and despair. Can these cats find the way forward without StarClan, or are they doomed to a grim fate that will echo for generations to come?

book 18 in the Warriors Super Edition series

Partypooper by Jeff Kinney

You’re Invited—RSVP for Fun!

Expect gobs of fun and over-the-top antics as Greg throws an epic birthday party for none other than himself. So come celebrate and laugh alongside Greg, his family, and the entire world of Wimpy Kid fans.

book 20 in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

The Thread of Destiny by Aimee Lim

Evie Mei has literally been to hell and back. And while the trip to Diyu, the Chinese underworld, alongside Kevin was a grueling feat filled with endless horrors, nothing compares to the fact that she was unable to bring her mother back.

She now has the great responsibility to assume the role her mother once held: head weaver in the magical Guild. Spinning people’s fates sure seemed easier said than done, and now Evie finds herself buried in Guild duties while trying to maintain a strained relationship with her best friend.

What could make a 13-year-old’s life even more complicated? Escaped monsters from the underworld that broke through when she returned to Earth. A mysterious yellow fog that seems to be turning their city upside down and hinting at an approaching massive force they aren’t prepared to fight. Not to mention the looming man who sent her mom to the underworld in the first place (and her aunt’s fiancé). Can’t a girl catch a break?!

book 2 in the Weavers of Legacy and Fate series

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin

Jin is a Stone Lion—one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time.

What isn’t a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world.

But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him.

Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate…or risk losing everything.

The Library of Curiosities by Jenny Lundquist

After being expelled from boarding school—again—Rowan isn’t sure what to expect upon arriving at Fitzgerald Manor. But it sure isn’t this. The estate is opulent. Lush. Grand. Mind-boggling. And at the heart of it all is Cillian Fitzgerald, her enigmatic grandfather, and his pride and joy: the Library of Curiosities.

Now, everyone knows that libraries are the best. But the Library of Curiosities is the best of the best, because its collection contains a vast trove of magical objects from which lucky patrons can borrow to fix their everyday problems. Still stuck on that language arts story assignment? Try writing it on the enchanted typewriter and see if that doesn’t get the words flowing. Hoping to land the lead in the school musical? Check out a wishing sock. (Use high heat to activate.)

It doesn’t take long for Rowan to realize that in this wondrous place, her own problems—her painful want of family, her deep desire for friends—might actually be solved for the first time in her life.

Except …

Dawn of the Dragons by Mari Mancusi

A million years ago, temperatures dropped, and the dragons went underground to save their species. Now the Earth’s temperatures are rising, meanwhile the dragons are waking too…

Twelve-year-old Lucas doesn’t know much about dragons, except what he’s read in books and seen on TV. But when his friend’s father warns him that the dragon apocalypse is near, Lucas can’t shake the feeling that what he’s saying may be true.

Afraid yet curious, Lucas is drawn to sight of smoke in the nearby mountains, and there, he discovers an injured young dragon named Cinder. Inspite of all known danger, Lucas rescues her to safety and is amazed to find she’s not the monster he was warned to fear. Soon begins a friendship against all odds, and Lucas realizes, beyond the surface of scales and skin, they’re more alike than different.

Still, every day, more dragons are appearing, towns are burning, and a simple misunderstanding has spiraled into violence and bloodshed. Will humans and dragons find a way to coexist?

book 0 in the New Dragon City series

The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner

One summer.
46 mountain peaks.
A second chance to make things right.

Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a star athlete and firefighter hero who always ran toward danger until he died two years ago. Finn’s about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines . . . until now.

Caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he’s in big trouble for kicking down some dead old lady’s headstone. But it turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer…climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks with her dead mother’s dog, and they can call it even.

In a wild three months of misadventures, mountain mud, and unexpected mentors, Finn begins to find his way on the trails. At the top of each peak, he can see for miles and slowly begins to understand more about himself and his dad. But the mountains don’t care about any of that, and as the clock ticks down to September, they have more surprises in store. Finn’s final summit challenge may be more than even a hero can face.

The Gorgon’s Fury by Brandon Mull

Satyrs Newel and Doren are maturing into more responsible citizens after helping put an end to the dragon rebellion. But the thought of growing out of adolescence has the two goatmen in crisis mode. If that isn’t enough to worry about, a few unlucky inhabitants of Fablehaven have been found petrified, turned to stone, including fellow satyrs. Could this new threat be the workings of a dangerous gorgon?

Newel and Doren become intrigued after an informant divulges information about a legendary Listening Doll—a talisman with the power to reveal the antidote for any magical malady—hidden somewhere in the Florida swamplands. If the mystical doll can solve any problem, maybe she has the answer of how to turn back the clock, so they won’t have to grow up.

Perhaps a trip to Florida is just what Newel and Doren need to get their mojo in time to win the annual Satyr Games. Two new challengers, Barrett and Hoff, are talking smack about dethroning Newel and Doren as perennial champions. And the new opponents have a smartphone!

Finding the Listening Doll and saving Fablehaven is important, sure. But Newel and Doren are also desperate for a smartphone of their own. Let the adventure and the games begin!

book 1 in the Tales of Newel and Doren series

One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Twelve-year-old Atlas Wade has been trying to forget the memory of his mother by climbing mountains ever since she died when he was nine years old. When his father signs them up for an expedition group hoping to be the first to ever summit the unconquerable Mount Everest, Atlas can’t wait for the chance to prove himself to his father, and maybe finally he can leave his mother behind him on the mountain.

But this time, Atlas is the one left behind, as well as a young American girl named Maddie and their sturdy yet injured Sherpa, Chodak. When news breaks out that war has returned to Europe, and that Nazis are attempting their own summit dangerously nearby, Atlas and Maddie plead with the expedition to come back down.

Their warnings come too late. Atlas looks up that same morning to see an avalanche and when they receive no word from the group, Maddie and Chodak join Atlas as he begins a dangerous journey up the mountain in the hopes of finding survivors.

Atlas, Maddie, and Chodak will have to rely not just on their own wits for survival, but on each other as well, especially as sickness, bad weather, and their fears of a Nazi spy watching them puts their mission — and lives — at risk in the brutal terrain. And Atlas will have to learn how to let go if he wants any chance of finding his father and fixing the rift between them caused by his mother’s death, before it’s too late.

A Wolf Called Fire by Rosanne Parry

Warm is the smallest pup, the one his father calls the heart of the pack. But all Warm sees is his bigger brothers Sharp and Swift, even his sisters Pounce and Wag, winning all the wrestling matches. Just as Warm is finding his place, enemy wolves destroy and scatter the pack. Warm helps lead the pups away from the fight, only to find himself alone with four pups to defend and feed. Can he be both the heart and the head of a new pack? Does he have to choose the aggressive leadership style of his father and brothers? Or is there another way?

A Wolf Called Fire is a stand-alone companion novel to A Wolf Called Wander. It’s inspired by Wolf 8, a real Yellowstone wolf who was the smallest of his pack and constantly bullied by his bigger brothers. Wolf 8 survived a tumultuous first year and grew up to be a different sort of leader—one who fought many rival wolves to submission but never killed any. He had a rare talent for mentoring young wolves and became the patriarch of the largest and most successful pack in Yellowstone by choosing a more collaborative and generous leadership style.

part of the Voice of the Wilderness series

London Calling by James Ponti

Cairo, the newest member of the City Spies, takes the lead when his sister disappears in Istanbul. Determined to save the family of one of their own, the team risks discovery as their search leads them to Rome. Meanwhile, there’s been intel that seems to threaten the royal wedding about to take place in Westminster, bringing the team back to the UK on an official case for MI6.

With so much security all over the city, it’s harder than ever for the City Spies to go unnoticed. Will their skills be up to the task?

book 6 in the City Spies series

Hurricane Heist by James Ponti

When a category three hurricane hits Miami Beach, it uncovers a body buried at the renowned Moroccan Hotel. The body is identified as the man who served as the hotel’s bell captain sixty years ago…and the presumed culprit of the million-dollar jewel heist that took place just before his disappearance.

Since the bell captain clearly didn’t take off with the goods as had been long believed, the Sherlock Society sets their sights on uncovering the real culprit of the theft. But when the thief may also be implicated in the bell captain’s murder, even sixty years later, there are people who want the truth to stay buried.

book 2 in The Sherlock Society series

Survive This Safari by Natalie D. Richards

Twelve-year old Lucy can’t believe her luck when she is selected for the Wildlands Safari Escape Challenge, which involves solving a series of mind-bending puzzles to unlock access to new animal habitats across the local safari park. Her team will be racing the Wildlands Ambassadors, a group of student animal experts. And if they win, wildlife-loving Lucy will get the chance to be an Ambassador herself!

But this challenge is trickier than Lucy expects—her team is in for a wild ride! Broken locks, downed electronics, and empty animal enclosures are just the start. Lucy discovers something truly Wildlands’ beloved baby elephant is on the loose and might be in danger! The team is sure this can’t be part of the competition—and with their walkie-talkie on the fritz, they have no way to call for help.

Their fun puzzle has turned into a serious test, but Lucy and her team will surprise everyone with how they tackle the real Wildlands challenge.

The Dragon’s Apprentice by James Riley

STOP. Don’t read any further. There are magic spells in this book, and the Emperor has forbidden anyone from learning magic, because it’s way too dangerous! If you try one of the spells, any number of terrible things might happen (or so the Emperor says).

Don’t be like Ciara, a twelve-year-old girl living in the tiny village of Skael. When she used a spell from within this book, she ended up summoning a dragon. A DRAGON! Those things breathe fire! From their mouths! She’s obviously doomed.

And don’t listen if Ciara tells you that dragons won’t hurt humans, and that they even once taught us magic, a thousand years ago. Definitely don’t pay any attention to the fact that the dragon she summoned, Scorch, might be willing to help rescue Ciara’s mother and free her village from the Emperor and his Warden, because it’s all obviously a big lie. So put this book down, and forget about it. Magic is just way too dangerous. After all, you wouldn’t want to summon your own dragon, would you?

book 1 in The Dragon’s Apprentice series

The House at the Edge of Magic by Amy Sparkes

Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her life in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures. When she steals a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman’s purse, she knocks on its tiny door and watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggeldy house.

Inside she finds a host of magical and brilliantly funny characters, including Flabberghast – a young wizard who’s particularly competitive at hopscotch – and a hideous troll housekeeper who’s emotionally attached to his feather duster. They have been placed under an extraordinary spell, which they are desperate for Nine to break. If she can, maybe they can offer her a new life in return…

book 1 in The House at the Edge of Magic series

The Tower at the End of Time by Amy Sparkes

Nine and her friends have broken the curse on their marvellous, magical House, and are free to travel the worlds once more! Their first stop: The Wizarding Hopscotch Championships.

There’s only one problem: the House is nervous about travelling – and gets the hiccups! Bouncing from world to world with every “HIC!”, they finally land at the championships, only for Flabberghast to have an unfortunate run-in with square number seven, and find himself faced with the terrible Tower at the End of Time.

But maybe here they can find out how to cure the House’s hiccups, and Nine might finally discover who left her the beloved music box, and who she really is…

book 2 in The House at the Edge of Magic series

Infinity’s Secret by Katie & Kevin Tsang

It’s been five years since the Dragon Realm fell into the Human Realm and both populations are now living side by side. But dangerous magical creatures are threatening to disrupt the peace and it’s up to a new group of heart-bonded humans and dragons to protect the world – the Dragon Force.

Under the watchful eye of seventeen-year-old Billy Chan, Lance Lo, his younger sister Zoe and new friends enrol at Camp Claw to learn all the skills they need to become protectors. But when Camp Claw is mysteriously attacked and an evil plot is exposed, it’s up to the latest recruits to prove they’ve got what it takes to save the day.

book 1 in the Dragon Force series