Young Reader

Ten-year-old Raymie’s dad has run away with a dental hygienist. Raymie can’t make him return unless, she reasons, he sees her photo in the paper as the baton-twirling winner (she’s never twirled a baton) of the Miss Central Florida Tire Competition of 1975. Two other girls covet this prize, each for their own similarly unreasoned reasons. The three girls become loyal friends and, without winning a contest, win a respite by rescuing each other. Droll, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant. Grades 4–7. - Ga

Priyanka’s mother refuses to discuss why she left India at 18…. A pashmina shawl stowed in an old suitcase sends Pri on “journeys” to India when she puts it on, and a cry to [the goddess] Shakti for help results in a phone call from an aunt she’s never met, inviting her to her mother’s home country. The pashmina goes with her, and as aunt and niece bond, Priyanka learns of her mother’s secret past and the power of the shawl, which gives the woman who wears it a vision of how to take the next step in life… The graphic-novel format keeps the story light…sorting the players’ many journeys through actual and imaginary spaces with shifts in background color. A fantasy with humor and substance, this is a book for girls seeking empowerment and agency. Grades 4–8. —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Gidwitz plunges into medieval France to tell the incredible story of three gifted children, a holy greyhound, and the people whose lives they touch. Taking cues from The Canterbury Tales, he nimbly weaves history, excitement, and multiple narrative threads into a taut, inspired (and illuminated) adventure. Grades 5–8. —Booklist Editors Choice 2016

There are enough hidden tunnels, concealed traps, and enigmatic secrets, hair-raising surprises, quirky characters, and ethical dilemmas to keep the plot buzzing. Fans of the Mysterious Benedict Society series will welcome Stewart’s latest puzzling adventure, whose seemingly ordinary hero [11-year-old Reuben] proves quite extraordinary. Grades 5 and up. —Kirkus

Unrhymed sonnets tell the story of Nelson’s 1950s youth, spent mostly on air force bases and in predominantly white communities. A culminating scene—in which she must read aloud a poem containing racist language—leads to a realization of the power of words. Black-and-white photographs and spare, blue-tinted illustrations allow readers space to visualize Nelson’s detailed imagery. Grades 6 and up. —Horn Book Fanfare 2014

Everyone needs Gracie to be fine. So, she’s fine with people accidentally bringing up her sister who died before she was born. She’s fine when her crush, AJ, turns out to have feelings for her best friend, Sienna. She’s even fine when Sienna asks her to write text messages to AJ for her, like some sort of middle school Cyrano. Engaging and well written. Gracie’s hilarious voice shines in an otherwise awkward situation. Grades 6–8. - Ivy

Clayton Byrd yearns to be, like the grandfather he misses, “a true bluesman among bluesmen.” Musical in its language, this novel is both an homage to the blues and an exploration of familiar territory for Williams-Garcia, asking (as she did in the just-about-perfect One Crazy Summer) if a person can be singularly devoted to their art and still be a responsible and loving parent. An interesting examination of an artist’s life and choices. Grades 4–7. - Ga

This blend of historical fiction and selkie mythology packs a punch even greater than its cinematic adaptation, John Sayles’s film The Secret of Roan Inish. Young Fiona McConville has returned to the small cluster of Scottish islands to stay with her grandparents. When she sees Jamie—her younger brother who was lost at sea years before—alive and running about the abandoned island of Ron Mor, she is determined to reconnect with him. In language both poetic and practical, Fry captures the mystery and magic of the sea and the voice of the Scottish fishing families who call it home. Perfect for fans of Anne of Green Gables or Sarah, Plain and Tall. Ages 8–11. - Molly

A smart, environmentally conscious underdog story with a lot of heart and a little sci-fi…rewardingly complex. Grades 4–7.  —Horn Book Magazine, starred review

This sea salt-skinned, sun-limned historical novel (1920s Cape Cod) is comforting and dangerous in equal measure. Crow’s contentment living on the island with the painter Osh (and neighbor Miss Maggie) is unmistakable. Osh rescued Crow when she skiffed ashore as a newborn 12 years prior, and only recently is Crow asking herself, “From where?” An abandoned leper colony, a treasure, and an unconscionable thief are all part of the answer in this possible Newbery contender. Grades 4–8. - Ga