Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Ogress and the Orphans
By Kelly Barnhill
The once-lovely town of Stone-in-the-Glen has fallen on hard times. Only the wise and clever children of the Orphan House and the kindly Ogress who lives at the edge of town see clearly how dire things are. (Recommended for ages 9-11; Running Time: 13 hours)
The Last Beekeeper
By Pablo Cartaya
To prove that she belongs in a place where only the smartest and most useful are welcomed, 12-year-old Yolanda learns that her survival rests on the rediscovery of a long-extinct beehive that could be the answer to everything. (Recommended for ages 8-12; Running Time: Approx. 7 hours)
The Stolen Slippers
By Melissa De la Cruz
To get the glass slipper back from Cinderella, Filomena and her gang return to Never After where they must help Cinderella’s twin stepsisters–who are victims of her cruelty–as spells, creatures and evil swirl around them. (Recommended for ages 9-12; Running Time: 7 1/2 hours)
Historical Fiction
Stories from Real Life
Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life
By Cheryl Blackford
A fascinating biography of Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time. (Recommended for ages 10-13; Running Time: 3.75 hours)
The Snowy Owl Scientist
By Mark Wilson
It’s July on Alaska’s North Slope, and scientist Denver Holt is in Utqiagvik surveying nests. Denver has been coming here since 1992, and the snowy owls he studies have been coming here much longer: thousands of years. With its mix of coastal, low-elevation tundra and a rich presence of lemmings, the North Slope is the only area in Alaska where snowy owls regularly nest. How do snowy owls decide where they will nest? How do they manage to arrive at locations where food will be abundant? What drives the success of these delicate tundra ecosystems? These are the mysteries Denver is trying to solve to help ensure a bright future for these elegant hunters. (Recommended for ages 10-14; Running Time: 2 1/2 hours)
Just a Girl: A Story of World War II
By Lia Levi
A Jewish girl grows up during a difficult time of racial discrimination and war, and discovers light in unexpected places. (Recommended for ages 9-14; Running Time: 2 hours)
Historical Fiction
Loyalty
By Avi
To avenge his father, Noah becomes a spy for the British during the American Revolution, witnessing firsthand the hypocrisy, lies, and allegiances that come with war, and must determine for himself where his loyalty truly lies. (Recommended for ages 9-12; Running Time: 10 hours)
Troublemaker
By John Cho
On the first night of rioting in the wake of the Rodney King verdict, Jordan’s father leaves to check on the family store, spurring twelve-year-old Jordan and his friends to embark on a dangerous journey through South Central and Koreatown to come to his aid, encountering the racism within their community as they go. (Recommended for ages 9-13; Running Time: 5 hours)
Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves
By Laura Elliott
In 1941, after Hitler declares war on the US, unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships, Louisa June, with the waves outside her house carrying dangerous enemies, must help her mother after her father and brother are caught in the crossfire. (Recommended for ages 9-12; Running Time: 6 hours)