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Writer's pictureAmanda Reed

New Youth Books July 2020 Part 2

Updated: Jul 14, 2020

This is part 2 of the new book releases for the Juvenile section. Hope you see something you like! If you are interested in any of these titles, let us know and we will put them on hold for you!

"Frozen II: The Deluxe Junior Novelization" by Disney


Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and produced by Peter Del Vecho, Walt Disney Animation Studios' feature-length follow-up to 2013's Oscar(R)-winning film Frozen is a record-breaking blockbuster. Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, and Jonathan Groff are reprising their roles in an all-new story that sees Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven journey to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond Arendelle. This hardcover deluxe junior novelization is based on Disney Frozen 2 and expands on the film to include deleted and alternate scenes from the script. It's perfect for girls and boys ages 8 to 12.


"Song For a Whale" by Lynne Kelly


The story of a deaf girl's connection to a whale whose song can't be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him.


From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she's the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she's not very smart. If you've ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.


When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to "sing" to him! But he's three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him? Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience!


"I'm OK" by Patti Kim


Recipient of an Asian/Pacific American Honor Award for Literature for youth. Ok Lee knows it’s his responsibility to help pay the bills. With his father gone and his mother working three jobs and still barely making ends meet, there’s really no other choice. If only he could win the cash prize at the school talent contest! But he can’t sing or dance, and has no magic up his sleeves, so he tries the next best thing: a hair braiding business.


It’s too bad the girls at school can’t pay him much, and he’s being befriended against his will by Mickey McDonald, the unusual girl with a larger-than-life personality. Who needs friends? They’d only distract from his mission, and Ok believes life is better on his own. Then there’s Asa Banks, the most popular boy in their grade, who’s got it out for Ok.


But when the pushy deacon at their Korean church starts wooing Ok’s mom, it’s the last straw. Ok has to come up with an exit strategy — fast.


"Bad Kitty: Kitten Trouble" by Nick Bruel


There's terrible news in the neighborhood next to Kitty's!


A conflict there is growing worse and worse. It started as an argument and has now turned into a full-fledged fight. Worst of all: The cat shelter has been destroyed.


Kitty's family decides it's time to do something to help. They have an idea to foster as many displaced kittens as possible.


Kitty won't mind, right?


Well . . . not exactly. Kitty does seem to mind. She minds A LOT.


Will our favorite bad-tempered friend learn to share her space, her food, and **GASP!** her toys?


Find out in this hilarious and poignant addition to the Bad Kitty series.


"I Can Make this Promise" by Christine Day


Inspired by her family’s history, Christine Day tells the story of a girl who uncovers her family’s secrets — and finds her own Native American identity.


All her life, Edie has known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. So, no matter how curious she might be about her Native American heritage, Edie is sure her family doesn’t have any answers.


Until the day when she and her friends discover a box hidden in the attic — a box full of letters signed “Love, Edith,” and photos of a woman who looks just like her.


Suddenly, Edie has a flurry of new questions about this woman who shares her name. Could she belong to the Native family that Edie never knew about? But if her mom and dad have kept this secret from her all her life, how can she trust them to tell her the truth now? An American Indian Youth Literature Honor recipient.


"Indian No More" by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell


Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government signs a bill into law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight even though she was given a number by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.


With no good jobs available in Oregon, Regina's father signs the family up for the Indian Relocation program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.


Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights Era. The family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.


In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian? Is she American? And will she and her family ever be okay? An American Indian Youth Literature Award winner.


"Big Nate: Blow the Roof Off!" by Lincoln Peirce


This latest Big Nate installment by bestselling author Lincoln Peirce will take readers on a hilarious, romantic, rock-and-roll adventure!


Nate Wright is born to be wild! And when Enslave the Mollusk is invited to play at the P.S. 38 annual open house, he and his bandmates are on the stairway to heaven. While the kids rock, the school year rolls on. Mrs. Godfrey is back in black, Gina thinks she’s hot stuff, and Coach John is dazed and confused. The good news: Nate’s finally reunited with Trudy, his summer crush. But when he finds out she’s a — gulp — seventh grader, will Nate lose that lovin’ feeling? Middle school is a long, strange trip, and this new collection of riotous Big Nate comics just might BLOW THE ROOF OFF!


"Dog Man: Fetch-22" by Dav Pilkey


Li'l Petey gets caught in some family drama in the eighth Dog Man book from worldwide bestselling author and artist Dav Pilkey.


Petey the Cat is out of jail, and he has a brand-new lease on life. While Petey's reevaluated what matters most, Li'l Petey is struggling to find the good in the world. Can Petey and Dog Man stop fighting like cats and dogs long enough to put their paws together and work as a team? They need each other now more than ever Li'l Petey (and the world) is counting on them!


Dav Pilkey's wildly popular Dog Man series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of doing good.


"Lety Out Loud" by Angela Cervantes


Can Lety find her voice before it's too late?


Lety Muñoz's first language is Spanish, and she likes to take her time putting her words together. She loves volunteering at the Furry Friends Animal Shelter because the dogs and cats there don't care if she can't always find the right word.


When the shelter needs a volunteer to write animal profiles, Lety jumps at the chance. But grumpy classmate Hunter also wants to write profiles so now they have to work as a team. Hunter's not much of a team player, though. He devises a secret competition to decide who will be the official shelter scribe. Whoever helps get their animals adopted the fastest wins. The loser scoops dog food.


Lety reluctantly agrees, but she's worried that if the shelter finds out about the contest, they'll kick her out of the volunteer program. Then she'll never be able to adopt Spike, her favorite dog at the shelter! A Belpré Author Honor Book!


"Ali Cross" by James Patterson


Alex's son Ali is eager to follow in his father's footsteps as a detective, but when his best friend goes missing, what price will he have to pay to solve the mystery?


Ali Cross has always looked up to his father, former detective and FBI agent Alex Cross. While solving some of the nation's most challenging crimes, his father always kept his head and did the right thing. Can Ali have the same strength and resolve?


When Ali's best friend Abraham is reported missing, Ali is desperate to find him. At the same time, a string of burglaries targets his neighborhood and even his own house. With his father on trial for a crime he didn't commit, it's up to Ali to search for clues and find his friend. But being a kid sleuth isn't easy especially when your father warns you not to get involved! and Ali soon learns that clues aren't always what they seem. Will his detective work lead to a break in Abraham's case or cause even more trouble for the Cross family?


"Dog Driven" by Terry Lynn Johnson


An adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness.


McKenna Barney is trying to hide her worsening eyesight and has been isolating herself for the last year. But at the request of her little sister, she signs up for a commemorative mail run race in the Canadian wilderness—a race she doesn’t know if she can even see to run.


Winning would mean getting her disease — and her sister's — national media coverage, but it would also pit McKenna and her team of eight sled dogs against racers from across the globe for three days of shifting lake ice, sudden owl attacks, snow squalls, and bitterly cold nights.


An adventure about living with disability and surviving the wilderness, Dog Driven is the story of one girl’s self-determination and the courage it takes to trust in others.


"The Forgotten Girl" by India Hill Brown


"Do you know what it feels like to be forgotten?"


On a cold winter night, Iris and her best friend, Daniel, sneak into a clearing in the woods to play in the freshly fallen snow. There, Iris carefully makes a perfect snow angel only to find the crumbling gravestone of a young girl, Avery Moore, right beneath her.


Immediately, strange things start to happen to Iris: She begins having vivid nightmares. She wakes up to find her bedroom window wide open, letting in the snow. She thinks she sees the shadow of a girl lurking in the woods. And she feels the pull of the abandoned grave, calling her back to the clearing...


Obsessed with figuring out what's going on, Iris and Daniel start to research the area for a school project. They discover that Avery's grave is actually part of a neglected and forgotten Black cemetery, dating back to a time when White and Black people were kept separate in life and in death. As Iris and Daniel learn more about their town's past, they become determined to restore Avery's grave and finally have proper respect paid to Avery and the others buried there.


But they have awakened a jealous and demanding ghost, one that's not satisfied with their plans for getting recognition. One that is searching for a best friend forever no matter what the cost.


The Forgotten Girl is both a spooky original ghost story and a timely and important storyline about reclaiming an abandoned segregated cemetery.


"Other Words for Home" by Jasmine Warga


I am learning how to be

sad

and happy

at the same time.


Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.


At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US — and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises — there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is. A Newbery Honor book!


Book Descriptions borrowed from Goodreads.com.

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