Fast Five Fiction: Back to School

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. Now that everyone's settled back into their school routine it seemed an opportune time to share some books and series with a school setting that may not have been on your radar.  

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

No matter what anyone tells you, I'm real.

That's what the note says that Max finds under his keyboard.

He knows that his best friend, Josie, wrote it. He'd know her handwriting anywhere. But why she wrote it--and what it means--remains a mystery.

Ever since they met in kindergarten, Max and Josie have been inseparable. Until the summer after fifth grade, when Josie disappears, leaving only a note, and whispering something about "whatnot rules."

But why would Max ever think that Josie wasn't real? And what are whatnots?

As Max sets to uncover what happened to Josie--and what she is or isn't--little does he know that she's fighting to find him again, too. But there are forces trying to keep Max and Josie from ever seeing each other again. Because Josie wasn't supposed to be real.

This middle grade thriller from Margaret Peterson Haddix delves into the power of privilege, the importance of true friendship, and the question of humanity and identity. Because when anyone could be a whatnot, what makes a person a real friend--or real at all?

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Ana's parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family's she's got left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. Ana's freshman year culminates with the class's weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret. She only hopes she has what it'll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to the ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory of their lives.

But wait, there's more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that their rival school, Land Institute, and Harding-Pencroft have been fighting a cold war for a hundred and fifty years. Now that cold war has been turned up to a full broil, and the freshman are in danger of becoming fish food. In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

Explorer Academy series by Trudi Trueit

Adventure, danger, and a thrilling global mission await 12-year-old Cruz Coronado as he joins an elite school for explorers.

Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world's leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there's more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future. In the midst of codebreaking and cool classes, new friends and augmented-reality expeditions, Cruz must tackle the biggest question of all: Who is out to get him ... and why?

Ungifted series by Gordon Korman

The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

This series takes place in a world where mages can draw on the elements (earth, fire, water, and air) as sources of magic. Young potential mages travel to a school called The Magisterium to study magic, hone their powers, and prepare to fight the evil source of magic in their world…chaos magic.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. To succeed at the Iron Trial and be admitted into the vaunted Magisterium school would bring bad things. But he fails at failing. 

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Ice Cream

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. Our theme for story time this week is Ice Cream! Since the hot August weather makes it a great time to indulge in some ice cream, today's book recommendations all center around ice cream. 

The Ice Cream Machine by Adam Rubin

From the wild and wonderful imagination of the author of Dragons Love Tacos comes this hilarious, irresistible debut collection of six totally different stories with the same exact name.

In these six stories, set in six distinct worlds, you'll meet a boy and his robot nanny traveling the globe in search of the world's tastiest treat, a child mechanical prodigy who invents the freshest dessert ever, and an evil ice cream truck driver who strikes fear in the heart of every kid in town.

You'll be transported to a beachside boardwalk with an ice cream stand run by a penguin, a hilltop realm ruled by a king with a sweet tooth, and a giant alien space lab with a lone human subject who longs for a taste of home.

Each story features black-and-white interior illustrations from a different artist, including Daniel Salmieri, Charles Santoso, Liniers, Emily Hughes, Nicole Miles, and Seaerra Miller, making this book unlike any you've ever seen. So grab a cup or a cone, and watch out for brain freeze! You'll definitely want to save room for this treat.

The Ice Cream Kid: Brain Freeze

When Irwin Snackcracker leaves for school in the morning all he can think about is pizza, tater-tots, and winning first place in the booger contest. He leaps down the bannister, quickly eats breakfast before brushing his teeth and dashing out the door. Little does Irwin know, this day will change his life. He is just one brain freeze away from superpowers! When Irwin unexpectedly scores the last Fudgsicle left in the ice cream cart at school, he finds out that he is no longer an ordinary fourth grader. Taking a big bite of the delicious frozen treat transforms Irwin into "The Ice Cream Kid" who, with a steady supply of ice cream, has the ability to run at lightning speed and talk to animals along the way!

 Even though Irwin isn't sure if he wants to fight crime, he puts riding bikes with his friends on hold to learn how his new powers work. With his superhero Grandpa and sarcastic side-kick, Bert the pigeon, Irwin learns to control his powers, culminating in the ultimate showdown with Sweaty Crocker, the villainous evil lunch lady, poisoner of children.

Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck's Ice Cream Wish by Viola Butler

What happens when you wish for all the ice cream you can eat? The Dairy Godmother appears to make your dairy dreams come true and to highlight dairy farming and the hard work it takes to make the popular treat.

In this fairy tale twist, Chuck gets his wish granted - poof! - by his Dairy Godmother. She transports Chuck onto his very own dairy farm - because what better way to have all the ice cream you could ever eat? With humor and heart, Chuck learns how farmers care for cows, what cows eat, and what happens to all that milk. Through his journey, Chuck gains an even deeper love and appreciation for his favorite food.

Young readers will love this "dairy tale" that details the inner workings of a dairy farm and what it takes to be a dairy farmer - and where ice cream comes from.

This book is perfect to pair with a trip to an ice cream shop, dairy farm, or to inspire kids to make their own ice cream at home.

The Giant Ice Cream Mess by Tina Kugler

When competitive fox siblings Fritz and Franny hear the ice cream truck on their street, they both imagine making the sweetest treat with different flavors and toppings. But there's just one problem: Their mom says they can only have one scoop each! Maybe Fritz and Franny need to ask Fred -- their adorable dog -- which flavor is best?Geisel Honor winner Tina Kügler's easy-to-read text and humor-filled, full-color artwork will have young readers everywhere laughing out loud!

I Love You More than Ice Cream by Becky Davies

It's time for bed, but this lucky young girl has a very special and different way to do it every night! Mommy tucks her in and says she loves her more than unicorns, chocolate fountains, doughnuts, and Ferris wheels shaped like pizzas. Grandpa loves her more than friendly aliens, and the little girl loves her grandpa more than dinosaurs in ballroom gowns on Mars. And Daddy loves her more than rainbow capes and castles made of flowers. A sweet, funny book to share with a little one at bedtime!

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Dolls & Dollhouses

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. All of our summer reading activities have been stored and we've put our dollhouse out in the imagination station. Todays booklist is inspired by our doll house and includes stories featuring dolls and dollhouses. 

The Doll People series by Ann M. Martin

The Doll family, beautifully crafted china dolls, has been passed down through four generations of girls in one American family. Annabelle Doll is eight years old and has been for over 100 years. Not a lot has happened to her, cooped up in the dollhouse, with the same doll people, day after day, year after year...until the Funcrafts move in. Unlike the cautious, traditional Doll family in every way, the Funcrafts are carefree and delivered straight from the factory shelves. Tiffany Funcraft is made entirely of plastic and lives in the scariest room of the house, but she's an adventurer and after 100 years of boredom, that's just what Anabelle needs. Especially when she vows to solve a decades-long family mystery.

Doll Bones by Holly Black

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they've been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her.

But they are in middle school now. Zach's father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she's been having dreams about the Queen--and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave.

Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen's ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

Dolls and Trucks are for Everyone by Robb Pearlman

Dolls and trucks are for boys and girls, as are dancing shoes, figure skating and hockey, and many more activities and hobbies. Robb Pearlman and Eda Kaban create a celebratory read-aloud book that defies gender stereotypes and encourages the youngest readers to reach for the stars and to follow their dreams no matter what.

Doll-e 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey

A STEM-friendly tale of a girl and the doll she upgrades to be her new friend, for fans of The Most Magnificent Thing and Rosie Revere, Engineer.

Charlotte's world is fully charged! With her dog at her side, she's always tinkering, coding, clicking, and downloading. She's got a knack for anything technological--especially gadgets that her parents don't know how to fix! Then, she receives a new toy that is quite a puzzle: a doll! What's she supposed to do with that? Once she discovers the doll's hidden battery pack, things start to get interesting...while her faithful canine sidekick wonders if he'll be overshadowed by the new and improved Doll-E 1.0! With a little ingenuity and an open mind, everyone can be friends in this endearing, modern tribute to the creative spirit of play.

This is my Dollhouse by Giselle Potter

A little girl proudly walks the reader through her handmade dollhouse, pointing out the bricks she painted on the outside, the wallpaper she drew on the inside, the fancy clothes she made for her dolls, and the little elevator she made out of a dixie cup. She's proud of her house and has lots of fun using her imagination to play with it--until she discovers her friend Sophie's store-bought "perfect" house. Sophie thinks her house with everything matching and even a toilet seat that goes up and down is pretty perfect too, until both girls discover that the narrator's handmade dollhouse is really a lot more fun.

Happy Friday and happy reading!