Welcome To Our Kids' Section!
Middle Grade Books (Ages 11-14)
New Releases
Maile Meloy
Maile Meloy’s Apothecary is a wonderful mix of historical fiction (post-WWII Britain, cold war spies & knee socks) and fantasy (mystical book, magical spells & impossible adventures) that culminates in a race to save the world. A fantastic gem for Harry Potter fans!
Jennifer A. Nielsen
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
Raina Telgemeier
From the bestselling author of Smile comes another delightfully realized account of middle school. Caillie loves drama, but the on and off-stage drama might be too much even for her when two cute brothers get involved.
Jon Scieszka
Back with an all-star cast of writers and the perfect subject, this year's Guys Read will be an easy home-run hit, even with the most reluctant reader. Don't miss these wonderful prequels:
Rick Riordan
Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await.
Rick Riordan is the author of the New York Times #1 bestselling The Lost Hero and The Son Of Neptune, the first two books in his Heroes of Olympus series.
Michael Scott
Legendary alchemist Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have only one day left to live, and in that short time they are tasked with stopping the monsters which have escaped from Alcatraz Island on their quest to destroy San Fransisco and then the world...
Tony Diterlizzi
Reminiscent of the magical vision of Hayao Miyazake, this futuristic fable follows the gruelling quest for sanctuary across a hostile landscape by a young girl and her mechanical nanny after their life support pod is destroyed by bandits. Odd, beautiful, compelling and full of strange and wondrous creatures, it ends with a doozy of a cliffhanger … but luckily the sequel is out now!
Iain Lawrence
In the early 1900s, a wild white pony is captured and forced to endure many years of hard work and cruelty. When the pony is selected to accompany the explorer Robert Falcon Scott, it soon becomes a race against rival Roald Amundsen to be the first team to reach the South Pole. Only one team can triumph and not everyone-nor every animal-can survive.
Marissa Meyer
Book #1 in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder is a futuristic re-telling of Cinderella as a cyborg. Set in the future plague-ravaged city of "New Beijing", Lihn Cinder's status as a cyborg means she is considered a second-class citizen. With the emperor on his death bed, and the country on the brink of an intergalactic war, Cinder may play a bigger part in all this than she could have ever imagined. Complete with an evil step mother and the forbidden attraction to Prince, Cinder is a gripping dystopia with classic fairy tale roots.
James Patterson
James Patterson is the bestselling author of many novels for all ages including The Maximum Ride Series and the Alex Cross mysteries. This Wimpy Kid reminiscent story centres on Rafe, a former wallflower and bully target who decides to make a name for himself in his first year at Middle School, and what better way to do that than to attempt to break every rule in the school's Code of Conduct? Everything from chewing gum to pulling the fire alarm is on his agenda, but just how far will Rafe get before someone figures out his game and he'll be forced to face the truth about his motives. Surprising, hysterical and bittersweet, this is a fantastic read for boys and girls.
Kit Pearson
Full of adventure, magic and wit, this novel is sure to please fans of Lemony Snicket. Peter Nimble is blind, orphaned, and the best thief in the world. One afternoon, while picking pockets, he discovers and steals a box of magical eyes. When he tries on the first pair, an adventure begins that takes him to a Vanished Kingdom. Full of wordplay and wry asides, this book has humour and a fairy-tale’s sense of wonder.
Kit Pearson
This novel is just what we expect from Kit Pearson--one of our very favourite authors! A touching story with brilliantly realized characters, and a mystery that carries us to the roots of the story and ourselves. It's 1932 and Polly and Maud are traveling to live with their grandmother on an island between Victoria and Vancouver. There, they are welcomed into a large and warm family; however, Polly refuses to forget her previous life with a loving father. The sisters share a dramatic secret about their past, and even as Polly grows into her new and happy life, she cannot help but probe the dark mysteries of her (and her family's) secret.
All-Time Favourites
Brian Selznick
Brian Selznick, author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is back with a brand new, beautifully illustrated novel. Two intertwining stories, one told through words and the other in pictures, blend seamlessly and with breathtaking imagery. Set fifty years apart, Ben longs for the father he's never known and Rose dreams of a mysterious actress she chronicles in a scrapbook. When both children discover clues, they set off separately on adventures that weave together in complex and mesmerizing ways.
S. Terrell French
This is a fast-paced, funny, inspiring read. Julian is having a bad year. He's been sent to live with his high-powered uncle and uptight aunt, and soon they plan to ship him off to math camp. But everything changes when Julian intercepts an angry email and discovers that his uncle plans to cut down a grove of some of the last and oldest California Redwood trees. Julian and his two friend, the hilarious Danny and the spunky Robin, come up with a plan to stop this ecological crime that includes a secret trip to the forest and a tree-house stand-off. A great adventure story and a book about kids who stand up for what's important. One of our recent favourites!
Jamieson Findlay
A sweet and delightful novel about an 11-year-old girl, Emmeline, who—after suffering from a long illness and falling into a coma—can no longer speak. Her bohemian grandma decides to take her on a summer trip up the Rideau Canal, aboard the floating bookstore, Permanent Wants. Along the way, Em, her grandma, their pet cat, two crickets, and their other quirky friends travel to places (some real and some imaginary). They have a series of adventures—they discover a map to a country that might never have existed and search for a long-lost language—and these show Emmeline that “you are not your circumstances, you are not your weaknesses, you are not your mistakes. Your real story is out there for the making.” This is a book written by a booklover, about a very quiet and brave girl.
R J Palacio
One of the most touching novels we have read in a while, Wonder tells the story of August (Auggie) Pullman. Born with host of medical conditions and a severe facial deformity, August would rather confront the world from behind a space helmet if he could. Now he’s about to go to school for the first time. Ever. August is sure he’s basically a normal kid—but how can he convince his new classmates to look past appearances? For fans of Schooled, Origami Yoda, and other wonderful books about special people.
Adam Rex
A fantastic book about what happens when a girl named Gratuity, a cat named Pig, and an alien named J.Lo join forces to save the world from another group of aliens! Both hilarious and dystopic, this novel is great for both boys and girls. One of our favourites!
John Stephens
Rarely have time travel, magic and adventure been combined as well as in this novel. Years ago, Kate, Michael, and Emma were taken from their home in the dead of night by a mysterious man. Since then they have been sent from one terrible orphanage to another, never knowing the truth about their past or family. When the trio find a magical book in the basement of their latest curious home, they are sent on an adventure into the past and across worlds. In order to return to the present, they must alter the past, change their future, and fulfill their destiny. You will not be able to wait for the sequels!
Claire Vanderpool
Abilene Tucker, left for a summer with some distant relatives in a backwater town, starts snooping around in the town's history. What she discovers has dramatic (and very satisfying) repercussions. With its vivid characters and authentic historical atmosphere, this was a worthy winner of the 2012 Newbery Medal. Fans of last year's The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate should love the spirited and courageous Abilene.
Tom Angleberger
We heard from one of our staff members that these books are so popular in her daughter's school that they get passed around at recess! No wonder kids love them: these novels are funny, quirky and full of amusing art. When a weird kid named Dwight makes an origami finger puppet of Yoda, the puppet starts to give great advice. Most of the sixth graders are convinced that Origami Yoda is using The Force, but Tommy decides to investigate this mystery further when Yoda gives him advice about something very important... something to do with a girl...
Hugh Brewster
This is the story of Jamie Laidlaw, a Canadian survivor of the Titanic's ill-fated journey. Jamie is excited to sail on the biggest ship in the world, and hopes to escape his parents and do some exploring on-board. But when disaster strikes, all he has on his mind is survival. And things go from bad to worse when he discovers there aren't enough life-boats to go around...
- This book is part of the I Am Canada series, which are books about Canadian history written for readers who like fast-paced historical adventures. Other books in the series are:
Victoria Forester
Like a cross between Anne of Green Gables and X-Men, this is a creepy and gripping tale of a girl with special powers who is taken from her family to live in a mysterious Institute with others of her kind. This novel is similar in tone to Philip Pullman or the later Harry Potters, so be aware that some scary situations could upset younger or more sensitive readers.
Jacqueline Kelly
Calpurnia (Callie Vee) is bored and overwhelmed by the unprecedented Texas summer heat, until she discovers the amazing wonders of the natural world around her, and a treasure under her own roof: her eccentric naturalist grandfather. Together the two explore the world around them, and Calpurnia pushes the boundaries of what is possible for a young girl in 1899. A beautifully told story of a strong young girl, her rambling family, and an exciting scientific discovery.
Susin Nielsen
This is one of the funniest books we have read in a long time! Twelve-year-old Violet has been trying to hold her family together since her hotshot TV director father left to start a new family with a young blond wife in L.A. Horrified at her mother's new relationship with a man actually named Dudley Wiener, Violet decides to snag her own perfect father: George Clooney. Violet's journey is full of embarrassing escapades, outrageous ploys, and even an unexpected romance.
Susin Nielsen
Word Nerd is the hysterical account of an unlikely friendship between Ambrose, a formerly "friendless nerd" with a severe peanut allergy, Cosmo, an ex-con with disillusioned Greek parents, and Amanda, the Scrabble Club coordinator who Cosmo falls for. Honest and thoughtful, Word Nerd will have you laughing out loud!
Margaret Haddix
In the future it is forbidden to have more than two children, and the Population Police are there to ensure everyone follows this law. Luke is a third child and has been forced to spend his life in hiding. He is alone in the world - until he sees another child's face in a window where two known children already live. This is the gripping first book in the bestselling Shadow Children series.
Tom Sniegoski
A new novel featuring the characters from the hit graphic novel series Bone! Tom Elm has spent his life turnip farming, but is sure he's meant for something greater. When his family falls into a dangerous sleep, Tom teams up with three lost explorers from Boneville and they set out on a quest to find the lost piece of the Spark. A great adventure and a must-have for Bone fans!
Jeanne Duprau
The underground city of Ember was designed as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the storerooms are starting to run out of food and the great lamps that light the city have begun to flicker. It’s up to two teens, Lina and Doon, to decipher a fragment of an ancient message and to find a way out of Ember.
Nancy Farmer
From the author of the spectacular story The Ear, The Eye and The Arm comes an even better tale of a boy named Matt who learns very young that he is a clone. Although he doesn't know what that means, judging by the way people treat him - it must be bad. As he gets older he learns the frightening truth and the reason why he was created. This terrific science fiction story with unforgettable characters is without a doubt one of our all-time favourites!
Lois Lowry
Jonah lives in a world without fear, pain or war. However, as he begins his apprenticeship to The Giver, he also begins to slowly realize what it is to experience the other side - love, joy and choice. Like any good dystopia, this classic must-read Newbery Award winner will make you look twice at our world and how we experience it.
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