Summer 2019 Recommended Reading: Middle School

Updated May 14, 2024
M
Milton Academy/Cox Library
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All together now
Larson, Hope,
Paper Book
All Together Now is New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Hope Larson's pitch-perfect graphic novel follow-up for fans of All Summer Long, music lovers, and anyone navigating the ups and downs of friendship. Middle-schooler Bina is having the...

Friendship

I am Malala : the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban
Yousafzai, Malala,
Paper Book
A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE As seen on Netflix with David Letterman "I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday." When the Taliban took control of the Swat...

Memoirs

American born Chinese
Yang, Gene Luen,
Paper Book
A tour-de-force by rising indy comics star Gene Yang,American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school;...

GN Memoirs

And then there were none
Christie, Agatha,
Paper Book
"If you're one of the few who haven't experienced the genius of Agatha Christie, this novel is a stellar starting point." -- DAVID BALDACCI, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author An exclusive authorized edition of the most famous and beloved stories from the Queen of Mystery. ...

Mysteries, Puzzles & Thrillers

Bad boy : a memoir
Myers, Walter Dean,
Paper Book
A classic memoir that's gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable from the bestselling former National Ambassador of Books for Young People. A strong choice for summer reading--an engaging and powerful autobiographical exploration of growing up a so-called "bad boy" in Harlem in the...
Memoirs
The Belles
Clayton, Dhonielle,
Paper Book
Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be...

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Beyond Lucky
Aronson, Sarah,
Paper Book
Ari Fish believes in two things: his hero-Wayne Timcoe, the greatest soccer goalie to ever come out of Somerset Valley-and luck. So when Ari finds a rare and valuable Wayne Timcoe trading card, he's sure his luck has changed for the better. Especially when he's picked to be the starting goalie on...

Sixth Grade Faves

Bomb : the race to build-- and steal-- the world's most dangerous weapon
Sheinkin, Steve,
Paper Book
Perfect for middle grade readers and history enthusiasts, New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin presents the fascinating and frightening true story of the creation behind the most destructive force that birthed the arms race and the Cold War in Bomb: The Race...

Sixth Grade Faves

The book thief
Zusak, Markus,
Paper Book
This anniversary edition of the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller features pages of bonus content, including marked-up manuscript pages, original sketches, and pages from the author's writing notebook. "Life-changing." --The New York Times  

Sixth Grade Faves

Booked
Alexander, Kwame,
Paper Book
In this electrifying follow-up to Kwame Alexander's Newbery winner The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship take center stage. A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award Longlist nominee. Twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with...

Sixth Grade Faves

The boy who harnessed the wind
Kamkwamba, William,
Paper Book
Now a Netflix film starring and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, this is a gripping memoir of survival and perseverance about the heroic young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village. When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his...

Memoirs

The boys who challenged Hitler : Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club
Hoose, Phillip M.,
Paper Book
A Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor Winner At the outset of World War II, Denmark did not resist German occupation. Deeply ashamed of his nation's leaders, fifteen-year-old Knud Pedersen resolved with his brother and a handful of schoolmates to take action against the...

Biography

The candymakers
Mass, Wendy,
Paper Book
Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew? Logan, the Candymaker's son, who can detect the color of chocolate by...

Sixth Grade Faves

Charles and Emma : the Darwins' leap of faith
Heiligman, Deborah,
Paper Book
Charles Darwin publishedThe Origin of Species, his revolutionary tract on evolution and the fundamental ideas involved, in 1859. Nearly 150 years later, the theory of evolution continues to create tension between the scientific and religious communities. Challenges about teaching the...

Biography

Cheaper by the dozen
Gilbreth, Frank B.
Paper Book
"A touching family portrait that also happens to be very, very funny. . . its appeal is timeless." --Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post One of the best-loved American memoirs of an oversized family and the parents who held them together - now a Disney+ movie starring Gabrielle Union and...

Memoirs

Claudette Colvin : twice toward justice
Hoose, Phillip M.,
Paper Book
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER AND NEWBERY HONOR BOOK ● Before Rosa Parks, there was 15-year-old Claudette Colvin. Read the first in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure in this multi-award winning, mega-selling biography from the incomparable Phillip Hoose.<...

Biography

Code name Verity
Wein, Elizabeth,
Paper Book
Don't miss Elizabeth Wein's stunning new novel, Stateless! The beloved #1 New York Times bestseller, a "fiendishly plotted" (New York Times) "heart-in-your mouth adventure" (Washington Post) that...

Historical Fiction

Code talker : A novel about the navajo marines of world war two
Bruchac, Joseph,
Paper Book
This deeply affecting novel honors all the young men who dared to serve in World War II, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians. "Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever...

Historical Fiction

Counting by 7s
Sloan, Holly Goldberg,
Paper Book
In the tradition of Out of My Mind, Wonder, and Mockingbird, this is an intensely moving middle grade novel about being an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family. Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and...

Realistic Fiction

Dear Martin
Stone, Nic,
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD FINALIST * ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME   After a traffic stop turns violent at the hands of the police, a young Black teen grapples with racism--and what it means for his future....

Realistic Fiction

Echo
Ryan, Pam Mu?oz,
Paper Book
Newbery Honor Book New York Times Bestseller Children's Literature Legacy Award Winner This impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic tour de force from a treasured storyteller follows three children, in three different times and places, whose lives...

Sixth Grade Faves

El Deafo
Bell, Cece,
Paper Book
The beloved #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor winning graphic novel memoir from Cece Bell   Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf....

Sixth Grade Faves

Ender's game
Card, Orson Scott,
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game--adapted to film starring Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford--is the classic Hugo and Nebula award-winning science fiction novel of a young boy's recruitment into the midst of an interstellar war....

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library
Grabenstein, Chris,
Paper Book
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this action-packed New York Times Bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson!...

Mysteries, Puzzles & Thrillers

Escape! : the story of the great Houdini
Fleischman, Sid,
Paper Book
How did he walk through walls, escape drowning, and shatter iron chains that were tightly wrapped around him? The rare photos in this book might help you figure it out. So might the exclusive update about the rumor that Houdini was poisoned. But just remember, a true magician never reveals...

Biography

The family Romanov : murder, rebellion & the fall of imperial Russia
Fleming, Candace,
Paper Book
" A superb history.... In these thrilling, highly readable pages, we meet Rasputin, the shaggy, lecherous mystic...; we visit the gilded ballrooms of the doomed aristocracy; and we pause in the sickroom of little Alexei, the hemophiliac heir who, with his parents and four sisters, would be murdered...

Biography

The fault in our stars
Green, John,
Paper Book
Bestselling author John Green returns with an eagerly anticipated and emotional novel about sickness and health, life and death. Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs. for now. Two years post-miracle,...

Realistic Fiction

Fermat's enigma : the epic quest to solve the world's greatest mathematical problem
Singh, Simon,
Paper Book
Tells the story of the 350-year search for a proof for Fermat's last theorem, focusing on the work of two modern-day mathematicians. Includes bandw photos. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Sixth Grade Faves

Fever, 1793
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Paper Book
From Fever 1793 "Where's Polly?" I asked as I dropped the bucket down the well. "Did you pass by the blacksmith's? "I spoke with her mother, with Mistress Logan," Mother answered softly, looking at her neat rows of carrots. "And?" I waved a mosquito away from my...
Historical Fiction
Flush
Hiaasen, Carl,
Paper Book
A hilarious, high-stakes adventure involving crooked casino boats, floating fish, toxic beaches, and one kid determined to get justice. This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida--where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder!  You know it's going to be a rough summer when you...

Sixth Grade Faves

Focused
Gerber, Alyson,
Paper Book
Following Braced, which had three starred reviews, comes a story of a girl caught between her love of chess and her ADHD. Clea can't control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. She knows she can't just say whatever thought comes into her head ....

Realistic Fiction

Frederick Douglass : a noble life
Adler, David A.
Paper Book
Born into slavery in 1818 and raised on a Maryland plantation under brutal conditions, Frederick Douglass, against all odds, grew up to become a famous orator, journalist, author, and adviser to U.S. presidents. Many contemporaries found it hard to believe that he was an escaped slave with no formal...

Biography

Geekerella
Poston, Ashley,
Paper Book
An enchanting YA romance from the New York Times best-selling author of The Dead Romantics. Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale romance. Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs,...

Realistic Fiction

Ghost boys
Rhodes, Jewell Parker,
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! A heartbreaking and powerful novel about a black boy killed by a police officer, drawing connections through history, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes. Only the living can make...

Realistic Fiction

Gracefully Grayson
Polonsky, Ami,
Paper Book
Gingkon Sender has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: he' is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender's body. The weight of this secret is crushing, but sharing it would mean facing ridicule, scorn, rejection or worse. Despite the risks, Grayson's true self itches to...
Realistic Fiction
Guts
Telgemeier, Raina,
Paper Book
A true story from Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts!Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina...

Memoirs

The hate u give
Thomas, Angie,
Paper Book
8 starred reviews · Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best  ·  William C. Morris Award Winner · National Book Award Longlist · Printz Honor Book · Coretta Scott King Honor Book · #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Absolutely riveting!" --Jason Reynolds "Stunning." -...
Realistic Fiction
Himawari House
Becker, Harmony,
Paper Book
Winner of the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Fiction Literature Winner of the 2022 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature A 2021 Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year A 2021 School Library Best Books of the Year A young adult...
Friendship
The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
Adams, Douglas,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Extremely funny . . . inspired lunacy . . . [and] over much too soon."--The Washington Post Book World SOON TO BE A HULU SERIES * Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of the original radio show on which the...

Science Fiction/Fantasy

If I stay
Forman, Gayle,
Paper Book
Heart-wrenchingly raw and heartbreakingly romantic, Gayle Forman's international bestseller asks the ultimate question: What would you do if you had to choose? "Beautifully written."--Entertainment Weekly "Every moment I spent reading Forman's...

Sixth Grade Faves

If I was your girl
Russo, Meredith,
Paper Book
Meredith Russo's award-winning, big-hearted novel If I Was Your Girl is about being seen for who you really are, with a love story you can't help but root for! Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But...

Realistic Fiction

Internment
Ahmed, Samira,
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller!   "Internment sets itself apart...terrifying, thrilling and urgent." -Entertainment Weekly   Rebellions are built on hope.   Set in a...

Realistic Fiction

Juba! : a novel
Myers, Walter Dean,
Paper Book
New York City's Five Points district in 1846 is a volatile mixture of poor blacks and immigrants from Europe. William Henry Lane is a teenager working odd jobs to make ends meet, but he really loves to dance. Watching the other dancers in Five Points, and practicing when he can, he...

Historical Fiction

Last day on Mars
Emerson, Kevin,
Paper Book
"Last Day on Mars is thrillingly ambitious and imaginative. Like a lovechild of Gravity and The Martian, it's a rousing space opera for any age, meticulously researched and relentlessly paced, that balances action, science, humor, and most importantly, two compelling main...
Leviathan
Westerfeld, Scott,
Paper Book
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship,...
Love & gelato
Welch, Jenna Evans,
Paper Book
Now a movie streaming on Netflix! A New York Times bestseller A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping debut novel filled with romance, mystery, and adventure. Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she...
Love from A to Z
Ali, S. K.,
Paper Book
A Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick "The bighearted, wildly charming, painfully real love story I've been waiting for." --Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda From William C. Morris Award...

Realistic Fiction

Lumberjanes
Stevenson, Noelle,
Paper Book
Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they're not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but...

Friendship

A mango-shaped space : a novel
Mass, Wendy,
Paper Book
"From the moment I read a story by Wendy Mass, I knew she was a writer to watch." --Judy Blume An award-winning book from the New York Times bestselling author of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life and The Candymakers for fans for of Wonder...

Sixth Grade Faves

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Riggs, Ransom,
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times best-selling series. A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage.A strange collection of very curious photographs.It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and...

Sixth Grade Faves

The mysterious Benedict Society
Stewart, Trenton Lee.
Paper Book
For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society series is not to be missed! "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children...

Mysteries, Puzzles & Thrillers

The notorious Benedict Arnold : a true story of adventure, heroism, & treachery
Sheinkin, Steve,
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author, Newbery Honor recipient, and National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin presents both the heroism and the treachery of one of the Revolutionary War's most infamous players in his biography of Benedict Arnold. Winner of the...

Biography

Out of my mind
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller for three years and counting! "A gutsy, candid, and compelling story. It speaks volumes." --School Library Journal (starred review) "Unflinching and realistic." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Sixth Grade Faves

Payback time
Deuker, Carl,
Paper Book
Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist--a fat high school journalist named Mitch--veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel.  When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past--or at least...

Mysteries, Puzzles & Thrillers

Persepolis
Satrapi, Marjane,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. "A wholly original achievement.... Satrapi evokes herself and her schoolmates coming of age in a...

GN Memoirs

Popular : a memoir : vintage wisdom for a modern geek
Van Wagenen, Maya,
Paper Book
2015 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction New York Times Bestseller A breakout teen author explores the true meaning of popularity and how to survive middle school in this hysterically funny, touchingly honest contemporary memoir.  "I was...

Sixth Grade Faves

Primates : the fearless science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas
Ottaviani, Jim,
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Jim Ottaviani returns with an action-packed account of the three greatest primatologists of the last century: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. These three ground-breaking researchers were all students of the great Louis Leakey, and each made...

Biography

Ready player one
Cline, Ernest,
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Now a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg. "Enchanting . . . Willy Wonka meets The Matrix."--USA Today * "As one adventure leads expertly to the next, time simply evaporates."--...

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Real friends
Hale, Shannon,
Paper Book
"Fresh and funny." --New York Times Book Review Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to find your real friends--and why it's worth the journey. ...

Friendship

Red Rising
Brown, Pierce,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Pierce Brown's relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. "Red Rising ascends above a crowded dys­topian field."--USA Today<...

Sixth Grade Faves

The Selection
Cass, Kiera,
Paper Book
Fall in love--from the very beginning. Discover the first book in the captivating, #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series. Prepare to be swept into a world of breathless fairy-tale romance, swoonworthy characters, glittering gowns, and fierce intrigue perfect for readers who loved...

Sixth Grade Faves

Sisters
Telgemeier, Raina,
Paper Book
Raina Telgemeier's #1 New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award-winning companion to Smile!Raina can't wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren't quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she's also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by...
GN Memoirs
Speak
Anderson, Laurie Halse,
Paper Book
The groundbreaking National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Honor Book with more than 3.5 million copies sold, Speak is a bestselling modern classic about consent, healing, and finding your voice. "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say."...

Mysteries, Puzzles & Thrillers

Stargazing
Wang, Jen,
Paper Book
Stargazing is a heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel in the spirit of Frizzy and Mexikid, from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Jen Wang. Moon is everything Christine isn't. She's confident, impulsive, artistic . . . and though they...

Friendship

Tomboy : a graphic memoir
Prince, Liz,
Paper Book
A memoir about friendship, gender, bullies, growth, punk rock, and the power of the perfect outfit . . . Growing up, Liz Prince wasn't a girly girl, but she wasn't exactly one of the guys either (as she learned when her little league baseball coach exiled her to the distant outfield). She...

GN Memoirs

Turning 15 on the road to freedom : my story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March
Lowery, Lynda Blackmon,
Paper Book
A memoir of the Civil Rights Movement from one of its youngest heroes A Sibert Informational Book Medal Honor Book KirkusBest Books of 2015 BooklistEditors' Choice 2015 BCCBBlue Ribbon 2015 As the youngest...

Memoirs

Uglies
Westerfeld, Scott,
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture streaming on Netflix! The first installment of Scott Westerfeld's New York Times bestselling and award-winning Uglies series--a global phenomenon that started the dystopian trend. Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't...

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Unwind
Shusterman, Neal,
Paper Book
Three teens fight for their lives and each other in this breathtakingly suspenseful first book in the twisted, New York Times bestselling Unwind Dystology series by Neal Shusterman. After America's Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement....

Science Fiction/Fantasy

The war that saved my life
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker,
Paper Book
* Newbery Honor Book * #1 New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award  * Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection * Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of the Year selection * New York...
Warcross
Lu, Marie,
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu--when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths. For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game--it's a way of life. The obsession started...

Science Fiction/Fantasy

We were liars
Lockhart, E.,
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. Don't miss the #1 New York Times bestselling prequel, Family of Liars. A beautiful and distinguished family.
Mysteries, Puzzles & Thrillers
What if? : serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions
Munroe, Randall,
Paper Book
From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask. Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology,...

Sixth Grade Faves

When you reach me
Stead, Rebecca,
Paper Book
"Like A Wrinkle in Time (Miranda's favorite book), When You Reach Me far surpasses the usual whodunit or sci-fi adventure to become an incandescent exploration of 'life, death, and the beauty of it all.'" --The Washington Post   This...

Mysteries, Puzzles & Thrillers

Wild magic
Pierce, Tamora,
Paper Book
Discover a land of enchantment, legend, and adventure in this first book of the Immortals series, featuring an updated cover for longtime fans and fresh converts alike, and including an all-new afterword from Tamora Pierce. Thirteen-year-old Daine has always had a special...
A wizard of Earthsea
Le Guin, Ursula K.,
Paper Book
The first novel of Ursula K. Le Guin's must-read Earthsea Cycle. "The magic of Earthsea is primal; the lessons of Earthsea remain as potent, as wise, and as necessary as anyone could dream." (Neil Gaiman) Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless...
A wrinkle in time
L'Engle, Madeleine.
Paper Book
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER * TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME * NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM DISNEY Read the ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic that has delighted children for over 60 years! "A Wrinkle in Time<...

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