Elementary Battle of the Books 2023-2024

Updated June 19, 2023
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Amari and the night brothers
Alston, B. B.
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller! Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a series filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor. Amari Peters has...
Where the watermelons grow
Baldwin, Cindy
Paper Book
Fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and A Snicker of Magic will be swept away by Cindy Baldwin's debut middle grade about a girl coming to terms with her mother's mental illness. An Oregon Spirit Award Honor book.  When twelve-year-old Della Kelly finds her mother...
The very, very far North : a story for gentle readers and listeners
Bar-el, Dan
Paper Book
An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making that's reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh. In the Very, Very Far North, past the Cold, Cold Ocean and just below the hill that looks like...
The total eclipse of Nestor Lopez
Cuevas, Adrianna
Paper Book
2021 Pura Belpré Honor Book NYPL Best Book of 2020 2020 Evanston Public Library Great Books for Kids In this magical middle-grade debut novel from Adrianna Cuevas, The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, a Cuban American boy must use his secret ability...
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!...
Not if I can help it
Mackler, Carolyn
Paper Book
From award-winning Carolyn Mackler, the story of Willa, who has been living with Sensory Processing Disorder but is thrown for a BIG loop when her dad announces he's dating Willa's best friend's mom.Willa likes certain things to be certain ways. Her socks have to be soft . . . and definitely can't...
The miscalculations of Lightning Girl
McAnulty, Stacy
Paper Book
A lightning strike gave her a super power...but even a super genius can't solve the problem of middle school. This smart and funny novel is perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Rain Reign, and Counting by Sevens. Lucy Callahan's life was changed...
Wish
O'Connor, Barbara
Paper Book
Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other middle-grade work--like Wonderland; How to Steal a Dog; Greetings from Nowhere; Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester; Halfway to Harmony; and more! A touching, New York Times-bestselling...
Pax
Pennypacker, Sara
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller * National Book Award Longlist  From bestselling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the powerful relationship between a boy and his fox. Pax is destined to become a classic,...
Wildfire : a novel
Philbrick, W. R.
Paper Book
Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers straight into the nightmare of a raging wildfire as 12-year-old Sam is trapped by explosive flames and deadly smoke that threaten to take his life. Can he survive?Flames race toward Sam Castine's summer camp as evacuation buses are loading,...
Root magic
Royce, Eden
Paper Book
"A poignant, necessary entry into the children's literary canon, Root Magic brings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book!" --Justina Ireland, New York...
The elephant in the room
Sloan, Holly Goldberg
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s comes a heartfelt story about "the importance of compassion and bravery when facing life's challenges" (Kirkus) for fans of The One and Only Ivan and Front Desk. It's been almost...

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