“Every kid desperately wants to fit in. It’s even harder when your parents make you move! In this graphic novel, Cici, a 12-year-old who has recently moved to Seattle from Taiwan, has so much going for her: a family who cares, a cooking hobby that she’s really great at, even new BFFs who will stand up for her at the drop of a hat. By sidestepping the usual kid-who-moved storylines, author Lily LaMotte presents to us a much more delicious story: a cooking competition! And to spice it up even more, illustrator Ann Xu draws all the dishes for us to see- and wish that we could taste.” – DG Library Staff

Cici, who has recently moved to Seattle from Taiwan, deeply misses her grandmother back home. She enters a cooking competition hoping to win enough money to invite A-ma over for a birthday visit! Torn between being true to her heritage and trying to fit in (and also obeying her parents and learning to stand up for herself), will she be able to find her place and win against her new friend/archenemy Miranda- whose family OWNS a restaurant?

“For 24 years I’ve walked past the Gilgamesh mural in the DG Library. I know very little about Gilgamesh other than it was one of the first written tales, and it was a fun way to learn about Gilgamesh’s feats and the mythology of Iraq. The threat of a plague shutting down a city felt very current. Also, warrior cats.” Sharon, Kids Room 

Sik Aziz is helping in the family deli when the Mesopotamian plague god Nergal crashes into the deli and demands the treasure Sik’s brother stole from him or he’ll unleash a plague in New York City. Ishtar, the goddess of War, her daughter Belek, and demi-god Gilgamesh help Sik in his quest to save his parents and the city from a terrible plague in this Rick Riordan Presents novel.

“Not only was mouth-watering food at the center of this story, I thought Sara and Elizabeth showed that it isn’t always easy to keep up a new friendship. It is something that you have to want and work at all the time.” – Miss. Traci, Kids Room

6th graders Sara and Elizabeth are paired up in an after-school cooking class and don’t exactly hit it off. However, they soon discover that they make good cooking partners and team up to win a spot on a local food show by creating a “mouth-watering cross-cultural dish.” If only it were that easy to connect with one another and become actual friends.

“If you enjoyed Alan Gratz’s book Prisoner B-3087 you will enjoy Out of Hiding because in real life Ruth Gruener married Jack Gruener! Both are mentioned in their respective books. I also enjoyed that this book is a great introduction for young readers looking to read about the Holocaust. While Ruth tells her story of survival it is mostly about her journey to America and finding her way.” – Miss Traci, Kids Room

This is the story of Ruth Gruener who survived the Holocaust as a young girl with her parents and how they immigrate to New York after the war.

This quote hooked me immediately! “Out of the darkness, no more light, now it comes to steal your life. On this day you’ve sealed your fate, by playing what it loves to hate. Once you’re tagged, then you’ll know, the mark appears, it’s your time to go. Now you’re in the final count, it’s closer to the set amount.” – Traci, Kids Room

A simple game of hide and seek turns into a horrible nightmare for Justin and his friends!

“Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is a feel-good, laugh-out-loud story for middle-grade readers that has plenty of appeal for older readers as well. Anyone who has struggled with finding their voice, especially without their family’s support, can identify with the story’s message. The writing features tender and humorous moments between Yumi and her parents without veering into stereotypes or caricatures. Readers are touchingly reminded that we must overcome our fear of failure, not failure itself.” – Van, Adult & Teen Services

Readers follow Yumi, a shy young Korean girl who loves stand-up comedy but her immigrant parents would rather she concentrate on school.

“Medieval Juvenile historic fiction rarely leaves England. I knew very little about the plight of Sephardic Jews and the Inquisition. Gail Carson Levine explores a story that is close to her family’s history and I found it hard to put down.” – Sharon, Kids Room

Paloma, a Sephardic Jew lives Alcala de Henares, Spain in the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Loma is very smart, and her grandfather (Belo) is Don Joseph Cantala, a businessman who is respected by both Jews and Catholics. Loma travels with Belo and learns the art of trading. She also meets Christopher Columbus and Princess Isabella who tries to convert Loma to Catholicism. Loma is clever and loyal and she helps lead her people out of Spain when Jews had three options: leave Spain, convert, or be killed. Ceiling Made of Eggshells is an excellent historical novel.

“The author has created a fascinating world of African mythology and African American tales and I think this book is even better than the first. The book is good but the audiobook is exceptional. Amir Abdullah’s narrating skills will have you spellbound. Available in eAudiobook and Playaway only.” – Sharon, Kids Room

A few weeks after the events of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (2019), Tristan is back at his grandparent’s farm when he receives a dire warning from Alke, “He’s coming!” Tristan uses his well-honed storytelling skills to get back to Alke, and discovers the evil Shamble Man capturing the gods and goddesses of Alke and slowly destroying them (and their stories). It’s up to Tristan and his friends from Alke to stop the Shamble Man.

“Brown has this mostly realistic but slightly magical, totally mundane but kind of absurd feeling to it, that reminds me of Roald Dahl’s stories!” – Lisa, Kids Room

Rusty is having a tough time. His family moved, his grandfather died, and now the local bullies are wrecking his fort! He finds some paint, gathers an all-brown outfit, and becomes BROWN, a superhero who… paints things brown. Can Brown and the other Guardians of the Fort get even, without getting in trouble?

“This documentary has stunning visuals and I felt transported watching the desolate soil come alive again. My entire family enjoyed watching this portrait of life on a big little farm.” – Gracie, Kids Room

Molly has a dream of starting a farm, growing everything she can, and utilizing all traditional farming methods. The dream is set in motion when Molly and her husband make a promise to their dog. They seek investors and soon end up with 200 acres of abandoned land. What unfolds next is the awe-inspiring journey of growing their farm and forever seeking the fragile balance in nature.

“It is VERY funny—the audiobook is fantastic, with amusing accents” – DGPL Staff

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is a Viking boy whose father is head of his tribe. During his tribe’s initiation, he proves himself to be a brave risk-taker! Hiccup’s dragon Toothless, adds much comedy to the novel.

“I was captivated by this story when my 5th-grade teacher read it to our class during our lunch hour. As a shy 10-year-old, I was drawn to Meg and all that she could do when she trusted herself.” – Cheryl, Circulation

Travel through space and time with Meg Murry, an awkward high school teen, her outcast younger brother, Charles Wallace, and their friend, Calvin O’Keefe as they face evil forces while trying to rescue her scientist father, who is being held prisoner on a newly discovered planet. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which are there to assist Meg, but, ultimately, she will need to rely on her own abilities to save her father, her brother, and herself.

“Very engaging book from the start with two very well developed characters” – DGPL Staff

An amazing story of two very different 5th grade girls during the Chernobyl Power Station Disaster and how that one night changed their lives forever. The book also covers part of the grandmother’s life during WWII.

“News clippings, pictures, and music lyrics of the times bolster this heartfelt narrative.” – DGPL Staff

The Trilogy includes Countdown, Revolution, and Anthem. Each book takes the reader through the not-too-distant past, told in the voice of a young person facing the perilous decade head-on.

“The Unwanteds was a page-turner. Each adventure was exciting and how they used their powers was unique.” – DGPL Staff

In a society that purges thirteen-year-olds who are creative, identical twins Aaron and Alex are separated, one to attend University while the other, supposedly eliminated, finds himself in a wondrous place where youths hone their abilities and learn magic.