Kids' Next List: Ages 9-12

"Anything But Typical is the story of a 6th-grade autistic boy's life, as told from inside his own head. While writing stories on the Web, Jason begins to interact online with a 'neurotypical' girl. All is fine until he wins a writing contest and a scholarship to a writing camp, where his friend is waiting to meet him, face to face. I loved seeing the world as it appears from Jason's perspective." --Rene Kirkpatrick, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

"I eagerly anticipated Michelle Knudsen's first middle-grade work of fiction, and this story of a mage apprentice and a princess includes a dragon, magic, murder, friendship, romance, and humor. This one will appeal to those young readers who enjoy a bit of fantasy but who also like their characters to have realistic strengths and weaknesses." --Roni K. Devlin, Literary Life Bookstore & More, Grand Rapids, MI

"Intrigued by the different grasshoppers in her backyard, 11-year-old Calpurnia Virginia Tate finds herself suddenly enthralled by the natural world -- a fascination that unexpectedly leads to a new bond with her famously reclusive grandfather. Voracious in her newfound love of science, Callie launches herself on a summer of exploration, which leads to many new discoveries, not least of which is what it means to be a girl in love with science in Texas in 1899." --Meghan Dietsche Goel, BookPeople, Austin, TX

"The narrator, a barefoot street urchin, might be telling the truth about why he has a black mare to sell, but he gives us plenty of reasons to wonder. Did he once live in a house, have shoes, and eat regular meals? Did a mysterious horseman ride up one day, dismount, hand him the reins and offer to pay him to watch the horse awhile? Did soldiers come looking for the famous highwayman Dick Turpin, and why were they so certain that the horse was Dick Turpin's famous mare, Black Bess? The book will make a great discussion vehicle as readers consider the truth of the matter." --Carol B. Chittenden, Eight Cousins, Falmouth, MA

"Toby has a secret dream, to be a chef; so, he gets his first job at Killer Pizza. However, he comes to discover that pizza making is a front for an elite group of monster hunters, and they want Toby to join their ranks. A great story of friendship (with really scary monsters)." --Cinda Meister, Booksmart, Morgan Hill, CA

"With shades of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, Oracles of Delphi Keep features two orphans who must stop a prophecy before darkness engulfs the world. Set in pre-World War II England, Laurie weaves in the rise of Hitler with the orphans' adventures. I had to stay up all night to finish it!" --Laura Lucy, White Birch Books, North Conway, NH

"Sophie and her friends must use cunning, luck, and an awful lot of math to figure out the puzzles that will lead them to the next clue in a decades-old scavenger hunt and enable them to find a priceless artifact -- before anyone else does, of course. This is, I hope, the start of many adventures with The Red Blazer Girls." --Melissa Posten, Children's Book World, Haverford, PA

"In the third installment of this popular series, Amy and Dan Cahill have been located once again, and they seem to be tracking the life of one of the most powerful fighters the world has ever known." --Laura Emden, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL