National Network for Equitable Library Service

After Benjamin Reed's dad receives a heartbreaking ALS diagnosis--connected to all his years in football--Ben's mom becomes more determined than ever to get Ben to quit. Ben isn't playing just for himself. This might be his dad's last chance to coach. And his teammates need a quarterback that can lead them to the championships. But as Ben watches the heavy toll ALS takes on his dad's body, he begins to question if this should be his final season after all.

Even though twelve-year-old Alexis was born in Hawaii, she won't surf or swim with her friends--not since the ocean and its hidden creatures swept her out to sea. Instead, she grabs her best detective hat and decodes her mom's latest challenge.

The pandas of the Bamboo Kingdom have never forgotten the great flood that ended the peaceful life they'd always known. But for three young creatures born that day, the flood marks not an end, but the beginning of their struggles to find a place in very different worlds. None of them know that the others are out there, but thanks to a mysterious tiger that's been threatening the Kingdom, they will soon find each other and fulfill a prophecy that had been made long before they were born.

Leopardpaw knows she is destined to be a great warrior who will save her Clan--and in a time of hardship, conflict, and loss, RiverClan desperately needs a leader who can guide them through an uncertain future. The ambitious ThunderClan deputy Tigerclaw believes he can help her fulfill her destiny, but as Leopardstar rises to follow in Crookedstar's paw steps, she must decide what kind of leader she will be--one who maintains peace among the Clans, or one who is willing to sacrifice anything for the good of her own.

Joy Taylor loses her home, her friends, and her dreams of becoming a film score composer after her dad loses his job. However, Joy's friendly new neighbor, Nora, lets Joy in on the complex's best-kept secret: the Hideout, a cozy refuge that only the kids know about. That's where Joy starts exchanging messages with another kid in the building who also seems to be struggling, until, abruptly, they stop writing back.

When Pheobe's sister, Okalee, drowns in the Grayling River during their annual spring celebration, Phoebe is wracked with guilt to the point that she loses her singing voice. Pheobe must find the courage to do what's right amid heartbreak and tragedy.

Weird things are happening in Stick Dog's snow-covered neighborhood. Strangely shaped pinecones hang from trees. Humans sing merry songs all over town. And an odd man is making a list and checking it twice. Mutt, Karen, Stripes, and Poo-Poo have tons of questions. And for the first time, Stick Dog doesn't have answers. But their good friend Lucy does. So when the dogs learn all about Santa Claus, their hilarious quest to celebrate the holiday begins.

When the skies clear after a storm, Zee starts seeing ghosts. When she tells her classmates, only her best friend Elijah believes her. Worse, mean girl Nellie gives Zee a cruel nickname: Ghost Girl. But whatever the storm washed up isn't going away, as everyone around Zee begins to behave strangely. To put things right, Zee must embrace the differences that make her Ghost Girl. And all three of them--Zee, Elijah, and Nellie--will have to work together if they want to give their ghost story a happy ending.

Zoey and Sassafras are excited to enjoy their summer with their magical friends. But why is everyone so grumpy? A bunch of bad days one after the other lead Zoey to suspect that something more is afoot. It's up to Zoey and Sassafras to solve the mystery before they end up with one bummer of a summer.

Chester has always wanted to become a service dog. When he fails his certification test, though, it seems like that dream will never come true, until a family adopts him. They want him to be a companion for their ten-year-old son, Gus, who has autism. But Gus acts so differently than anyone Chester has ever met. He never wants to pet Chester, and sometimes he doesn't even want Chester in the room. Chester's not sure how to help Gus since this isn't exactly the job he trained for--but he's determined to figure it out.