National Network for Equitable Library Service

Superheroes, science, and one ordinary girl's quest for greatness Join 13-year-old Jessie as she keeps a diary of her class's yearlong research project on superheroes, which culminates in the Superhero Slam: a head-to-head debate battle! It's shy, comics-obsessed Jessie's dream come true . . . and worst nightmare. She decides to champion Batgirl, a regular person (albeit with major talent and training under her utility belt), and soon Jessie wonders what it would take to be Batgirl. Will she prove to her best friends, Cade and Audrey, that she's more than a sidekick?

October Schwartz and her five deadest pals are back for another crime-solving caper

When October Schwartz raises her five dead friends to investigate the cause of Cyril Cooper’s death way back in 1783, she expects a dull research-based journey into the lives of Canada’s earliest British settlers, the United Empire Loyalists. You’d think our favourite teen detective would have the hang of this solving-mysteries thing by now, but when a ghost pirate appears on the scene, October may be in over her head.

After two drama-filled weeks in Manhattan, Pippa Greene is back. Despite a romantic reunion with boyfriend Dylan, she can’t seem to shake the emotional aftermath of New York. As she navigates parental drama at home and her charged dynamic with Ben Baxter at school, Pippa finds that Dylan is more wrapped up in his post-high-school life of bands, shows, and new friends than in their relationship. Will it survive?

Idaho Winter begins as the story of a boy with an extraordinarily painful existence. He is, through no fault of his own, loathed by everyone in the town where he lives. His father, Early Winter, feeds him roadkill for breakfast. The crossing guard steers cars toward him as he crosses the road. Parents encourage their children to plot cruelly against him. One morning Idaho finds it too much to bear and hides down by the river where he meets Madison. Madison, astonishingly, is as hurt by how he’s treated as he is.

From the author of Sticks & Stones, a realistic middle-grade story with a dash of magic about a girl who sees other people's thoughts in bubbles above their heads. Twelve-year-old Sophie Mulvaney's world has been turned upside down after her mom loses her job and breaks up with Pratik, who Sophie adored. But then: Sophie starts seeing bubbles above people's heads that tell her what they are thinking. Seeing other people's thoughts should be cool, but it's actually just stressful-what does it mean that Pratik wishes she and mom were eating with him?

What if a machine could bring back the ones we love? From New York Times bestseller Lauren DeStefano comes a captivating middle grade tale of loss, love and hope. In this beautiful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Lauren DeStefano tells a story love and loss, and what it means to say goodbye. When Emmaline Beaumont's father started building the ghost machine, she didn't expect it to bring her mother back from the dead.

Barry McGee likes being the Hit-Away Kid, the star of the Peach Street Mudders neighborhood baseball team. In fact, he likes it so much that he's willing to cheat-just once in a while-to help his game. He tells the umpire that he touched a base when he didn't even come close. He even picks up balls that he's dropped in the outfield-and swears the ball never left his glove. So far, Barry has been able to get away with cheating.

As the captain of his little league baseball team, Jimmie Todd thinks he should be able to choose any position he wants. He wants to pitch, although the other players on the team would rather give that position to Paul Karoski, a left-hander with a talent for pitching strikeouts. But Jimmie wants a chance so badly that he takes the position for himself. It isn't long before his weak pitching sets the team on a losing streak that has everyone, especially, Paul, disappointed in him.

A long-undisturbed bedroom. A startling likeness. A mysterious friend. When twelve-year-old Prince Lev Lvov goes to live with his aunt at Falcon House, he takes his rightful place as heir to the Lvov family estate. Prince Lev dreams of becoming a hero of Russia like his great ancestors. But he'll discover that dark secrets haunt this house. Prince Lev is the only one who can set them free. Will he be the hero his family needs?

Jack was eleven when the berserkers loomed out of the fog and nabbed him. "It seems that things are stirring across the water," the Bard had warned. "Ships are being built, swords are being forged." "Is that bad'" Jack had asked, for his Saxon village had never before seen berserkers. "Of course. People don't make ships and swords unless they intend to use them." The year is A.D. 793. In the next months, Jack and his little sister, Lucy, are enslaved by Olaf One-Brow and his fierce young shipmate, Thorgil.