The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Following a series of murders, an apothecary’s apprentice must solve puzzles and decipher codes in pursuit of a secret that could destroy the world in this suspenseful debut novel.

“Tell no one what I’ve given you.”

Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve complex codes and puzzles and creating powerful medicines, potions, and weapons as an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn—with maybe an explosion or two along the way.

But when a mysterious cult begins to prey on London’s apothecaries, the trail of murders grows closer and closer to Blackthorn’s shop. With time running out, Christopher must use every skill he’s learned to discover the key to a terrible secret with the power to tear the world apart.

In his stunning debut novel, Kevin Sands brings readers on a heart-stopping adventure rich with suspense, mystery, and unforgettable characters.

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt

The companion to the #1 blockbuster bestseller, The Day the Crayons Quit!

I’m not sure what it is about this kid Duncan, but his crayons sure are a colorful bunch of characters! Having soothed the hurt feelings of one group who threatened to quit, Duncan now faces a whole new group of crayons asking to be rescued. From Maroon Crayon, who was lost beneath the sofa cushions and then broken in two after Dad sat on him; to poor Turquoise, whose head is now stuck to one of Duncan’s stinky socks after they both ended up in the dryer together; to Pea Green, who knows darn well that no kid likes peas and who ran away—each and every crayon has a woeful tale to tell and a plea to be brought home to the crayon box.

Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers have combined to create a companion book every bit as funny and kid-friendly as the #1 bestselling The Day the Crayons Quit.

Stranded by Jeff Probst

A family vacation becomes a game of survival!

It was supposed to be a vacation—and a chance to get to know each other better. But when a massive storm sets in without warning, four kids are shipwrecked alone on a rocky jungle island in the middle of the South Pacific. No adults. No instructions. Nobody to rely on but themselves. Can they make it home alive?

A week ago, the biggest challenge Vanessa, Buzz, Carter, and Jane had was learning to live as a new blended family. Now the four siblings must find a way to work together if they're going to make it off the island. But first they've got to learn to survive one another.
 
Books in the Stranded series:
Stranded (Book 1)
Trial By Fire (Book 2)
Survivors (Book 3)
 
Books in the companion series, Stranded, Shadow Island
Forbidden Passage (Book 1)
Sabotage (Book 2)
Desperate Measures (Book 3)

Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 6
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Puffin (February 7, 2013)

Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen

One night during the Perseid meteor shower, Arianne thinks she sees a shooting star land in the fields surrounding her family’s horse farm. About a year later, one of their horses gives birth to a baby centaur. The family has enough attention already as Arianne’s six-year-old brother was born with birth defects caused by an experimental drug—the last thing they need is more scrutiny. But their clients soon start growing suspicious. Just how long is it possible to keep a secret? And what will happen if the world finds out?

At a time when so many novels are set in other worlds, Jane Yolen imagines what it would be like if a creature from another world came to ours in this thoughtfully written, imaginative novel, Centaur Rising.

Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (October 21, 2014)

365 of Wonder: Mr. Brown's Book of Precepts by R. J. Palacio

There’s something for everyone here, with words of wisdom from such noteworthy people as Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., Confucius, Goethe, Sappho—and over 100 readers of Wonder who sent R. J. Palacio their own precepts.

Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 26, 2014)

Lucky by David Mackintosh

From the creator of Marshall Armstrong Is New to Our School comes a visually stunning, hilarious picture book that explores children’s tendency to jump to the conclusions they want.

When Leo’s mom announces that there will be a surprise at dinner, she unknowingly sets in motion a riotous chain of events. What could the surprise be?! Leo and his brother are desperate to find out. Could it be a bike? A pool? A new car? Their imaginations run wild until they latch, with utter conviction, onto what surely must be the answer: an all-expenses-paid, two-week trip to Hawaii! Perhaps not surprisingly, the brothers are soon proven wrong. But the ingenious way their family decides to cheer them up poignantly reminds us that, sometimes, embracing what you already have is enough to make you feel “lucky.”

Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 7, 2014)