S&S Books for Young Readers | Ages 8 – 12 | 9781665975124
Rick Riordan meets R. L. Stine in this fast-paced debut middle grade horror packed with adventure about a Mexican American boy who starts hearing the voice of a haunted doll while visiting family in Mexico City. Diego feels trapped. He’s confined in an arm cast, stuck with his tía and tío for a week in Mexico City, and smothered with the sickening fear that he’s the one who really caused his parents’ divorce. But most of all, he’s trapped in his own secret. Because ever since he got to Mexico City, he’s started having strange dreams of a doll calling his name. Then Diego learns of La Isla de Muñecas, an island full of legendary magic that can make children’s wishes come true. If Diego can harness the power there, maybe he could fix everything that has gone wrong in his life. Maybe he doesn’t have to move to Mexico City, his parents don’t have to separate, and he could even reunite with one of his oldest friends who’s still visiting him in his dreams… So, with the help of two new friends, Diego takes a boat to the legendary island. From the moment the kids step ashore, nothing is as it seems—with dolls disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Diego is more trapped than ever before, and as the night goes on, he’s not sure he can escape. The perfect book for Halloween!
About the author: Cassandra Ramos-Gomez is a Mexican American writer focused on creating middle grade and young adult fiction that centers Latinx experiences. She has a master’s degree in education and an undergraduate degree in art history and has taught middle school language arts and social studies. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and two kids. Her hobbies include painting, collecting animal bones, and playing Minecraft with her kids. Lost on Doll Island is her middle grade debut.
In The Last Dragon on Mars, readers were introduced to Lunar Jones, a boy living on Mars who unexpectedly becomes a dragon rider and the story continues in the sci-fi and fantasy mash-up The Dragonships series with THE RISE OF NEPTUNE ( Ages 10 & Up), by New York Times bestselling author Scott Reintgen. In the second installment, Lunar prepares his allies for an attack from Neptune.
Lunar Jones and the Dread Knights have brought hope to Mars. Between Dread’s power and a newly formed alliance with Earth, the once-dying planet is headed for prosperity at last. The only shadow is the one cast by Dav Robinson’s warning: Neptune is coming.
As predicted, Neptune’s ships arrive in Martian space—and they’re not interested in talking. The ships launch an immediate attack. Lunar was prepared for hostilities, but the way the attack happens is unexpected. Neptune’s dragons seem divided, and its ships, while countless in number, are almost too easy to defeat. It’s clear there’s more to Neptune’s story than meets the eye, and Lunar and his Dread Knights must figure out the mystery behind their looming foe quickly…before those secrets doom Mars for good. This one is definitely exciting to read and will keep middle-schoolers totally engaged!
Find Happiness, Achieve Your Dreams, and Cultivate Confidence
Mia Lind
Get on your feet and start walking! In Hot Girl Walk, Mia invites you to embark on a journey of self-discovery, taking you through the three main stages of the walk: gratitude, goals, and self-confidence. This impactful book is your guide to empowerment wherever you go: from your 4-mile daily walk to the meetings and appointments of daily life. Whether you’re a student, a worker, or a stay-at-home parent, Hot Girl Walks are here to help motivate you to become the person you know you can be. Strengthen your mind-body connection, and truly understand that to look good is to feel good.
At the end of each chapter, find success stories from those who have implemented the Hot Girl Walk to their daily routine. Featuring hot girls from all over the world, learn first-hand how Mia Lind’s movement has helped and improve lives. Will you be her next success?
Take it from someone who has literally walked the walk. Mia’s guide provides small daily mindset adjustments that lead to big, life changing results. Diving into the practices, reflections, and exercises of Hot Girl Walk is an act of self-care. Join thousands of women on the walk towards hotness by putting one foot in front of the other and taking a chance on yourself. A really inspiring and motivational book to read!
About the Author:
Mia Lind is the creator and founder of the Hot Girl Walk and has been featured on CBS News, NBC News, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, HuffPost, and more. In 2020, she created the Hot Girl Walk to combine her passion of physical fitness with female- and self-empowerment. Hot Girl Walk events continue to spread across the world, hosted in the cities of Miami, New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles, as well as the countries of the United Kingdom and Australia so far.
This next one is educational and so much fun to read!
While attending college in the early 1940s, Ursula Marvin fell in love with geology, but when she asked her male professor about making the field her major, he tried to stop her, saying it would be a better use of her time to learn how to cook. Ursula studied geology anyway, eventually getting her master’s and PhD in the subject.
As a visionary and groundbreaking geologist, Ursula also had to be brave. She believed meteorites held the key to unlocking the origins of the solar system. To prove it, she travelled to Antarctica where she faced fierce winds, the coldest climate on Earth, and cracks in the ice that could have crushed her, but she knew the danger was worth the risk and scientific exploration wasn’t just for men. She proved her theory and that meteorites could be made up of pieces of planets or the moon.
Ursula Marvin charted new territory as a scientist and fought gender discrimination at every turn in her career. She broke barriers in science, helped create the field of planet geology, and discovered theories that are now foundational, reshaping our understanding of the universe.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandra Neil Wallace writes about people who break barriers and change the world. She is the author of several award-winning books for children, including Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery, illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received the Orbis Pictus Book Award and was an ALA Notable Book. A former ESPN reporter and the first woman to host an NHL broadcast, she is the recipient of the Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Award and creates change as cofounder of The Daily Good, a nonprofit bringing twenty thousand free, culturally diverse foods to college students each year through its Global Foods Pantries. Visit Sandra at SandraNeilWallace.com.
Nancy Carpenter is the acclaimed illustrator of Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt, Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine, Fannie in the Kitchen, and Loud Emily, among other books. Her works have garnered many honors, including two Christopher Awards and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at NancyCarpenter.website.
A LINE CAN GO ANYWHERE by Caroline McAlister; illustrated by Jamie Green (Roaring Brook Press, Ages 5-8): This gorgeously illustrated picture book biography about Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa is equal parts history and a celebration of everyday art. It explores Ruth’s life after family’s imprisonment in an internment camp during WWII and how those experiences shaped her approach to sculpture and her use of everyday objects to create something beautiful.
Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to feature. Cover images were also provided.
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