Booktalks Grades 3-4 The Worm/The Fly by Elise Gravel

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  Some things have a really bad reputation. What do you think are the most disgusting creatures?
  
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  Part of a series called “Disgusting Critters”
  
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  Find out the different types of worms, what they eat, where they live
  
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  But also laugh at the silly jokes the creatures make
  
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  Read Habitat page from The Worm and Lifespan page from The Fly
  
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  If you like science, nature, or graphic novels
  

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  What’s something you love?
  
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  This book is about a person who loves number more than anything else. Does anyone know what a mathematician is? It’s someone who studies and learns about math for their whole life. This book is about a boy who becomes a famous mathematician.
  
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  His name is Paul and he comes from a country called Hungary.
  
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  When Paul was a boy he hated rules and there were lots of rules – pg. 4
  
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  But there was one thing he liked – numbers! How many seconds have you been alive? Paul could tell you! – pg. 13
  
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  He saw numbers everywhere and got his friends to like numbers too. When he got older, Paul studied numbers at University and discovered many new things about how numbers work.
  
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  If you like math or reading about how people changed the world for the better check this one out.
  

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  How did eyes begin? Why do we have eyes? Are there different types of eyes? Read this book to find out.
  
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  Look at this orange eye on the cover – which animal do you think it belongs to? Read Colossal Squid page.
  
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  Do you know who has the most eyes? Read Atlantic Bay Scallop – 111 eyeballs!
  
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  If you like animals and science, check this one out.
  

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  Action, Adventure, Science fiction!
  
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  In this graphic novel, Zita and her friend Joseph find a mysterious device at the bottom of a crater. Though Joseph warns her not to, Zita pushes the button and Joseph is sucked into another world, kidnapped by aliens.
  
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  Raise your hand if you would go after your friend?
  
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  Zita decides to follow Joseph and on her journey to save him she meets all kind of weird creatures like a mouse that can’t talk, a flying robot named One, a giant clay man named Strong-Strong. To make matters more complicated, she finds out an asteroid is going to destroy the planet she’s on in 3 days.
  
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  Will Zita be able to save Joseph from the aliens who kidnapped him before the asteroid kills everything on the planet?
  
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  A fun, exciting graphic novel that shows what it means to be brave and loyal.
  

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  Graphic novel series
  
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  Does anyone here have a cat at home?
  
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  Binky is a space cat. Unlike your average cat, Binky has a purpose. His mission is to one day blast off into outer space, explore unknown places, and battle alien creatures.
  
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  But until then, he protects his humans from the “aliens” that make it inside
  
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  Binky must undergo rigorous training so he can repel the alien attacks that threaten his humans. As he builds his spaceship, he must be extremely careful with his blueprints - the enemy is always watching.
  
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  Where will Binky’s imagination take him next?
  
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  Funny graphic novel for animal lovers
  

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  This is a book about a comic-loving girl, a squirrel with superpowers, and friendship.
  
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  It all began with a vacuum cleaner. Not just any vacuum cleaner, mind you, but a Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000X. One minute Mrs. Tickham is being dragged through her yard by a piece of cleaning equipment that clearly has a mind of its own, and the next she’s vacuumed up a live squirrel.
  
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  A 10-year-old girl named Flora witnesses the event and when she runs to the squirrel finds that not only is it all right, it is imbued with superpowers. What superpowers do you see here? (on PowerPoint slide)
  
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  The squirrel, now dubbed Ulysses, is truly an extraordinary creature. It can leap tall buildings with a single bound (and fly!). It has super strength. And best of all, it can write poetry.
  
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  Flora is convinced that Ulysses is a superhero, and it’s up to her to help him fulfill his destiny and protect him from his nemesis. Trouble is, how do you tell who a true enemy is? And what if the enemy turns out to be someone close to home?
  
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  This book is so good it won a medal called the Newberry Medal.
  
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  Unusual friendships, books with pictures, and books about families.
  

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  Companion book to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
  
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  Has anyone here been to China? Do you have family or friends who live in China?
  
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  This story takes place in China in a remote Village of Clear Sky.
  
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  It’s about a boy named Rendi and there’s something special about Rendi because he’s the only one who notices that the moon is missing.
  
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  Rendi has run away from home and is now working as a chore boy at the village inn. He can't help but notice the village's peculiar inhabitants and their problems - where has the innkeeper's son gone? Why are Master Chao and Widow Yan always arguing? What is the crying sound Rendi keeps hearing? And how can crazy, old Mr. Shan not know if his pet is a toad or a rabbit?
  
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  But one day, a mysterious lady arrives at the Inn with the gift of storytelling, and slowly transforms the villagers and Rendi himself. As she tells more stories and the days pass in the Village of Clear Sky, Rendi begins to realize that perhaps it is his own story that holds the answers to all those questions.
  
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  A beautiful book about family traditions and telling stories – great if you like mysterious books set in different countries.
  

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  Have you ever wanted to run around the library, climb on top of bookshelves, and race your friends through the bookstacks?
  
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  Well in this book, Kyle Keeley's town is getting a new public library. But not just any library – one built and designed by a millionaire named Mr. Luigi L. Lemoncello who made his money off of making games.
  
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  Kyle and his classmates enter an essay contest and the 12 winners will have a sleepover in the library the night before it opens. And Kyle is one of the winners.
  
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  But after spending a night in the new library, Kyle wakes up to find the doors locked! He and his friends have to figure out all of Mr. Lemocello’s puzzles in order to escape.
  
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  The winner will get fame and fortune beyond his imagination. But the clock is ticking... Can Kyle find a way to beat the ultimate game-maker's ultimate game?
  
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  Adventure and mystery all rolled into one. Read this book if you like:
  
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    Puzzles, riddles, and word games
    
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    Cool technology (animatronics, interactive holograms, and sophisticated computer screens);
    
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    Fast-paced adventure
    
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  "It'll be like The Hunger Games but with lots of food and no bows or arrows."
  
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  Fans of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  

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  What would it be like to be a detective? Just ask Timmy Failure.
  
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  Timmy Failure is founder, president, and CEO of what he considers the best detective agency in town, Total Failure, Inc. Timmy is assisted by a 1500-pound polar bear named Total who specializes in eating trash, and his friend Rollo who isn’t the sharpest knife in the kitchen
  
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  Timmy’s detective business is destined to make Timmy so rich his mother won't have to stress out about the bills anymore. But of course, Timmy's plan does not include the four-foot-tall female whose name shall not be uttered.
  
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  Now Look What You’ve Done: a school competition to find a stolen globe.
  
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  We Meet Again: Timmy has to partner up with his arch nemesis for a huge school project
  
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  Like a graphic novel, funny, detectives – fans of Big Nate, DOAWK
  

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Alvin Ho. There are a few things that you should know about Alvin:

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  He is scared of just about everything: trains, bridges, girls, school elevators, tunnels, kimchi, wasabi. ... In fact, he’s so scared of school that he is starting the 2nd grade and he has never even spoken ONE WORD in school.
  
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  He’s so scared of everything that he carries around a PDK - Personal Disaster Kit - everywhere he goes. Here are some of the things in his PDK:
  
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    [Read from marked page - list of items in Alvin's PDK]
    

If you like Alvin Ho, check out the rest of the books in the Alvin Ho series:

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, & Other Natural Disasters

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, & Other Man-Made Catastrophes

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  For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate
  
  

Real-life zombies walk among us... and they're closer than you think! Okay, so they're not the zombie you probably think about, the ones you see on TV and in the movies. Those kind of zombies don't exist. But there are animals that take over the bodies and brains of innocent creatures, and this book will give you the scoop on...

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  a fungus that eats the inside of a fly, while controlling where it travels
  
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  an insect that lays its eggs inside another insect, leaving it to "babysit" while the larva hatch and eat their way out
  
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  a virus that drives its host mad with the uncontrollable urge to bite
  
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  and many more!
  

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  Welcome to the book of choices, where every answer brings you closer to learning something about your hidden self.
  
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  Each chapter offers a series of options – some serious, some silly, some a little gross. Think about your decision first – maybe even ask a friend or a parent – then turn the page to see where your decision leads you.
  
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  Page 11, 51 – read a couple of examples and have kids vote
  

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  Did life previously exist on Mars? Could humans travel to Mars one day? Could we ever live there? These are the types of questions the scientists who created Curiosity, a space robot, are interested in answering.
  
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  Curiosity landed on Mars in 2011 and collected a bunch of information about what it’s like on Mars to help us understand the secrets of the planet.
  
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  So far Curiosity has made some amazing discoveries such as an ancient streambed where water used to flow. What else has it discovered? Read to find out!
  
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  Science, space, exploration, technology lovers
  

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  Companion book to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
  
• 
  Has anyone here been to China? Do you have family or friends who live in China?
  
• 
  This story takes place in China in a remote Village of Clear Sky.
  
• 
  It’s about a boy named Rendi and there’s something special about Rendi because he’s the only one who notices that moon is missing.
  
• 
  Rendi has run away from home and is now working as a chore boy at the village inn. He can't help but notice the village's peculiar inhabitants and their problems - where has the innkeeper's son gone? Why are Master Chao and Widow Yan always arguing? What is the crying sound Rendi keeps hearing? And how can crazy, old Mr. Shan not know if his pet is a toad or a rabbit?
  
• 
  But one day, a mysterious lady arrives at the Inn with the gift of storytelling, and slowly transforms the villagers and Rendi himself. As she tells more stories and the days pass in the Village of Clear Sky, Rendi begins to realize that perhaps it is his own story that holds the answers to all those questions.
  
• 
  A beautiful book about family traditions and telling stories – great if you like mysterious books set in different countries.
  

• 
  Have you ever wanted to run around the library, climb on top of bookshelves, and race your friends through the bookstacks?
  
• 
  Well in this book, Kyle Keeley's town is getting a new public library. But not just any library – one built and designed by a millionaire named Mr. Luigi L. Lemoncello who made his money off of making games.
  
• 
  Kyle and his classmates enter an essay contest and the 12 winners will have a sleepover in the library the night before it opens. And Kyle is one of the winners.
  
• 
  But after spending a night in the new library, Kyle wakes up to find the doors locked! He and his friends have to figure out all of Mr. Lemocello’s puzzles in order to escape.
  
• 
  The winner will get fame and fortune beyond his imagination. But the clock is ticking... Can Kyle find a way to beat the ultimate game-maker's ultimate game?
  
• 
  Adventure and mystery all rolled into one. Read this book if you like:
  
  • 
    Puzzles, riddles, and word games
    
  • 
    Cool technology (animatronics, interactive holograms, and sophisticated computer screens);
    
  • 
    Fast-paced adventure
    
• 
  "It'll be like The Hunger Games but with lots of food and no bows or arrows."
  
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  Fans of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  

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  Same person who wrote The Babysitter’s Club series
  
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  Do you know what a homonym is? Can you tell me the difference between these three words: Rain, Reign, Rein
  
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  This book is about a 5^th grade girl named Rose who loves homonyms. More than loves them – she has an obsession with them. Rose obsesses about other things too, like following the rules because she has OCD and Asperser’s Syndrome
  
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  Rose lives with her single father and one night he brings home a dog which Rose immediately loves and names Rain.
  
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  But one night a hurricane hits and her father breaks one of Rose’s rules – he let out the dog during the storm.
  
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  Will Rose be able to forgive her father? Will they find Rain alive?
  
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  Powerful and thoughtful book
  

How do you think the zombie apocalypse will start?

Well, in this book it starts with zombie cows. That’s right; a meat-packing company is feeding strange chemicals to their cows and it turns them into zombie cows. And what do they do with the infected cows? Grind them up into meat and deliver it to the supermarket, of course! When Rabi, Joe, and Miguel discover what the greedy meat company is up to, they decide they’re going to stop it. But how can three middle school boys face up against a giant mega-corporation like Milrow Meat? Not to mention against flesh-eating, ravenous cows!

Definitely not for the faint of heart; this is violent and bloody and filled with disgusting reasons to become a vegetarian.

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  Features a diverse range of characters
  
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  Action, Horror, Sports, Humour
  

Hi, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is August, or Auggie for short. I’m the main character in the book you’re gonna read, called Wonder. If you could see me, some of you will gasp. Some of you will snicker. Some of you may even call me names and point. I’m used to seeing kids put their hands over their mouths when they see me. Heck, I’m even used to their parents doing that, and yes, it is extremely rude and cruel. I’m not giving you the satisfaction of that. I get judged on my face all the time, every second of every day. People forget what they’re doing or saying when they see me, and not in a good way. Because of the way I look, I’ve been homeschooled my whole life. And now my parents are going to send me to a real school, where my face will be subjected to your judgments, comments, and criticism all the time. My parents are nervous about it. Very, very nervous. You think you could be me? Even for one day? I bet you wouldn’t last one hour.

Ten-year-old August (Auggie) Pullman is about to enter fifth grade in a regular school. Up until this point, he has been home schooled due to a rare facial deformity that has caused him to undergo more surgeries in half a childhood than most people endure in a lifetime. Childhood cruelty manifests in a game referred to as “The Plague,” meaning kids pretend that they need to avoid touching him so that they do not contract some strange disease. Add to that the incessant staring and gossip, and Auggie struggles to feel okay about himself and his life.

9. Tom Gates by Liz Pichon

“When my teacher, Mr Fullerman, doesn’t have his BEADY EYES on me, I like to draw pictures and write stories about stuff, like when we had the worst holiday ever (camping sucks), and when my parents came to school for parents’ evening (groan). And about how Marcus Meldrew is the most annoying boy in the world and how I don’t want to sit next to him in class. All I want to do is get tickets to see the best band ever, DUDE3, when they come to town. It’s not easy when I’m up against Delia, my weirdo big sister, and all my plans seem to get me into MAJOR TROUBLE.”

Tom Gates is a master of excuses, expert doodler, comic story writer extraordinaire – and the bane of his grumpy teacher, Mr Fullerman. And in his wacky journal of scribbles and silliness, you’ll find all sorts of comic craziness to make you groan with glee! Will Tom ever manage to get his homework in on time, avoid the rage of his teacher – AND impress Amy Porter, who sits next to him? Warning! Do not attempt to read this in public. You will snigger loudly!

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  If you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Big Nate
  

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. When Bod was a baby his family was murdered but he crawled out of his room and into a cemetery and there he’s been ever since, with his new ghost family. The ghosts have even granted him with special powers such as the ability to see and talk to all spirits.

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  Chilling, ghosts, supernatural
  

Real-life zombies walk among us... and they're closer than you think! Okay, so they're not the zombie you probably think about, the ones you see on TV and in the movies. Those kind of zombies don't exist. But there are animals that take over the bodies and brains of innocent creatures, and this book will give you the scoop on...

• 
  a fungus that eats the inside of a fly, while controlling where it travels
  
• 
  an insect that lays its eggs inside another insect, leaving it to "babysit" while the larva hatch and eat their way out
  
• 
  a virus that drives its host mad with the uncontrollable urge to bite
  
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  and many more!
  

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  Notice all the award stickers
  
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  Who likes mysteries and thrillers? Your history book holds some of the most fascinating stories around.
  
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  In 1938 a German scientist made a shocking discovery – when placed next to radioactive material, a uranium atom split in two. News of this discovery soon spread all over the world and it became a cut-throat race to see which country could build an atomic bomb first. The prize? Military dominance over the entire world.
  
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  Americans worked to keep their research out of the hands of Nazis, while Soviet spies worked to steal secrets from Americans. Norwegians worked to stop the progress of the Germans, while another group worked hidden away in a remote site at Los Alamos.
  
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  So who won the scientific race? Read about all the challenges, deceit, and masterminding involved in the formation of the world’s most formidable weapon.
  
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  Science, history, studying war, spy mystery
  

Dr. Kimberly Stewart, also known as the Turtle Lady of St. Kitts, is already waiting at midnight when an 800-pound leatherback sea turtle crawls out of the Caribbean surf and onto the sandy beach. The mother turtle has a vital job to do: dig a nest in which she will lay eggs that will hatch into part of the next generation of leatherbacks. With only one in a thousand of the eggs for this critically endangered species resulting in an adult sea turtle, the odds are stacked against her and her offspring.

Dr. Stewart takes samples and measurements from mother turtles, counts the eggs as they’re laid, and even relocates nexts that been created in bad spots on the beach.

Join her on a journey through history to learn how sea turtles came to be endangered, and what scientists like Kimberly are doing to save them, and what you can do to make the environment a safe place for sea animals.

How do you think the zombie apocalypse will start?

Well, in this book it starts with zombie cows. That’s right; a meat-packing company is feeding strange chemicals to their cows and it turns them into zombie cows. And what do they do with the infected cows? Grind them up into meat and deliver it to the supermarket, of course! When Rabi, Joe, and Miguel discover what the greedy meat company is up to, they decide they’re going to stop it. But how can three middle school boys face up against a giant mega-corporation like Milrow Meat? Not to mention against flesh-eating, ravenous cows!

Definitely not for the faint of heart; this is violent and bloody and filled with disgusting reasons to become a vegetarian.

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  Features a diverse range of characters
  
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  Action, Horror, Sports, Humour
  

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  Funny, realistic, friendship, overcoming differences, music lovers
  
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  The year is 1975. Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him — people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force.
  
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  But the boys discover something they have in common – a love for music, especially bands like The Beatles. But Lewis is afraid if George knew his background he’d ditch him, so he starts to lie. And he lies more and more so George won’t know how poor he is.
  
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  Lewis also has to deal with the vicious bully Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home, will he still be his friend?
  

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  Dystopia, futuristic, adventure, fantasy
  
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  This is a fast-paced adventure story about a mysterious girl and a fearless boy, set in a magical world that is both exciting and dangerous.
  
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  Meet Piper, an orphan who makes her a living by fixing machines, a skill she is better at than anyone. She lives in a world where meteors crash into fields leaving pieces of a long ago world. One day as Piper is searching the fields she find something completely unexpected – a girl. Not just any girl. This girl has a tattoo on her arm that means she is very, very special.
  
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  When a creepy man shows up looking for the girl, Piper helps her escape on a train and embarks on a whirlwind journey to find safety, and maybe even friendship. On the train they encounter a green-eyed boy who can shift into a magical creature.
  
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  But are these people Piper’s friends? Or are they out to get her?
  
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  If you liked City of Ember, School of Good and Evil
  

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  different ability (disability / handicapped protagonists), the power of dance and art, courage, spiritual discovery
  
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  Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—But then this happens – read pages33-35
  
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  When an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered.
  
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  For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling.
  
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  But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers.
  
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  Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. With the help of Govinda, Veda starts to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.
  
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  Deeply moving, different cultures, how to make the best of a terrible situation – perseverance, not giving up on your dreams
  
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  Told in verse – poetry – a quick read
  

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  Sports lovers
  
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  Verse – poetry
  
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  ""With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering, "" announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the basketball court.
  
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  Josh Bell, known on and off the court by the nickname Filthy McNasty, doesn’t lack self-confidence. He and his twin brother JB are superstars and hope to go pro, following in the footsteps of their father, who played professional ball in Europe.
  
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  But then things start to get complicated. His brother gets his first girlfriend, but where does that leave Josh?
  
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  At home, something seems to be wrong with their father’s health. He keeps fainting and having pain in his chest but he refuses to go to the doctor’s.
  
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  How will Josh deal with all these things and still keep his game top notch?
  

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  The year is 52, 740. Phoebe Hemingway’s been doing okay. Sure, her parents died in a mysterious crash about a year ago and ever since she’s been faking it with her robot Oliver, living on their own. But when child welfare services track her down and send her to the ultimate nasty futuristic orphanage she discovers she may be in grave danger.
  
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  Fortunately she meets up with five other kids that share some shocking similarities to Phoebe. Like the fact that their parents all died in the same crash. Or that they all willed to their children the same moon registration forms.
  
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  Now the team is on an epic quest to escape the orphanage, travel off the planet, dodge the bad guys, and find out the true conspiracy behind their parents’ deaths.
  
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  Sci-fi, action and adventure, space,
  
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  If you like graphic novels and the N.E.R.D.S. series or the Amulet series
  

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. When Bod was a baby his family was murdered but he crawled out of his room and into a cemetery and there he’s been ever since, with his new ghost family. The ghosts have even granted him with special powers such as the ability to see and talk to all spirits.

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  Chilling, ghosts, supernatural