Plucky Orphans

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
By Aiken, Joan

In this chilling beginning to The Wolves Chronicles, two little cousins are left in the care of an evil governess. They escape and travel 400 miles to London with their friend Simon and his geese.
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.

The notorious inhabitants of London's criminal underworld are all in a day's work for Mog, the printer's apprentice, who prints their "wanted" posters. A real-life meeting with a convict entangles Mog in a secret scheme in this suspenseful tale.

With remarkable wit and a flair for the fantastic, this debut author captivates readers with fast-paced action, a cast of eccentric characters, and two strong female heroines who learn that cunning and heroism are not merely words in a storybook.

Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism
By Byng, Georgia

In the sequel to the New York Times bestseller Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism, Molly hypnotizes her way to the Academy Awards( in Los Angeles) and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous investigation.

The Castle Corona
By Creech, Sharon
Diaz, David

Newbery Medalist Sharon Creech (Walk Two Moons) spins an imaginative tale about a glittering castle and the royal--and very spoiled--family who lives there, and of two peasants who are in possession of a stolen pouch that has the power to unlock secrets and transform lives.

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of "The Whipping Boy" comes a clever tale of a young boy who outsmarts his wicked great-uncle with the help of a friendly magician who happens to be a ghost.

In his first full-length novel for middle-graders since the international bestseller "Coraline," Neil Gaiman introduces Bod, a boy who is the only living resident of a graveyard. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?

Nobody wants to adopt the Shluffmuffin twins. Wally's feet stink something awful, and Cheyenne is allergic to e"verything," Then why are the Mandible sisters so eager to take them home? And what sort of old maids would choose to live in a place called Dripping Fang Forest, where zombies wander the woods singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and ten-foot-long glowing slugs want to suck the feet right off your ankles?
Would it seem ungrateful of Wally to point out the Mandible sisters' extra arms? Or to question their all-chocolate, all-the-time menu? Or, um, to venture into the cellar, where the twins have been told to NEVER, EVER, EVER go?
Yeah, perhaps that last bit was a mistake. Now there's nothing left for the Shluffmuffins to do but run--run for their lives!

Told in the alternating voices of four characters dealing with grief in different ways, Horvaths new novel is a rich and complicated story about loss and the possibility--and impossibility--of beginning again.

The Dial-A-Ghost Agency finds good homes for ghosts. And Fulton and Frieda Snodde-Brittle are looking for a few frightening ghosts to "accidentally" scare their young cousin and heir, Oliver, to death. Illustrations.

The classic novel about the little girl with crazy red pigtails and a flair for the outrageous is available once again in this large-format gift edition.

The Willoughbys
By Lowry, Lois

Abandoned by their illd parents to the care of an odious nanny, Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and their sister, Jane, attempt to fulfill their roles as good, old-fashioned children in this hilarious parody that pays playful homage to classic works of children's literature.

Can you hear the distant howling of hounds and the thunder of ghostly hooves? It's All Souls' Eve and Zamiel the Demon Huntsman has come to claim his prey! He's headed straight for Castle Karlstein, where the evil count has hatched an evil plan; he'll sacrifice his two young nieces to save himself. Can Lucy and Charlotte outwit their uncle and his oily henchmen to escape their dreadful fate? From the award-winning author of "The Golden Compass and "The Subtle Knife comes a spooky, funny thriller just right for those middle-grade readers looking for horror--and humor.

Orphan, clock keeper, thief: Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. Combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film, Caldecott Honor artist Selznick breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new reading experience in this intricate, tender and spellbinding mystery.

Wicked good fun in time for a joyless holiday season, this collection includes "The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room", and "The Wide Window".

The Mysterious Benedict Society
By Stewart, Trenton Lee
Ellis, Carson

A first-time novelist takes readers on a dazzling adventure that puts friends, family, and foe to the test, as four children go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children can complete.

Peppermints in the Parlor
By Wallace, Barbara Brooks

Originally published more than a decade ago, this beloved novel introduces orphaned Emily Luccock, who arrives at her aunt and uncle's once-happy San Francisco home, only to find unimaginable horrors. Now with new cover art.