Intermediate (ages 9-14)

Material appropriate for intermediate age groups

Cici’s Journal

Cici dreams of being a novelist. Her favorite subject: people, especially adults. She’s been watching them and taking notes. Everybody has one special secret, Cici figures, and if you want to write about people, you need to understand what’s hiding inside them. But now she’s discovered something truly strange: an old man who disappears into the forest every Sunday with huge pots of paint in all sorts of colors. What is he up to? Why does he look so sad when he comes back? In a graphic novel interwoven with journal notes, scrapbook pieces, and doodles, Cici assembles clues about the odd and wonderful people she’s uncovered, even as she struggles to understand the mundane: her family and friends.

Letters to a Prisoner

Told entirely through illustrations, Letters to a Prisoner is a wordless story about the power of hope and the written word. Inspired by Amnesty International’s letter-writing campaigns to help free people who have been jailed for expressing their opinion, the book tells the story of a man who is arrested during a peaceful protest. In solitary confinement, he begins to despair―until a bird delivers a letter of support written by somebody outside the prison. Every day more missives arrive until the prisoner escapes his fate on wings made of letters.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XII, Issue 4

They Lost Their Heads!: What Happened to Washington’s Teeth, Einstein’s Brain, and Other Famous Body Parts

From the kidnapping of Einstein’s brain to the horrifying end of Louis XIV’s heart, the mysteries surrounding some of history’s most famous body parts range from medical to macabre. Carlyn Beccia explores the misadventures of noteworthy body parts through history and uses them as springboards for exploring topics such as forensics, DNA testing, brain science, organ donation, and cloning. The engaging, conversational tone of the text, the wonderfully creepy subject matter, and the delightfully detailed art are sure to capture even the most reluctant readers. The famous people and their body parts include: Galileo Galilei / Fingers ; Louis XIV / Heart ; George Washington / Teeth ; Franz Hayden / Head ; Beethoven / Hair ; Abraham Lincoln / Body ; Cheng and Eng Bunker / Liver ; Phineas Gage / Skull ; John Wilkes Booth / Neck vertebrae ; Vincent Van Gogh / Ear ; Sarah Bernhardt / Leg ; Mata Hari / Head ; Albert Einstein / Brain ; Elvis Presley / Wart ; Thomas Edison / Last Breath.

Journeys: Tales Of Travel And Trailblazers

Throughout history, human beings have been fascinated by travel. From the earliest days of hunting and gathering, to the first journeys across land and sea, to modern advances in space exploration, we have always wanted to know more and do more.

Maria Sibylla Merian

The first Merian biography written for ages 10 and up, this book will enchant budding scientists and artists alike. Readers will be inspired by Merian’s talent, curiosity, and grit and will be swept up in the story of her life, which was adventurous even by today’s standards.

LIFEL 1K3

On an island junkyard beneath a sky that glows with radiation, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap. Seventeen-year-old Eve isn’t looking for trouble–she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she spent months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, she’s on the local gangster’s wanted list, and the only thing keeping her grandpa alive is the money she just lost to the bookies. Worst of all, she’s discovered she can somehow destroy machines with the power of her mind, and a bunch of puritanical fanatics are building a coffin her size because of it. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it. The problem is, Eve has had a worse day–one that lingers in her nightmares and the cybernetic implant where her memories used to be. Her discovery of a handsome android named Ezekiel–called a “Lifelike” because they resemble humans–will bring her world crashing down and make her question whether her entire life is a lie. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic sidekick Cricket in tow, Eve will trek across deserts of glass, battle unkillable bots, and infiltrate towering megacities to save the ones she loves…and learn the truth about the bloody secrets of her past.

The Hidden Star

Nolitye lives in a shack with her mother Thembi in Phola, a dusty township on the edge of Johannesburg. She is good at maths and likes collecting stones, which she places in a bucket under her bed. She also has unusual powers: she can communicate with dogs. Nolitye has two close friends, Bheki, who is overweight, and the bespectacled Four Eyes, who join with her to resist the bullying from Rotten Nellie and her gang of Spoilers. One day, Nolitye finds a special stone that has the power to make people feel happy and laugh. Her mission from now on is to gather together the other pieces of the stone and reunite them, to stop darkness from taking control of her world.

Running Through Sprinklers

Two life-long best friends grow up and begin to grow apart in this honest, deeply felt middle grade debut. Sara and Nadine. Nadine and Sara. It’s only ever been the two of them. Two halves of the same person. Best friends forever—until they aren’t. Everything has changed this year. Nadine has suddenly skipped a grade and gone to high school without Sara. No matter how hard she fights to save their friendship, Sara can feel it slipping away. But change can happen from the inside, too. The forever-friend days of running through sprinklers and slurping up ice cream cones may be over. Yet in their place, Sara just might discover something new and wonderful: herself.

The Hyena Scientist

This myth-busting new addition to the critically acclaimed Scientists in the Field series by Sibert medal winning team Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop is perfect for nonfiction readers looking for more female scientist narratives, or a fresh perspective on an underrepresented.