Madison Library District
Choice Awards
Tween Fiction NOMINEES FOR 2020
Voting has ended for 2020.
Find all the nominees below.
Winners
1. Wrecking Ball
by Jeff Kinney
An unexpected inheritance gives the Heffley family a chance to make major improvements to their home. But they…
Read the full synopsis
2. Guts
by Raina Telgemeier
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it’s probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns…
Read the full synopsis
3. Out to Get You
by Josh Allen
Get ready for a collection of thirteen short stories that will chill your bones, tingle your spine, and scare your pants off. Debut author Josh Allen masterfully…
Read the full synopsis
4. Big Nate: Payback Time
by Lincoln Peirce
Look out, Big Nate fans—it’s payback time!
In this brand-new collection of Big Nate comics, Nate develops a mysterious allergy to Mrs. Godfrey, wages epic snowball fights with…
Read the full synopsis
5. The Poison Jungle
by Tui T. Sutherland
Some secrets are deadly.
It’s no secret that Sundew wants to destroy the HiveWings. It’s her life’s mission to exact revenge on the tribe that tried to wipe out the…
Read the full synopsis
6. Master of
the Phantom Isle
by Brandon Mull
Cursed by the Key of Forgetting, Seth has lost all memory of his past—his relationships, his experiences, and who he really is. For now he will…
Read the full synopsis
7. Best Friends
by Shannon Hale
Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon’s got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is…
Read the full synopsis
8. The Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade
by Max Brallier
Surviving their first winter after the Monster Apocalypse was no easy feat, yet Jack and his buddies waste no time springing to action against some of the nastiest, most…
Read the full synopsis
9. Blood and Bone
by Erin Hunter
An elephant entrusted with a powerful gift.
A lion treading a dangerous path.
A baboon trapped by the truth.
A great evil…
Read the full synopsis
10. Tales from a Not-So-Best Friend Forever
by Rachel Russell
Nikki and her bandmates are looking forward to an AWESOME summer on tour as the opening act for the world famous Bad Boyz! Nikki is a…
Read the full synopsis
Other Nominees
Power of a Princess
by E.D. Baker
Aislin is more than just a princess. Born to a fairy king and pedrasi queen, she’s strong, smart, and brave, with magical gifts she’s only…
Read the full synopsis
Serafina and the Seven Stars
by Robert Beatty
Serafina, the Guardian of Biltmore Estate, has won battle after battle against the dark forces encroaching on her home. Now, tranquility has…
Read the full synopsis
Wished
by Jen Calonita
With Rumpelstiltskin still on the loose and the citizens of Enchantasia on high alert, things at Fairy Tale Reform School have been a little…stressed. So when…
Read the full synopsis
A Tale of Magic…
by Chris Colfer
Fourteen-year-old Brystal Evergreen has always known she was destined for great things–that is, if she can survive the oppressive Southern Kingdom. Her only…
Read the full synopsis
Escape from the Isle of the Lost
by Melissa de la Cruz
Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos may have once been the baddest of the bad, but their wicked ways are (mostly) behind them-and now graduation is…
Read the full synopsis
Duel at Araluen
by John Flanagan
King Duncan and Princess Cassandra are trapped high in the south tower of Castle Araluen.
In the north, Sir Horace and Ranger Commandant Gilan are besieged…
Read the full synopsis
The 104-Story Treehouse
by Andy Griffiths
Andy and Terry live in a 104-story treehouse. (It used to be a 91-story treehouse, but they decided it was still missing a few things.) It has a never-ending…
Read the full synopsis
Tilly and the Bookwanderers
by Anna James
Eleven year-old Tilly has lived above her grandparents’ bookshop ever since her mother disappeared shortly after she was born. Like the rest…
Read the full synopsis
Space Boy: Volume 3
by Stephen McCranie
To Amy, everyone has a flavor. Her Agriculture Club mate Tamra is like banana, while another Club mate, Shafer, is like milk chocolate; two flavors that Amy thinks…
Read the full synopsis
Legacy
by Shannon Messenger
Sophie Foster wants answers. But after a lifetime of lies, sometimes the truth is the most dangerous discovery. Even the smallest secret…
Read the full synopsis
Words on Fire
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Danger is never far from Audra’s family farm in Lithuania. She always avoids the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist…
Read the full synopsis
White Bird
by R.J. Palacio
To the millions of readers who fell in love with R J Palacio’s Wonder, Julian is best-known as Auggie Pullman’s classroom bully. White Bird reveals a new side to…
Read the full synopsis
Anya and the Dragon
by Sofiya Pasternack
Anya and the Dragon is the story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is…
Read the full synopsis
The Tyrant’s Tomb
by Rick Riordan
It’s not easy being Apollo, especially when you’ve been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to…
Read the full synopsis
The Unicorn Whisperer
by Dana Simpson
For 9-year-old Phoebe Howell and her sparkling companion, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, every day is an adventure. In this latest installation of…
Read the full synopsis
Apprentice Needed
by Obert Skye
More than ever, Ozzy could really use the services of Rin, the wizard he hired to help find his parents — but Rin is missing, despite…
Read the full synopsis
Bigger, Badder, Nerdier
by Obert Skye
In 1941, a thirty-one-year-old Frenchwoman born to privilege and known for her beauty and glamour became the leader of a…
Read the full synopsis
The Okay Witch
by Emma Steinkellner
Magic is harder than it looks.
Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and…
Read the full synopsis
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages
by Trenton Stewart
Some time has passed since the inimitable quartet of Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have had a mission together. But with the arrival of a new…
Read the full synopsis
Stargazing
by Jen Wang
When Moon’s family moves in next door to Christine’s, Moon goes from unlikely friend to best friend―maybe even the perfect friend. The girls share…
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Space Boy: Volume 3Â by Stephen McCranie
To Amy, everyone has a flavor. Her Agriculture Club mate Tamra is like banana, while another Club mate, Shafer, is like milk chocolate; two flavors that Amy thinks are in sync.
Coming closer to fully adapting to her new life on Earth, Amy settles in to a solid group of friends at her school. Also, after a meeting with the mysterious Oliver, she decides to reach out to an old friend, which makes the transition all that much easier.
book 3 in the Space Boy series
Power of a Princess by E.D. Baker
Aislin is more than just a princess. Born to a fairy king and pedrasi queen, she’s strong, smart, and brave, with magical gifts she’s only beginning to discover. Aislin has spent her whole life keeping her family’s gifts hidden from the non-magic folk who surround her kingdom, and is shocked to find out the humans knew about these enchantments all along. But when the fairies decide to move back onto human territory, it soon becomes clear that some will not be happy about this change.
As she sets out to restore the balance, Aislin chooses a surprising group of young women to join her – girls she knows are brave and loyal, but who don’t have the qualities of typical guards or princess confidantes. Things only get more complicated when an old foe appears, surely up to no good. The princess knows she has the power and ingenuity to stand up for herself and her kingdom, especially with her friends by her side – will that be enough to set things right?
book 2 in the More Than a Princess series
8. The Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade by Max Brallier
Surviving their first winter after the Monster Apocalypse was no easy feat, yet Jack and his buddies waste no time springing to action against some of the nastiest, most evil monsters around. When Jack discovers his Louisville Slicer has new, otherworldly powers, he’s thrown into epic training to find out what kind of destruction the blade can wield.
But between fighting off zombies, fleeing from strange, glowy Vine-Thingies erupting from the ground, and squeezing in a video game session or two, there’s barely time left to figure out what’s wrong with their buddy, Dirk, who’s been acting weird any time he’s around the undead. When an unexpected villain appears, can Jack and his friends save themselves–and the rest of the world–from cosmic domination?
book 5 in the Last Kids on Earth series
The 104-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
Andy and Terry live in a 104-story treehouse. (It used to be a 91-story treehouse, but they decided it was still missing a few things.) It has a never-ending staircase, a burp bank, a deep-thoughts thinking room, Mount Everest, a mighty fortress reinforced with extra-strong fortress reinforcer, and a money-making machine (that also makes honey!).
When Andy has a toothache that hurts so bad he can’t write any jokes for their new book, Terry knows just what to do: buy a Joke Writer 2000™ to write the jokes for them! All they need first is some money from their money-making machine and then it’s off to the store. It’s a foolproof plan—a Terry-proof one, even!
What could go wrong?
book 8 in the Treehouse series
Stargazing by Jen Wang
When Moon’s family moves in next door to Christine’s, Moon goes from unlikely friend to best friend―maybe even the perfect friend. The girls share their favorite music videos, paint their toenails when Christine’s strict parents aren’t around, and make plans to enter the school talent show together. Moon even tells Christine her deepest secret: that she sometimes has visions of celestial beings who speak to her from the stars. Who reassure her that earth isn’t where she really belongs.
But when they’re least expecting it, catastrophe strikes. After relying on Moon for everything, can Christine find it in herself to be the friend Moon needs?
5. The Poison Jungle by Tui T. Sutherland
Some secrets are deadly.
It’s no secret that Sundew wants to destroy the HiveWings. It’s her life’s mission to exact revenge on the tribe that tried to wipe out the LeafWings and ripped every tree from the surface of Pantala.
Every tree, that is, except the wild and dangerous Poison Jungle, where the surviving LeafWings have been hiding since the war. Hiding, plotting, and waiting for a dragon like Sundew, who is uniquely qualified to bring down the Hives.
There are dark secrets in the jungle, though-some that Sundew is keeping, and some that she’s only just beginning to discover. And now that a new war is upon them, Sundew and her friends must unearth the oldest secret in the jungle-even if what they find has the power to destroy them all.
book 13 in the Wings of Fire series
Bigger, Badder, Nerdier by Obert Skye
Otto Waddle Junior High School is worse than ever. Tip and his geeky friends have finally come into their superpowers—well, their mediocre powers—but the League of Average Mediocre Entities now has a whole new cast of enemies to take on. LAME is being challenged by LAMER—a rival group of impersonators who are pawns in Darth Susan’s evil plot against them. If middle school has any chance of survival, Tip and his friends are going to need to be nerdier than ever.
book 2 in the Geeked Out series
10. Tales from a Not-So-Best Friend Forever by Rachel Russell
Nikki and her bandmates are looking forward to an AWESOME summer on tour as the opening act for the world famous Bad Boyz! Nikki is a little worried when her frenemy, MacKenzie Hollister, weasels her way into a social media intern position with the tour. But she has a total MELTDOWN when she learns that MacKenzie is her new roommate! Will Nikki survive her dream tour as it quickly goes from AWESOME to AWFUL?! The drama continues in Dork Diaries 14: Tales from a Not-So-Best Friend Forever!
book 14 in the Dork Diaries series
2. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it’s probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she’s dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina’s tummy trouble isn’t going away… and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What’s going on?
Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face — and conquer — her fears.
book 3 in the Smile series
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said “Such a cute book on a difficult subject! I liked how the author was able to portray her challenges with stress and anxiety she experienced as a child, and all the ways her parents and other grown-ups in her life tried to help her. The illustrations, as always, are accessible and quite well drawn. You can see so much emotion through the characters facial expressions and their actions in the novel. This is a great addition to Telgemeier’s other autobiographical books, but can also be read as a stand-alone. Highly Recommended!”
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of AgesÂ
by Trenton Stewart
Some time has passed since the inimitable quartet of Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have had a mission together. But with the arrival of a new Society member — and a new threat — they must reunite to face dilemmas more dangerous than ever before, including the villainous Mr. Curtain and a telepathic enemy tracking their every move, not to mention a dramatically preteen Constance.
In its triumphant return, the Society encounters all new challenges, but the series’ trademark sly humor, sweet camaraderie, hairsbreadth escapes, and mind-bending puzzles are all as engaging as ever. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see the Society has grown up a little with them, while a new generation of readers will fall in love with these irresistible adventures.
book 4 in the The Mysterious Benedict Society series
Apprentice Needed by Obert Skye
More than ever, Ozzy could really use the services of Rin, the wizard he hired to help find his parents — but Rin is missing, despite Ozzy’s continual attempts to contact him. And Clark, the mechanical bird his father left him, is as peculiar and vain as ever.
When a mysterious package arrives, Ozzy and his good friend Sigi are sure that the plane ticket and thumb drive they find inside are from Rin. Trying to get Clark through security at the airport proves complicated — as most things are with Clark. But when they arrive in New York, they discover there’s even more adventure in store for them.
Will Rin return and save the day? Will Ozzy figure out why he keeps walking into the ocean? Can Sigi find a way to trust her delinquent father? Will someone please appreciate Clark the way he’d like to be appreciated? For once?
book 2 in the Wizard for Hire series
White Bird by R.J. Palacio
To the millions of readers who fell in love with R J Palacio’s Wonder, Julian is best-known as Auggie Pullman’s classroom bully. White Bird reveals a new side to Julian’s story, as Julian discovers the moving and powerful tale of his grandmother, who was hidden from the Nazis as a young Jewish girl in occupied France during the Second World War.
An unforgettable, unputdownable story about strength, courage and the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives, from the globally bestselling author of Wonder.
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Bekka rated it ★★★★★ and said “Very good, and very moving! I was drawn into the plot immediately, and the characters were wonderfully done. The illustrations were more typical ‘comic book’ style, but I liked that pared with the seriousness of the story. This is a really good book for the kids, and adults will also find much of value in it.”
William rated it ★★★.
The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan
It’s not easy being Apollo, especially when you’ve been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo’s aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.
book 4 in the Trials of Apollo series
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Mary rated it ★★★★.
The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
Magic is harder than it looks.
Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself.
In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress.Â
4. Big Nate: Payback Time! by Lincoln Peirce
Look out, Big Nate fans—it’s payback time!
In this brand-new collection of Big Nate comics, Nate develops a mysterious allergy to Mrs. Godfrey, wages epic snowball fights with Teddy and Francis, and even takes a nervous newbie under his wing during detention. But after a disastrous run-in with Randy in the cafetorium, our hero faces a dreaded after-school showdown on the soccer field. Will Nate survive or get kicked around?
From wedgies and food fights to Halloween pranks and sixth-grade crushes, Big Nate: Payback Time! has got it all.
Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Anya and the Dragon is the story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village. When her family’s livelihood is threatened by a bigoted magistrate, Anya is lured in by a friendly family of fools, who promise her money in exchange for helping them capture the last dragon in Kievan Rus. This seems easy enough, until she finds out that the scary old dragon isn’t as old—or as scary—as everyone thought. Now Anya is faced with a choice: save the dragon, or save her family.
book 1 in the Anya series
Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James
Eleven year-old Tilly has lived above her grandparents’ bookshop ever since her mother disappeared shortly after she was born. Like the rest of her family, Tilly loves nothing more than to escape into the pages of her favourite stories.
One day Tilly realises that classic children’s characters are appearing in the shop through the magic of `book wandering’ – crossing over from the page into real life.
With the help of Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Tilly is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago, so she bravely steps into the unknown, unsure of what adventure lies ahead and what dangers she may face.
book 1 in the Pages & Co. series
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Bekka rated it ★★★★★ and said “I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was charming, magical, and imaginative. It’s in the best traditions of children’s literature, reminiscent of Edgar Eagar’s books, “Half Magic” in particular. The characters are memorable and have some very interesting and unique problems, particularly Tilly! The writing was quite good, and I enjoyed the sparse illustrations. A very readable and fun story that adults will enjoy as much as children. Highly Recommended!”
9. Blood and Bone by Erin Hunter
An elephant entrusted with a powerful gift.
A lion treading a dangerous path.
A baboon trapped by the truth.
A great evil has risen. A murderer now leads the animals of the plains. As the elephant Sky leads her herd in a desperate search for Bravelands’ rightful leader, the baboon Thorn is forced to flee his old troop, and the lion Fearless, once their friend, is led astray by a tyrant.
The balance of Bravelands is about to shatter—unless predator, prey, and scavenger unite as one.
book 3 in the Bravelands series
Legacy by Shannon Messenger
Sophie Foster wants answers. But after a lifetime of lies, sometimes the truth is the most dangerous discovery. Even the smallest secret comes with terrifying new responsibilities.
And Sophie’s not the only one with blank spots in her past, or mysteries surrounding her family. She and her friends are part of something much bigger than they imagined—and their roles have already been chosen for them.
Every clue drags them deeper into the conspiracy. Every memory forces them to question everything—especially one another. And the harder they fight, the more the lines blur between friend and enemy.
book 8 in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series
Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Danger is never far from Audra’s family farm in Lithuania. She always avoids the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist that everyone must become Russian — they have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, and even the language. But Audra knows her parents are involved in something secret and perilous.
When Cossacks arrive abruptly at their door, Audra’s parents insist that she flee, taking with her an important package and instructions for where to deliver it. But escape means abandoning her parents to a terrible fate.
As Audra embarks on a journey to deliver the mysterious package, she faces unimaginable risks, and soon she becomes caught up in a growing resistance movement. Can joining the underground network of book smugglers give Audra a chance to rescue her parents?
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Miranda rated it ★★★★.
Patty rated it ★★★★.
6. Master of the Phantom Isle by Brandon Mull
Cursed by the Key of Forgetting, Seth has lost all memory of his past—his relationships, his experiences, and who he really is. For now he will align with his new mentor, Ronodin, the dark unicorn, who takes him to the Phantom Isle, the secret gateway to the Under Realm. Though Seth is not formally a prisoner, Ronodin wants to use him and his shadow charmer powers for his own dark ends.
Kendra is frantic to find her missing brother, but the quest will take her and her companions, including Warren, Tanu, and Vanessa, far from Wyrmroost to Crescent Lagoon—a recently fallen dragon sanctuary made up of many islands and underwater domains. Its caretaker has regained a foothold on one of the islands. If Kendra and her friends can save that sanctuary, they might uncover the answers they need to rescue Seth.
With each sanctuary the dragons overthrow, Celebrant, the Dragon King, comes closer to the dawn of a new Age of Dragons. With the forces of darkness on the march, can Kendra and her allies gather enough power to win the epic dragon war?
book 3 in the Dragonwatch series
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Emily rated it ★★★★★.
Serafina and the Seven Stars by Robert Beatty
Serafina, the Guardian of Biltmore Estate, has won battle after battle against the dark forces encroaching on her home. Now, tranquility has returned to Biltmore. Serafina doesn’t trust it. She patrols the grounds night and day, hardly sleeping, uncertain of her place after her best friend Braeden Vanderbilt’s departure for boarding school in New York.
When Mr. Vanderbilt, the kind master of Biltmore, asks Serafina to move upstairs into one of the house’s grandest rooms, she’s sure it’s to keep an eye on the guests who have arrived for the estate’s annual hunt.
But as Serafina investigates, she becomes more and more unsettled by what Biltmore has become-a place haunted by nameless terrors where no dark corridor is safe. Even worse, she begins to doubt her own senses. Is Braeden really hundreds of miles away, or did he return to Biltmore for one strange night before vanishing? Is the bond between them truly broken or is it stronger than ever?
Then Serafina witnesses a crime that turns her world upside down. How can all that once seemed good and worthy of protection now be evil? And how can she guard those around her when she can’t even be sure of the truth of her own heart?
book 4 in the Serafina series
Duel at Araluen by John Flanagan
King Duncan and Princess Cassandra are trapped high in the south tower of Castle Araluen.
In the north, Sir Horace and Ranger Commandant Gilan are besieged in an old hill fort, as they wait for the Red Fox Clan’s next attack.
Ranger’s apprentice Maddie must find the Heron brotherband and convince them to join her, so she can give her father the help he needs to break out from the hill fort and ride to confront the traitor.
Will they reach Castle Araluen in time? And when the battles have been fought and the dust has settled, who will rule the Kingdom of Araluen?
book 3 in the The Royal Ranger series
1. Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney
An unexpected inheritance gives the Heffley family a chance to make major improvements to their home. But they soon find that construction isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When things get rough, will the Heffleys be able to stay . . . or will they be forced to move?
book 14 in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
7. Best Friends by Shannon Hale
Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon’s got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is their leader, Jen, the most popular girl in school.
But the rules are always changing, and Shannon has to scramble to keep up. She never knows which TV shows are cool, what songs to listen to, and which boys she’s allowed to talk to. Who makes these rules anyway? And does Shannon have to follow them? Or should she follow her heart?
book 2 in the Real Friends series
Escape from the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos may have once been the baddest of the bad, but their wicked ways are (mostly) behind them-and now graduation is almost here! But before the seniors can don their custom-designed caps and gowns, courtesy of Evie, they’ve got an epic plan to put into action. There are tons of villain kids on the Isle of the Lost who are eager for their chance to come to Auradon Prep-even Celia, Dr. Facilier’s trickster daughter, wants in on the deal!-and Mal’s crew is using their upcoming visit to the Isle to help make it happen. But Auradon’s biggest threat is still at large?
Trapped on the other side of the barrier, Uma is more desperate than ever to get her long-awaited revenge against Mal. When she discovers an underground lair belonging to Hades, god of the underworld, Uma realizes she’s found the perfect partner in crime. Together, they can defeat Mal, bring down the barrier, and escape the Isle for good.
Mal and Uma have a score to settle, and they’ll come face to face in an explosive underwater battle that could determine the fates of Auradon and the Isle of the Lost once and for all.
book 4 in the Descendants series
A Tale of Magic…Â by Chris Colfer
Fourteen-year-old Brystal Evergreen has always known she was destined for great things–that is, if she can survive the oppressive Southern Kingdom. Her only escape are books, but since it’s illegal for women to read in her country, she has to find creative ways of acquiring them. Working as a maid at her local library gives her the perfect excuse to be near them and allows her to sneak a few titles home when no one is looking. But one day Brystal uncovers a secret section of the library and finds a book about magic that changes her life forever.
Magic is despised and outlawed throughout the world–Brystal is well aware of the severe consequences the book may bring–but her curiosity gets the best of her. By reading some of the text aloud, strange phenomena begin to occur and Brystal discovers she is capable of magic! And the more she practices it, the harder it becomes to hide.
After being caught and convicted, Brystal is saved by a mysterious woman named Madame Weatherberry. The woman takes Brystal to her Academy of Magic and teaches her to become a fairy. While Brystal studies magic and befriends the other students, Madame Weatherberry is suddenly called away on suspicious matters. When she doesn’t return, Brystal and her friends work together to find and save their instructor. Along the way, the students discover Madame Weatherberry’s true intentions for the academy are not what they seem, and they come face to face with a sinister plot that puts the fate of the world, and the fate of magic itself, in grave danger…
book 1 in the Tale of Magic series
Wished by Jen Calonita
The mixed-up fairy tale fun continues in book five of the Fairy Tale Reform School series by award-winning author Jen Calonita!
With Rumpelstiltskin still on the loose and the citizens of Enchantasia on high alert, things at Fairy Tale Reform School have been a little…stressed. So when Maxine finds an old lamp that turns out to house an overly-enthusiastic genie, she knows exactly what to do; wish for everyone to be happy! But the wish doesn’t manifest itself the way she expects…suddenly, ex-villains are singing, trolls and ogres are getting along, and the whole school is more focused on putting on a musical than figuring out how to deal with Rumpelstiltskin. Can Gilly help Maxine break the spell before it’s too late?
book 5 in the Fairy Tale Reform School series
3. Out to Get You: 13 Tales of Weirdness and Woe by Josh Allen
Get ready for a collection of thirteen short stories that will chill your bones, tingle your spine, and scare your pants off. Debut author Josh Allen masterfully concocts horror in the most innocent places, like R.L. Stine meets a modern Edgar Allan Poe. A stray kitten turns into a threatening follower. The street sign down the block starts taunting you. Even your own shadow is out to get you!
The everyday world is full of sinister secrets and these page-turning stories show that there’s darkness even where you least expect it. Readers will sleep with one eye open . . .
Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians
Cathy rated it ★★★★ and said, “I will never trust my shadow again! Josh Allen’s creepy tales are delightfully eerie and great to read aloud. I had a spell bound audience hugging their pillows and scanning the room for anything shaped like an eye. Geared for middle school, but mesmerizing for adults with an inner child as well. Or you might consider reading it to your cat, especially if it’s black.”
The Unicorn Whisperer by Dana Simpson
For 9-year-old Phoebe Howell and her sparkling companion, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, every day is an adventure. In this latest installation of Dana Simpson’s award-winning Phoebe and Her Unicorn series, Phoebe navigates the challenges of school life with a little help from her unicorn friend, who is always ready with the perfect spell for the occasion. But as the magic spells mount up, both Phoebe and Marigold find themselves wondering if sometimes they might be taking things just a little too far…
book 10 in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series
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- Sunday: CLOSED
Closures in 2024
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 15 – Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
- February 19 – Presidents Day
- March 22 – Staff Development Day
- April 6 – Building Maintenance
- May 25-27 – Memorial Day
- June 19 – Juneteenth
- July 4 – Independence Day
- August 31 – September 2 – Labor Day
- September 20 – LCEI Conference
- October 5 – Building Maintenance
- October 31 – Open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
- November 11 – Veterans Day
- November 27 – Closing at 5:00 pm
- November 28-30 – Thanksgiving
- December 24-26 – Christmas
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve
- January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day
Closures in 2025
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 20 – Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
- February 17 – Presidents Day
- April 5 – Building Maintenance
- May 24-26 – Memorial Day
- June 19 – Juneteenth
- July 4 – Independence Day
- August 30-September 1 – Labor Day
- October 4 – Building Maintenance
- October 31 – Open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
- November 11 – Veterans Day
- November 26 – Closing at 5:00 pm
- November 27-29 – Thanksgiving
- December 24-26 – Christmas
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve
- January 1, 2026 – New Year’s Day
Address
73 North Center
Rexburg, Idaho 83440
We are located on Center Street, just north of Main Street, by the Historic Rexburg Tabernacle.
Contact Us
(208) 356-3461
24 Hour Phone Renewal: (208) 356-6658
askmadisonlibrary@madisonlib.org