Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston, 2021

Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she's certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton--if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.

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Animal Rescue Friends by Meika Hashimoto and Gina Loveless, 2021

Maddie and Boyd -- Bell and Kiki -- Mikey and Hopper -- Noah and Pepper -- Maddie and Paxton. "Welcome to Animal Rescue Friends, where any stray can find a friendly face--furry or otherwise. This first collection of middle-grade comics includes five tales of found family: A lonely girl living in the suburbs finds happiness with a stray pit bull; a protective mama ferret and her six kits learn to trust a shelter volunteer; a shy boy stands up for himself with the help of a strong-willed bunny; a cantankerous cat helps to mend a troubled relationship; and the shelter's unofficial mascot eventually finds a home.

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Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman, 2021

In Chennai, India, after spending his whole life in jail with his mother, who is serving time for a crime she did not commit, nine-year-old Kabir is suddenly released and has to figure out how to survive on his own in the outside world.

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The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling, 2020

A year after the death of her mother in a restaurant shooting, Nora is left struggling to stay alive when a climbing trip with her father goes terribly wrong.

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Clarice the Brave by Lisa McMann, 2021

When they are separated at sea, mouse siblings Clarice and Charles Sebastian, who were taught to be careful, now need to be bold if they are to survive--and keep their promise to find one another again.

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The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington, 2020

Twelve-year-old Lexington, a foundling raised in a zoo, spends a summer cementing friendships, growing closer to the elephant that saved her life, and learning about her family and herself.

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How to be Brave by Daisy May Johnson, 2021

When her mother, the world's leading expert on ducks, goes missing, Calla North must outwit the headmistress at her new boarding school to find her mom, with the help of a few new friends and a motley crew of resourceful nuns.
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Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake, 2020

The last thing Badger wants is a roommate, and certainly not Skunk, but since the house does not belong to him he does not have a choice; and soon everything in Badger's quiet and ordered life studying rocks is turned upside down (and where on earth did all the chickens come from)--but after he drives Skunk and his chickens away, Badger starts to miss his roommate and sets out to find him and make amends.

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Twins by Varian Johnson, 2020

Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran -- a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister! Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there's nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good?

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 Willodeen by Katherine Applegate, 2021

When the annual migration of hummingbears, a source of local pride and income, dwindles and no one knows why, Willodeen, armed with a magical birthday gift, speaks up for the animals she loves and vows to uncover this mystery.

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