Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford

Newt Newman is almost invisible. He's the younger brother of the town's star football player and something of a nerd. When his brother is injured in the big game and is hospitalized, he is left to fend for himself. It's Halloween and his two best friends fix him up with a costume--Captain Nobody.

When he wears his costume, Newt becomes another person. He really is Captain Nobody. Before long he is wearing it everywhere, including to school. He saves the day in many situations. Is it because he has superpowers when he wears the costume or is something else happening? You'll laugh out loud at the adventures of Newt and his friends!

Click here to visit the author's website. You can read or listen to a sample chapter, watch a video about Captain Nobody or take a fun quiz!

The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott

"There was a curse. It was reversed. And this is the boy who did it."

In 1919, the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Since that day, the Sox have been cursed. They will never win a World Series.

It is now 2004, and twelve-year old Oscar Egg also believes he is cursed. Or at least betrayed. His adoptive parents have divorced. He rarely sees his Dad, who seems like an old man to Oscar. And now his mother has gone off to live with the Condo King. Somehow Oscar thinks this must all be his fault - after all, he doesn't look like either of his parents. The kids at school teases him - "Who's your Daddy" they chant.

And now Oscar has to live with his Dad, who seems really upset. Reluctantly, Oscar's Dad takes him home - to Fenway Park - the home of the Red Sox. Very strange and bizarre things begin to happen almost immediately. Who is my Daddy, Oscar begins to worry.

And just what part does Oscar play here?

May you be cursed, Fenway Park,
May horned creatures reign the dark.
May a Pooka roost in your hill,
May the Banshee cry and keen at will.
May weasels nest
and nettles infest.
May herds of mice swarm
and evil managers do harm.
May you be close enough to taste the win
but always, truly, lose before you even begin.

Julianna Baggott also writes under the pen name N.E. Bode - who is the author of The Anybodies series. Check out The Prince of Fenway Park - just in time for spring training.

Click here to take a virtual tour of Fenway Park.

The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner

Gianna Z. is a multi-faceted person. She's an athlete, an artist, and a good friend. She's not, however, a very good student. She's disorganized and has trouble getting things turned in on time. If she misses the due date for her leaf collection project, she won't be able to go the cross country sectionals. She knows she has to get it done, and her best friend, Zig, her mom and her grandmother all try to help her, but things just keep getting in the way. If she doesn't get it done, her arch nemesis, Bianca, will get to go in her place. That would be awful!

This novel is at times, funny, and at others, extremely touching. It's always fast paced and entertaining. Gianna Z. is a winner!

What kind of tree are you? Click here to take a quiz and find out.
First watch this video from the author, Kate Messner. Look carefully in the background and see if you can find either Mrs. Dohner or Mrs. Weyand. We were lurking around all these authors while the video was being filmed!

Find more videos like this on Kidlit Book Trailers

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

Gary Paulsen has written another exciting tale of adventure.

This time we follow Samuel, a 13-year-old boy living during the time of the Revolutionary War. He and his parents live in a small colony in Pennsylvania. Samuel is a woods runner - someone who spends much of his time in the woods hunting for food.

He returns to the settlement after a lengthy hunt to find the houses burned, several of the settlers murdered and his parents gone! He determines that they have been taken prisoner and he sets out to find them. His journey is long and dangerous and leads him into enemy territory. Follow him as he fights for his family, meeting some wonderful characters and facing more tragedy along the way.

This is a real story of courage, not only Samuel's, but of many people he meets along the way.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

Homer Figg usually tells the truth - usually. He does have an unfortunate habit of exaggerating the truth . . .

Homer does have a serious problem. Actually - several problems. Homer and his brother are orphans and they live with their uncle. Their uncle is "the meanest man in the state of Maine." Finally he does a really terrible thing - he sells Homer's older brother, Harold, into the Union Army during the Civil War. Harold is definitely too young to be a soldier. Homer is terribly worried about his brother so he sets of on a "borrowed" horse to find Harold and explain to the authorities that Harold doesn't belong in the war. Homer ends up, after many exciting adventures, right in the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg!

Homer Figg is just the right combination of history, adventure, danger, comedy and seriousness. Along the way, Homer meets good guys, bad guys, heroes, spies and con men.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg is written by Rodman Philbrick, the author Freak the Mighty and several other books. In this video clip, Rodman Philbrick reads a chapter from his new book:

Leviathan

The word leviathan means something that is the largest or most massive thing of its kind. The Leviathan in Scott Westerfeld's novel is a huge airship - something like a blimp or a dirigible - only this huge ship is alive!

Leviathan is a steampunk science fiction novel. Steampunk novels remind you of Jules Verne, who wrote 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Although the world seems old-fashioned with steam-powered locomotives or ships - it is also futuristic with new and marvelous inventions or creations.

Leviathan is also an alternate-history science fiction novel. It is takes place in the weeks during the beginning of World War I. The event that sparked the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In this story, Alek is his son. Now that his parents are dead, their enemies are after him! He escapes with a few of his father's loyal men in a Clanker machine called a walker. This is also the story of Deryn Sharp, who is hiding her real identity as a girl so that she can fulfill her dream of flying in airships, especially the living airship Leviathan.

Leviathan is an action-filled novel with exciting battle scenes. It is also lavishly illustrated with fascinating and detailed drawings of this original world. Click on the title above to see examples of these marvelous illustrations.

Click here to read the first chapter of Leviathan online.

Born to Fly

Bird McGill loves anything about airplanes. Her dad is a pilot and has taken her on several flights. He even lets her take the controls sometimes. Her dream is to fly the P-40 Warhawk, for which her dad has given her the manual.

World War II is going on. When the news of the Pearl Harbor bombing spreads, Bird's dad is called up to fly for the Army Air Corps. At the same time, she reluctantly befriends a Japanese-American boy. Together they discover that there is a traitor in their small town. How they eventually uncover him makes for a real adventure story. Bird is a fearless heroine who will capture your heart.

The author, Michael Ferrari, is a sixth grade English teacher who wrote this story for his two daughters and also for the young girl he saw at a World War II air show. The girl's brother told her that girls could never be fighter pilots. He never met Bird!