Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Kids Book Picks - March 2019 - US Published Post Two


Colin Meloy - The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid - Published by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen (5 Mar. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-0062342461 - Paperback - Age: 9+

From the creators of the New York Times, bestselling Wildwood Chronicles comes an original, humorous, and fast-paced middle-grade novel about a band of child pickpockets--imagine The Invention of Hugo Cabret meets Oliver Twist.
It is an ordinary Tuesday morning in April when bored, lonely Charlie Fisher witnesses something incredible. Right before his eyes, in a busy square in Marseille, a group of pickpockets pulls off an amazing robbery. As the young bandits appear to melt into the crowd, Charlie realizes with a start that he himself was one of their marks.
Yet Charlie is less alarmed than intrigued. This is the most thrilling thing that's happened to him since he came to France with his father, an American diplomat. So instead of reporting the thieves, Charlie defends one of their cannons, Amir, to the police, under one condition: he teaches Charlie the tricks of the trade.
What starts off as a lesson on pinches, kicks, and chumps soon turns into an invitation for Charlie to join the secret world of the whiz mob, an international band of child thieves who trained at the mysterious School of Seven Bells. The whiz mob are independent and incredibly skilled and make their own way in the world--they are everything Charlie yearns to be. But what at first seemed like a (relatively) harmless new pastime draws him into a dangerous adventure with global stakes greater than he could have ever imagined.


Thomas Lennon (Author), John Hendrix (Illustrator) - Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles - Published by Amulet Books (5 Mar. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1419734915 -Hardback - Age:10+
Fourteen-year-old Ronan Boyle is the youngest and lowliest recruit to the secret Garda, an Irish police force that handles the misdeeds of numerous magical creatures. Ronan’s parents are in jail, but Ronan is convinced that they were framed by the wee people. So, despite his small size, poor eyesight, and social awkwardness, he’s determined to learn all he can in the Garda in order to prove his parents’ innocence. To show he’s got what it takes, he’ll have to confront a fiery leprechaun, a sinister harpy, and a whole world of monsters hidden in plain sight next to real-life Ireland. Fast-paced, action-packed, and completely hilarious, this is the start to an exciting new middle-grade series by actor and writer Thomas Lennon.


Heather Shumaker - The Griffins of Castle Cary - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (5 Mar. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1534430884 - Hardback - Age: 7+

A charming, adventure-filled debut novel that's perfect for fans of The Penderwicks series.
Siblings Meg, Will, and Ariel Griffin are off on an adventure! They can't wait to spend a week visiting their eccentric aunt and her giant, tongue-drooling Newfoundland dog in England. But when they finally arrive, they're faced with a few local secrets that stir up more than a little trouble. 
Add in some very peculiar lights, strange new friends, a police chase and some stampeding sheep, and the Griffin kids are in over their heads--literally. Apparently, this town has a ghost problem and the three children must race to solve the mystery before the ghosts take something that doesn't belong to them.


Keith O'Brien - Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History - Published by Houghton Mifflin (5 Mar. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1328618429 - Hardback - Age: 8+

From NPR correspondent Keith O' Brien comes this thrilling Young Readers' edition of the untold story about pioneering women, including Amelia Earhart, who fought to compete against men in the high-stakes national air races of the 1920s and 1930s--and won.

In the years between World War I and World War II, airplane racing was one of the most popular sports in America. Thousands of fans flocked to multi-day events, and the pilots who competed in these races were hailed as heroes. Well, the male pilots were hailed. Women who flew planes were often ridiculed by the press, and initially, they weren't invited to race. Yet a group of women were determined to take to the sky--no matter what. With guts and grit, they overcame incredible odds both on the ground and in the air to pursue their dreams of flying and racing planes.

Fly Girls follows the stories of five remarkable women: Florence Klingensmith, a high-school dropout from North Dakota; Ruth Elder, an Alabama housewife; Amelia Earhart, the most famous, but not necessarily the most skilled; Ruth Nichols, a daughter of Wall Street wealth who longed to live a life of her own; and Louise Thaden, who got her start selling coal in Wichita. Together, they fought for the chance to race against the men--and in 1936 one of them would triumph in the toughest race of all.

Complete with photographs and a glossary, Fly Girls celebrates a little-known slice of history wherein tenacious, trail-blazing women braved all obstacles to achieve greatness.
 
Ruth NicholsCreditCreditThe International Women’s Air and Space Museum, Cleveland, Ohio

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