MEALWORM DIARIES, by Anna Kerz, Orca Book Publishers, $9.95; ages 9-12.
It is hard enough to make friends in a new school without mealworms getting in the way. Jeremy moves from rural Nova Scotia to Toronto and is paired with a socially awkward partner, Aaron, on a science project about mealworms. Aaron thinks he is Jeremy’s new best friend, but Jeremy is embarrassed by him. In a book with a message about kindness, Jeremy has to find a way to enjoy life again.
THE PHAROAH’S SECRET, by Marissa Moss, Amulet Books, $10.85; ages 9-12.
Talibah and Adom are traveling with their father to his homeland in Egypt. When they arrive, an old woman hands Talibah a statue. Talibah soon begins having dreams that bring her back to ancient Egypt and the time of the pyramids. In her dreams, Queen Hatshepsut commands her to find her high steward, Senenmut. The mystery deepens when Talibah realizes Queen Hatshepsut has been erased from history.
THE MYSTERY OF THE THIRD LUCRETIA (A Kari and Lucas Mystery), by Susan Runholt, Puffin, $16.99; ages 11-13.
When Kari and Lucas visit the art museum in Minneapolis, they encounter a man sketching a Rembrandt painting. When they get too close, he hollers at them to go away. While on a business trip in London with Kari’s mom, they see the same man (in a disguise) sketching a Rembrandt. When they read in the newspaper that a third Lucretia by Rembrandt has been discovered in Amsterdam, Kari and Lucas just have to see it. Could the girls be the only two people in the world who can prove this new Rembrandt a fake?
FOOTBALL CHAMP, by Tim Green, HarperCollins, $16.99; ages 9-12.
Troy is so good at predicting plays he’s been hired by the Atlanta Falcons. Because of him, the team is having an amazing year. Not only is he helping the team to win, his hero and team star, Seth Halloway, is coaching Troy’s youth football team. When a reporter puts out the news that the team is winning because of a 12-year-old, all kinds of controversy begins.
