Service Alert
Website maintenance April 24 10pm ET
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
Showing 1 - 20 of 2634 items
By Susin Nielsen. 2021
From Governor General's Literary Award--winning author Susin Nielsen comes a funny and heartfelt story about learning how to rise above…
your most embarrassing moment with humor, best friends and a killer triangle solo.We all have moments that define us. For the comically clueless Wilbur, his moment happened on the first day of middle school, when someone shared his private letter with the entire student body. It revealed some of Wilbur's innermost embarrassing thoughts that no one else should ever know.Now it's the start of ninth grade and Wilbur hasn't been able to escape that major humiliation. His good friend Alex stuck by him, but Alex doesn't have as much time since he started dating Fabrizio. Luckily, Wil can confide in his bestfriend: his elderly neighbor Sal. Also, Wil's in the school band, where he plays the triangle. They're doing an exchange program with students from Paris, and Wilbur's billet, Charlie, a tall, chic young woman who plays the ukulele and burps with abandon, captures his heart. Charlie likes him, but only as a friend. So Alex, Fabrizio and Sal host a Queer Eye-style intervention to get Wil in shape and to build his confidence so he can impress Charlie when their band visits Paris, and just maybe replace humiliation with true romance in the City of Love.By Ben Philippe. 2020
From the award-winning author of The Field Guide to the North American Teenager comes a whip-smart and layered romantic comedy.…
Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han. Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger can charm just about anyone. He is a star debater and popular student at the prestigious FATE academy, the dutiful first-generation Haitian son, and the trusted dog walker for his wealthy New York City neighbors. But his easy smiles mask a burning ambition to attend his dream college, Columbia University. There is only one person who seems immune to Henri’s charms: his “intense” classmate and neighbor Corinne Troy. When she uncovers Henri’s less-than-honest dog-walking scheme, she blackmails him into helping her change her image at school. Henri agrees, seeing a potential upside for himself. Soon what started as a mutual hustle turns into something more surprising than either of them ever bargained for. . . . This is a sharply funny and insightful novel about the countless hustles we have to keep from doing the hardest thing: being ourselves.By John Lekich. 2022
By Catherine Egan. 2022
Men in Black meets middle school! A school project takes an alien turn when three kids uncover a secret society…
whose aim is to keep sneaks--mischievous interdimensional sprites--from slipping into our universe!When Ben Harp sees his teacher's watch crawling across the hallway, he thinks he must be dreaming. But no, he’s just seen his first Sneak—an interdimensional mischief-maker that can borrow the form of any ordinary object. He figured this school year would be bad—his best friend moved away, the class bully is circling, and he’s stuck doing a group project with two similarly friendless girls, Charlotte and Akemi. Still, he wasn’t expecting aliens! And he certainly wasn’t expecting that the woman he and Charlotte and Akemi are assigned to interview for their “living local history” project would be a Sneak expert. Or that she’d foist an old book on them to keep safe . . . and then disappear. Now Ben, Charlotte, and Akemi are trying to understand a book that seems to contain a coded map while being pursued by violent clothes hangers, fire-spitting squirrels, and more. The Sneaks want that book! And they want something else, too: to pull a vastly more dangerous creature into the world with them. Can three misfit kids decode the book in time to stop an alien takeover? And if they do, will they get extra credit on their group project?By Gordon Korman. 2023
It’s The Unteachables meets I, Robot in another funny middle school tale from Gordon Korman!It’s the start of a new…
school year and Oliver is looking forward to a seventh-grade year full of spitballs, jokes and pranks with his friend Nathan. And their new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact, looks like a prime target. He’s an odd duck with a weird, stilted vocabulary, an unusual way of looking at things, and a strangely old student teacher constantly in tow. He also has a seemingly superhuman ability to detect and defuse almost every one of Oliver’s schemes.But that’s not all of it. Mr. Aidact seems to be teaching pretty much every subject. He’s willing to take over jobs no other teacher will, like supervising detention and coaching the field hockey team. Oliver and Nathan are determined to find out what is up with this guy.What they uncover is out of this world!Mr. Aidact is, in fact, superhuman — he’s an android, a secret project of the Department of Education. And when the secret leaks out, the school and the PTA are in an uproar, and calls for his “deactivation” are loud and clear.Can Oliver and his friends turn this plan around and save the teacher they’ve grown to love and appreciate?By Erin Bow. 2023
For fans of Kate DiCamillo and Jack Gantos, a hilarious, wrenching, hopeful novel about finding your friends, healing your heart,…
and speaking your truth.Simon O’Keeffe’s biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he’d do anything to forget: the story in which he’s the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting. Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone—the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who’s determined to give the scientists what they’re looking for, he’ll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell. From award-winning author Erin Bow, Simon Sort of Says is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past.By Kevin Sylvester. 2020
Will the Hockey Super Six thwart their enemy’s plans for world domination in book two of this action-packed series?In the…
second book pitting six ordinary kids with super hockey skills against the forces of evil, Jenny, Benny, Mo, Starlight, DJ and Karl desperately need to stay out of Crosscheck’s grasp!Their last run-in revealed to evil scientist (and former mediocre goalie) Clarence Crosscheck the scope of some of their secret powers — powers he can use in his never-ending quest for world domination. Hard at work on a robot army to do his bidding, Crosscheck underestimates how strong the Super Six can be when they work together as a team.Get ready for high-stakes ice battles, non-stop hijinks and never-before-seen hockey action (it’s kids vs robots, and some giant lizards too)!By Kelly Murphy, William Alexander. 2018
National Book Award winner William Alexander conjures up a spooky adventure full of excitement in this entertaining sequel to A…
Properly Unhaunted Place.Rosa Ramona Diaz, the ghost appeasing assistant librarian, has unleashed all the ghosts who were previously shut out of the small town of Ingot. Now ghosts are everywhere, and the town’s living residents are either learning to cope or trying to do the one thing no one can successfully do—banish the ghosts. At school, something supernatural is stealing kids’ voices and leaving them speechless. And it’s Rosa’s job to solve the mystery and set things right. Meanwhile her best friend Jasper is dealing with what remains of the Renaissance Festival, where ghosts from Ingot’s past are now battling it out with the ghosts of the Renaissance reenactors. And Rosa is experiencing a haunting of her own—could her father’s ghost have followed her here? Somehow Rosa and Jasper are going to have to find a way to bring Ingot back to normal—in a world where the living are now residing side-by-side with the dearly departed.By Stuart Gibbs. 2014
It's a murder mystery on the moon in this humorous and suspenseful space adventure from the author of Belly Up…
and Spy School. Like his fellow lunarnauts--otherwise known as Moonies--living on Moon Base Alpha, twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson is famous the world over for being one of the first humans to live on the moon. And he's bored out of his mind. Kids aren't allowed on the lunar surface, meaning they're trapped inside the tiny moon base with next to nothing to occupy their time--and the only other kid Dash's age spends all his time hooked into virtual reality games. Then Moon Base Alpha's top scientist turns up dead. Dash senses there's foul play afoot, but no one believes him. Everyone agrees Dr. Holtz went onto the lunar surface without his helmet properly affixed, simple as that. But Dr. Holtz was on the verge of an important new discovery, Dash finds out, and it's a secret that could change everything for the Moonies--a secret someone just might kill to keep...By Jessica Brody. 2017
A middle school girl finds out that being a teenager isn't all it's cracked up to be in this realistic…
read about friendship with plenty of LOL moments--and a magical twist!Seventh grader Addie Bell can’t wait to grow up. Her parents won’t let her have her own phone, she doesn’t have any curves, and her best friend, Grace, isn’t at all interested in makeup or boys. Then, on the night of her twelfth birthday, Addie makes a wish on a magic jewelry box to be sixteen . . . and wakes up to find her entire life has been fast-forwarded four years! Suddenly she has everything she’s always wanted (including a driver’s license and a closet full of cool clothes)! But Addie soon discovers a lot more has changed than she expected—including her friendship with Grace. Can Addie turn back time and take back her wish . . . or has she lost the chance to experience what could have been the best years of her life? “I Girl’s Best FriendFrom the Hardcover edition.By Amber Lee Dodd. 2016
'A total page-turner...very moving and touching.' JACQUELINE WILSONA brilliantly funny and wonderfully warm-hearted story about love, family, and what it…
means to be different. Sydney thinks her mum Amy is the best mum in the world - even if she is a bit different. When everyone else kept growing, Amy got to four feet tall and then stopped right there. The perfect height, in Sydney's opinion: big enough to reach the ice cream at the supermarket, small enough to be special. Sydney's dad died when she was only five, but her memories of him, her mum's love and the company of her brave big sister Jade means she never feels alone . . . But when the family are forced to move house, things get tricky. Sydney and Jade must make new friends, deal with the bullies at their new school and generally figure out the business of growing up in a strange new town.And Sydney doesn't want to grow up - not if it means getting bigger than her mum...By Tara Altebrando, Illustrated by T.L. Bonaddio. 2015
Kate Marino knows very well that home is where her heart is, and if she had any say in the…
matter, her heart would stay put in Big Red. The old, rambling farmhouse has withstood the test of time with her family, but now Kate’s parents have decided to sell it from under her feet. The preventative solution: sabotage the realtor’s tours with the help of best friends and a plan that has maximum stinkage potential. The back-up plan: hang on to at least a little bit of life at Big Red by creating shoebox dioramas of each room. But even with a full-scale assault, will her mission be a success? And if not, what will the diorama of Kate’s future look like? With a keen eye for capturing the moments that matter, acclaimed author Tara Altebrando explores the pain--and promise--of letting go.By Marian Orton, Eliza Marciniak, Jerzy Flisak. 2013
The first in a series of irresistibly charming, beautifully illustrated children's classics - the adventures of Detective Nosegoode and his…
talking dog, Cody.At first glance, Mr Ambrosius Nosegoode seems to be a perfectly ordinary older gentleman. After retiring, he has moved from the big city to a small town, where he spends his days growing radishes, playing the flute and taking walks with his dog, Cody.But appearances can be deceiving: this unimposing man was once a famous detective, and his dog isn't an ordinary mutt either - he can talk! When a mysterious man with a fake black beard comes to town and a music box goes missing from the workshop of clockmaker Mr Ignatius Blossom, the two friends begin to investigate.By Nicholas O. Time. 2016
Luis takes The Book of Memories home and things get crazy in this third zany novel, part of the all-new…
In Due Time series.When librarian Valerie Tremt gives student Luis Ramirez a chance to go back in time, he knows just what he wants to do. He plans to go back to 1696 and see exactly where Captain William Kidd left buried treasure, and then return to the spot and retrieve it. He'll be rich and famous! But when he returns from his time traveling adventure without any treasure, he is inconsolable. To make matters worse, his older brother Rafael doesn't believe he time traveled at all. Luis decides there's only one way to convince him. He brings The Book of Memories home to show Rafael, despite Ms. Tremt's warning that the book is never to leave the library without her permission. Luis ignores her warning--after all, it's just a book. What could possibly go wrong? Turns out--a lot. When Luis wakes up to find a Viking, Charlie Chaplin, and King Tut wandering around his house, he realizes Ms. Tremt's warning was no joke. The good news is now Rafael believes him. The bad news is that it's not going to be easy to get these historical figures back to their proper time periods, especially because none of them want to go home! Can Luis find a way to put everything--and everyone--in the right place before time runs out?By Jonathan Swift. 1996
Treasury of five shorter works by the author of Gulliver's Travels offers ample evidence of the great satirist's inspired lampoonery.…
Title piece plus The Battle of the Books, A Meditation Upon a Broom-Stick, A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit and The Abolishing of Christianity in England.By Adam Selzer. 2016
From the author of Play Me Backwards and I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It comes a dark comedy…
about one teen's unusual summer job as a ghost tour guide in Chicago.Megan Henske isn't one to heed warnings... When the last letters in her alphabet cereal are D, I, and E, she doesn't crawl right back into bed. When her online girlfriend won't text a photo, she just sends more of herself. And when she realizes that Cynthia, her boss at a Chicago ghost tour company, isn't joking about making stops more haunted by euthanizing people there, she doesn't quit her job--she may even help. But soon she learns people in the murdermonger industry are being murdered, and doesn't know who it is doing it. Could it be the head of the rival tour company? Or could it be someone near and dear to Megan? After she realizes she has an uncanny resemblance to a flapper who disappeared in 1922, Megan receives a warning she can't ignore: the next ghost on the tour might be her...By Chris Rylander. 2011
Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does--he and his best friend and business…
manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming. Or at least it was, until one particular Monday. It starts with a third grader in need of protection. And before this ordeal is over, it's going to involve a legendary high school crime boss named Staples, an intramural gambling ring, a graffiti ninja, the nine most dangerous bullies in school, and the first Chicago Cubs World Series game in almost seventy years. And that's just the beginning. Mac and Vince soon realize that the trouble with solving everyone else's problems is that there's no one left to solve yours.By Caro King. 2011
It's Grimshaw's job to carry out death bed curses. The more horrible and deadly they are, the more he enjoys…
them. When his master, Lampwick the Robber, has an unexpected opportunity to curse a whole new set of humans, Grimshaw can't believe his luck!He is desperate to catch a young boy named Fish Jones. But unlike any other human, Fish can see demons, and he is determined to stay alive... But as Grimshaw grows in power, it's not just him against Fish, it's him against the whole world. Can Jones stop the demon's dangerous and terrifying plan?Full of humor and wild imagination, Kill Fish Jones will grip you by the throat and not let go!By Steve, Knudson, Mike Wilkinson. 2009
Best friends Raymond and Graham can't wait to defeat their rival team and win the Little League championship, impressing the…
girls they like and shaming their school bully in the process. But things don't go exactly as planned . . . With kid-friendly humor and funny black-and-white illustrations, this series is perfect for middle-grade readers, especially boys.By Mandy Hubbard. 2010
Kayla McHenry?s sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla?s secretly…
loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin? do. Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year?s supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla?s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend?s boyfriend. .