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The mermaid's scream / by Ellis, Kate,1953-author.;
Why did Wynn Staniland, a legend in the literary world, suddenly become a recluse in the 1980s? Most assumed he stopped writing because of his wife's bizarre suicide; a death that mirrored a murder case from the nineteenth century. And now a promising young author called Zac Wilkinson is working on Staniland's biography and hopes to reveal the true story to a waiting world - while at the same time keeping his own troubled past hidden from public view. When Wilkinson is found brutally murdered, DI Wesley Peterson finds links to the unexplained poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park - and Wynn Staniland appears to be the connection. As Wesley delves further into the case he suspects a sinister puppet show might provide the solution: a grim re-enactment of the murder of Mary Field, a cause celebre from the reign of Queen Victoria that inspired Staniland's best-known novel. The case becomes personal for Wesley when he discovers his son is involved, and as he begins to unravel decades of secrets and deception, the shocking truth proves almost too much to bear ...
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Peterson, Wesley (Fictitious character); Biographers; Murder; Fathers and sons; Recluses;

Tales from a not-so-happy birthday / by Russell, Rachel Renée.; Russell, Nikki.; Russell, Erin.;
It's Nikki's birthday, and it is up to her whether it is a blast or a bust. Ages 9-13.LSC
Subjects: Diary fiction.; Humorous fiction.; Maxwell, Nikki J.; Friendship; Birthday parties; Middle schools;

Alexis's half-baked idea / by Simon, Coco.; Tornow, Daniel.;
When Alexis decides she wants to be more like her popular older sister, Dylan, she tries out for cheerleading, without really thinking about what that entails, including that her sister was a star on her cheerleading squad.Ages 8-12.LSC
Subjects: Cheerleading; Middle school students; Sisters; Cupcakes;

Brave / by Chmakova, Svetlana,1979-; McCommon, Melissa.; Lee, JuYoun.;
Middle school hasn't been easy for Jensen--math is hard, getting along with friends is hard, even finding a partner for a class project is a hard when you're always picked last. And it's about to get even tougher when the school newspaper's dynamic duo, Jenny and Akilah, draw Jensen into the world of school news, social experiment projects, and behind-the-scenes club drama. Will Jensen be able to find a solution to any of his problems?A, all ages.LSC
Subjects: Graphic novels.; Middle school students; Courage; Friendship; Student newspapers and periodicals; Middle schools;

The great wave : the era of radical disruption and the rise of the outsider / by Kakutani, Michiko,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."An urgent examination of how disruptive politics, technology, and art are capsizing old assumptions in a great wave of change breaking over today's world, creating both opportunity and peril-from the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and author of the New York Times bestseller The Death of Truth. The twenty-first century is experiencing a watershed moment defined by chaos and uncertainty, as one emergency cascades into another, underscoring the larger dynamics of change that are fueling instability across the world. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, people have increasingly lost trust in institutions and elites, while seizing upon new digital tools to sidestep traditional gatekeepers. As a result, powerful new voices-once regarded as radical, unorthodox or marginal-are disrupting the status quo in politics, business and culture. Meanwhile, social and economic inequalities are stoking populist rage across the world, toxic partisanship is undermining democratic ideals, and the internet and AI have become high-speed vectors for the spread of misinformation. Writing with a critic's understanding of cultural trends and a journalist's eye for historical detail, Michiko Kakutani looks at the consequences of these new asymmetries of power. She maps the migration of ideas from the margins to the mainstream and explores the growing influence of outsiders-those who have sown anger and fear (like Donald Trump), and those who have provided inspirational leadership (like Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky). At the same time, she situates today's multiplying crises in context with those that defined earlier hinge moments in history, from the waning of the Middle Ages, to the transition between the Gilded Age and Progressive era at the end of the nineteenth century. Kakutani argues that today's crises are not only signs of an interconnected globe's profound vulnerabilities, but stress tests pointing to the essential changes needed to survive this tumultuous era and build a more sustainable future"--
Subjects: Civilization, Modern; Elite (Social sciences); Globalization.; Political culture.; Power (Social sciences); Uncertainty.;

The benefits of being an octopus : a novel / by Braden, Ann.;
Includes bibliographical references.Seventh-grader Zoey Albro focuses on caring for three younger siblings and avoiding rich classmates at school until her fascination with octopuses gets her on the debate team and she begins to speak out.Ages 8-12.
Subjects: Brothers and sisters; Debates and debating; Middle schools; Schools; Social classes; Dysfunctional families;

Best friends / by Hale, Shannon,author.; Pham, LeUyen,illustrator.; Playaway Products, LLC,issuing body.;
Narrated by Various.Grades 3 - 7.Follow your heart. Find your people. Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon's got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is their leader, Jen, the most popular girl in school. But the rules are always changing, and Shannon has to scramble to keep up. She never knows which TV shows are cool, what songs to listen to, and who she's allowed to talk to. Who makes these rules, anyway? And does Shannon have to follow them?.
Subjects: Comics (Graphic works); Graphic novels.; Coming-of-age comics.; Children's audiobooks.; Preteen girls; Best friends; Female friendship; Popularity; Middle schools; Middle school students; Social acceptance in children; Schools; Friendship;

The truth about 5th grade / by Tomsic, Kim.; Parisi, Mark.;
Told through a he-said/she-said narrative, this hilarious book follows former best friends Charlotte and Alex as they learn there are two sides to every story when Charlotte discovers Alex has shared her most secretest secret while Alex tries to figure out why Charlotte's no longer talking to him.Ages 8-12.
Subjects: Humorous fiction.; School fiction.; Diary fiction.; Interpersonal communication; Best friends; Middle schools;

Balance : how to invest and spend for happiness, health, and wealth / by Hallam, Andrew(Teacher),author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.Stop chasing money and start redefining success. Sure, money is important. And yes, it can make you happy-but only up to a point. The truth is, science has shown that we each have a set point that links our earnings with happiness; go beyond that point, and your happiness ceases to increase with income. In this illuminating guide to living a financially healthier, and happier, life, bestselling author and financial journalist Andrew Hallam demonstrates how you can optimize your income for maximum happiness by investing responsibly and living according to your values. You'll find tips for using robo investors, insights for investing in socially responsible funds, and how to craft a personal budget that aligns your spending with what you hold most dear. Drawing on behavioural science, evidence-based investing, and environmental science, he shows you how to start framing success in a way that actually brings happiness, not stress, into your life-by balancing your money, connection, health, and purpose. Whether you're a broke teenager, a middle-aged millionaire or someone who hopes to retire on a shoestring, we all have one thing in common: we want to enjoy our lives. That means living better and laughing more. It means caring for the environment and helping our children to succeed-while defining "success" the way we really should.
Subjects: Finance, Personal.; Investments.;

A little bit super : with small powers come big problems / by Henderson, Leah.; Schmidt, Gary D.;
Some of today's top middle-grade fiction authors present hilarious stories about kids coping with a minor superpower while discovering their power to make a difference and celebrating their uniqueness, prompting readers to consider what their own superpower might be and how they can use it. Stories by Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Leah Henderson, Jarrett Krosoczka, Remy Lai, Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, Daniel Nayeri, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Gary D. Schmidt, Brian Young, and Ibi Zoboi.Ages 8-12.
Subjects: Humorous fiction.; Short stories.; Middle school students; Great powers;