THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann (Aladdin, 2011)

The day of the Purge has finally arrived and Alex knows he’ll have to say goodbye to his family once and for all. It’s the way things are in Quill when a child reaches the age of thirteen. Alex’s twin brother, Aaron, is one of the “Wanteds.” Bright and strong, he’ll go straight to university the day after the Purge.  Alex, on the other hand, is “Unwanted.” As soon as the announcements are made, Alex and the other Unwanteds will board a waiting bus that will take them to their deaths.

But Elimination is not at all what Alex had supposed and he and the other Unwanteds find themselves on a journey that pits Wanteds against Unwanteds and brother against brother.

This exciting new middle grade dystopian series will have readers clamoring for more.

More than simply poems about books, BOOKSPEAK is about all the ways readers connect to the magic of books.  Every teacher and librarian should have a copy! There’s a poem from the point of view of a book cover. A poem written by “Index.” Even a poem in three voices called “The Middle’s Lament.” 

It’s time. Let the books speak!

SEA OF DREAMS by Dennis Nolan (Roaring Brook Press 2011)

As the sun sets, a young girl heads home for the night, leaving behind a glorious turreted sandcastle. The waves roll in, a light appears in the window, and an amazing story begins. Children will enjoy pouring over the richly detailed illustrations. And even better? This wordless book carries readers away to a dreamy world where the story is theirs to create.