Ms. Southworth
Collins, Suzanne: Gregor the Overlander (630L)
Series Fantasy: Gregor and his sister, Boots, get lost in an underground world. They meet another civilization underground and have an amazing and dangerous adventure.
Lynn, Stephanie: A Lifetime Affair, Lessons Learned Living my Life
Enjoy a collection of stories that show how challenges found in the crazy world of horses and horse showing relate to everyday life. Stephanie Lynn takes you on a ride, one filled with joy, frustration, defeat and glory to the winner's circle -- not just in the show ring but in life.
Meyers, Stephanie: The Host.
An alien society invades Earth and takes over people. One of the aliens, Wanda, soon befriends humans, and we learn that we can appreciate both societies.
Ms. Schemberger
Anderson, Laurie Halse: Chains (780L)
If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl? As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion.
Forman, Gayle: If I Should Stay
Where She Went
This story begins with Mia, her parents, and her younger brother eating breakfast and deciding how they should spend their snow day. The next thing Mia knows, she is looking at her parents” dead bodies and watching her own body be put into an ambulance. The next 24 hours Mia spends in the ICU as an invisible observer deciding if she should stay and live her life without the love and support of her Mom, Dad and brother, or give up and face the unknown. Mia has to make the ultimate choice and she doesn't take this decision lightly.
The sequel, Where She Went, is told from her boyfriend, Alex’s point of view.
Hall, Teri: The Line (760L) The line, an invisible barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line. Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died in the last war. It's a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.
Magoon, Kekla: The Rock and the River (HL550)
In 1968 Chicago, it’s not easy for thirteen-year-old Sam to be the son of known civil rights activist Roland Childs. Especially when his older brother, Stick, starts keeping to himself. Then, one day, Sam finds something under Stick’s bed that changes everything: literature about the Black Panthers. Suddenly, nothing feels certain anymore. And when Dr. King is shot and killed, Sam’s father’s words are no longer enough to make him believe in change.
Roth, Veronica: Divergent (HL700)
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
Schusterman, Neal: Unwind (HL740)
Set in the future, the second civil war is fought over abortion. To end the war, a compromise is reached that ends the practice of abortion but creates an alternative called "unwinding." Between the ages of 13 and 17, parents or guardians can choose to have their children unwound, which involves having every part of their bodies harvested to be "donated" to another person so, technically, they don't really die. Fifteen-year-old Connor's parents can no longer control him. Lev, a tithe, was raised by religious parents for the sole purpose of being unwound. Risa, a ward of the state, is a victim of shrinking budgets since she is not a talented enough musician to be kept alive.
Zusak, Markus: Book Thief (730L)
Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. The child arrives having just stolen her first book–although she has not yet learned how to read–and her foster father uses it, The Gravediggers Handbook, to lull her to sleep when she is awakened by frequent nightmares about her brother’s death.
Mr. Moss
Gratz, Alan: Prisoner B- 3087 (760L)
Grisham, John: Theodore Boone (790-830L)
Theodore Boone- half kid, half lawyer, will keep fans of mystery entertained.
Hirsch, Jeff: The Darkest Path (830) A civil war rages between the Glorious Path- a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier- and what's left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years agao. Cal has been working in the Path's dog kennesl, and is very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents. Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends Cal and Bear on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
Lewis, C.S.: Chronicles of Narnia. (870L)
Follow siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy to Narnia, once the peaceful land of Talking Beasts, dwarfs, giants and fauns, but now frozen into eternal winter by the evil White Witch.
Lynch, Chris: Vietnam books. (850L)
Morris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck are best friends for life. So when one of the teens is drafted into the Vietnam War, the others sign up, too. Although they each serve in a different branch, they are fighting the war together--and they pledge to do all they can to come home together.
Preller, James: Bystander: (HL600)**
Eric is the new kid in 7th grade, who begins to learn the truth about his "popular" new friend, Griffin- that he is a bully, a liar and a thief. Now Eric finds that instead of being a bystander, who watches the bully in action, he is now going to be Griffin's next victim.
Ms. Rasmus
Flanagan, John: Ranger Apprentice Series
They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied!
Starfish Team
Buyea, Rob: Because of Mr. Terupt
It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school. Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.
Ms. Magee
George, Jean Craighead: My Side of the Mountain (810L)
A boy builds a tree house in the mountain, and learns to survive entirely by his own wits.
Mikkaelsen, Ben: Touching Spirit Bear.(670L) Cole chooses Native American Circle justice, banishment to a remote Alaskan Island, over detention after brutally attacking another teen. After being attacked by a white bear, Cole struggles to survive and ends up finding his soul.
Mr. Zabrowski
Gaiman, Neil: Neverwhere (670L)
Neil Gaiman is an author who lives in Wisconsin. When I describe Neverland, I generally call it the grown-up Harry Potter. It revolves around a seldom seen parallel fantasy world and one man's journey into that dark world.
King, Stephen: Eyes of the Dragon (990L)
This isn't your standard Stephen King horror . In fact, it's not horror, at all. Instead it's a fantasy novel and perhaps the best example of talented storytelling I've ever read.
Rothfuss, Patrick: The Name of the Wind.
This Wisconsin author has written my single favorite fantasy novel. I'm not kidding when I say I rank Rothfuss with Tolkien. The Name of the Wind follows a boy named Kvothe through his adventures in the world. The world itself is one of the best fleshed out fantasy worlds I've encountered. Monsters are real and very rare. Magic is realy and very hard. If you enjoy fantasy, go read this. Right now.
Stephenson, Neal: Reamde.
An intimidating book. It's big and dense. As far as fiction goes, it's a wonderful example of a complex story. The first few chapters start by describing the geo-economic politics of an online game and manages to transition to shootouts between Russian mobs in a Chinese high-rise pretty seamlessly.
Stephenson, Neal: Zodiac.
How can a book that follows an eco-warrior in Boston be so entertaining?
Ms. Tesky
Chbosky, Stephen: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (720L)
Golding, William: Lord of the Flies (770L)
Halse Anderson, Laurie: Speak (690L)
"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Will she learn to speak up again to defend herself when she needs to?
Twain, Mark: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (930L)
Check out some of Ms. Taylor-Eliopoulus' favorite reads:
Babbitt, Natalie: Tuck Everlasting (770)
Granted eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, Tuck finds that living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it may seem.
Bradbury, Ray: Fahrenheit 451 (890L)
Brasheres, Ann: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (600L)
Follow the adventures of four friends who share life, and a pair of pants, as they each go their own way over the course of a summer. First book in a three-book trilogy.
Cooney, Caroline: The Face on the Milk Carton (890)
No one pays attention to the faces of missing children on the milk cartons at school. But as Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the little girl in pigtails, she recognizes the picture...of herself! She can't believe that her parents kidnapped her, but as she tries to piece things together, nothing makes sense. Are Mr. and Mrs. Johnson her parents? And if not?
Cormier, Robert: The Chocolate War (820L)
Golding, William: Lord of the Flies (770L)
This classic tale follows a group of boys who, after a plane crash, set up a primitve society on an uninhabited island.
Patterson, Katherine: Bridge to Terabithia (810L)
Follow the unlikely friendship between Jess and Leslie, the fiesty new girl at school, who dared to cross over to the boys' side of the playground. Not only is Leslie a fast runner, but she has a great imagination. Together, she and Jess create a magical kingdom in the woods, Terabithia. Together in Terabithia, they reign as king and queen- until one day tragedy strikes.
Paulson, Gary: Hatchet (1020L)**
Peck, Robert: A Day No Pigs Would Die (690L)
Plum-Uci, Carol: Body of Christopher Creed (720L)
Chris Creed grew up as the class freak. After he vanishes, Tory Adams's search for answers opens his eyes to the lies, pain and need to blame, that occur when a tragedy strikes. Tory's once-safe world begins to come crashing down around him. Intense book!
Bodeen, S. A.: Raft (HL680L)**
Craighead George, Jean: My Side of the Mountain (810L)**
Herlong, M.H.: The Great Wide Sea. (660L)
Still mourning the death of their mother, three brothers go with their father on an extended sailing trip of the Florida Keys.
Horowitz, Anthony: Stormbreaker. (670L)
While looking into the death of his uncle, 14-year-old orphan, Alex Rider learns that his uncle was actually a spy, and was preparing Alex to be a spy, as well. He soon finds himself being recruited by the British intelligence to continue his uncle’s work. (series recommended by Starfish Team)
Klavan, Andrew: The Last Thing I Remember. (690HL) High School student Charlie wakes up bloody and bruised in a concrete bunker, and discovers that he has lost a year of his life. He doesn’t remember anything about escaping from prison after being convicted of murduring his former best friend, or why he is being pursued by the law and a group of terrorists trying to bring down the U. S. government.
Paulson, Gary: Hatchet (1020L)**
Smith, Roland: Peak. (760L)
A fourteen year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
Biography and Autobiography
Fleming, Candace: The Great and Only Barnum (980L)
The story of the one and only, P.T. Barnum, who spent his life entertaining and tricking people.
Fleming, Candace: Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. (930L)
Amelia Earhart overcame much during her childhood to become a pilot; read the real story of her life.
Fleishman, Sid: Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini. The story of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator and escape artist comes to life through a review of his greatest tricks, along with photos.
Gherman, Beverly: Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz.
Tells the story of the creator of the Peanuts comic strip and how his life experiences were used to develop his characters and stories.
Giblin, James: Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth. (1110L)
The story of two brothers who were on opposite sides during the Civil War, and how one, John Wilkes Booth, became the assassin of President Lincoln.
Hamilton, Bethany: Soul Surfer (960L)
The story of a 13-year old surfer who survives a shark attack and continues to surf, though she lost an arm as a result of the attack.
Pelzer, Dave: A Child Called It (850L)**
Robbins, Trina: Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer. (GN510L)
Say, Allen: Drawing From Memory. (HL560L)
This autobiography tells of Allen’s life in 940’s Japan, where his dreams to be an artist disappoint his father. At the young age of 12, Allen lives in an apartment by himself when he begins taking classes as a private art school.
Teigemeier, Raina: SMILE (GN410L)**
Graphic novel memoir. Details the author’s experiences with braces and headgear, and finally, getting false teeth, as well as her middle school and high school experiences with crushing on boys, fitting in and surviving a San Francisco earthquake.
Contemporary People, Places and Events
Delaunois, Angele: The Little Yellow Bottle.
Two middle-eastern children are playing soccer when they discover a little yellow bottle. They realize, too late, that the “bottle” is actually a bomb.
Ellis, Deborah: Looks Like Daylight: Voices of Indigenous Kids.
Forty-five Native youth from Canada and the United States, ages 9- 18 are interviewed by the author. This is their story of pain and hope, living on the "res" and living in the city. From budding engineers to artists, those that struggle and those that have found their way..each has found solace and strength in their shared culture.
Gerszak, Rafal, with Hunter, Dawn: Beyond Bullets: A Photo Journal of Afghanistan.
Hampton, Wilborn: September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City.
Describes the September 11 attacks in the U. S., and includes several personal stories of tragedy told by New Yorkers who lived through the collapse of the World Trade Center.
Historical Fiction/Long Ago
Davies, Jacqueline: Lost.
Early 1900s. Essie, 16, sews all day for pennies at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory to
help feed her fatherless family and now to forget her little sister’s death. Then…the fire happens.
Gleitzman, Morris: Then. (HL580)
Felix and Zelda have escaped the train to death camp, but where will the go now? Two runaways in Nazi-occupied Poland face danger at every turn.
Houston ,Jeanne Wakatsuki: Farewell to Manzanar. (1040L)
Account of Jeanne’s life as a Japanese- American child living in an internment camp in the US during WWII.
Ingold, Janet: Paper Daughter (HL800)
The summer before her senior year, Maggie Chen begins her internship at a Seattle newspaper only weeks following the shocking death of her beloved reporter father. While sorting through his papers, she discovers that his heritage is not what she and her mother had always believed. At the Herald, Maggie finds herself unraveling a story involving murder and a local government scandal.
Levine, Kristine: Best Bad Luck I Ever Had (680L)
1917, Alabama, 12-year-old Dit’s life gets complicated and tragic when he becomes friends with Emma, the African American daughter of the area’s new postmaster.
Rawls, Wilson: Where the Red Fern Grows (700L)**
Sepetys, Ruta: Between Shades of Gray (HS490L)**
Smith, Sherry: Flygirl. (680L)
During WW II, Ida Mae Jones goes against her family and her heritage to join the Army’s WASP program and fulfill her dream of being a pilot.
Dear America Series: (670 -1140L) For fans of historical fiction, there is a separate series for boys and girls.
Historical People, Places, Events
Bausna, Ann: Detained Denied Deported (1170L)
Stories of those denied entry to the U.S. or placed in internment camps once they have arrived here.
Bascomb, Neal. The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi.
Adolph Eichmann, mastermind of the Nazi's "Final Solution" is discovered living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Could this factory worker living in a poor part of the city really be the man responsible for the deaths of so many Jews during WWII?
Brown, Dan. The Great American Dust Bowl.
Drought and the Great Depression hit the US Plain states hard. It is one thing to read about globs of mud falling from the sky, and another to see them painfully pelting a herd of cows. Readers can see and feel the heat of the sun, the thickness of the dust, and the weight of worry and hard times experienced during the Great American Dust Bowl.
Friedman: Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. (1110L)
Covers the events of the Motgomery Bus Boycott, the end of segratation on buses.
Lewis, John, and Aydin, Andrew: March, Book One.
In this graphic novel, Senator John Lewis gets ready to join distinguished guests at President Barack Obama's 2009 Presidential Inauguration, he thinks back to memories of his own childhood, and the early days of the Civil Rights Movement.
Marrin, Albert: Flesh and Blood so Cheap: The Triangle Shirt Factory and it’s Legacy. (1000L)
On March 25, 1911, fire broke out in Manhattan’s Traingle Waist Factory. Doors were locked to prevent workers from escaping early, and many died. Even today, many face similar working conditions both in the U.S. and in other countries.
Martin, Russell an Nibley, Lydia: Beethoven’s Hair (1400L)
A lock of Beethoven’s hair is discovered, and travels to many places before being given as a gift to doctors who assisted the Jewish people following WWII.
Nelson, Kadir. Heart and Soul: The story of America and African Americans. (1050L)
The narrator bears her heart and soul as she shares the history of African American people from pre-slavery times to the present day.
Phelan, Matt: Around the World.
This graphic novel traces the voyage of three real-life people who traveled around the world at the turn of the 19th century.
Rhodes, Jewell Parker :Ninth Ward (HL470)
Set during Hurricane Katrina. Twelve-year-old Lanesha’s teenage mother died while giving birth to her, so she is raised in the Ninth Ward by loving Mama Ya-Ya, 82, who feels like her “mother and grandmother”, though Lanesha also has the ability to see her mother’s ghost. As the hurricane nears, Mama Ya-Ya does not think she herself will survive, but Lanesha escapes the rising water in a small rowboat and even rescues others along the way.
Sandler ,Martin W.: Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II.
While Japanese Americans are freeing prisoners at the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany, many of their own friends and relatives are being held against their will back home in the United States.
Thomson, Ruth: Terezin: Voices From the Holocaust.
Between 1941 and 1945, Nazis created a “pretend” concentration camp in a small Czech town. Artists living there were forced to use their art skills to trick the world into thinking Jews were well-treated by the Nazis. However, the artists soon began to draw pictures of what living in a concentration camp was really like.
Jackson, Donna: Extreme Scientists (1130 L)
Biographies of hurricane chaser, microbiologist who studies animals in underwater caves, etc
Lourie, Peter: The Manatee Scientist: Saving Vulnerable Species.
Scientists in Florida, West Africa and the Amazon Basin share information with the goal of protecting manatees.
Marrin, Albert: Creatures That Live on Us and in Us.
Did you know that after owning a pillow for two years, 10% of the pillow’s weight is made of dust mite feces? True tales of parasites, dust mites and mosquitos, oh my!
Rusch, Elizabeth: Eruption: Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives.
23,000 people died in the 1985 eruption of Columbia's Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one million people still live in volcanic danger zones. Learn about the work of scientists in a Volcano Disaster Assistance Program.
Turner, Pamela: Frog Scientist
What happens to frogs when they are exposed to pesticides?
NEW BOOKS…..by our old favorite authors
Gennifer Choldenko: No Passengers Beyond This Point (620L)
Packed with humor and emotion. Follow along as the Tompkins kids have to leave behind friends and baseball to move to Colorado to live with an uncle they have never met.
Rick Riordan: Kane Chronicles (650-710L)
The story of siblings who grow up apart from each other, but are reunited after the mysterious death of their mother. Together with their father, they visit a British museum where he blows up the Rosetta Stone…for starters.
Gary Paulsen: Woods Runner (870L)
Historical fiction set during the American Revolution detailing the life of 13-year-old Samuel who returns home from the woods one day to find his home burned down, the neighbors slaughtered and his parents missing.
Walter Dean Meyers: KICK
This book was written in collaboration with a teenage fan of Meyers. 13 year-old Kevin Johnson, a star soccer player, is arrested for crashing a car into a light pole. Kevin’s own father is a “fallen” police officer, so a friend of his father’s offers to take on Kevin’s case.
Angelberger, Tom: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. (760L)
Sixth grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate, Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future.
Balliett, Blue: Hold Fast. (780L)
Early's father, Dash, has disappeared on his way home from work at the Chicago Public Library. It soon becomes clear that his disappearance is related to his work processing "donated" books. Something criminal has been going on, which Early finds hard to believe. She must solve number patterns and word play as she seeks clues..while living in a homeless shelter where the family has been forced to move since her father's disappearance.
Bauer, A.C.E. : Come Fall
Salmon Page has been in and out of foster homes, is now entering 7th grade at his 11th school, where her meets Lu and Blos- who believes there are two groups: those who avoid him and those who make fun of him. Read about the unlikely connection between three middle schoolers and a faerie named Puck.
Bell, Cathleen Davit: Little Blog on the Prairie. (820L)
Gen's family is more comfortable spending time apart than together. Then Gen's mom signs them up for Camp Frontiera vacation that promises the "thrill" of living like 1890s pioneers. Forced to give up all of her modern possessions, Gen nevertheless manages to email her friends back home about life at "Little H*?! on the Prairie", as she's renamed the camp.
Black, Holly: Doll Bones (840L)
Now in Middle School, Zach feels a need to leave behind the childhood game he played with his friends, Alice and Poppy. What would his basketball teammates say? Zach's dad throws his action figures in the trash, but Zach soon gets drawn back into the game when Poppy becomes certain that one of the old dolls is haunting her. Poppy believes the doll was made from the skeleton of a dead girl who wants the doll buried in her family's grave, and she wants Alice and Zach to help.
Boyce, Frank: Cosmic (670L)
12-year-old Liam often is mistaken for an adult because of his size. He has difficulty relating to his peers, but being mistaken for an adult does have perks, such as being allowed to test drive the latest model Porsche at a local car dealership, and winning a father/son trip to China…you guessed it,Liam is posing as the father on this trip!
Boyce, Frank Cottrell: The Unforgotten Coat (710L)
Chingis and his younger brother, Nergui, move from Mongolia to Liverpool, London. There, Chingis insists that his younger brother must be in his class at school so he can watch over him. He asks classmate, Julie O’Conner, to be their “Good Guide”. Julie takes her role to heart and teaches them everything she can about living in England.
Brahmachari, Sita: Mira in the Present Tense (870L)
Mira's 12th birthday is bittersweet..the day she begins to blossom into a young woman, but also the day on which her grandmother's coffin arrives. Nana Josie hasn't died, but together she and Mira will paint the coffin with pictures of things her grandmother loved. Mira is quiet, but begins to find her voice at school in a creative writing class. She also finds that she likes Jide, one of the boys in the class...alot. Mixed with the excitement of meeting Jide is the sorrow of her grandmother's cancer and terminal illness.
Cheldenko, Gennifer: Al Capone Shine My Shoes (620L)
Set in Alcatraz Prison, young Moose owes Al Capone a favor. Moose has gotten in way over his head.
Creech, Sharon: The Boy on the Porch (680L)
One morning, John and Marta wake up to find a boy on their porch with a note "Please take kair of Jacob..Wil be bak wen we can". Jacob doesn't talk, but he taps, paints and draws, and drums. They eventually tell the sheriff, who is willing to "look the other way", until Jacob's father returns. You'll want to read this book to find out what happens after that.
Columbus, Audrey: Lexie.
Ten-year-old Lexie is feeling guilty about going on her family’s beach vacation without her mother after her parents’ divorce. She knows that her dad’s new girlfriend, Vicki, will be there. Lexie becomes more upset when she finds out that Vicki’s sons, Harris and Ben, are going to be there, too.
Conkling, Winifred: Sylvia and Aki.
This story contrasts the lives of two girls, one Japanese American, the other, Mexican American, who live in the southwestern U.S. following World War II.
Coy, John: Top of the Order
Can a losing, all-male baseball team cope with the addition of a female who excels at everything..including baseball?
Cummings, Priscilla: Blindsided (710L)**
Red Kayak (800L)**
Draper, Sharon: Out of my Mind (700L)**
Melody, a 5th grade girl with cerebral palsy is very intelligent, but unable to speak. When she acquires an electronic voice she is then able to speak for herself.
Ellis, Deborah: No Ordinary Day. (580L) Valli has always been frightened of the “monsters” in her village-people missing fingers, or even their noses. When she finds out the family she lives with is not her real family, she runs away and ends up living on the streets of Kolkata, India. She soon finds out that she, too, is becoming one of the “monsters”. She has leprosy. She meets a doctor who is able to help her. Will she be able to follow her own dream of learning about medicine?
Erskine, Kathryn: Mockingbird. (630L)
Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.
Farrant, Natasha: After Iris: (920L)
Each member of Blue's family deals differently with the death of her twin sister, Iris. Her parents are gone most of the time, and they have hired Zoran, an older college student to stay with Blue and her siblings. Told in first person through Blue's written diary, and scenes describing her video journal, this book is both zany and deeply emotional.
Frost, Helen: Hidden.
When Wren Abbott and Darra Monson are eight years old, Darra’s father steals a minivan. He doesn’t know that Wren is hiding inside the back. The hours and days that follow change the lives of both girls. Darra sneaks food to Wren, and eventually, Darra’s father goes to jail. Six years later, the girls meet again at a summer camp. Will they be able to keep their past hidden?
Gewirtz, Adina Rishe: Zebra Forest (750L)
Annie and her little brother, Rew, live outside a small town with their grandmother. They love playing in the woods they nicknamed "Zebra Forest" because the birch and oak trees look like zebra stripes from a distance. Though Gran isn't always able to take good care of them, Annie, at age 11, has learned to do the job. After a riot in a nearby prison, one of the prisoners shows up in their home, and, more or less, takes them hostage. It turns out that Gran knows the prisoner, and he knows Gran, as well as the children. Though the prisoner is a dangerous man, Annie is almost never truly afraid.
Green, Tim: Football Genius. (800L)
Troy, a 6th grader with an unusual gift for predicting football plays before they occur, tries to use his ability to help his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, but he must first prove himself to the coach and players.
Grimes, Nikki: Planet Middle School. (680L)
What happens when basketball-loving Joylin, has a crush on a boy? Does she have to be a girly-girl now? Her good friend, Jake, is not happy about the new Joylin. Written in verse.
Herrera, Felipe Juan : SkateFate
Lucky Z has always lived on the edge. He experiences the same challenges in high school…as everyone else…grades, girls and escaping a bully. His challenges multiply, however, when he becomes paralyzed after taking part in a drag race.
Kashmira Sheth: Boy Without Names (670L)
Eleven-year-old Gopal lives with his family in India until he is one day kidnapped and sold into child slavery. Throughout, he looks for an escape, but his bond with the other child slaves makes it hard to think about life without them.
Kadohata, Cynthia: The Thing About Luck (700L)
Twelve-year-old Summer, and her younger brother, Jaz, live in Kansas, but spend months every year on the road, following the wheat harvest, with their parents and grandparents. This year, though, their parents are in Japan, so they are on the road with only their grandparents. Jiichan drives a combine, while Obaachan cooks for the crew with Summer as her assistant. Summer is convinced that her family has only bad luck. However, luck is like people- never simple. Though the people she is with are not easy, she does learn to appreciate them for who they are. She learns that both luck and people depend upon perspective, or how you look at them.
Lord, Cynthia: RULES (780L)**
McCord,Pat Mauser : Bundle of Sticks (650L)
A funny, and sometimes, painful look at how one student stands up to the school bully.
Mills, Claudia: Zero Tolerance (670L)
Sierra Shephard is a rule-following honor student who accidently brings her mother's lunch to school. When she discovers a paring knife inside the lunch, she immediately turns it in to the office. She does this at the same time the principal is telling a school visitor about the school's "zero tolerance" policy. When he is not willing to consider the circumstances, Sierra finds herself assigned to in-school suspension, along with students she has always judged harshly for getting into trouble. As she gets to know them better, she realizes that their lives and choices are no more "simple" than the situation she faces: an expulsion hearing.
Mulligan, Andy: Trash. (860L) A group of 14-year-old boys, who make a living picking garbage from the outskirts of a large city, find something special and mysterious that brings terrifying consequences.
Polacio, R.J.:Wonder (790L)**
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face
O’Roarke Dowell, Frances: Kind of Friends We Used to Be (950L)
Kate and Marilyn were great friends before their first year of middle school. Now Kate loves her combat boots and electric guitar; Marilyn is a cheerleader. She feels embarrassed for Kate sometimes. Can this friendship be restored?
Potter, Ellen: SLOB. (HL740L)
Picked on, overweight Owen tries to invent a TV that can see the past to find out what happened the day his parents were killed.
Sachar, Louis: HOLES (660L)**
Schmatz, Pat: Bluefish. (HL600L) Set in rural Wisconsin. Two middle school students, Travis and Velveeta, have lost someone they loved. To make matters worse, both are bullied at their school- Travis because he has never learned to read, and Velveeta because she is “too smart”.
Selznick, Brian: Wanderstruck.
The author of Hugo Cabret uses prose and drawings to tell the story of two deaf children.
Silberberg, Alan: Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze
Moving, new schools and a constant “fog” have been part of Milo’s life since his mother died of a brain tumor. His father has gotten rid of all reminders of his mother and doesn’t want to talk about her. When Milo begins 7th grade, he lacks popularity, but does form a few special friendships that allow him to talk about his mother and bring back memories of her life.
Spinelli, Jerry: Stargirl. (590L) In the story about the problems with popularity and the courage not to be like everyone else, eccentric Stargirl changes Mica High forever.
Smith, Clete Barrett: Aliens on Vacation. (770L) Scrub is sent to spend the summer at his grandma’s house to help her run The Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast. He thinks the guests are science-fiction fans, but soon realizes they are space aliens who have come to Earth for a vacation!
Stead, Rebecca: When You Reach Me (750L)
It’s New York City in the 1970’s. Miranda, a latch-key kid, has learned to be very careful as she goes from home to school in New York City. However, one day on the way home from school, a stranger punches her best friend. Not long after that, Miranda gets a strange note saying “I am coming to save your friend’s live and my own; first you must write me a letter”.
Yee, Lisa: Warp Speed. (HL620L) Marley feels invisible to everyone at his middle school, except for the AV club. The “Be a Buddy, not a Bully” campaign does not help, since everyone makes fun of it, too. Follow Marley and his friends until he finally has a showdown with the school bully.
Yelchin, Eugene: Breaking Stalin’s Nose. (670L) Sasha lives in the USSR with his father in a communal apartment with 47 other people. He has dreamed of becoming a Young Soviet Pioneer his entire life, to serve Joseph Stalin. One night, his father is arrested and everything Sasha knows, loves, and believes,falls apart.
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Condy, Ally: Matched.(HL680) Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her, so when Xander appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate..until Ky Markham’s face appears for an instant before the screen fades to black. (also on Ms. Schemberger and Ms. Southworth’s lists)
McCullough, Kathy: Don’t Expect Magic. Delaney Collins doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Her mom is dead, her best friend lives across the country, and she’s stuck in California with her dad, Hank. She barely knows her famous father, “Dr. Hank”. Then he tells her his secret- he’s a fairy godfather. By the way, this gene runs in the family; so Delaney just might be someone’s fairy godmother.
McMann, Lisa : Cryer’s Cross. (HL640L)
Creepy story set in a tiny Montana town where students are disappearing from a one-room schoolhouse. Weird messages appear on the desks after students disappear. Good pick for those who enjoy reading “horror”.
Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls.
Thirteen-year-old Conner wakes up just after midnight to discover a monster outside his bedroom window. This is not the monster he was expecting- the one he has seen in his nightmares ever since his mom has started treatments for cancer. This monster wants something terrible and dangerous- the truth!
Jason Codecroft: Counter Clockwise
This story is about time travel. Nathan’s mother has been killed by a bus, and his dad has disappeared.
Neil Gaiman: Odd and the Frost Giants This story is set in Norway. Odd is an outcast, spring is late this year, and he becomes friends with some animals who are actually Norse gods. The gods are pretty self-centered which adds a lot of humor to this book.
Betty Ren Wright: The Dollhouse Murders.
While exploring the attic, 12-year-old Amy discovers a long forgotten dollhouse, which looks exactly like the house she is in. The house and the dolls in it have a story to tell about her great-grandparents murders.
Dr. Cuthbert Soup: Whole Nother Story (900L) Another Whole Nother Story (910L)
Ethan Cheeseman and his children go back in time to end an ancient family curse and save their mother.
Michael Buckley: NERDS (760L)
National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society is an underground spy network created by a group of kids that just don’t fit in with the rest of their classmates.
Pat Walsh: The Crowfield Curse
Set in England in the year 1347. 14-year-old Will is an orphan living in a monastery. When he finds an injured creaturel in the woods, he realizes it is not a real animal, but, a hobgoblin. Will cares for the “hob” who is named Brother Walter. The friendship that develops between the two opens Will’s eyes to the magical world that exists along with the every day one.
Brewer, Heather: Chronicles of Vladimir Tod.(770L)
Like vampires? Follow Vladimir Tod through his school years beginning in 8th grade and continuing through high school.
Collins, Suzanne: The Hunger Games (810L) Catching Fire (820L) Mockingjay (800L)**
This science fiction series takes place in the future. 12 young people, ages 12-18 are forced by their Panem government (formerly the US) to participate in a Reality TV Series where they will fight until death. Katniss refuses to play by the harsh rules, and it is only a matter of time before the government will punish her for it. Making alliances, or friends, during the game is important, but who will she be able to trust?
Dashner, James: The Maze Runner Series (HL770L)**
Falls, Kat: Dark Life Series (690L)**
The oceans rose, swallowing the lowlands. Earthquakes shattered the continents, toppling entire regions into the rising water. Now, humans live packed into stack cities. The only ones with any space of their own are those who live on the ocean floor: the Dark Life.The oceans rose, swallowing the lowlands. Earthquakes shattered the continents, toppling entire regions into the rising water. Now, humans live packed into stack cities. The only ones with any space of their own are those who live on the ocean floor: the Dark Life.
Lewis, C. S.: Chronicles of Narnia.
Follow Lucy, Edmond and their siblings into the magical world of Narnia as they engage in the ultimate battle between good and evil
*Lu, Marie: Legend Series
Meyers, Stephanie: TWILIGHT (720L)
Action, adventure, vampires, werewolves and romance…oh, my!
*Riordan, Rick: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series (620L)
Percy Jackson is half-human and half-god; join him as he engages in action adventure and fighting mythological creatures to save the world from Triton and his army.
*Roth, Veronica: Divergent Series (HL700)
*Rowlings, J.K: Harry Potter series (880 -980L)
*Tolkien, J.R.R.:L The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Series (800- 1000L)
Westerfield, Scott: Leviathan (790L) Behemoth (810L)
An alternate story of World War I. This war is fought between the German’s with their Clankers, and the British with the animals they created, and, of course, the Leviathan, the flying whale ship they made. Aleksander Ferdinand, the last surviving member of the Austrio-Hungarian royalty fights with the German’s. Deryn Sharp, a young lady disguised as a boy, is serving on the Leviathan. Their stories seem very different, until one day, their world’s collide.
Kinney, Jeff: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series (910 – 1060L)
The adventures and misadventures of Gregory as he creates a diary…er, I mean journal of his life with his family and at his middle school. Great comic graphics.
Patterson, James: Middle School Series: (Get Me Out of Here, Worst Days of My Life) (640 - 700L)
Great graphic novel series by a favorite author. If you are a fan of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you will love the Middle School series.
Winkler, Henry: The Hank Zipzer Series (I Got a “D” in Salami, I Flunked My Fieldtrip, and many other titles) (610-780L)
Henry Winkler uses his own life as a young man with both ADHD and dyslexia to connect with his audience. These books are fun and easy to read. Kids get hooked on them very quickly!
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Last Updated: 6/9/14 |
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