Glacial Drumlin
100 Novels to Read in Middle School
Author
Lexile
Description
600
Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the
Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior
leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where
the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written,
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own
experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles
the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break
away from the life he thought he was destined to live. MATURE CONTENT
Nothing but the
truth: a
documentary novel
NP
Patriotism or practical joke? Harrison, NH -- Ninth-grade student Philip Malloy was
suspended from school for singing along to The Star-Spangled Banner in his homeroom,
causing what his teacher, Margaret Narwin, called "a disturbance." But was he standing
up for his patriotic ideals, only to be squelched by the school system? Was Ms. Narwin
simply trying to be a good teacher? Or could it all be just a misunderstanding gone bad -very bad? What is the truth here? Can it ever be known? Heroism, hoax, or mistake,
what happened at Harrison High changes everything for everyone in ways no one -least of all Philip -- could have ever predicted.
Tangerine
680
In Tangerine, underground fires burn for years and lightning strikes the same field every
day. Strange things happen here -- but nothing is stranger than the secrets Paul
discovers about his brother, his new group of friends, and his own dangerous past.
Title
1
Alexie,
Sherman
The absolutely
true diary of a parttime Indian
2
Avi
3
Bloor,
Edward
4
Boyne,
John
The boy in the
striped pajamas
Berlin 1942 When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his
belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the
family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to
play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye
1080 can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But Bruno
longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place
than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose
life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a
friendship that has devastating consequences.
5
Bradley,
Kimberly
Brubaker
Leap of faith
630
Abigail is starting a new middle school, a Catholic school, because she's been expelled
from her old one. She's sure that this place will be just the same as the last, and no one
will listen to her here either. Even her parents don't seem able to really hear the truth
about what happened at the previous school. But now she finds herself in a community
of people who dolisten, who want to be her friends, and who help her discover a talent
for theater that she never knew she had. Converting to Catholicism began merely as a
way to annoy her parents, but quickly it becomes more. Could she be developing real
faith? Kimberly Brubaker Bradley masterfully tells the tale of Abigail's spiritual journey
and the faith that comes to those who need it.
600
Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn&'t look all that great: they were worn,
dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the
summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they&'re great. She'd love to
have them. Lena and Bridget also think they&'re fabulous. Lena decides that they should
all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit
everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks
she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a
sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next
morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants (and the most
memorable summer of their lives) begins.
6
Brashares,
Ann
The sisterhood of
the traveling
pants*
Page 1 of 17
7
Butler, Dori
Hillestad.
The truth about
Truman School
640
When Zebby and Amr create the website thetruthabouttruman.com, they want it to be
honest. They want it to be about the real Truman Middle School, to say things that the
school newspaper would never say.
8
Choldenko,
Gennifer
Al Capone does
my shirts
600
Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison
guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school. But Natalie has autism, and
when she's denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to
unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms Moose's family has used for dealing with her
disorder. When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off
she's trouble. But she's also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect
Natalie, live up to his parents' expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz,
trouble is never very far away. Set in 1935, when guards actually lived on Alcatraz Island
with their families, Choldenko's second novel brings humor to the complexities of family
dynamics and illuminates the real struggle of a kid trying to free himself from the "good
boy" stance he's taken his whole life.
9
Choldenko,
Gennifer
If a tree falls at
lunch period
530
Kirsten's parents are barely speaking to each other, and her best friend has fallen under
the spell of the school's queen bee, Brianna. It seems like only Kirsten's younger
science-geek sister is on her side. Walker's goal is to survive at the new white private
school his mom has sent him to because she thinks he's going to screw up like his
cousin. But he's a good kid. So is his friend Matteo, though no one knows why he'll do
absolutely anything that hot blond Brianna asks of him. But all of this feels almost trivial
when Kirsten and Walker discover a secret that shakes them both to the core. Fast
paced, marvelously funny, and brutally honest, If a Tree Falls at Lunch Periodtouches on
universal truths about human nature.
10
Colfer, Eoin
Artemis Fowl
620
is Fowl is going straight-as soon as he pulls off the most brilliant criminal feat of his
career . . . but his plan goes awry, leaving his loyal bodyguard, Butler, mortally injured.
Artemis's only hope of saving his friend is to employ fairy magic; so once again he must
contact his old rival, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. It is going to take a
miracle to save Butler, and Artemis's luck may have just run out. . . . "Readers will burn
the midnight oil to the finish." -Publishers Weekly
11
Collins,
Suzanne..
The Hunger
Games*
820
A chilling tale of survival from the New York Times bestselling author. In the ruins of a
place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol
surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the
other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fightto-the-death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen
are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor tohis or her district.
But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful
compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her
mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to
represent her impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead
before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes
a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival
against humanity and life against love. Acclaimed
12
Compestine,
Ying
Revolution is not a
dinner party : a
novel
740
The summer of 1972, before I turned nine, danger began knocking on doors all over
China. Nine-year-old Ling has a very happy life. Her parents are both dedicated
surgeons at the best hospital in Wuhan, and her father teaches her English as they
listen to Voice of America every evening on the radio. But when one of Mao's political
officers moves into a room in their apartment, Ling begins to witness the gradual
disintegration of her world. In an atmosphere of increasing mistrust and hatred, Ling
fears for the safety of her neighbors, and soon, for herself and her family. For the next
four years, Ling will suffer more horrors than many people face in a lifetime. Will she be
able to grow and blossom under the oppressive rule of Chairman Mao? Or will fighting to
survive destroy her spiritand end her life?
Page 2 of 17
13
Cooney,
Caroline B
Code Orange
850
Walking around New York City was what Mitty Blake did best. He loved the city, and
even after 9/11, he always felt safe. Mitty was a carefree guy. He didn't worry about
terrorists or blackouts or grades or anything, which is why he was late getting started on
his Advanced Bio report. Mitty does feel a little pressure to hand something inif he
doesn't, he'll be switched out of Advanced Bio, which would be unfortunate since Olivia's
in Advanced Bio. So he considers it good luck when he finds some old medical books in
his family's weekend house that focus on something he could write about. But when he
discovers an old envelope with two scabs in one of the books, the report is no longer
about the gradeit's about life and death. His own. This edge-of-your-seat thriller will
leave you breathless.
14
Cooney,
Caroline B.
The face on the
milk carton*
660
No one ever really paid close attention to the faces of the missing children on the milk
cartons. But as Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl with her hair
in tight pigtails, wearing a dress with a narrow white collar--a three-year-old who had
been kidnapped twelve years before from a shopping mall in New Jersey--she felt
overcome with shock. She recognized that little girl--it was she. How could it possibly be
true? Janie can't believe that her loving parents kidnapped her, but as she begins to
piece things together, nothing makes sense. Something is terribly wrong. Are Mr. and
Mrs. Johnson really Janie's parents? And if not, who is Janie Johnson, and what really
happened?
15
Creech,
Sharon
Walk two moons
770
Cummings,
Priscilla
Red kayak
800
Curtis,
Christopher
Paul
The Watsons go
to Birmingham-1963 : a novel
16
17
Gramps says that I am a country girl at heart, and that is true. Thirteen-year-old
Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the "Indian-ness in her blood,"
travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells
them of the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who
met a "potential lunatic," and whose mother disappeared. Beneath Phoebe's stories
Salamanca's own story and that of her mother, who left on April morning for Idaho,
promising to return before the tulips bloomed. Sal's mother has not, however, returned,
and the trip to Idaho takes on a growing urgency as Salamanca hopes to get to Idaho in
time for her mother's birthday and bring her back, despite her father's warning that she is
fishing in the air. This richly layered novel is in turn funny, mysterious, and touching.
Sharon Creech's original voice tells a story like no other, one that readers will not soon
forget.
First hailed as a hero for his dramatic water rescue of a little boy, thirteen-year-old Brady
Parks soon makes a discovery that puts him at the heart of an enormous tragedy. Alone
with his dark secret, Brady is ultimately forced to choose between loyalty to his lifelong
friends and doing what he knows in his heart is right. Priscilla Cummings weaves a
suspenseful, multilayered tale of three teenage boys caught in a wicked web of their own
making.
A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black
family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's 13-year-old brother,
1000 Byron, gets to be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma,
the one person who can shape him up. And they happen to be in Birmingham when
Grandma's church is blown up.
18
Curtis,
Christopher
Paul
Bud, not Buddy
950
It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a
motherless boy on the run, but Bud's got a few things going for him: 1. He has his own
suitcase filled with his own important, secret things. 2. He's the author of Bud Caldwell's
Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. 3.
His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers of Herman E.
Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!! Bud's got
an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and
find this mystery man, nothing can stop him--not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not
even Herman E. Calloway himself. Bud, Not Buddy is full of laugh-out-loud humor and
wonderful characters, hitting the high notes of jazz and sounding the deeper tones of the
Great Depression. Once again Christopher Paul Curtis, author of the award-winning
novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, takes readers on a heartwarming and
unforgettable journey.
Page 3 of 17
19
Deuker, Carl
Runner
670
But the weather-beaten sailboat Chance Taylor and his father call home is thirty years
old and hasn't sailed in years. One step from both homelessness and hunger, Chance
worries about things other kids his age never give a thought: Where will the money
come for the electricity bill, grocery bill, and moorage fees? So when a new job falls his
way, he jumps at the opportunity. He knows how much he will earn; what he doesn't
know is how much he will pay.
20
21
Draper,
Sharon-
Double Dutch
760
Ellis,
Deborah
The breadwinner
630
Delia loves Double Dutch more than just about anything, and she's really good at it -- so
good she and her teammates have a shot at winning the World Double Dutch
Championships. Delia would die if she couldn't jump -- but Delia has a secret, and it
could keep her off the team next year. Delia's friend Randy has a secret too, one that
has him lonely and scared. And while Delia and Randy struggle to keep their secrets,
their school is abuzz with rumors about what malicious mischief the terrible Tolliver twins
-- who just may have a secret of their own -- are planning. Delia and Randy's secrets
collide on what should be the happiest day of Delia's life, and the collision threatens to
destroy their friendship. Why can't life be as easy for Delia as Double Dutch?
Story of a girl struggling to survive in war torn Afghanistan
22
Emerson,
Kevin.
Your friends on one side. This weird kid on the other. A great plan in the making. A new
friendship growing. What would *you* do? How strange is Carlos? REALLY strange. He
scratches himself all the time, and he talks about aliens in this weird shaky voice, and he
breaks up the class and gets everyone else in trouble when it's 'his' fault he's such a
freak. So Trina, Donte, Thea, Sara, and Frankie decide to use the upcoming 7th-grade
class trip to "get" Carlos and scare him into acting normal. But when Trina has to work
with Carlos on a class project, she discovers both his sweetness and the full extent of
his troubles. Will she pull out of the plan or go through with it? And what will happen if-when--Carlos gets it?
Carlos is gonna
get it
23
Kathryn
Erskine
Mockingbird
630
In Caitlin's world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in
between is confusing. That's the stuff Caitlin's older brother, Devon, has always
explained. But now Devon's dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it,
but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger's, she doesn't know how. When she reads
the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin
discovers that not everything is black and white - the world is full of colors - messy and
beautiful.
24
Feinstein,
John
Last shot : a Final
Four mystery *
25
Fergus,
Maureen
Exploits of a
Reluctant (But
Extremely
Goodlooking) Hero
760
Steven Thomas is one of two lucky winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer's Association's
contest for aspiring journalists. His prize? A trip to New Orleans and a coveted press
pass for the Final Four. It's a basketball junkie's dream come true! But the games going
on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men,
and the fans turn out to be even more fiercely competitive than those on the court.
Steven and his fellow winner, Susan Carol Anderson, are nosing around the Superdome
and overhear what sounds like a threat to throw the championship game. Now they have
just 48 hours to figure out who is blackmailing one of MSU's star players . . . and why.
Meet a teenage hero who likes nothing better than to sit back with a bucket of fried
chicken and a girlie magazine, waiting for his family plumbing fortune to come to him.
But when our hero gets into some serious trouble, he's forced to volunteer at a local
soup kitchen where he finds himself at the center of a struggle between the rich and the
poor, the selfish and the selfless. It is a worthy cause he could care less about until the
day he stumbles across a shocking piece of information. What happens next surprises
everybody, including our very reluctant hero.
Page 4 of 17
26
Flake,
Sharon
Who am I without
him? : short
stories about girls
and the boys in
their lives
650
There is " The Ugly One," whose only solace comes when she is locked inside her own
head. In " Wanted: A Thug," a teenager seeks advice on how to steal her best friend's
bad-guy boyfriend. And then there's Erika, who only likes white boys. Sharon Flake
takes readers through the minds of girls trying to define themselves while struggling to
remain relevant to the boys in their lives. This is a complex, often humorous, always onpoint exposition of black youth resolving to find self-worth . . . Any way they know how.
MATURE CONTENT
27
Phineas Gage a
gruesome
but true
Fleischman ,
John
story about brain
science
Phineas Gage was truly a man with a hole in his head. Phineas, a railroad construction
foreman, was blasting rock near Cavendish, Vermont, in 1848 when a thirteen-pound
iron rod was shot through his brain. Miraculously, he survived to live another eleven
years and become a textbook case in brain science. At the time, Phineas Gage seemed
1030 to completely recover from his accident. He could walk, talk, work, and travel, but he was
changed. Gage "was no longer Gage," said his Vermont doctor, meaning that the old
Phineas was dependable and well liked, and the new Phineas was crude and
unpredictable. His case astonished doctors in his day and still fascinates doctors today.
What happened and what didn't happen inside the brain of Phineas Gage will tell you a
lot about how your brain works and how you act human.
28
The voice that
challenged a
nation : Marian
Freedman,
Russell.
Anderson and the
struggle for equal
rights
29
Gantos,
Jack
Joey Pigza
swallowed the key
A voice like yours," celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini told contralto Marian
Anderson, "is heard once in a hundred years." This insightful account of the great
African American vocalist considers her life and musical career in the context of the
history of civil rights in this country. Drawing on Anderson's own writings and other
contemporary accounts, Russell Freedman shows readers a singer pursuing her art
despite the social constraints that limited the careers of black performers in the 1920s
1180 and 1930s. Though not a crusader or a spokesperson by nature, Marian Anderson came
to stand for all black artists-and for all Americans of color-when, with the help of such
prominent figures as Eleanor Roosevelt, she gave her landmark 1939 performance on
the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which signaled the end of segregation in the arts.
Carefully researched, expertly told, and profusely illustrated with contemporary
photographs, here is a moving account of the life of a talented and determined artist who
left her mark on musical and social history. Through her story, one of today's leading
authors of nonfiction for young readers illuminates the social and political climate of the
day and an important chapter in American history.
Joey Pigza can't sit still. He can't pay attention. He can't follow the rules. And he can't
help it! He just does whatever pops into his head. even if it's swallowing a key. If he
970 keeps messing up, he's going to be sent to a special-ed center for "problem" children.
He knowshe's a good kid; he's just got dudmeds. But can he get anyone else to believe
that?
30
31
Giff, Patricia
Reilly
Pictures of Hollis
Woods
650
Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. She
even runs away from the Regans, the one family who offers her a home. When Hollis is
sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate, she wants to stay. But
Josie is growing more forgetful every day. If Social Services finds out, they'll take Hollis
away and move Josie into a home. Well, Hollis Woods won't let anyone separate them.
She's escaped the system before; this time, she plans to take Josie with her. Yet behind
all her plans, Hollis longs for her life with the Regans, fixing each moment of her time
with them in pictures she'll never forget.
Haddix,
Margaret
Peterson
Among the
hidden*
800
Government regulations limit families to two children each, so Luke, an illegal third-born,
must live his life in secret, hidden in his family's farmhouse. Then he joins Jen, another
"shadow child," for a chance to come out into the light.
Page 5 of 17
32
Halpin,
Brendan.
How ya like me
now
Since his dad died, Eddie's mom has spent all her time getting high on OxyContin,
leaving Eddie to take care of himself. When Eddie's mom goes into rehab and his aunt
and uncle take him away to Boston, everything changes. His new school, which he
attends with his cousin Alex, is experimental: there's a CEO instead of a principal,
classes are held in an office building, and the students, all sporting business-casual
looks, are the only urban kids Eddie has ever seen outside of a rap video. As for Alex,
1080 it's bad enough that he has to share his bedroom with Eddie, but his parents are on his
case about including his quiet cousin in his social life as well. Alex wants to do the right
thing, but between talking to girls, playing video games, thinking about girls, laughing
with his friends, and looking at girls, when is he supposed to find time to help Eddie and
"work up to his potential" in school? Two boys find that they have a lot to learn from each
other in this touching, funny novel about finding your place and looking out for your
friends. MATURE CONTENT
33
Han, Jenny
The Summer I
Turned Pretty
600
34
Hiaason,
Carl
Hoot
760
Some summers are just destined to be pretty Belly measures her life in summers.
Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.
Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from
the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and
Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have
been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one
wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just
the way it should have been all along.
Unfortunately, Roy's first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully.
Then again, if Dana hadn't been sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his
face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And
the running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no
books, andhere's the odd partwore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on
the boy's trail. The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion,
some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous
snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails.
35
Higson,
Charles;
Fleming,
Ian.
Blood fever
830
Hobbs, Will
Crossing the wire
670
Following his adventures in the Scottish Highlands, James Bond is back at Eton, where
he has joined the risk-taking Danger Society. Summer vacation is on the horizon and
James is looking forward to the school trip to the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia, and
the opportunity to spend some time with his reclusive cousin Victor. But all is not as it
appears. James soon discovers that the seemingly peaceful island harbors some
strange secrets. Before long, Victor's house has been ransacked and important pieces
of artwork have been stolen. James learns that the Millennaria'a ruthless Roman society
long thought to be extinguished'is still active. He suspects the impetuous millionaire
Count Ugo Carnifex may be behind it. But one of his teachers has been acting strangely
as well'¦. As a young girl's life hangs in the balance, it's up to James to uncover an
intricate conspiracy that will take him head-to-head with enemies more ruthless than he
could have ever imagined.
36
When his family is threatened with starvation, 15-year-old Victor Flores heads north in
an attempt to "cross the wire" from Mexico into the United States. But with no money to
pay the smugglers who sneak illegals across the border, Victor must fend for himself
Page 6 of 17
37
Horowitz,
Anthony
Alex Rider
Adventures series:
Stormbreaker
670
Alex Rider's world is turned upside down when he discovers that his uncle and guardian
has been murdered. The 14-year-old makes one discovery after another until he is
sucked into his uncle's undercover world. The Special Operations Division of M16, his
uncle's real employer, blackmails the teen into serving England. After two short weeks of
training, Alex is equipped with several special toys like a Game Boy with unique
cartridges that allow it to scan, fax, and emit smoke bombs. Alex's mission is to
complete his uncle's last assignment, to discover the secret that Herod Sayle is hiding
behind his generous donation of one of his supercomputers to every school in the
country. When Alex enters Sayle's compound in Port Tallon, he discovers a strange
world of secrets and villains including Mr. Grin, an ex-circus knife catcher, and Yassen
Gregorovich, professional hit man. The novel provides bang after bang as Alex
experiences and survives unbelievably dangerous episodes and eventually crashes
through the roof of the Science Museum to save the day. Alex is a strong, smart hero. If
readers consider luck the ruling factor in his universe, they will love this James Bondstyle adventure. With short cliff-hanger chapters and its breathless pace, it is an
excellent choice for reluctant readers.
38
Houston,
Julian
Fifteen-year-old Rob Garrett wants nothing more than to escape the segregated South
and prove himself. But in late 1950s Virginia, opportunity doesn’t come easily to an
African American. So Rob’s parents take the unusual step of enrolling their son in a
Connecticut boarding school, where he will have the best education available. He will
also be the first student of color in the school’s history. No matter—Rob Garrett is on his
way. But times are changing. While Rob is experiencing the privilege and isolation of
private school, a movement is rising back home. Men and women are organizing,
demanding an end to segregation, and in Rob’s hometown, his friends are on the verge
of taking action. There is even talk about sitting in at a lunch counter that refuses to
serve black people. How can Rob hope to make a difference when he’s a world away?
New boy
39
Johnson,
Angela
The first part last
790
40
Kent, Rose
Kimchi and
calamari
750
Bobby's a classic urban teenager. He's restless. He's impulsive. But the thing that
makes him different is this: He's going to be a father. His girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant, and
their lives are about to change forever. Instead of spending time with friends, they'll be
spending time with doctors, and next, diapers. They have options: keeping the baby,
adoption. They want to do the right thing. If only it was clear what the right thing was.
Kimchi and calamari. It sounds like a quirky food fusion of Korean and Italian cuisine,
and it's exactly how Joseph Calderaro feels about himself. Why wouldn't an adopted
Korean drummer-comic book junkie feel like a combo platter given: (1) his face in the
mirror (2) his proud Italian family. And now Joseph has to write an essay about his
ancestors for social studies. All he knows is that his birth family shipped his diapered
butt on a plane to the USA. End of story. But what he writes leads to a catastrophe
messier than a table of shattered dishes-and self-discovery that Joseph never could
have imagined.
41
Kinney, Jeff
Diary of a wimpy
kid*
950
Boys don't keep diaries-or do they? The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated
new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to It's a new school
year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized
weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The
hazards of growing up before you're ready are uniquely revealed through words and
drawings as Greg records them in his diary. In book one of this debut series, Greg is
happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to
rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's newfound popularity to his own advantage,
kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.
Page 7 of 17
42
Korman ,
Gordon
Schooled
740
Capricorn Anderson had never watched a television show before. He'd never tasted a
pizza. He had never even heard of a wedgie. And he had never, in his wildest dreams,
thought of living anywhere but Garland Farm commune with his hippie caretaker, Rain.
Capricorn (Cap for short) had lived every day of his life on Garland Farm growing fruits
and vegetables. He was homeschooled by Rain, the only person he knew in the
world. Life was simple for Cap. But when Rain falls out of a tree while picking plums and
is hospital-ridden, he has to attend the local middle school and live with his new
guidance counselor and her irritable daughter. While Cap knew a lot about Zen
Buddhism, no amount formal education could ready him for the trials and tribulations of
public middle school. Cap doesn't exactly fit in at Claverage Middle School (dubbed C
Average by the kids). He has long, ungroomed hair, wears hemp clothes, and practices
Tai Chi out on the lawn. His weirdness basically makes him biggest nerd in school. This
is great news for Zach Powers, big man on campus. He can't wait to instate the age-old
tradition in C-Average School: The biggest nerd is nominated for class president-and wins. So when Cap becomes president, he is more puzzled than ever. But as Cap
begins to take on his duties, the joke starts to turn on Zach. Will Cap turn out to be the
greatest President in the history of C-Average School? Or the biggest punchline?
43
Korman,
Gordon
Son of the mob
690
44
Lasky,
Kathryn
Vince Luca is just like any other high school guy. His best friend, Alex, is trying to score
vicariously through him; his brother is a giant pain; and his father keeps bugging him to
get motivated. There is just one thing that really sets him apart for other kids??his father
happens to be the head of a powerful crime organization. Needless to say, while Vince's
family's connections can be handy for certain things-like when teachers are afraid to give
him a bad grade as they can put a serious crimp in his dating life. How is he supposed to
explain to a girl what his father does for a living? But when Vince finally meets one who
seems to be worth the trouble, her family turns out to be the biggest problem of all.
Because her father is an FBI agent-the one who wants to put his father away for good.
Kathryn Lasky's powerhouse novel is a dramatic historical saga that brings the reader
face-to-face with some of the worst atrocities ever committed against humankind in the
name of God. But above all, it is an unforgettable coming-of-age story about a girl who,
in connecting with her own past and faith, is at last able to face her own demons and
liberate not only herself but also future generations of her family from the long chain of
suffering and silence.
Blood secret
45
Lawson,
Kirby
Hattie Big Sky
Lichtman,
Wendy.
Do the math :
secrets, lies, and
algebra
46
700
Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle's homesteading
claim. For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie's been shuttled between relatives. Tired of
being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late
uncle's homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie
faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing
her adventures with her friends--especially Charlie, fighting in France--through letters
and articles for her hometown paper. Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by
her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a "Loyal"
American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything,
Hattie's determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of
home.
In the eighth grade, 1 math whiz < 1 popular boy, according to Tess's calculations. That
is, until she has to factor in a few more variables, like: 1 stolen test (x); 3 cheaters (y);
1050 and 2 best friends (z) who can't keep a secret. Oh, and she can't forget the winder
dance (d)! Then there's the suspicisoius gu Tess's parents know, but that's a whole
different problem. Can Tess find the solutions?
Page 8 of 17
47
Lipsyte,
Robert
Yellow flag
710
In any race, there are drivers and, at the front of the pack, there are racers. In the final
laps, it's the racer who moves his car through the sweet spot, picks off the competition,
and drives through a hole to win. In Kyle's family, his older brother, Kris, has always
been the racer, born and bred to it, like his father and grandfather and great-grandfather
before him. And that's just fine with Kyle; he's got other things to do. Now Kris is out of
commission, injured, and Kyle has no choice but to drive. Does he want to drive just long
enough to keep Kris's seat warm, or does he want to race-and win?
48
Lisle, Janet
Taylor
The art of keeping
cool
730
Only Robert ever sees the plane. But the pilot is shadowy -- maybe his missing father,
maybe not.Robert doesn't mention this vision to Elliot, his cousin, whom he meets when
he moves from Ohio with his mother and sister to live out the war with his grandparents
in Rhode Island. Elliot can draw better than anyone Robert has ever seen, but he keeps
his talent hidden in Grandpa's house. He won't say why. No one will talk either about
Robert's father, who left the house as a teenager, never to return. This is a story of
dangers lurking inside and outside a house, of deceptive enemies and secrets held too
long, and how two friends must find their own very different ways of fighting back.
49
Lord,
Cynthia.
Rules
780
50
Lois Lowry
The Giver*
760
Heartfelt and witty debut about feeling different and finding acceptance--beyond the
rules. Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when
you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's
spent years trying to teach David the rules-from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to
"keep your pants on in public"-in order to stop his embarrassing behaviors. But the
summer Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic boy, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's
always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and
forces her to ask: What is normal?
Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain.
There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas
turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone
holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to
receive the truth. There is no turning back.
51
Lupica, Mike
Travel team*
930
Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court--but don't
tell him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that
matters when he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to
national prominence as a boy. Danny's father, still smarting from his own troubles,
knows Danny isn't the only kid who was cut for the wrong reason, and together, this
washed-up former player and a bunch of never-say-die kids prove that the heart simply
cannot be measured. Travel Team is an inspirational tale in the tradition of The Bad
News Bears and Hoosiers. It will leave readers of all ages cheering.
52
Lupica, Mike
Heat
940
Michael Arroyo grows up in the shadows of hallowed Yankee Stadium, a boy forever on
the outside looking in. His only chance to see his field of dreams? Pitch his Bronx all-star
team to the district finals and a shot at the Little League World Series.But there is a
problem. Michael is good- "too "good. Rival coaches and players can't believe a boy
could be this good and be only twelve years old. And Michael has no way to prove it- no
mother, no father, and a birth certificate that is stuck home in his native Cuba. If the
people from social services find out his secret, he will have an even worse problem:
being separated from the only family he knows, his older brother Carlos. Baseball can
be a game of heroes, of champions who refuse to lose. Or it can be a field of crushed
dreams. For one boy, the game is about to turn serious
Page 9 of 17
53
54
MacHale,
D.J.
The merchant of
death* Pendragon
series
660
Magorian,
Michelle
Good night, Mr.
Tom
760
Mass,
Wendy
A mango-shaped
space : a novel
770
55
56
Bloody Jack :
being an account
of the curious
Meyer, L. A.
adventures of
Mary "Jacky"
Faber, ship's boy
Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a
home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about
Bobby.He is going to save the world.And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly
starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he
can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory
inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous
revolution.If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as
savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is
only the beginning....
London is poised on the brink of World War 11. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech -- the
abused child of a single mother -- is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is
terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff,
Mia Winchell has synesthesia, the mingling of perceptions whereby a person can see
sounds, smell colors, and taste shapes. Forced to reveal her condition, she must look to
herself to develop an understanding and appreciation of her gift in this coming-of-age
novel.
Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone
are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth1120 century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew
pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will
have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering
her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. .
57
Moriarty,
Jaclyn
The year of secret
assignments
890
The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program was designed to bring together the "lowlife
Brooker kids" (as they're known to the Ashburyites) and the "rich Ashbury snobs" (as
they're called by the Brookfielders) in a spirit of harmony and the Joy of the Envelope.
But things don't go quite as planned. Lydia and Sebastian trade challenges, like setting
off the fire alarm at Brookfield. Emily tutors Charlie in How to Go On a Date with a Girl.
But it's Cassie and Matthew who both reveal and conceal the most about themselves -and it's their secrets and lies that set off a war between the two schools.
58
Myers,
Walter
Dean
Sixteen year old Steve Harmon finds himself on trial for murder after he is accused as
acting as a lookout for the young men who actually commit a robbery at a Harlem
drugstore and kill the store owner. The story is presented predominantly from his own
viewpoint in the form of a screenplay and journal entries he writes, as he faces the trial
and possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
Monster
59
Myers,
Walter
Dean
Sunrise over
Fallujah
780
Operation Iraqi Freedom, that's the code name. But the young men and women in the
military's Civil Affairs Battalion have a simpler name for it: WAR. In this new novel,
Walter Dean Myers looks at a contemporary war with the same power and searing
insight he brought to the Vietnam war of his classic, FALLEN ANGELS. He creates
memorable characters like the book's narrator, Birdy, a young recruit from Harlem who's
questioning why he even enlisted; Marla, a blond, tough-talking, wisecracking gunner;
Jonesy, a guitar-playing bluesman who just wants to make it back to Georgia and open a
club; and a whole unit of other young men and women and drops them incountry in Iraq,
where they are supposed to help secure and stabilize Iraq and successfully interact with
the Iraqi people. The young civil affairs soldiers soon find their definition of "winning"
ever more elusive and their good intentions being replaced by terms like "survival" and
"despair." Caught in the crossfire, Myers' richly rendered characters are just beginning to
understand the meaning of war in this powerful, realistic novel of our times.
Page 10 of 17
60
Naylor,
Phyllis
Reynolds
Almost Alice*
800
61
Nelson,
Blake
Gender Blender
Is it possible to be too good a friend -- too understanding, too always there, too much
like a doormat? Alice has always been a good friend to Pamela and Liz, a best friend to
Pamela and Liz. But she's starting to wonder where that leaves her: What am I? An ear
for listening? An arm around the shoulder? And then there's Patrick -- after ending their
relationship two years ago, he's suddenly calling again, and wants to take her to his
senior prom. What does that mean? As Alice tries to figure out who she is in relation to
her friends, she learns one thing -- sometimes friends need you more than they let
on...especially when the unthinkable happens.Always honest, brave, and true, the
Aliceseries never flinches from big issues, and never discounts the small ones.
530
Emma: Wants Jeff Matthews to notice her. Hates sexist boys. Wonders when she'll get
her period. Tom: Must avoid looking like a wuss. Must deal with his blended family. Must
get a chance with Kelly A. Then something freaky happens: Emma and Tom switch
bodies. And until they can find a remedy: Emma: Can't believe she has a . . . thingie.
Hates mean girls. Finds out secondhand that her period has arrived. Tom: Must learn to
put on a bra. Must deal with an overachieving family. Must not be alone with Jeff
Matthews. MATURE CONTENT
900
The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined
owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and
lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and
political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all,
the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame
segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more
than anything else in the world: play ball. Using an 'Everyman' player as his narrator,
Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s
through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice
is so authentic, you will feel as if you are sitting on dusty bleachers listening intently to
the memories of a man who has known the great ballplayers of that time and shared
their experiences. Great pictures too!
62
Nelson,
Kadir
We are the ship :
the story of Negro
League baseball
63
Nye, Naomi
Shihab.
Habibi
850
The day after Liyana got her first real kiss, her life changed forever. Not because of the
kiss, but because it was the day her father announced that the family was moving from
St. Louis all the way to Palestine. Though her father grew up there, Liyana knows very
little about her family's Arab heritage. Her grandmother and the rest of her relatives who
live in the West Bank are strangers, and speak a language she can't understand. It isn't
until she meets Omer that her homesickness fades. But Omer is Jewish, and their
friendship is silently forbidden in this land. How can they make their families
understand? And how can Liyana ever learn to call this place home?
64
Park, Linda
Sue
Project Mulberry :
a novel
690
Julia Song and her friend Patrick would love to win a blue ribbon, maybe even two, at
the state fair. They've always done projects together, and they work well as a team. This
time, though, they're having trouble coming up with just the right plan. Then Julia's
mother offers a suggestion: They can raise silkworms, as she did when she was a girl in
Korea. Patrick thinks it's a great idea. Of course there are obstacles--for example, where
will they get mulberry leaves, the only thing silkworms eat?--but nothing they can't
handle. Julia isn't so sure. The club where kids do their projects is all about traditional
American stuff, and raising silkworms just doesn't fit in. Moreover, the author, Ms. Park,
seems determined to make Julia's life as complicated as possible, no matter how hard
Julia tries to talk her out of it. In her first novel with a contemporary setting, Linda Sue
Park delivers a funny, lively story that illuminates both the process of writing a novel and
the meaning of growing up American
Page 11 of 17
65
Paterson,
Katherine.
Bread and roses,
too
Paulsen,
Gary
How Angel
Peterson got his
name : and other
outrageous tales
about extreme
sports
66
810
Rosa's mother is singing again, for the first time since Papa died in an accident in the
mills. But instead of filling their cramped tenement apartment with Italian lullabies,
Mamma is out on the streets singing union songs, and Rosa is terrified that her mother
and older sister, Anna, are endangering their lives by marching against the corrupt mill
owners. After all, didn't Miss Finch tell the class that the strikers are nothing but rabblerousers--an uneducated, violent mob? Suppose Mamma and Anna are jailed or, worse,
killed? What will happen to Rosa and little Ricci? When Rosa is sent to Vermont with
other children to live with strangers until the strike is over, she fears she will never see
her family again. Then, on the train, a boy begs her to pretend that he is her brother.
Alone and far from home, she agrees to protect him . . . even though she suspects that
he is hiding some terrible secret. From a beloved, award-winning author, here is a
moving story based on real events surrounding an infamous 1912 strike
WHEN YOU GROW up in a small town in the north woods, you have to make your own
excitement. High spirits, idiocy, and showing off for the girls inspire Gary Paulsen and
his friends to attempt: Shooting waterfalls in a barrel The first skateboarding Breaking
1180 the world record for speed on skis by being towed behind a souped-up car, and then . . .
hitting gravel Jumping three barrels like motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel, except they
only have bikes Wrestling . . . a bear? Extreme sports lead to extreme fun in new tales
from Gary's boyhood.
67
Paulsen,
Gary
Hatchet
Perkins,
Mitali.
First daughter :
extreme American
makeover*sequel is
First daughter :
White House rules
Pierce,
Tamora.
First test
*Protector of the
small series .
LOST Brian Robertson, sole passenger on a Cessna 406, is on his way to visit his father
when the tiny bush plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness. With nothing but his
clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present,
1020
Brian finds himself completely alone. Challenged by his fear and despair -- and plagued
with the weight of a dreadful secret he's been keeping since his parent's divorce -- brian
must tame his inner demons in order to survive. It will take all his know-how and
determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed.
68
810
69
70
Pirates! : the true
and remarkable
adventures of
Rees, Celia
Minerva Sharpe
and Nancy
Kington, female
pirates
760
800
In First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, Sameera showed the United States it
was ready for a Pakistani-born First Daughter. With her brains and bravado, White
House. Fabulous! Right? Actually, it's no fairy tale. The Secret Service and the
paparazzi follow Sameera everywhere. She misses her friends (and even her school)
back home. So Sameera decides to escape. Will she be able to pull it off, or will her plan
backfire on the entire First Family? This smart and funny novel continues the adventures
of a Pakistani- American teen in the spotlight.
When Alanna became the King's Champion, it was decided that girls would henceforth
be allowed to train for the knighthood. But ten years have passed, and no girls have
come forward. Now, however, someone is about to change all that. Her name is Kel. In
this first book in a new series from popular children's fantasy writer Tamora Pierce, we
are introduced to a strong, adventurous new heroine who will win the hearts and minds
of fantasy fans.
Nancy Kington, daughter of a rich merchant, suddenly orphaned when her father dies, is
sent to live on her family's plantation in Jamaica. Disgusted by the treatment of the
slaves and her brother's willingness to marry her off, she and one of the slaves, Minerva,
run away and join a band of pirates. For both girls the pirate life is their only chance for
freedom in a society where both are treated like property, rather than individuals.
Together they go in search of adventure, love, and a new life that breaks all restrictions
of gender, race, and position. Told through Nancy's writings, their adventures will appeal
to readers across the spectrum and around the world.
Page 12 of 17
71
An unlikely
friendship : a novel
Rinaldi, Ann
of Mary Todd
Lincoln and
Elizabeth Keckley
740
Riordan,
Rick
The Lightning
Thief * Percy
Jackson and the
Olympians Series
740
Roth,
Matthue.
Never mind the
Goldbergs
72
73
74
790
Harry Potter and
Rowling, J.K the Chamber of
Secrets
940
How to get
suspended and
influence people
980
75
Selzer,
Adam.
76
Selznick,
Brian
The invention of
Hugo Cabret : a
novel in words and
pictures
820
On the night of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, his frantic wife, Mary, calls
for her best friend and confidante, Elizabeth Keckley, but the woman is mistakenly kept
from her side by guards who were unaware of Mary Todd Lincoln's close friendship with
the black seamstress. How did these two women--one who grew up in a wealthy
Southern home and became the wife of the president of the United States, the other who
was born a slave and eventually purchased her own freedom--come to be such close
companions? With vivid detail and emotional power, Ann Rinaldi delves into the
childhoods of these two fascinating women who became devoted friends and
confidantes amid the turbulent times of the Lincoln administration
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his
temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could
have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When
Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came
from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half
Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father
he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with
his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out
on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a
recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
Hava is an Orthodox Jew, but that doesn't mean she can't rock out. And yes, she has
opinions about everything around her. Now Hava's just been asked to be the token Jew
on a TV show about a Jewish family, trading one insular community for another.
For use in schools and libraries only. After 10 miserable years with his aunt and uncle,
Harry Potter is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each book
follows another year in Harry's education while more of his frightening destiny is
revealed.
t all starts with an assignment. Leon's "gifted and talented" class has to make
educational videos for the sixth and seventh graders. Leon originally chooses "sex ed"
as his subject in the hopes of showing a flash of boob. But as time goes on, his project
starts to mean something. He wants to tell the younger kids that puberty is tough, but
what they're going through is normal. After researching the avant-garde movement, Leon
crafts his video in the style of Fellini:La Dolce Pubert.It's deeply disturbing yet
comforting. But when the gifted program's director sees it, she suspends Leonand he
finds himself at the center of a townwide debate over censorship. Who gets to decide
how far is too far? MATURE CONTENT
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station,
where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly
interlocks-like the gears of the clocks he keeps-with an eccentric, bookish girl and a
bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the train station, Hugos undercover life, and his
most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a
stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugos dead father form the
backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery. With more than three
hundred pages of original drawings, and combining elements of picture book, graphic
novel, and film, Brian Selznick breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new
reading experience. Here is a stunning, cinematic tour de force from a boldly innovative
storyteller, artist, and bookmaker.
Page 13 of 17
77
Sharenow,
Robert.
My mother the
cheerleader : a
novel
820
78
Shull,
Megan.
Amazing grace
720
79
Sones,
Sonya
What my mother
doesn't know
920
80
Sonnenblick,
Jordan
Drums, girls, &
dangerous pie
940
81
Sonnenblick,
Jordan.
Zen and the art of
faking it
840
82
Spinelli,
Jerry
Milkweed
510
83
Spinelli,
Jerry
Maniac Magee
820
Acts of courage come in all shapes and sizes. In the tumultuous New Orleans of 1960,
thirteen-year-old Louise Collins finds her world turned upside down when a stranger
from the North arrives at her mother's boarding-house. Louise's mother spends her
mornings at the local elementary school with a group of women know as the
Cheerleaders, who harass the school's first black student, six-year-old Ruby Bridges, as
she enters the building. One day a Chevy Bel Air with a New York license plate pulls up,
and out steps Morgan Miller, a man whose mysterious past is eclipsed by his intellect
and open-manner-qualities that enchant mother and daughter alike. For the first time,
Louise feels as if someone cares what she thinks, even if she doesn't know what she
believes. But when the reason for Morgan's visit is called into question, everything
Louise thinks she knows about her mother, her world, and herself will change.
Grace Ace Kincaid has it all. Shes a teen sports sensation. Her faceand bodyare on the
cover ofevery magazine. Shes front and center on the red carpet. She has the world at
her feet, as long as she toes the line.But then she says three little words. Three words
that take her out of the spotlight to Medicine Hat, Alaska. Population 272.Grace has the
chance to start all over again. Its something she wanted so much. Now the question is:
Who will she be?
My name is Sophie.This book is about me.It tellsthe heart-stoppingly riveting storyof my
first love.And also of my second.And, okay, my third love, too.It's not that I'm boy
crazy.It's just that even thoughI'm almost fifteenI've been having sort of a hard timetrying
to figure out the differencebetween love and lust.It's likemy mindand my bodyand my
heartjust don't seem to be able to agreeon anything.
Steven has a totally normal life (well, almost): He plays drums in the All-City Jazz Band
(whose members call him the Peasant), has a crush on the hottest girl in school (sho
doesn't even know he's alive), and is constantly annoyed by his yyounger brother JEffery
(who is cuter than cute- whcih is also pretty annoying). BUt when Jeffery gets sick,
Steven's word is turned upside down, and he is forced to deal tiwth his borther's illness,
his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece, his homeword, the band, girls and
Dangerous Pie (yes, you'll have to read to the book to find out what that is).
When eighth-grader San Lee moves to a new town and a new school for the umpteenth
time, he doesn't try to make new friends or be a loner or play cool. Instead he sits back
and devises a plan to be totally different. When he accidentally answers too many
questions in World History on Zen (only because he just had Ancient Religions two
schools ago) all heads turn and San has his answer: he's a Zen Master. And just when
he thinks everyone (including the cute girl he can't stop thinking about) is on to him,
everyone believes him . . . in a major Zen way.
He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham. He's
a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He's a boy who steals food for himself and the
other orphans. He's a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He's a boy
who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of
his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains
come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's
safest of all to be nobody. Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most
devastating settings imaginableNazi-occupied Warsaw of World War IIand tells a tale of
heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.
He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey
Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And
Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run;
about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; how no knot, no matter how snarled,
would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known
for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
Page 14 of 17
84
Stroud,
Jonathan.
The Amulet of
Samarkand.* Bartimaeus trilogy
800
85
Tolan,
Stephanie
Surviving the
Applewhites
820
86
Trueman,
Terry
Inside out
710
87
Trueman,
Terry.
7 days at the hot
corner
920
Presenting a thrilling new voice in children's literature-a witty, gripping adventure story
featuring a boy and his not-so-tame djinni. Nathaniel is a young magician's apprentice,
taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named
Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel
decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With
revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the allpowerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two
different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful
Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical
espionage, murder, blackmail, and revolt. Set in a modern-day London spiced with
magicians and mayhem, this extraordinary, funny, pitch-perfect thriller will dazzle the
myriad fans of Artemis Fowl and the His Dark Materials trilogy.
Jake Semple is a scary kid. Word has it that he burned down his old school and then
was kicked out of every other school in his home state. Only weeks into September, the
middle school in Traybridge, North Carolina, has thrown him out, too. Now there's only
one place left that will take him -- a home school run by the most outrageous, forgetful,
chaotic, quarrelsome family you'll ever meet. Each and every Applewhite is an artist
through and through -- except E.D., the smart, scruffy girl with a deep longing for order
and predictability. E.D. and Jake, so nearly the same age, are quickly paired in the
family's first experiment in "cooperative education." The two clash immediately, of
course. The only thing they have in common is the determination to survive the family's
eccentricities. In Stephanie S. Tolan's hilarious tale, a local production of The Sound of
Music directed, stagecrafted, choreographed, and costumed by Apple-whites -- brings
the family together and shows E.D. and Jake the value of the special gifts they've had all
along.
When two teenage brothers attempt to hold up a Spokane coffee shop where Zach, 16,
is waiting for his mother to bring his antipsychotic meds, he is among those held
hostage. Thus begins this slender, but harrowing novel that depicts the standoff between
the desperate pair and the police outside-all narrated by Zach, who is driven by
impulsive outbursts, hateful voices in his head, and difficulty with processing reality. A
phone call from the police to the robbers results in freedom for the others, but Zach, now
overdue for his medicine, agrees to remain hostage. An odd bonding ensues among the
troubled teens, all of whom are portrayed sympathetically. With no ammunition in their
guns, the brothers are basically decent boys, scared and worried about their single
mother's unemployment and cancer. A stark news article three months later imparts
word that the unexpected hero of the crisis has committed suicide, the victim of his tragic
illness. Both the grim topic and strong language in this edgy novel suggest a mature
audience. MATURE CONTENT
In baseball, fielding your position at third base is tricky-that's why third is called "the hot
corner." You have to be aware that anything can happen at any time. This should be the
best year of Scott's life: It's his last season of varsity ball, his team is about to go to the
city championship, and a pro career is on the line. Instead, everything he always
counted on comes crashing down at the same time, and his whole life is like one blazing
hot corner-full of deadly line drives and crazy "bad hops." Scott can't believe the awful
stuff coming his way, but it's time to find out whether he has what it takes to play the hot
corner-on the baseball diamond and off it.
Page 15 of 17
88
Van
Draanen,
Wendelin
Flipped
720
The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the
second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. She says: "My Bryce. Still
walking around with my first kiss." He says: "It's been six years of strategic avoidance
and social discomfort." But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down. And
just as he's thinking there's more to her than meets the eye, she's thinking that he's not
quite all he seemed. This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating
chapters by two fresh, funny new voices. Wendelin Van Draanen is at her best here with
a knockout cast of quirky characters and a hilarious series of misunderstandings and
missed opportunities. But underlying the humor are two teens in transition. They are
each learning to look beyond the surface of people, both figuring out who they are, who
they want to be, and who they want to be with.
89
Van
Draanen,
Wendelin
Confessions of a
serial kisser
680
EVANGELINE LOGAN WANTS a kiss. A spectacular, heart-stopping, life changing kiss.
SomehowThe Crimson Kiss(a romance novel she's become obsessed with) andFour
Steps to Living Your Fantasy(a self-help book she's reading) have fused in Evangeline's
mind and sent her on a quest for a kiss. But the path to perfection is paved with many
bad kissesthe smash mouth, the ear licker, the "misser." The phrase "I don't kiss and
tell" means nothing to the boys in her school. And worse: someone starts writing her
name and number on bathroom walls. And worst of all: the boy she's just kissed turns
out to be her best friend's new crush. Kissing turns out to be way more complicated than
the romance novels would have you believe . . .
90
Velde,
Vivian
Vande
Remembering
Raquel
940
Voight,
Cynthia
Homecoming*
630
Wallace,
Rich.
Shots on goal
740
Fifteen-year-old Raquel Falcone is, as one of her classmates puts it, the kind of kid who
has a tendency to be invisible. That is until the night she's hit by a car and killed while
walking home from the movies. In brief, moving chapters, we hear about Raquel from
her classmates, her best friend, her family--and the woman who was driving the car that
struck her. The loss of this seemingly invisible girl deeply affects her entire community,
proving just how interconnected and similar we all really are.
91
In Voigt's first novel--and the introduction to her Tillerman saga--the four Tillerman
children, abandoned by their emotionally ill mother, travel on foot from New England to
their paternal grandmother's Maryland farm in search of a place to call home.
92
It's soccer season, and sophomore Bones Austin and his team are struggling to make it
to the district play-offs--against all odds. To make matters worse, Bones has a crush on
the girlfriend of his best friend, Joey. Bones and Joey are forced to learn a little
something about teamwork, even when hard times seem to be tearing them apart.
93
Weeks,
Sarah
So B. It : a novel
860
You couldn't really tell about Mama's brain just from looking at her, but it was obvious as
soon as she spoke. She had a high voice, like a little girl's, and she only knew twentythree words. I know this for a fact, because we kept a list of the things Mama said tacked
to the inside of the kitchen cabinet. Most of the words were common ones, like good and
more and hot, but there was one word only my mother said, soof. Although she lives an
unconventional lifestyle with her mentally disabled mother and their doting neighbor,
Bernadette, Heidi has a lucky streak that has a way of pointing her in the right direction.
When a mysterious word in her mother's vocabulary begins to haunt her, Heidi's thirst
for the truth leads her on a cross-country journey in search of the secrets of her past.
94
Whittenberg,
Allison
Sweet thang
590
Growing up in Philadelphia in 1975, 14-year-old Charmaine Upshaw is obsessed with
justice. Unfortunately, she gets none of it in her life: not from her parents, who make her
share a room with her tap-dancing brother Leo; not at school, where light-skinned,
Barbie-doll-haired Dinah Coverdale steals all the boys' attention and makes sure darkskinned Charmaine knows it; and certainly not from Tracy John, her six-year-old cousin
who's taken over the family. When Charmaine is charged with babysitting her spoiled
cousin after school, that's the last strawsomething's gotta give. And when Charmaine
cracks, she starts to see the world in a whole new light. Can Charmaine learn to love
herself, her mahogany skin, and her attention-starved little cousin? Sometimes when
everything falls apart, putting it back together can help you see the truth.
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95
Winerip,
Michael
Adam Canfield of
the Slash
830
Extra! Extra! Middle-school reporters stand up to authority to expose a school scandal in
this funny, inspiring story set behind the scenes at a student newspaper. Late for math
club, late for jazz band, late for soccer Adam Canfield has to be the most
overprogrammed middle-school student in America. So when super-organized Jennifer
coaxes him to be coeditor of THE SLASH Harris Elementary/Middle School's student
newspaper he wonders if he's made a big mistake. Not only do editors get stuck with
assigning stories (like an investigative report on the edibility of cafeteria food), but they
also have to deal with annoying third graders like Phoebe, always pushing for a frontpage slot. But when Phoebe's article on Eddie the janitor leads to a much bigger scoop
an eccentric woman's mysterious gift to the school Adam and Jennifer rise to the
challenge, risking their principal's wrath to uncover some shocking secrets. Along with a
charming cast of characters and plenty of kid-friendly humor, NEW YORK TIMES
education columnist Michael Winerip sneaks in some lessons about truth and cover-ups,
personal integrity, and the rush that comes from breaking a really great story.
96
Winthrop,
Elizabeth.
Counting on Grace
760
1910. Pownal, Vermont. At 12, Grace and her best friend Arthur must leave school and
go to work as a "doffers" on their mothers' looms in the mill. Grace's mother is the best
worker, fast and powerful, and Grace desperately wants to help her. But she's left
handed and doffing is a right-handed job. Grace's every mistake costs her mother, and
the family. She only feels capable on Sundays, when she and Arthur receive special
lessons from their teacher. Together they write a secret letter to the Child Labor Board
about underage children working in Pownal. A few weeks later a man with a camera
shows up. It is the famous reformer Lewis Hine, undercover, collecting evidence for the
Child Labor Board. Grace's brief acquaintance with Hine and the photos he takes of her
are a gift that changes her sense of herself, her future, and her family's future.
97
Woodson,
Jacqueline
Hush
640
Yee, Lisa
Stanford Wong
flunks big-time;
Millicent Min, Girl
Genius; So Totally
Emily Ebers
600800
Yolen, Jane
The devil's
arithmetic
730
98
Evie Thomas is not who she used to be. Once she had a best friend, a happy home and
a loving grandmother living nearby. Once her name was Toswiah. Now, everything is
different. Her family has been forced to move to a new place and change their identities.
But that's not all that has changed. Her once lively father has become depressed and
quiet. Her mother leaves teaching behind and clings to a new-found religion. Her only
sister is making secret plans to leave. And Evie, struggling to find her way in a new city
where kids aren't friendly and the terrain is as unfamiliar as her name, wonders who she
is. Jaqueline Woodson weaves a fascinating portrait of a thoughtful young girl's coming
of age in a world turned upside down
3 books- different viewpoints on the same story
99
Hannah is tired of hearing about the Nazis during the Holocaust, but when she opens
the door for Elijah at the Passover Seder, she is transported in time to 1940s Poland,
where she is captured and put in a death camp. A girl named Rivka befriends her,
teaching her how to fight the dehumanization of the camp and hold onto her identity.
100
Zusak,
Markus
The book thief
730
It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an
accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . .
. Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the
story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a
meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't
resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and
shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the
Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an
unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
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