Summer Reading 2010



Summer Reading 2011

Going into 8th Grade

Nonfiction

Freedom Writers, by Erin Gruwell

Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students.

Guts, by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen tells the real stories behind the Brian books, the stories of adventure that inspired him to write Hatchet, Brian’s Return, and The River.

We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Let to Success, by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Sharon Draper, Rameck Hunt

Growing up on the rough streets of Newark, New Jersey, Rameck, George, and Sampson could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison. But when a presentation at their school made the three boys aware of the opportunities available to them in the medical and dental professions, they made a pact among themselves that they would become doctors. It took a lot of determination—and a lot of support from one another—but despite all the hardships along the way, the three succeeded.

Realistic Fiction

Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss-her life-and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend's memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all-hope.

Keeping the Moon, by Sarah Dessen

Formerly fat Colie cannot shed her poor self-image until she spends the summer with her eccentric aunt and develops a friendship with some interesting waitresses.

Along for the Ride by Sara Dessen

Auden gets a chance to recapture the carefree teen life she missed while her parents were going through a divorce when she goes to spend the summer with her dad and his new family in a charming beach town and meets fellow insomniac Eli, an intriguing loner fighting demons of his own.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. by Ann Brashares

Four best girlfriends experience one glorious, painful, life-changing summer apart in Brashares' irreverently funny, realistic novel in which a pair of thrift-shop jeans serves to help each girl discover her strengths and weaknesses. Readers might enjoy the sequels, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood and Girls in Pants.

Hope Was Here , by Joan Bauer

Ever since her mother left, Hope has, with her comfort-food-cooking aunt Addie, been serving up the best in diner food from Pensacola, Florida to NYC. Moving has been tough, so it comes as a surprise to 16-year-old Hope, that rural Wisconsin, where she and her aunt are now settled, offers more excitement, friendship, and even romance (for both Hope and Addie) that the big city.

Rules of the Road Joan Bauer

Here is a teenager protagonist who is smart, moral, funny, confident (mostly) and open-minded about grownups. Not that hulking Jenna Boller doesn’t have her share of problems. At 5’11”, hard-working Jenna is an outsider at school. The fact that she spends most of her time selling shoes at Gladstone’s shoe store (and loving it) doesn’t help in terms of a social life, and her main problem is her alcoholic father.

Red Kayak, by Priscilla Cummings

Living near the water on Maryland's Eastern Shore, thirteen-year-old Brady and his best friends J.T. and Digger become entangled in a tragedy which tests their friendship and their ideas about right and wrong.

No More Dead Dogs, by Gordon Korman

For his detention, an eighth grade football hero is sentenced to attend rehearsals of the school play, where, in spite of himself, he gets carried away.

Petey, by Ben Mikaelsen

Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is misdiagnosed as an idiot and institutionalized. Sixty years later, still in the institution, he befriends a boy and shares with him the joy of life.

Urban Fiction

If I Grow Up, by Todd Strasser

In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Many teenagers drop out of school and join gangs, and every kid knows someone who died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis. DeShawn is smart enough to know he should stay in school and keep away from the gangs. But while his friends have drug money to buy fancy sneakers and big-screen TVs, DeShawn's family can barely afford food for the month. How can he stick to his principles when his family is hungry?

In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, award-winning author Todd Strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with right and wrong under the ever-present shadow of gangs.

Black and White, by Paul Volponi

Marcus and Eddie are best friends who found the strength to break through the racial barrier. Marcus is black; Eddie is white. Stars of their school basketball team, they are true leaders who look past the stereotypes and come out on top. They are inseparable, watching each other's backs, both on and off the basketball court. But one night--and one wrong decision--will change their lives forever. Will their mistake cost them their friendship . . . and their future?

Hoops, by Walter Dean Myers

All eyes are on Lonnie Jackson as he practices for the city-wide basketball Tournament of Champions. Does he have what it takes to be a pro? Will Lonnie or his coach, a former pro player, give into pressure when some heavy bettors want Cal to stay on the bench for the big game?

Adventure

Peak, by Roland Smith

In this high-altitude adventure, 14-year-old Peak Marcello's passion for climbing is clearly in the genes, but when he is arrested for scaling tall buildings, his mom and stepdad make a deal with the judge to ship him out of the country to live with her ex-husband and squelch the media attention that might inspire "Spider Boy" copycats. The teen's father, Josh, and his Himalayan expedition company are preparing teams to climb Mount Everest and suddenly Peak is faced with the possibility of becoming the youngest climber to reach the summit. A well-crafted plot and exotic setting give the novel great appeal to survival adventure fans.

The Caretakers Trilogy, by David Klass

• Firestorm: Book 1

• Whirlwind: Book 2

• Timelock: Book 3

Klass enters exciting and provocative new territory with this sci-fi thriller. Seventeen-year-old Jack Danielsons life has always been normal–except that his parents have encouraged him to blend in and not try too hard. But then he learns that he is different, that he has special powers and abilities, and that he is from the future and has been sent back to save the planet. Strangers kill his adoptive parents and come after him, and the teens only hope to survive is to trust in Gisco, a huge dog who speaks to him telepathically, and Eko, a ninja babe whose loyalties are ambiguous.

Historical Fiction

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Fever 1793 is based on an actual epidemic of yellow fever in Philadelphia that wiped out 5,000 people--or 10 percent of the city's population--in three months. At the close of the 18th century, Philadelphia was the bustling capital of the United States, with Washington and Jefferson in residence. During the hot mosquito-infested summer of 1793, the dreaded yellow fever spread like wildfire, killing people overnight. Like specters from the Middle Ages, gravediggers drew carts through the streets crying "Bring out your dead!" The rich fled to the country, abandoning the city to looters, forsaken corpses, and frightened survivors.

Uprising, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

This deftly crafted historical novel unfolds dramatically with an absorbing story and well-drawn characters who readily evoke empathy and compassion. Haddix has masterfully melded in-depth information about the history of immigration, the struggle for women's rights, the beginnings of the organized labor movement, and the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 within a narrative that will simultaneously engross and educate its readers.

Copper Sun, by Sharon Draper

When pale strangers enter fifteen-year-old Amari's village, her entire tribe welcomes them; for in her remote part of Africa, visitors are always a cause for celebration. But these strangers are not here to celebrate. They are here to capture the strongest, healthiest villagers and to murder the rest. They are slave traders. And in the time it takes a gun to fire, Amari's life as she's known it is destroyed, along with her family and village.

Fire from the Rock, by Sharon Draper

Sylvia is shocked and confused when she is asked to be one of the first black students to attend Central High School, which is scheduled to be integrated in the fall of 1957, whether people like it or not. Before Sylvia makes her final decision, smoldering racial tension in the town ignites into flame. When the smoke clears, she sees clearly that nothing is going to stop the change from coming. It is up to her generation to make it happen, in as many different ways as there are colors in the world.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead, by Avi

Action-filled page-turner set in 14th century England. A 13-year-old is suddenly orphaned and stripped of home and possessions. Accused of murder and wanted dead or alive, Crispin flees his village and falls in with a juggler, Bear, who becomes his protector and teacher. Relentlessly pursued by Crispin’s enemies, the pair flees to solve the mystery of Crispin’s true identity and fight the injustices of feudalism

Milkweed , by Jerry Spinelli

Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli (Maniac McGee , Stargirl ) paints a vivid picture of the streets of the Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II, as seen through the eyes of a curious, kind, heartbreakingly naïve orphan with many names. His name is Stopthief when people shout "Stop! Thief!" as he flees with stolen bread. Or it's Jew, "filthy son of Abraham," depending on who's talking to him. Or, maybe he's a Gypsy, because his eyes are black, his skin is dark, and he wears a mysterious yellow stone around his neck. His new friend and protector Uri forces him to take the name Misha Pilsudski and to memorize a made-up story about his Gypsy background so that no one will mistake him for a Jew and kill him. Misha, a very young boy, is slow to understand what's happening around him.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

King of the Shadows, by Susan Cooper

The young hero, Nat, has been chosen to participate in a national company of American boy actors doing Shakespeare at the newly created Globe Theater in London. A few dizzy spells and his body is isolated with bubonic plague, but his mind is experiencing the Globe in 1599 as he rehearses and performs his role for the Queen.

Everlost, by Neal Shusterman

Nick and Allie don't survive the car accident…but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to go either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It's a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth. When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he's found a home, but Allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the “Criminal Art” of haunting, and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Three teens embark upon a cross-country journey in order to escape from a society that salvages body parts from children ages thirteen to eighteen.

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

Books Written in Verse

What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones

Meet Sophie. She sees herself as the too-tall "Mount Everest of teenage girls," who, along with her friends, often suffers from "lackonookie disease." She's dating smoky, sexy Dylan, covertly chatting online with "cybersoul"-mate Chaz, and secretly nursing a crush on sweet, geeky Murphy. Her two best friends are closer to her than sisters, and she "hates hating" her soap opera-addicted mom, wishing "she would show half as much interest in my life as she does in Luke and Laura's." In other words, Sophie is a typical teenage girl. What is not so typical is how author Sonia Sones records all of Sophie's thoughts in a freewheeling verse that is such a naked outpouring of inner longing, most readers will blush in embarrassed recognition of their own remembered or current teenage desires.

What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones

This sequel to What My Mother Doesn't Know (S & S, 2001) stands completely on its own. Robin's life at Cambridge High School is miserable. The arty outsider's last name becomes the pejorative slang of the school—as in, "Don't be such a Murphy." His lot improves, however, when popular Sophie becomes his girlfriend despite the detriment to her reputation. Better still, the freshman is invited to audit an art class at Harvard. It is his homecoming; for once, he is the comedian rather than the butt of jokes. One of the college freshmen even shows some romantic interest in him. Written as a novel in verse, this title is a fast-paced, page-turning romp that gives authentic voice to male youth even when it is painfully truthful.

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, by Ron Koertge

Fourteen-year-old Kevin Boland is an MVP first baseman whose whole life revolves around baseball. Diagnosed with mono, he is forced to stay at home for months while he recuperates. Bored, Kevin borrows his father's book of poetry and starts writing his own. At first, he just has fun imitating haiku and sonnets, but he soon begins writing insightful verse, both funny and serious, in which he records his candid observations about life in junior high, romance, his dreams of baseball stardom, and his grief over the recent death of his mother. This funny and poignant novel celebrates the power of writing to help young people make sense of their lives and unlock and confront their problems.

Summer Reading 2011

Going into 7th Grade

Nonfiction

Far From Home: Latino Baseball Players in America

From Argentina and Venezuela to the Dominican Republic and the rest of the Caribbean, thousands of boys grow up playing sandlot ball and planning a big-league career. Inspired by Latino greats who paved the way, young men head north in hopes of baseball success—but often find themselves in far different situations. Photographer José Luis Villegas and sportswriter Tim Wendel dramatically reveal the energy, talent, and hard-driving ambition of these determined players, both the few who make it and the many who don’t. Yet this isn’t just another compendium of highlights—it’s a bold and sometimes heartbreaking look at the ups and downs of chasing a dream.

Realistic Fiction

The Princess Diaries Series, by Meg Cabot

• The Princess Diaries

• Princess in the Spotlight

• Princess in Love

• Princess in Waiting

Mia Thermopolis is your average urban ninth grader. Even though she lives in Greenwich Village with a single mom who is a semifamous painter, Mia still puts on her Doc Martens one at a time, and the most exciting things she ever dreams about are smacking lips with sexy senior Josh Richter, "six feet of unadulterated hotness," and passing Algebra I. Then Mia's dad comes to town, and drops a major bomb. Turns out he's not just a European politician as he's always lead her to believe, but actually the prince of a small country! And Mia, his only heir, is now considered the crown princess of Genovia!

Thou Shalt Not Dump the Skater Dude, by Rosemary Graham

Just when Kelsey is finally fitting into her new California life, C. J. Logan comes along. He's hot, popular, and revered as the best skateboarder around. Girls want to be with him, and boys want to be him. And Kelsey is lucky enough to be his girlfriend. But when she decides that their relationship is over, she could not have imagined what would happen next. With rumors flying, she is forced to figure out who her true friends are and, more importantly, who her true self really is.

Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen

Roy Eberhardt is the new kid--again. This time around it's Trace Middle School in humid Coconut Grove, Florida. But it's still the same old routine: table by himself at lunch, no real friends, and thick-headed bullies like Dana Matherson pushing him around. But if it wasn't for Dana Matherson mashing his face against the school bus window that one day, he might never have seen the tow-headed running boy. And if he had never seen the running boy, he might never have met tall, tough, bully-beating Beatrice. And if he had never met Beatrice, he might never have discovered the burrowing owls living in the lot on the corner of East Oriole Avenue. And if he had never discovered the owls, he probably would have missed out on the adventure of a lifetime. Apparently, bullies do serve a greater purpose in the scope of the universe. Because if it wasn't for Dana Matherson...

Flush, by Carl Hiaasen

In Flush (Knopf, 2005), Carl Hiaasen's ecological concerns focus on illegal dumping of raw sewage from a floating casino. Noah Underwood's dad has sunk the gambling ship, the Coal Queen, in protest. Now the elder Underwood is launching a media campaign from his jail cell to raise public awareness since the sewage-spewing ship will soon be back in operation. Though Noah and his younger sister Abbey believe in their father's cause, they also fear their mother will file for divorce if he continues to react so outrageously to environmental issues.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, by Rick Riordan

• The Lightning Thief

• Sea of Monsters

• The Titan’s Curse

• The Battle of the Labyrinth

• The Last Olympian

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he'll be safe--Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends--a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena--Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld

Shadow Children Series, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

▪ Among the Hidden

▪ Among the Imposters

▪ Among the Betrayed

Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend. Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police.

The Missing Series, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

▪ Found

▪ Sent

Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adoped, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you."

Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere -- and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives.

Life as We Knew It , by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The prospect of an asteroid hitting the Moon is just a mildly interesting news item to Pennsylvania teenager Miranda, for whom a date for the prom and the personality changes in her born-again friend, Megan, are more immediate concerns. Her priorities undergo a radical change, however, when that collision shifts the Moon into a closer orbit, causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, millions of deaths, and an upsurge in volcanism. Thanks to frantic preparations by her quick-thinking mother, Miranda's family is in better shape than many as utilities and public services break down in stages, wild storms bring extremes of temperature, and outbreaks of disease turn the hospital into a dead zone.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

In The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman has created a charming allegory of childhood. Although the book opens with a scary scene--a family is stabbed to death by "a man named Jack” --the story quickly moves into more child-friendly storytelling. The sole survivor of the attack--an 18-month-old baby--escapes his crib and his house, and toddles to a nearby graveyard. Quickly recognizing that the baby is orphaned, the graveyard's ghostly residents adopt him, name him Nobody ("Bod"), and allow him to live in their tomb.

Hunger Games Series, by Suzanne Collins

Sixteen-year old Katniss becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.

Mystery/Horror

Cirque de Freak Series

• A Living Nightmare

• The Vampire’s Assistant

• Tunnels of Blood

• Vampire Mountain

• Trials of Death

• The Vampire Prince

Anyone who loves the humorous but hair-raising horror in R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series will devour British author Darren Shan's first novel with equal zeal. Cirque Du Freak is a thrill ride that will keep even the most reluctant readers turning pages. Darren Shan, author and narrator, sets the book up as a true story, warning readers: "Real life's nasty. It's cruel.... Evil often wins." Indeed, evil begins to win when Darren and his buddies find a flier for "Cirque Du Freak," a traveling freak show promising performances by the snake-boy, the wolf-man, and Larten Crepsley and his giant spider, Madame Octa. Darren and his friend Steve wouldn't miss it for the world.

Sports

Football Genius Series, by Tim Green

• Football Genius

• Football Champ

Troy White has a lot of frustrations. His father abandoned the family when he was little, his beloved Atlanta Falcons team seems destined for another losing season, and, on his own football team, his gifts as a quarterback are ignored while he sits on the bench, watching the coach's son on the field. Troy's most unusual gift is his ability to predict coming football plays with uncanny accuracy. When his mother is hired for a PR job with the Falcons, Troy sees an opportunity, yet he can't convince anyone to recognize his talents. Finally, the Falcons' middle linebacker sees Troy's gifts, and Troy becomes the team's secret weapon.

Football Hero, by Tim Green

In this novel by a former NFL star, middle schooler Ty Lewis is going through a tough time following the death of his parents. He has been taken in by his aunt and uncle, but they treat him badly, dressing him in hand-me-downs, making him sleep on a mattress on the floor of the laundry room, and forcing him to use a portable toilet in the backyard even though there is a bathroom in the house. Ty is having problems at school as well, where his appearance, social status, and bookishness lead to his being bullied. Through all his troubles, he is buoyed by his faith in his older brother, who is an All-American college football player soon to sign a lucrative pro contract. Ty has his own dreams of football glory after being recruited by the middle school coach, who has noticed that Ty is the fastest boy in the sixth grade.

Heat, by Mike Lupica

Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is banned from playing Little League baseball when rival

coaches question his real age.

Military/Historical Fiction

Code Talker, by Joseph Bruchac

During WWII, Ned is trained by the U.S. Marines to be a Code Talker—a soldier who uses the

Navajo language as military code for radio messages.

Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam, by Cynthia Kadohata

Bred as a show dog, Magnificent Dawn of Venus von Braun was a German shepherd destined for greatness until a broken leg took her out of contention and into the arms of a boy named Willie. Reminded of the landlord's no-pet policy, the heartbroken boy answers a newspaper ad and Venus, now "Cracker," is accepted into a military canine unit to help soldiers sniff out booby traps in Vietnam. She and her handler, Rick Hanski, quickly bond and head to the front lines. Cracker and Rick's successful missions lead to more dangerous operations and they are ultimately separated during a siege. Critically wounded, Rick is sent home, not knowing what has become of Cracker, and it is a heart-wrenching wait for word on her whereabouts.

Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson

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. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne

Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence.

Suspense/Thriller

The Alex Rider Series, by Anthony Horowitz

• Stormbreaker

• Point Blank

• Skeleton Key

They said his uncle Ian died in a car accident. Alex Rider knows that’s a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle’s car confirm the truth. But nothing can prepare him for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for Britain’s top-secret intelligence agency. Enlisted to find his uncle’s killers and complete Ian’s final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, with no way out.

Code Orange, by Caroline B. Cooney

When he finds an envelope containing 100-year old smallpox scabs, Mitty fears he has infected

himself and all of New York City.

Books Written in Verse

I Heart You, You Haunt Me, by Lisa Schroeder

Part love story, part ghost story, I Heart You, You Haunt Me opens with the funeral of Ava's boyfriend Jackson. Through short, staccato sentences we see the stained glass windows, the flowers, the casket as Ava sees them--bursts of color in a sea of black. The days pass and Ava's love, memories, grief, and guilt threaten to swallow her (it was because of her dare that Jackson died). Instead, Jackson comes to her. Taking up residence in her house, he uses music on the stereo to talk to her, and begins to haunt her days and dreams. Ava's initial comfort turns to fear when she suspects Jackson of stalking her and keeping her from moving forward. Nothing, however, is as it seems.

Far From You, by Lisa Schroeder

Genuine emotion balances unremarkable verse in this tale of healing. Alice is bitter over her mother's death from cancer years ago and her father's ongoing emotional distance. A stepmother and newborn half sister render Alice both scornful and jealous.

Summer Reading 2011

Going into 6th Grade

Nonfiction

Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine, by Leslie Dendy and Mel Boring

Scientifically speaking, a "guinea pig" is a person who volunteers to serve as a subject in a scientific study. An easy and interesting read, this book describes 18th-century Italian scientist Lazzaro Spallanzani and his research on himself to explore digestion by swallowing food encapsulated in wooden tubes or cloth satchels and then analyzing the remains of the samples upon their exit from the intestinal tract. Gross enough to capture readers' attention, and startling enough to hold onto it, Spallanzani's story ends with a description of his discoveries and how many of his observations are still valid.

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, by James L. Swanson

Excellent black-and-white illustrations complement the text. Devoted to the South, John Wilkes Booth had planned to kidnap Lincoln and hold him hostage, but when that plan did not materialize, he hatched his assassination plot. Co-conspirators in Washington, Maryland, and Virginia helped him escape and evade capture for 12 days before being surrounded in a barn and killed.

Sports

Sports Story Series, by Fred Bowen

▪ Touchdown Trouble

▪ Soccer Team Upset

▪ Winners Take All

▪ Hardcourt Comeback

Historical Fiction

Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis

Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis

Eleven-year-old Elijah lives in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves near the American border. He's the first child in town to be born free, and he ought to be famous just for that. Unfortunately, all that most people see is a "fra-gile" boy who's scared of snakes and talks too much. But everything changes when a former slave steals money from Elijah's friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Now it's up to Elijah to track down the thief--and his dangerous journey just might make a hero out of him, if only he can find the courage to get back home.

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue, by Julius Lester

On March 2 and 3, 1859, the largest auction of slaves in American history took place in Savannah, Georgia. More than 400 slaves were sold. On the first day of the auction, the skies darkened and torrential rain began falling. The rain continued throughout the two days, stopping only when the auction had ended. The simultaneity of the rain storm with the auction led to these two days being called "the weeping time."

Realistic Fiction

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick

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 with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's 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 Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl, a teen who animates quiet Mica High with her colorful personality, suddenly finds herself shunned for her refusal to conform.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

In the late 1860s in the Texas hill country, a big yellow dog and a fourteen-year-old boy form a close, loving relationship.

Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos

Joey finally feels a sense of self-control over his hyperactivity now that he receives daily medication patches. Visiting his divorced father for the summer seems like a good idea until his father, a mirror image of the pre-medicated Joey, flushes all of Joey’s patches down the toilet.

Horror/Mystery

Skeleton Creek Series, by Patrick Carman

▪ Skeleton Creek

▪ Ghost in the Machine

Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek . . . and Ryan and Sarah are trying to get to the heart of it. But after an eerie accident leaves Ryan housebound and forbidden to see Sarah, their investigation takes two tracks: Ryan records everything in his journal, while Sarah uses her videocam to search things out .and then email the clips for Ryan to see. In a new, groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts -- Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.

The 39 Clues Series, by Rick Riordan

What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden around the world, in the form of 39 Clues? What if you were given a choice — take a million dollars and walk away...or get the first Clue? If you're Amy and Dan Cahill, you take the Clue — and begin a very dangerous race.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

The City of Ember Jeanne DuPrau

Built as a last refuge for the human race, the city of Ember is slowly dying. When young Lina finds an ancient message, she enlists the help of her friend Doon, certain the message hold the secret to saving the city. American Library Association Notable Books

Maximum Ride Series, by James Patterson

▪ The Angel Experiment

▪ School’s Out Forever

▪ Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"—Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel—are just like ordinary kids—only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare—this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City.

Witch and Wizard, by James Patterson

Imagine you wake up and the world around you-life as you know it-has changed in an instant. That's what has happened to Whit Allgood and his sister, Whisty. They went to sleep as normal teenagers, and woke up as wanted criminals. Accused of holding incredible powers they'd never dreamed possible. And now, just how different they are-special, even-if just beginning to be revealed in a strange new world.

The Underland Chronicles, by Suzanne Collins

▪ Gregor the Overlander

▪ Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

▪ Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.

Sisters Grimm Series, by Michael Buckley and Peter Ferguson

▪ Fairy Tale Detectives

▪ The Usual Suspects

▪ The Problem Child

In book one of this bestselling series, sisters Sabrina and Daphne are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. The sisters learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose famous book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files. The girls are the latest in a long line of fairy-tale detectives, and their new hometown is filled with Everafters (as magical folks like to be called)-some good and some very, very bad. When a mysterious Everafter sets a giant loose on the town, it's up to the Sisters Grimm to save the day.

Pandora Series by Carolyn Hennesy

▪ Pandora Gets Jealous

▪ Pandora Gets Vain

▪ Pandora Gets Lazy

Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena (or Pandy for short) has the perfect prop for her school project: a box given to her father by Zeus himself. Pandy knows the box must never be opened, but of course accidents happen and soon seven forms of evil and misery have escaped. Now it’s up to Pandora to capture all seven—starting with jealousy—or go down in history as the girl who ruined the world.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DeCamillo

The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

Adventure

Touching Spirit Bear, by Ben Mikealsen

Within Cole Matthews lie anger, rage, and hate. Cole has been stealing, fighting, and lying for years. His attack on a classmate has left the boy with permanent physical and deep psychological damage and Cole in the biggest trouble of his life. To most, Cole seems beyond hope. But when he's offered a chance at an alternative path called Circle Justice, based on Native American tradition, Cole finds himself banished to a remote Alaskan island, where his rage and isolation lead him to another brazen attack.

Books Written in Verse

Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech

Love That Dog is the story of Jack, his dog, his teacher, and words. The story develops through Jack's responses to his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, over the course of a school year. At first, his responses are short and cranky: "I don't want to" and "I tried. Can't do it. Brain's empty." But as his teacher feeds him inspiration, Jack finds that he has a lot to say and he finds ways to say it.

Hate That Cat, by Sharon Creech

Hate That Cat continues the story of Jack from Love That Dog. It is a new school year, and Jack learns that his previous year's teacher, Miss Stretchberry, has also moved up a grade along with him. "You understand my brain," he says. Once again, Miss Stretchberry introduces Jack and his classmates to poems that intrigue and entice Jack, allowing him to talk about things that are on his mind: mean cats, sound, silence, worry and joy. You don't really think Miss Stretchberry is going to let Jack hate a cat, do you? Hmm.

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