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Mrs. Benton
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Last Updated:
Sep 10, 2023
The Crossover
Kwame Alexander*****2015 Newbery Medal Winner
2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I’m delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander (He Said, She Said 2013).

   Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.
Shattered: Stories of Children and War
Jennifer Armstrong*****As bullets ring and bombs are dropped, children watch—mostly from the sidelines, but occasionally in the direct line of fire. Unaware of the political issues or power struggles behind the battle, all they know are the human, emotional consequences of this thing called war. This collection examines all of war’s implications for young people—from those caught in the line of fire to the children of the veterans of wars long past.

Critically acclaimed author Jennifer Armstrong brings together 12 powerful voices in young people's literature to explore the realities of war from a child's perspective. The settings vary widely—the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an attempted coup in Venezuela, the American Civil War, crisis in the Middle East—but the effects are largely the same. In war, no life is ever left untouched. In war, lives are shattered.

From the Hardcover edition.
Go Figure!: A Totally Cool Book About Numbers
Johnny Ball*****Experience the mysterious and magical world of numbers as never before. This unique book investigates mathematical marvels such as why daisies always have 34, 55, or 89 petals, why the world's phone numbers appear in pi, and other patterns and paradoxes that will make readers look at numbers in a whole new way.
Presidents
James David Barber*****Eyewitness Presidents is an updated edition of DK s classic look at America s presidents in addition to the CD, wall chart, and extra 8 pages, the book will be updated to include information about the winner of the 2008 election, Barack Obama.
Human Body: A Book with Guts
Simon Basher, Dan Green*****From the best-selling team that brought you The Periodic Table, Physics, Biology, and Astronomy comes a topic that's close to our hearts-literally! Meet the characters and processes that that keep the human body chugging along. From the basic building blocks like Cell, DNA, and Protein, to Bones, Muscles, and all of the fun-loving Organs, readers will cozy up with the guys on the inside. Trust us-Liver has never looked better!
The Periodic Table: Elements with Style!
Simon Basher, Adrian Dingle*****The Periodic Table introduces budding chemists to the world of the elements as it's never been seen before. Designed to resemble popular networking Web sites, the pages of this book feature "homepages" for each of the chemical elements — complete with witty and informative profiles written by the elements themselves, plus a personally chosen picture.
Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine
Mel Boring, Leslie Dendy*****It was August 27, 1885. In a hospital in Lima, Peru, a student named Daniel Carrión was preparing to infect himself with a dreaded disease . . . He had a small, sharp lancet ready . . . Carrión's friends and teacher from the medical school thought it was a bad idea. They knew Carrión was eager to learn more about this mysterious disease.
But were the risks worth it?

Science and medicine from the inside out-ten engrossing stories of self-experimentation

Who are these "guinea pig scientists"? Searching for clues to some of science's and medicine's bigger (and sometimes stranger) questions, they are all the men and women who devoted their lives to help find the answers. Spanning from the 1770s to the present-and uncovering the science behind digestion, the spread of yellow fever, the development of the first heart catheter, and more-their ten stories are at once scientifically detailed and fascinatingly personal.
The War That Saved My Life
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley******2016 Newbery Honor book
*Winner of the 2016 Schneider Family Book Award 

This New York Times bestseller is an exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War 2. For fans of Counting by 7s.
 
Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
 
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
The War That Saved My Life
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley*****
The Faerie War Chronicles 2: Purple Emperor
Herbie Brennan*****Henry Atherton, his faerie prince friend Pyrgus, and Pyrgus's fearless sister, Holly Blue, return in this fantastic adventure to save the Faerie Realm from the evil Hairstreak and his henchmen, Chalkhill and Brimstone. With the help of forest faeries, some silk mistresses, a sewer-dwelling creature of unknown dimensions, and additional creatures magical and otherwise, the three intrepid young friends find their way from exile back to the home they all would die to preserve and protect.
Chronicles of Vladimir Tod 2: Ninth Grade Slays
Heather Brewer*****Freshman year stinks for Vlad Tod. Bullies still harass him. The photographer from the school newspaper is tailing him. And failing his studies could be deadly. A trip to Siberia gives ?study abroad? a whole new meaning as Vlad connects with other vampires and advances his mind-control abilities, but will he return home with the skills to recognize a vampire slayer when he sees one? In this thrilling sequel to Eighth Grade Bites, Vlad must confront the secrets of the past and battle forces that once again threaten his life.
Chronicles of Vladimir Tod 4: Eleventh Grade Burns
Heather Brewer*****It’s another awful year at Bathory High for Vladimir Tod. Joss, a professional vampire slayer and Vlad’s former friend, has moved back to town. The powerful vampire Dorian has an overwhelming desire to drink Vlad’s blood. And his archenemy, D’Ablo, has brought Vlad’s Uncle Otis to trial for crimes against vampires. So much for dating. When the tables turn on Vlad, he has just enough time to return to Bathory for his final good-byes.
All the Broken Pieces
Ann E. Burg*****Two years after being airlifted out of war-torn Vietnam, Matt Pin is haunted: by bombs that fell like dead crows, by the family — and the terrible secret — he left behind. Now, inside a caring adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events force him to choose between silence and candor, blame and forgiveness, fear and freedom. By turns harrowing, dreamlike, sad, and triumphant, this searing debut novel, written in lucid verse, reveals an unforgettable perspective on the lasting impact of war and the healing power of love.
A Little Princess
Frances Hodgson Burnett*****Young Sara Crewe, adored only child of a rich, indulgent father, arrives at Miss Minchin's Seminary for Young Ladies in a flurry of silks and satins. The envy of the pupils, who spitefully call her "the little princess," she lives a life of luxury until her father dies and the unscrupulous Miss Minchin reduces the girl to rags and relegates her to the attic. Thrown back on her own resources, and especially to her powerful imagination, Sara demonstrates that purity of spirit can overcome material poverty, displaying the nobility of a real princess throughout her travail. The tale of how Sara's fortunes change again, as if by magic, to bless her with untold wealth and a new family has entranced generations of children since 1905.
Samir and Yonatan
Daniella Carmi*****Winner of the Mildred Batchelder Award, this very human novel of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is both touching and timely

Nothing could be more frightening to Samir, a Palestinian boy, than to be where he is now: an Israeli hospital ward, trapped among the very people he blames for his brother's death. Amid this explosive atmosphere, Samir begins to learn about the Israeli kids around him. He discovers their hurts and conflicts - and hesitantly begins to share his own.
This is a story of violence and healing - the story of a boy facing the enemy he has been taught to fear.
Artemis Fowl 1
Eoin Colfer*****Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit.  These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories; these fairies are armed and dangerous. 

Artemis thinks he has them right where he wants them…but then they stop playing by the rules.
Artemis Fowl 1
Eoin Colfer*****Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit.  These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories; these fairies are armed and dangerous. 

Artemis thinks he has them right where he wants them…but then they stop playing by the rules.
Artemis Fowl 1
Eoin Colfer*****Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit.  These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories; these fairies are armed and dangerous. 

Artemis thinks he has them right where he wants them…but then they stop playing by the rules.
The Hunger Games 1
Suzanne Collins*****In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. 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 district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.
The Hunger Games 1
Suzanne Collins*****
The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins*****Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won in defiance of the Capitol and its harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry — and now it wants revenge. Full of plot twists, this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestseller is guaranteed to keep young readers on the edge of their seats!
The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins*****
The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins*****Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins*****Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins*****
Face on the Milk Carton
Caroline B. Cooney*****15-year-old Janie recognizes herself in a picture of a small girl on a milk carton - a child who'd been snatched from a shopping mall in New Jersey. She can't believe the couple she looked on as loving parents had kidnapped her, but then starts to piece together things that don't make sense.
The Forgotten Heroes: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers
Clinton Cox*****The story of the Buffalo Soldiers, the African-American cavalry regiments used to fight Native Americans in the 1800s, recounts their heroic and ultimately tragic role in history and is accompanied by archival photographs. Reprint. SLJ. K.
Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case
Chris Crowe*****The kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till is famous as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old Black teenager from Chicago, was visiting family in a small town in Mississippi during the summer of 1955. Likely showing off to friends, Emmett allegedly whistled at a white woman. Three days later his brutally beaten body was found floating in the Tallahatchie River. The extreme violence of the crime put a national spotlight on the Jim Crow ways of the South, and many Americans-Black and white-were further outraged at the speedy trial of the white murderers.  Although the two white men were tried and acquitted by an all-white jury, they later bragged publicly about the crime. It was a galvanizing moment for Black leaders and ordinary citizens, including such activists as Rosa Parks.  In clear, vivid detail Chris Crowe investigates the before-and-aftermath of the crime, as well as the dramatic court trial, and places it into the context of the nascent Civil Rights Movement.

With lively narrative and abundantly illustrated with forty fascinating contemporaneous photographs, this impressive work of nonfiction brings fresh insight to the case in a manner that will be accessible and eye-opening for teenagers and adults alike.
The World at Her Fingertips: The Story of Helen Keller
Joan Dash*****In a "clear-sighted and absorbing" narrative, Joan Dash's recounting of Helen Keller's triumphant life is exceptional, truly illuminating - far from a typical biography.

This lively biography goes beyond Helen's youth and learning process and includes many fascinating details of her later life, including her college years and involvement with politics. It's "riveting reading for sudents in need of inspiration, or who're overcoming disability or studying changing expectations for women (Kirkus)."
The World at Her Fingertips: The Story of Helen Keller
Joan Dash*****
We Shall Not Be Moved: The Women's Factory Strike of 1909
Joan Dash*****In the early 1900s, the shirtwaist industry in New York was very unfair to the young women employed in its factories. Now in paperback is the story of teenage workers and important female activists in their courageous fight for humane working conditions in 1909. Photos Ages 8-14. Pub: 1/98. .
All Shook Up: The Life and Death of Elvis Presley
Barry Denenberg*****Elvis had parents grumbling, girls screaming and fainting, and boys imitating his style. And his music? It had everyone dancing in the aisles. But what's the real story behind "the King"?

Born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Aaron Presley was destined to rewrite the history of music almost from the moment he picked up a guitar. He played music that was rooted in blues, gospel, country and rockabilly, and he redefined a generation by breaking down the boundaries that separate white from black.

Everyone listened to Elvis. Everyone danced to Elvis. Everyone had an opinion about Elvis. And the fame was nice, but it came so fast. The money. The cars. The screaming fans. Somewhere in all that, the singer from Tupelo got lost-and that's the saddest song of all.
Seek
Paul Fleischman*****Assigned to write his autobiography, high school senior Rob Radkovitz decides to "listen" back on his life. As he remembers the voices of his younger self, his quirky family, and his closest friends, one stands apart — the haunting voice of his long-absent father, left behind on a single tape from one of his radio shows.

Told in a collage of past and present voices, Seek follows Rob's obsessive search for his father, pursued not through San Francisco's streets, but through the labyrinth of the airwaves. Open the cover and listen in — to psychic readers and pirate DJs, and to Rob's transforming views of his past and future.
The Slave Dancer
Paula Fox*****One day, thirteen-year-old jessie Bollier is earning pennies playing his fife on the docks of New Orleans; the next, he is kidnapped and thrown aboard a slave ship, where his job is to provide music while shackled slaves "dance" to keep their muscles strong and their bodies profitable. As the endless voyage continues, Jessie grows increasingly sickened by the greed, brutality, and inhumanity of the slave trade, but nothing prepares him for the ultimate horror he will witness before his nightmare ends — a horror that will change his life forever.
Stolen into Slavery: The True Story of Solomon Northup, Free Black Man
Judith Fradin, Dennis Frandin*****Solomon Northup awoke in the middle of the night with his body trembling. Slowly, he realized that he was handcuffed in a dark room and his feet were chained to the floor. He managed to slip his hand into his pocket to look for his free papers that proved he was one of 400,000 free blacks in a nation where 2.5 million other African Americans were slaves. They were gone.

This remarkable story follows Northup through his 12 years of bondage as a man kidnapped into slavery, enduring the hardships of slave life in Louisiana. But the tale also has a remarkable ending. Northup is rescued from his master's cotton plantation in the deep South by friends in New York. This is a compelling tale that looks into a little known slice of history, sure to rivet young readers and adults alike.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Frank, Anne
Dead End in Norvelt
Jack Gantos*****Dead End in Norvelt is the winner of the 2012 Newbery Medal for the year's best contribution to children's literature and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction!   Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launced on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder. Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers laugh out loud at the most unexpected things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.
A House of Tailors
Patricia Reilly Giff*****SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk.

Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her family’s dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family.

When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right back to the sewing machine. Why did she ever leave home? Here she is, still with a needle and thread—and homesick to boot.

She didn’t know she could be this homesick, but she didn’t know she could be so brave either, as she is standing up to an epidemic or a fire. She didn’t know she could grow so close to her new family or to Johann, the young man from the tailor’s shop. And she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent—and her future.

In Dina, the beloved writer Patricia Reilly Giff has created one of her most engaging and vital heroines. Readers will enjoy seeing 1870s Brooklyn through Dina’s eyes, and share her excitement as she discovers a new world.

From the Hardcover edition.
A House of Tailors
Patricia Reilly Giff*****SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk.

Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her family’s dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family.

When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right back to the sewing machine. Why did she ever leave home? Here she is, still with a needle and thread—and homesick to boot.

She didn’t know she could be this homesick, but she didn’t know she could be so brave either, as she is standing up to an epidemic or a fire. She didn’t know she could grow so close to her new family or to Johann, the young man from the tailor’s shop. And she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent—and her future.

In Dina, the beloved writer Patricia Reilly Giff has created one of her most engaging and vital heroines. Readers will enjoy seeing 1870s Brooklyn through Dina’s eyes, and share her excitement as she discovers a new world.

From the Hardcover edition.
Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer
Goerz, Gillian*****
Football Genius 1
Tim Green*****Troy White has a phenomenal gift. He can predict football plays before they happen. Any position. Any player. Any team.

When Troy's single mom gets a job working in public relations for the Atlanta Falcons, Troy figures it's his chance to prove what he can do. But first he has to get to the Falcons—and with tight security and a notoriously mean coach, even his mom's field passes aren't much help.

Then Troy and his best friends devise a plan to get the attention of star linebacker Seth Halloway. With Seth's playing and Troy's genius, the Falcons could be unstoppable—if they'll only listen.

Bestselling author and former NFL player Tim Green scores a touchdown with this exhilarating novel, his first for young readers. Football Genius is an action-packed adventure with gripping suspense, a hero you can really root for, and an insider's look at the world of professional football.
Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe
Bette Greene*****Sixth-grader and African-American Beth Lambert has the biggest crush on Philip Hall, the cutest, smartest boy in the class. Philip is so smart that he beats Beth at all of the things she's best at: schoolwork, coming up with crafty schemes, and even catching turkey thieves. Beth doesn't seem to mind at first, because it's all for fun — or is it? When Beth finally realizes that she's been letting Philip beat her at everything, she decides that it's time to be Number One again...no matter what it takes! But which one of them will be the first to reveal their crush to the other? And should that be a competition too?
This smart and satisfying read will strike a chord in every adolescent reader who's ever suffered from a crush...and who also yearns to find his or her place in the world. Both Beth and Philip are vulnerable and tough, and never try to reveal too much about how they feel or what they think to the other, which adds to the humor and warmth of the story. This story is sure to appeal to all readers, as Greene captures, in an honest, lighthearted way, the ups and downs of growing up. A splendid and fun read for boys and girls.
Shadow Children 2: Among the Impostors
Margaret Peterson Haddix*****OUT OF HIDING. INTO DANGER.

Luke Garner is an illegal third child. All his life has been spent in hiding. Now, for the first time, Luke is living among others. He has assumed a deceased boy's identity and is attending Hendricks School for Boys, a windowless building with cruel classmates and oblivious teachers. Luke knows he has to blend in, but he lives in constant fear that his behavior will betray him.

Then one day Luke discovers a door to the outside. He knows that beyond the walls of Hendricks lie the secrets he is desperate to uncover. What he doesn't know is whom he can trust — and where the answers to his questions may lead him...
Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist
Kelly Milner Halls, Rick Spears, Roxyanne Young*****Everyone loves the stories of legendary creatures that just might really exist. This book relies on the latest information from cryptozoologists, experts who study these mysterious beings, and the counter-arguments are explored from experts who strongly believe they do not exist. Stories from eyewitnesses are recounted, as well. Included in the book are Bigfoot (Sasquatch), Loch Ness monster, Mokele Mbembe (Africa), Kongamato, Shunka Warak’in, Mapinguari (South America), giant squids, mermaids, coelocanths, and more. An extensive "For Further Investigation" section, offering readers more places to find information, concludes the book.
Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist
Kelly Milner Halls, Rick Spears, Roxyanne Young*****
Separate But Not Equal: The Dream and the Struggle
Jim Haskins*****A moving history of the struggle of African-Americans for equal education rights from colonial times to the present, from the award-winning author of over eighty nonfiction books for young readers.
The Outsiders
S. E. Hinton*****The 45th anniversary of a landmark work of teen fiction

Ponyboy can count on his brothers and his friends, but not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids who get away with everything, including beating up greasers like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect—until the night someone takes things too far.

Written forty-five years ago, S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was written.
The Fourteenth Goldfish
Jennifer L. Holm*****Believe in the possible . . . with this "warm, witty, and wise" New York Times bestselling novel from three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm
 
Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer.
Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far?
 
Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?
 
With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility.

Look for EXCLUSIVE NEW MATERIAL in the paperback—including Ellie’s gallery of scientists and other STEM-appropriate features.

"Warm, witty and wise"—The New York Times

"Awesomely strange and startlingly true-to-life. It makes you wonder what's possible." — Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me

SUNSHINE STATE AWARD FINALIST!
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
Kimberly Willis Holt*****Nothing ever happens in Toby's small Texas town. Nothing much, that is, until this summer.
This summer, everyone seems to be leaving. Toby's mother leaves home to be a country singer. His best friend Cal's older brother goes off to fight in Vietnam. But their sleepy town is about to get a jolt with the arrival of Zachary Beaver, billed as the fattest boy in the world. There has never been anyone like Zachary. Toby is enthralled with him and his tales of the people and places he's known. In fact, Toby realizes, there's a lot this town has never seen. Toby knows there's more to Zachary than the stories he tells, and he wants to know the boy behind the billing. Toby is in for a summer unlike any other, a summer sure to change his life.
Alex Rider 1: Stormbreaker
Anthony Horowitz*****They told him his uncle died in a car accident. Fourteen-year-old Alex knows that's a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle's windshield confirm his suspicions. But nothing prepares him for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for MI6, Britain's top secret intelligence agency. Recruited to find his uncle's killers and complete his final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
No Promises in the Wind
Irene Hunt*****In 1932, America was in the depths of a deep depression. A job, food to fill you, a place to sleep, and shoes without holes—for millions of people, these simple needs were nothing more than dreams. At 15 years of age, Josh had to make his own way through a country of angry, frightened people. This is the story of a young man's struggle to find a life for himself in the turbulent 1930s.
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child
Francisco Jiménez*****Offers a look at a migrant family, detailing their daily life and the struggles they endured to build an existence on the small opportunities they were given This autobiographical novel explores the life of a family of migrant workers living in California.
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child
Francisco Jiménez*****Offers a look at a migrant family, detailing their daily life and the struggles they endured to build an existence on the small opportunities they were given This autobiographical novel explores the life of a family of migrant workers living in California.
Toning the Sweep
Angela Johnson*****Angela Johnson's Coretta Scott King Award winning novel that traces three generations of African American women as they learn one another's truths.

Three generations of African American women, each holding on to a separate truth. Their story — encompassing racism and murder as well as the family commonplaces that make a life — is one that readers will never forget.
Hello, Universe
Erin Entrada Kelly*****Winner of the Newbery Medal

“A charming, intriguingly plotted novel.”—Washington Post

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe is a funny and poignant neighborhood story about unexpected friendships.

Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different, and finding your inner bayani (hero). “Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast of misfits.”—Booklist

In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball.

They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.

The acclaimed and award-winning author of Blackbird Fly and The Land of Forgotten Girls writes with an authentic, humorous, and irresistible tween voice that will appeal to fans of Thanhha Lai and Rita Williams-Garcia.

“Readers across the board will flock to this book that has something for nearly everyone—humor, bullying, self-acceptance, cross-generational relationships, and a smartly fateful ending.”—School Library Journal
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
Jean Lee Latham*****The story of a boy who had the persistence to master navigation in the days when men sailed by "log, lead, and lookout," and who authored The American Practical Navigator, "the sailor's Bible."
To Be a Slave
Julius Lester*****To be a slave. To be owned by another person, as a car, house, or a table is owned. To live as a piece of property that could be sold...

This book is about how it felt. The words of black men and women who had themselves been slaves are here, accompanied by Julius Lester's historical commentary and Tom Feelings's powerful and muted paintings, To Be a Slave has been a touchstone in children's literature for over thirty years.

"It is rare to find a book that enables children to identify as compellingly with slaves as this one does." -Publishers Weekly

"From history-and for our time-there's nothing better than To Be a Slave." -The New York Times Book Review

Awards:

A 1969 Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Smithsonian Magazine Best Book of the Year
The Giver
Lois Lowry*****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.
The Giver
Lois Lowry*****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.
Hero
Mike Lupica*****From the #1 bestselling author of Heat, Travel Team and Million-Dollar Throw.

Zach Harriman knew that his dad was something of a hero, a man trusted by the president to solve international crises at a moment's notice. Suddenly people are telling him he has powers - people who know much more about his father than Zach ever did. But there are the Bads, who appear out of nowhere and attack him and his best friend. One thing is clear: he can do things ordinary people cannot. Like fend off grown men as though he possesses the strength of a hundred. Like sense when evil is about to strike. And evil is about to strike in a very big way. Zach Harriman is his father's son. And he, too, is a hero.

"Every kid wants to be a superhero. Well, be careful what you wish for - you might get it. This is the amazing story of Zach Harriman and nothing Mike Lupica has written will thrill you like this."
- William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride
A Corner of the Universe
Ann M. Martin*****Ann Martin's phenomenal Newbery Honor book, now in paperback

The summer Hattie turns 12, her predictable smalltown life is turned on end when her uncle Adam returns home for the first time in over ten years. Hattie has never met him, never known about him. He's been institutionalized; his condition invovles schizophrenia and autism.

Hattie, a shy girl who prefers the company of adults, takes immediately to her excitable uncle, even when the rest of the family — her parents and grandparents — have trouble dealing with his intense way of seeing the world. And Adam, too, sees that Hattie is special, that her quiet, shy ways are not a disability,
A Corner of the Universe
Ann M. Martin*****Ann Martin's phenomenal Newbery Honor book, now in paperback

The summer Hattie turns 12, her predictable smalltown life is turned on end when her uncle Adam returns home for the first time in over ten years. Hattie has never met him, never known about him. He's been institutionalized; his condition invovles schizophrenia and autism.

Hattie, a shy girl who prefers the company of adults, takes immediately to her excitable uncle, even when the rest of the family — her parents and grandparents — have trouble dealing with his intense way of seeing the world. And Adam, too, sees that Hattie is special, that her quiet, shy ways are not a disability,
Glitch
Martin, Laura
The Hero and the Crown
Robin McKinley*****Although she is the daughter of Damar's king, Aerin has never been accepted as full royalty. Both in and out of the royal court, people whisper the story of her mother, the witchwoman, who was said to have enspelled the king into marrying her to get an heir to rule Damar-then died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son. But none of them, not even Aerin herself, can predict her future-for she is to be the true hero who will wield the power of the Blue Sword...
Beware, Princess Elizabeth
Carolyn Meyer*****Imprisonment. Betrayal. Lost love. Murder. What more must a princess endure?
Elizabeth Tudor's teenage and young adult years during the turbulent reigns of Edward and then Mary Tudor are hardly those of a fairy-tale princess. Her mother has been beheaded by Elizabeth's own father, Henry VIII; her jealous half sister, Mary, has her locked away in the Tower of London; and her only love interest betrays her in his own quest for the throne.
Told in the voice of the young Elizabeth and ending when she is crowned queen, this second novel in the exciting series explores the relationship between two sisters who became mortal enemies. Carolyn Meyer has written an intriguing historical tale that reveals the deep-seated rivalry between a determined girl who became one of England's most powerful monarchs and the sister who tried everything to stop her.
Beware, Princess Elizabeth
Carolyn Meyer*****Imprisonment. Betrayal. Lost love. Murder. What more must a princess endure?
Elizabeth Tudor's teenage and young adult years during the turbulent reigns of Edward and then Mary Tudor are hardly those of a fairy-tale princess. Her mother has been beheaded by Elizabeth's own father, Henry VIII; her jealous half sister, Mary, has her locked away in the Tower of London; and her only love interest betrays her in his own quest for the throne.
Told in the voice of the young Elizabeth and ending when she is crowned queen, this second novel in the exciting series explores the relationship between two sisters who became mortal enemies. Carolyn Meyer has written an intriguing historical tale that reveals the deep-seated rivalry between a determined girl who became one of England's most powerful monarchs and the sister who tried everything to stop her.
Anne of Green Gables 2: Anne of Avonlea
L. M. Montgomery*****It seemed only yesterday that the skinny, freckle-faced redhead had first come to the island. Now here was Anne, teaching at the Avonlea school, sixteen, pretty, and all grown up. Well, not quite grown up. In fact, Anne was not very different from her restless young pupils — mischievous and spirited as ever and headed for hilarious predicaments with a cranky new neighbor, a hungry Jersey cow, a parrot with an embarrassing vocabulary, and a truly dreadful mistake!
She learns how complicated life can be when she takes two new orphans at Green Gables under her wings, meddles in someone else's love life, and learns about romance herself when she encounters the "odd behavior" of a very handsome man, Gibert Blythe. 
Delightful, unpredictable Anne Shirley has been charming readers of all ages, in every part of the world, for over three-quarters of a century. Bestsellers from the moment they were published, the Anne Of Green Gables novels have allowed generations of children to grow up right along with Anne.
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Rascal
Sterling North*****"Everyone should knock off work, sit beneath the nearest tree, and enjoy Rascal from cover to cover." - Chicago Tribune

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an 18-foot half-finished canoe in the living room... welcome to the North home! Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home to join the menagerie, but soon raccoon and boy are best friends, doing everything together - until the spring day when Sterling realizes things must change.

A Newbery Honor Book
Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference
Joanne Oppenheim*****A chronicle of the incredible correspondence between California librarian Clara Breed and young Japanese American internees during World War II.

In the early 1940's, Clara Breed was the children's librarian at the San Diego Public Library. But she was also friend to dozens of Japanese American children and teens when war broke out in December of 1941. The story of what happened to these American citizens is movingly told through letters that her young friends wrote to Miss Breed during their internment. This remarkable librarian and humanitarian served as a lifeline to these imprisoned young people, and was brave enough to speak out against a shameful chapter in American history.
Animal Farm
George Orwell*****The animals in Manor Farm kick out their human master and take over management of the land. All animals are now equal, but soon the the pigs succumb to the temptations of privilege and power.
Favorite Greek Myths
Mary Pope Osborne*****Here are twelve Greek myths, retold in an accessible style and magnificently illustrated with classic elegance. Full color.
The Crossing
Gary Paulsen*****A critically acclaimed tearjerker from a master storyteller: On one side of the border is brutality and heartache; on the other side—a new life.

14yo Manny is an orphan in Juarez, Mexico. He competes with his bigger, meaner rivals for the coins American tourists throw off the bridge between Texas and his town. Across that heavily guarded bridge await a different world and a better existence.
On the night when Manny dares the crossing—through the muddy shallows of the Rio Grande, past the searchlights and the border patrol—the young man encounters an old stranger who could prove to be an ally or an enemy. Manny can't tell for certain. But if he is to achieve his dream, then he must be willing to risk everything—even his life.
The Crossing
Gary Paulsen*****A critically acclaimed tearjerker from a master storyteller: On one side of the border is brutality and heartache; on the other side—a new life.

14yo Manny is an orphan in Juarez, Mexico. He competes with his bigger, meaner rivals for the coins American tourists throw off the bridge between Texas and his town. Across that heavily guarded bridge await a different world and a better existence.
On the night when Manny dares the crossing—through the muddy shallows of the Rio Grande, past the searchlights and the border patrol—the young man encounters an old stranger who could prove to be an ally or an enemy. Manny can't tell for certain. But if he is to achieve his dream, then he must be willing to risk everything—even his life.
The Crossing
Gary Paulsen*****A critically acclaimed tearjerker from a master storyteller: On one side of the border is brutality and heartache; on the other side—a new life.

14yo Manny is an orphan in Juarez, Mexico. He competes with his bigger, meaner rivals for the coins American tourists throw off the bridge between Texas and his town. Across that heavily guarded bridge await a different world and a better existence.
On the night when Manny dares the crossing—through the muddy shallows of the Rio Grande, past the searchlights and the border patrol—the young man encounters an old stranger who could prove to be an ally or an enemy. Manny can't tell for certain. But if he is to achieve his dream, then he must be willing to risk everything—even his life.
The Night the White Deer Died
Gary Paulsen*****An Indian brave stands poised to shoot a white deer drinking from a pool of water in the moonlight. It is only a dream—a recurring nightmare that haunts 15-year-old Janet Carson—but it is a dream that will change her life forever.
Janet, one of the few Anglo teens in the New Mexico art colony where she lives with her mother, feels isolated and alone. For some reason, she is drawn to Billy Honcho, an old, alcoholic Indian who begs for money from her. As they get to know each other, the meaning of Janet's nightmare grows clear, and Billy becomes the brave in her dream.
The Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex
Nathaniel Philbrick*****On November 20, 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry whale.  Within minutes, the twenty-one-man crew, including the fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, found themselves stranded in three leaky boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with barely any supplies and little hope.  Three months later, two of the boats were rescued 4,500 miles away, off the coast of South America.  Of the twenty-one castaways, only eight survived, including young Thomas.  Based on his New York Times best-seller In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick recreates the amazing events of the ill-fated Essex through the sailors own first-hand accounts, photos, maps, and artwork, and tells the tale of one of the great true-life adventure stories.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp
J. K. Rowling*****
Echo
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****Winner of a 2016 Newbery Honor, ECHO pushes the boundaries of genre, form, and storytelling innovation.

Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.
 
Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo. 
 
Richly imagined and masterfully crafted, this impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic tour de force will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck.
Echo
Pam Muñoz Ryan*****
Small Steps
Louis Sachar*****Two years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is home in Austin, Texas, trying to turn his life around. But it’s hard when you have a record, and everyone expects the worst from you. The only person who believes in him is Ginny, his 10-year old disabled neighbor. Together, they are learning to take small steps. And he seems to be on the right path, until X-Ray, a buddy from Camp Green Lake, comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme. This leads to a chance encounter with teen pop sensation, Kaira DeLeon, and suddenly his life spins out of control, with only one thing for certain. He’ll never be the same again.

In his first major novel since Holes, critically acclaimed novelist Louis Sachar uses his signature wit combined with a unique blend of adventure and deeply felt characters to explore issues of race, the nature of celebrity, the invisible connections that determine a person’s life, and what it takes to stay on course. Doing the right thing is never a wrong choice–but a small step in the right direction.
Small Steps
Louis Sachar*****
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
Laura Amy Schlitz*****Step back to an English village in 1255, where life plays out in dramatic vignettes illuminating twenty-two unforgettable characters.

Maidens, monks, and millers’ sons — in these pages, readers will meet them all. There’s Hugo, the lord’s nephew, forced to prove his manhood by hunting a wild boar; sharp-tongued Nelly, who supports her family by selling live eels; and the peasant’s daughter, Mogg, who gets a clever lesson in how to save a cow from a greedy landlord. There’s also mud-slinging Barbary (and her noble victim); Jack, the compassionate half-wit; Alice, the singing shepherdess; and many more. With a deep appreciation for the period and a grand affection for both characters and audience, Laura Amy Schlitz creates twenty-two riveting portraits and linguistic gems equally suited to silent reading or performance. Illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by Robert Byrd — inspired by the Munich-Nuremberg manuscript, an illuminated poem from thirteenth-century Germany — this witty, historically accurate, and utterly human collection forms an exquisite bridge to the people and places of medieval England.

From the Hardcover edition.
Okay for Now
Gary D. Schmidt*****As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt. As Doug struggles to be more than the “skinny thug” that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer—a fiery young lady who “smelled like daisies would smell if they were growing in a big field under a clearing sky after a rain.” In Lil, Doug finds the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a whole town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon’s birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. In this stunning novel, Schmidt expertly weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery in a story teeming with distinctive, unusual characters and invaluable lessons about love, creativity, and survival.
The Wednesday Wars
Gary D. Schmidt*****He's just started seventh grade and Mrs. Baker, a teacher he knows is out to get him. Why else would she make him read Shakespeare...outside of class. The year is 1967, and everyone has bigger things to worry about. There's Vietnam for one thing, and then there's the family business. As far as Holling's father is concerned, nothing is more important than the family business. In fact, al the Hoodhoods must be on their best behavior at all times. The success of Hoodhood and Associates depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has Mrs. Baker to contend with?
Black Beauty
Anna Sewell*****Black Beauty tells the story of the horse’s own long and varied life, from a well-born colt in a pleasant meadow, to an elegant carriage horse for a gentleman, to a painfully overworked cab horse. Throughout, Sewell rails—in a gentle, nineteenth-century manner—against animal maltreatment. Young readers will follow Black Beauty’s fortunes, good and bad, with gentle masters as well as cruel. Children can easily make the leap from horse–human relationships to human–human relationships, and begin to understand how their own consideration of others may be a benefit to all.
Black Beauty
Sewell, Anna
Cirque du Freak 2: The Vampire's Assistant
Darren Shan*****Darren Shan was just an ordinary schoolboy until his visit to the Cirque Du Freak. Now, as he struggles with his new life as a Vampire's Assistant, he tries desperately to resist the one temptation that sickens him, the one thing that can keep him alive. But destiny is calling. The Wolf Man is waiting.
Cirque du Freak 3: Tunnels of Blood
Darren Shan*****Darren, the vampire's assistant, gets a taste of the city when he leaves the Cirque Du Freak with Evra the snake-boy and Mr. Crepsley. When corpses are discovered—corpses drained of blood— Darren and Evra are compelled to hunt down whatever foul creature is committing such horrendous acts. Meanwhile, beneath the streets, evil stalks Darren and Evra, and all clues point to Mr. Crepsley. Can they escape, or are they doomed to perish in the tunnels of blood?
Cirque du Freak 4: Vampire Mountain
Darren Shan*****Darren Shan and Mr. Crepsley embark on a dangerous trek to the very heart of the vampire world. But they face more than the cold on Vampire Mountain-the vampaneze have been there before them.

Will a meeting with the Vampire Princes restore Darren's human side, or turn him further toward the darkness? Only one thing is certain-Darren's initiation into the vampire clan is more deadly than he can ever have imagined.
Cirque du Freak 5: Trials of Death
Darren Shan*****The trials: seventeen ways to die unless the luck of the vampire is with you. Darren Shan must pass five fearsome Trials to prove himself to the vampires clan - or face the stakes of the Hall of Death. But Vampire Mountain holds hidden threats. Sinister, potent forces are gathering in the darkness. In this nightmarish world of bloodshed and betrayal, death may be a blessing...
Cirque du Freak 6: The Vampire Prince
Darren Shan*****Branded a traitor, betrayed by a friend, hunted by the vampire clan — Darren Shan, the Vampire's Assistant, faces certain death. Can Darren reverse the odds and outwit a Vampire Prince, or is this the end of thousands of years of vampire rule? Darren's initiation on Vampire Mountain draws to a stunning, bloody conclusion — but the Saga continues...
Cirque du Freak 7: Hunters of the Dusk
Darren Shan*****The pursuit begins....Darren Shan, the Vampire Prince, leaves Vampire Mountain on a life or death mission. As part of an elite force, Darren searches the world for the Vampaneze Lord. But the road ahead is long and dangerous-and lined with the bodies of the damned.
Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
Steve Sheinkin*****In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.

Bomb is a 2012 National Book Awards finalist for Young People’s Literature.

Bomb is a 2012 Washington Post Best Kids Books of the Year title.

Bomb is a 2013 Newbery Honor book.
Peak
Roland Smith*****After Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he's left with two choices: wither away in Juvenile Detention or go live with his long-lost father, who runs a climbing company in Thailand. But Peak quickly learns that his father's renewed interest in him has strings attached. Big strings. He wants Peak to be the youngest person to reach the Everest summit — and his motives are selfish at best. Even so, for a climbing addict like Peak, tackling Everest is the challenge of a lifetime. But it's also one that could cost him his life.
Roland Smith has created an action-packed adventure about friendship, sacrifice, family, and the drive to take on Everest, despite the incredible risk. Peak is a novel that readers won't be able to put down.
Jesse
Gary Soto*****Set in California during the Vietnam War, this evocative novel is a moving portrait of a young man trying to overcome the limits set for him by prejudice and poverty. Jesse is 17 when he leaves his home dominated by his alcoholic stepfather, and moves in with his older brother, Abel. The two boys agree that getting an education is the best way for them to escape the hard physical labor that has been their family's way of life — and that of so many other Mexican Americans — for so long.
Unfortunately, in order to make ends meet, they have to balance their classes at the community college with work in the fields. It's a hard life, made even more difficult by the tense political climate that's developing around them. As Jesse struggles to overcome such universal problems as shyness around girls, he also finds himself drawn to the protests of farm-movement leader Cesar Chavez. It's a confusing life, but the brothers rely on each other to get through the bad times as well as the good. Then Abel gets drafted, and Jesse must decide whether to follow him by enlisting, or carve out his own path.
Since the publication of this book — his first novel for young adults — Gary Soto has gone on to establish a well-deserved reputation as an author who skillfully addresses the concerns common to today's young people, while bringing to light themes particular to Latino teens, as well as many others underrepresented in young adult literature. Though it is set in the past, Jesse has an engaging immediacy, and readers will find themselves in the story, no matter what their background or circumstances may be.
Jesse
Gary Soto*****Coming of age in the shadow of the Vietnam War, Jesse, a young Mexican American, and his older brother, Abel, work long hours in the fields in order to save money for college in the hope that education will help them escape poverty. Reprint. SLJ. K. H. VY.
Milkweed
Jerry Spinelli*****Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable, Nazi-occupied Warsaw, and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.
The Red Pony
John Steinbeck*****The beautiful, spirited red pony is everything Jody ever dreamed of . . . Raised on a ranch in northern California, Jody is well-schooled in the hard work and demands of a rancher's life. He is used to the way of horses, too; but nothing has prepared him for the special connection he will forge with Gabilan, the hot-tempered pony his father gives him. With Billy Buck, the hired hand, Jody tends and trains his horse, restlessly anticipating the moment he will sit high upon Gabilan's saddle. But when Gabilan falls ill, Jody discovers there are still lessons he must learn about the ways of nature and, particularly, the ways of man.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson*****Heady tale of a treasure map, a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure as seen through the eyes of cabin boy Jim Hawkins. An action-packed adventure story that will hypnotize young readers and entertain older ones.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson*****Heady tale of a treasure map, a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure as seen through the eyes of cabin boy Jim Hawkins. An action-packed adventure story that will hypnotize young readers and entertain older ones.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson*****Heady tale of a treasure map, a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure as seen through the eyes of cabin boy Jim Hawkins. An action-packed adventure story that will hypnotize young readers and entertain older ones.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson*****Pirates, buried treasure, and action aplenty - that's what's served up in this fine story, mates, and kids will eat it up. After Jim Hawkins finds the map to a mysterious treasure, he sets sail in search of the fortune. Little does he realize he's boarded a pirate ship, and that surprises and danger await him...including a meeting with the unforgettable Long John Silver.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson*****Heady tale of a treasure map, a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure as seen through the eyes of cabin boy Jim Hawkins. An action-packed adventure story that will hypnotize young readers and entertain older ones.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson*****Heady tale of a treasure map, a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure as seen through the eyes of cabin boy Jim Hawkins. An action-packed adventure story that will hypnotize young readers and entertain older ones.
One Came Home
Amy Timberlake*****A Newbery Honor Book

An ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book

Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel

“An adventure, a mystery, and a love song to the natural world. . . . Run out and read it. Right now.”—Newbery Medalist Karen Cushman

In the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.

But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.

From the Hardcover edition.
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien*****THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo–alone and unaided–who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside . . .

This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien*****THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo–alone and unaided–who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside . . .

This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien*****THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo–alone and unaided–who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside . . .

This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien*****THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo–alone and unaided–who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside . . .

This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic The Lord of the Rings.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain*****/Twain/Mark The famed adventures of Tom Sawyer and his friend, Huck Finn. Based on Mark Twain's recolle.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain*****/Twain/Mark The famed adventures of Tom Sawyer and his friend, Huck Finn. Based on Mark Twain's recolle.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jules Verne*****An adventure classic of deep-sea volcanoes, giant squid, and the renegade scientist Captain Nemo  Professor Aronnax embarks on an expedition to hunt down and destroy a menacing sea monster. However, he discovers that the beast is actually metal—it's a giant submarine called the Nautilus built by the renegade scientist Captain Nemo. So begins an underwater adventure that takes them from the South Pole to the submerged lost city of Atlantis.
The Time Machine
H. G. Wells*****He thought man's future would be a perfect world - He found a dark tomorrow of mystery and terror ...
Angel on the Square
Gloria Whelan*****In the fall of 1914, safe behind palace walls, Katya Ivanova sees St. Petersburg as a magical place.

The daughter of a lady-in-waiting to the Empress, Katya spends all her time with the Grand Duchesses; the royal family feels like her own. But outside the palace, a terrible war is sweeping through Europe, and Russia is beginning to crumble under the weight of a growing revolution. Now, as Katya′s once-certain future begins to dissolve, she must seek to understand what is happening to her beloved country and, for the first time in her life, take charge of her own destiny.

Ages 10+
Bat 6
Virginia Euwer Wolff*****Told in 21 voices, this narrative uses a sixth-grade girls' baseball game in 1949 Oregon as a vehicle for examining prejudice and the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. Ages 10-14.