Middle School Reads!

by Walter Mosley Lexile: 860 Genre: Historical Fiction 47 is a slave boy living on a plantation under a cruel master with little hope for a future. Until he meets a mysterious runaway slave named Tall John. Tall John forces 47 to think about his situation and his world differently and 47 soon finds that he is no longer able to accept the conditions of his slave life. He finds the strength and the courage to fight back against those who do not want him to have any freedom.

by Gordon Korman Lexile: 730 Genre: Realistic Fiction Gecko, Terence, and Arjay should all be behind bars. Except that they've been given a second chance and are now living together in a halfway house in New York City with their caretaker, Douglas Healy. None of them are thrilled with the strict rules they have to follow, but they all agree it's better than the alternative: lucked up back in Juvie. But then an accident occurs and the boys have to work together to keep the plan going...will they be able to form a team and keep themselves out of trouble?

by Maryrose Wood Lexile: 1000 Genre: Mystery Miss Penelope Lumley is excited to journey forth into the world. Newly graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, she is ready to accept the position of governess for three young children at the grand Ashton Place. She meets Lady Constance and is quickly asked to sign a contract. But where are the children? A lonely howling sound fills the hall...Penelope goes to investigate and discovers that her new charges are being treated like animals. She curls up with the 3 of them in the barn and decides that she'll come up with a plan in the morning. While certainly not the job she thought she was taking, Penelope is determined to succeed as a governess.

by Jon Scieszka Lexile: 630 Genre: Science Fiction Joe, Fred, and Sam are sitting at the kitchen table reading The Book , a birthday present from Joe's magician uncle. One minute they're looking at pictures of King Arthur's world and then ...suddenly...they are actually in King Arthur's world. Knights and dragons are attacking....will they be able to find a way out in order to escape death and destruction?

by Kristiana Gregory Lexile: 870 Genre: Historical Fiction Abigail Jane Stewart is growing up in the shadow of the Valley Forge encampment during the Revolutionary War. Her family is adjusting to a life with unfamiliar sounds and hardships after General George Washington settled his Continental soldiers in for the winter. Food becomes scare, soldiers are deserting, and the long, cold winter seems to never end. When Martha Washington arrives to winter with her husband, Abigail surprising finds a new friend and is able to see some good in her new situation.

by Margaret Peterson Haddix Lexile: 690 Genre: Realistic Fiction Dexter is the new kid. On his first day of school he gets mad. So mad that he punches a kids he doesn't even know. But the weird thing is, the kid doesn't tell on him and actually seems to want to be his friend. Dexter is having a hard time settling into his new life with his grandmother, at a new school. He misses his parents and his old friends. Will making a new friend help him settle into his new life?

by Gary Paulsen Lexile: 1080 Genre: Mystery Mudshark is cool. He has his own detective agency and is the smartest 12 year old around. If something goes missing, Mudshark's your guy. But suddenly, a know it all parrot takes roost in the library of Mudshark's school and the rumor is that the parrot is smarter than Mudshark. Is that even possible?

by Mary Downing Hahn Lexile: 750 Genre: Mystery/Ghost Story Molly and Michael are dismayed when they learn that their mother and stepfather have bought a new home in the country. Then, they learn that their new home is an old church with an ancient cemetery in the backyard. They have struggled to get along with their new stepsister, Heather, but things get worse after they move into their new home. Heather makes friends with "Helen", but nobody can actually see Helen and Helen seems to be making Heather act differently. Molly begins to suspect that "Helen" is a ghost. Michael thinks Molly is crazy...but is she?

by Beverly Cleary Lexile: 750 Genre: Realistic Fiction Ramona's back and is sure that 4th grade is going to be the best year ever. Ramona has a new best friend, a new baby sister, a teacher that seems to like her writing, and she's in class with Yard Ape again. But as you could predict, life as a 4th grader is not without its challenges...from learning to spell to being a role model for her baby sister to growing up in the shadow of her "perfect" older sister Beezus, Ramona continues to find that growing up can be difficult, but fun all at the same time.

by Barbara Robinson Lexile: 1020 Genre: Realistic Fiction The Herdmans are back! If you enjoyed The Best Christmas Pageant Ever , this will be a favorite as well. Woodrow Wilson elementary school is continually terrorized by the 6 Herman children. There's no escape for students or teachers as there's a Herdman in each grade. They smoke cigars, lie, and set things on fire. Are they really the worst kids in the history of the world or can they be caught doing good deeds too?

by Tomie DePaola Lexile: 740 Genre: Traditional Literature The Legend of the Bluebonnet tells the story of a young girl named She-Who-Is-Alone; left alone after a terrible famine. She sacrifices her most prized possession and is rewarded with a sea of bluebonnet flowers that still bloom each spring in the land that is now known as Texas.

by Ellen Emerson White Lexile: 1010 Genre: Historical Fiction Margaret Ann Brady is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime - sailing aboard the Titanic on her maiden voyage as a companion to Mrs. Carstairs, a wealthy American who is planning to return to America. Margaret is excited to set sail and reunite with her brother in New York. Neither she nor Mrs. Carstairs, nor the other 2,000 passengers aboard the Tiianic know what's in store for them.