Middle School Reads!

by Dean Hughes Lexile:  820 Genre:  Historical Fiction Yuki Nakahara considers himself to be an American.  But then Pearl Harbor is bombed and suddenly anyone of Japanese descent is considered to be the enemy.  Yuki and his family are forced to leave behind all of their belongings and relocate to an internment camp where they can be watched and monitored for suspicious behavior.  Yuki and his best friend Shig decide that the only way to bring honor to their families and to prove that they are true Americans is to enlist in the army.  As they ship off to fight the Germans, they wonder if they will ever return to life as they knew it.

by David Baldacci Lexile:  620 Genre:  Mystery Finally.  The end has come.  It is now up to Amy and Dan Cahill to save the world.  Vesper One has created a Doomsday Device that if detonated will destroy the earth.  It all comes down to this one final battle. It all comes down to Amy and Dan.  Will they prove that the Cahills are the most powerful family on earth?

Edited by Ellen Oh Lexile:  800 Genre:  Realistic Fiction This is a collection of diverse stories by diverse authors.  The book is dedicated to Walter Dean Myers who "believed that young people need to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read."  And in this book, that happens.  There are stories that range from dreams of becoming a star basketball player, to a story about settling into a new neighborhood.  There is something in this book that each reader will be able to relate to.

by Marianne Kaurin Lexile:  870 Genre:  Historical Fiction 15 year old Ilse is waiting to go on her first date to the movies.  Only Hermann never shows up.  He is too embarrassed to face her even though his explanation is a good one.  The trouble is, there is no way he can tell her where he was or what he was doing.  It is October of 1942 in Oslo, Norway and changes are happening.  Ilse and her family are Jewish and they are slowly watching their lives disappear.  First it's just that the orders stop coming into her father's tailor shop.  Then, they have to register and get their papers stamped with a "J".  And then, her father is arrested and taken away with no explanation.  It is a dangerous time to be Jewish in Oslo.

by Laura Amy Schlitz Lexile:  810 Genre:  Historical Fiction 14 year old Joan is determined.  Ever since her mother died she was been the main housekeeper and cook for her father and brothers.  She is no longer able to go to school and the one thing her mother wanted for her the most was to get an education.  Joan realizes that she is the only one who is going to make change happen in her life.  So in the summer of 1911, she runs away from home and finds work as a hired girl.  Working for the Rosenbach family is going to change her life in ways she never imagined.

by Jennifer L. Holm Lexile:  490 Genre:  Historical Fiction Beans and his pals have big plans.  The Great Depression has hit their town of Key West, Florida so times are tough.  No one has extra money and Beans and his pals are no exception.  Their quest is to figure out what people are willing to pay for so that they can make some money. No one seems to be hiring, so it will be up to Beans to come up with a plan.  But Beans is always up for a little adventure!