Middle School Reads!

by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne Lexile:  500 Genre:  Fantasy The story of Harry Potter continues...19 years after the last one ended.  In this play, Harry is the one sending his own children, James, Albus, and Lily off to Hogwarts where he hopes they will meet new friends and get a good education in the world of wizarding.  Harry has trouble understanding his middle son, Albus, and Albus has made it clear that he doesn't like having the famous Harry Potter as a dad.  Albus becomes best friends with Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius, which concerns Harry.  When Albus and Scorpius fail to arrive at Hogwarts, Harry knows something isn't right.  What is Albus up to?

by Gwenda Bond Lexile:  750 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Lois Lane is always in trouble.  Her father works in the army so he is constantly having to move his family from one city to the next which has given Lois lots of opportunities to make a fresh start.  So this time they have moved to Metropolis and Lois is FOR SURE going to stay out of trouble.  But on the first day of school, she winds up in the principal's office where she overhears a conversation that doesn't sit well with her.  She is forced to speak up which gets her on the bad side of the principal, but at the same time, lands her a job with the Daily Planet as a news reporter.  Something is seriously wrong at Metropolis High School and Lois is determined to get to the bottom of it.

by Dianne K. Salerni Lexile:  730 Genre:  Science Fiction Jax Aubrey suddenly finds himself in a world without people.  Where did everyone go?  Everything looks the same and he feels the same, but everyone is gone.  When he wakes up the next morning, everyone is back and it is as if nothing ever happened. Jax thinks it should be Friday morning because Thursday happened yesterday, but everyone is acting as if today is Thursday.  Is Jax losing his mind or did he just somehow experience an "extra" day?  Jax wants some answers from the strange 18 year old who suddenly became Jax's guardian when his dad died last year.  Will the answers help Jax understand what is going on or will they make it worse?

by Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrated by Shane W. Evans Lexile:  620 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Amira is growing up in South Dafur, Africa. Her biggest complaint is that her mother doesn't see the value in allowing her to go to school.  Amira really wants to learn to read and write and her father thinks she has what it takes to learn.  But then one day the Janajaweed militia storms into her village, and her life is changed forever.  Amira is going to have to fight for her survival and put her dreams of learning on hold.

by Laura Marx Fitzgerald Lexile:  790 Genre:  Mystery Theodora Tenpenny's life changed the day her grandfather died.  His last words to her were a mystery that she is now trying to unscramble.  She is working hard to keep the home running that she shares with her mother, who lives in her own world, drinking tea and working on an imaginary dissertation. All Theo has left is a mystery to solve and about $463.00.  Will she figure out the mystery in time to save her family and find out more about who her grandfather really was?

by Kimberely Brubaker Bradley Lexile:  580 Genre:  Historical Fiction Ada has never left the one bedroom apartment that she shares with her mother and brother Jamie. Her mother is humiliated by the fact that Ada was born with a club foot and believes that no one who is a cripple should be allowed in the outside world.  But Ada is determined to make a life for herself, no matter what the cost. When the threat of war comes to London, parents begin to send their children to the countryside where they think they will be safer.  Ada's mom decides to send Jamie away.  Ada can't imagine a life without taking care of her brother, so she teaches herself to walk and sneaks out with him and boards a train that will change her life forever.

by Cynthia Lord Lexile:  690 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Lucy's family has just moved to a remote part of New Hampshire.  Now she is living in a cabin on a lake and her dad is leaving their family for 2 months to go take pictures of an endangered bug in Arizona!  Lucy is hoping to make some new friends that might help her adjust to what she thinks is going to be a long and lonely summer.  Right away, Lucy meets Nate, the boy next door.  Nate is there for the summer with his large extended family.  He introduces her to kayaking and the loons. Going out on Loon Patrol in a kayak with her camera, is not something Lucy expected to enjoy.  Lucy begins to use her camera to capture the moments from her summer and as it turns out, it is neither long nor lonely.

by Cynthia DeFelice Lexile:  700 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Wyatt and Augie are having a fantastic summer together.  Their days are filled with fun adventures, as long as they don't run into J.R. and Morrie, the meanest kids in town.  Wyatt and Augie decide to build an amazing fort and even convince the adults in their lives that they should be allowed to sleep over night in their fort.  But when J.R. and Morrie attack their space, and threaten another boy in town, Wyatt and Augie decide that they have had enough and that it is time to stand up to the bullies. They come up with a plan that they think will be foolproof.  Will the boys get their happily ever after ending?

by Roland Smith Lexile:  610 Genre:  Science Fiction Pat has always loved his brother Coop, even though he has never really understood the odd quirks and behaviors his brother has.  Pat willingly follows Coop everywhere, until one day when Coop disappears without saying goodbye.  Pat's parents aren't concerned, but Pat can't stop thinking about where Coop is and what he is doing.  Then one day, Pat receives a package and inside of it is a voice recorder.  Copp has left him a message and wants Pat to communicate with him through the voice recorder by mailing it to a PO box in New York City.  Pat does this for awhile, but the messages get stranger and then stop coming completely. Where is Coop?  Pat is determined to find out what his brother is up to.