Middle School Reads!

by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm Lexile:  GN480 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Sunny is heading to middle school and she's not very excited about it.  Everything just seems extra confusing - at school and at home.  Sunny is trying to adjust to the absence of her brother Dale sho was sent away to school by her parents.  They are all hoping that a fresh start will get him back on track.  Sunny meets a new neighbor who introduces her to flag twirling.  So even if things are different and confusing, maybe life will still turn out okay.

by Chris Rylander Lexile:  780 Genre:  Mystery, Adventure Nothing exciting ever happens in North Dakota so Carson has learned to make his own fun.  He is known as the best prankster in the whole 7th grade, but even creating and pulling off new pranks is getting boring.  But then one day, he is approached by a desperate man who gives him a package with a strict set of instructions. Carson is soon to find out that there is a secret government agency operating it his town and the secret agents are going to need his help to disrupt the evil plans of a terrorist organization.  Let's hope that Carson is up for the challenge!

by Marisa De los Santos and David Teague Lexile:  840 Genre:  Realistic Ficiton, Adventure Audrey has what she calls an unsuperpower.  She can tell when someone is lying.  This unsuperpower gets in the way of her friendships so she decides that she will no longer have friends.  Life will be so much easier if she is alone.  Then there is Aaron.  Aaron knows everything.  He has a photographic mind that allows him to remember everything he sees or hears.  But he's  not good at making friends.  Audrey and Aaron meet when their parents decide to send them both to a wilderness camp out in the desert.  Neither of them wants to go, but is it possible that their parents could be right in thinking that this experience could be the best thing that has ever happened to them?

by Firoozah Dumas Lexile:  730 Genre:  Realistic/Historical Fiction Zomorod Yousefzadeh has just moved to Newport Beach, CA and she desperately wants to fit in as an American girl.  She and her family have moved to CA from Iran and she has just a few weeks before junior high starts.  Her first decision is to change her name to Cindy so that teachers can pronounce her name.  Her parents don't speak much English and want her to hold on to her Iranian heritage, but "Cindy" knows that will only draw attention to herself.  Suddenly, Iran seems to be in the news headlines more and more and her teachers and the community respond in unexpected ways.  Cindy doesn't want to be the expert in U.S/Iranian politics.  She just wants to be an American 6th grader.  Is it possible for her to be both?