Middle School Reads!

by Kwame Alexander Lexile:  780 Genre: Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Charlie's world shattered apart on March 9th when his dad died.  Now he and his mother have been forced to figure out how to move forward with their lives. Charlie knows they are on the same "team", but everything just feels like such a struggle.  He wants to be better at basketball, but he isn't sure if he wants to put in the hard work.  Charlie is looking forward to spending the summer hanging out with his friends, Skinny and CJ, but then his mom surprises him by telling him that he will be spending the summer with his grandparents.  Charlie feels like he is being sent away.  Is the summer going to turn out as badly as he thinks it will?

by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman Lexile:  810 Genre:  Mystery Emily and her family have lived all over the United States.  It is her parents' dream to live in all 50 states.  This has meant that for Emily, life is a series of constant interruptions and changes.  The one thing that has remained the same is her obsession with the online game, Book Scavenger.  Emily is a master at solving puzzles and following clues, but when the creator of the game, Griswold,  is attacked and his life is put in jeopardy, Emily fears that the Book Scavenger will cease to exist.  Emily is convinced that Griswold finished one last adventure.  It will be up to her and her new friend James to prove it!

by Louis Sachar Lexile:  700 Genre:  Mystery Tamaya and Marshall walk home their school, Woodridge Academy, nearly every day without a problem.  But the new kid in school, Chad, won't stop bullying Marshall and finally decides to challenge him to a fight.  Tamaya and Marshall decide to walk home through the woods to avoid having to confront Chad, even though they have been warned to stay out.  Tamaya and Marshall think they are avoiding trouble, but they have no idea what trouble they are about to get themselves into.