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?