Middle School Reads!

by Lauren Tarshis Lexile:  630 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Lucas loves football more than anything in this world.  But at age 11, he has already had 3 concussions so his doctor recommends that he quit football for good.  Lucas is furious with his parents and decides to turn to his Uncle Benny for help.  Benny and Lucas' dad work for the New York City Fire Department.  On September 11, 2001, Lucas decides to skip school to go and visit Benny.  Little does he know, that by the end of the morning, the world will never be the same.

by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl Lexile:  670 Genre:  Fantasy Ethan can't wait to get out of the small, sleepy town of Gatlin where he has lived all of his life.  His mother is dead, his father has withdrawn from Ethan's life and so it seems as if there is nothing left for him there.  But then the strange and beautiful, Lena Duchannes, moves into town.  Ethan can't explain why he feels so drawn to this person he barely knows.  As the town turns against her, Ethan turns towards her, and realizes that his life in the sleepy old town of Gatlin will never be quite the same.

by John D. Fitzgerald Lexile:  850 Genre:  Historical Fiction Tom Fitzgerald, a.k.a "the Great Brain" is off on an adventure that will change his life and those of his new friends and teachers at the ultra strict Catholic Academy his parents have selected him to attend for his 7th grade year.  Before he even gets to school, the Great Brain helped the railroad catch a card shark and convinced the conductor to let him drive the locomotive.  Once at school, he figures out how to run a top secret candy store and convinces the headmaster to let the boys play basketball.  Once Tom puts his great brain to work, there's no telling what will happen next!

by Gwenyth Swain Lexile:  ??? Genre:  Biography Wanda Gag grew up in New Ulm, Minnesota.  The oldest of 7 children, most of whom she raised after the early death of their father and mother.  There wasn't much money in the Gag household, but Wanda had two dreams:  she would find a way to get to art school, and all of her siblings would graduate from high school.  After years of hard work and sacrifice, both of those dreams came true.

by Cynthia Voigt Lexile:  790 Genre:  Realistic Fiction One day, Izzy was an average 15 year old freshman in high school and the next a victim of a drunk-driving crash that resulted in her leg having to be amputated.  Izzy is going to have to remake her life - from how she interacts with her family and friends, to the physical challenges of being without her limb.

by Michael Dorris Lexile:  920 Genre:  Historical Fiction Rayona can't count on her mom who has good days and bad days.  On a good day, she and her mother have "national holiday" celebrations.  On a bad day, her mom forgets to come home and is too sick to go to work the next morning.  And then one day, her mom doesn't come home at all.  Rayona learns that she has been placed in a court ordered rehab facility.  Her father isn't able to care for her either so he makes arrangements for her to go into foster care.  After two families don't work out, her father decides to send her to live with his mother and sister, neither of whom Rayona has met before.  But before the three can meet, her father has to reveal a secret he's kept for a long time.

by Pete Hautman Lexile:  730 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Doug Hanson is a loner and is often picked on by other kids in his school.  His only hobby is building and creating a model train town in his basement.  He has one friend, Andy, who is the opposite of Doug.  Andy is popular, plays football and has friends throughout the school.  But something happens that changes both Andy and Doug's life forever, and Doug is left trying to sort out what is real and what isn't.