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.

by Neal Shusterman Lexile:  870 Genre:  Science Fiction The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it is not allowed to interfere with the actions of the scythedom.  Book 2 picks up the story of Rowan and Citra, a year after Rowan has disappeared and Citra has become Scythe Anastasia.  Even though their lives seem to be going in vastly different directions, they are still more intertwined than they realize.  Someone is behind the scenes mastermining a deadly plot.  Are they out to get Citra? Rowan? Or both of them?  And the even bigger question is whether or not The Thunderhead will intervene...

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Lexile:  520 Genre:  Historical Fiction Ada was finally able to have the surgery to fix her clubfoot so she is now able to walk comfortably on her own.  She thought that fixing her damaged foot would solve all of her problems, but the damage her mother inflicted on her is proving to be harder to overcome.  Ada and Jamie have settled into a comfortable life with Susan who wants to become their legal guardian.  Ada is still hesitant to put her trust in one person, but Jamie has already started calling Susan, Mum.  World War II continues to change their lives as well when Lady Thorton moves in and then Lord Thorton brings a young Jewish German girl to live with them.  Ada is going to have to come to terms with the hurts from the past if she wants to be able to face a future of happiness. 

by Alyssa B. Sheinmel Lexile:  790 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Maisie loves to run and that is the last thing that she remembers doing when she wakes up in the burn unit of the hospital.  Her parents tell her that there was a lightning strike, then a fire, and that she has second degree burns on her left arm and hand.  And then they tell her that her nose, left cheek, and chin are gone.  Completely burned away. Maisie can't comprehend what this means for her future - he plan to compete for college scholarships in track, her plan to leave happily ever after with her boyfriend Chirag, and her plan to go to college with her best friend Serena.  Then she is offered the opportunity to have a face transplant.  A donor has suddenly become available and Maisie has to decide now.  A transplant means having to take anti-rejection medicines for the rest of her life.  But it also might mean a chance at a more normal life.  What would it be like to sti...

by Kate Messner Lexile:  720 Genre:  Realistic Ficiton Charlie Brennan loves Irish dancing and wants to buy a fancy dress for an upcoming dance competition.  Her parents have given her $300, but that's not enough to buy the dress that she wants.  So Charlie decides to take up ice fishing to earn some extra money.  The first fish that Charlie catches speaks to her and tells her that if she releases it, she will be granted a wish.  Charlie makes a wish that comes true and suddenly Charlie realizes that if she catches the fish again, she can make more wishes for more people.  As Charlie continues to catch and release and make wishes, she realizes that not all of her wishes are coming true in the way she imagined they would.  And when her older sister needs the biggest wish of all, Charlie is not sure that everything in life can be solved with a magic wish.