Middle School Reads!

by Ele Fountain Genre:  Realistic Fiction Shif is stressed about trying to do well on his next math test, but the day of the test arrives and his best friend, Bini, isn't there to take it with him.  More and more soldiers are coming to their town and rounding up kids to take to mandatory military academies.  Bini's family has decided that it is no longer safe for him to attend school so Shif's family decides to send both boys to England where they will be safe.  The night before they are to leave, soldiers arrive at their doors and the boys are taken away as prisoners because their escape was discovered.  Once in prison, the boys meet others who have been stolen from their families and are too weak to do anything other than hope.  They see Bini and Shif as the only way for their stories to be told, but the only way to do that is to escape.  If they are caught it means certain death, but if they make it, it means a new life...do the boys have the courag...

by Ashley Herring Blake Lexile:  690 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Sunny St. James has just received a new heart and is trying to figure out if that changes who she is.  Sunny has been raised by Kate, her mom's best friend, because her dad died when she was young and her mom couldn't take care of her.  Kate hasn't heard from Sunny's mom in 8 years, but reaches out to her when Sunny gets sick.  Suddenly, Sunny's mom is back in the picture and Sunny isn't sure if she wants to get to know her or not.  At the same time, Sunny has met a new friend named Quinn.  She and Quinn decide that they are on a quest to experience their first kiss of the summer.  But as they get to know each other better and learn more about who they are, they are no longer sure who they are interested in kissing.  This will be a summer that Sunny never forgets.

by Linda Williams Jackson Lexile:  870 Genre:  Historical Fiction Rosa Lee Carter is growing up in the 1950s in the small town of Stillwater, Mississippi.  Things in her life are changing rapidly.  Parts of her family have moved north for more freedom and a different way of life.  Parts of her family are staying in Stillwater and want life to continue as it always has.  And still other parts of her family are in Stillwater, speaking up for change against the unjust Jim Crow laws.  Rose has to figure out which group she belongs too and it is not an easy decision for her to make.  Which pathway will help her shine brightly?

by Aida Salazar Lexile:  960 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse Celi Rivera's life is changing as she grows into a young woman.  Her mom wants to celebrate it, but Celi would rather ignore the changes that are happening to her body.  Her best friend Magda is experiencing feelings of change too and is questioning who she wants to be in the future.  Both Celi and Magda will have to rely on their friendship to get them through some challenging situations.  They may not have all the answers, but they are determined to move ahead into the future and find out what lies ahead.

by Dawn Quigley Genre:  Realistic Fiction Apple has never felt like she truly fit in anywhere.  She is growing up with her dad and stepmother and the knowledge that her Native American mother died giving birth to her.  Her dad never talks about her mother or her Native American heritage.  As a result, Apple doesn't feel like she knows who she is.  Her father surprises her when he tells her that she is going to spend the summer on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indian Reservation so that she can get to know her mother's side of the family.  Apple has mixed emotions about this...will learning more about her mother and her Native heritage help Apple feel more comfortable in her skin or will this only make things worse?  Either way, Apple is about to experience a summer like no other.

by Jerry Craft Lexile:  GN320 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novel Jordan Banks is starting 7th grade at a brand new school:  Riverdale Academy Day School.  It is very different from his other school and the neighborhood in which he lives.  There isn't much diversity at Riverdale and Jordan has to put up with stares, being called the wrong name, and assumptions and judgements that are made about him by staff and students.  Jordan struggles with feeling accepted and making friends, but his parents feel that it is important that he try to take advantage of the opportunities that this school will provide.  Jordan will have to learn how to navigate his two different worlds while staying true to the person he is and the person he hopes to become.

by Cheyanne Young Lexile:  820 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Sasha and Raquel have been best friends for a long time and now the day that Raquel has been dreading has come.  Sasha has lost her battle with cancer and now Raquel must move on without her.  Raquel can't imagine life without Sasha.  But one day a letter arrives and it is from Sasha.  It turns out that Sasha has spent her last few weeks setting up an elaborate series of adventures that will introduce Raquel to a secret that Sasha has been keeping.