Middle School Reads!

by Jennifer A. Nielsen Lexile:  730 Genre:  Fantasy Kestra Dallistor doesn't know who to believe...she has spent the last three years living away from a father who doesn't love her.  But one day he mysteriously calls her home and while on her way, her carriage is attacked and she learns of her kidnappers plot to return her to her family so that she can help them find the legendary Olden Blade.  No one knows for sure if it exists, but if it does, the person who finds it will be the most powerful.  Simon and Trina, Kestra's kidnappers, seem to have the plan all figured out and they want Kestra on her side.  As she grows further apart from her father, she begins to consider whether or not their side makes more sense.  Kestra has a choice to make and that choice will affect the rest of her life.

by Monica Hesse Lexile:  710 Genre:  Historical Fiction It's 1944 and the United States is at war and US citizens of German or Japanese descent are now under suspicion.  Many of them have been rounded up and sent to internment camps which is how Margot and Haruko meet.  Both of their families have been sent to Crystal City, Texas for reasons they don't understand.  Friendships between Germans and Japanese are not encouraged, but Margot and Haruko decide they don't care.  As the girls get to know each other and share their secrets, the more improbable it becomes that they will be able to remain friends when the war finally ends. 

by Sarah Dessen Genre:  Realistic Fiction Emma Saylor has grown up not knowing much about her mother's side of the family so when she unexpectedly has to spend the summer with them, she has no idea what to expect.  Her mother struggled with addiction issues and died 5 years ago. When she arrives at the resort town of North Lake, her cousins assume that she knows all about what happened to her mom when she was growing up, but the more time Emma spends with them, the more holes she feels in what she knows about her mom's childhood and how her parents met.  Will a summer at North Lake help her feel more connected to a family she barely knows?

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.