Here at Elkins Pointe, we reward reading. Select 10 books from this list, read the 10 selections, have your parents sign a note verifying which titles you read, and you will not only win a prize but you'll be invited to the first Cafe Read-A-Latte event of 2011! Ask your friends who have come. The coffee is fantastic, the treats are superb, and the games/activities are fun. Join us by reading one of these great books!
Angle, Kimberly. Hummingbird
. In spite of a busy life on the family pumpkin and watermelon farm in Jubilee, Georgia, twelve-year-old March Anne Tanner feels that something is missing, and when Grenna, the grandmother who has helped raise her since her mother died when she was three, also passes on, March Anne finds that she must act on her feelings of loss. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 910.
Baskin, N.R. Anything But Typical
. Georgia Book Award Nominee. Autistic sixth grader Jason is an aspiring writer who takes comfort in Storyboard, a story-sharing website. One of his tales attracts positive comments from a girl, and Jason becomes panic-stricken when he learns they're both planning to attend a Storyboard conference. He's also distressed that his mother, not his father, ends up accompanying him to the conference, but both Jason and his "neurotypical" mom come to realize that in some ways he is more competent than she is. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 640.
Blackwood, Gary. Around the World in 100 Days
Let the extreme road trip begin: wild man Harry is never one to walk away from a wager. The young man-about-town succumbs to the challenge of mean-spirited businessmen who view him as an easy mark, challenging him to drive his newfangled steam-powered motor car around the world. (historical fantasy) Lexile 820.
Burg, Ann E. All the Broken Pieces
. Georgia Book Award Nominee. Vietnamese American seventh grader Matt has two passions--piano and baseball--and one secret: he feels responsible for horrific injuries his little brother sustained in Vietnam during the war. Matt's painful memories are adeptly captured by the fleeting but powerful images of free verse. Working through his past, Matt comes to understand that remembering can open the door to hope. (historical fiction) Lexile 680.
Burns, Loree G. The Hive Detectives
A “dream team” of scientists discuss the strange disappearance of honey bees from hives around the world beginning in 2006 and try to discover the cause of the problem that affects the process of pollination. It includes information about bees, their hives, and their honey. (non-fiction) Lexile 1120.
Carroll, Michael. The Awakening
(Quantum Prophecy). Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans--both heroes and villains--thirteen-year-olds Danny and Colin begin to develop super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention. (science fiction) Lexile 630.
Cason, Mary Kay. The Bat Scientists
Describes how scientists are learning more about bats, how they fly, communicate, and hunt, and what dangers they are facing and explains how researchers are trying to stop the spread of a disease that is killing bats in North America. (non-fiction) Lexile 1010.
Chambers, Veronica.Fifteen Candles
(Amigas series). It’s Alicia’s 15th year, and even though her thoroughly modern parents took her to Spain for her quinceañera, most of her friends are having elaborate parties to celebrate their entry into womanhood. When she realizes that a fellow intern in the mayor’s office needs help in planning her quince, Alicia envisions a new business venture for her and her three best friends, Amigas Inc. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 800.
Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay
Katniss Everdeen, having survived the Hunger Games twice, learns she and her family and friends are in danger because the Capitol holds her responsible for the unrest and races against time to protect those she cares about and the people of District 12. (science fiction) Lexile 800.
Cushman, Karen. Alchemy and Meggy Swann
Thirteen-year-old Meggy, who walks with the help of sticks, moves to London. Her alchemist father rejects then ignores her, leaving Meggy to fend for herself. When she learns that he has sold arsenic to men who intend to poison their master, she frantically seeks a way to save both the man from his murderers and her father from the law. (fantasy) Lexile 810.
Donaldson, Joan. On Viney’s Mountain
In the Cumberland Mountains during the fall of 1879, sixteen-year-old Viney is shocked to hear that Englishmen will arrive on her mountain and build a new community, demolishing the beautiful area that inspires her weaving designs. A few tricks, however, cannot stop progress, and the teen despairs of losing not only her way of life, but also her sister to the wiles of an Englishman. (historical fiction) Lexile 670.
Draper, Sharon. Out of My Mind
(Georgia Book Award Nominee) Fifth-grader Melody has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects her body but not her mind. Although she is unable to walk, talk, or feed or care for herself, she can read, think, and feel. A brilliant person is trapped inside her body, determined to make her mark in the world in spite of her physical limitations. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 700.
Engle, Margarita. Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba
Three women, their lives circumscribed by their societies' expectations, come together in Cuba in 1851. Fredrika Bremer, an advocate for women's rights, escapes her confining upper-class life in Sweden by traveling the world. Cecilia, an enslaved teenager longing for her African home, lives with the knowledge that her father exchanged her for a stolen cow. And 12-year-old Cuban Elena feels trapped in her wealthy existence. This slim, elegant volume opens the door to discussions of slavery, women's rights, and the economic disparity between rich and poor. (historical fiction) Lexile 1230.
Erskine, Kathryn. Mockingbird
(Georgia Book Award Nominee). Caitlin's older brother Devon is killed in a school shooting, and she and her father are left to "Deal With It." But Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome and has to "Deal With" emotions, which are not one of her strengths. A compassionate school counselor works with her, trying to teach her the social skills that are so difficult for her. Through her own efforts and her therapy sessions, she begins to come to terms with her loss and makes her first, tentative steps toward friendship. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 630.
Feinstein, John. The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army Navy Game
Teen sportswriters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are assigned to cover the football game between long time rivalries Army and Navy, and, after noticing the actions of secret service agents, they begin to suspect that the president, who is going to attend the event, is in danger. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 800.
Friend, Natasha. Bounce
Thirteen-year-old Evyn's world is turned upside-down when her father, widowed since she was a toddler, suddenly decides to marry a woman with six children, move with Ev and her older brother from Maine to Boston, and enroll her in private school. Feeling like she's losing her father, Evyn finds comfort in imagined conversations with her dead mother. School is a major source of her anxiety, but ultimately the story is about how a family grows. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 570.
Going, K.L. The Liberation of Gabriel King
Gabriel, a white boy who is being bullied, and Frita, an African-American girl facing prejudice, decide to overcome their many fears together as they enter fifth grade in Georgia in 1976. (historical fiction) Lexile 780.
Gorman, Carol. Games
(A Tale of Two Bullies) Mick and Boot have a long history of fighting. So they are surprised when, after a brawl, their new middle-school principal wants them to play board games together instead of giving them suspensions. At first this doesn't seem to help matters: fueled by a manipulative bad girl, their fighting escalates into acts of vandalism and theft. Both boys regret their actions but must live with the repercussions. Will the games allow the boys to work through their differences, or will the fights become more than they can handle? (contemporary fiction) Lexile 660.
Green, Tim. The Big Time
Twelve-year-old Football Genius Troy with his remarkable play-predicting ability meets his previously absent father for the first time. As an attorney, Dad makes a plea to be allowed to become part of his son's life and to represent him in negotiations with other NFL teams. Shady characters, prison, and high stakes contracts make for a cliff-hanger ending with a football theme. (contemporary fiction) Lexile n/a
Green, Tim. Rivals
Twelve-year-old Josh looks forward to facing a true rival in the Baseball Hall of Fame tournament, but first he and his friends Jaden and Benji put themselves at great risk trying to expose the truth about a conspiracy to bribe the head umpire. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 860.
. In spite of a busy life on the family pumpkin and watermelon farm in Jubilee, Georgia, twelve-year-old March Anne Tanner feels that something is missing, and when Grenna, the grandmother who has helped raise her since her mother died when she was three, also passes on, March Anne finds that she must act on her feelings of loss. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 910.Baskin, N.R. Anything But Typical
. Georgia Book Award Nominee. Autistic sixth grader Jason is an aspiring writer who takes comfort in Storyboard, a story-sharing website. One of his tales attracts positive comments from a girl, and Jason becomes panic-stricken when he learns they're both planning to attend a Storyboard conference. He's also distressed that his mother, not his father, ends up accompanying him to the conference, but both Jason and his "neurotypical" mom come to realize that in some ways he is more competent than she is. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 640. Blackwood, Gary. Around the World in 100 Days
Let the extreme road trip begin: wild man Harry is never one to walk away from a wager. The young man-about-town succumbs to the challenge of mean-spirited businessmen who view him as an easy mark, challenging him to drive his newfangled steam-powered motor car around the world. (historical fantasy) Lexile 820. Burg, Ann E. All the Broken Pieces
. Georgia Book Award Nominee. Vietnamese American seventh grader Matt has two passions--piano and baseball--and one secret: he feels responsible for horrific injuries his little brother sustained in Vietnam during the war. Matt's painful memories are adeptly captured by the fleeting but powerful images of free verse. Working through his past, Matt comes to understand that remembering can open the door to hope. (historical fiction) Lexile 680. Burns, Loree G. The Hive Detectives
A “dream team” of scientists discuss the strange disappearance of honey bees from hives around the world beginning in 2006 and try to discover the cause of the problem that affects the process of pollination. It includes information about bees, their hives, and their honey. (non-fiction) Lexile 1120.Carroll, Michael. The Awakening
(Quantum Prophecy). Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans--both heroes and villains--thirteen-year-olds Danny and Colin begin to develop super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention. (science fiction) Lexile 630.Cason, Mary Kay. The Bat Scientists
Describes how scientists are learning more about bats, how they fly, communicate, and hunt, and what dangers they are facing and explains how researchers are trying to stop the spread of a disease that is killing bats in North America. (non-fiction) Lexile 1010. Chambers, Veronica.Fifteen Candles
(Amigas series). It’s Alicia’s 15th year, and even though her thoroughly modern parents took her to Spain for her quinceañera, most of her friends are having elaborate parties to celebrate their entry into womanhood. When she realizes that a fellow intern in the mayor’s office needs help in planning her quince, Alicia envisions a new business venture for her and her three best friends, Amigas Inc. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 800. Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay
Katniss Everdeen, having survived the Hunger Games twice, learns she and her family and friends are in danger because the Capitol holds her responsible for the unrest and races against time to protect those she cares about and the people of District 12. (science fiction) Lexile 800.Cushman, Karen. Alchemy and Meggy Swann
Thirteen-year-old Meggy, who walks with the help of sticks, moves to London. Her alchemist father rejects then ignores her, leaving Meggy to fend for herself. When she learns that he has sold arsenic to men who intend to poison their master, she frantically seeks a way to save both the man from his murderers and her father from the law. (fantasy) Lexile 810.Donaldson, Joan. On Viney’s Mountain
In the Cumberland Mountains during the fall of 1879, sixteen-year-old Viney is shocked to hear that Englishmen will arrive on her mountain and build a new community, demolishing the beautiful area that inspires her weaving designs. A few tricks, however, cannot stop progress, and the teen despairs of losing not only her way of life, but also her sister to the wiles of an Englishman. (historical fiction) Lexile 670. Draper, Sharon. Out of My Mind
(Georgia Book Award Nominee) Fifth-grader Melody has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects her body but not her mind. Although she is unable to walk, talk, or feed or care for herself, she can read, think, and feel. A brilliant person is trapped inside her body, determined to make her mark in the world in spite of her physical limitations. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 700. Engle, Margarita. Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba
Three women, their lives circumscribed by their societies' expectations, come together in Cuba in 1851. Fredrika Bremer, an advocate for women's rights, escapes her confining upper-class life in Sweden by traveling the world. Cecilia, an enslaved teenager longing for her African home, lives with the knowledge that her father exchanged her for a stolen cow. And 12-year-old Cuban Elena feels trapped in her wealthy existence. This slim, elegant volume opens the door to discussions of slavery, women's rights, and the economic disparity between rich and poor. (historical fiction) Lexile 1230. Erskine, Kathryn. Mockingbird
(Georgia Book Award Nominee). Caitlin's older brother Devon is killed in a school shooting, and she and her father are left to "Deal With It." But Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome and has to "Deal With" emotions, which are not one of her strengths. A compassionate school counselor works with her, trying to teach her the social skills that are so difficult for her. Through her own efforts and her therapy sessions, she begins to come to terms with her loss and makes her first, tentative steps toward friendship. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 630. Feinstein, John. The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army Navy Game
Teen sportswriters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are assigned to cover the football game between long time rivalries Army and Navy, and, after noticing the actions of secret service agents, they begin to suspect that the president, who is going to attend the event, is in danger. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 800. Friend, Natasha. Bounce
Thirteen-year-old Evyn's world is turned upside-down when her father, widowed since she was a toddler, suddenly decides to marry a woman with six children, move with Ev and her older brother from Maine to Boston, and enroll her in private school. Feeling like she's losing her father, Evyn finds comfort in imagined conversations with her dead mother. School is a major source of her anxiety, but ultimately the story is about how a family grows. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 570. Going, K.L. The Liberation of Gabriel King
Gabriel, a white boy who is being bullied, and Frita, an African-American girl facing prejudice, decide to overcome their many fears together as they enter fifth grade in Georgia in 1976. (historical fiction) Lexile 780. Gorman, Carol. Games
(A Tale of Two Bullies) Mick and Boot have a long history of fighting. So they are surprised when, after a brawl, their new middle-school principal wants them to play board games together instead of giving them suspensions. At first this doesn't seem to help matters: fueled by a manipulative bad girl, their fighting escalates into acts of vandalism and theft. Both boys regret their actions but must live with the repercussions. Will the games allow the boys to work through their differences, or will the fights become more than they can handle? (contemporary fiction) Lexile 660. Green, Tim. The Big Time
Twelve-year-old Football Genius Troy with his remarkable play-predicting ability meets his previously absent father for the first time. As an attorney, Dad makes a plea to be allowed to become part of his son's life and to represent him in negotiations with other NFL teams. Shady characters, prison, and high stakes contracts make for a cliff-hanger ending with a football theme. (contemporary fiction) Lexile n/a Green, Tim. Rivals
Twelve-year-old Josh looks forward to facing a true rival in the Baseball Hall of Fame tournament, but first he and his friends Jaden and Benji put themselves at great risk trying to expose the truth about a conspiracy to bribe the head umpire. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 860. Greenberg, David. A Tugging String: A Novel About Growing Up During the Civil Rights Movement In this fictionalized account, white New Yorker Duvy (the book's author as a boy) tells about his father's frequent trips to the South as a lawyer for the NAACP in the 1960s. Through the eyes of Dorothy, an African American woman, readers learn about historical details beyond Duvy's experiences. Includes footnotes. (historical fiction) Lexile n/a.
Grisham, John. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Theo Boone has the sharpest legal mind at Strattenburg's middle school. His mother is a divorce lawyer, his father a real-estate attorney, and Theo, well versed in the law, gives free legal advice to his classmates. When a high profile murder case goes to trial, Theo and others are responsible for finding an eyewitness and evidence unknown to the prosecution and the defense. Sequel available in June. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 790. Hahn, Mary Downing. The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall
Twelve-year-old book lover Florence is thrilled to be leaving Miss Medleycoate’s Home for Orphan Girls to live at Crutchfield Hall with her newly discovered great-aunt, great-uncle, and cousin James despite the vengeful ghost of her cousin Sophia, a strong and malevolent force in the house. This spine-tingling suspense tale is a suitable choice for students asking for a scary book. (fantasy) Lexile n/a. Hepler, Heather. The Cupcake Queen
To Penny, there's nothing great about Hog's Hollow, where her mom decided to move and open a bakery. Penny misses city life, struggles with her parents' separation, and is tormented by mean girls. Eventually--and predictably--she makes some friends (one a cute guy), and learns to appreciate small-town life. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 710.Holm, Jennifer. Turtle in Paradise
In 1935, when her mother gets a job housekeeping for a woman who does not like children, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to stay with relatives she has never met in far away Key West, Florida. Turtle discovers a startlingly different way of life amid boisterous cousins, Nana Philly, and buried treasure. (historical fiction) Lexile 610 Kirby, Matthew. The Clockwork Three
In this riveting historical fantasy, which plays out in an unnamed alternative-American city in the mid-19th century, three children's lives intersect as they seek, individually and together, a treasure that could make their fondest dreams come true. Toss into the mix an exquisite green violin, a headless clockwork man, a woman claiming to speak to the dead, a long-hidden secret room, and an assortment of unscrupulous enemies, one will find all the ingredients for a rousing adventure, delivered with rich, transporting prose. (historical fantasy) Lexile 680. Klein, Lisa. Two Girls of Gettysburg
Two close cousins, Lizzie and Rosanna, end up on opposing sides during the Civil War. Soon the war consumes everyone, though, and tempers roil over questions of secession, slavery, race relations, and impending battles. The girls survive the Battle of Gettysburg and reunite to witness Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. (historical fiction) Lexile 830. Korman, Gordon. Swindle
(Georgia Book Award Nominee). After unscrupulous collector S. Wendell Palomino cons him out of a valuable baseball card, sixth-grader Griffin Bing puts together a band of misfits to break into Palomino's heavily guarded store and steal the card back, planning to use the money to finance his father's failing invention, the Smart Pick fruit picker. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 710. Krech, Bob. Love Puppies and Corner Kicks
When her parents announce that the family is moving to Scotland for a year, soccer star Andrea must reluctantly leave her friends and team behind. Even worse, Andrea stutters and dreads meeting new people. The ways she manages to find friends and begin a romance, learn about herself, and even triumph again in soccer are related in this enjoyable story. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 530.Larson, Kirby. The Fences Between Us
(Dear America series). Thirteen-year-old Piper Davis records in her diary her experiences beginning in December 1941, when her brother joins the Navy and the United States goes to war, and as she attempts to document her life through photography, her father--the pastor for a Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle--follows his congregants to an Idaho internment camp, taking her along with him. (historical fiction) Lexile 730.Levine, Kristen. The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had.
When a new postmaster arrives in Moundville, AL, 12-year-old Dit is surprised to discover that he is African-American and that his refined daughter knows nothing about baseball, hunting, or fishing. With his best friend gone for the summer and in search of companionship he reluctantly hangs out with proper, opinionated Emma. When Jim Crow rears its ugly head in the person of the racist sheriff, Emma and Dit embark on a risky adventure to save the life of a man sentenced to hang on trumped-up charges. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 680.Lopez, Diana. Confetti Girl
Since her mother's unexpected death, Texas middle schooler Lina has had a lot to cope with: a distracted dad, boyfriend-preoccupied best friend, her own new beau, and a failing grade that's keeping her from playing sports. Encouraged by the guidance of dichos (Spanish-language proverbs), Lina realizes that she needs to let her feelings out. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 660.Lupica, Mike. Hero
Zach is devastated to learn that his father, an advisor to the president, has been killed in a plane crash. Holding out hope that Dad isn't really dead, Zach visits the crash site. Suddenly he's being repeatedly attacked by street hoodlums, but, thanks to previously unsuspected martial-arts skills, new superfast reflexes and other powers, he both fends off the thugs and proves ready for a climactic save when an assassin targets a presidential candidate. (fantasy) Lexile 730.Matti, Truus. Departure Time
A 10-year-old girl is lost in a surrealistic landscape - a red-earth desert threatened by an approaching storm. Nothing looks familiar. She can't remember how she got to this place. Alternating with this classic bad-dream setting is a furious tirade by a girl who feels abandoned by her father and neglected by her mother. As the puzzle-like story unfolds, it retains a suspenseful quality, as the girl works through emotional issues and uncovers the large and small mysteries in her life. (fantasy) Lexile n/a.Myers, Walter Dean. The Cruisers
When a school-wide assignment divides students into "North" and "South," four friends try to find nonviolent methods to keep the peace. Strong characterizations and a gripping premise make this an especially discussable novel as the kids realize that issues of free speech, racism, and respect loom as large in the 21st century as they did in the 1860s. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 810.Palmer, Robin. Cindy Ella
Likable sophomore Cindy is completely out of place in her materialistic Los Angeles private school, and her scathing anti-prom letter to the school newspaper only serves to diminish her status. She can't believe that every single article focuses on the upcoming prom. Where are the articles on global warming, AIDS, or curing cancer? When she develops a crush on her SAT tutor, on top of the ones she already has on popular senior Adam Silver as well as a boy she has been exchanging instant messages with, she begins to doubt her own convictions. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 990.Pearsall, Shelley. All Shook Up (Georgia Book Award Nominee). A child of divorce, 13-year-old Josh wryly calls himself a shared kid, meaning he spends a lot of time shuttling between his parents. Arriving in Chicago to spend more than the usual amount of time with his dad (it’s complicated), he finds that his free-spirited father has become an Elvis impersonator. Worse, the daughter of Dad’s new girlfriend has signed him up to perform at Josh’s school’s 50s day. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 890.
Pfeffer, Susan. Life As We Knew It
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. (science fiction) Lexile 770.Pfeffer, Susan. The Dead and the Gone
Life As We Knew It followed the increasingly bleak subsistence of Miranda in suburban Pennsylvania after an asteroid knocked the moon out of orbit. This companion novel tracks the aftermath of the same disaster for Alex and his sisters in post-asteroid New York City. (science fiction) Lexile 680.Pfeffer, Susan. This World We Live in
A year after the moon was thrown off course by a meteor, natural disasters and climate changes on Earth are still making mere existence a challenge. Miranda's family is barely scraping by on food rations when Miranda's father, stepmother, their baby, and three other refugees show up unexpectedly. (science fiction) Lexile 670. Preller, James. Bystander
Eric Hayes, a seventh grader, is the new kid in school. One of the first students he meets is Griff, the school bully. As the year unfolds, Eric realizes that Griff's popularity is really only on the surface, and that Griff's friends tolerate him only because that way they are spared his anger. When Eric dares to challenge the gang about one of their vicious pranks, he becomes a victim himself. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 600. Preus, Margi.Heart of a Samurai
In 1841, rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four companions castaways on a remote island, fourteen-year-old Manjiro, who dreams of becoming a samurai, learns new laws and customs as he becomes the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States. (historical fiction) Lexile 760. Riordan, Rick. Red Pyramid
Brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes the doctor to oblivion and forces his two children to embark on a dangerous journey, bringing them closer to the truth about their family and its links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. (fantasy) Lexile 650. Riordan, Rick. The Lost Hero Camp Half-Blood, home to the mortal children of Greek gods, has three new arrivals: Piper, a daughter of Aphrodite, good at persuasion; Leo, a son of Hephaestus, good at fixing things; and Jason, a son of Zeus, who is suffering from amnesia. With the Titan war over, a new threat has emerged: a prophesied clash with Gaea's youngest children, the giants, who are returning to overthrow the Olympians. (fantasy) Lexile 660.
Smith, Roland. Independence Hall
(I.Q. Series). Thirteen-year-old Quest and his stepsister Angela are thrust into the dangerous world of the American Secret Service and the Israeli Mossad when they learn Angela's real mother was a former Secret Service agent who was killed by a terrorist group. Adventure, suspense, humor, fascinating characters, and plot twists galore will draw middle-graders to this series starter. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 660. Sonnenblick, Jordan. After Ever After
(Georgia Book Award Nominee). Jeffrey has been cancer-free for over five years, but that doesn't mean life is perfect. When Tad, also a cancer survivor, shows up in class, he and Jeffrey become instant friends and a pact is formed. As hilarious as it is tragic, and as honest as it is hopeful, it’s irresistible reading. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 820. Springer, Nancy. Case of the Gypsy Good-bye
True to her previous adventures, Enola (Sherlock Holmes’ sister) uncovers multiple social injustices lurking beneath the pomp of Victorian England. Enola, the quintessential spunky heroine, navigates the historical setting with the pluck of Nancy Drew but within the constraints of her upbringing. (historical fiction) Lexile 1110. Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest
2011 Newbery Medal Winner. After a life of riding the rails with her father, 12-year-old Abilene can’t understand why he has sent her away to stay with Pastor Shady Howard in Manifest, Missouri, a town he left years earlier. She quickly finds friends and uncovers a local mystery which reveals deep-seated secrets and helps restore residents’ faith in the bright future once promised on the town’s sign. (historical fiction) Lexile 800. Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan
As WWI breaks out, Prince Aleksandar and his advisers flee to the Swiss Alps. Meanwhile, Deryn Sharp, disguised as a boy, is aboard the British airship Leviathan, which crashes near Alek's estate. As the two meet and begin the complicated dance of diplomacy, the story and characters come to life. (historical fantasy/fiction/steampunk) Lexile 790. Wiles, Deborah. Each Little Bird that Sings
Comfort Snowberger is well acquainted with death since her family runs the funeral parlor in their small southern town, but even so the ten-year-old is unprepared for the series of heart-wrenching events that begins on the first day of Easter vacation with the sudden death of her beloved great-uncle Edisto. (contemporary fiction) Lexile 760. Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer
(Georgia Book Award Nominee). This 2011 Coretta Scott King Award book tells the story of 11-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters as they travel to Oakland, Calif. in 1968 to face the emotional challenge of reaching out to a distant mother and learn about a different side of the Civil Rights Movement. Themes of friendship, family and identity intertwine with broader social issues in this compelling historical novel. (historical fiction) Lexile 750. Zevin, Gabrielle. Elsewhere
After fifteen-year-old Lizzie is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a place that is both like and unlike Earth, where she must figure out how to "live" in Elsewhere where "everyone...ages backward from the day they died." When they're seven-day-old babies, they return to Earth to begin a new life. Almost sixteen, she struggles to adjust to her death and to the idea that she'll never reach adulthood. With an intriguing premise and refreshing style, this novel celebrates the rich complexities of being alive.(fantasy) Lexile 720.Mass, Wendy. 11 Birthdays
(Georgia Book Award Nominee). After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and are not speaking to each other. As they prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthdays separately, peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again. (fantasy) Lexile 650.
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