So B. It. by Sarah Weeks
Level W
Twelve-year-old Heidi has lived with her mentally disabled mother in an apartment that connects to her neighbor for as long as she can remember. Heidi begins to have questions about where she and her mother came from and how they got here. After finding a picture of her mother many years before in a facility in Liberty, New York, Heidi decides to set out from Reno, Nevada to discover who she really is.
Level W
Twelve-year-old Heidi has lived with her mentally disabled mother in an apartment that connects to her neighbor for as long as she can remember. Heidi begins to have questions about where she and her mother came from and how they got here. After finding a picture of her mother many years before in a facility in Liberty, New York, Heidi decides to set out from Reno, Nevada to discover who she really is.
Hoot by Carl Hiassen
Level XY
A young boy named Roy Eberhardt moves to Coconut Cove, Florida where he takes on the burden of helping to save the burrowing owls by stopping the planned construction on the piece of land where they live. Not only does he do so, but he makes friends, helps those friends exposes the dishonesty of the companies involved and their disregard for the environment.
Level XY
A young boy named Roy Eberhardt moves to Coconut Cove, Florida where he takes on the burden of helping to save the burrowing owls by stopping the planned construction on the piece of land where they live. Not only does he do so, but he makes friends, helps those friends exposes the dishonesty of the companies involved and their disregard for the environment.
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley's family is cursed with bad luck. Unfairly sentenced to months of detention at Camp Green Lake, he and his camp mates are forced by the warden to dig holes in order to build character. What they don't know is that they are digging holes in order to search for a lost treasure hidden somewhere in the camp.
Stanley's family is cursed with bad luck. Unfairly sentenced to months of detention at Camp Green Lake, he and his camp mates are forced by the warden to dig holes in order to build character. What they don't know is that they are digging holes in order to search for a lost treasure hidden somewhere in the camp.
Looking For Alaska by John Green
Miles Halter about to be a junior in high school, obsessed with peoples last words, he is on the search for his "Great Perhaps." He heads off Culver Creek Boarding school, hoping for the adventure of his life. Along the way, he meets Alaska Young who is funny, gorgeous, yet self-destructive. All he wants is her, but she has different plans.
Level: Z+
Miles Halter about to be a junior in high school, obsessed with peoples last words, he is on the search for his "Great Perhaps." He heads off Culver Creek Boarding school, hoping for the adventure of his life. Along the way, he meets Alaska Young who is funny, gorgeous, yet self-destructive. All he wants is her, but she has different plans.
Level: Z+
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
Interest Level: 6-8 Grade
Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie all to home, where she wants to be with her half sisters. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal.
Suggested by THE BOOK WORM
Interest Level: 6-8 Grade
Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie all to home, where she wants to be with her half sisters. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal.
Suggested by THE BOOK WORM
Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. Blume
Eleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists—a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. She surrounds herself with dictionaries and other books to isolate herself from the outside world. But when a glamorous neighbor named Virginia Somerset moves next door with her servant Patel and a mischievous French bulldog named Mister Kinyatta, Cornelia discovers that the world is a much more exciting place than she had originally thought.
Eleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists—a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. She surrounds herself with dictionaries and other books to isolate herself from the outside world. But when a glamorous neighbor named Virginia Somerset moves next door with her servant Patel and a mischievous French bulldog named Mister Kinyatta, Cornelia discovers that the world is a much more exciting place than she had originally thought.
Backlash By Sarah Darer Littman
Level Z
Lara just got told off on Facebook. She Thought that Christian liked her, that he was finally going to ask her to his school's homecoming dance. They've been talking online for weeks, so what's with the sudden change? And where does he get off saying horrible things on her wall? Even worse- are they true?
Level Z
Lara just got told off on Facebook. She Thought that Christian liked her, that he was finally going to ask her to his school's homecoming dance. They've been talking online for weeks, so what's with the sudden change? And where does he get off saying horrible things on her wall? Even worse- are they true?
counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsesses with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it con=comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn't kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now. Suddenly Willow's world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling word. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.
Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsesses with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it con=comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn't kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now. Suddenly Willow's world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling word. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.
Because of Winn-Dixie
Level R
One summer’s day, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries – and comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It’s because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it’s because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie.
Level R
One summer’s day, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries – and comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It’s because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it’s because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Carmen buys a pair of jeans at a thrift shop. Magically, the pants fit Carmen and her three best friends, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget, equally, even though the girls have very different bodies. The girls, who “met” before birth when their mothers were in a prenatal aerobics class together, are spending this summer apart—their first significant separation. Carmen will go to South Carolina to spend the summer with her father. Lena will go to Greece with her sister, Effie, to spend the summer with their grandparents. Bridget will spend the summer at soccer camp in Baja California, Mexico. Only Tibby will stay home in Bethesda, Maryland, to work at Wallman’s, a superstore. Before each girl sets off to her summer destination, they have a friendship ceremony at Gilda’s gym, where their mothers met so many years ago. To stay close while they’re apart, they vow to send the pants—which they call the Traveling Pants—to one another throughout the summer.
Suggested by: Pocket Dictionary
Carmen buys a pair of jeans at a thrift shop. Magically, the pants fit Carmen and her three best friends, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget, equally, even though the girls have very different bodies. The girls, who “met” before birth when their mothers were in a prenatal aerobics class together, are spending this summer apart—their first significant separation. Carmen will go to South Carolina to spend the summer with her father. Lena will go to Greece with her sister, Effie, to spend the summer with their grandparents. Bridget will spend the summer at soccer camp in Baja California, Mexico. Only Tibby will stay home in Bethesda, Maryland, to work at Wallman’s, a superstore. Before each girl sets off to her summer destination, they have a friendship ceremony at Gilda’s gym, where their mothers met so many years ago. To stay close while they’re apart, they vow to send the pants—which they call the Traveling Pants—to one another throughout the summer.
Suggested by: Pocket Dictionary
Paris, Modigliani & Me
A summer in Paris as a nanny should be a dream job for 18-year-old Julie, but it feels more like a consolation prize after not getting into the Art Institute of Chicago, her dream school. Her mom wants her to come back to Texas and attend a state college in the fall, but Julie isn't sure what she wants anymore. Being a nanny to lively, fashion-minded Genevieve turns out to be fun and good for meeting a trio of intriguing guys. Also, Genevieve's mother Claire manages an art gallery and Julie gets drawn into the Paris art scene. The situation heats up when a new, previously unknown work by Modigliani, one of Julie's favorite artists, is discovered and acquired by the gallery. Julie's affections are pulled in different directions while she tries to discover if the new Modigliani is real or a forgery, or painted by Modigliani's mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne. Can the story of Modigliani and Jeanne provide any clues that will help guide her own path?
A summer in Paris as a nanny should be a dream job for 18-year-old Julie, but it feels more like a consolation prize after not getting into the Art Institute of Chicago, her dream school. Her mom wants her to come back to Texas and attend a state college in the fall, but Julie isn't sure what she wants anymore. Being a nanny to lively, fashion-minded Genevieve turns out to be fun and good for meeting a trio of intriguing guys. Also, Genevieve's mother Claire manages an art gallery and Julie gets drawn into the Paris art scene. The situation heats up when a new, previously unknown work by Modigliani, one of Julie's favorite artists, is discovered and acquired by the gallery. Julie's affections are pulled in different directions while she tries to discover if the new Modigliani is real or a forgery, or painted by Modigliani's mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne. Can the story of Modigliani and Jeanne provide any clues that will help guide her own path?
Out of my mind
Sharon M. Draper Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow. |
Wonder
August Pullman has been homeschooled due to some complicated health issues related to a dramatic cranio-facial abnormality and the rigorous surgery schedule that comes with it. But by the time August turns ten, his parents are beginning to think about the big picture a.k.a. long-term. They have realized that Auggie not only needs to learn more than his mom can teach him, but he also needs to learn to navigate a world that isn't always kind to those who are different
August Pullman has been homeschooled due to some complicated health issues related to a dramatic cranio-facial abnormality and the rigorous surgery schedule that comes with it. But by the time August turns ten, his parents are beginning to think about the big picture a.k.a. long-term. They have realized that Auggie not only needs to learn more than his mom can teach him, but he also needs to learn to navigate a world that isn't always kind to those who are different
Stargirl
From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. Until they are not. Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her - normal.
From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. Until they are not. Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her - normal.
Begging For Change
Desperate to get her mother out of their rough situation, Raspberry steals money from a friend and now she must deal with the consequences and guilt, fearing that she may be going down the same path as her drug-addicted and thieving father.
Desperate to get her mother out of their rough situation, Raspberry steals money from a friend and now she must deal with the consequences and guilt, fearing that she may be going down the same path as her drug-addicted and thieving father.
Lucky T
Carrie Fitzgerald is the luckiest girl: She is the only sophomore on the varsity basketball team, she always had the lead in the school play, and she has the cutest boyfriend in school. Carrie Fitzgerald is also the most superstitious girl: She attributes all of her good luck to a Moroccan T-shirt that her father sent her from one of his distant jaunts around the world. When her mother accidentally donates Carrie's lucky T to Help India and her good luck starts running out, Carrie does what any logical girl would do -- she travels halfway around the world to get it back. But as she scours a foreign land for her luck, she finds a lot more than she ever expected. She's going to need more than luck to find her way back home again
Carrie Fitzgerald is the luckiest girl: She is the only sophomore on the varsity basketball team, she always had the lead in the school play, and she has the cutest boyfriend in school. Carrie Fitzgerald is also the most superstitious girl: She attributes all of her good luck to a Moroccan T-shirt that her father sent her from one of his distant jaunts around the world. When her mother accidentally donates Carrie's lucky T to Help India and her good luck starts running out, Carrie does what any logical girl would do -- she travels halfway around the world to get it back. But as she scours a foreign land for her luck, she finds a lot more than she ever expected. She's going to need more than luck to find her way back home again
Don't Go
By Lisa Scottoline
When Dr. Mike Scanlon is called to serve as an army doctor in Afghanistan, he's acutely aware of the dangers he'll face and the hardships it will cause his wife Chloe and newborn baby. And deep inside, he doesn't think of himself as a warrior, but a healer.
However, in an ironic turn of events, as Mike operates on a wounded soldier in a war-torn country, Chloe dies at home in the suburbs, in an apparent household accident. Devastated, he returns home to bury her, only to discover that the life he left behind has fallen apart. His medical practice is in jeopardy, and he is a complete stranger to the only family he has left - his precious baby girl. Worse, he learns a shocking secret that sends him into a downward spiral.
Ultimately, Mike realizes that the most important battle of his life faces him on the home front and he'll have to put it all on the line to save what's dearest to him – his family.
By Lisa Scottoline
When Dr. Mike Scanlon is called to serve as an army doctor in Afghanistan, he's acutely aware of the dangers he'll face and the hardships it will cause his wife Chloe and newborn baby. And deep inside, he doesn't think of himself as a warrior, but a healer.
However, in an ironic turn of events, as Mike operates on a wounded soldier in a war-torn country, Chloe dies at home in the suburbs, in an apparent household accident. Devastated, he returns home to bury her, only to discover that the life he left behind has fallen apart. His medical practice is in jeopardy, and he is a complete stranger to the only family he has left - his precious baby girl. Worse, he learns a shocking secret that sends him into a downward spiral.
Ultimately, Mike realizes that the most important battle of his life faces him on the home front and he'll have to put it all on the line to save what's dearest to him – his family.
Tears of a Tiger
After a car accident kills Robert, Andy's best friend and teammate on the Hazelwood High Tigers, Andy doesn't know if he can go on. He's consumed with guilt for driving the night of the accident after a long evening of drinking and partying. With perceptiveness and compassion, Sharon M. Draper portrays an African-American teenager who feels driven to consider suicide in the wake of a devastating tragedy.
After a car accident kills Robert, Andy's best friend and teammate on the Hazelwood High Tigers, Andy doesn't know if he can go on. He's consumed with guilt for driving the night of the accident after a long evening of drinking and partying. With perceptiveness and compassion, Sharon M. Draper portrays an African-American teenager who feels driven to consider suicide in the wake of a devastating tragedy.
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.
Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.
We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
Level Z
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
E. Lockhart
Level Z
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
Faceless
By Alyssa Sheinmel
Level Y
The last thing she remembers is running through the hills of her neighborhood one misty morning. Slowly, she puts the pieces together. Before she could make it home, a storm gathered. Lightning hit a power line and sparks rained down, the hot-burning electrical fire consuming her. Destroying her face. Where her nose, cheeks, and chin used to be, now there is…nothing.
Maisie’s lucky enough to qualify for a rare medical treatment: a face transplant. At least, everyone says she’s lucky. But with someone else’s features staring back at her in the mirror, Maisie looks—and feels—like a stranger. The doctors promised that the transplant was her chance to live a normal life again, but nothing feels normal anymore. Before, she knew who she was—a regular girl who ran track and got good grades, who loved her boyfriend and her best friend. Now, she can’t even recognize herself.
By Alyssa Sheinmel
Level Y
The last thing she remembers is running through the hills of her neighborhood one misty morning. Slowly, she puts the pieces together. Before she could make it home, a storm gathered. Lightning hit a power line and sparks rained down, the hot-burning electrical fire consuming her. Destroying her face. Where her nose, cheeks, and chin used to be, now there is…nothing.
Maisie’s lucky enough to qualify for a rare medical treatment: a face transplant. At least, everyone says she’s lucky. But with someone else’s features staring back at her in the mirror, Maisie looks—and feels—like a stranger. The doctors promised that the transplant was her chance to live a normal life again, but nothing feels normal anymore. Before, she knew who she was—a regular girl who ran track and got good grades, who loved her boyfriend and her best friend. Now, she can’t even recognize herself.
Thirteen Reasons Why
By Jay Asher
Level Z
You can't stop the future.
You can't rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.
By Jay Asher
Level Z
You can't stop the future.
You can't rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.
Heft
By Liz Moore
Unleveled
Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn't left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away, in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career—if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur—a plea for help—that jostles them into action. Through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives.
By Liz Moore
Unleveled
Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn't left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away, in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career—if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur—a plea for help—that jostles them into action. Through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives.
Dolphin Tale
Gabrielle Reyes
Level N
When a dolphin named Winter loses her tail in a crab trap, it’s up to a young boy named Sawyer and the staff at Clearwater Marine Aquarium to help her survive against the odds. Sawyer is quiet at first, but his special connection with Winter soon brings him out of his shell. One day, after visiting his cousin at an army hospital, Sawyer gets an idea to have a doctor there make Winter a prosthetic tail. This proposal inspires the staff at the aquarium and fills Sawyer with the hope that Winter may one day swim again.
Gabrielle Reyes
Level N
When a dolphin named Winter loses her tail in a crab trap, it’s up to a young boy named Sawyer and the staff at Clearwater Marine Aquarium to help her survive against the odds. Sawyer is quiet at first, but his special connection with Winter soon brings him out of his shell. One day, after visiting his cousin at an army hospital, Sawyer gets an idea to have a doctor there make Winter a prosthetic tail. This proposal inspires the staff at the aquarium and fills Sawyer with the hope that Winter may one day swim again.
Shadow of The Dragon
By Sherry Garland
Grades 9-12
Sixteen-year-old Danny Vo is enmeshed in two worlds—his Houston high school and his Vietnamese home life. He’s finally caught the eye of beautiful blond Tiffany Marie, only to find out that her brother is a white supremacist. And his life gets even more complicated when his cousin Sang Le comes to live with Danny’s family after spending years in a reeducation camp in Vietnam. Failing school and unable to get a job, Sang Le joins a Vietnamese gang—and Danny is determined to help his cousin escape before it’s too late.
By Sherry Garland
Grades 9-12
Sixteen-year-old Danny Vo is enmeshed in two worlds—his Houston high school and his Vietnamese home life. He’s finally caught the eye of beautiful blond Tiffany Marie, only to find out that her brother is a white supremacist. And his life gets even more complicated when his cousin Sang Le comes to live with Danny’s family after spending years in a reeducation camp in Vietnam. Failing school and unable to get a job, Sang Le joins a Vietnamese gang—and Danny is determined to help his cousin escape before it’s too late.