Another Kind of Hurricane
By Tamara Ellis Smith Publisher: Random House Children’s Books Pages: 336 Lexile: 570L Age Range: 9 – 12 Years ABOUT In this stunning debut novel, two very different characters—a black boy who loses his home in Hurricane Katrina and a white boy in Vermont who loses his best friend in a tragic accident—come together to find healing. A hurricane, a tragic death, two boys, one marble. How they intertwine is at the heart of this beautiful, poignant book. When ten-year-old Zavion loses his home in Hurricane Katrina, he and his father are forced to flee to Baton Rouge. And when Henry,...
Read MoreRevenge of the Flower Girls
By Jennifer Ziegler Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Pages: 240 Lexile: 720L Age Range: 8 – 12 Years ABOUT In this middle-grade Bridesmaids, hilarity ensues as triplets have to stop a wedding! One bride. Two boys. Three flower girls who won’t forever hold their peace. What could go wrong with this wedding? Everything! The Brewster triplets, Dawn, Darby, and Delaney, would usually spend their summer eating ice cream, playing with their dog, and reading about the US Presidents. But this year they’re stuck planning their big sister Lily’s wedding. Lily used to date Alex, who...
Read MoreCake Pop Crush: A Wish Novel
By Suzanne Nelson Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Pages: 256 Age Range: 8 – 12 Years ABOUT Alicia Ramirez has always loved baking. Her family owns Say It With Flour, the small bakery in town. And Ali’s specialties are cake pops: delicious confections on a stick. But Ali’s sweet life turns sour when a sleek coffee shop opens across the street, giving her bakery a run for its money. Worst of all, the owner’s son, Dane McGuire, likes to bake, too. He’s the new kid in Ali’s school … and happens to be annoyingly cute. When Dane and Ali engage in a bake-off to...
Read MoreGrounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel (Tyme #1)
By Megan Morrison Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Pages: 400 Age Range: 8 – 12 Years ABOUT In all of Tyme, from the Redlands to the Grey, no one is as lucky as Rapunzel. She lives in a magic tower that obeys her every wish; she reads wonderful books starring herself as the heroine; her hair is the longest, most glorious thing in the world. And she knows this because Witch tells her so– her beloved Witch, who protects her from evil princes, the dangerous ground under the tower, even unhappy thoughts. Rapunzel can’t imagine any other life. Then a thief named Jack climbs into her...
Read MoreMothman’s Curse
By Christine Hayes Illustrated by James K. Hindle Publisher: Roaring Brook Press Pages: 320 Lexile: 690L Age Range: 8 – 12 Years ABOUT A thrilling tale about when the borders between legend and reality blur–with dangerous consequences. When Josie and her brothers uncover a haunted camera, the Mothman legend becomes a terrifying reality that threatens their entire town in this spooky and action-filled novel. Josie may live in the most haunted town in America, but the only strange thing she ever sees is the parade of oddball customers that comes through her family’s auction...
Read More