Whales on Stilts, by M. T. Anderson
Racing against the clock, shy middle-school student Lily and her best friends,
Katie and Jasper, must foil the plot of her father's conniving boss to conquer
the world using an army of whales.
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs, by Betty Birney
Eben McAllister searches his small town to see if he can find anything
comparable to the real Seven Wonders of the World.
Shakespeare's Secret, by Elise Broach
Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero
becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable
diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the
unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.
Free Baseball, by Sue Corbett
Angry with his mother for having too little time for him, eleven-year-old
Felix takes advantage of an opportunity to become bat boy for a minor league
baseball team, hoping to someday be like his father, a famous Cuban
outfielder. Includes glossaries of baseball terms and Spanish words and phrases.
Chicken Boy, by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Since the death of his mother, Tobin's family and school life has been in
disarray, but after he starts raising chickens with his seventh-grade
classmate, Henry, everything starts to fall into place.
The Sacrifice, by Kathleen Benner Duble
Two sisters, aged ten and twelve, are accused of witchcraft in Andover,
Massachusetts, in 1692 and await trial in a miserable prison while their
mother desperately searches for some way to obtain their freedom.
Swordbird, by Nancy Yi Fan
Warring factions of blue jays and cardinals call on Swordbird, the heroic bird
of peace, to rescue them from the evil machinations of Turnatt, the tyrant
hawk lord who plans to enslave them.
Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini, by Sid Fleischman
A biography of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists
whose amazing feats are remembered long after his death in 1926. Profiling his
early years, personal life, and great accomplishments in show business, the
story of the famous magician, Harry Houdini, comes to life through a review of
his greatest tricks and most amazing feats, complete with index, photos, and
author's notes.
I,Coriander, by Sally Gardner
In 17th century London, Coriander, a girl who has inherited magic from her
mother, must find a way to use this magic in order to save both herself and an
inhabitant of the fairy world where her mother was born.
The Homework Machine, by Dan Gutman
Four fifth-grade students--a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a
slacker--as well as their teacher and mothers, each relate events surrounding
a computer programmed to complete homework assignments.
Double Identity, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Thirteen-year-old Bethany's parents have always been overprotective, but when
they suddenly drop out of sight with no explanation, leaving her with an aunt
she never knew existed, Bethany uncovers shocking secrets that make her
question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.
Martin Bridge: Ready for Take Off!, by Jessica Scott Kerrin
In three illustrated stories, Martin encounters two bus drivers with very
different ways of relating, makes a tough decision about a friend's pet and
takes on an extremely competitive model rocket project that almost costs him a
friendship. The daily rhythms, struggles and triumphs of childhood-at home, at
school and with friends-are evoked with warmth, understanding, honesty and humor.
Regarding the Trees: A Splintered Saga Rooted in Secrets, by Kate Klise
In this story told primarily through letters, Principal Russ wants the middle
school trees to be trimmed before his administrative evaluation, but the
project is interrupted by a town gender war, dueling chefs, student tree
protests, and a surprise wedding.
The Year of the Dog: a Novel, by Grace Lin
Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese
American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog,
those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.
Drita, My Homegirl, by Jenny Lombard
When ten-year-old Drita and her family, refugees from Kosovo, move to New
York, Drita is teased about not speaking English well, but after a popular
student named Maxine is forced to learn about Kosovo as a punishment for
teasing Drita, the two girls soon bond.
Gossamer, by Lois Lowry
While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an
eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the
nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.
Punished!, by David Lubar
Logan and his friend Benedict are playing tag in the library. Logan gets
caught when he runs into a mysterious man. When Logan doesn't apologize
sincerely, the mysterious gentleman punishes him by causing him to speak in
puns. Only finding seven examples each of oxymorons, anagrams and palindromes
within the time limits will return Logan to normal.
Miracle on 49th Street, by Mike Lupica
After her mother's death, twelve-year-old Molly learns that her father is a
basketball star for the Boston Celtics.
All of the Above: a Novel, by Shelley Pearsall
Five urban middle school students, their teacher, and other community members
relate how a school project to build the world's largest tetrahedron affects
the lives of everyone involved.
Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker
While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor
Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also
helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their
apartment building.
Rickshaw Girl, by Mitali Perkins
In her Bangladesh village, ten-year-old Naimi excels at painting designs
called alpanas, but to help her impoverished family financially she would have
to be a boy--or disguise herself as one.
The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a
secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute
for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.
H.I.V.E.: Higher-Institute-of-Villainous-Education, by Mark Walden
Swept away to a hidden academy for training budding evil geniuses, Otto, a
brilliant orphan, Wing, a sensitive warrior, Laura, a shy computer specialist,
and Shelby, an infamous jewel thief, plot to beat the odds and escape the
prison known as H.I.V.E.
Each Little Bird That Sings, by Deborah Wiles
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.
(You may also want to visit the author's blog, One Pomegranate, at
www.deborahwiles1.blogspot.com.)
Counting on Grace, by Elizabeth Winthrop
It's 1910 in Pownal, Vermont. At 12, Grace and her best friend Arthur must go
to work in the mill, helping their mothers work the looms. Together Grace and
Arthur write a secret letter to the Child Labor Board about underage children
working in the mill. A few weeks later, Lewis Hine, a famous reformer arrives
undercover to gather evidence. Grace meets him and appears in some of his
photographs, changing her life forever.
