The Lion of Mars

Book cover for The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

It is 2091, and humans have been living on Mars for twenty years. There are grown-ups who have come from several different countries on Earth to establish the settlements, and there are kids who were brought there as babies. There’s even a cat – Leo – fondly referred to as the “Lion of Mars.”   The … Read more

The Wild Robot Escapes

Book cover for the Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

“But I am not safe here. If any human ever learns who I really am, they will have me destroyed. And that is why, when the time is right, I will try to escape.”   After living on a remote island and learning to speak the language of the animals, Roz the robot is facing a … Read more

Malcolm at Midnight

Book cover for Malcolm at Midnight by W. H. Beck

“A lot happens in a school when the teachers aren’t looking.”  So closes an anonymous letter left for Mr. Binney, fifth grade teacher at McKenna School. The letter is attached to a manuscript that tells a remarkable story of Malcolm and his noble quest to protect the school from the evil plan of Snip, a … Read more

Just Harriet

Book cover image for Elana K. Arnold's Just Harriet

“There are some things you should know about me before I tell you everything else.  Let’s start with the worst things first.  Sometimes I lie. I don’t know why I lie, and it’s usually about dumb things that people figure out   right away, or really soon.  It’s embarrassing, if you want to know the truth.”  … Read more

Booked – The Graphic Novel

Cover for the graphic novel adaptation of Booked by Kwame Alexander

From Newbery-winning author, Kwame Alexander. For middle schools. About soccer. About books. And relationships. Nick Hall is a pretty typical middle schooler. He’s a king on the soccer field, he’s doing well in school, and he’s gearing up to ask out April, the girl of his dreams. However, Nick doesn’t like words. His father is … Read more

The Crossover – The Graphic Novel

Cover for the graphic novel adaptation of Kwame Alexander's The Crossover.

Basketball. Competition. Family. Health. Poetry. Kwame Alexander weaves all these all elements together in his Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning novel in verse, The Crossover. OH, WOW – DID YOU SEE THAT NASTY CROSSOVER?Now you see why they call me Filthy.Folks, I hope you got your tickets,Because I’m about to put on … Read more

Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Cover for Stef Sotto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres

What is life like when you are a seventh-grader who gets picked up from school every day in the family taco truck, lovingly named Tía Perla? Well, what was fun and exciting in elementary school – “corn chips and cold sodas for all my friends” – is now just humiliating.   Tía Perla, huffing and wheezing … Read more

Stella Díaz Never Gives Up

Cover for Stella Díaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez

The girl who charmed you in Stella Díaz Has Something to Say is back for more heartwarming fun. And you don’t have to read the first book to appreciate the second book of this series.   If only I could do something big this summer, too.   It’s the beginning of summer vacation and Stella is dejected. … Read more

The Islanders

Cover for The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe

This was going to be the worst summer ever!  So says Jake as he waits for the ferry to take him to stay with his grandmother, Honey, on Dewees Island in the Lowcountry of South Carolina – very much against his will. No friends. No Wi-Fi. And, minutes after the ferry leaves the dock, no … Read more

The Lemonade War

Updated cover for The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

“Can’t keep up. Can’t keep up.” Jessie Treski wants to keep up with her older brother. She’s really good with numbers, math, and, as it turns out, business. But she’s less sure of the social sense that allows her to understand how others react to her intelligence and her drive, including her classmates and her older … Read more

I Am Malala

I am Malala - Malala Yousafzai

“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”  Malala Yousafzai was raised to stand up for what she believes. She took this to heart as her conviction was severely challenged when the Taliban took control of her formally peaceful town. Despite their tactics of fear and violence, Malala continued to stand … Read more

Toys! Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions

TOYS! Amazing Stories Behind some Great Inventions - Don Wulffson

Most of you have probably played with super balls, toy soldiers, Play-Doh, Legos, or a Mr. Potato Head. Many of you have no doubt enjoyed heated games of Monopoly, Checkers, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, or Parcheesi. But have you ever thought about how these toys and games got their start? Behind every toy there is an … Read more

Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson

Brown Girl Dreaming is the memoir-in-verse of acclaimed novelist, Jacqueline Woodson. A book rich in personal memories and unforgettable phrasing, it will be enjoyed by a wide range of students and their families. Growing up in Ohio, South Carolina, and then Brooklyn, Woodson uses a series of elegantly wrought poems to paint a richly layered … Read more

Bookmarks Are People Too!

Here's Hank - Bookmarks are people too! - Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver

“Papa Pete always says laughter is good, but not as good as a pickle.” Bookmarks Are People Too! is the first book in the Here’s Hank series, books that re-package Henry Winkler’s lovable character Hank Zipzer for younger readers. Don’t worry – these Intro level books retain all the hilarity and shenanigans of Niagara Falls, … Read more

Niagara Falls, Or Does It?

Hank Zipzer - Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver

The Hank Zipzer series is the creation of Henry Winkler (yes, the Fonz, from Happy Days). He began the series to give voice to his own struggles in school when he was a child with dyslexia. So he created Hank Zipzer – “the world’s greatest underachiever.” Yes, Hank struggles with the technical aspects of school … Read more

The Pet War

The Pet War - Allan Woodrow

“Little Miss Perfect” takes on “Mr. Good-Enough” in Allan Woodrow’s tale of sibling-rivalry with an entrepreneurial twist. A resourceful, yet tired single mom wants nothing to do with umpiring her kids’ argument about getting a family pet.  After hearing Lexi’s boardroom-worthy presentation for a cat, and Otto’s desperate pleas for a dog, Mom decides to … Read more

The Trumpet of the Swan

The Trumpet of the Swan - Fred Marcellino

E.B. White wrote three novels for children. You probably know Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. Now is the time to discover or re-visit the equally special The Trumpet of the Swan. The book starts with the young Sam Beaver, a budding naturalist who witnesses a pair of Trumpeter Swans, nesting by a little pond in … Read more

Save Me a Seat

Sarah Weeks - Save me a Seat - Gita Varadarajan

On the surface, Save Me a Seat is book about bullying. But there is so much more. It’s a book about different perspectives, told by two boys from different cultures. It’s a book about friendship. It’s a book about classroom dynamics. It’s a book about Indian food! Ravi’s family has just immigrated from India. He … Read more

EllRay Jakes Is a Rock Star!

Ellray Jakes is a rockstar - Sally Warner

Meet EllRay Jakes, the young protagonist of Sally Warner’s fun, quick-reading series. Meet his parents, sister, and classmates – and take a peek behind the curtain of life in third grade. In the entertaining second book of the series, we find EllRay in the middle of a common school crisis – popularity. Everyone is bragging … Read more

Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up

Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix Up - Melissa Thomson

In Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up, we meet Keena as she starts a new school year with all the excitement and apprehension it brings. She tells us all about it through the entries in her brand new journal, so we experience all of her thoughts and emotions first hand. Like the heroines in many … Read more

Counting by 7s

Counting By 7's - Holly Goldberg Sloan

“What we expect rarely occurs; what we don’t expect is what happens.” This simple, realistic truth reveals the essence of this deeply affecting novel. Willow Chance is twelve years old, which can be a tough time for any kid and Willow isn’t any kid. She is eccentric, alternatively obsessed with rare medical conditions, botany, and … Read more

Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger

Frank Einstein and the Electro-finger - Jon Scieszka

“That is tooooo weird,” marvels Watson. “Magnetism can make electricity. And electricity can make magnetism. But I guess that’s right. ‘Cause both are moving electrons around.”   Frank jumps up from the lab bench. “And since the Earth acts as a giant magnet, imagine how much electricity Earth could make. And imagine if we could … Read more

The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars - Gary D Schmidt

In The Wednesday Wars, Holling Hoodhood, navigates 7th grade on Long Island in the 1967-68 school year, a time of great upheaval both for Holling and the country. At home, his father is absorbed in his competitive architecture practice, his sister is consumed by protesting the Vietnam War, and his mother is trying to maintain … Read more

Holes

Holes - Louis Sachar

Newbery Medal-winning Holes is a rich, complex book that has already engaged a generation of readers. It is sure to provide a wealth of spirited discussion and fun activities when you read it school-wide. At its heart, Holes is the story of Stanley Yelnats, a boy wrongly accused of a crime and sentenced to spend … Read more