Compiled by Lori Carter
re
more you read,
more you know.
more you know,
smarter you grow.
smarter you grow,
stronger your voice,
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky * by Chief Seattle
Journey to Jo’burg by Beverly Naidoo
A Suquamish Indian chief describes his people's respect and love for the earth and concern for its destruction.
Separated from their mother by the harsh s economic conditions prevalent among black thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger b journey over 300 kilometers to find her in
AR BL: 4.4 Points: 0.5 Speech American Bookseller’s Book of the Year On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer When his best friend drowns while they are both swimming in a treacherous river that they had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell both sets of parents the terrible consequences of their disobedience. AR BL: 4.7 Newbery Honor
Points: 2.0
Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
AR BL: 4.6
Points: 2.0
The Little Prince * by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
This enchanting classic fable tells pilot downed in the Sahara and a space who teaches hi the meanin Dr. Salemi’s personal favorites.
AR BL: 5.0 Points: 2.0 NCTE Notable Children’s Book in t
Bull Run by Paul Fleischman
After the death of the beloved aunt who has raised her, twelve-year-old Summer and her Uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.
Northerners, Southerners, generals, courie and worried sisters describe the glory, the and the disillusionment of the first battle of
AR BL: 5.3 Newbery Medal
AR BL: 5.3 Points: 2.0 Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award
Points: 3.0
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schitz
In a series of poems, fourteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm during the Dust Bowl years.
A collection of short one-person poems, feat between the ages of ten and fifteen years old near a thirteenth-century English manor.
AR BL: 5.3 Newbery Medal
AR BL: 5.6 Newbery Medal
Points: 3.0
Points: 2.0
Carver: a life in Poems By Marilyn Nelson
The Gift of the Magi * by O. Henry
Through 44 poems, told from the point of view of George Washington Carver and the people who knew him, Marilyn Nelson celebrates his character and accomplishments.
A husband and wife sacrifice treasured p order to buy each other Christmas pres
AR BL: 5.9 Points: 1.0 Coretta Scott King Honor Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry Mafatu's name means "Stout Heart," but his people call him a coward. Ever since the sea took his mother's life and spared his own, he has lived with deep fear. And even though his father is the Great Chief of Hikueru--an island whose
AR BL: 6.2 Points: 0.5 Classic Short Story
I Have a Dream by Martin Luthe
The text of Martin “I Have a Dream” the most inspiring
One Crazy Summer * By Rita Garcia-Williams
Joey Pigza Series By Jack Gantos
Delphine and her younger sisters travel across the country to visit the mother Delphine barely remembers in this humorous look at the very serious events happening in the country and the Civil Rights Movement during the summer of 1968.
Joey Pigza can't sit still. He can't pay attention, he can't follow he can't help it. Especially when his meds aren't working. Joey ever since he was born, problems just like his father and grand And whether he's wreaking havoc on a class trip or swallowin Joey's problems keep getting worse. Will he ever get anything right? Find out in the humorous but thoughtprovoking Joey Pigza series by Jack Gantos.
AR BL: 4.6 Points: 7.0 Multiple Award Winner — Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King, Scott O’Dell, Historical Fiction Award, National Book Award Finalist A Long Way From Chicago A Year Down Yonder By Richard Peck A rollicking celebration of an eccentric grandmother and childhood memories. Set in the 1930s, this book follows Joe and Mary Alice Dowdel as they make their annual August trek to visit their grandmother who lives in a sleepy Illinois town somewhere between Chicago and St. Louis. You might also enjoy the Newbery Award Winning sequel, about Mary Alice’s adventures, A Year Down Yonder.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key AR BL: 4.9 Points: 5.0 National Book Award Finalist Joey Pigza Loses Control AR BL: 4.9 Points: 7.0 Newbery Honor What Would Joey Pigza Do? AR BL: 5.1 Points: 8.0 I Am Not Joey Pigza AR BL: 5.3 Points: 8.0
A Long Way From Chicago AR BL: 5.0 Points: 5.0 Newbery Honor and National Book Award Finalist
Rules of the Road By Joan Bauer
Jenna is the kind of girl stand out in the crowd wrong reasons. But tha Madeline Gladstone fro drive her cross country effort to stop her son f the company. Now J become a shoe-store sp her crusty old employe opening adventure that both the rules of the ro rules of life.
A Year Down Yonder AR BL: 4.5 Points: 4.0 Newbery Medal
Pippi Longstocking By Astrid Lindgren This classic novel features a heroine who is superstrong, independent, and lives just as she pleases. Her amusing antics are a source of shock and interest to the inhabitants of the tiny Swedish town where she lives, particularly to the children who live next door. AR BL: Classic
5.2
AR BL: 5.0 Poin ALA Best Books of the Ye
Points: 4.0 The Wednesday Wars By Gary D. Schmidt
Everything on a Waffle By Polly Hovarth Primrose Squarp simply knows her parents did not perish at sea during a terrible storm, but try convincing the other residents of Coal Harbour. Primrose finds sanctuary in a restaurant called The Girl in the Swing, where everything - including lasagna - is served on a waffle with some sage advice thrown in as a side. A mix of
The Wednesday Wars is a wonderfully compelling novel about the mishaps and of Holling Hoodhood over the course o grade school year . AR BL: 5.9 Newbery Honor
Points: 12.0
The Landry News By Andrew Clements
A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with a
Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast By Robin McKinley
The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odydssey By Rosemary Sutcliff
Kind Beauty grows to love the Beast at whose castle she is compelled to stay and through her love releases him from the spell which had turned him from a handsome prince into an ugly beast.
After the Trojan War, the great warrior Odysseus is ready to return home to his wife and son, but a certain goddess has other plans for him. Rosemary Sutcliff transforms Homer's magnificent epic poem The Odyssey into an enthralling novel complete with a spectacular cast of men, magicians and monsters
AR BL: 5.6
Points: 16.0
AR BL: 6.5
Points: 5.0
ok of Greek Myths* gar Parin D’Aulaire
hildren's book about the gods and goddesses, of ancient Greek mythology offers a whirlwind eus, Hera, Hermes and the other gods, and y behavior on Mount Olympus and among Points: 6.0 Black Ships Before Troy By Rosemary Sutcliff Homer's epic poem, The Illiad, tells one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel retells the ancient poem’s story where Helen of Troy’s abduction leads to a such a conflict between the Greeks and Trojans that even the gods and goddesses must take sides and intervene. It is in the Trojan War that the most valiant heroes of the ancient world face off against one another. Here Hectore, Ajax, Achilles, and Odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some casas their tragic ends. AR BL: 6.8
Cut From the Same Cloth American Women of Myth, Legend and Tall Tale By Robert D. San Souci "Stories culled from the melting pot of American culture (Hawaiian, Eskimo and Native American, among others) unite a league of female folk heroes as courageous, irascible and noble as any of their more famous male counterparts," AR BL: 6.2
Points: 5.0
American Tall Ta By Mary Pope Os
Tall tales are the uni literary genre of lite geography, forces of strong characters co great collection of ta Tree House author Osborne reflects th of America.
Points: 5.0
AR BL: 6.2 Point
eece and the Heroes Who Lived
um
ere harpies torment mortals, the us sings, the mighty god Zeus wages war d Prometheus steals fire. Author Padraic e tales of Jason and his Argonauts with thology to create this captivating epic nd astounding beings who lived in a time
Points: 13.0 The Adventures of Robin Hood Roger Lancelyn Green The classic story of social justice and outrageous cunning. Robin Hood is champion of the poor and oppressed by twelfth-century England against the cruel power of Prince John and the brutal
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table Roger Lancelyn Green A legend is born when young Arthur meets Merlin and draws the mighty sword from its stone. This spellbinding retelling brings to life King Arthur and the adventures of his Knights, from the quest for the Holy Grail to the final tragedy of the Last Battle. AR BL: 7.7
Points: 11.0 The Children’s Homer By Padraic Colum
Shadow Spinner By Susan Fletcher
Every night, Shahrazad begins a story. And every morning, the Sultan lets her live another day -- providing the sto enough to capture his attention. After almost one thousand nights, Shahrazad is running out of tales. And that is h story begins. In this modern retelling . . .
It falls to Marjan to help Shahrazad find new stories -- ones the Sultan has never heard before. To do that, the gir undertake a dangerous and forbidden mission: sneak from the harem and travel the city, pulling tales from strang them back to Shahrazad. But as she searches the city, a wonderful thing happens. From a quiet spinner of tales, M becomes the center of a more surprising story than she ever could have imagined. . . . AR BL: 4.6
Points: 8.0
her Tales of the Arabian Nights
The Sword in the By T. H. White
e Arabian Nights are ancient stories ense, mystery, magic and adventure ersia, India and Arabia, originally daily entertainment of ordinary woven together under the premise e life of Shahrazad, a queen whose each of his new wives after one By beginning an exciting story every holding the ending, Shahrazad was he breathless king to spare her for the next installment. Of course, of devious story-telling, she had ver.
Under the wise guid the all-powerful ma life progresses back young man who wo King Arthur slowly of being a gentleman up in a colorful wor knights in armor an foul monsters and e
AR BL: 7.5 Poin Tales of the Greek Heroes Roger Lancelyn Green
Points: 8.0
t Egypt Green
ians like other ancient civilizations developed ogy to explain the creation of the world and oger Lancelyn Green has translated and of these ancient myths in this collection. Look ith other ancient stories. Points: 8.0 Gilgamesh the Hero Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
The mysterious and exciting legends of the gods and heroes in Ancient Greece, from the adventures of Perseus, the labours of Heracles, the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, to Odysseus and the Trojan wars. AR BL: 8.2 Points: 9.0
The Canterbury Tale Retold by Geraldine
The legend of Gilgamesh is the oldest written story, pre-dating both The Bible and The Iliad. This is a marvelous retelling of the epic story about a quest for immortality which also includes a legend of the Flood that is remarkably similar to the story of Noah.
McCaughrean presents a modern English of Geof famous work in which a pilgrims in fourteenth-ce tell each other stories a a pilgrimage to the cathe Canterbury.
AR BL: 5.1
AR BL: 7.7
Points: 3.0
k 1 of The Lunar Chronicles eyer
elling of the classic Cinderella story, Cinder is a cyborg (part human, part machine) and must find a way post apocalyptic world. Adopted as a young child, Cinder earns her keep in her home by working as a better to work on machines than someone who is part machine herself?). When the Crown Prince his robot, Cinder is sure her life is about to change for the better. But disaster strikes, the feared plague
Poin
The Prydain Chronicles By Lloyd Alexander
of Narnia*
The Book of Three
of Narnia is a series of seven classic high fantasy novels dventures of various children who play important roles in the onal realm of Narnia where animals talk, magic is common, evil.. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the best e series, but all are fantastic reads for any college-bound
Magician’s Nephew
ory of how Aslan created Narnia and gave the gift of speech animals.
L: 5.4
Points 6.0
The story of Taran, an assistant pig-kee to become a hero. AR BL: 5.3
Points 7.0
The Black Cauldron In Prydain it has become imperative that the black cauldron of Arawn be destroyed, and Taran decides that this is his opportunity to become a man among men. AR BL: 5.2 Points 7.0 Newbery Honor Book
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
children travel to Narnia through a wardrobe, and while they meet Aslan, a great lion, and help in his battle with the White Witch.
L: 5.7
Points 6.0
The Castle of Lyr Princess Eilonwy must leave her friends to go to the Isle of Mona for training as a proper princess, where she learns about magic turned to evil purposes. AR BL: 5.4
Horse and His Boy
hildren and two talking horses save Narnia from the men.
L: 5.8
Points 11.0
hildren help Prince Caspian and his army of Talking Beasts to Narnia from evil.
L: 5.7
Points 10.0
Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’
English children, accompanied by their peevish cousin ce, sail to the magic land of Narnia, where Eustace is orarily transformed into a green dragon because of his selfish vior and skepticism.
BL: 5.9
Points 9.0
Silver Chair
e Rilian of Narnia is captured and taken to the Emerald h's underground kingdom.
BL: 5.7
Taran Wanderer
This fourth volume in the series elates the adventures that befell Taran when he went in search of his birthright and the truth about himself. AR BL: 6.2
e Caspian
Points 8.0
Last Battle
tale of how evil came to Narnia, and how Aslan his people to a glorious new paradise.
Points 7.0
Points 9.0
The High King When the sword of Drnwyn falls into the hands of Arawn-Death-Lord, Taran and his friends raise an army to march against AR BL: 6.1 Newbery Medal
Points 11.0
Savvy By Ingrid Law
Follow the adventures of Mibs Be thirteenth birthday has revealed h magical power unique to each me family--just as her father is injured accident. AR BL: 6.0 Newbery Honor
Points: 9.0
Scumble (sequel to Savvy) By Ingrid Law
d Duology nley
Redwall Series (Any book ) By Brian Jacques
he Crown
Brian Jacques wonderfully rich fantasy series features a mediev the mice and other small anima er to fight the evil in the world many books in the series to be any of them are a fabulous intr work of a master storyteller. M books have book levels in the 5
uidance of the wizard Luthe and ue sword, wins the birthright due er of the Damarian king and the he mysterious, demon-haunted o Blue Sword. Points: 15.0
Redwall AR BL: 5.6
Points: 16.0
The Blue Crown Harry, bored with her sheltered life in the remote orange-growing colony of Daria, discovers magic in herself when she is kidnapped by a native king with mysterious powers. AR BL: 6.8 Points: 17.0 Newbery Honor Book
ortunate Events Series (Any book from the series) cket
k dark Gothic / fantasy ble in its use of unusual text. The series follows the Baudelaire siblings who when their parents were ire. They are sent to live ative, a Count Olaf, who is prive the children of their oks range in level from the
Percy Jackson (Any book from either series) By Rick Riordan
Great introductions to characters and stories of ancient Gre Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Lightning Thief (Book 1) Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. AR BL: 4.7
Points: 13.0
Additional books in The Lightning Thief series are: Sea of M Curse, Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian. Book lev mid 4s to mid 5s. The Heroes of Olympus Series
The follow-up series to Percy Jackson and the Olympians is as a new group of heroes inherit a quest. However, if they the journey, they'll need the help of some familiar demigods. The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune with book levels fro
ning Points: 4.0
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making By Catherynne M. Valente
The Dark is Rising Sequence (any individual title in the series) By Susan Cooper
The narrator tells a story, not unlike the perils of Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy (in Oz), of a twelve-year-old girl named September who is whisked away to Fairyland to retrieve the golden sword for the cruel Marquess.
This series of five books, based on Arthurian and Norse Mythology, depicts the epic strugg against evil. Individual book titles are: Over S The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King (a Winner), and Silver on the Tree.
AR BL: 5.8
AR Book Levels for the series range fro
Points: 11.0
Any book in the series) nke Inkheart follows the adventures of a 12-year-old girl whose life changes dramatically when she discovers that her father has an unusual ability which is that when
Harry Potter Series (Any book in the series) By J. K. Rowling
The best known fantasy series of recent years, t series, chronicles the adventures of the young w friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, in overcome the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, wh
n the Universe ilbrick
The Tripod Trilogy (any book in the series) By John Christopher
earth has been almost destroyed spend their time plugged into brain ent systems, Spaz is the rare ee life as it really is. With his z sets out on a quest to save his Spaz possibly save the world in
The White Mountains Young Will Parker and his companions make a perilous journey toward an outpost of freedom where they hope to escape from the ruling Tripods, who capture mature human beings and make them docile, obedient servants . AR BL: 6.0
Points: 6.0 or Young Adults
Points: 12.0
City of Gold and Lead
any book in the series) rau
Will Parker and his companions gain entry into an extraterrestrial city.
ber
AR BL: 6.5
r-old city, surrounded by a dark ilt to ensure that humans would on Earth, but the instructions ve been lost and forgotten. Can nd a way out and save their ds?
Points: 9.0
Points: 8.0
The Pool of Fire
Will and a small group of free people plan to destroy the three great cities of the Tripods before the arrival of a space ship destined to doom the planet. AR BL: 7.0
Points: 8.0
The City of Ember series are parks, The Prophet of Yonwood, and The Diamond of The Space Trilogy (any book in the series) By C. S. Lewis Out of the Silent Planet
Card
invaded Earth twice. The last vived only because of the brilnder Mazer Rackham. Years ion is feared and a new comEnder Wiggin is only six years ucked to succeed Rackham and station Battle School. Using his ence, Ender where despite his ature, he is quickly promoted can a mere boy really save the Points: 16.0
ye, and the Arm mer
AR BL: 7.4
Points: 10.0 Perelandia
Pitted against the most destructive of h weaknesses, temptation, the Dr. Ranso evil on a new planet -- Perelandra -- wh by a dark force. AR BL: 7.3
The year is 2194, and Tendai, Rita, and Kuda are the children of Zimbabwe's wealthy and powerful chief of security. They've escaped from their father's estate to explore the dangerous city of Harare--and promptly disappear. Their parents call in the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, detectives whose exposure to nuclear waste has given them special powers. Together they must save the children from the evils of the past, the technology of the future, and criminals with plans much more sinister than anyone could have imagined. AR BL: 4.7
A megalomaniacal physicist is in need of a human sacrifice, and Dr. Ransom would seem to fit the bill. Once on the planet, however, Ransom eludes his captors, risking his life and his chances of returning to Earth, becoming a stranger in a land.
Points: 12
Points: 15.0
That Hideous Strength
Finding himself in a world of superior al scientific experiments run amok, Dr. Ra with questions of ethics and morality, a wisdom to a brave new universe domin AR BL: 7.1
Points: 26.0
eries (any book in the series) eterson Haddix
d
d Jonah has always known that he was has never thought it was a big deal. Then inds out he is also adopted, and the boys mysterious and threatening letters. Jonah avel through time in Found and find out is actually a missing child from the past. books in this series attempt solve the issing children from history as Jonah and pt to solve the mystery of Jonah’s own Points: 9.0
he series are Sent, Sabotaged, Torn, and Caught, with more to 5.0 and up.
Under the Sea
1869. This is a nineteenth-century science electric submarine, its eccentric captain, and d. Points: 28
e War of the Worlds H. G. Wells
st published in 1898. Martians invade late nineteenth century gland and create havoc in this classic science fiction story. BL: 9.1
Points: 11.0
The Search for Wondla By Tony DiTerlizzi When a marauder destroys the underground sanctuary that Eva Nine was raised in by the robot Muthr, she is forced to flee aboveground. Eva Nine is searching for anyone else like her, for she knows that other humans exist,. She possesses a scrap of cardboard on which is depicted a young girl, an adult, and a robot, with the strange word, “WondLa.” AR BL: 5.2
Points: 11.0
The Blue Comet By Rosemary Wells
Searching for his father, Oscar boards a train that takes him on an adventure that crosses the country both forward and backward in time.
AR BL: 4.7
Points: 8.0
The Devil’s Arithmetic By Jane Yolen Hannah dreads going to her family's Passover Seder— she's tired of hearing her relatives talk about the past. But when she opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she's transported to a Polish village in the year 1942, where she becomes caught up in the tragedy of the time. AR BL: 5.7 Points: 7.0 National Jewish Book Award King of Shadows By Susan Cooper While in London as part of an all-boy acting company preparing to perform in a replica of the famous Globe Theatre, Nat Field suddenly finds himself transported back to 1599 and performing in the original theater under the tutelage of Shakespeare himself. AR BL: 6.2
Points: 8.0
Trilogy k Trilogy� erfield
Airborn Series By Kenneth Oppel Airborn
Matt, a cabin boy aboard an airship, and girl traveling with her chaperone, team up the existence of mysterious creatures rep hundreds of feet above the Earth's surfac
914 Europe, 15-year-old Alek, running from the who are trying to take over an alliance with Deryn, who, y to join the British Air ng to fly.
Points: 13.0 est Young Adult Fiction Behemoth In the second book of the trilogy, Austrian Prince Alek eludes the Germans by traveling in the "Leviathan" with his new friend Deryn to Constantinople, where he faces a whole new set of challenges. AR BL: 5.4
Points: 15.0
Skybreaker Matt Cruse, a student at the Airship Academy, and Kate de Vries, a young heiress, team up with a gypsy and a daring captain to find a long-lost airship rumored to carry a treasure beyond imagination.
AR BL: 5.0
Points 16.0
Points: 13.0
standing finale to this imaginative unk trilogy. On the last leg of their quest to end World War I, Alek together to reclaim Alek’s throne tria despite the presence of a c onboard the Leviathan.
Points: 14.0
AR BL : 5.1
Starclimber
On Canada's first venture into outer spac and Kate de Vries journey on the "Starclim a series of catastrophes that threaten the on board.
AR BL: 4.9
Points: 15.0
The Shadow Children Series (any book in the series) By Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Giver Quart
W
hile Gathering Blue, Messenger an true sequels to The Giver, they d the same world and deal with th and in some instances the same people.
Among the Hidden In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family’s farm, until another “third” convinces him that the government is wrong. AR BL: 4.8
Points: 5.0
Gathering Blue In this speculation on the nature of the future of human society, life in Kira's community is nasty, brutish, and, for the ill or disabled, short.
Among the Imposters
AR BL: 5.0
When Luke enters boarding school under an assumed name, he is forced to face his fears and his fellow humans.
Messenger
AR BL: 4.9
Points: 5.0
Among the Betrayed
d Nina is imprisoned by the Populagive her the option of helping them ird-born” children or facing death. Points: 5.0
in the series are: Among the Barons, Among the Enemy, and Among the
Points: 7.0
In this novel that unites characters from "The Giver" and "Gathering Blue," Matty, a young member of a utopian community that values honesty, conceals an emerging healing power that he cannot explain or understand. AR BL: 4.9
Points: 5.0
Son They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive? She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice. AR BL: 5..0
Points: 11.0
The Hunger Games Trilogy By Suzanne Collins
Uglies By Scott Westerfeld
In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds.
Imagine a future world where everyone thinks they are born ugly, and the government requires everyone to undergo an operation at age 16 which wipes out physical differences and makes everyone conform to an ideal standard of beauty. The "New Pretties" are then free to play and party. Tally Youngblood can’t wait to be made pretty and be reunited with her BFF, Peris. To pass the time until her operation, Tally spends her time playing tricks on the establishment with her new friend, Shay. But Shay has a secret and Tally has been reclassified! Will Tally still get to become a Pretty?
The sequels, Catching Fire and Mockingjay are equally engrossing and intense. AR Book levels are in the low 5s. Note: Adolescent Content and Themes, Mild Romance, Violence
Divergent By Veronica Roth She turns to the future in a world that’s falling apart. For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs. Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead…
Points: 16.0 nt Themes and Content, Mild Romance, Violence
t is the first book in a dystopian trilogy. Currently only sequel, Insurgent have been published. However, Diverook available in the New Hope library as the sequel o more adolescent romance, content, and themes. Sturead Insurgent for a book analysis assignment will need ssion and will have to obtain the book on their own.
AR BL: 5.2 Points: 13.0 Note: Mature themes and content, mention of adolescent “ mention of alcoholic drinks, mild romance, violence
Note: Uglies is the first book in a dystopian quartet. Howe only book available in the New Hope library as the two seq companion book delve further into more adolescent conten Students wishing to read the sequels (Pretties and Specials) a ion book (Extras) for a book analysis assignment will need p mission and will need to obtain the book on their own.
The Matched Trilogy Matched, Crossed, Reached By Ally Condie
For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not w the job she will have, or the boy she will e In Matched, the Society Officials have dete outcomes for all aspects of daily life, there "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best fr as her ideal Marriage Match it confirms he ety knows best, until she plugs in her Mat a different boy’s face flashes on the screen mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path t -- rebelling against the predetermined life store for her. The Matched Trilogy remin freedom of choice is precious, and not wi
Note: Matched and Crossed feature mild are less violent than many other dystopian will be published in November 2012. Sinc pre-read, we encourage parents to use the whether this book is an appropriate choic Matched AR BL: 4.8
Points: 13.0
Crossed AR BL: 4.2
Points: 12.0
nius Series n the series) en
le mother are struggling a a job with the Atlanta ws her to have a pass to Troy realizes that the nticipating the plays the s his pass to try to get to s not a good idea, and his rarily fired. Troy also ecision to steal an official ayer's yard, but when the retrieve it, he realizes that he ability to predict game m can use this to their
Football Hero, Football Champ, The Big Time, and Deep
s range from the upper 4s to the low 5s.
Baseball Great Series (any book in the series) By Tim Green Josh feels like he's starting to make it big! Jaden, the school reporter, says he's going to take the baseball team to number one. Then his dad pulls him off the field and signs him up with Coach Rocky Valentine's youth championship team, the Titans. He says Josh has what it takes to be a baseball great—and the Titans will help him get there., but at what cost??? Sequels: Rivals and The Best of the Best.
s range from upper 4s to low 5s.
een
look alike. But their lives e different.
e star, There's nothing he ept the one thing he wants seball for real.
kid who seems to have what it to baseball's Major Leagues. to get the scouts at the big t to recognize his talent., and his dad’s dream of becoming a me true, too.
up at Casting Central to make some extra money, he and gether on a movie set and see the chance to trade places—to h other and make everyone’s dream come true.
Books by Mike Lupica (any book by this au Some of His Best Are: True Legend There's a reason teammates call him "True." Because for basketball phenom Drew Robinson, there is nothing more true than his talent on the court. It's the kind that comes along once in a generation and is loaded with perks--and with problems. Before long, True buys in to his own hype, much to the chagrin of his mother, who wants to keep her boy's head grounded--and suddenly trouble has a way of finding him. That is, until a washed -up former playground legend steps back onto the court and takes True under his wing. AR BL: 5.2
Points 10.0
The Underdogs Will Tyler can fly on a football field. He may not be the biggest running back around, but no one can touch him when it comes to hitting the hole and finding the end zone. And no one can match his love of the game. When Will has a football in hand, he may as well be flying for real because life can't touch him - his dad isn't so defeated, his town isn't so poor, and everyone has something to cheer for. All of which does him no good if the football season is canceled. With no funding for things like uniforms and a cared-for playing field, with seemingly every other family moving to find jobs, there simply isn't enough money or players for a season. Unless one kid can rally an entire town and give everyone a reason to believe... AR BL:
5.2
Points: 9.0
The Batboy Even though his mother feels baseball ruined her marriage to his father, she allows fourteen-year-old Brian to become a batboy for the Detroit Tigers, who have just drafted his favorite player back onto the team. AR BL: 5.7 Points: 8.0
Additional Titles by Mike Lupica ito check out nclu
Heat (Baseball) Game Changers (Football) Travel Team (Basketball) Million-Dollar Throw (Football)
n’s Sports Mysteries the series) nstein
nd Susan Carol Anderson are aspiring . They both work for their school eir craft, but their writing is not the y are practicing. No matter what ent they attend from the Final Four to o the Olympics, Steven and Susan elves in the middle of a mystery! f the great sports writers of our time, re a great combination of authentic suspense. Titles include Final Four; stery at the U.S. Open; Cover-Up er Bowl; Change-Up - Mystery at the Rivalry - Mystery at the Army-Navy or the Gold - Mystery at the Olympics.
s range from the high 4s to the
Unstoppable By Tim Green If anyone understands the phrase "tough luck," it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing for the NFL is a long shot. Then Harrison's luck seems to change. He is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents—his new dad is even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the junior-high-school team. In no time, he's practically unstoppable. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever. No AR Quiz Yet — Too New! :)
Over the Wall By John Ritter Tyler's temper is out of control. If he isn't careful, he'll blow his chances of making the All -Star team and being noticed by a scout. But Tyler's coach, a Vietnam War veteran, has seen anger destroy enough people. He knows that if Tyler is ever going to fulfill his dreams, he'll have to learn to fight his battles with his glove, his bat, and his love for the game. Not with his fists. But it all comes down to Tyler. Does he care enough about his future to work through the past? Points: 10
The National Park Mysteries (any book in the series) By Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson
Jack and Ashley Landon have an exciting life. They often have a “new” brother or sister as their parents often serv parents.. Furthermore, their father is a professional photographer and their mom a wildlife veterinarian and biolog parents’ jobs allow the Landon family to travel and live in some of the most beautiful places in the world, America Parks. Jack and Ashley can find trouble anywhere, however, and find themselves in the middle of a mystery where The first book in the series, Wolf Stalker, takes place in Yellowstone National Park where the newly reintroduced blamed for an attack and a disappearance. Other titles include: Rage of Fire, Cliff-Hanger, Deadly Waters, The H Horses, Escape from Fear, Over the Edge, Valley of Death, Out of the Deep, Running Scared, Buried Alive, and N Black Bear. AR Book Levels for the series range from the high 4s to the mid 5s
m Mystery Series (any book) kley
rs, Sabrina and Daphne, have been er home to foster home since their rance. Their caseworker doesn’t have been mistreated,, but they he town of Everafters in the care of ndmother. The girls soon take part ness, becoming amateur detectives. ry tale, fantasy, and mystery, this lease. Titles in the series include: etectives, The Usual Suspects, The Once Upon a Crime, Magic and nors, Tales from the Hood, The he Inside War, and The Council of
s for the series range from the upper 4s to the
John Feinstein’s Sports Mysteries (any book in the series) By John Feinstein Steven Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are aspiring sports journalists. They both work for their school paper to hone their craft, but their writing is not the only skill that they are practicing. No matter what great sporting event they attend from the Final Four to the Super Bowl to the Olympics, Steven and Susan Carol find themselves in the middle of a mystery! Written by one of the great sports writers of our time, these mysteries are a great combination of authentic sports action and suspense. Titles include Final Four; Vanishing Act - Mystery at the U.S. Open; Cover-Up Mystery at the Super Bowl; Change-Up - Mystery at the World Series; The Rivalry - Mystery at the Army-Navy Game; and Rush for the Gold - Mystery at the Olympics. AR Book Levels range from the high 4s to the mid 5s.
Scat By Carl Hiaasen
Ghost Canoe By Will Hobbs
Nick and Marta are determined to find what happened to the biology teacher after she disappears on a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. The result is a fast paced ecological mystery involving the Florida panther and a cast of unique characters. Highly recommended by Mrs. Ramsey.
An Edgar Award winning historical mys northwest coast of the United States, G tures a ghostly canoe, a skeleton, an anc betrayal, and a murder! Join 14 year-o lister as he and his new friend Lighthou dle the fierce waters of the Pacific looki
AR BL: 5.5
AR BL: 5.9
Points: 12.0
Benedict Society y book) Stewart
doon responds to an advertiseifted children looking for special finds himself in a world of myse. The 11-year-old orphan is one o complete a series of challenging , and in the process become the ict Society. The young investigaheir special talents and abilities er the secrets of a criminal masonly chance to defeat him is ogether.
ysterious Benedict Society and
Points: 8.0
Kokopelli’s Flute By Will Hobbs
The magic had always been there. 13-year-old Tepary Jones could feel it. Fascinated by Picture House, the ancient cliff dwelling near his parents' Seed Farm, he knew this would be the perfect place to view his first total eclipse of the moon. Waiting for the eclipse to begin, Tep admired the mysterious pictures chipped into the cliff walls by the Ancient Ones. His favorites were two of Kokopelli, the legendary humpbacked flute player. Suddenly Tep's dog Dusty heard noises— robbers with shovels were digging in the red sandstone, destroying the ancient ruins and stealing the priceless treasures! In their haste the vandals left behind a sma flute. Something told Tep he shouldn't put the flute to his lips,
A mystery story with magical elements, full of scientific and his
e Mysteries (any book in the series) m
Enola Holms Mysteries (any book in the series) By Nancy Springer
. A faceless witness. A lone courtroom the whole truth…and he's only thirteen Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer.
Enola Holmes, the fourteen-year-old younger sister of the world famous detective Sherlock Holmes, solves mysteries, too, much to her older brother’s dismay. This series is a terrific introduction to the Victorian Age and a great gateway to the more complex Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
h, but Theo won't stop until justice is g with the intrigue and suspense that m a #1 international bestseller and the r of the legal thriller, the Theodore Boone mystery series ssing and turning the pages. Boone: Kid Lawyer, Theodore Boone: The Abduction, The Accused.
AR Book levels are range from the mid 6s to the The Art Mystery Series (any book in the series) By Blue Balliett Chasing Vermeer
range from 5.2 to 5.7 .
When seemingly unrelated and stra to happen and a precious Vermeer pears, eleven-year-olds Petra Anda Pillay combine their talents to solve art scandal.
The Egypt Game By Zilpha Keatley Snyder Two girls get involved in an elaborate "Egypt game," a fantasy game that soon grows to include six “Egyptians” but strange,, unexplainable things are happening in the neighborhood. Has the “Egypt Game” gone too far? AR BL: 6.4
Points: 7.0
Sequels: The Wright 3 and The C AR Book Levels range from 5.4 to
Newbery Award Winner
Mystery Series (any book in the series) Van Draanen
ard-winning comedic mystery novels d middle-schooler Sammy Keyes as she works to get herself out of it. Told in ers can so relate to Sammy’s ability to ng at the wrong time, but still persevere ammy Keyes is a younger, tougher Nan-
ange from the upper 4s to the high 5s.
Holes* By Louis Sachar Stanley Yelnats was given a choice. The judge said, "You may go to jail, or you may go to Camp Green Lake." Stanley was from a poor family. He had never been to camp before. All is not what it seems, however, and Stanley soon discovers there is much more going on at Camp Green Lake than character building. Can he discover what they mystery is? AR BL: 4.7 Points: 6.0 Newbery Award Winner
Dovey Coe By Francis O’Rourke Dowell
House of Dies Drear By Virginia Hamilton
“My name is Dovey Coe and I reckon it don't matter if you like me or not. I'm here to lay the record straight, to let you know them folks saying I done a terrible thing are liars. I aim to prove it, too. I hated Parnell Caraway as much as the next person, but I didn't kill him. “ So begins this great historical mystery set in Appalachia. AR BL: 5.4
The house held secrets, TIt had legend - two fugitive slaves had bounty hunters after leaving its Dies Drear himself, the abolition made the house into a station o ground Railroad, had been murd ghosts of the three were said to
Points: 6.0
AR BL: 4.8
Points: 9.0
n
d in town. Again! Unfortunately, Roy's in Florida is Dana Matherson, a welln again, if Dana hadn't been sinking his s temples and mashing his face against indow, Roy might never have spotted way from the school bus, carried no re's the odd part — wore no shoes.
The Westing Game By Ellen Raskin This Newbery award winning book is known for its extremely complex plot structure that is part mystery story, part play-along game, and part doit-yourself puzzle. Sixteen game players have been invited to hear the reading of Sam Westing’s will. They could become millionaires. It all
Far North By Will Hobbs
Zach’s Lie and Jack’s Run By Roland Smith
This multiple award winning adventure takes readers on a wild journey in Canada’s Northern Territories. Trapped in a frozen world of moose, wolves, and bears, Gabe and Raymond, two boys from vastly different cultures come to depend on each other for their very survival.
Jack Osborne was a pretty average kid - was, that is, until the night masked men break into his house, threaten his family, and ransack their home. Why? As it turns out, the small airline that Jack's dad owns is actually a front for illegal drug trafficking. Now Jack's dad has been arrested, and his "business associates" want to make sure he doesn't talk. The only way to safety for Jack, his mother, and his sister is the Witness Security Program, which means that Jack Osborne from Texas will now be Zach Granger from Nevada. But just as Zach finally begins to put the pieces of his life back together, he finds himself in danger - and what he does now could mean life or death for everyone he cares about most.
AR BL: 5.3
Points:
9.0
Thrillers series) violence due to the nature of the spy novel) rowitz
breaker
Bond, Alex Rider has arx’s uncle is killed, Alex learns banker, but a spy for MI6. overnment needs 14-year-old uncle’s mission!
AR BL: 4.3
Sequel: Jack’s Run - Find out what happens next to Zach and his family. The Maze By Will Hobbs
Just fourteen, Rick Walker is alone, desperate. Stowing away in the bac suddenly finds himself at a dead end dle of nowhere. The Maze. In this s of stark redrock spires and deep sa Rick stumbles into the remote cam grino, a bird biologist who is releasi fornia condors back into the wild. birds help Rick find a way out of the
e series include: Point Blank, gle Strike, Scorpia, Ark Angel, odile Tears, Scorpia Rising Points: 7.0
s by Gary Paulsen * (any book in the series)
onor Winner is an adventure till trying to deal with his parent’s plane he is traveling in to visit his e wilderness. With only the gave him before he boarded the find a way to survive.
AR BL: 5.0
Points:
7.0
Downriver and River Thunder By Will Hobbs Downriver
No adults, no permit, no river old Jessie and her six compani covery Unlimited, an outdoor she's been sent to by her fathe company's rafting gear and tak Colorado River through the G their own. Pursued by helicop push on into the black-walled heart of the Grand Canyon, o huge rapids, bone-chilling rain, conflict within the group. Wha consequences of their reckles
n the Series: The River, Brian’s Winter, Brian’s Hunt
or the series range from 5.5 to
Julie of the Wolves (any book in the series) By Jean Craighead George
Miyax, like many adolescents, is torn. But unlike most, her choices may determine whether she lives or dies. At 13, an orphan, and unhappily married, Miyax runs away from her husband's parents' home, hoping to reach San Francisco and her pen pal. But she becomes lost in the vast Alaskan tundra, with no food, no shelter, and no idea which is the way to safety. When a pack of wolves begins to accept her into their community, Miyax must learn to think like a wolf as well. If she trusts her Eskimo instincts, will she stand a chance of surviving.
Points: 7.0
AR BL: 4.9
Points:
River Thunder “They're calling it a flood—highest water anyone's ever seen in the Grand Canyon! It's all over the national news!” Jessie and her companions from Downriver have returned to the Grand Canyon, brimming with anticipation about running the big rapids: Granite, Her-
the Frog en
Thunder Cave By Roland Smith
d David Alspeth intended only ’s last wish when he set sail in en a savage storm slams the tiny stranded. No wind. No radio. en cans of food. And the storm hallenge David must face . . . .
After 14 year old Jacob Lansa's mother is killed in an accident, he flees his New York City home to try and find his Dad, a wildlife biologist studying and trying to protect elephants in a remote part of Kenya. Although he has already learned much about survival and wildlife biology from survival school and his Hopi father and grandfather, Jacob must still struggle and learn as he faces challenges from thieves, lions, poachers, heat and drought
oints: 5.0
AR BL: 4,2
t Bear (for mature readers: violence) sen Cole has done it this time. He’s been breaking the law for years, but this time he has really hurt someone. As a Native American, he is offered Circle Justice and receives banishment to a remote Alaskan island. There he is mauled by the legendary white spirit bear. As he waits for death, Cole’s thoughts shift from anger to humility. To survive, he must stop blaming others and take responsibility for his life. Is it too late for Cole to turn his life around? AR BL:
5.3
Points:
9.0
Trapped in Death Cave By Bill Wallace
Everybody thinks Gary's grampa died in a fishing accident. But from a note Grampa left, Gary suspects he was murdered. The note tells of a million dollars in gold hidden in a cave and an old Indian curse promising that anyone who touches it will die! Gary and his friend Brian are sure that if they find the gold, they will also find Grampa's killer. But treasure hunting can be deadly. Now they are stuck in a dark cavern full of tangled skeleto Indian spirits, and a murderer out for their blood! W Gary ever get out of Death Cave alive? AR BL: 4.2
Taylor
when the Germans invade the uraao. War has always been a d he's eager to glimpse it e freighter he and his mother the United States on is torpeillip comes to, he is on a small e of the sea. Besides Stew Cat, ion is an old West Indian, Timombers his mother's warning ple: "They are different, and tly." But by the time the castasmall island, Phillip's head injury ind and dependent on Timothy. Points: 4.0
Gold! Gold discovered in Alaska! This historical adventure is a page turning blend of fact and fiction as fifteen-year-old Jason Hawthorn jumps a train for Seattle, stows away on a ship bound for the goldfields, and joins thousands of fellow prospectors attempting the difficult journey to the dangerous Klondike. Jason and
Points: 5.0
Stranded By Ben Mihaelsen
Nothing has been the same for Koby since she lost her foot in an accident four years ago. Between the smothering concern of her parents and the awkward glances from the kids at school, Koby can truly feel at home only when she is on the ocean in her dinghy, Titmouse. But tonight, when twelve-year-old Koby finds herself stranded in the middle of the dark ocean with two dying pilot whales and an aching "phantom" foo little more than tremble. The lives of the two whale Koby's hands and her strength is weakening. There in sight. The ocean is the last place Koby wants to b AR BL:
s
Points: 9.0
4.2
Points: 8,0
My Side of the Mountain (any book in the series By Jean Craighead George
Every kid thinks about running away a another; few get farther than the end Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of keeps going--all the way to the Catski upstate New York. There he sets up h hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a
Bedroom Wall Williams
year-old Korinna Rehe is an an active member of her local Jungmadel, a Nazi youth group, along with many of her eves that Hitler is helping Germany by dealing with what he calls the “Jewish Problem,” a program she witnesses as her are attacked and taken from their homes. Korinna’s parents, however, secretly are members of an underground retly helping Jewish members of their community to escape. When Korinna discovers a refugee family hiding behind edroom and Hitler’s Gestapo are tipped off, she must decide what she really believes and whom she really trusts.
oints 4.0
e Square Whelan
Between of Shades of Gray By Ruta Sepetys
for the aristocracy of St. Pel of 1914. The daughter of a atya Ivanova is safe behind the takes her vacations on the d her tea with the Tsar’s daughamily feels like her own. But . . . e, a devastating war is sweeping nd deep unrest takes root in me of revolution ignites ina e rich have always ruled, ain future dissolves away . . . .
oints: 8.0
ssion azer
d War II is raging across Europe, fifk Raab dreams of being a hero. Leaving is family, and his boyhood behind, Jack nd lies his way into the U.S. Air Force.
In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, f
that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret violently into her home, deporting her along with her mo er brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina's father ha ed from the family and sentenced to death in a prison cam Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in her art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive? AR BL: 3.6
Points: 9.0
Code Talker By Joseph Bruchac
n England, he and his crew fly twentybombing missions over occupied is almost over and Hitler near defeat r last mission -- a mission destined for wn far behind enemy lines, Jack is d sent to a German POW camp, where his experiences are han anything he'd ever imagined.
The United States is at war year old Ned Begay wants t --especially when he hears t being specifically recruited b Corps. So he claims he's old enlist, breezes his way thro and suddenly find himself in secret task, one that's exclu formed by Navajos. He bec talker. . .
Points: 6.0
onfessions of Charlotte Doyle
AR BL: 6.4
A vicious captain, a mutinous crew -and a young girl caught in the middle . . . . “Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. Be warned, however: If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more. Find another companion to share your idle hours. For my part I intend to tell the truth as I lived it. . . . “
Poi
Caddie Woodlawn By Carol Ryrie Brink
Caddie Woodlawn is a real adven rather hunt than sew and plow th tries to beat her brother's dares she gets. Caddie is friends with In scare most of the neighbors -- ne like her mother and sisters, don't at all.
ste for Scarlet and Miniver gsburg
ine, wife to two kings, mother to een waiting in Heaven a long time more or less -- to be reunited husband, Henry II of England. s come when Henry will be ion. While Eleanor, never a pae or afterlife, waits, three people, s close to Eleanor during a time r. Their reminiscences do far istract Eleanor -- they also paint a n extraordinary woman who was n a remarkable period in history mplishments have had an important ety through the ages. Points: 5.0
nelli
When the polite greeting in a society is "Have you eaten well today?' one may guess that subsistence is of prime concern. Surely no one in this twelfth-century Korean village is more accustomed to hunger than the orphan boy Tree-ear and his guardian Crane-man who is lame. They sleep under a bridge in summer and in a pit in winter, eating what they can forage in the woods or garbage piles. At the age of 12, Tree-ear becomes an assistant to the potter Min. A hard taskmaster to himself and the boy, Min is the maker of the finest celadon ware in Ch'ul'po, a village known for its pottery. When Min entrusts two precious pots to Tree-ear to deliver to Songdo, the boy must make his way across miles of unknown territory, relying on his courage and w himself worthy of Min's trust . AR BL:
Jew. Gypsy. Stop thief. Filthy son s a boy who lives in the streets of oy who steals food for himself, hans. He's a boy who believes in rs, and angels. He's a boy who zi, with tall, shiny jackboots of his that suddenly makes him change hen the trains come to take the etto, he's a boy who realizes it's nobody.
Points: 7.0
of Blackbird Pond h George Speare
ed by suspicion and disapproval t she arrives on the unfamiliar Connecticut in 1867. Alone and s been forced to leave her behe island of Barbados and join a ver met. Torn between her quest her desire to be true to herself, urvive in a hostile place. Just when t give up, she finds a kindred spirship with Hannah Tupper, beonists to be a witch, proves more ould have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose beand her duty.
Points: 9.0
A Single Shard By Linda Sue Park
Newbery Award Winner
t and the Buckminster Boy Schmidt
t only takes a few hours for Turner Buckminster to start hating Phippsburg, Maine. No one in town will let him forget hat he's a minister's son, even if he doesn't act like one. But hen he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart and sassy girl from poor nearby island community founded by former slaves.
6.6
Points: 6.0
Newbery A
Storm Warriors By Elisa Carbone
Driven from his home by the Ku Klux Klan and still reeling from the death of his mother, Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to the desolate Pea Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to start a new life. Fortunately, life on Pea Island at the end of the 19th century is far from quiet. The other island residents include the surfmen-the African American crew of the nearby U.S. Life-Saving Station--and soon Nathan is lending an extra hand to these men as they rescue sailors from sinking ships. Working and learning alongside the courageous surfmen, Nathan begins to dream of beco self. But the reality of post-Civil War racism starts to sho gradually realizes the futility of his dream. And then anot to take shape, one that Nathan refuses to let anyone tak AR BL:
5.5
Points:
6.0
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade By Diane Lee Wilson When Oyuna was a baby, a horse accidentally crushed her foot, cursing her family with bad luck. Oyuna vows to restore good fortune to her family...but how? One fateful day, soldiers from the great Khan's army invade her village to steal horses and gather new soldiers. In hopes of bringing honor to her family, Oyuna courageously disguises herself as a boy and joins the soldiers on their quest. With only her horse and her cat to keep her company,
That Ends the Night olf
e, the 1912 sinking of the ed by millionaire John Jacob young Lebanese refugee “Unsinkable� Molly Brown, nd others including the underrecover the bodies and the ote some descriptions while be disturbing to sensitive
ints 11.0
winner Trilogy (any book in the trilogy) Ellis
ner
ves with her family in one ed-out apartment building stan. Because he has a n, her father is arrested by eligious group that con. Since women cannot unless covered head to ool, or work outside the becomes increasingly arvana conceives a plan. and disguises herself as a ey for her family. Parvana’s survive is the force that drives this novel set against the ntolerable situation brought about by war and religious
oints: 4.0
’s Journey, Mud City
ture Readers — Adolescent Content) nelli
day she arrives at quiet rst of color and sound, with the murmur of ” She captures Leo Borust one smile. She pirit revolution with just udents of Mica High are t. Then they turn on ddenly shunned for eves her different, and Leo, perate with love, urges e very thing that can mal. Points:
6.0
dbird Creech
an ordinary summer. hirteen-year-old Zinny d, overgrown trail the woods behind her e realized that things ange. Right from the w that uncovering the ore than just a sumas her chance to le notice her, and to could call her very han that, Zinny knew ehow held the key to ons. And that the rstand her family, her
Out of My Mind By Sharon 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. AR BL: 4.3
Points: 8.0
The Pigman (Mature Readers — Adolescent Co By Paul Zindel For sophomores John and Lorraine, the world feels meaningless; nothing is important. They certainly can never please their parents, and school is a chore. To pass the time, they play pranks on unsuspecting people. It's during one of these pranks that they meet the "Pigman"--a fat, balding old man with a zany smile plastered on his face. In spite of themselves, John and Lorraine soon find that they're caught up in Mr. Pignati's zest for life. In fact, they become so involved that they begin to destroy the only corner of the world that's ever mattered to them. AR BL:
5.5
Points:
6.0
The View From Saturday By E.L. Konigsburg
Mrs. Eva Marie Olinski always gave good answers. Whenever she was asked how she had selected her team for the Academic Bowl, she chose one of several good answers. Most often she said that the four members of her team had skills that balanced one another. That was reasonable. Sometimes she said that she knew her team would practice. That was accurate. To the district superintendent of schools, she gave a bad answer, but she did that only once, only to him, and if that answer was not good, her reason for giving it was. The fact was that Mrs. Olinski did not know how she had chosen her team, fact was that she didn't know that she didn't know until she di
They called themselves The Souls. They told Mrs. Olinski that Souls long before they were a team, but she told them that th as soon as they became The Souls. Then after a while, teacher agreed that they were arguing chicken-or-egg.
People still remark about how extraordinary it was to have fo make it to the finals. There had been a few seventh graders sc the other teams, but all the rest of the middle school regional eighth graders. Epiphany had never before won even the local and there they were, up on stage, ready to compete for the st
The Skin I’m In (Mature Readers — Adolescent Content) By Sharon Flake Thirteen-year old Maleeka Madison is tall, skinny, and dark-skinned. That's a problem for her, because it's such a problem for everyone else at school, it seems. To make her life easier, Maleeka befriends the toughest girl in school. Only bullies force you to pay more than you’d like, so life for Maleeka just gets harder, until she learns to stand up for herself and love the skin she's in.
AR BL : 4.1 Points: 4.0 Coretta Scott King Award
Erskine
er's. The world according to hite; anything in between is when things got confusing, r older brother, Devon, for as died, and Caitlin's dadMelst people. She cannot walk or photographic memory; she ery detail of everything she ced. She is smarter than most try to diagnose her and classmates in her integrated ery same classmates who ntally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. es to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to w it…somehow. is so distraught that he is just not helpful. ything to go back to the way things were, but she doesn't that. Then she comes across the word closure- and she at she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that t be black and white after all.
Points: 5.0 Award Finalist
ers (Mature Readers — Adolescent Content,
on
yboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a
Wonder By R. J. Palacio
August Pullman, Auggie to hi friends, was born with severe ties as a result of a very rare tion. Auggie himself tells us, scribe what I look like. Wha thinking, it’s probably worse.
Auggie has been homeschool to the many surgeries he has in order to survive and becau feared the reactions of other Auggie is now about to enter the fifth grade and his mom for him to go to a traditional school.
Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the w is a novel about being that change no matter who you are cles are in your way.
AR BL :
4.8
Points:
11.0
Pinocchio (unabridged) By Carlo Collodi
Little Women (unabr By Louisa May Alcot
The old wood-carver Geppetto decides to make a wonderful puppet which can dance and turn somersaults, but by chance he chooses an unusual piece of wood - and the finished puppet can talk and misbehave like the liveliest child. But Pinocchio is brave and inquisitive as well as naughty, and after some hair-raising adventures, he earns his heart's desire.
While their father is away in the four March girls -- practic bunctious Jo, sweet Beth and Amy -- live in genteel poverty mother Marmee. Despite ha the girls keep their spirits up gardening, homemade plays, a al romp with wealthier pals. T little rich boy" Laurie, joins in their adoptive brother, as the the facts of growing up.
AR BL: 5.3
Points: 6.0
Garden (unabridged) Hodgson Burnett
behind the doors at Misselthwaite arrived at her uncle's estate, ennox is spoiled, sickly, and ceroy living there. Then she discovoorway into an overgrown garden, death of her aunt ten years earligins transforming it into a thing of that she is changing too.
hides another secret, as mary ht. High in a dark room, away from the rest of the house, usin, Colin, who believes he is an incurable invalid, destined tantrums are so frightful, no one can reason with him. If she can get Colin to love the secret garden as much as c will work wonders on him.
Points: 13.0
Swiss Family Robinson (unabridged) By Johann Wyss When a Swiss family is stranded on a tropical island, they remain optimistic and inventive. With what they salvage from the wrecked ship and the island's resources, they adapt to their new life. AR BL: 9.7
Points: 23.0
en Gables he series) ud Montgomery
hbert's brother, Matthew, Green Gables with a chatty n girl, Marilla exclaims, "But we We have no use for a girl." It's before the Cuthberts can't could ever do without young ables--but not for the original ht an orphan. Somewhere Anne "confesses" to losing pin (which she never took) in owed to go to a picnic, and entally dyes her hated carrot-red hair green, Marilla says to
AR BL: 7.9
Points: 33
Treasure Island (unabridged) By Robert Louis Stevenson A mysterious seaman hides at a country inn; cutthroats raid a sleepy English village; suddenly, young Jim Hawkins becomes the owner of a map leading to a lost tropical island and a fortune in stolen gold. Three adventures--Jim, Squire Trelawney, and Dr. Livesey--set out to find the treasure.
But they trust the one they should most fear, Long John Silver. Charming, brave ruthless, murderous, Silver fills the squire's ship with pirates. And on the desolate, fever-infested island, the quest for gold becomes a deadly war of hide and seek. Desperate defenders against merciless killers battling over a cursed treasure won with blood, buried with blood, sought w Incredible wealth that Jim and his friends can only claim‌ If AR BL: 8.3
Points: 12.0
The Call of the Wild (una By Jack London
Life is good for Buck in Santa Clara he spends his days eating and sleep sunshine. But one day a treacherou leads to his kidnap, and he is forced and danger. Dragged away to be a harsh and freezing cold Yukon, Buc his survivial. Can he rise above his become the master of his realm on AR BL: 8.0
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (unabridged) By Lewis Carroll On an ordinary summer's afternoon, Alice tumbles down a hole and an extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange world with even stranger characters, she meets a rabbit with a pocket watch, joins a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and plays cro-
Points: 7.0
The Hound of the Baskervilles (unabri By Sir Arthur Con
White Fang (unabridged) By Jack London Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him. AR BL:
7.4
The terrible spectacle of th of the moor, the discovery classic horror story pits de dog. When Sir Charles Bas dead on the wild Devon m footprints of a giant hound blame is placed on a family to Sherlock Holmes and D to solve the mystery of the phantom hound before Sir comes to an equally grueso
Points: 13.0
Book (unabridged) Kipling
ws of the evil tiger g Mowgli is adopted by aught the law of the old Baloo the bear and ther. The adventures of he snake-fighting monmai and the elephant?s Kotick the white seal wgli?s extraordinary animal friends.
AR BL:
Peter Pan (unabridged) By J. M. Barrie Peter Pan and Tinkerbell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland - the island where the lost boys play. Magic and mischief is in the air but if villainous Captain Hook has his way, before long someone will be swimming with the crocodiles... 7.2
Points
Black Beauty (unabridged) By Anna Sewell
Points: 20.0
AR BL:
8.3
Points: 8.0
ncess (unabridged) Hodgson Burnett
e arrives at Miss Minchin's school, she seems just like a . She wears beautiful clothes, ners, and tells the most wonen one day, Sara suddenly s. Now she must wear rags, ol's dreary attic, and work for all alone, but keeps telling an still be a princess inside, if d enough.
Points: 11.0
e Center of the Earth
ne
ry of a strange parchment in an hop to the fantastic descent nt volcano into a subterranean
Black Beauty is a handsome, sweet-tempered colt with a strong spirit. As a young colt he is free to gallop in the fresh green meadows with his beloved mother, Duchess, and their kind master. But when his owners are forced to sell him, Black Beauty goes from a life of comfort and kindness to one of hard labor and cruelty. Bravely he works as hard as he can, suffering at the hands of men who treat animals badly. But Black Beauty has an unbreakable spirit and will, and is determined to survive . . . AR BL:
7.7
Points: 11.0
The Wizard of Oz ( By L. Frank Baum
Dorothy thinks she is lost fo terrifying tornado crashes t and whisks her and her dog to the magical land of Oz. T Dorothy must follow the ye to Emerald City and find the mysterious Wizard of Oz. T companions the Tin Woodm crow and the Cowardly Lio meets on the way, Dorothy strange and enchanting adve AR BL:
The Wind in the Willows (unabridged) By Kenneth Grahame The much-loved classic tales of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad. When Mole goes boating with Ratty instead of doing his spring-cleaning, he discovers a whole new world. As well as adventures on the river and in the Wild Wood, there are high jinks on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of Toad Hall. Ratty,
7.0
Hamilton
Find Where The Wind Goes: Moments From My Life By Dr. Mae Jemison
on, a 14-year-old aspiring profesm Hawaii, lost her arm in a shark er Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh, the teen calls her spiritual advisor, pbeat chronicle of her life.
What does it take to go from a fear of heights to dancing above the stratosphere as the world's first woman of color to travel into space? Dr. Mae Jemison shares funny and inspirational anecdotes from moments in her life.
Points 5.0
AR BL: 7.2
Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me By Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza, who served as National Security Advisor and as Secretary of State during the George W. Bush administrations, looks back over her life, discussing her childhood in Birmingham in the 1950s, her career in education, and her government service. AR BL: 8.1
Points: 12.0
yes
es his path to success, his childhood hristian missionaries, and how his with his drive to succeed have made he is today.
Boy: Tales of Childhood By Roald Dahl
This book presents humorous anecd author Roald Dahl’s childhood which mer vacations in Norway and an En school. AR BL: 6.0
Points: 6.0
Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems By Janet and Geoff Benge Amy Carmichael’s life was marked by a simple, determined obedience to God, regardless of circumstance or consequences. Her story and legacy are stunning reminders of the impact of one person who will fear God and nothing else... AR BL: 6.7
Points: 7.0
At Her Majesty’s Request Princess in Vicotrian Engl By Walter Dean Myers
Points: 1260
Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity By Drew Brees
This is a biography of the Afri saved from execution and tak where Queen Victoria oversaw ing and where she lived for a marrying an African missionar
Drew Brees discusses the shoulder injury that almost destroyed his career, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the comeback made by himself, the city, and his team during the 2009 season. AR BL: 6.6
Points: 7.0
Points: 17.0
We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success By Sampson Davis
AR BL: 7.1
Points: 3.0
Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices and Priorities of A W By Tony Dungy
Three men from Newark share anecdotes from their childhoods, teen years, and young adult lives after they pledge in high school to stay safe from drugs, gangs, and crime, and work to become doctors. The text contains violence.
In this memoir, Tony Dungy reveals the secrets to his success—principles, practices, and priorities that have kept him on track despite overwhelming obstacles, including firings, stereotypings, and the tragic los of a child. His thoughts on leading, succeeding, and attaining true significance will inspire you to take a long, hard look at the things that really matter in your own life.
AR BL: 5.8
AR BL: 7.1
Points: 7.0
Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold By Janet Benge
Points: 16.0
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different By Karen Blumenthal This biography chronicles the life and accomplishments of Apple mogul Steve Jobs, discussing his ideas and describing how he has influenced life in the twenty-first century. AR BL: 8.2
Points: 9.0
David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer By Janet and Geoff Benge With the heart of an explorer and the passion of an evangelist, David Livingstone mapped vast, unexplored areas of Africa, sharing the gospel with whomever he encountered. His stamina, perseverance, and dogged determination created the legacy of a trailblazing explorer with an undying hunger to make Christ known wherever his steps led him. AR BL: 6.9
A Child’s Life in Sarajevo vic
Carver: A Life in Poems By Marilyn Nelson
ents the diary of a thirteen-year-old ajevo, begun just before her elevhen there was still peace in her
This collection of poems assembled by awa er Marilyn Nelson is a compelling, lyrical a of revered African-American botanist and Washington Carver’s life.
Points: 5.0 Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart By Candace Fleming This book traces the life of female aviator Amelia Earhart from her childhood to her final flight, discusses the extensive search for her and her missing plane, and includes photographs, maps, and handwritten notes by Amelia. AR BL: 6.6
Points: 5.0
r: eart of China Geoff Benge
AR BL: 6.9
Guess what -- Gary Paulsen was being kind to Brian. In Guts, Gary tells the real stories behind the Brian books, the stories of the adventures that inspired him to write Brian Robeson's story: working as an emergency volunteer; the death that inspired the pilot's death in Hatchet; plane crashes he has seen and near-misses of his own. There's even a handy chapter on "Eating Eyeballs and Guts or Starving: The Fine Art of Wilderness Nutrition “. Points: 4.0
I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to the Blindside By Michael Oher with Don Yaeger
The football star made famous in th Blind Side reflects on how far he ha circumstances of his youth. Looking went from being a homeless child in playing in the NFL, Michael talks ab had for himself in order to break o poverty, addiction, and hopelessnes his family for so long. He recounts growing up in the projects and runn services and foster care over and o search of some familiarity. Eventual onto football as his ticket out of th worked hard to make his dream int
Points: 8.0 Nelson Mandela: No Easy Walk to Freedom By Barry Denenberg Son of a tribal chief, Nelson Mandela became a lawyer and worked tirelessly to free his people. In 1964, he was convicted of trying to overthrow the government and spent the next twenty-six years in jail. At last, in 1990, he was released from prison, and resumed his place as the leader of black South Africa’s fight for freedom. In April 1994, his admirers around the world
Points: 8.0
Guts By Gary Paulsen
AR BL: 6.5
urvived his perilous maiden oved China. With his heart set bedience to God, and trusting the One who had called him. me persecution and almost ersonal losses to bring God’s
Points: 8.0
AR BL: 6.6
Points: 11.0
Shaka: King of the Zulus By Diane Stanley Born in 1787, Shaka was just a boy when he and his mother were banished from their tiny Zulu clan, one among many clans that dotted the hillsides of southern Africa. By sheer will
he USS Indianapolis n
disaster in U. S. Navel history. t on July 30, 1945, the USS orpedoed by a Japanese submank in 14 minutes. More than a re thrown into shark-infested U.S. Navy did not even know .
oints: 11.0
rance mstrong
Sir Ernest Shacklleton set out an attempt to lead the first s the Antarctic continent. was one of the most extraortories in history: a ship cked in the ice; an expedition on the constantly shifting Anthen on a remote uninhabited pen boat voyage across the world’s most violent er unmapped mountains; and finally, an amazing resellbinding account of an incredible, true adventure Points 1.0
The Hidden Children Howard Greenfield During World War II, thousands of Jewish Children were sent away from their homes and hidden from the Nazis. Most of them lived with strangers who risked their own lives to protect them. This is the story of a few of the Hidden Children.
AR BL: 6.7
Points 5.0
York’s Adventures with Lewis and Clark: An African American’s Part in the Great Exped By Rhoda Blumberg Did you know that an African-American man participated in Lewis and Clark's famous expedition? Working alongside free men, Clark's slave York played an important role in the journey's success. This award-winning book draws on extensive research to give a gripping and insightful account of York's significant contribution to this landmark historical event. AR BL: 7.9
Points 3.0
eine L’Engle
ed reading A Wrinkle in Time last year, read the sequels. This science fantasy own term for her writing) follows the y family as they try to save the world
The Wind in the Door Meg Calvin and the disagreeable school principal, Mr. Jenkins have to travel inside one of Charles Wallace’s mitochondria to save him from a deadly disease, part of a comic battle against the evil Echthroi and the forces of the “Unnaming.” AR BL: 5.0 Newbery Honor
Points: 7.0
Planet
must save the world from nuclear war time and changing might-have-bens acrit (through kything) by Meg whose body . Points: 7.0 Many Waters Sandy and Dnnys Murry, the twin brothers of Meg and Charles Wallace, accidentally travel back in time and meet Noah. They help the patriarch reconcile with his father, fall in love with Noah’s daughter Yalith, and become involved in a struggle between the seraphim and the nephilm. AR BL: 4.7
Points: 10.0
Time
eldest daughter, Polly, visits her materonly to find herself trapped 3000 years t up in a struggle between the People the warlike, drought-stricken People Points: 11.0
out the O’Keefe’s (Meg and Calvin’s children) include :
The Arm of the Starfish
Dragons in the Water
A House Like a Lotus
te a series about another family, the Austins. Titles in that
Meet the Austins