Applegate, Katherine. Home of the Brave. Feiwel and Friends. Poetic narrative. Gr. 5-8. 249p. Good read aloud. Ten-year old Kek, a Sudanese refugee, witnessed the murder of his father and brother; his mother is missing. In touching verse, Kek tells the story of his relocation to frozen Minnesota to live with relatives. Although he misses his family and way of life very much, Kek finds some comfort in caring for an elderly widow's cow, an animal that reminds him of home.

Banks, Kate. Lenny's Space. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Realistic fiction. Gr. 4-6. 151p. Good read aloud. At age nine, Lenny is extremely bright but cannot control himself in school. His interests are not like those of his classmates. With the help of a sympathetic counselor, Lenny gains a friend who has leukemia; he also learns that there are times when everyone needs to cry.

Burns, Loree Griffin. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion. Houghton Mifflin. Nonfiction (551.46). Gr. 5-8. 56p.When sneakers washed up off the coast of the state of Washington, scientist Curt Ebbesmeyer used them to learn about the movement of trash by ocean currents. Photographs illustrate and add to the scientific explanation of ocean patterns as well as the effects of ocean-borne trash.

Compestine, Ying Chang. Revolution is not a Dinner Party: a Novel. Henry Holt. Historical fiction. Gr. 5-8. 248p. The happy existence of Ling and her family is threatened when Comrade Li, an officer of the Communist Party, moves into their apartment.  Despite the harsh treatment of the government, Ling manages to excel at school and survive the repression with wit, hope, and courage.  This is a gripping account of life during China's Cultural Revolution in the 1970's.

Creech, Sharon. The Castle Corona. Joanna Cotler. Fantasy. Gr. 4-6. 320p. Good read aloud. In this entertaining and richly imagined fairy tale romp, two young and poor Italian peasant children, Enzio and Pia, find a pouch marked with the royal seal. The pouch leads them to the castle where the outspoken Enzio and Pia find new lives with an unconventional, dissatisfied royal family and its advisors, the royal hermits.  

Duble, Kathleen Benner. Bravo Zulu, Samantha! Peachtree. Realistic fiction. Gr. 4-6. 133p. Good read aloud. Samantha, age twelve, dreads spending a month of her summer vacation with her short-tempered, stubborn grandfather, a retired Air Force officer interested only in aviation. When Sam finds out that her grandfather has secretly been building a plane, she must decide to spill the beans or convince the Colonel to accept her help.

French, Jackie. Rover. HarperCollins. Historical/adventure fiction. Gr. 6-8. 283p. When Vikings destroy her village and brutally kill her mother, Hekja and her brave puppy Snarf become slaves to the brave warrior Freydis, daughter of Eric the Red who founded Greenland. Hekja and Snarf prove their bravery and courage through many dangerous adventures, eventually gaining their freedom.  Hekja's story has plenty of action and is bursting with historical detail.

Funke, Cornelia. Igraine the Brave. Chicken House/Scholastic. Fantasy. Gr. 4-6. 212p. Good read aloud. Although her parents are magicians, Igraine finds magic dull as dishwater; instead, she yearns to become a swashbuckling knight. When Osmund the Greedy attempts to steal her parent's Singing Books of Magic and her parents are accidentally turned into pigs, Igraine, her magician-in-training brother, a giant, and a knight work together to save the day.

George, Jessica Day. Dragon Slippers. Bloomsbury. Fantasy. Gr. 5-8. 324p. Creel, a feisty, orphaned peasant girl, is forced by her aunt to surrender to a local dragon in the hope that the knight who rescues Creel will want to marry her. No such luck. Instead, Creel befriends the dragon and receives a pair of magical slippers that link her to all the dragons of the kingdom and later enable Creel to help the prince keep the peace.

Graff, Lisa. The Thing about Georgie: a Novel. Laura Geringer. Realistic fiction. Gr. 4-6. 220p. Good read aloud. Nine-year-old dwarf Georgie has a good life with caring parents and Andy, a terrific best friend. Georgie's parents announce that they are expecting a new baby, Georgie and Andy have a serious falling out, and Georgie is forced to work on a school project with a girl he can't stand. Georgie finds himself more than a little stressed.

Haig, Matt. Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest. Putnam. Fantasy. Gr. 5-8. 316p. After Samuel and his sister Martha lose their parents in an automobile accident, the children are sent to live with their aunt in Norway. They are warned to avoid the attic and the ominous Shadow Forest nearby, but Martha disobeys and enters the woods only to disappear. Samuel, armed with a book about the magical Scandinavian creatures like trolls and huldres, sets off to rescue her.

Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days. Bloomsbury. Fantasy. Gr. 6-8. 305p. Just after fifteen-year-old Dashti, a poor shepherd girl from the Mongolian steppes, pledges her allegiance as maid to Princess Saren, the two girls are sealed for seven years into a stone tower, because Saren has refused to wed the evil lord her father has chosen for her. Dashti�s optimism, common sense, and her ability to heal through song help keep her and the lady alive. After the two escape, Dashti must defeat the horrid lord to save her lady and the land. 

Heuer, Karsten. Being Caribou: Five Months on Foot with a Caribou Herd. Walker. Nonfiction (599.65). Gr. 4-8. 48p. The migration of a herd of caribou to the birthing grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is told and illustrated with breathtaking photos by a wildlife biologist.

Higgins, F. E. The Black Book of Secrets. Feiwel and Friends. Gr. 6-8. 273p. Raised as a pickpocket by his scurrilous parents, young Ludlow Fitch runs away to the small village of Pagus Parvus. Having been taught to read and write by a bookseller, Ludlow gains employment recording people's confessions in the Black Book of Secrets for Joe Zabbidou, a pawnbroker who pays cash for secrets.

Hill, Kirkpatrick. Do Not Pass Go. Margaret K. McElderry. Realistic fiction. Gr. 5-8. 220p. Deet, a teenager, lives in Alaska and is embarrassed by his disorganized and financially struggling parents. His world is turned upside down when his father is arrested for drug possession and sent to prison. Deet often goes to the jail to visit, overcoming his shame and emerging more sensitive and less judgmental of others.

Jonell, Lynne. Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. Henry Holt. Fantasy. Gr. 4-7. 346p. Good read aloud. Since her parents have inherited millions, Emmy seems less and less important to them; even her teacher and classmates hardly acknowledge her existence. After she is bitten by the class rodent, Emmy starts to hear the rat's smart aleck comments. With his help, Emmy discovers that her nasty nanny, Miss Barmy, and the sneaky Prof. Vole are plotting to get rid of Emmy in order to steal her parent's fortune.

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal. Amulet. Humorous fiction. Gr. 4-8. 217p. In short chapters and hilarious, earthy dialog punctuated with cartoons, sixth-grader Greg records his experiences during a year of middle school.

La Fevers, Robin L. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. Houghton Mifflin. Mystery. Gr. 5-8. 343p. Theodosia Throckmorton, the daughter of archeologists who run a London museum of "Legends and Antiquities," has a unique talent for sensing black magic and curses in the artifacts her parents retrieve from Egypt. In this rollicking tale, Theodosia uncovers a secret evil society intent on taking over the world.

Lupica, Mike. Summer Ball. Philomel. Sport fiction. Gr. 5-8. 244p. At summer basketball camp, Danny, a talented and spunky thirteen-year-old, finds himself up against an antagonistic coach and must prove that he and his unlikely team are the winning players he knows they can be.

Mason, Prue. Camel Rider. Charlesbridge. Adventure fiction. Gr. 5-8. 204p. Adam, an Australian boy living with his family in Abudai in the Middle East and Wadil, an Arab boy sold into slavery to become a camel rider, unexpectedly join together after war erupts in the area.  The two boys, neither speaking the same language, rely on one another for food, shelter, and safety as they embark on a dangerous journey across a desert wilderness to rescue Adam's beloved dog.

Paulsen, Gary. Lawn Boy. Wendy Lamb. Realistic fiction. Gr. 4-6. 88 p. The narrator of this slapstick story receives a used riding lawn mower from his grandmother for his twelfth birthday. One lawn-mowing job turns into two, then three, then more. Soon the energetic young entrepreneur is making and investing big money.

Peck, Richard. On the Wings of Heroes. Dial. Historical fiction. Gr. 4-8. 148p. Good read aloud. As World War II begins, life in rural Illinois changes radically for Davy Bowman, his family, and their close-knit neighborhood. Davy's older brother is sent overseas and becomes a B-17 pilot. Those at home support the war effort and anxiously wait for the soldiers and a more normal life to return.

Pinkwater, Daniel Manus. The Neddiad. Houghton Mifflin. Humorous fiction. Gr. 5-7. 307p. In this often wacky story set in the 1940s, young Neddie Wentworthstein travels west with his family. On the trip to visit old time Hollywood, a shaman gives a stone turtle to Neddie, and eventually he must use its supernatural power to save the world from the return of the ice age.

Resau, Laura. Red Glass. Delacorte.  Realistic fiction. Gr. 7-8. 275p. Fragile, frightened teenager Sophie agrees to accompany Pablo, a traumatized Mexican orphan her parents rescued, on a trip to his remote Mexican village. When her two traveling companions, one being her boyfriend, face grave danger in Guatemala, Sophie draws on her strength, and, traveling alone, goes to rescue them.  Resau gives us a warm, real story with lush descriptions and believable characters.

Schlitz, Laura Amy. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village. Candlewick. Reader's theater (812). 85p. Gr. 6-8. Finely wrought first person monologs and dialogs by the inhabitants of an English manor in the year 1255 shed light on their lives and concerns.

Scott, Elaine. When is a Planet not a Planet?:  the Story of Pluto. Clarion. Nonfiction (523.48). Gr. 4-6. 43p. Exactly what makes a planet a planet? This book is a history of astronomy and the offers an explanation as to Pluto's recent demotion in status. It includes historical facts, photos, a glossary, an index, and suggested reading.

Scott, Michael Dylan. The Alchemyst. Delacorte. Fantasy. Gr. 5-8. 375p. For hundreds of years Nick Fleming (a.k.a. Nicholas Flamel) has protected a valuable book, the Codex, containing the secret to eternal life; in recent years he has run a small bookstore in San Francisco, but now Flamel has been found out by the evil Dr. John Dee who wants the Codex to give him eternal life and to enslave mankind. Fifteen-year-old twins, Josh and Sophie, who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, are reluctantly drawn into the fight between good and evil and fulfill the prophecy of the Codex.

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures. Scholastic. Fantasy. Gr. 4-8. 533p. Good read aloud. The year is 1931, the setting is a train station in Paris, and the story is unique. Told in text and exquisitely detailed double-page illustrations, a mystery unfolds around a young boy called Hugo, his new friend Isabelle, an automaton, and a magician turned filmmaker.

Sheth, Kashmira. Keeping Corner. Hyperion. Realistic fiction. Gr. 7-8. 281p. Set in India during the 1940s, this is a poignant story of a young girl widowed at age thirteen. The Brahmin custom is for Leela to shave her head, wear dark clothes, and "keep corner," the practice of not leaving her parent's home for a year. Mahatma Gandhi's beliefs, an encouraging teacher, and a supportive older brother help convince Leela's family to allow her to move toward a future in which she will become more than a widow - a teacher.

Sidman, Joyce. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Houghton Mifflin.  Poetry (811). Gr. 4-8. 47p. The students in Mrs. Merz's fictional sixth-grade class are asked to write poems of apology for actions they have taken.  Using a variety of poetic forms, the students convey an array of emotions, from expressing their regrets to dead pets and angry siblings to apologizing for stealing doughnuts from the teacher's lounge.  Responses to the apologies are included and make for thoughtful reading.

Singer, Marilyn. Venom. Darby Creek. Nonfiction (591.6). Gr. 4-8. 96p. Venom is a solid introduction to all kinds of poisonous and venomous creatures, including snakes, spiders, salamanders, bees, and more. The book is packed with colorful photos, fascinating facts, and weird sidebar stories.

Smith, Roland. Peak. Harcourt. Adventure fiction. Gr. 6-8. 246p. 442p. Gifted climber, Peak Marcello, is arrested for attempting to scale New York's Woolworth Building and lands in jail. He is bailed out by his famous mountain climber dad, a man he hardly knows, who gets Peak out of trouble but onto Mt. Everest where Peak may become the youngest person to reach the top of this fabled mountain.

St. John, Lauren. The White Giraffe. Dial. Adventure fiction. Gr. 4-6. 180p. Good read aloud. When eleven-year old Martine's parents perish in a house fire in England, she is sent to live on a game preserve in Africa with a grouchy grandmother she's never met.  Martine's love for the animals makes her existence livable, and she discovers she has a mystical gift which helps her rescue a rare white giraffe.

Stewart, Trenton Lee.  The Mysterious Benedict Society. Little, Brown. Adventure fiction. Gr. 5-8. 485p. After four exceptionally gifted orphans, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance, take test after test to be accepted at a special school run by Mr. Benedict, the spunky, intelligent children become secret agents whose mission is to foil the plan of an evil genius to brainwash the world with subliminal messages.

Thompson, Kate. The New Policeman. Greenwillow. Fantasy. Gr. 7-8. 442p. His mother jokes that she�d like more time, and J.J., her fifteen-year old son, a fiddle player, sets out on a quest into a fairyland of eternal youth into which time has been leaking.  This rich tale of Irish culture, music, mystery, and folklore combines with the common concern about the pace and stress of modern life.

Thomson, Sarah L. Dragon's Egg. Greenwillow. Fantasy. Gr. 4-6. 267p. Good read aloud. In a lively adventure, Mella, age twelve, is a young but very talented keeper to common, domestic dragons. Unintentionally, Mella takes on the care and delivery of a wild dragon's egg to its hidden hatching grounds in the Dragontooth Mountains. Aided by a young squire, Mella proves that her courage and spunk can forge a peace among humans and the threatened and threatening wild dragons. This is an engaging fantasy by a Maine author.

Urban, Linda. A Crooked Kind of Perfect. Harcourt. Realistic fiction. Gr. 4-6. 213p. Although ten-year-old Zoe Elias really wants to be a concert pianist, her eccentric, agoraphobic dad instead buys her a Perfectone D-60 electric organ. In spite of losing her best friend, her mother being a workaholic, and her dad being unable to leave the house, Zoe gamely practices for the upcoming Perform-O-Rama organ competition. Zoe and her story turn out to be true winners.

Wells, Rosemary. Red Moon at Sharpsburg: a Novel. Viking. Historical fiction. Gr. 5-8. 236p. India Moody loves learning about plants and healing. When the Civil War breaks out and her father dies, twelve-year-old India must shoulder the overwhelming and disheartening responsibilities of a young Southern woman during this terrible war. Throughout it all, India continues to hope one day she will study science at Oberlin College.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. Putnam. Realistic fiction. Gr. 5-8. 118p. The reaction of Frannie's classmates to the addition of a white boy to their all-black sixth grade class sets Frannie thinking about friendship, prejudice, faith, and family in this touching story about hope.

Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. Reaching for Sun. Bloomsbury Children's. Poetic narrative. Gr. 5-8. 181p.  Images of growing plants intertwine with the characters in this tender story told in verse. Josie suffers from cerebral palsy and the stresses of seventh grade. Her grandmother has sold the land around the family home to developers to pay for Josie's mother to finish college. When Jordan, a lonely boy who loves science just as Josie does, moves in to a newly built mansion next door, he and Josie become true friends.