Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

by Jordan Sonnenblick

Steven Alper's 8th grade year isn't starting out so great. He's madly in love with a girl named Renee who barely notices he's alive, and his 5 year old brother Jeffrey is as annoying as ever. At least he made the All-Star Jazz Band where can play the drums, but keeping up with teachers and homework even makes that hard.

Things really take a turn for the worse when Jeffrey is diagnosed with a serious illness, and suddenly Steven's life is really turned upside down. His parents are worried about Jeffrey's illness, and the bills and hospital stays that go with it. Steven really falls behind in school, and suddenly needs a tutor, who turns out to be the girl of his dreams.

Donut Days

by Lara Zielin

Both of Emma's parents are pastors of their own church and both feel very strongly about Emma going to a Christian college. But the Christian college that her parents want her to attend does not have a program in journalism and Emma loves to write. To have a chance at winning the money to pay for her own college tuition, Emma has to cover the opening of a new donut store. People come from all over to camp out weeks in advance. At the same time she is struggling to make her parents understand how important writing is to her, she finds out about a conspiracy to have her mother fired and she uncovers an environmental scandal involving her parents' church. All she wants is to be a writer and for her parents to trust her, but those simple wishes don't seem so simple after all.

What momma left me

by Renee Watson

Serenity and her brother have to live with their grandparents after a terrible accident leaves them without their mother. Their father is no where to be found. Serenity is 13 and has many secrets that she is afraid to share: her mother's secrets; her father's secrets; even her brother's secrets. But keeping them inside is hurting her. How can she be happy and peaceful knowing what really happened to her mother? How can she prove to her brother that she loves him if she can't keep his secrets? Doing the right thing never seemed so hard before.

Bruiser

by Neal Shusterman

When Bronte and her brother, Tennyson, are with Brewster, the world is a better place. The constant fighting of their parents doesn't bother them. The cuts and scrapes seem to disappear. Even when sadness, disappointment, and anger are within their world, it just doesn't seem so bad, as long as Brewster is around. Maybe Brew knows what to say to make you feel better. Maybe Brew just knows how to cheer you up. But if Brewster were such a fun and great guy to be around, why doesn't he have any other friends? Why do all the other kids avoid him?

The impossible is suddenly possible, but at what cost?

You

by Charles Benoit

Kyle Chase is typical. He's the typical guy who likes to hang out with his typical friends, making the typical bad choices young adutls make. That is, until he meets the new kid in school. Could this new guy be for real? After sort-of making friends with Zack, Kyle's life is not so typical anymore and he finds himself making no-so-typical choices. Sometimes you can take back your mistakes or, at least, make up for them. Sometimes it's too late.

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Have you ever known anyone who had cancer?  Do you ever wonder about how they go back to being "normal" after all the treatments, pain, strong drugs, and hair loss?

Jeffrey Alper and his best friend, Tad Ibsen know all too well.  Both still live with the effects of their cancer treatment, and the constant worrying about it happening again.  Now they are eighth graders, trying to pass both their classes and a state test to get into high school.  There's also their parents, girls, and teachers who want them to keep challenging themselves, even when Jeff is not sure he'll have the brains or the strength.

This book is the sequel to "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie", which was about Jeff''s older brother Steven.  Now Steven, who Jeff has always leaned on for help with school and family, is in Africa and Jeff must find new ways to deal with all the hassles in his life.

Looks

by Madeleine George

Meghan Ball and Aimee Zorn are both judged by others based on their looks. They also have something else in common. They've both been burned by the same person who pretends to be a friend. How can one person be so invisible and large at the same time? How is it possible to be so sad that you are, literally, wasting away?

Meghan and Aimee join forces to get revenge on the one person who has betrayed their trust.

I am number four

by Pittacus Lore

Imagine being only one of nine others responsible for the survival of your race. There are those who are hunting you all down, one by one, to kill you. All nine of these survivors must be killed in numerical order. Numbers one, two, and three are already dead. Number four is next. But number four is fifteen now. He has a girlfriend and a best friend. He has finally found a place where he feels like he belongs, but THEY know where he is and THEY are coming after him. Should he stay and fight or continue to run?

The School for Cool

Part of the series: The Social Experiments of Dorie Dilts
by P.G. Kain

Dorie and her best friend, Dixie, win a chance to go to Washington, D.C. to study their favorite subjects. For Dorie, it's science and for Dixie, it's the theater. But, in order for Dorie to have a chance to present in front of Congress, she has to convince the most stuck-up smart boy, Igor, that she is as great a scientist as he is. Igor wants Dorie to set him up with gorgeous teen actress, Tiffany. Why would a super-cool, trendy teen actress be interested in a science geek like Igor? Dorie has it all figured out. With Dixie's help, there's no problem science can't solve.

Me & Death

by Richard Scrimger

Ever wonder what it's like when you die? This story begins with Jim, the main character, getting hit by a car. He gets a grand tour of what it would be like if he were to die instead of live and come out of the coma he is in. Let me put it this way: He never sees a white light. He discovers that the choices he's made on Earth will have an impact on what kind of "heaven" he will be a part of. This book is funny, sad, serious, and comical all at the same time, and it's only 187 pages long! If you don't like to read, but your teacher says you have to, GET THIS BOOK!! It's short and interesting.

 

The Exiled Queen

by Cinda Williams Chima

Han Alister, ex street lord, former thief, and  expert lier, is now traveling to Oden's Ford to earn an education in the magical arts. Even though the school is known as "the great leveler," there are students who have reason to hate Han, specifically the Bayar twin wizards, Micah and Fiona. In the first book, The Demon King, Han steals an amulet from their father, the High Wizard. In this book, Han has to find a way to keep Micah and Fiona from killing him and recovering the amulet. Meanwhile, Princess Raisa has run away from an arranged marriage with Micah Bayar. She and her best friend, Amon, are also making their way to Oden's Ford so that Raisa can get a military education in order to become a stronger ruler. Raisa's and Han's paths have crossed in the past, but when they meet again their connection is more powerful than before.

Three Rivers Rising

A wealthy girl who dreams of breaking free from the life her parents have planned for her.  A working class boy who desperately hopes for a better life.  They are hopelessly in love and water is rising all around them.  No, it's not the movie Titanic, it is the book Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards.

Written in poem, much like Out of the Dust, Three Rivers Rising is a fictional account of a real disaster, the Johnstown Flood of 1889.    After days of heavy rain, a dam bursts and floods the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing 2200 people and destroying the town.  Celestia and Peter must not only survive the flood, but the opposition of everyone around them.

The Demon King

by Cinda Williams Chima

Han Alister used to be a thief. And why not? How else is he supposed to provide for his mother and sister and still attend school? But, when he finds an amulet that may contain powerful magic, Han's life turns from bad to worse. Now he's on the run, not only from his town's gangsters, but also from the king's wizards. Han discovers a huge secret about himself that his friends have been keeping from him. This secret could either lead to his death or help him save himself.

Response

by Paul Volponi

Noah was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When he becomes the victim of a brutal hate crime he learns more about himself, his family, and his friends than he ever thought was possible. RESPONSE does not describe the time it took for his friends to call 911 for help. It does not describe the short time it took the ambulance and police to arrive at the crime scene. Response is the brand of the aluminum baseball bat that was used to beat Noah and crack open his skull.

North of Beautiful

by Justina Chen Headley

Terra Cooper has a scare on her face no can miss. Everyone stares at her all the time and she is tired of it. She's also tired of hearing people tell her real beauty is inside. What is "beautiful" and why can't she have it where people can see it? A timid mom and abusive dad can't help her find what she's looking for, but maybe her new Goth friend can.

Written in Bone

by Sally M. Walker

The dead and the buried. What can they tell us? What can we learn from their bones?
If you like shows like NCIS, Bone, CSI, or forensic science (investigating why and how people die) you need to read this book. Archeologist investigate the remains of people who lived and died at the Jamestown settlement.

The Demon King

by Cinda Williams Chima

Han Alister used to be a thief. And why not? How else is he supposed to provide for his mother and sister and still attend school? But now, he's trying to turn things around and do things the right way. He's trying really hard to not get into any more trouble. Only trouble seems to follow him everywhere. While hunting with his best friend, they find an amulet, get into a fight with a wizard, and now Han is on the run. Why can't Han follow the right path like his friends? Why does life seem harder for him than anyone else he knows?

Girlfriend Material

by Melissa Kantor

Kate's mom wants to get away for the summer and she drags Kate with her. This is SO NOT the plans Kate was making. Now Kate is wondering if her parent's marriage is falling apart. Vacationing with her mother's friends means no fun for Kate until she meets Adam. Will Kate actually manage to have the perfect summer she was planning on having?

Pop

by Gordon Korman
I thought this book was going to be JUST about football, but it was about a lot more. Marcus and his mother have moved from Kansas to a little town called Kenesaw. As the new guy, the high school football team is not very excited about having him join, even though he has a monster arm. He makes another enemy when the quarterback's ex-girlfriend starts flirting with him. His only friend is a 50 year old athlete named Charlie. Charlie is fit, fast, and a fabulous athlete. But there's something not quite right about Charlie.

The Devouring

by Simon Holt

The existence of Vours, supernatural creatures who feast on fear and attack on the eve of the winter solstice, becomes a terrifying reality for fifteen-year-old Reggie when she begins to suspect that her timid younger brother might be one of their victims. Don't read this book if you get scared easily.

all the broken pieces

by Ann Burg

What would it be like to be taken out of your country forcefully? To leave behind your family, including your baby brother? What does it feel like to go to school with kids your own age who blame you for the death of their own brothers? Nobody wants you on their team. Nobody wants you in their family. What do you do when you feel unwelcome because of the color of your skin and the shape of your eyes?

The Fact Checker's Bible

by Sarah Harrison Smith

The Fact Checker's Bible is a quick read that will really make you think twice about what is in print as well as what is being reported in today's media.

The New York Times is considered to be one of the most accurate newspapers in the world because of its large number of fact checkers. Fact checkers check names, their spelling, where they were and exactly what was said at at gatherings or meetings. The book expresses that the Internet is only as accurate as the people who put the information on it. Smith suggests [using] Lexis Nexis and Factiva as databases [to check information] for accuracy. Numerous checkers are required to get information quickly and accurately. Papers written in England are considered the most loosely written media and are scrutinized and challenged in courts most often.

Regarding writing novels, checkers are used to establish authenticity. For example, if a certain flower or fresh fruit is written into a scene, the checker finds out if the season allows for such an assertion, as the text loses credibility if the reader knows that it is not possible; consequently, compromising the integrity of the story. The book expands at length about the importance of a checker establishing a trusting relationship with a writer, even if she is an expert in her field.

Regarding primary sources, checkers know bias can be woven into any story and a good checker may go so far as to interview people who worked catering the event and even want to know who was talking to whom and what exactly was overheard.

Working within strict time constraints coupled with establishing and developing reliable contacts can do everything for a checker's reputation i.e., career.

I highly recommend The Fact Checker's Bible.

By Carol Yantis

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

by James Patterson

Max's full name is Maximum Ride. She picked it out herself. There are people from The School who are looking for her and her family. Scientists want to continue the work they've done on their specimens, even if that means dissecting their brains. Wouldn't you want to hide from this situation if you were Max?

Unfortunately, even after being in hiding for years, the Erasers have found them and have kidnapped the youngest child in the family. They've taken her back to The School to continue the horrible experiments on her.

Armed with only her wings, Max must pull everyone together to save Angel.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Abraham Lincoln, who is known as one of our country's greatest President's, was also the first President to die by an assassin's bullet. But that is only part of the story. John Wilkes Booth was at the time he shot Lincoln one of America's most recognizable actors, and the leader of a wide conspiracy to bring down America's government after the Civil War ended. Booth's co-conspiritors also planned to kill the Vice-President and the Secretary of State.

Read about Booth's escape from Washington D.C. after he assassinated Lincoln, and the people who helped him as he hid from law enforcement. There is as much suspense, and as many twists and turns as any modern CSI show, but this story is all true!