The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the life, the only thing he can remember is his first name. 
His memory is blank. 
But he is not alone. 
When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade- a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. 

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. 
All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them has opened. 
Every night, they are are closed tight. 
And every 30 days, a new boy is delivered in the lift. 

Thomas was expected. 
But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. 
And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 
Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried in his mind. 

Book 1 of the Maze Runner series. 
Be sure to continue the story with Book 2- The Scorch Trials and Book 3- The Death Cure. 

Video Book Talk
Author Website and video

Movie Trailer
Movie Trailer 2

The Land Remembers: The Story of a Farm and its People by Ben Logan

This classic American memoir is about a farm and its people, of a boyhood on a southwestern Wisconsin hilltop world in the 1930s. Ben Logan grew up on Seldom Seen Farm in Southwest Wisconsin with his three brothers, father, mother, and hired hand Lyle—“the fifth Logan boy.” The boys discussed and argued and joked over the events around their farm, marked the seasons by the demands of the land, tested each other and themselves, and grew up learning timeless lessons. This paperback edition features Logan's never-before-published afterword that traces the Logan land to an earlier time, bringing the story full circle to the farm and its people.

Article 

286 pages

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies is set in a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. You might think this is a good thing, but it’s not. Especially if you’re one of the Smokies, a bunch of radical teens who’ve decided they want to keep their own faces. (How anti-social of them.)

Uglies is a trilogy-plus-one, with Extras being a “companion novel” and told from a different point of view. Uglies (Uglies, #1), Pretties (Uglies, #2), Specials (Uglies, #3), Extras (Uglies, #4).

Video Booktalk

425 pages

Lexile 770

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The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. 

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. 

242 pages
Lexile HL 670

Book trailer
Author Interview

Levianthan by Scott Westerfeld

It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure….One that will change both their lives forever.

440 pages
Lexile 790

Video Book Talk

Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick

Zane Dupree is a charismatic 12-year-old boy of mixed race visiting a relative in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hits. Unexpectedly separated from all family, Zane and his dog experience the terror of Katrina's wind, rain, and horrific flooding. Facing death, they are rescued from an attic air vent by a kind, elderly musician and a scrappy young girl--both African American. The chaos that ensues as storm water drowns the city, shelter and food vanish, and police contribute to a dangerous, frightening atmosphere, creates a page-turning tale that completely engrosses the reader. Based on the facts of the worst hurricane disaster in U.S. history, Philbrick includes the lawlessness and lack of government support during the disaster as well as the generosity and courage of those who risked their lives and safety to help others. Here is an unforgettable novel of heroism in the face of truly challenging circumstances.

Video Book Talk 
192 pages

Lexile- 860L