Crush by Gary Paulsen

Every time Kevin Spencer sees Tina Zabinski, the Most Beautiful Girl in the World, he's in danger of tripping, falling and making a fool of himself. He can hardly say a word to her. But Kev knows he'd be the perfect boyfriend for Tina. He's not bragging. Just pointing out the obvious.

When new kid Cash Devine zeroes in on Tina, Kevin hustles to find the formula that will make her forget all about Cash.

To win Tina's heart, and learn all about romance, Kevin decides to take a scientific approach and create experiments to observe the behaviors of test subjects. By applying the principles of scientific method, he believes he can understand the chemistry between males and females. Afterall, isn't love based on chemistry?

The budding Casanova's experiments begin with his family. His observation of his parents, with the help of his young neighbor Markie, ends dismally. Frequently married and often divorced Auntie Buzz doesn't have the best track record in the lasting romance department. Kevin turns to his sister Sarah for help, but she turns the tables on him, which is an eye-opening experience. Kevin's observations of his hockey-playing brother Daniel and some other skating stars yield promising results. Then there are his experiments with health-nut and best friend JonPaul, along with friends Dash and Wheels. His direct attempt at questioning Connie Shaw gets messy, but he learns an important lesson.

While implementing his scientific approach, Kevin reaffirms Sir Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion "that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." He also comes to agree with Francis Bacon that "Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion." In the end, Kevin discovers that the scientific mind is no match for action.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

"I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse."

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with severe facial deformities that have required years of corrective surgeries. He's been homeschooled up until now, but his parents have decided that he's strong enough to try regular school.He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

 How would you react when you meet someone for the first time whose face looks completely different than yours? And how would that affect the other person?

Auggie's voice feels authentic and real. He's into Star Wars, he laughs at fart jokes, he notices everything other kids do, and he cracks really good jokes. He isn't perfect; he gets angry and justifiably so. But he's hopeful and yet realistic at the same time.

Palacio draws readers in by telling the story not only from Auggie's point of view, but also from his sister's perspective, Auggie's best friend's viewpoint, and others'. This shifting first person narrative keeps the reader involved, making them think about the characters all from different angles. It makes us feel like we're right there in school with Auggie.

Video Book Talk

Bystander by James Preller

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s hard to know who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.

But something isn't right about Griffin.

He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you'd better watch your back. There might be a target on it.

As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: he’s a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.
Video Book Talk
Teen Bully
Will you be a bystander?
The Meanest Girl in Second Grade
McGruff: Anti-Bullying Video